Author's Note: Hey guys, THANKS SO MUCH again for the reviews, not to
mention telling me about my little spelling error. By the way, did you know
I was afraid people would be pissed at me for not having updated recently
and would not read the story anymore? Hehe. Anyway, sorry guys, if the
mistake bugged you, but I gotta edit this stuff all by myself (boo hoo
hoo!) and sometimes I miss out some things. To err is human/me.
Special thanks to: Ji Nu - ^*Star Goddess, kandra, zeynel, Diamond Angel, Jess, blackunicorn, JJ, Amethyst Shard, Rei the Genki-Chan, SnippyandSnarky, Winged Goddess, Akemi, ALITA, RAVENCLAWPUNKg, Amy, KittenBabyGirl, KawaiiAngel4, Dark Peppermint, Justice-hime, dragons lover, Ariel, Sayuki, junejewel9, Tramill De Laxson, Drupadi, EPP, Saavik, Butterfly, Jessica, jadewtch, Giza Firestone, Katie of Gryffindor, ForeverYoung, redredredred & frizzy
-
Chapter 23: Payback
-
"Watch out for that cubby hole, Neville!" Dean said loudly, right before seeing his friend step right into it instead.
Neville let out a frightened yelp and fell clumsily on the grass.
Dean, Seamus and a few others who had seen the comical sight laughed merrily. But there wasn't any cruelty to their laughter. They were always in high spirits when the lessons were conducted outdoors.
A few Slytherins looked on at the laughing bunch and frowned in disdain.
The class was a combined one, as usual. But the two houses still managed to keep a respectable distance from one another as they moved across the school grounds.
Professor Sprout had them going out towards the lake for the day's lesson.
Finally she motioned for them to stop when they've almost reached the shoreline. She had her back to the lake whilst the class faced her.
"All right, class. Today we're going to be plucking Gnome-Tossers."
Blank looks all around as Professor Sprout asked loudly, "Can anyone tell me what Gnome-Tossers are?"
Hermione's hand shot up into the air even before the professor could finish her sentence.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"Also referred to as Ferus Propella; Gnome-Tossers are plants that were bred for the efficient removal of gardens gnomes. They work by immediately repelling anyone that comes in contact with its stem, thereby sending the offending creature into the air and removing it temporarily. However, Gnome- Tossers were discontinued from use only years after their introduction to the Wizarding World."
"Ve-ry good, Miss Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor!"
Ron whooped silently, much to the chagrin of the Slytherins.
"Now, I'm sure you're all asking yourselves- *why* aren't they being used anymore, especially when they provide us with such a useful service?"
She looked around, ignoring Hermione's hand that immediately went up again.
"Neville?"
"Oh." he stuttered, caught unawares.
"Erm, p-people stopped using them because they wouldn't stop growing."
He paused briefly, feeling a little unsure of himself and looked at Professor Sprout for approval.
She gave him a small nod and he took a deep breath before continuing, "The Gnome-Tossers grew very rapidly and a fully-grown Gnome-Tosser could reach up to six hundred feet in height. Of course, then no one wanted these monsters in their gardens anymore."
"Excellent, Neville! Twenty points!" she beamed.
Dean clapped him on his back, and he flushed deeply and grinned.
Pansy stuck out her tongue at him, rather childishly.
Oblivious, Professor Sprout continued, "Despite outgrowing their intended purpose, Gnome-Tossers also produce a very useful by-product which is little-known to most. Their flowers contain a sap that can be used to treat motion sickness."
"As you know, at times wizards *do* suffer from some adverse effects when travelling long distances by broom, floo powder and even port keys."
A couple of students nodded woefully in acknowledgement at this.
"And today, we are going to pluck the flowers of these trees. Look behind you please, and you will find plenty of Gnome-Tossers, all fully-grown." she said.
"All of them were re-planted from the Hogwarts gardens and we're extremely delighted to see that they've flourished quite beautifully here by the lake." she motioned to the large cluster of almost giant-like trees.
The sight of them *were* awe-inspiring. A few looked so tall, they might have reached the clouds.
The thick trunks of the immense trees were each covered with a dark brown bark. Sharp branches stuck out dangerously from these trunks.
And hanging from the branches were lush deep red flowers.
"All right, I want all of you to listen very carefully now." she suddenly said seriously.
"When you are plucking the flowers, you will have to strict-ly note that a safe distance has to be kept from yourself and the trunk at ALL times. No matter how close a flower is to the trunk, do *not* attempt to touch it. Pluck those that are further, even if it takes more effort."
"Remember, these trees *are* fully-grown and I assure you, more than capable of sending you flying off at the slightest touch." she paused and looked at them sternly for a while before finishing.
"Now, you will work in pairs. Each student is to take a basket and fill them up as best you can." she pointed to a pile of brown baskets on the ground next to her.
"You may begin once you're ready."
++++++++++++++++
"Hey!" a deep male voice called out.
"What?" Oliver stumbled and started to hop on one foot. He had been in the middle of putting his shoes on.
"You forgot this."
Something white flew from the bed and hit Oliver in the face, before he caught it in his hands.
He looked at it.
A pair of white boxer shorts.
His.
He /knew/ he forgot something.
*Well, I did get dressed in an awful hurry.* he thought.
"Oh, thanks." he muttered quickly instead and turned a little red.
He wadded up the shorts into a ball and stuffed it quickly down his robe pocket before finally managing to get his left foot into his shoe at last.
And with that he fled the room immediately; not even bothering to lace them up.
The door slammed behind him.
Sniggering, Marcus Flint leaned back against the pillow, his hands cradling the back of his head.
Contrary to Oliver, Marcus felt very relaxed indeed.
He hasn't even bothered to get dressed yet.
Only the tangled sheets covered the lower half of his body now, leaving the rest of him bare, exposing his well-tanned muscular chest and his strong arms (courtesy of years of Quidditch training).
He briefly considered getting dressed before brushing the annoying thought away.
He was too late for morning class anyway, so why rush? he reasoned and closed his eyes instead.
A slow smile started to spread on his face as last night's events came rushing back to him in delicious fragments.
Not too difficult, considering that the heady scent of Oliver was still everywhere, eventhough the boy had already left the room.
It was on the sheets, the pillows, even on Marcus himself.
Mostly on Marcus, actually.
Smells of sunshine and sweat and sand.
Intoxicating, to say the least.
Marcus opened his eyes suddenly and groaned to himself.
/Why/ couldn't he just have kept his mouth shut just now?
It would have been nice if he could keep those boxers for himself instead.
*Well. . .Maybe next time.*
+++++++++++++
(By the lake, amongst the Gnome-Tossers)
"Harry, come here. I've got one more." Ron motioned, waving a red flower to his friend.
Harry grudgingly trudged to where Ron was standing, the big basket hooked over the crook of his left arm.
"Ron, for God's sake, why didn't you get your own bloody basket?"
Ron shrugged. "Well, you know. . . because carrying a basket is uhm - kind of girly?"
"What?!" Harry yelled, almost dropping the basket in the process.
"But it looks very good on you, Harry!" he quickly covered up, "*Much* better than it would on me." He nodded unconvincingly.
Harry frowned at his friend and gave him a playful slap on his shoulder.
"Ok, but now we've got to take turns carrying it." he handed the basket to Ron.
It *did* look a little girly now, more so with all the flowers in it now.
"What? No way, Potter!" Ron protested and ducked out of the way, seeking refuge at the other side of the huge tree.
"Ron!" Harry laughed and started to chase after his friend.
"Harry, wait! There's one right above your head." Ron said and pointed, hoping that might distract Harry from pushing the basket onto him.
Harry looked up.
There /was/ one.
A very plush deep-red one.
"It's too high, I can't reach it." Harry complained.
Ron merely grunted in response. He had spotted another one over at his side and was busy leaping up into the air trying to grab it.
Harry sighed and looked around for something that he could use to boost himself up.
And found it quickly.
A half-rotting log jutting out from the soil.
He set his basket down carefully on the ground and climbed up on the log.
If he balanced himself on the highest point at the tip of it, he might *just* be able to reach the flower.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him and Ron, Draco had been observing their movements.
He watched Harry now, waiting patiently for the right moment.
Harry tiptoed on the log, extending his right arm up as high as he could.
He focused purely on reaching the flower now, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration as he tried to inch himself upward a bit more.
*Almost. . .*
Draco shot a look at Crabbe and Goyle who had stopped their plucking to observe their leader.
Cupping his hands around his mouth, Draco let out a shout, "HEY POTTER!"
And instinctively, Harry turned his head around at the voice.
Unfortunate, because that moment's lapse was enough to throw off his delicate balancing act on the log.
"Woah!" he started to wobble precariously on the log, and flailed his arms out.
"R-Ron!" he called out, in alarm.
"Harry!" Ron cried out, his eyes growing wide as he saw what was about to happen.
He rushed forward to catch his friend, stumbling on the gnarled roots on the ground.
But it was too late and Harry went careening forward, straight into the tree trunk.
His glasses immediately broke in half upon impact, and he could feel a sharp pain from his lower lip where it had landed heavily against the trunk.
"Harry, move back! Move back!" Ron cried out in a panic and pulled at the back of his friend's robes in desperation.
Feeling a little dazed, Harry tried to straighten up and push himself off the trunk.
But he couldn't.
Invisible hands were gripping him to the trunk.
It was like a huge magnetic force refusing to let him go.
He gulped.
A deep groan started to emanate from deep within the tree.
It was working its way up from below the ground and swiftly moved up through the trunk, resonating through the forest.
Harry could feel vibrations from the tree trunk.
*Oh boy*
The sound attracted the rest of the students and Professor Sprout; who came running as fast as she could.
But it was already too late.
What happened next was a complete blur for Harry.
All he knew was that he was going fast.
Really, really fast.
Somewhere along his flight, he was aware of sharp branches brushing against his cheek and forehead,
And before he knew it, he had landed in the lake with a huge splash.
He was only underwater for a few seconds, before the distinctly slimy tentacles of the Giant Squid started to circle his waist.
Slowly but surely he was being pulled back towards the shore.
"Harry! Are you okay?" Faces crowded him as he felt himself being laid down gently on the rocky bank.
A sharp pebble was poking him in the back.
"Everyone step back, give him some room!" Professor Sprout's loud voice broke through the babble of eager voices.
Harry lifted his head slightly off the ground and squinted at the faces surrounding him.
He couldn't see Draco.
The world was a blur without his glasses.
Then, everything went black.
Special thanks to: Ji Nu - ^*Star Goddess, kandra, zeynel, Diamond Angel, Jess, blackunicorn, JJ, Amethyst Shard, Rei the Genki-Chan, SnippyandSnarky, Winged Goddess, Akemi, ALITA, RAVENCLAWPUNKg, Amy, KittenBabyGirl, KawaiiAngel4, Dark Peppermint, Justice-hime, dragons lover, Ariel, Sayuki, junejewel9, Tramill De Laxson, Drupadi, EPP, Saavik, Butterfly, Jessica, jadewtch, Giza Firestone, Katie of Gryffindor, ForeverYoung, redredredred & frizzy
-
Chapter 23: Payback
-
"Watch out for that cubby hole, Neville!" Dean said loudly, right before seeing his friend step right into it instead.
Neville let out a frightened yelp and fell clumsily on the grass.
Dean, Seamus and a few others who had seen the comical sight laughed merrily. But there wasn't any cruelty to their laughter. They were always in high spirits when the lessons were conducted outdoors.
A few Slytherins looked on at the laughing bunch and frowned in disdain.
The class was a combined one, as usual. But the two houses still managed to keep a respectable distance from one another as they moved across the school grounds.
Professor Sprout had them going out towards the lake for the day's lesson.
Finally she motioned for them to stop when they've almost reached the shoreline. She had her back to the lake whilst the class faced her.
"All right, class. Today we're going to be plucking Gnome-Tossers."
Blank looks all around as Professor Sprout asked loudly, "Can anyone tell me what Gnome-Tossers are?"
Hermione's hand shot up into the air even before the professor could finish her sentence.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"Also referred to as Ferus Propella; Gnome-Tossers are plants that were bred for the efficient removal of gardens gnomes. They work by immediately repelling anyone that comes in contact with its stem, thereby sending the offending creature into the air and removing it temporarily. However, Gnome- Tossers were discontinued from use only years after their introduction to the Wizarding World."
"Ve-ry good, Miss Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor!"
Ron whooped silently, much to the chagrin of the Slytherins.
"Now, I'm sure you're all asking yourselves- *why* aren't they being used anymore, especially when they provide us with such a useful service?"
She looked around, ignoring Hermione's hand that immediately went up again.
"Neville?"
"Oh." he stuttered, caught unawares.
"Erm, p-people stopped using them because they wouldn't stop growing."
He paused briefly, feeling a little unsure of himself and looked at Professor Sprout for approval.
She gave him a small nod and he took a deep breath before continuing, "The Gnome-Tossers grew very rapidly and a fully-grown Gnome-Tosser could reach up to six hundred feet in height. Of course, then no one wanted these monsters in their gardens anymore."
"Excellent, Neville! Twenty points!" she beamed.
Dean clapped him on his back, and he flushed deeply and grinned.
Pansy stuck out her tongue at him, rather childishly.
Oblivious, Professor Sprout continued, "Despite outgrowing their intended purpose, Gnome-Tossers also produce a very useful by-product which is little-known to most. Their flowers contain a sap that can be used to treat motion sickness."
"As you know, at times wizards *do* suffer from some adverse effects when travelling long distances by broom, floo powder and even port keys."
A couple of students nodded woefully in acknowledgement at this.
"And today, we are going to pluck the flowers of these trees. Look behind you please, and you will find plenty of Gnome-Tossers, all fully-grown." she said.
"All of them were re-planted from the Hogwarts gardens and we're extremely delighted to see that they've flourished quite beautifully here by the lake." she motioned to the large cluster of almost giant-like trees.
The sight of them *were* awe-inspiring. A few looked so tall, they might have reached the clouds.
The thick trunks of the immense trees were each covered with a dark brown bark. Sharp branches stuck out dangerously from these trunks.
And hanging from the branches were lush deep red flowers.
"All right, I want all of you to listen very carefully now." she suddenly said seriously.
"When you are plucking the flowers, you will have to strict-ly note that a safe distance has to be kept from yourself and the trunk at ALL times. No matter how close a flower is to the trunk, do *not* attempt to touch it. Pluck those that are further, even if it takes more effort."
"Remember, these trees *are* fully-grown and I assure you, more than capable of sending you flying off at the slightest touch." she paused and looked at them sternly for a while before finishing.
"Now, you will work in pairs. Each student is to take a basket and fill them up as best you can." she pointed to a pile of brown baskets on the ground next to her.
"You may begin once you're ready."
++++++++++++++++
"Hey!" a deep male voice called out.
"What?" Oliver stumbled and started to hop on one foot. He had been in the middle of putting his shoes on.
"You forgot this."
Something white flew from the bed and hit Oliver in the face, before he caught it in his hands.
He looked at it.
A pair of white boxer shorts.
His.
He /knew/ he forgot something.
*Well, I did get dressed in an awful hurry.* he thought.
"Oh, thanks." he muttered quickly instead and turned a little red.
He wadded up the shorts into a ball and stuffed it quickly down his robe pocket before finally managing to get his left foot into his shoe at last.
And with that he fled the room immediately; not even bothering to lace them up.
The door slammed behind him.
Sniggering, Marcus Flint leaned back against the pillow, his hands cradling the back of his head.
Contrary to Oliver, Marcus felt very relaxed indeed.
He hasn't even bothered to get dressed yet.
Only the tangled sheets covered the lower half of his body now, leaving the rest of him bare, exposing his well-tanned muscular chest and his strong arms (courtesy of years of Quidditch training).
He briefly considered getting dressed before brushing the annoying thought away.
He was too late for morning class anyway, so why rush? he reasoned and closed his eyes instead.
A slow smile started to spread on his face as last night's events came rushing back to him in delicious fragments.
Not too difficult, considering that the heady scent of Oliver was still everywhere, eventhough the boy had already left the room.
It was on the sheets, the pillows, even on Marcus himself.
Mostly on Marcus, actually.
Smells of sunshine and sweat and sand.
Intoxicating, to say the least.
Marcus opened his eyes suddenly and groaned to himself.
/Why/ couldn't he just have kept his mouth shut just now?
It would have been nice if he could keep those boxers for himself instead.
*Well. . .Maybe next time.*
+++++++++++++
(By the lake, amongst the Gnome-Tossers)
"Harry, come here. I've got one more." Ron motioned, waving a red flower to his friend.
Harry grudgingly trudged to where Ron was standing, the big basket hooked over the crook of his left arm.
"Ron, for God's sake, why didn't you get your own bloody basket?"
Ron shrugged. "Well, you know. . . because carrying a basket is uhm - kind of girly?"
"What?!" Harry yelled, almost dropping the basket in the process.
"But it looks very good on you, Harry!" he quickly covered up, "*Much* better than it would on me." He nodded unconvincingly.
Harry frowned at his friend and gave him a playful slap on his shoulder.
"Ok, but now we've got to take turns carrying it." he handed the basket to Ron.
It *did* look a little girly now, more so with all the flowers in it now.
"What? No way, Potter!" Ron protested and ducked out of the way, seeking refuge at the other side of the huge tree.
"Ron!" Harry laughed and started to chase after his friend.
"Harry, wait! There's one right above your head." Ron said and pointed, hoping that might distract Harry from pushing the basket onto him.
Harry looked up.
There /was/ one.
A very plush deep-red one.
"It's too high, I can't reach it." Harry complained.
Ron merely grunted in response. He had spotted another one over at his side and was busy leaping up into the air trying to grab it.
Harry sighed and looked around for something that he could use to boost himself up.
And found it quickly.
A half-rotting log jutting out from the soil.
He set his basket down carefully on the ground and climbed up on the log.
If he balanced himself on the highest point at the tip of it, he might *just* be able to reach the flower.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him and Ron, Draco had been observing their movements.
He watched Harry now, waiting patiently for the right moment.
Harry tiptoed on the log, extending his right arm up as high as he could.
He focused purely on reaching the flower now, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration as he tried to inch himself upward a bit more.
*Almost. . .*
Draco shot a look at Crabbe and Goyle who had stopped their plucking to observe their leader.
Cupping his hands around his mouth, Draco let out a shout, "HEY POTTER!"
And instinctively, Harry turned his head around at the voice.
Unfortunate, because that moment's lapse was enough to throw off his delicate balancing act on the log.
"Woah!" he started to wobble precariously on the log, and flailed his arms out.
"R-Ron!" he called out, in alarm.
"Harry!" Ron cried out, his eyes growing wide as he saw what was about to happen.
He rushed forward to catch his friend, stumbling on the gnarled roots on the ground.
But it was too late and Harry went careening forward, straight into the tree trunk.
His glasses immediately broke in half upon impact, and he could feel a sharp pain from his lower lip where it had landed heavily against the trunk.
"Harry, move back! Move back!" Ron cried out in a panic and pulled at the back of his friend's robes in desperation.
Feeling a little dazed, Harry tried to straighten up and push himself off the trunk.
But he couldn't.
Invisible hands were gripping him to the trunk.
It was like a huge magnetic force refusing to let him go.
He gulped.
A deep groan started to emanate from deep within the tree.
It was working its way up from below the ground and swiftly moved up through the trunk, resonating through the forest.
Harry could feel vibrations from the tree trunk.
*Oh boy*
The sound attracted the rest of the students and Professor Sprout; who came running as fast as she could.
But it was already too late.
What happened next was a complete blur for Harry.
All he knew was that he was going fast.
Really, really fast.
Somewhere along his flight, he was aware of sharp branches brushing against his cheek and forehead,
And before he knew it, he had landed in the lake with a huge splash.
He was only underwater for a few seconds, before the distinctly slimy tentacles of the Giant Squid started to circle his waist.
Slowly but surely he was being pulled back towards the shore.
"Harry! Are you okay?" Faces crowded him as he felt himself being laid down gently on the rocky bank.
A sharp pebble was poking him in the back.
"Everyone step back, give him some room!" Professor Sprout's loud voice broke through the babble of eager voices.
Harry lifted his head slightly off the ground and squinted at the faces surrounding him.
He couldn't see Draco.
The world was a blur without his glasses.
Then, everything went black.
