Disclaimer: All the characters used in this story are the sole property of J.K Rowling (and some other big company whose name I do not remember. Sorry, no insults intended, just my bad memory). They are not mine. I take credit for the characters' actions and thoughts in this story, though (often used as they are).

A/N: This is the first piece of fanfiction I ever wrote. My first attempt at writing humor, too. In the end this little story evolved into series that I named "Just Plain Life" series. The series was started pre-OotP and thus devolves from the canon after GoF. I've decided to keep it that way.

Edited and reposted 2004-09-15

Rating: PG

Pairings: None

Warnings: Erm... explosive Voldemort, perhaps?

Feedback: Will be saved into a special folder on my harddrive and taken into consideration.

The first fic in the "Just plain life" series tells the story of Voldemort's downfall through Severus Snape's eyes

Jelly-Legs and Neville Longbottom

In the end it was Jelly-Legs. Life is strange. If anyone had put together a list of curses that could defeat Voldemort, I am sure Jelly-Legs would not have been in the first hundred. Problably not in the first thousand. So in a very skewed way it made sense. One of the most famous Dark Wizards - and defeated by a childish curse.

Naturally it was the Potter boy who hexed him, although that was certainly unintentional. Voldemort just had the ultimate Bad Luck to march to conquer Hogwarts at last - and apparate himself (only God - and maybe Albus - know how he got past the anti-apparition wards) in between the most vicious fight Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter had ever had. And Potter just happened to cast Jelly-Legs at the same moment. So down the Dark Lord went.

Like I said, bad luck.

True, some part of the event had Hagrid, who had tried to break up the fight. He had gotten hit with the Tickling Curse that caused him to let go of Fluffy's leash. In my opinion that creature is dangerous to the society - he bits rather painfully - but Hagrid insists in walking him because, as he says, Fluffy gets bored of sitting locked up! Fluffy, trying to accomplish Hagrid's wish, had promptly rushed between the fighting boys and tramped over the jellylegged Dark Lord.

Of course, Fluffy's little run should not have been particularily dangerous to Voldemort. The manwas almost immortal after all, but...

There always seems to be a "but".

So - but Voldemort had taken the restorative potion I had made for him. Usually it's perfectly harmless and no, I did not make any mistakes brewing it - I am a Potions Master, for Merlin's sake!

It was the simple fact that Voldemort had not given me enough time to make the potion. So I had to brew it during the last Potions class. The class that consisted of seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors. With one Neville Longbottom in it.

Longbottom's cauldron exploded, as usual, throwing its contents - the attempted Blueberry essence - all over the class. Some of it landed in my cauldron.

Naturally I gave the boy detentions. For a month.

My potion was not a complete disaster, still. Blueberry essence in the restorative potion has just one unimportant side-effect. It makes everything that comes into contact with the potion very explosive. The drinker, for example.

That should not have been a problem - Voldemort had not left his current habitat for some time and had no plans to leave that I knew of. Otherwise I would have told Albus.

So I felt no compulsion to mention the little... incident in class to Voldemort.

I foresaw neighter Voldemort's plan to conqure Hogwarts nor Fluffy's little romp. My miscalculation resulted in a rather unpleasant situation involving a loud "boom".

Fluffy is recovering nicely from concussion and there in no lasting damage done except for Draco and Potter's robes. Draco threw his into a fireplace right away while Potter tried to clean his. That was a lost cause. In the end he gave up and made a nice bonfire instead.

Students and teachers ended up dancing around the fire. I myself might have made some rounds with Minerva after noticing my Dark Mark was gone.

So - Jelly-Legs and Neville Longbottom. I am unable to decide which Voldemort would consider more embarrasing.

Next: "Storm in the Inner Eye"