The Muggle Contraption

Task: Write a lighthearted friendship story about Slytherin characters

Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Round 12 for Puddlemere United.

Word Count without A/N's: 1,018

Prompts:

(word) radiant

(word) instinct

(word) mystic

Also written for the Quidditch Pitch and Drabble Club on Hogwarts Houses Challenges.

(dialogue) "Please never say that again."

(sentence) It felt like free-falling.

Also written for the Quidditch Pitch on Harry Potter's World.

(genre) Adventure (Quidditch Terms) Bludger, Teamwork

"Draco, you seriously have to come and take a look at this mystic thing," insisted Blaise. The two teens were currently hanging out in the outer gardens of Malfoy Manor. (1).

"Zabini, put that atrocity down for God's sake, that's a Muggle item," sneered Draco, looking up from his book.

"C'mon, just look," insisted Blaise.

Draco looked up to see wheels supported by a large platform, and a handle on top. "Like I said, that's a contraption," he insisted.

"I mean, look at it. You have to admit it looks complex. Almost radiant…" (2).

"Please never say that again," interrupted Draco. (3).

Blaise tapped his chin softly, thinking, "We should try and figure out how this thing works—"

"No! I refuse to waste my time on…that…that Muggle thing," snapped Draco, "First of all, I will not lower myself to such actions, and second of all, Father would have an aneurysm."

"I won't stop bugging you until you agree to help me figure out this thing," said Blaise stubbornly. Draco shrugged and turned back to his book.

Blaise began to whistle on instinct, knowing his friend liked peace and quiet while he read. He started quietly, but over the time it grew louder and louder. (4).

"I'm about ready to hit you with a Bludger...okay, fine—fine! I'll help you with this bloody contraption, but if Father ever asks—this was all your idea," seethed Draco. (5).

"Okay…" began Blaise, "I think these are the wheels that move the thing…"

"Muggles carry stuff with them, I think," said Draco shortly.

Blaise carefully placed the book he was reading on the thing and tried moving it. The thing collapsed. "I don't like this thing," grumbled Blaise.

"Just leave it," huffed Draco. "It's a Muggle thing. Besides, maybe we should turn the thing around. There. Now try the book."

The book fell off the thing.

"Muggles. See, us Purebloods can work things easily, while these Muggles have insanely complicated contraptions," scoffed Draco.

"Let's try the other side," suggested Blaise.

The book fell over again.

"Draco, Blaise!" a voice called.

The two boys quickly hid the thing under a tree.

Lucius Malfoy stepped out, "Dinner will be ready in an hour," he said silkily, before turning to Blaise. "Your mother will be arriving to dinner, as well as another important guest of mine. Do not make a fool of me," he hissed.

"Yes, Father," said Draco, and Blaise nodded along with him.

As Lucius stepped into the house, Draco turned to his friend, "Now you see why we can't go messing with Muggle stuff in here? I swear, you should've taken Muggle studies. Next thing you know, we'll be using muggle words such as teamwork." (6).

"He won't know," insisted Blaise.

"Well, we've figured the contraption doesn't work with two sides. Let's try side number three," suggested Draco.

With side three, the book and the thing fell off.

"You know what?" asked Blaise.

"What?" sighed Draco.

"Maybe this thing doesn't involve a handle after all. Maybe the handle comes as the package and you have to rip it off," reasoned Blaise.

"That's ridiculous, Zabini," scoffed Draco. "We just need to find the right side to put the book on. By the way, you're giving me ten galleons for even working on a Muggle contraption."

"Let's try pulling the handle off," suggested Blaise.

"Bloody ridiculous," breathed Draco, "Look, it doesn't even come off!"

"Put a little effort into it!" says Blaise, trying to pull it off.

That resulted in the two Slytherins landing in the mud. "We have the dinner party in forty-five minutes and look at us!" growled Draco, "Father will have our heads!"

Blaise shrugged and pulled out his wand, "Scourgify."

"Right. We have that. Scourgify," muttered Draco.

"I have an idea," mused Blaise. "What if we…get on the thing in order to take the handle off?"

"Then we'd get killed," snapped Draco, "Any other stupid questions?"

"Well, it doesn't hurt to try, does it?" asked Blaise.

"Did you not hear me say we'd get killed?" hissed Draco. "Okay. Fine. Whatever. It's your funeral, not mine."

"Here, let me pull the thing this way, it looks safer," suggested Blaise.

"I still think it's your funeral," muttered Draco as Blaise pulled the thing up in a different position and attempts to get on it.

"Look! Draco, look! I'm on!" exclaimed Blaise.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Yes. Now get the hell off that contraption!"

"Not until we figure out how to take the handle off," suggested Blaise, pushing himself closer to the handle.

"Zabini, wait," muttered Draco. "Try that again."

"What?" he asked. "This?" He pressed his feet on the ground and pushed the thing forwards.

"Maybe people ride it," mused Draco. "For some sort of twisted fun."

"We should try and ride it to the village near the Manor or something," suggested Blaise, moving around on the thing, "Everyone's inside preparing the dinner, so they'll never know."

"Well, let me get on," Draco rolled his eyes.

"Careful, careful," muttered Blaise as his friend positioned himself on this thing.

"This is mad…bloody mad…"

"You said for me to let you get on!" protested Blaise.

"Well, let's get on with it, then!" snapped Draco.

They positioned the thing around the edge of the Manor and pushed the contraption forwards with their feet.

It felt like free-falling. (7).

"This is amazing!" yelled out Blaise. They sped into the nearby Muggle village.

"This is kind of fun, actually," mused Draco. "Why don't wizards have something like this?"

"Oi!" They were reaching the village, and a girl called out from a Muggle house nearby, "You look like that's your first time on a scooter!"

"Oh. So that's what it's called," stated Blaise.

"Look what you've done, Zabini. Now Muggles are talking to us," said Draco in an exaggerated way, and the two Slytherins broke into snickers then and there.

After managing to turn the scooter around, they reached the Manor right in time for dinner, and they put the thing back where they found it. Draco turned to his friend.

"Where's my ten galleons for working on a Muggle contraption with you, Zabini?"

A/N: Aye that's a wrap! xD Apologies for the quality :3 Anyways, so to clarify: Draco and Blaise did find an abandoned scooter lol. I always had this idea of Slytherins working out muggle stuff XD

Footnotes: seven, one for each prompt used. The genre 'Adventure' is shown all throughout the story.

Thanks to Lin (Marvelgeek42), Alina (Cupcakeyyy), and Dessie (desertredwolf) for looking over and editing my story! :3

Anyways I do have the next Meaning of Life chapter almost done, but idk if I can get it up this weekend. It'll definitely be up next weekend, though. School's tearing me up, but my B's are getting high and I can finally feel myself resurfacing :3 Plus because I'm in advanced classes B's are technically put in the transcripts as A's lol...so it's just Ana here stressing about nothing as usual xD

Please R&R :)

-Ana