prompt for January 17th - Harry Potter/Sneakers
Prompt for January 17:
Write about a person whose reputation rests on the appearance of an inanimate object.
(Well, more existence than reputation, the way I took it. But.)
The Muggles don't show any sign that they might go away before they get some answers. If they weren't in such an isolated spot, Hermione would be tempted to wipe their memories and have done with it - but aside from the location, they're Americans. She's read enough to know that Americans are rather touchy about memory charms.
She doesn't see why, as they can have their practical uses, but she didn't make the laws.
So she sighs, and recasts the protection spells with the Muggles inside; Harry and Ron start setting up the tent again, leaving her to deal with the company.
"How did you find us, anyway?"
"Radio signal," the man holding the metal box says. "We've had a tracking device in that Bag of Holding of yours for over a month. The signal carries through spells, and you guys wouldn't have figured out what to do with the tracker if you found it, from the looks of things."
"You can't expect me to believe you just carry tracking devices around for no reason."
"Why not?"
"Because - oh, never mind. Anyway, one of our spells is supposed to keep Muggles from finding us in the first place."
"Well, we didn't see you," the youngest of the group says, "but a whole lot of nothing that manages to short out our equipment isn't exactly subtle."
"Besides," the man with the white cane adds, "something that keeps you invisible isn't all that effective on people who aren't expecting to see anything at all."
Hermione eyes him for a moment, mostly for her own benefit. "The protection spells also keep any noise we make from getting out."
"I didn't hear you, I heard your spells - the minute we got into this clearing. Granted, it's a low enough pitch that most people would miss it, but if anyone walks into that vibration, you might as well be shouting from the mountaintops."
Hermione sighs again; it probably wouldn't do much good to point out how unlikely it is that someone would look for them by waiting to walk into protection spells. Besides, a backward glance tells her Ron and Harry have the tent set up again.
"We might as well move to the tent. Everyone's going to want to hear the rest of this, I'd imagine."
She leads the way into the tent, barely registering the Muggles' astonishment at its interior. Ron and Harry are already sprawled out on two of the chairs in the main room, arguing over whose turn it is to wear the locket. Hermione shuts them up so everyone can go through introductions; after that's done, she asks the Muggles a question that's been on her mind since just after she recast the protection spells.
"You said you've been tracking us for over a month, which probably means the Ministry. How did you get there to find us?"
"The Ministry hired us," the man with the box - why he calls himself 'Mother' she has no idea - says. "They wanted their security tested, and boy did they need it. Anyway, Whistler heard you guys before you really got going, and we'd wanted to get the whole story since the job offer came in, so we figured we'd get a tracker on you and find it out after the fact."
Harry, who'd tensed up at 'the Ministry hired us,' relaxes, but only a little. "How do we know you won't take the information right back to them, though?"
"Our asses are on the line as much as yours are," Carl points out. "More so, actually, since you guys can at least defend yourselves against what the oh-so-charming people in power would attack with. And if this guy gets a toehold here, there's not a lot to stop him from moving on to the rest of the world. We'd really rather not be dead."
"But Vol--"
"Please, don't bring him up by name," Ron says, looking rather nervous. "This... isn't the time. Not when everything's picked up again."
Carl shrugs. "Let's call him Darth Vader, then. He practically is anyway."
Hermione's not sure what he's getting at - and as far as she can judge from facial expressions, neither are Ron and Harry.
"Has a nice ring to it," Ron finally says, and Carl sighs.
"If you kids didn't even pick that up, we may all be doomed."
"What, really? Is it something we should know?"
"Only if you've watched any movies at all in the last twenty years..."
"Oh, there's the problem, then. It's a Muggle thing."
Hermione nods. "I didn't watch many movies before I got to Hogwarts, and I certainly haven't had the time to start since then. And Harry... well, his family's not terribly encouraging."
"Of me, anyway," Harry says. "Dudley's probably seen it, whatever it is. Especially if it has explosions."
"If it has--Jesus." Carl sighs again, and walks away from the main knot of people. Hermione isn't sure what just happened, but he's clearly upset by it.
The dark-skinned man watches Carl for a few moments, looking somewhat concerned, then says, "I think it'll be best for everyone if the three of you explain your side of things. Now."
Write about a person whose reputation rests on the appearance of an inanimate object.
(Well, more existence than reputation, the way I took it. But.)
The Muggles don't show any sign that they might go away before they get some answers. If they weren't in such an isolated spot, Hermione would be tempted to wipe their memories and have done with it - but aside from the location, they're Americans. She's read enough to know that Americans are rather touchy about memory charms.
She doesn't see why, as they can have their practical uses, but she didn't make the laws.
So she sighs, and recasts the protection spells with the Muggles inside; Harry and Ron start setting up the tent again, leaving her to deal with the company.
"How did you find us, anyway?"
"Radio signal," the man holding the metal box says. "We've had a tracking device in that Bag of Holding of yours for over a month. The signal carries through spells, and you guys wouldn't have figured out what to do with the tracker if you found it, from the looks of things."
"You can't expect me to believe you just carry tracking devices around for no reason."
"Why not?"
"Because - oh, never mind. Anyway, one of our spells is supposed to keep Muggles from finding us in the first place."
"Well, we didn't see you," the youngest of the group says, "but a whole lot of nothing that manages to short out our equipment isn't exactly subtle."
"Besides," the man with the white cane adds, "something that keeps you invisible isn't all that effective on people who aren't expecting to see anything at all."
Hermione eyes him for a moment, mostly for her own benefit. "The protection spells also keep any noise we make from getting out."
"I didn't hear you, I heard your spells - the minute we got into this clearing. Granted, it's a low enough pitch that most people would miss it, but if anyone walks into that vibration, you might as well be shouting from the mountaintops."
Hermione sighs again; it probably wouldn't do much good to point out how unlikely it is that someone would look for them by waiting to walk into protection spells. Besides, a backward glance tells her Ron and Harry have the tent set up again.
"We might as well move to the tent. Everyone's going to want to hear the rest of this, I'd imagine."
She leads the way into the tent, barely registering the Muggles' astonishment at its interior. Ron and Harry are already sprawled out on two of the chairs in the main room, arguing over whose turn it is to wear the locket. Hermione shuts them up so everyone can go through introductions; after that's done, she asks the Muggles a question that's been on her mind since just after she recast the protection spells.
"You said you've been tracking us for over a month, which probably means the Ministry. How did you get there to find us?"
"The Ministry hired us," the man with the box - why he calls himself 'Mother' she has no idea - says. "They wanted their security tested, and boy did they need it. Anyway, Whistler heard you guys before you really got going, and we'd wanted to get the whole story since the job offer came in, so we figured we'd get a tracker on you and find it out after the fact."
Harry, who'd tensed up at 'the Ministry hired us,' relaxes, but only a little. "How do we know you won't take the information right back to them, though?"
"Our asses are on the line as much as yours are," Carl points out. "More so, actually, since you guys can at least defend yourselves against what the oh-so-charming people in power would attack with. And if this guy gets a toehold here, there's not a lot to stop him from moving on to the rest of the world. We'd really rather not be dead."
"But Vol--"
"Please, don't bring him up by name," Ron says, looking rather nervous. "This... isn't the time. Not when everything's picked up again."
Carl shrugs. "Let's call him Darth Vader, then. He practically is anyway."
Hermione's not sure what he's getting at - and as far as she can judge from facial expressions, neither are Ron and Harry.
"Has a nice ring to it," Ron finally says, and Carl sighs.
"If you kids didn't even pick that up, we may all be doomed."
"What, really? Is it something we should know?"
"Only if you've watched any movies at all in the last twenty years..."
"Oh, there's the problem, then. It's a Muggle thing."
Hermione nods. "I didn't watch many movies before I got to Hogwarts, and I certainly haven't had the time to start since then. And Harry... well, his family's not terribly encouraging."
"Of me, anyway," Harry says. "Dudley's probably seen it, whatever it is. Especially if it has explosions."
"If it has--Jesus." Carl sighs again, and walks away from the main knot of people. Hermione isn't sure what just happened, but he's clearly upset by it.
The dark-skinned man watches Carl for a few moments, looking somewhat concerned, then says, "I think it'll be best for everyone if the three of you explain your side of things. Now."