Thank you for all your lovely reviews, guys, they really make my day!
Just to clarify, for those who are not familiar with the term "knuckle- dusters", they are like a rod of metal, about 3-4 inches long, and they have four holes in the bottom of them. Your fingers go through the four holes, and anyone who crosses you while you are wearing them can be made very sorry. Nasty things, they are, implements of dirty fighting.
Disclaimer: See the one I did on the first chapter, if you really must. Standard stuff, but if you are interested, its all there for you.
And an apology to Miss JK Rowling. Ma'am, I love your stories, and am completely addicted, but I have acted less than a loyal fan. I am sorry I have pummelled one of your characters (James) and I promise I wouldn't have done it unless strictly necessary. Please forgive me!
Purple Tea
The boys had to go off and get their photographs done, but Madam Pomfrey was stubbornly refusing to let me leave.
"You'll go to the Graduation Ceremony, because there has never been one where a student didn't make it, but you'll not leave my sight before." She barked, like a regal little terrier.
Suddenly, a thought struck me
"Did you do any thing for James?"
"What? The little vagabond that attacked you? Are you joking? I stopped the bleeding and sent him packing. I don't waste painkillers on those who don't deserve them." She responded, in a less than detached manner. If I had felt like moving my jaw I would have laughed at her, Pompous Poppy Pomfrey!
"Won't you get into trouble for that?"
"NO, I should think not. The headmaster came as soon as young Remus went to get him, and he gave Potter the telling off of his life. Once the headmaster finished, Potter came back for me to see to him, and asked for me to give him something to dull the pain, whilst trying to get your friend...Snape?"
"Yes, the one that punched him."
"Yes, well, he tried to get him into hot water as well, but the headmaster told him if he knew what was good for him he'd go back to his room, and wait for his decision. I should think so too! Who in the world would have thought a Potter would have made such a display? Hitting a young lady, that is never accep..."
"His decision?"
She looked up at me, with concern and matter-of-factness painted all over her face.
"Calm down, dear, you'll do yourself a mischief! Professor Dumbledore is thinking about withdrawing James from the graduation, but that's all."
I opened my weary eyes to their full extent, and immediately shot up.
"What? He's not going to let him graduate?"
Madam Pomfrey rushed over and tried to force me back down onto the pillows.
"He's not decided, yet, Miss Montague, and anyway, I thought you'd be pleased!"
Pleased? I was furious! Just because he'd had some manic outburst, that shouldn't affect whether or not he graduated. It just wouldn't have been right to let that happen to him; he may not have been of good manners, but I'd be damned if I wasn't. Much against the will of one very flustered school nurse, I made my way as fast as I could to Professor Dumbledore's office. It took me a while to get there; my head, thumping like a possessed drum, did not feel like giving accurate directions.
I staggered around like a nomad with nowhere to go, until I finally reached the gargoyle. No password, and I wasn't about to hammer my severely uncoordinated hands on a stone statue. I just stood and stared at it, and backed off to the opposing wall. Getting up and running had not been such a good idea after all, My head was in a state of permanent blood-rush, and I had to throw all my weight into the wall to stay upright. I cannot remember much from then, I think I slumped down into a heap on the floor, and remained there until I was awoken by the strong smell of Herbal tea.
"Ah, you are back with us, Miss Bolovnik." Dumbledore smiled. He poured himself a cup of tea, which seemed to be tinted purple. "Drink?" He asked politely.
"Nuh..." I muttered rather hazily. What ever it was, it looked like it would have finished me off there and then.
"Now, I take it I did not find you outside my office for no reason?"
I looked around, and sure enough, I was in his office, in a big fluffy armchair near the fire, and with a fresh bandage on my head. How and when I got there, I have no recollection of, but all I know is I was there, and I was determined to talk to him. The small problem of having very, very little control over my voice did not deter me.
"S-sir? Madam Po...Pomfrey told me you were...weren't going to let Pot...Potter gr-r-raduate?"
His calm and friendly face shifted to that of stern fairness. His polite demeanour remained, but there was a detectable change in the air.
"Yes. I was pondering whether or not he deserved to 'come of age' officially when he showed such immaturity and carelessness towards you. I think I have made my decision." He looked hard at me for a moment, then began absent-mindedly stirring his tea.
"Let him, sir. H-he did no worse than...than I did to Malfoy. If he doesn't, doesn't deserve to gr-raduate, then...well, then neither do I." I tried as best as I could to return the hard look, but it hurt to move my eyes and eyebrows a bit too much, and it just came out as an off-centre squint.
"I do not agree, Miss Montague. You were provoked directly, and you are now remorseful for your actions. Mr Potter had no reason except a flimsy lie and a long-held grudge to go on, and he very nearly got himself expelled on the spot." he peered deeply at me over the rims of his glasses, as if searching my mind.
"NO!" I barked, with a little more volume and lack of respect than was meant. "No...I'm sorry, but I should h-have held back...and so should he. He deserves to grrraduate." My own defiance of Dumbledore startled me a bit, but it would have played on my conscience for the rest of my life if I had not intervened.
"Very well, Miss Montage, but you have not changed my mind." He said in a harsh tone, and then smiled. "Would you like to here what my decision was? I have not yet told you."
I looked at him curiously, and wondered if that tea was getting to him.
"I decided that, because I told Poppy not to tell you about what I was thinking of doing, you would be up to see me soon. I decided that, as you were the victim of James's behaviour, that you should decide what should be done." He chuckled, and downed the last of his tea. "You know, this really is the most interesting tea I have ever had. It's from Mexico, you know."
I nodded vaguely, and looked on at him in puzzlement. He really did seem to be as mad as a hatter sometimes.
"What i-if I hadn't come...If Pomfrey hadn't said..."
"I have known Poppy Pomfrey for many, many years, and I know that she knows me just as well as I know her. She knew I wanted you to know about my plans. Between you and me, she's a gossip anyway. I doubt very much she wouldn't have told you. Even if you hadn't come to me, I would have come to you, though. The decision rested with you, regardless." He stood up, and put his teacup away. I tried to follow suit, but I fell rather uneasily back into the chair.
"Now, I want you to stay here for a while. there's another two hours to the ceremony, and I think it best if you get some sleep. I will come and get you in plenty of time, and I have ensured that you are able to sit down for most of the proceedings. I will go and let Mr Potter know of his gracious reprieve, and of how much he owes you." And with that, he bustled out of the room, Fawkes in tow.
Just to clarify, for those who are not familiar with the term "knuckle- dusters", they are like a rod of metal, about 3-4 inches long, and they have four holes in the bottom of them. Your fingers go through the four holes, and anyone who crosses you while you are wearing them can be made very sorry. Nasty things, they are, implements of dirty fighting.
Disclaimer: See the one I did on the first chapter, if you really must. Standard stuff, but if you are interested, its all there for you.
And an apology to Miss JK Rowling. Ma'am, I love your stories, and am completely addicted, but I have acted less than a loyal fan. I am sorry I have pummelled one of your characters (James) and I promise I wouldn't have done it unless strictly necessary. Please forgive me!
Purple Tea
The boys had to go off and get their photographs done, but Madam Pomfrey was stubbornly refusing to let me leave.
"You'll go to the Graduation Ceremony, because there has never been one where a student didn't make it, but you'll not leave my sight before." She barked, like a regal little terrier.
Suddenly, a thought struck me
"Did you do any thing for James?"
"What? The little vagabond that attacked you? Are you joking? I stopped the bleeding and sent him packing. I don't waste painkillers on those who don't deserve them." She responded, in a less than detached manner. If I had felt like moving my jaw I would have laughed at her, Pompous Poppy Pomfrey!
"Won't you get into trouble for that?"
"NO, I should think not. The headmaster came as soon as young Remus went to get him, and he gave Potter the telling off of his life. Once the headmaster finished, Potter came back for me to see to him, and asked for me to give him something to dull the pain, whilst trying to get your friend...Snape?"
"Yes, the one that punched him."
"Yes, well, he tried to get him into hot water as well, but the headmaster told him if he knew what was good for him he'd go back to his room, and wait for his decision. I should think so too! Who in the world would have thought a Potter would have made such a display? Hitting a young lady, that is never accep..."
"His decision?"
She looked up at me, with concern and matter-of-factness painted all over her face.
"Calm down, dear, you'll do yourself a mischief! Professor Dumbledore is thinking about withdrawing James from the graduation, but that's all."
I opened my weary eyes to their full extent, and immediately shot up.
"What? He's not going to let him graduate?"
Madam Pomfrey rushed over and tried to force me back down onto the pillows.
"He's not decided, yet, Miss Montague, and anyway, I thought you'd be pleased!"
Pleased? I was furious! Just because he'd had some manic outburst, that shouldn't affect whether or not he graduated. It just wouldn't have been right to let that happen to him; he may not have been of good manners, but I'd be damned if I wasn't. Much against the will of one very flustered school nurse, I made my way as fast as I could to Professor Dumbledore's office. It took me a while to get there; my head, thumping like a possessed drum, did not feel like giving accurate directions.
I staggered around like a nomad with nowhere to go, until I finally reached the gargoyle. No password, and I wasn't about to hammer my severely uncoordinated hands on a stone statue. I just stood and stared at it, and backed off to the opposing wall. Getting up and running had not been such a good idea after all, My head was in a state of permanent blood-rush, and I had to throw all my weight into the wall to stay upright. I cannot remember much from then, I think I slumped down into a heap on the floor, and remained there until I was awoken by the strong smell of Herbal tea.
"Ah, you are back with us, Miss Bolovnik." Dumbledore smiled. He poured himself a cup of tea, which seemed to be tinted purple. "Drink?" He asked politely.
"Nuh..." I muttered rather hazily. What ever it was, it looked like it would have finished me off there and then.
"Now, I take it I did not find you outside my office for no reason?"
I looked around, and sure enough, I was in his office, in a big fluffy armchair near the fire, and with a fresh bandage on my head. How and when I got there, I have no recollection of, but all I know is I was there, and I was determined to talk to him. The small problem of having very, very little control over my voice did not deter me.
"S-sir? Madam Po...Pomfrey told me you were...weren't going to let Pot...Potter gr-r-raduate?"
His calm and friendly face shifted to that of stern fairness. His polite demeanour remained, but there was a detectable change in the air.
"Yes. I was pondering whether or not he deserved to 'come of age' officially when he showed such immaturity and carelessness towards you. I think I have made my decision." He looked hard at me for a moment, then began absent-mindedly stirring his tea.
"Let him, sir. H-he did no worse than...than I did to Malfoy. If he doesn't, doesn't deserve to gr-raduate, then...well, then neither do I." I tried as best as I could to return the hard look, but it hurt to move my eyes and eyebrows a bit too much, and it just came out as an off-centre squint.
"I do not agree, Miss Montague. You were provoked directly, and you are now remorseful for your actions. Mr Potter had no reason except a flimsy lie and a long-held grudge to go on, and he very nearly got himself expelled on the spot." he peered deeply at me over the rims of his glasses, as if searching my mind.
"NO!" I barked, with a little more volume and lack of respect than was meant. "No...I'm sorry, but I should h-have held back...and so should he. He deserves to grrraduate." My own defiance of Dumbledore startled me a bit, but it would have played on my conscience for the rest of my life if I had not intervened.
"Very well, Miss Montage, but you have not changed my mind." He said in a harsh tone, and then smiled. "Would you like to here what my decision was? I have not yet told you."
I looked at him curiously, and wondered if that tea was getting to him.
"I decided that, because I told Poppy not to tell you about what I was thinking of doing, you would be up to see me soon. I decided that, as you were the victim of James's behaviour, that you should decide what should be done." He chuckled, and downed the last of his tea. "You know, this really is the most interesting tea I have ever had. It's from Mexico, you know."
I nodded vaguely, and looked on at him in puzzlement. He really did seem to be as mad as a hatter sometimes.
"What i-if I hadn't come...If Pomfrey hadn't said..."
"I have known Poppy Pomfrey for many, many years, and I know that she knows me just as well as I know her. She knew I wanted you to know about my plans. Between you and me, she's a gossip anyway. I doubt very much she wouldn't have told you. Even if you hadn't come to me, I would have come to you, though. The decision rested with you, regardless." He stood up, and put his teacup away. I tried to follow suit, but I fell rather uneasily back into the chair.
"Now, I want you to stay here for a while. there's another two hours to the ceremony, and I think it best if you get some sleep. I will come and get you in plenty of time, and I have ensured that you are able to sit down for most of the proceedings. I will go and let Mr Potter know of his gracious reprieve, and of how much he owes you." And with that, he bustled out of the room, Fawkes in tow.
