House: Gryffindor
Category: Themed
Prompt: Photography
Word Count: 715
Beta: Kurotsuba Thanks Tsu!
-AN Partially inspired by autocorrect for changing Creevey into Creeper
"What's it like Colin? Tell me all about it!" demanded Dennis Creevey.
His older brother had just returned from his first year at Hogwarts and Dennis couldn't wait to learn all he could about the magic school. Although the family had received no official notification, they suspected that Dennis would be joining his brother at Hogwarts when he turned eleven. The bouts of accidental magic which had once been blamed solely on Colin had continued while he was away at Hogwarts, leading Dennis to believe that he'd be receiving his own Hogwarts letter on his next birthday.
"It was wicked Dennis! I met Harry Potter! I told you all about him in my letters. He's so amazing. Did you know that Harry defeated the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets?"
"No… Where's the Chamber of Secrets? And what's a basilisk?"
"Oh," Colin laughed, "The Chamber of Secrets is this big underground room that Salazar Slytherin left in the school. And the basilisk is the monster that petrified me."
"Pe-pe-petrified?! Colin, you were petrified?"
"Yes, but Harry saved me. He's incredible," Colin said enthusiastically. "Here, I'll show you some pictures. I'm glad I was able to take my camera to Hogwarts so I could document all of Harry's adventures to show to you."
Dennis was confused. "What about your adventures, Colin?"
"Oh, it's the same thing. I pretty much followed Harry around all year when I wasn't in my classes. Don't tell Mum or Dad, but I even skipped out on a few classes so I could watch him."
Colin happily spread several photo albums out on the table for his brother to view. Dennis noticed that the same skinny boy with wild black hair, vivid green eyes, and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead was in every photograph.
"That's when Harry caught the snitch in the game against Slytherin," Colin pointed to a photo that showed the boy holding his own jelly-like arm. "And this is when Harry helped his friend Ron when he was belching up slugs. And here's-"
"-Colin?" Dennis interrupted his brother when he noticed an unusual photo. The boy Dennis now recognized as Harry Potter looked to be sound asleep in his bed. To make matters stranger, Colin appeared in that photo, leaning over Harry's unconscious form to give the camera a thumbs-up. "What are you doing in this photo?"
Colin laughed. "Well I wanted to be in a few photographs! The photographer is so often left out."
"But why does it look like he was sleeping?"
"That's because he was," Colin said absentmindedly. "He's so humble that he'd never agree to pose for pictures with me."
"So you thought it was alright to sneak into his room and take a picture of him when he was sleeping?"
Colin nodded. "It wasn't really sneaking in. The second year Gryffindor boys' dorm was right next to mine. The door was unlocked. Plus Harry did say that I could come to him if I ever needed something."
"I don't think this was what he had in mind, Colin. These are a bit stalkerish. I'm surprised that you don't have any of him in the loo."
"Well," Colin coughed and looked embarrassed, "I did try that once. But the Hogwarts wards prevent photos from being taken in the bathrooms."
"With good reason!" Dennis declared. "Colin, it looks like you've been stalking Harry all year."
"He's my friend," Colin defended.
Dennis held his hands up to show no harm intended. "I'm not saying he isn't. But some of these photos are a complete invasion of privacy. How would you feel if, say, this boy," he pointed to red-headed boy belching up slugs, "spied on you when you were sleeping?"
Colin shrugged. "I guess you're right. I might have taken it a bit too far. I'll stop with the photography next year."
Dennis gave his brother a reassuring smile. "You don't have to stop with the photos all together. But maybe find some new people to photograph? And some adventures of your own?" Colin gave a little nod. Dennis continued, "Now tell me all about that basilisk!"
A grin lit up Colin's face. "Well-"