Drabble
Written for The Houses Competition, Year Two, Round Seven
House: Hufflepuff
Year: 5th
Category: Drabble
Prompts:[Speech] "The problem was that you changed to please the people who didn't really matter."
Wordcount: 497
Betas: Aya, Angel
Title: King George and the Dragon in the Garden
Summary: King George the Third went mad. Here's probably why.
A terrible screech rang through St. James Palace, rousing King George the Third from his afternoon nap. Unlike the bustling halls in Buckingham House, St. James was only used for business and housed royal attendants, such as his valet who had become indispensable in catering to his every need.
"It's back, Your Majesty."
George sat up abruptly. "Already? This is fantastic!"
He remembered with utmost clarity the fine gift of his new friend, Minister Crowdy of the Magic. After their relationship had gotten off to a rocky start, that strange man with the pointy hat had turned out to be a decent fellow after all.
It had taken years of negotiations, which Crowdy termed the king's incessant cajoling, before the Minister of Magic finally agreed that perhaps magic might be useful in dealing with the colonists. Last month, Crowdy had given him a loan, as he'd called it, on the occasion of the king's birthday.
He also remembered the argument between Crowdy and his assistant the day before the presentation. When Crowdy had announced that his policies were changing to please the people, his assistant had retorted angrily, "The problem was that you changed to please the people who didn't really matter."
Well, thought George. He mattered. He was the King of bloody England!
George practically drooled at the sight of his first dragon. All the power of that creature had been laid at his disposal, which he'd immediately deployed to the colonies.
"How badly did we beat them?"
His excitement ebbed at his assistant's somber face. "Your Majesty," his aide said, bowing low. Then he pushed open the double doors to the garden.
The grey winged monstrosity stood before him, blowing smoke at the hedges. But then he saw why his assistant had not been as jubilant at its swift return to England.
The dragon was sitting in what looked like the hull of a ship. George became excited, because if this dragon could deliver the hull of a colonial ship all the way across the sea, then he could drown this rebellion within the month.
But it wasn't an American ship.
Straddling the bow, the beast mauled the tattered flag, chewing noisily. It was unmistakably a British flag. George could make out the remains of the lettering on the stern.
"It's the HMS Terrible," his aide confirmed. "There doesn't appear to be any survivors."
"What of the rest of the fleet?" he asked faintly. "The armada carrying arms and supplies for Yorktown?"
"All destroyed by the dragon."
As much as he had been trained to show physical and emotional restraint as a monarch, the news left George with no reserves of decorum. He wobbled on unsteady feet to the main room of the palace.
Crowdy's assistant was to blame for this. He just knew it!
"Minister for bloody useless Magic!" he shouted into the chimney. That's where those blasted magicians always came from, wasn't it? He ignored the dusting of soot on his robes. "I demand an explanation!"