Author'sNote
House: Slytherin
Class: Potions
Drabble/Standard: Drabble
Prompts: [spell] Undetectable Extension Charm
Link:
Word Count - 999
Stuck On The Inside
"Right, are we all here? Good. There's a lot to do, so it's best if we divide into teams and split the list, okay? Right, Neville? You're with me and Ginny. Ron? You're with Pansy and Fred. Fred — if you pull your inane jokes, I swear to Merlin, I'll tell your Mother! Harry? You're with Luna and Draco. What? No need to look at me like that guys; you'll survive fine. Remember some of the greenhouses have temperamental climates, so be careful of sudden storms. Okay, here are your lists, and off we go!"
"Why are we doing this again?" moaned Draco.
"Oh, we got the tropical list! I wonder if we'll see any Billywigs?"
"Erm, maybe Luna?" offered Harry, "Anyway, the food won't pick itself. Come on, guys."
"Who says you're in charge?" demanded Draco.
"No one else seems bothered, so — "
"So you just assumed, as per usual, O' Chosen one?"
"Well, of course, I'm in charge, otherwise you'll end up caught up with Wrackspurts. Come on!" Luna trilled serenely, gliding off towards the greenhouses.
"Alright, rather than split the list between us, I think it would be lovely if we picked each item together. Wouldn't that be nice? Also, I think we should pick them in alphabetical order just in case."
"In case of what?" queried Draco, "Surely it's more sensible to pick the closest ones first?"
"Well, we don't want them thinking that some of them are more important than the others, now do we? There's nothing worse than food with an inferiority complex, you know," stated Luna seriously. "Now, alphabetically, kakadu lime is first!" With that, Luna headed towards the small trees at the back of the greenhouse, followed closely by a smirking Harry. Yes, Luna could be a bit crazy, but the look on Draco's face was a sight to behold!
"Erm, has anyone noticed we forgot to bring baskets or anything to carry the stuff?" Harry asked with a frown.
"Hmmm, yes, I can see how that will make things more difficult. I think we'll have to use my handbag."
"Your handbag?" exclaimed Draco incredulously. "It's tiny!"
"Actually, Hermione showed me how to cast an undetectable extension charm on it, so really it's perfect! I was so happy I gave her a lovely gurdyroot necklace so she won't be bothered by Gulping Plimpies."
"That's nice, Luna," said Harry, clearly struggling not to laugh. "Okay, so we're using the bag. Let's get to it!"
"Merlin, how much longer do we need to do this?" moaned Draco, wiping sweat from his brow. "It's two hundred degrees in here!"
"Oh, no, Draco, it's actually only about 75 degrees," corrected Luna happily, "I don't think the plants would like it if it were 200 degrees."
"It's only been an hour Malfoy; give it a rest and get on with it."
"What in Salazar's name is that?" screeched Draco.
"Oh, a tropical cyclone!" sang Luna excitedly, "Daddy will be jealous! I wonder if we'll see any —"
"No time for that Luna, we need shelter!" urged Harry, as he searched around them for somewhere to wait out the storm. Already mist and wind were swirling around them dangerously, pulling at their clothes and whipping their hair across their faces.
"I agree it is a bit wet and windy, isn't it," agreed Luna, looking far too calm for the situation as she shielded her eyes from the sudden onslaught of rain.
"Where? There's nowhere!" panicked Draco
"Well, we could climb inside the bag," suggested Luna thoughtfully. "We could tether the strap to one of the tree trunks and then hop inside."
"You want me to get inside your bag?! Are you mental?"
"No time!" yelled Harry, as he wrenched the bag open as wide as it would go. "Go on, Luna!" he urged.
Once she had — somehow gracefully — slipped inside, Harry turned to Draco.
"In, Malfoy! Move!"
Draco, sensing the situation was serious enough to ignore being ordered around by Harry, threw himself into the bag without further hesitation, followed almost immediately by Harry, snapping the bag closed behind him.
The inside of the bag was dark and musty with a rather strange smell of limes and, for some reason, onion. After Harry and Draco had walked a few tentative steps forward, they found Luna sitting on a makeshift seat of some books and holding a jar of fireflies, which appeared to be their only source of light.
"I'm glad you are both ok," welcomed Luna happily, as if this were an everyday occurrence. "Why not make yourselves comfortable on a pile of books. Not the paperbacks, as I don't think they will work very well, but there are some lovely hardbacks on heliopaths just over there. Which reminds me, Harry. Did you close the bag fully? Only it can't be opened from the inside, and I meant to tell you to leave it partially open. But not to worry."
After a few minutes of listening to Luna humming to her jar of fireflies, Harry took out his wand to cast a drying spell on all their clothes. Nothing happened.
"Weird," murmured Harry, "the spell isn't working."
"Of course not, silly," smiled Luna patiently, as if it were obvious. "There's a containment charm on the bag."
"Meaning…" encouraged Harry, hoping this didn't mean what he thought it meant.
"Well, imagine if my wand ignited accidentally while in my bag? Or if a jar of potions broke?" At this, Draco sagged his forehead down onto his knees in despair.
"Oh, Luna," sighed Harry, "How are we going to get back out without magic?"
"Don't worry about that! Neville will be along this evening to check the plants before bed."
"This evening?" spluttered Draco, horrified.
"Don't worry, Draco," comforted Luna, "We can eat the limes and sing songs!"
Harry wished he was still outside in the cyclone.