Chapter 3
Colin decided to try his excuse on her. "Yes, actually I did and it's a
good thing you found them because," he made his voice sound very official and
formal, "these pictures are the result of a ten-year long program funded by the
British government to make pictures that move."
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "And I suppose the first thing
the government decided it had to take pictures off was a bunch of kids wearing
robs, surrounded by plants that don't exist, flying on brooms that can't fly in
front of dragons that also, for all intents and purposes, also do not exist?"
As far as Colin knew about the muggle government, it sounded plausible to
him. "Yes, exactly. See? You do understand." He tried to grab the picture out of
her hand but she wouldn't let go and forced his hand away from the picture.
"Though you don't seem to understand it, I'm not stupid. These pictures
are not fake and you," she looked his clothes up and down in a way that made him
squirm, "are not from the government. Though, if you'd like, I could call them
up and confirm that you aren't."
'Damn it,' Colin searched his mind for another excuse. "Umm...these
pictures are a result of a drug overdose? You're really hallucinating." He made
another grab for the pictures and this time she hit him. "Ow!" He rubbed his
hand. "That really hurt!"
"You've got one more chance before I make the call."
He looked up into her eyes and knew that she meant it and in the very next
moment, the secrecy laws of the wizarding world went right out the window. "What
do you want to know," he asked softly, hoping that, whatever it was, it would
involve him very quickly making up a cock-and-bull story that would satisfy her
intense desire to know about it and he could go on his way and never be bothered
again.
Instead, she pointed to his camera and asked, "Is that the camera you took
these with?"
Thinking this would be an easy way out, he answered, "Yes" and once again
reached for the pictures but the girl pulled her hand away. "Make me one."
"Make you one! I can't do that! That-that is," not ever, ever going to
happen because I only have a limited amount of potion left that I brought home
with me and I have a lot better things to use it on than you, he finished in his
head. Out loud he finished, "impossible! I'm not allowed." Ha! There! That was
even true, as far as any Ministry of Magic decree went.
"Not allowed? What do you mean not allowed? Are all these pictures illegal
then?"
Colin let out a breath of exasperation. "No, of course not," he replied
hurriedly. "I made them during the school year, we're allowed to do magic and-"
he broke off, his eyes widening in horror at what he'd just let slip past his
lips. His tormentor, on the other hand, was ecstatic.
"I knew it!" She jumped up and down on the porch excitedly. "I knew it!
There's magic and you're a magician and you say there's a school?" She stopped
jumping and pulled his head down so that his eyes were peering into hers. "This
is simply amazing! Brilliant! I-I-You must tell me everything!"
Colin threw her arms off of him in disgust. "I'll tell you nothing! And
I'm not a magician!"
She looked very taken a back and, for a moment, afraid. "What do you mean
you'll tell me nothing? I still have your pictures. You told me things. I could
tell the whole world."
His face reddened with anger and he leaned in close to her, holding her
head up so she would look him straight in the eye and spoke in a very quiet
voice that he hoped would have the same affect on her that Snape's had on his
classes. "No, you wouldn't because I would hit you with a memory modifying charm
faster than you could reach the phone. You wouldn't remember your own name, not
to mention anything about Hogwarts or the wizarding world or-" he clamped his
mouth shut tightly. No need to give away anything more.
She watched him thoughtfully for a moment and then spoke. "No, you
wouldn't. You couldn't do it; you just told me you weren't allowed. Besides,
you're not the type. Even if you were the type, you would have done it before
you let those-" she hesitated, "THINGS slip. You just want your pictures back
and because you want your pictures back, you'll do what I want you to." She
patted him on the cheek and he let go of her neck to get away from her. "Make me
a photo, dear?"
He could see no other way out and felt very irritated that he has already
let so many things slip through. "Fine. I'll make you a photograph. Just-just
promise you won't tell anyone about this or anything else I show you or tell
you. Do you understand?" She nodded and he felt anger rise inside him again.
"No, I mean it-" he searched for a name before realizing he didn't know one,
"What's your name?"
"Agnes."
"Agnes, you can't tell anyone, not your mum, not your dad, not your best
friend, you can't even breath a word of it in your diary."
She looked aghast. "How did you know I keep a diary?"
He shrugged. "Let's just say you struck me as the type. A clever
assumption."
"Fair enough."
"So you promise? You won't tell anyone?"
"I swear it on-on my autographed picture of the entire Fellowship of the
Ring." Colin had no idea what the "Fellowship of the Ring" was but as long as it
meant she wouldn't be telling anyone, he didn't care.
"Alright. Tomorrow then. Come by my place and I'll make a picture for
you."
Colin decided to try his excuse on her. "Yes, actually I did and it's a
good thing you found them because," he made his voice sound very official and
formal, "these pictures are the result of a ten-year long program funded by the
British government to make pictures that move."
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "And I suppose the first thing
the government decided it had to take pictures off was a bunch of kids wearing
robs, surrounded by plants that don't exist, flying on brooms that can't fly in
front of dragons that also, for all intents and purposes, also do not exist?"
As far as Colin knew about the muggle government, it sounded plausible to
him. "Yes, exactly. See? You do understand." He tried to grab the picture out of
her hand but she wouldn't let go and forced his hand away from the picture.
"Though you don't seem to understand it, I'm not stupid. These pictures
are not fake and you," she looked his clothes up and down in a way that made him
squirm, "are not from the government. Though, if you'd like, I could call them
up and confirm that you aren't."
'Damn it,' Colin searched his mind for another excuse. "Umm...these
pictures are a result of a drug overdose? You're really hallucinating." He made
another grab for the pictures and this time she hit him. "Ow!" He rubbed his
hand. "That really hurt!"
"You've got one more chance before I make the call."
He looked up into her eyes and knew that she meant it and in the very next
moment, the secrecy laws of the wizarding world went right out the window. "What
do you want to know," he asked softly, hoping that, whatever it was, it would
involve him very quickly making up a cock-and-bull story that would satisfy her
intense desire to know about it and he could go on his way and never be bothered
again.
Instead, she pointed to his camera and asked, "Is that the camera you took
these with?"
Thinking this would be an easy way out, he answered, "Yes" and once again
reached for the pictures but the girl pulled her hand away. "Make me one."
"Make you one! I can't do that! That-that is," not ever, ever going to
happen because I only have a limited amount of potion left that I brought home
with me and I have a lot better things to use it on than you, he finished in his
head. Out loud he finished, "impossible! I'm not allowed." Ha! There! That was
even true, as far as any Ministry of Magic decree went.
"Not allowed? What do you mean not allowed? Are all these pictures illegal
then?"
Colin let out a breath of exasperation. "No, of course not," he replied
hurriedly. "I made them during the school year, we're allowed to do magic and-"
he broke off, his eyes widening in horror at what he'd just let slip past his
lips. His tormentor, on the other hand, was ecstatic.
"I knew it!" She jumped up and down on the porch excitedly. "I knew it!
There's magic and you're a magician and you say there's a school?" She stopped
jumping and pulled his head down so that his eyes were peering into hers. "This
is simply amazing! Brilliant! I-I-You must tell me everything!"
Colin threw her arms off of him in disgust. "I'll tell you nothing! And
I'm not a magician!"
She looked very taken a back and, for a moment, afraid. "What do you mean
you'll tell me nothing? I still have your pictures. You told me things. I could
tell the whole world."
His face reddened with anger and he leaned in close to her, holding her
head up so she would look him straight in the eye and spoke in a very quiet
voice that he hoped would have the same affect on her that Snape's had on his
classes. "No, you wouldn't because I would hit you with a memory modifying charm
faster than you could reach the phone. You wouldn't remember your own name, not
to mention anything about Hogwarts or the wizarding world or-" he clamped his
mouth shut tightly. No need to give away anything more.
She watched him thoughtfully for a moment and then spoke. "No, you
wouldn't. You couldn't do it; you just told me you weren't allowed. Besides,
you're not the type. Even if you were the type, you would have done it before
you let those-" she hesitated, "THINGS slip. You just want your pictures back
and because you want your pictures back, you'll do what I want you to." She
patted him on the cheek and he let go of her neck to get away from her. "Make me
a photo, dear?"
He could see no other way out and felt very irritated that he has already
let so many things slip through. "Fine. I'll make you a photograph. Just-just
promise you won't tell anyone about this or anything else I show you or tell
you. Do you understand?" She nodded and he felt anger rise inside him again.
"No, I mean it-" he searched for a name before realizing he didn't know one,
"What's your name?"
"Agnes."
"Agnes, you can't tell anyone, not your mum, not your dad, not your best
friend, you can't even breath a word of it in your diary."
She looked aghast. "How did you know I keep a diary?"
He shrugged. "Let's just say you struck me as the type. A clever
assumption."
"Fair enough."
"So you promise? You won't tell anyone?"
"I swear it on-on my autographed picture of the entire Fellowship of the
Ring." Colin had no idea what the "Fellowship of the Ring" was but as long as it
meant she wouldn't be telling anyone, he didn't care.
"Alright. Tomorrow then. Come by my place and I'll make a picture for
you."
