The Life and Times of Eloise Midgen
"There dear, everything is right as rain now," said Madame Pomfrey after she finished reattaching Eloise's nose, "You can stay in here a while, though, if you'd like."
Madame Pomfrey had grown sensitive to Eloise, because of her frequent visits to the Hospital Wing. It seemed to Eloise that she never did anything right, but what was really getting her down lately was that while the other girls had swarms of boys surrounding them, Eloise had no one. She was pimply and her thick pink-rimmed glasses made her look like an enormous bug. She often heard people in the hallway whisper things like, "There goes pizza-face Eloise again." So Eloise spent most of her time either in the infirmary (like her accident-prone self) or out on the grounds by herself.
"Hey Ellie," said a voice entering the room. It was George Weasley, who spent as much time in the infirmary as she did. He always volunteered himself to try out the new Weasley Wizard Wheezes products, and he had been hit on the head by a bludger so many times that his parents were in the process of looking up brain-cell rejuvenating spells.
"So what did you do this time?" he said jokingly, sitting down next to her. Eloise knew he was joking, but after all she'd been through that day, she couldn't take anymore and began to cry.
"Aw, geez, Eloise, you know I didn't mean it," he said as he wrapped his arm around her in a friendly fashion.
"I know...It's just that...I never do anything right."
"Hey! That's not true! You're really nice and you always make my hospital stays more enjoyable...Ellie, don't let the bastards get you down."
"Thanks, but..."
"But what, Eloise?"
"I'm ugly! And don't give me any crap about how I'm a caterpillar waiting to turn into a beautiful butterfly, George, because I've heard enough of it from my mum, and it's not true!"
George fumbled around in his pocket for a moment and produced a wand, worn from performing spells that would make Mrs. Weasley's hair stand on end.
"Decoro," he whispered, "Go look in the mirror, Ellie."
Eloise did, and almost didn't recognize her reflection. Her pimples had vanished, her hair had straightened, and her glasses were gone.
***
"Well," said Snape's drawling voice, "Looks like
Midget has finally decided to grace us with her presence."
Ever since her first year at Hogwarts, Snape had always pronounced her name 'Midget,' which led to many cruel jokes on the Slytherin's part. She was always too meek to speak up for herself, but her beauty gave her a new confidence that she had never seen before.
"It's Midgen."
"What, Midget?"
"It's Midgen, Professor, my name is Eloise Midgen."
"Whoever you are, take your seat."
"No, Professor, I will not be pushed around anymore!"
The class gasped, and Snape, flabergasted, rasped, "What?"
"And no matter how many points you take--how many times you fail me, I will always have the one thing you don't--dignity. Perhaps you forget, Professor, that you sold your soul to Voldemort. So easy does your mind forget that you, Professor, helped Barty Crouch, Jr. torture Neville's parents, my uncle and aunt. Perhaps you forget, Professor, how many lives you've ruined, how many families you've torn apart. You may be my teacher, but I will always remember you as death eater scum."
***
"Ellie," said George, running up to Eloise in the common room, "There's something I've gotta tell you."
"Okay. It'll be a nice break from people congratulating me. Can you believe it, George? Your spell worked; I'm practically popular!"
"No it didn't."
"Huh?"
"You looked in a special mirror, Ellie, you look exactly the same as you did before."
But what Eloise and George didn't realize was that the spell really did work. Eloise found the beauty within herself.
Like it? Corny, I know. I've always had a fantasy of someone
standing up to Snape. I might have a series of stories about Eloise,
cause she's my favorite H.P. character!