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FIC: Bouncing (Augusta, Gen)
Title: Bouncing
Author: shiiki
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Augusta Longbottom, Gen
Fandom: Harry Potter
Word Count: 584
Summary: Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced--all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy.
Notes: Inspired by a re-read of chapter 7 of PS/SS.
Her heart batters against her chest in a frantic pace that she knows well from seven years ago. The build-up had been gradual then: a knock on the door in the wee s'ma, the grim Aurors, an unfolding tale of horror, a rush to St Mungo's and hours trying to squash down the terror.
Now, the entire sequence of horror and heartbreak flashes through her head in one drawn-out second, as she sees Neville hurtle past the window, plummeting head-first towards the ground.
Augusta is a quick draw, and has a Stunner that can knock a wizard out cold before he knows what hit him. She's made it her business to master the magic that would protect her grandson from Dark wizards, but ironically, the spell she needs now to save him is a charm, and that she has never managed.
Her eyes shut tight, unable to fathom watching her grandson shattered on the ground. It's no use. Her imagination supplies the picture anyway.
'He's bouncing--Gussie, look, he's fine, he's bouncing all the way down the path--'
Augusta's eyes fly open and Enid's extraordinary pronouncement turns out to be true. She doesn't even bother running downstairs, just Apparates straight into the garden, where Neville has finally come to a stop in the road, very tousled and rumpled but alive, in one piece.
Someone is laughing. She realises it's her--laughing and cry as well in loud, hiccuping sobs. Neville looks up at her, dazed.
'Why are you crying, Gran?'
She'd fretted for years over whether Neville's magic powers would surface. Yet the fact that he's magicked himself to safety now pales in comparison with the simple fact that he's safe.
'Oh,' she says, reaching out for him. 'You're--'
'A wizard!' Algie interrupts her, looking shocked but altogether too pleased with himself. 'I knew I'd be able to knock it out of you at some point!'
Neville takes her hand and she pulls him to his feet and into a swift hug. When she releases him, he looks completely bewildered, but pleased all the same.
It's then that her brother's words sink in. 'What did you say?'
'Now, don't get your knickers in a twist, Gussie, m'dear,' starts Algie.
'Did you drop my grandson out of the window?'
'No! I mean, yes, but not a'purpose-like,' stammers Algie, backing away from her. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Enid draw Neville aside with one arm, leading him back towards the house. She's promising him sweets and cakes and all manner of rewards for his marvellous feat.
'I only meant to give him a scare, holding him out there, then Enid distracted me and he slipped--'
Augusta snorts in pure disbelief. With a sweep of her wand, Algie is hopping disconsolately on the grass. She puts her nose in the air and follows Enid and Neville into the house. He does indeed deserve a lovely tea to make up for Algie's escapade. And perhaps their house-elf can make up a special cake to celebrate his display of magic, too. Algie chirps after her, ribbit, ribbit, but Augusta just sniffs. He can stay like that for a while. Certainly she won't reverse the spell until after they've had their tea and cakes. Maybe waiting a day, too, wouldn't hurt. He deserves to stew as a toad for a bit, long enough to panic about whether she intends to turn him back.
She may have been pants at Charms, but Transfiguration was always her best subject.
Author: shiiki
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Augusta Longbottom, Gen
Fandom: Harry Potter
Word Count: 584
Summary: Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced--all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy.
Notes: Inspired by a re-read of chapter 7 of PS/SS.
Her heart batters against her chest in a frantic pace that she knows well from seven years ago. The build-up had been gradual then: a knock on the door in the wee s'ma, the grim Aurors, an unfolding tale of horror, a rush to St Mungo's and hours trying to squash down the terror.
Now, the entire sequence of horror and heartbreak flashes through her head in one drawn-out second, as she sees Neville hurtle past the window, plummeting head-first towards the ground.
Augusta is a quick draw, and has a Stunner that can knock a wizard out cold before he knows what hit him. She's made it her business to master the magic that would protect her grandson from Dark wizards, but ironically, the spell she needs now to save him is a charm, and that she has never managed.
Her eyes shut tight, unable to fathom watching her grandson shattered on the ground. It's no use. Her imagination supplies the picture anyway.
'He's bouncing--Gussie, look, he's fine, he's bouncing all the way down the path--'
Augusta's eyes fly open and Enid's extraordinary pronouncement turns out to be true. She doesn't even bother running downstairs, just Apparates straight into the garden, where Neville has finally come to a stop in the road, very tousled and rumpled but alive, in one piece.
Someone is laughing. She realises it's her--laughing and cry as well in loud, hiccuping sobs. Neville looks up at her, dazed.
'Why are you crying, Gran?'
She'd fretted for years over whether Neville's magic powers would surface. Yet the fact that he's magicked himself to safety now pales in comparison with the simple fact that he's safe.
'Oh,' she says, reaching out for him. 'You're--'
'A wizard!' Algie interrupts her, looking shocked but altogether too pleased with himself. 'I knew I'd be able to knock it out of you at some point!'
Neville takes her hand and she pulls him to his feet and into a swift hug. When she releases him, he looks completely bewildered, but pleased all the same.
It's then that her brother's words sink in. 'What did you say?'
'Now, don't get your knickers in a twist, Gussie, m'dear,' starts Algie.
'Did you drop my grandson out of the window?'
'No! I mean, yes, but not a'purpose-like,' stammers Algie, backing away from her. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Enid draw Neville aside with one arm, leading him back towards the house. She's promising him sweets and cakes and all manner of rewards for his marvellous feat.
'I only meant to give him a scare, holding him out there, then Enid distracted me and he slipped--'
Augusta snorts in pure disbelief. With a sweep of her wand, Algie is hopping disconsolately on the grass. She puts her nose in the air and follows Enid and Neville into the house. He does indeed deserve a lovely tea to make up for Algie's escapade. And perhaps their house-elf can make up a special cake to celebrate his display of magic, too. Algie chirps after her, ribbit, ribbit, but Augusta just sniffs. He can stay like that for a while. Certainly she won't reverse the spell until after they've had their tea and cakes. Maybe waiting a day, too, wouldn't hurt. He deserves to stew as a toad for a bit, long enough to panic about whether she intends to turn him back.
She may have been pants at Charms, but Transfiguration was always her best subject.