Les Sylphides: Chapter One: A Dinner Announcement
by flax, May 2003.
JK Rowling owns the characters. They're only in this daydream for a profitless romp. :)
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a/n: I was reading here at fanfiction.net, and a WIKTT challenge posted here became a springboard for this story. :) Thank you to SinhoBadaro who provided the springboard & Andrian who mentioned it. :) I hope this story provides some entertainment to readers. :)
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The mood in the great hall was giddy as Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter walked in for dinner. Students were bustling and the hum of conversation was high.
"Is that Fudge at the main table?" asked Hermione as Ron and Harry crained their necks to look. And, yes, it was Cornelius Fudge at the head table, beside Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Magic and Wizardry. Beside Fudge on the other side, glowering impressively even in comparison to his ordinary evil looks, was Severus Snape, the potions master of said school.
"Do you think Fudge drives him nuts?" asked Harry.
"If he gives Snape an ounce of irritation, that would be the first good thing I'd heard of Cornelius Fudge," replied Ron.
Hermione turned to Parvati and asked her what was going on.
"You didn't hear?" asked Neville.
"Been in the library" Hermione replied. But before Neville or anyone else could explain, Dumbledore had risen to his feet and begun to speak.
"It is with great pleasure that I welcome the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, to join us here tonight at Hogwarts for dinner.
"He is here with a great surprise. Hogwarts will be hosting a festival gala for the Sylph as the Sylph pass through England as part of their seasonal progressions.
"This Friday the Sylphes will arrive at a reception to be given for the Ministry of Magic, here in this very hall. But more importantly to you all, on Saturday and Sunday, the Sylphes have graciously accepted the invitation to talk to us about their lives.
"Everyone interested in this special opportunity, and I suspect that is nearly all of you, please sign-up with your head of house for the opening lecture so that you can be assigned into smaller discussion groups for the afternoon when the sylphs will join us for some question and answer time.
"I am sure that you are, like me, thrilled at this opportunity.
"So, again, welcome Cornelius Fudge, minister of magic."
Fudge stood, with an overwhelmed manner at the affection being shown. He shook Dumbledore's hand while the student and faculty applauded. Under cover of applause there was a great deal of fast discussion.
"They say it's going to be a huge ball," said Padma.
"A costume ball," said Parvati.
"And we aren't invited," said Neville with a sigh.
"Who says?" asked Ron.
The clapping faded and Ron had to wait for his answer.
"Children," began Fudge.
That didn't go over so well. But Harry noticed that Snape seemed to almost cheer up.
"Snape thinks Fudge is a kindred soul," whispered Harry to Ron.
"More like he thinks Fudge is an idiot," whispered Rob back.
"Too bad he can't deduct house points from him," whispered Hermione.
Blithe and uncaring, Cornelius Fudge continued: "Thank you all, your faculty and headmaster Dumbledore for having me here tonight. And thank you headmaster Dumbledore for seeing me on such short notice so we could take advantage of this great opportunity.
"I wish my schedule would allow me to spend more time with you here, for you are our precious children and their learned faculty. I'm glad we have your faculty and staff, great people who can devote their time and attention to your learning and growth. What a wonderful place this is, I have always said.
"You are our most special..." Fudge droned on while Hermione quietly got the news from Parvati. McGonagall had entered the Gryffindor common room before dinner and announced all this, plus that the Saturday sign up was mandatory, and that the ball on Friday was for guests of the ministry of magic only and no students could attend.
"She told us this was a 'diplomatic affair,'" said Padma, imitating McGonagall's more warning voice.
Parvati continued, explaining that curfew would be early, breaking it would result in an 'especially unpleasant' detention. And not to be alarmed by the strange sights that night.
"A costume ball!" whispered Padma with excitement.
"Padma asked if there was anyway we could go," whispered Colin Creevey from across the table.
"And?" prompted Hermione. Fudge was still announcing what a wonderful thing this all was at the front of the room.
"We can't even volunteer to help out," said Parvati woefully.
"A great party, and we can't even see. I call that unfair," added Padma.
"Too dangerous," murmured Neville.
"Huh?" asked Ron.
"That's what McGonagall said. It was too dangerous to have Merlin-knows-who on the grounds and students lost in the mix," explained Padma.
The Gryffindors looked at each other and smiled. They, like nearly every student in the room, had ideas about that.
Fudge eventually finished speaking, sat down to the dutiful applause and dinner commenced.
TBC...
by flax, May 2003.
JK Rowling owns the characters. They're only in this daydream for a profitless romp. :)
----------------
a/n: I was reading here at fanfiction.net, and a WIKTT challenge posted here became a springboard for this story. :) Thank you to SinhoBadaro who provided the springboard & Andrian who mentioned it. :) I hope this story provides some entertainment to readers. :)
-----------------
The mood in the great hall was giddy as Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter walked in for dinner. Students were bustling and the hum of conversation was high.
"Is that Fudge at the main table?" asked Hermione as Ron and Harry crained their necks to look. And, yes, it was Cornelius Fudge at the head table, beside Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Magic and Wizardry. Beside Fudge on the other side, glowering impressively even in comparison to his ordinary evil looks, was Severus Snape, the potions master of said school.
"Do you think Fudge drives him nuts?" asked Harry.
"If he gives Snape an ounce of irritation, that would be the first good thing I'd heard of Cornelius Fudge," replied Ron.
Hermione turned to Parvati and asked her what was going on.
"You didn't hear?" asked Neville.
"Been in the library" Hermione replied. But before Neville or anyone else could explain, Dumbledore had risen to his feet and begun to speak.
"It is with great pleasure that I welcome the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, to join us here tonight at Hogwarts for dinner.
"He is here with a great surprise. Hogwarts will be hosting a festival gala for the Sylph as the Sylph pass through England as part of their seasonal progressions.
"This Friday the Sylphes will arrive at a reception to be given for the Ministry of Magic, here in this very hall. But more importantly to you all, on Saturday and Sunday, the Sylphes have graciously accepted the invitation to talk to us about their lives.
"Everyone interested in this special opportunity, and I suspect that is nearly all of you, please sign-up with your head of house for the opening lecture so that you can be assigned into smaller discussion groups for the afternoon when the sylphs will join us for some question and answer time.
"I am sure that you are, like me, thrilled at this opportunity.
"So, again, welcome Cornelius Fudge, minister of magic."
Fudge stood, with an overwhelmed manner at the affection being shown. He shook Dumbledore's hand while the student and faculty applauded. Under cover of applause there was a great deal of fast discussion.
"They say it's going to be a huge ball," said Padma.
"A costume ball," said Parvati.
"And we aren't invited," said Neville with a sigh.
"Who says?" asked Ron.
The clapping faded and Ron had to wait for his answer.
"Children," began Fudge.
That didn't go over so well. But Harry noticed that Snape seemed to almost cheer up.
"Snape thinks Fudge is a kindred soul," whispered Harry to Ron.
"More like he thinks Fudge is an idiot," whispered Rob back.
"Too bad he can't deduct house points from him," whispered Hermione.
Blithe and uncaring, Cornelius Fudge continued: "Thank you all, your faculty and headmaster Dumbledore for having me here tonight. And thank you headmaster Dumbledore for seeing me on such short notice so we could take advantage of this great opportunity.
"I wish my schedule would allow me to spend more time with you here, for you are our precious children and their learned faculty. I'm glad we have your faculty and staff, great people who can devote their time and attention to your learning and growth. What a wonderful place this is, I have always said.
"You are our most special..." Fudge droned on while Hermione quietly got the news from Parvati. McGonagall had entered the Gryffindor common room before dinner and announced all this, plus that the Saturday sign up was mandatory, and that the ball on Friday was for guests of the ministry of magic only and no students could attend.
"She told us this was a 'diplomatic affair,'" said Padma, imitating McGonagall's more warning voice.
Parvati continued, explaining that curfew would be early, breaking it would result in an 'especially unpleasant' detention. And not to be alarmed by the strange sights that night.
"A costume ball!" whispered Padma with excitement.
"Padma asked if there was anyway we could go," whispered Colin Creevey from across the table.
"And?" prompted Hermione. Fudge was still announcing what a wonderful thing this all was at the front of the room.
"We can't even volunteer to help out," said Parvati woefully.
"A great party, and we can't even see. I call that unfair," added Padma.
"Too dangerous," murmured Neville.
"Huh?" asked Ron.
"That's what McGonagall said. It was too dangerous to have Merlin-knows-who on the grounds and students lost in the mix," explained Padma.
The Gryffindors looked at each other and smiled. They, like nearly every student in the room, had ideas about that.
Fudge eventually finished speaking, sat down to the dutiful applause and dinner commenced.
TBC...
