Disclaimer: Read the next one. My disclaimers will take on a whole new meaning.
Sorry it took so long to update, what with illness and makeup work. However, it's u now!
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Fk306 animelover: sounds good! If I can fit it in, I would love to do that!
starlover88: why, thank you! I'm still searching for good ones, but so far I haven't found any. Anyways, in the next chapter, it gets even better, so check back soon! (By soon, I mean, "like, in a month or two."
HannahCimsGwendolyn: Yeah, I thought that giving Volders a pair of absolute sweetheart/silly relatives, the whole thing for him would go downhill. I hope this works!
Belle: I have never had anyone tell me that my story "rocks green monkeys," so thank you very much! It sounds like a higher compliment than, say, "rocks blue slippers." Monkeys rock! Just a warning: this chapter is NOT spiffy. It's rather boring, funny-wise. Although the fake Imperious is rather hilarious to me.
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And now, on with the chappie!
Chapter Nine
Thunk.
Thunk.
"Peanut butter…"
Thunk.
"Attention shoppers: would the owner of the light blue Ford Anglia, license plate number 7990 TD, please return to your car. The lights can't decide whether to reflect it or not. Also, we need a Miss Cherry Pitt—er, we mean Pike, to come to the front desk and pick up your keys. You left them here."
"Now, which sushi is most slippery? Voldie-poo shouldn't be able to hold his food… now, where are the ugliest chopsticks…"
Bump.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
"Oh, erm, no problem. Here's your, er… wand."
"…Thank you."
Becky watched Cherry Pike hurry down the aisle to the front desk. Apparently, she was a witch. She knew what Becky's wand was, and she didn't mind. Awesome. Becky continued scanning the aisles for good, slick sushi rice and absolutely disgusting-looking eating utensils native to Asian countries. She finally found a small box with Chinese writing all over it with English translations: "Good rice, great for sushi! Not sticky like common brands! Buy SushiKame Sushi Rice today!" Becky rolled her eyes but tossed it into the tiny cart. The foreign section of the humongous supermarket was large enough to have three long aisles all to its lonesome. Becky, becoming interested, left the food aisle before heading off to the checkout and headed to the foreign aisle next over. She glanced down and noticed all sorts of musical instruments and paintings. On the left side was a large poster in a silver frame for the highly famous Japanese movie "Spirited Away, directed by the acclaimed Hayao Miyazaki. On the right side of the aisle, however, was what took Becky's breath away.
Supported on a shelf, collecting dust, was a beautiful instrument, looking almost like a guitar with a triangular body. Designs were sprawled all over it, displaying this beautiful instrument in regal splendor. Just as Becky reached out to pick it up so she could look more closely at it, a small patter of footsteps came up behind her. After a moment, it spoke.
"It's a balalaika," Cherry said softly. She gingerly picked it up and strummed the strings, playing out a sweet sound that raised the hairs on the back of Becky's neck. The skilled balalaika player began to pluck out an eerily beautiful song, sweet and low, flowing around Becky in a whirl of beautiful music. She closed her eyes and began to walk up and down the aisle, strumming in a frighteningly gorgeous blend of spirit and music. As suddenly as the music began, however, it stopped, and the instrument was back on its shelf.
"I'm not very good," Cherry said, smiling at the floor. Becky's jaw dropped at the terrible tone in her voice. "Not very good"? Right! And Becky was a crup.
"I think that was a little more than good," Becky said, raising her eyebrow. She gave a little laugh. "Nah, it was closer to 'amazing.'" She grinned.
Cherry gave a grin of her own in reply.
After a moment, the balalaika player spoke to Becky's sandals. "Well, it's been nice meeting you." She smiled wider, and turned around, strolling down the aisle.
Becky stared after her, thinking. In her mind, she quickly went over the list of party favors for Voldie-kins. After a few seconds, she remembered something. "Cherry!" she called after the departing witch. Cherry turned around.
"You're very skilled at your music," Becky said, laying on the flattery. "I wonder…"
Cherry raised an expectant eyebrow.
"Can you play…" Becky began, grinning in a rather evil fashion, "…the funky chicken?"
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"Okay, you know the plan, right, guys?"
Debbie, Kali, Cherry, and Becky were all outside Volders' house, going over plans for the party. Debbie, Kali and Cherry were nodding, grinning to one another as they imagined defeating Voldemort via a birthday party. Cherry was absentmindedly strumming the balalaika while Kali listened and fiddled with a blade of grass. Debbie smiled as she saw the box of presents.
"Will it work, though?" Kali asked after a moment. "Will he lose it?"
Becky sighed. "Perhaps," she said grimly, "and perhaps not. You see, Debbie and Kali are safe, and I'm going to false Imperious you to play, so you're all three okay."
Kali quickly raised her hand.
"You're not in school," Becky said, grinning again. "You don't have to raise your hand. What is it?"
Kali put down her hand and asked, with an inquisitive look on her face, "What's a 'fake Imperious'?" By the looks on the faces of the two others, they were wondering the same thing.
Becky smiled, and pointed her wand at Kali.
"Don't curse Kali!" Debbie yelled, but she was too late. There was a flash of blue light, and Kali was sitting docile, staring at Becky.
While Debbie had a minor breakdown, Becky walked right up to Kali at whispered, "Do a back flip, but only if you want to."
In a hollow tone, Kali said, "I can't do a back flip, so I don't want to." After she spoke, she looked as surprised as you could when you're being a statue, and asked, "What's wrong with my voice?" still monotonously.
Becky grinned. "You can do a back flip when under the fake Imperious," she said cheerfully.
Kali still looked confused, but she stood up and began to breathe hard. After a moment, she took a deep breath and suddenly did a series of five back flips across the evil yard. She ended her amazing stunt, smiled blankly, and looked hollowly at Becky.
Becky simply smiled and waved her wand. Kali broke out into a grin and practically yelled, "I did a back flip!" Doing an odd little jig on the wet grass, she chanted in a sing-song voice, "I did a back flip, I did a back flip…"
Debbie, astounded, leapt up and ran to her dancing daughter. Giving her a huge hug, she turned to Becky and said in an odd voice, "What made that happen?"
Becky tried very hard not to look too proud of herself. "The fake Imperious causes you to speak and act like you're full under the Imperious curse. The only thing different, in fact, is the ability to choose whether you want to do what you're commanded or not. The command gives you the ability, but you're not actually forced to do it."
After a short silence, Cherry allowed a small grin to cross her face. "This means that I'll be playing and seeming to be under the spell's complete control, but I personally won't feel bewitched." She nodded, as if she approved, and Debbie and Kali were doing the same.
Becky grinned, but it was a sad one. "Now you know how safe you three are," she said softly, "you need to know how the rest of this will go."
Kali got a worried brow fixed up on her head. "What's gonna happen to you?"
Becky looked down at the grass, pink as the sunset neared. "I'm… probably going… to die," she mumbled. "It's the only way to send him overboard."
There was a silence for a moment, then Kali said softly, "We're not going to let that happen." She came right up to Becky. "He's not going to kill you." She turned around, and suddenly she was the one in the authoritative position. "Come on, everyone!" she said, sounded like she was gathering people in a mob to cheer on the team. "We've got to think of something!" She glared at everyone until the got a thinking look on their faces.
After a moment of deep thought, Kali allowed a small smile to spread across her face. Slowly, she looked straight at Becky and said, with a crafty grin compounded with mirth, "You know, Becky… you could say to him…" She walked right up to Becky and whispered in her ear. Slowly, Becky began to grin. She nodded, and as one, the group began to head back to the mansion, bathed in golden light as the sun set in anticipation of the next day's party.
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For the millionth time, Becky rifled through the presents, making sure everything necessary was there. Food was cooked, placed carefully on tables. The cake was covered in a thick pink icing, Debbie was ready to take the blame, and Becky had practiced what she was going to tell Tommy-boy. She still wasn't sure she could pull it off, but she had to try.
Finally! As everyone's synchronized watches began to beep as one, telling all present that it was nine o'clock, the group right outside the party room entered the redone plotting room. Pastel colors were everywhere, offset by little Care Bears. Perfect.
The Death Eaters were all scowling, various looks of disgust, fear, dislike, and hilarity were flashing everywhere across the walls. Coming though the door were four silly people with a mission. Becky was leading Kali, Cherry, and Debbie, and she carried the large box of presents, all wrapped with care. She strained slightly under the pressure, but she survived the hike to the Present Corner. Giving a nod to Debbie, the bubbly cousin of Tom Marvolo Riddle ran off to fetch the birthday boy.
After waiting a moment, there was a knock on the door, and Debbie came in, holding the door closed. "He's right outside," she hissed.
Becky nodded, and she turned to everyone else. In a loud voice, she cried out, "Now, the evil mastermind you've all been waiting for! Introducing a man who is not only incredibly handsome and brilliant, but can also sing!" She allowed a dramatic pause, then cried out, "Here he is… Lord Voldemort!" Quickly transforming a piece of lint by her foot into a trumpet, picking up a drum, and snagging the bag of rice, she allowed Debbie to let him in. As Becky rolled the drum across the floor, threw the bag of rice above his head so that it smashed against the wall behind him and showered him with rice, and playing an ugly trumpet blare, Lord Voldemort entered the room.
