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author_by_night I wrote some some drabbles taken from random Harry Potter quotes, mainly because I had the itch.
(ETA 4/23/2015: The second drabble was written prior to JK Rowling's backstory on Umbridge. Therefore, it is an AU.)
The world isn't separated into good people and Death Eaters
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
They had to know where Caradoc was. There was no question that he was in danger - remnants of what had been his shoes, his grandfather's watch, the pocket book he never let go of had been strewn over his floor.
Sirius had questioned, harshly, out of fear, desperation. Caradoc was not a close friend, but he was one person Sirius had always known wouldn't leave. One more loss they could not afford. Sirius could not afford.
So he had pressed. Pressing turned into spells. Spells turned into anger. Anger turned into... well...
Sirius had tortured him. He had been so desperate for information, so disturbed by the prophecy he had only heard the day before, so tired of the war, that he had used an unforgivable.
The man lay on the floor squirming and moaning. Sirius realized he had been at Hogwarts in the same year; they'd probably run to the same classes together as boys, looked at one another with rolling eyes when McGonagall nagged and prodded, asked the other what he had missed while he was absent.
They hadn't been any better than the other then. Were they really any better now?
"Caradoc's dead?" Sirius asked as the man stared back at him.
The man nodded, and Sirius lowered his wand. He only then realized Remus was staring at him with nothing less than revulsion.
When Sirius was arrested shortly thereafter, he insisted that he hadn't killed James. He did not insist that he was a good person.
I must not tell lies
When Dolores was asked if the werewolf had threatened her father, she lied.
"Yes," Dolores said.
She omitted the part about her father saying he would kill him if he ever spoke to her sister - who he loved - again. That his wand had been at the werewolf's throat. She omitted the fact that Sheila made it clear she was tired of their father's tyranny.
The family of the werewolf looked at Dolores in anger. They hadn't been there, but they knew the truth. Sheila, Dolores's own sister, started crying.
He deserved it, Dolores told herself. It was the right thing to do.
Sheila asked Dolores only one question before she left for Australia.
"Why?"
Dolores wanted to explain that it was necessary. That family loyalty came before halfbreeds. That the man had died a good death; there were far worse things than murder. It wouldn't help her feel better, but it could win her sister over.
Or perhaps it wouldn't. For reasons unbeknownst to her, Sheila was stupidly in love.
Dolores met her sister's eyes and said, in a sugary voice, "I must not tell lies."
I've told you a million times
Dora first found out Remus was a werewolf by accident.
She was little, no older than six, and visiting Sirius at his flat. Remus had stopped by, and not knowing Dora was within earshot, mentioned it.
Dora told him she didn't care; she was different too, she said, showing him her powers. There were people who thought that made her bad, but it didn't.
"Mummy says I'm special," Dora announced, and Remus smiled.
"You are," he said, but he didn't say anything about himself.
Years later, Dora and Remus came upon one another on the street. It was nearly a year after Sirius's escape from Azkaban, and Remus had news for her. In return, Dora gave him a place to stay.
When he awkwardly reminded her why he was disappearing one month, Dora simply shrugged.
"I know," she said. "It doesn't matter to me."
Remus insisted on paying for the flat, but Dora only pretended to take his money. She kept finding ways to sneak it back to him; she wasn't sure if he ever caught on.
They fell in love, and for once, Remus accepted who he was. Or so Dora thought.
They lost Sirius, and things fell apart. Dora forced a brave face, which scared Remus. When Dora begged Remus not to go to Greyback, Remus insisted he had to, and then got it in his head that they were too different.
He came around, slowly but surely. Still, Dora knew he sometimes doubted whether or not he should have, whether or not she deserved him. It broke Dora's heart.
When Dora held their baby in her arms, she made a promise never to let him believe anyone worthy of his time would care.
His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad
Ginny stormed into the girl's bathroom, shaking with fury.
She hated Nancy.
Ginny had thought Nancy was her friend; their mothers were friendly, and as children, they'd played together. Not often, but enough that Ginny trusted her.
How had she been so stupid? She knew Nancy preferred the company of the "lip gloss girls" as Ginny called them. They had probably been the ones who talked her into stealing the poem in the first place.
"How COULD you?" Ginny screamed, even though Nancy was nowhere in sight.
And then she remembered the diary. Harry had it.
Oh God...
Despite every muscle pulled into an effort not to, Ginny began to cry. She couldn't stop herself; the tears poured as her shoulders shook.
Ginny was barely aware of the running water, the hand under the sink. She only realized she wasn't alone when a blonde girl started wiping her face.
"It's nargles, isn't it?" The girl asked.
Ginny was so confused, she stopped crying. "Huh?"
The girl smiled. "I'm Luna, by the way."
(ETA 4/23/2015: The second drabble was written prior to JK Rowling's backstory on Umbridge. Therefore, it is an AU.)
The world isn't separated into good people and Death Eaters
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
They had to know where Caradoc was. There was no question that he was in danger - remnants of what had been his shoes, his grandfather's watch, the pocket book he never let go of had been strewn over his floor.
Sirius had questioned, harshly, out of fear, desperation. Caradoc was not a close friend, but he was one person Sirius had always known wouldn't leave. One more loss they could not afford. Sirius could not afford.
So he had pressed. Pressing turned into spells. Spells turned into anger. Anger turned into... well...
Sirius had tortured him. He had been so desperate for information, so disturbed by the prophecy he had only heard the day before, so tired of the war, that he had used an unforgivable.
The man lay on the floor squirming and moaning. Sirius realized he had been at Hogwarts in the same year; they'd probably run to the same classes together as boys, looked at one another with rolling eyes when McGonagall nagged and prodded, asked the other what he had missed while he was absent.
They hadn't been any better than the other then. Were they really any better now?
"Caradoc's dead?" Sirius asked as the man stared back at him.
The man nodded, and Sirius lowered his wand. He only then realized Remus was staring at him with nothing less than revulsion.
When Sirius was arrested shortly thereafter, he insisted that he hadn't killed James. He did not insist that he was a good person.
I must not tell lies
When Dolores was asked if the werewolf had threatened her father, she lied.
"Yes," Dolores said.
She omitted the part about her father saying he would kill him if he ever spoke to her sister - who he loved - again. That his wand had been at the werewolf's throat. She omitted the fact that Sheila made it clear she was tired of their father's tyranny.
The family of the werewolf looked at Dolores in anger. They hadn't been there, but they knew the truth. Sheila, Dolores's own sister, started crying.
He deserved it, Dolores told herself. It was the right thing to do.
Sheila asked Dolores only one question before she left for Australia.
"Why?"
Dolores wanted to explain that it was necessary. That family loyalty came before halfbreeds. That the man had died a good death; there were far worse things than murder. It wouldn't help her feel better, but it could win her sister over.
Or perhaps it wouldn't. For reasons unbeknownst to her, Sheila was stupidly in love.
Dolores met her sister's eyes and said, in a sugary voice, "I must not tell lies."
I've told you a million times
Dora first found out Remus was a werewolf by accident.
She was little, no older than six, and visiting Sirius at his flat. Remus had stopped by, and not knowing Dora was within earshot, mentioned it.
Dora told him she didn't care; she was different too, she said, showing him her powers. There were people who thought that made her bad, but it didn't.
"Mummy says I'm special," Dora announced, and Remus smiled.
"You are," he said, but he didn't say anything about himself.
Years later, Dora and Remus came upon one another on the street. It was nearly a year after Sirius's escape from Azkaban, and Remus had news for her. In return, Dora gave him a place to stay.
When he awkwardly reminded her why he was disappearing one month, Dora simply shrugged.
"I know," she said. "It doesn't matter to me."
Remus insisted on paying for the flat, but Dora only pretended to take his money. She kept finding ways to sneak it back to him; she wasn't sure if he ever caught on.
They fell in love, and for once, Remus accepted who he was. Or so Dora thought.
They lost Sirius, and things fell apart. Dora forced a brave face, which scared Remus. When Dora begged Remus not to go to Greyback, Remus insisted he had to, and then got it in his head that they were too different.
He came around, slowly but surely. Still, Dora knew he sometimes doubted whether or not he should have, whether or not she deserved him. It broke Dora's heart.
When Dora held their baby in her arms, she made a promise never to let him believe anyone worthy of his time would care.
His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad
Ginny stormed into the girl's bathroom, shaking with fury.
She hated Nancy.
Ginny had thought Nancy was her friend; their mothers were friendly, and as children, they'd played together. Not often, but enough that Ginny trusted her.
How had she been so stupid? She knew Nancy preferred the company of the "lip gloss girls" as Ginny called them. They had probably been the ones who talked her into stealing the poem in the first place.
"How COULD you?" Ginny screamed, even though Nancy was nowhere in sight.
And then she remembered the diary. Harry had it.
Oh God...
Despite every muscle pulled into an effort not to, Ginny began to cry. She couldn't stop herself; the tears poured as her shoulders shook.
Ginny was barely aware of the running water, the hand under the sink. She only realized she wasn't alone when a blonde girl started wiping her face.
"It's nargles, isn't it?" The girl asked.
Ginny was so confused, she stopped crying. "Huh?"
The girl smiled. "I'm Luna, by the way."
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no subject
Date: 2010-04-08 09:13 pm (UTC)Despite every muscle pulled into an effort not to, Ginny began to cry. She couldn't stop herself; the tears poured as her shoulders shook.
Ginny was barely aware of the running water, the hand under the sink. She only realized she wasn't alone when a blonde girl started wiping her face.
"It's nargles, isn't it?" The girl asked.
Ginny was so confused, she stopped crying. "Huh?"
The girl smiled. "I'm Luna, by the way."
Well done!
no subject
Date: 2010-04-08 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-08 11:11 pm (UTC)I do have one bit of grammar correction. 'Dora first found out Remus was a werewolf by accident.' 'On accident' is a major peeve of mine.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-08 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-09 09:52 pm (UTC)