Chapter Six: Girl's Dormitory
Sirius and Remus were sitting in the common room discussing the finer points of the Marauder's test now that they had finally escaped from James. Suddenly, all of the girls came dashing down the dormitory stairs, from first year to seventh year. Lily Evans is one of the last to appear, and she comes down, blackened with ash, and sits next to Sirius and Remus.
"What is going on?" Lily catches her breath, then replies –
"Fire – magical fire, oh I suppose Lummy and Harold are still up there."
Sirius and Remus looked at each other worriedly, and Sirius asked almost timidly,
"But, they can't do magic can they?"
Sirius and Remus begin to move expeditiously toward the stairs – Marauder's test or not they were not about to leave them up there! But not five minutes after Lily had sat down upon the Common Room couch, Harold and Lummy appeared, soot faced, at the foot of the girls' dormitory stairs. Harold was holding about thirty balloons in her hand. It was surprising that she was not floating in the air.
Everyone was rather shocked.
Lily got up first, and asked, "Did you put the fire out?" Both Harold and Lummy nodded and smiled beatifically. Remus got up, and said what they were all dying to say,
"I think we would enjoy a full story."
Lummy basked in the attention of the entire Gryffindor population for a moment, then began (after perching herself atop one of the high-backed chairs next to the fireplace) the tale,
"Well, as you all know, we made a trip to Diagon Alley this afternoon. Both Harold and I purchased wands, and we were most eager to try them out. I was merely perusing through the standard book of spells when I came upon it – Incendio."
Sirius looked skeptical, and said, "But that's not the first spell a witch or wizard learns – perhaps Wingardium…"
Lummy shook her head, and continued, "Well I didn't try it, but Harold's always been better at stuff than me, so she gave a wave of her wand and nothing happened. And then, my wand caught on fire. My wand, is made of Aluminum."
Sirius gaped (as did the remainder of the Gryffindor population, but not quite so elegantly), "A metal wand?"
"Yes, and it's not really supposed to catch fire. Anyhow, I did what seemed right at the time, and threw it on Lily's bed. Naturally, Lily's bed caught fire, and by the time Lily came in, the dormitory was blazing."
She said this all very calmly, as if she was describing a particularly boring birthday party.
"Lily, is of course, the Head Girl. But she could not put the fire out. So I made a well, and used water to put the fire out."
It was Lily's turn to gape –
"But I used Aguamenti!" However, the muggleborn population in the Gryffindor house was gaping for an entirely different reason. How could she have drilled a well when the Gryffindor tower was on the seventh story? In five minutes? Harold must have noticed their confused looks, because she began to explain,
"It's a bit of a half magic solution – but we used magic to make the well, and the pulley system and what not, but the water and the well were pure Muggle."
Finally, Sirius asked them half-heartedly,
"What are the balloons for?"
"Balloons? Oh yes, to say sorry for setting the dorm on fire. We are deeply remorseful."
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A bit short, yes. They get longer with time, much as wine improves with age…. Now then, do review.