Mary's excitement over her new job was starting to wane. The position was to simply sit at a desk and check everyone entering the Department of Mysteries. She didn't know most of the people who came in, but she had to check their wands against an approved list. She couldn't read the approved list though. What was the point of her job if she didn't know who was coming and going?
Her musings were cut short when the lift doors in front of her opened and "Level 9, Department of Mysteries" was announced. However, there was no one in the lift. Getting up, Mary walked over to make sure the lift was empty. Stopping outside the lift, she saw a plant. A potted fern sat in the middle of the lift.
Mary looked around the corridor to make sure this wasn't some sort of practical joke and turned back to the lift. The plant was still there. Instead of green, the leaves were a gaudy yellowish color along with the pot. It sat on the lift floor, doing plant things.
Mary employed the time-tested and Ministry-approved method of checking for dangerous magic. She poked it with her foot. When nothing happened, she picked up the strange looking plant. She couldn't decide if it was an undiscovered variant of fern, or a very poor attempt at a magical bonsai tree.
Placing it on the edge of her desk, she sat down and reviewed the small booklet she had been given when she started the job. There was nothing about strangely colored plants. Really, the booklet's advice amounted to - "If it looks dangerous, call an Unspeakable. If not, mention it to an Unspeakable when they pass by".
Mary huffed. Lot of good that did her. If the job didn't pay so well, she would have quit.
The lift dinged again, and Mary looked up. Her friend Heather was exiting the lift with their lunch sandwiches. Her bosses didn't care if she had visitors, as long as they didn't go past the desk.
"Heather, good timing!" Mary sighed with relief, putting the booklet on top of her desk. "I've nearly died of boredom."
"Just like the last four times I visited," said Heather, setting the sandwich bag next to the bizarrely colored plant. "Is that why you've started enchanting shrubberies?"
"That is something that came down on the lift," answered Mary, digging into the sandwich bag for her customary ham and cheese. "I don't know what to do with it."
Heather took a second look at the plotted plant. "That's funny, it's the same color as Xenophilius' robes."
Mary swallowed and slowly lowered her sandwich. "Xenophilius, as in Xenophilius Lovegood?"
The introduction booklet she had been given was very vague on everything except for one thing. Xenophilius Lovegood was not allowed into the Department of Mysteries. The multiple underlines and references to laws enacted to ensure he was not allowed in, had been almost funny, if not for the official ministry seal behind each reference.
"Oh yes, such a gaudy yellow in a sea of black and gray. Stuck out like a sore thumb." Heather said.
Mary palmed her wand and pointed it at the plant.
"Mary, what are- "Heather started.
"Finite!" Mary said loudly, leaning away from the plant.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a great billow of yellowish smoke and a popping sound, Xenophilius Lovegood appeared sitting on the edge of the desk. The women stared at him for a moment before he jumped away from them and sprinted for the lift.
"You stopped me today, but I will expose the Rotfang conspiracy!" Lovegood shouted before running into the closed doors. Bouncing off, he hammered the lift button until the doors opened.
Heather and Mary stared at the wizard before turning back to their lunch.
"Does that happen often?" Heather asked.
"First time," said Mary, "But something tells me it won't be the last."
A/N
House: Ravenclaw
Year: Year 2
Category: Drabble
Prompt: [Character: Xenophilius Lovegood], [Setting: Department of Mystery]
Word Count: 656