A/N:
This is written for reminiscent-afterthought's 'So you think you know your character?' competition. The competition consists of 11 questions about a character of the writers choice. I chose Mundungus Fletcher, and all 11 questions will be answered in the chapters of this fic. Though aspects of his personality are slightly different to fit into the AU of my story 'Harry Potter: Scourge of Knockturn Alley,' most of the base character is the same, so I would imagine that these short stories can be read with or without reading that first.
Question 4: How did you feel when you first saw Hogwarts and how did that change?
This question had an alternative to talk about your character's home environment, but I decided I would prefer to write a bit about Mundungus' experience at Hogwarts, since that's had a lot of bearing on the character and life-story I have for him.
"Daddy, what's Hogwarts like?"
Harry was bored of looking at his comics, he wanted to talk to Daddy now.
"Not now Harry, Daddy has to work."
A narrow escape.
oOoOo
"Daddy, will you tell me about Hogwarts?"
"Not now son, it's past your bed-time."
"But I don't have a bed-time Daddy."
"You do now you little rascal so scoot."
Cue tantrum. Distraction successful.
oOoOoOo
"Daddy, pleeeeease tell me 'bout Hogwarts."
Oh Merlin. Not the puppy dog eyes. They were just too hard to resist.
"Not now Harry it's... erm... bedtime."
"No it isn't it's lunchtime, so pretty please Daddy please?"
Damn. Damn cute little kid.
"Fine. Come on then."
Harry grinned his shining grin and climbed up onto his Daddy's lap.
Where to start? And where to end? He didn't want to ruin Hogwarts for his boy. Didn't want to tell him that after the beauty of the first sighting, the more magic you learnt, the more magic would fade from the wonders around you.
To say Mundungus was not well off would be a vast understatement - of all the children starting in his year at Hogwarts, he likely knew the best what it was to be starving, and still not know where your next meal would come from. He lived with his mum in a single dirty room in a narrow dirty house, in a long terrace of other narrow and dirty houses.
There was no doubt that every student in the boats was awed by the sight of Hogwarts blazing front of them, even Malfoy with his shiny boots that cost more than 6 months of rent for Mundungus and his mum had never seen something to compare. But for Malfoy it was just a step up from his own beautiful manor. For Mundungus, it was like another world.
Another world with all the same prejudices as the one he thought he had left behind. Mundungus' second hand everything and questionable background meant he was not popular in Slytherin and, disheartened by the unfriendliness of his housemates he rapidly slid down the academic scale with no-one taking notice long enough to save him.
Hogwarts was wonderful. It was an incredible place full of beauty and magic and opportunity, but only if you were one of the lucky ones.
How did you explain that to a five year old?
A/N:
Rather than telling Harry the things that just went through his head, Mundungus instead tells him little anecdotes, some true, some embellished or entirely made up. They're generally pretty cheerful in tone, but as Harry gets older he works in a bit more of real life, just so Harry will be prepared. However given that Harry will be famous, Mundungus doubts he'll have any of the same problems, and is trying hard not to feel bitter about that.
Thanks for reading!