Written for HPFC Snakes and Ladders Challenge - Mundungus Fletcher
Bargain Hunter
"Watch the boy," Dumbledore had told him. "Make sure he comes to no harm."
Any other member of the Order of the Phoenix would have regarded this post with the utmost sincerity. In the eyes of most, it was a matter of life and death for the young Potter boy. But to Mundungus Fletcher, it was merely another night being robbed of a bargain.
He was crouched behind a bush outside Number 4, Privet Drive, as was instructed. And Merlin, he had never been more bored in his life. Listening to that woman fuss over her grotesquely obese lump of a son, and hearing her large husband complain about the heat of that sweltering August 2 was enough to drive anyone over the edge. The sun was intense and persistent, bearing down upon the small, ginger-haired thief to no avail. Sweat poured off the end of his long, crooked nose and he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.
His small, brown eyes flicked upwards to the window where Harry Potter resided. The boy hadn't been seen the entire morning, but Mundungus didn't have the motivation to look for him. If he's stupid enough to be walking in this blasted heat, then it's his own darn fault if he gets attacked, Mundungus thought bitterly. He didn't need to be here. There were much more pressing matters at hand. His mind instantly flicked to the variety of stolen goods that were waiting for him to purchase and he gritted his teeth in frustration.
The sound of a closing door forced Mundungus' attention to drift across to the neighbour's house. A tiny, frail old woman was leaving her house and heading slowly down the path. It was Arabella Figg, the crazy Squib who owned far too many cats that could be legal. Not that Mundungus cared for following the law. What is she doing, he wondered for a moment. Perhaps she was going to search for the boy, to make sure he hadn't come to any harm. The idea struck Mundungus and he grinned roguishly. If Figg was going to look for Potter, then he surely didn't need to be there anymore.
Rubbing his filthy hands together at the thought of buying stolen goods, he quickly scanned the area and then disappeared out of sight.
A/N: This was extremely hard, because Mundungus is such a little-known character. I hope that I managed to write something acceptable :) xx