Title: The House of Horrors
Author: Babydracky
Translation Author: Lil Nezumi
Disclaimer: Harry Potter-verse and characters belong to J.K. Rowling & WB.
Author's Note: See "INTRODUCTION" for summary and author's notes.
PART I, Chapter I: Hogsmeade Visit - Having Fun!
Hogsmeade, a tiny village found in Scotland and reputed to be a very animated location, was filled year-round, with Wizarding folk each one more bizarre than the other. It was a village where magic reigned freely, where numerous witches and wizards have decided to settle, a village that the Ministry of Magic protected with a watchful eye, along with many other communities. The students of Hogwarts, the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, found in the British Isles, located not far from this small village was frequently visited by them. Usually only the third years and up visited Hogsmeade, as per the school regulations when they were finally permitted to go.
On this particular day, however, Hogsmeade was far more animated than usual, there was far more people there than usual! In fact, this weekend, for the first time in a long time, a huge fairground and Festival had been organized. All of the students, including the first and second years, had received permission to participate in festivities, as their upper classmen, prefects and professors would be accompanying them. This last group of individuals had graciously accepted to participate in the festivities, as well, having even organized a few of the attractions, booths and rides!
The students were light hearted. They strolled among each of the attractions and stands, taking advantage and the great pleasure of the few festival days that were offered to them. Several of the students were wandering around with butterbeers in hand, or with more than a few 'Merlin's-Beards' (cotton candy for you muggles out there.)
Many students had surrounded the Levitation booth, which was manned by Professor Flitwick himself, who seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. His attraction seems to have been very successful and made a lot of the passing locals, including passing students, laugh. Several of the students, actually four of them, were about to begin. The goal of this "game" was very simple; to explode, with the aid of a few 'benign' spells, the various objects, which were more or less questionable and were dangerously flying about the participants, who with all rights and good understanding, were allowed to put to match the brooms of their competition. ("Putting a stick in the spokes of a wheel", again for you muggles.)
Now why were the passing spectators having a hoot? Simply because when the competitors that have just lost, well three of the four, those who exploded the least amount of objects, found that the Levitation charm that had been placed on them to suddenly vanish! Well that's not what was particularly funny, but just below them there was an animated squelchy cloud-like mass (bouillabaise, not unlike fish soup) that shuddered joyously in anticipation! Also, the scent wafting from it was not roses. It, also, loved to stick itself onto the poor victims (losers), and prevent them from moving from their spots for several moments, without counting the fact that it loved to colour the "fallen" in the most inharmonious neon colours, which remained on them for the rest of the day! Flitwick was ever grateful for the aide he received from Professor Snape, acknowledging him graciously for his help in the creation of this "substance" for the Levitation booth, and having done this without even being persuaded to do it.
The winner at this booth, was offered house points, but also more importantly had the right to choose his next adversaries, and at this the spectators felt a pressing need to leave the area, running and yelling themselves hoarse... It was certainly with the knowledge of who the leading champion was, because for several turns, the winner was none other than Oliver Wood, presently a professional Quidditch player for Ireland, who just happened to have come down for a visit with his old school chums... Anyway, since he could no longer bring points to Gryphondor, as he was no longer a student of Hogwarts, he seemed to take great pleasure in making his former comrades look ridiculous.
A few stands further down, it was possible to find Professor McGonagall's booth, where she attracted her own crowd of gatherers. Gryphondor's head of house was taking full advantage of this beautiful sunny day and took lots of pleasure in manning her booth! She loved transfiguring some of the students who participated in this game and in helping to assist them in finding their "eventual" animagus form! Once morphed into their future animagus forms the students would hide themselves amongst other objects also morphed into various animals and their friends were to attempt, for better or for worse, to find them in the mini zoo that their transfiguration Professor had set up.
Many students attended this booth; there were a quite few who left this booth proud as peacocks showing off their plumage, after having found themselves morphed into a noble lion, a graceful falcon or into a wild stallion, whereas others left more than a little disappointed after having morphed into a embarrassed looking elephant, a large bear with tongue hanging down in the heat of the day or even a simple non-descript pigeon... and others were more particularly vexed to find themselves morphed into certain animals that were considered particularly repugnant like: an awkward waddling duck, an undernourished looking hyena, a warthog with huge prominent jaws or an even more ridiculous looking creature like a baboon with a really red tush!
There were some students that were not that hard to recognize like Justin Finch-Fletchly, who even in the form of a pink flamingo, still had a slightly crooked nose, or even the Weasley twins who found themselves morphed into completely identical foxes, with the sneaky looks and flamboyantly red fur! It was Marcus Flint, however, who found himself abandoned by his friends when they had confused him with a llama that had been placed beside him and McGonagall had a hard time convincing everyone that Flint was indeed the cute little floppy-eared, multi-coloured bunny that everyone was looking at... It wasn't until he planted his large front teeth into the arms of the Parkinson girl, who had decided to cuddle him, all the while pulling his ears "affectionately" that they were convinced of his identity.
This story had quickly made the rounds in Hogsmeade, which is not that big of a town, and all of the Hogwarts students couldn't help themselves laughing as they imagined Flint as a cute tiny little bunny with a twitchy nose in front of a dangling carrot! This was one of the times that Oliver Wood regretted not being that good in transfigurations! To be able to morph Flint into a little nibbler... No bigger that a foot long! Anyway, he knew that he couldn't lose at Flitwick's booth... that's why Wood left Professor Flitwick's attraction and ran off in search of Flint in order to issue the challenge...
Wood and Flint... Flint and Wood... One pair of individuals that were pretty much the celebrities of Hogwarts, but also considered as such by the readers of "Broomstick Magazine"! They had both refused to play for one of the most prestigious teams in Britain when they discovered to their horror and disgust that they were to be "teammates"... What a joke! Oliver had therefore chosen to play for a team in Ireland, whereas Flint left to play for a team in Bulgaria and was presently one of Viktor Krum's teammates. They haven't had the occasion to cross paths, no matter how often they tried to be chosen for various competitions in order to do so! Unfortunately the fates seemed against them because they still haven't had a chance to cross each other's broom...er...path! But now that Wood knew that Flint was there, he was not going to lose this opportunity.
Another booth had attracted quite a lot of people, well, to be honest, a lot of girls! Belonged to Trelawny and Sinistra, each respectively the Hogwarts professors of Divination and Astronomy! These ladies had decided to combine their skills into one grand attraction called: "The Tunnel of Love"! Wonderful idea!
Most of the "males, young men, etc..." ran from this booth like they would run from the plague! Whereas the girls, themselves, they chose to run towards it, with the goal of discovering whether their "dears", "darlings" and "sweeties" were the ones destined for them or whether the object of their affections actually and truly had the same feelings towards them... Numerous young ladies exited this ride with tears in their eyes... Some of which were quickly pursued by their loves proclaiming on everything they held dear that whatever their detestable professors has seen in the Stars or had read within the Tarot, would never happen! Other young ladies had promptly dumped their companions, who they themselves had formed a club called, "Abandoned due to two crazy old biddies" and were already scheming a terrible revenge! They were well aware that going against their professors was risky business due to the potential loss of house points, but after all, seeing as how the students in this club were from every house they had decided to continue their subscription to it...
TBC...
Yes, that's how chapter one ends. This is Babydracky's preferred way to begin a story by provided background information. The following two chapters will be introducing our favourite pair. Again, before they meet up there must be more backgrounding. Don't worry this story is worth your patience during the first few chapters.
Onward my dear readers...