Rumpelstiltskin: HP Style
This was written for the "Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White...OH MY!" Challenge by silverfox98. I hope you like it, silverfox! :D
Disclaimer: …Obviously. xD
"Happy birthday, Ginny!"
The red head picked up the package and eagerly ripped it open.
"Oh, thank you, Hermione! What's the book about?"
"It's a book of Fairy Tales by the brothers Grimm. They're famous Muggle fantasy writers. I think you should read Rumpelstiltskin. It's one of my favourites!"
"Sure. I'll just drop by the library later. It's nice and quiet there. Or perhaps the Black Lake. Thanks, Hermione!"
"Sure. I knew you would like a good fairy tale. It also has a whole bunch of those princess and Prince Charming stories you like, but you should really read Rumpelstiltskin first," the brunette replied happily.
"Yea, I think I'll go read by the Black Lake. It's really nice out," Ginny told Hermione as she walked out of the Common Room.
~HPFC~
Ginny sat down in the shade of an oak tree by the Black Lake and opened her book.
She began to read aloud to herself.
"There was once upon a time a poor miller who had a very beautiful daughter. Now it happened one day that he had an audience with the King, and in order to appear a person of some importance he told him that he had a daughter who could spin straw into gold.
"Now that would be a cool thing to do," the little Weasley mused.
" "Now that's a talent worth having," said the King to the miller; "if your daughter is as clever as you say, bring her to my palace to-morrow, and I'll put her to the test."
Ginny didn't notice when a certain dark skinned Slytherin snuck up behind her.
"Hey, Weaselette, What'cha reading?" Blaise Zabini asked, for whom else could it be?
"I happen to be reading a book that Hermione got for me. It is my birthday, after all," she replied haughtily.
"Well then, un-happy birthday to you," he replied good-naturedly.
"Well, you are still here, so maybe it is," she teased.
"Ah. Then I'll just stay here and read over your shoulder."
"Whatever. Just try not to disrupt my thoughts," she said airily and continued reading.
"When the girl was brought to him he led her into a room full of straw, gave her a spinning-wheel and spindle, and said: "Now set to work and spin all night till early dawn, and if by that time you haven't spun the straw into gold you shall die.""
"Wow," Blaise said suddenly. "Some king he is, threatening to kill a girl for some bloody golden grass."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "It's just a story, Zabini. I hope there's a Prince Charming in here somewhere! I just love those!"
"Typical girl, you are. I bet there's going to be dark dungeons and monsters," he countered smugly.
"Oh yea? Let's just see," she retorted before returning her attention to the book.
"Then he closed the door behind him and left her alone inside. So the poor miller's daughter sat down, and didn't know what in the world she was to do. She hadn't the least idea of how to spin straw into gold, and became at last so miserable that she began to cry. Suddenly the door opened, and in stepped a tiny little man and said: "Good-evening, Miss Miller-maid; why are you crying so bitterly?""
"Hah! I bet that's an evil little monster come to eat her!" Blaise exclaimed triumphantly.
"No, it's most likely a handsome prince come to rescue her from the evil king!" she sighed dreamily.
"Just continue reading, Weaselette."
"Hmph," she said huffily and continued reading aloud.
""Oh!" answered the girl, "I have to spin straw into gold, and haven't a notion how it's done." "What will you give me if I spin it for you?" asked the manikin. "My necklace," replied the girl. The little man took the necklace, sat himself down at the wheel, and whir, whir, whir, the wheel went round three times, and the bobbin was full. Then he put on another, and whir, whir, whir, the wheel went round three times, and the second too was full; and so it went on till the morning, when all the straw was spun away, and all the bobbins were full of gold."
"Hah! I told you it wasn't a monster!" Ginny stated smugly.
Blaise just stuck his tongue out at the red head.
"As soon as the sun rose the King came, and when he perceived the gold he was astonished and delighted, but his heart only lusted more than ever after the precious metal. He had the miller's daughter put into another room full of straw, much bigger than the first, and bade her, if she valued her life, spin it all into gold before the following morning."
"That king is such an arse!" Ginny gasped angrily.
"You can say that again. But I'd prefer you continue reading," he smirked.
"The girl didn't know what to do, and began to cry; then the door opened as before, and the tiny little man appeared and said: "What'll you give me if I spin the straw into gold for you?" "The ring from my finger," answered the girl. The manikin took the ring, and whir! Round went the spinning-wheel again, and when morning broke he had spun all the straw into glittering gold. The King was pleased beyond measure at the sights but his greed for gold was still not satisfied, and he had the miller's daughter brought into a yet bigger room full of straw, and said: "You must spin all this away in the night; but if you succeed this time you shall become my wife.""
"Wow, that guy sure is confident in her failure," Blaise said dryly.
"Look who's talking, Slytherin."
Said Slytherin raised an eyebrow. "Just keep your eyes on the page, Weaselette."
" "She's only a miller's daughter, it's true," he thought; "but I couldn't find a richer wife if I were to search the whole world over." When the girl was alone the little man appeared for the third time, and said: "What'll you give me if I spin the straw for you once again?" "I've nothing more to give," answered the girl. "Then promise me when you are Queen to give me your first child." "Who knows what may not happen before that?" thought the miller's daughter; and besides, she saw no other way out of it, so she promised the manikin what he demanded, and he set to work once more and spun the straw into gold."
"Foolish girl," Blaise said, shaking his head.
"It's still just a story, Zabini."
"If you don't read, I will, so hurry up," he commanded, waving the statement aside.
"When the King came in the morning, and found everything as he had desired, he straightway made her his wife, and the miller's daughter became a queen."
"That was sudden. At least she got a happy ending and became royalty," Ginny shrugged. "Doesn't being a princess sound great?"
"The story's still not done. Proceed."
"When a year had passed a beautiful son was born to her, and she thought no more of the little man, till all of a sudden one day he stepped into her room and said: "Now give me what you promised." The Queen was in a great state, and offered the little man all the riches in her kingdom if he would only leave her the child. But the manikin said: "No, a living creature is dearer to me than all the treasures in the world." Then the Queen began to cry and sob so bitterly that the little man was sorry for her, and said: "I'll give you three days to guess my name, and if you find it out in that time you may keep your child.""
"Wow, just a name? Stupid, little midget," Blaise mused.
"It's still just a story!" Ginny exclaiming, smacking him lightly upside the head.
"Ow!" Blaise yelped. "Just... Read the bloody book."
"Then the Queen pondered the whole night over all the names she had ever heard, and sent a messenger to scour the land, and to pick up far and near any names he could come across. When the little man arrived on the following day she began with Kasper, Melchior, Belshazzar, and all the other names she knew, in a string, but at each one the manikin called out: "That's not my name.""
"I bet his name is Midget Man," Blaise joked.
"Cute," she grinned.
"I know I am," he replied smugly.
Ginny just rolled her eyes and returned to reading the story aloud.
"The next day she sent to inquire the names of all the people in the neighborhood, and had a long list of the most uncommon and extraordinary for the little man when he made his appearance. "Is your name, perhaps, Sheepshanks Cruickshanks, Spindleshanks?" but he always replied: "That's not my name.""
"Sh. Is. Screwed," Blaise announced bluntly.
"Who know? Maybe a knight in shining armour will come in and save her."
The Slytherin just snorted. So, Ginny just ignored him.
"On the third day the messenger returned and announced: "I have not been able to find any new names, but as I came upon a high hill round the corner of the wood, where the foxes and hares bid each other good-night, I saw a little house, and in front of the house burned a fire, and round the fire sprang the most grotesque little man, hopping on one leg-"
"What the hell? What kind of disgusting thing is that?" Blaise exclaimed loudly into Ginny's ear, causing her to jump slightly.
"Blaise Zabini! You shut up and let me read!" she scolded angrily, rubbing her ear. "After all, you could just ask Malfoy how well I can cast a Bat-Bogey hex."
Blaise backed away ever so slightly from the red head and spoke in a much quieter voice. "Continue," he said meekly. Ginny smirked at the frightened Slytherin and turned around to face her fairy tale book.
"-hopping on one leg and crying:
"To-morrow I brew, to-day I bake,
And then the child away I'll take;
For little deems my royal dame
That Rumpelstiltskin is my name!""
"Rumpelstiltskin? What kind of bloody name is that? I'd kill myself if my mum named me that!" Blaise drawled in disgust.
"I second that," Ginny said, laughing lightly at Blaise's antics and at the name.
"You can imagine the Queen's delight at hearing the name, and when the little man stepped in shortly afterward and asked: "Now, my lady Queen, what's my name?" she asked first: "Is your name Conrad?" "No." "Is your name Harry?" "No." "Is your name perhaps, Rumpelstiltskin?""
"HA!" Blaise yelled triumphantly. "The Midget Man lost!"
Ginny smiled and rolled her eyes fondly.
" "Some demon has told you that! some demon has told you that!" screamed the little man, and in his rage drove his right foot so far into the ground that it sank in up to his waist; then in a passion he seized the left foot with both hands and tore himself in two.
The End"
"Wow," Ginny breathed. "Some ending. It ended quite violently…"
"I could not agree more," the Italian said, still surprised by the sudden ending.
The birthday girl sighed. "I was hoping for a Prince Charming or a true love's kiss type of thing. Some birthday."
"Hm, I know a solution to that problem," Blaise said, smirking.
Ginny whirled around. "Really?" she asked hopefully.
"Yup." He grabbed her arm.
"Happy birthday, Ginny."
And he kissed her.
As they pulled away, Ginny smiled widely. "That's the kind of true love's kiss I wanted," she said dazedly.
"How about a trip to Hogsmeade?" he asked nonchalantly.
"That would be great," she replied happily, pulling him back once again.
And that is the real "The End."
Au revoir and thank you for reading.