Candy Floss: A Drabble Collection

by bravenclawesome

The International Statute of Secrecy is under threat. The percentage of the Muggle population who know about magic is continually growing. To prepare the wizarding world for inevitable future challenges, there is only one option – to familiarize wizards with all things Muggle. This is exactly what Hermione Granger does... with exceedingly hilarious results.

38. Slinky

Slinky

There was a clatter as the object Hermione had just given Ron fell to the floor. It wriggled around for a moment, seemingly with a mind of its own, rolling over and over before stopping at the edge of the stairs. Ron chased after it and picked it up, but only managed to hold on to one end of the spring, so when he ran backwards it stretched to the limit and recoiled with a snap as the other end caught up with the first.

"This is so cool!" Ron exclaimed, playing with it enthusiastically. He caught both ends between his hands and spread them apart, moving his arms alternately up and down so the entire structure wriggled like a snake. He laughed out loud, but then the edge of the spring smacked him in the face and he stopped.

"This, Ron, is a perfect example of waves," said Hermione, slipping effortlessly into lecture mode. "The waves you're seeing are compressional waves, which -"

Ron ignored Hermione, and was now waving the Slinky above and around his head like a lasso. "I don't care," he said loudly, cutting her off. "What's it called, Hermione?"

Hermione gave a resigned sigh. "A Slinky," she replied, "and that's not the only thing it can do; look, I'll show you." She took the Slinky from him, compressing it together in her hands so it wouldn't bounce around, and rushed to the stairs. Climbing them two at a time, she was quickly followed by Ron who was eager to see what other tricks the Slinky toy could perform. Hermione knelt down and positioned the Slinky on one side, so it resembled an upright cylinder or a biscuit tin. Looking up at her husband and grinning, she poked it gently on the side with her finger.

The spring unfurled, tipped and bent over where Hermione had poked it, tumbling onto the step below. The Slinky resembled something like a bridge to Ron for a fraction of a second, before the other end flipped over and copied the first. The Slinky made its way down the stairs somersaulting over and over again, emitting rattle-like sounds as it went. As it reached the bottom of the steps one side flipped a final time before realizing that there were no more steps to descend upon. Unbalanced but undeterred, the entire structure fell over and rolled on its side before hitting the wall and coming to an abrupt halt.

Ron and Hermione watched the Slinky complete its journey, Ron with wonder, Hermione with a bemused delight. "That thing," said Ron, "must have a mind of its own. It can't just have moved down the steps like that, it's madness."

"Seeing is believing, Ron," said Hermione with a smile, gesturing towards the now forlorn-looking Slinky as it rolled from side to side. "There was no magic involved."

Ron stood with his mouth agape. "That," he said, "is wicked."

Author's Note:

Thanks to UniquelyMi for the idea! It was she who had written the bit about Hermione slipping into lecture mode and being interrupted, so I wrote the rest of the chapter with that as a sort of prompt.

I'm not taking requests for fics anymore, since I've already filled up my quota for prompts, and I'm stopping at chapter 50. However, don't let that stop you from writing a review!