Old Hate
Title: Old Hate
Genre: General
Characters: Nearly Headless Nick, The Fat Friar, The Grey Lady, The Bloody Baron
Rating: GP
Word Count: 872 words
Summary: The Hogwarts Ghosts want Peeves out. The final decision, however, belongs to the Baron.
Author's Notes: Written for Prompt #17 (Overturn) on my prompt table from 100quills
“I want him gone! Gone!” Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington screamed, gesticulating angrily. He waved his translucent arms around. The Fat Friar made soothing noises as he tried to clam Nick down.
“He is a disgrace to the school,” Helena Ravenclaw came closer to the circle of congregating ghosts. “He is an outrage, an abomination, an atrocity, a useless poltergeist with no qualities that would make him an asset to Hogwarts.”
“Please, please,” the Fat Friar began, stretching his arms out. “He just needs guidance. Peeves is troubled. If we give him another chance, I am certain he can change…”
“Another chance? Another chance!” Nick yelled. “How many chances must we give that self-absorbed flibbertigibbet before you see that he will never change? I say we vote on it and evict him!”
Many ghosts in the congregation cheered. The Friar began to look troubled. Helena silenced them with a simple hand gesture. She approached the Friar until they were face to face.
“Friar, you are perhaps the only ghost in the entire school that still thinks Peeves can change,” Helena’s voice was in her usual sharp, haughty brogue. She smoothed her fingers gently over her left sleeve before turning her attention back to him. She gave the Friar a cold look. “Peeves will not change. If he does not change for Dumbledore, he will certainly not change for you. The students want Peeves evicted. The teachers want the same. His fellow ghosts want him to leave. No one can stand him. The only logical choice is for him to depart from Hogwarts.”
The Fat Friar looked uncomfortable. Nicholas was loud but he could easily be placated with soothing words. Helena was different. She was cold and uncaring. Nothing pleased her and nothing met her standards. Peeves was certainly near the bottom of the barrel.
“What’s going on in here, then?” a deep, menacing voice came from the far wall. The Baron floated in, looking as intimidating as always. The ghosts fell silent for a moment as he approached them. He did not offer an apology for being late; he never did.
“Baron, we want Peeves out of the castle!” Nick put forth. His tone was forceful but he did not shout. The Baron had a dampening effect on anyone around him. He was terrifying, to say the least.
“Is that so?”
“But Baron,” the Friar came forward. “Peeves needs another chance to prove that he can be a good person.”
The Baron glided around the room, looking pensive. Finally, he turned to Helena. “What say you, my dear? Do you also want Peeves out?”
Helena turned away, her chin in the air. The Baron narrowed his eyes at her. “Well, if my darling Helena does not wish it, then I cannot send Peeves away. It is her opinions that matter the most to me, you see.”
If Nick was capable of turning red, he would have done so that very instant. “But Baron! Helena wants Peeves out of the castle too!” he burst out. “She was saying so just before you came in!”
“Is this true, Helena?” the Baron teased.
Helena straightened her back and stepped away from the Baron. She addressed the ghosts assembled in the empty classroom. “We have clearly seen the majority want Peeves to leave the castle. Therefore, he must be told that he must depart immediately.”
“But who will tell him?” a ghost in the corner asked.
“Well, he only listens to the Baron,” Nick suggested, looking at the Baron.
“Helena, do you really want Peeves to leave?”
Helena had not spoken to the Baron since the last day she had breath. She hated him and his gall. He had brutally murdered her and he dare call her his darling? No, Peeves was not worth it.
“It is the decision of the group, my dear Baron,” Nick pushed.
The Baron did not move. He continued to watch Helena, as if there was no one else in the room. Helena made a decision. Since she couldn’t get rid of the Baron yet, at least she could get rid of another disturbance.
Helena turned her head slowly and gave the faintest nod. The Baron grinned. “It may be the majority’s decision but ultimately, Peeves only listens to me and dear old Dumbledore. Seeing as this is the case, it is my decision whether he stays or he goes.”
The Baron paced around the room and continued, “And as my dear Helena wants him out, I have no choice but to overturn the community decision and let Peeves stay.”
Nick’s mouth dropped open and he let out a string of pleas. But the Baron would not listen. He grinned and inclined his head in farewell to the fair Helena before passing through a wall. Nick followed him, still pleading with him to see reason. Helena clenched her ghostly fists.
The rest of the ghosts began filtering through the walls, leaving Helena behind with the Friar. He approached her slowly. “My child…”
“I am not your child!” she snapped, before turning around and leaving as well. The Baron may have bested her for now, but their lot was long. She had infinity to get back at him. And by Maeve, she would.
Genre: General
Characters: Nearly Headless Nick, The Fat Friar, The Grey Lady, The Bloody Baron
Rating: GP
Word Count: 872 words
Summary: The Hogwarts Ghosts want Peeves out. The final decision, however, belongs to the Baron.
Author's Notes: Written for Prompt #17 (Overturn) on my prompt table from 100quills
“I want him gone! Gone!” Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington screamed, gesticulating angrily. He waved his translucent arms around. The Fat Friar made soothing noises as he tried to clam Nick down.
“He is a disgrace to the school,” Helena Ravenclaw came closer to the circle of congregating ghosts. “He is an outrage, an abomination, an atrocity, a useless poltergeist with no qualities that would make him an asset to Hogwarts.”
“Please, please,” the Fat Friar began, stretching his arms out. “He just needs guidance. Peeves is troubled. If we give him another chance, I am certain he can change…”
“Another chance? Another chance!” Nick yelled. “How many chances must we give that self-absorbed flibbertigibbet before you see that he will never change? I say we vote on it and evict him!”
Many ghosts in the congregation cheered. The Friar began to look troubled. Helena silenced them with a simple hand gesture. She approached the Friar until they were face to face.
“Friar, you are perhaps the only ghost in the entire school that still thinks Peeves can change,” Helena’s voice was in her usual sharp, haughty brogue. She smoothed her fingers gently over her left sleeve before turning her attention back to him. She gave the Friar a cold look. “Peeves will not change. If he does not change for Dumbledore, he will certainly not change for you. The students want Peeves evicted. The teachers want the same. His fellow ghosts want him to leave. No one can stand him. The only logical choice is for him to depart from Hogwarts.”
The Fat Friar looked uncomfortable. Nicholas was loud but he could easily be placated with soothing words. Helena was different. She was cold and uncaring. Nothing pleased her and nothing met her standards. Peeves was certainly near the bottom of the barrel.
“What’s going on in here, then?” a deep, menacing voice came from the far wall. The Baron floated in, looking as intimidating as always. The ghosts fell silent for a moment as he approached them. He did not offer an apology for being late; he never did.
“Baron, we want Peeves out of the castle!” Nick put forth. His tone was forceful but he did not shout. The Baron had a dampening effect on anyone around him. He was terrifying, to say the least.
“Is that so?”
“But Baron,” the Friar came forward. “Peeves needs another chance to prove that he can be a good person.”
The Baron glided around the room, looking pensive. Finally, he turned to Helena. “What say you, my dear? Do you also want Peeves out?”
Helena turned away, her chin in the air. The Baron narrowed his eyes at her. “Well, if my darling Helena does not wish it, then I cannot send Peeves away. It is her opinions that matter the most to me, you see.”
If Nick was capable of turning red, he would have done so that very instant. “But Baron! Helena wants Peeves out of the castle too!” he burst out. “She was saying so just before you came in!”
“Is this true, Helena?” the Baron teased.
Helena straightened her back and stepped away from the Baron. She addressed the ghosts assembled in the empty classroom. “We have clearly seen the majority want Peeves to leave the castle. Therefore, he must be told that he must depart immediately.”
“But who will tell him?” a ghost in the corner asked.
“Well, he only listens to the Baron,” Nick suggested, looking at the Baron.
“Helena, do you really want Peeves to leave?”
Helena had not spoken to the Baron since the last day she had breath. She hated him and his gall. He had brutally murdered her and he dare call her his darling? No, Peeves was not worth it.
“It is the decision of the group, my dear Baron,” Nick pushed.
The Baron did not move. He continued to watch Helena, as if there was no one else in the room. Helena made a decision. Since she couldn’t get rid of the Baron yet, at least she could get rid of another disturbance.
Helena turned her head slowly and gave the faintest nod. The Baron grinned. “It may be the majority’s decision but ultimately, Peeves only listens to me and dear old Dumbledore. Seeing as this is the case, it is my decision whether he stays or he goes.”
The Baron paced around the room and continued, “And as my dear Helena wants him out, I have no choice but to overturn the community decision and let Peeves stay.”
Nick’s mouth dropped open and he let out a string of pleas. But the Baron would not listen. He grinned and inclined his head in farewell to the fair Helena before passing through a wall. Nick followed him, still pleading with him to see reason. Helena clenched her ghostly fists.
The rest of the ghosts began filtering through the walls, leaving Helena behind with the Friar. He approached her slowly. “My child…”
“I am not your child!” she snapped, before turning around and leaving as well. The Baron may have bested her for now, but their lot was long. She had infinity to get back at him. And by Maeve, she would.