Moving On
Submitted this for the firebolt_elite Quidditch finals, and it was first place for the bludger (writing section)! My team took fourth place overall, and those nasty Slytherins won the Cup. ;-)
The prompt: If the Muggles knew about wizards, how would life be different? You task is to write a 500-1000 word fan fiction based on this premise. This fiction must take place sometime during Harry Potter's lifetime after the end of Deathly Hallows (not including the epilogue). The fiction does not have to focus on Harry, but it can if you want it to.
Title: Moving On
Word Count: 925
Rating: G
“Now, I know you said you weren’t sure about living in a Wizarding neighborhood, but this is such a charming little house, I just had to show it to you. In your price range, too - a cozy little fixer-upper!”
The perky young woman kept chirping along as the wary couple followed her up the drive to the odd house. At first glance, it seemed a pretty little cottage - until you noticed that there were strange additions sticking out from odd places on the house, added haphazardly with no rhyme or reason. The woman huddled closer to her husband, trying to avoid the creeping plants and their waving tendrils as they walked through an overrun garden.
“You’ll have famous neighbors if you decide to buy this place - the Diggorys live nearby, the Weasley family lives just over the hill, and Luna Lovegood’s childhood home isn’t too far away, either.”
The real estate agent smiled brightly as they paused at the front door. The woman spoke up hesitantly. “Now, the Weasleys … that’s Ron Weasley, right? Isn’t he the one that helped Harry Potter out with all those horcrosses, or whatever they’re called?”
The real estate agent smiled again. ““Yes, that’s right - I know it’s hard to keep straight. You know, the real estate market just boomed after the Wizarding World was revealed - all sorts of places we never knew existed just appeared out of nowhere! Apparently there were charms to keep us nonmagic folk away, and they didn’t see the point after we knew. And there were tons of people who wanted to sell after they found out they had Wizards next door.”
“Yes, we looked at a couple of the communities that didn’t allow Wizards at first, but we didn’t really want to raise our future children in that sort of environment. I mean, we’re trying to be tolerant …”
The man’s words were cut off as a loud crack sounded from the end of the driveway. An older couple, both with fiery red hair, smiled and waved. The red-headed man broke away from the woman and bounded up the drive, his hand held out toward the couple, who took a step back.
“We heard there would be a Muggle couple looking at the place today, and we thought we’d drop by and see if you had any questions about the neighborhood.” His wife had caught up to him and elbowed him in the ribs.
“Arthur, you know we don’t use the word ‘Muggle’ anymore! It’s not polite!” she hissed. She turned to the confused couple and smiled. “I must apologize for my husband. He gets excited to meet nonmagic folk such as yourselves. I’m Molly Weasley, and this is my husband, Arthur. We live just over the hill, behind the orchard.”
The woman stepped forward hesitantly and shook Molly and Arthur’s hands. “I’m Lena, and this is my husband, Richard. You must be … Wizards, then? Are you related to Ron Weasley, by any chance?”
Molly beamed. “He’s my youngest son! He doesn’t live with us anymore, of course, what with the kids and all, but Hermione and he are always visiting. If you move in, you’ll have to come over for dinner and meet them - well, the whole family, really.”
Arthur was bouncing on the balls of his feet, and he broke in, unable to contain himself any longer. “Do you have a grass eater?” The couple looked confused, and Arthur tried again. “You know, the thing you push and it eats your grass?”
The man suddenly smiled. “You mean a lawnmower. Yes, why do you ask?” Arthur beamed. “I’ve got a charm I’ve been wanting to try out on one of those, ever since I saw one in town the other day.”
The real estate agent cut in, apparently nervous about her clients’ overwhelmed looks. “Well, we still have to see inside the house -- ”
Molly clasped her hands together in excitement. “Oh, I just know you’ll love it! The Lovetts used to live here - they’re selling the house so they can take an around-the-world broomtrip, now that the restrictions are lifted on where you can fly. It’s wonderful inside - they’ve made so many improvements over the years!”
“Improvements? What sort of improvements?” Richard looked interested for the first time.
“Well, let’s see if I remember. I know at one point they had put in an Everlasting Everclean charm on the floors and walls - such a wonderful thing, keeps you from having to spell them clean. And Mrs. Lovett was always going on about her Magic Meat Pie Maker - she claimed it made the best pies here or in London. I believe she said she was going to leave it for the next owners, being as it could be used by Wizards or nonmagic folk alike.”
Lena smiled for the first time, and she looked up at her husband with beseeching eyes.
Arthur, who had been thinking, his finger against his lips, suddenly pointed at the couple. “You’ll love this. There’s a charm that’s still on the house to keep unwanted guests away. They just had it refreshed last year, so it’ll be good for another few years at least. And we’d be happy to help you keep it up if you’d like.”
Richard looked thoughtful. “Unwanted guests, huh?” He looked down at Lena. “Does this include … uh … relatives, too? Like, in-laws?”
Arthur smiled knowingly. “Of course it does!”
Richard looked over at the real estate agent, who was at a loss for words, and smiled.
“We’ll take it.”
The prompt: If the Muggles knew about wizards, how would life be different? You task is to write a 500-1000 word fan fiction based on this premise. This fiction must take place sometime during Harry Potter's lifetime after the end of Deathly Hallows (not including the epilogue). The fiction does not have to focus on Harry, but it can if you want it to.
Title: Moving On
Word Count: 925
Rating: G
“Now, I know you said you weren’t sure about living in a Wizarding neighborhood, but this is such a charming little house, I just had to show it to you. In your price range, too - a cozy little fixer-upper!”
The perky young woman kept chirping along as the wary couple followed her up the drive to the odd house. At first glance, it seemed a pretty little cottage - until you noticed that there were strange additions sticking out from odd places on the house, added haphazardly with no rhyme or reason. The woman huddled closer to her husband, trying to avoid the creeping plants and their waving tendrils as they walked through an overrun garden.
“You’ll have famous neighbors if you decide to buy this place - the Diggorys live nearby, the Weasley family lives just over the hill, and Luna Lovegood’s childhood home isn’t too far away, either.”
The real estate agent smiled brightly as they paused at the front door. The woman spoke up hesitantly. “Now, the Weasleys … that’s Ron Weasley, right? Isn’t he the one that helped Harry Potter out with all those horcrosses, or whatever they’re called?”
The real estate agent smiled again. ““Yes, that’s right - I know it’s hard to keep straight. You know, the real estate market just boomed after the Wizarding World was revealed - all sorts of places we never knew existed just appeared out of nowhere! Apparently there were charms to keep us nonmagic folk away, and they didn’t see the point after we knew. And there were tons of people who wanted to sell after they found out they had Wizards next door.”
“Yes, we looked at a couple of the communities that didn’t allow Wizards at first, but we didn’t really want to raise our future children in that sort of environment. I mean, we’re trying to be tolerant …”
The man’s words were cut off as a loud crack sounded from the end of the driveway. An older couple, both with fiery red hair, smiled and waved. The red-headed man broke away from the woman and bounded up the drive, his hand held out toward the couple, who took a step back.
“We heard there would be a Muggle couple looking at the place today, and we thought we’d drop by and see if you had any questions about the neighborhood.” His wife had caught up to him and elbowed him in the ribs.
“Arthur, you know we don’t use the word ‘Muggle’ anymore! It’s not polite!” she hissed. She turned to the confused couple and smiled. “I must apologize for my husband. He gets excited to meet nonmagic folk such as yourselves. I’m Molly Weasley, and this is my husband, Arthur. We live just over the hill, behind the orchard.”
The woman stepped forward hesitantly and shook Molly and Arthur’s hands. “I’m Lena, and this is my husband, Richard. You must be … Wizards, then? Are you related to Ron Weasley, by any chance?”
Molly beamed. “He’s my youngest son! He doesn’t live with us anymore, of course, what with the kids and all, but Hermione and he are always visiting. If you move in, you’ll have to come over for dinner and meet them - well, the whole family, really.”
Arthur was bouncing on the balls of his feet, and he broke in, unable to contain himself any longer. “Do you have a grass eater?” The couple looked confused, and Arthur tried again. “You know, the thing you push and it eats your grass?”
The man suddenly smiled. “You mean a lawnmower. Yes, why do you ask?” Arthur beamed. “I’ve got a charm I’ve been wanting to try out on one of those, ever since I saw one in town the other day.”
The real estate agent cut in, apparently nervous about her clients’ overwhelmed looks. “Well, we still have to see inside the house -- ”
Molly clasped her hands together in excitement. “Oh, I just know you’ll love it! The Lovetts used to live here - they’re selling the house so they can take an around-the-world broomtrip, now that the restrictions are lifted on where you can fly. It’s wonderful inside - they’ve made so many improvements over the years!”
“Improvements? What sort of improvements?” Richard looked interested for the first time.
“Well, let’s see if I remember. I know at one point they had put in an Everlasting Everclean charm on the floors and walls - such a wonderful thing, keeps you from having to spell them clean. And Mrs. Lovett was always going on about her Magic Meat Pie Maker - she claimed it made the best pies here or in London. I believe she said she was going to leave it for the next owners, being as it could be used by Wizards or nonmagic folk alike.”
Lena smiled for the first time, and she looked up at her husband with beseeching eyes.
Arthur, who had been thinking, his finger against his lips, suddenly pointed at the couple. “You’ll love this. There’s a charm that’s still on the house to keep unwanted guests away. They just had it refreshed last year, so it’ll be good for another few years at least. And we’d be happy to help you keep it up if you’d like.”
Richard looked thoughtful. “Unwanted guests, huh?” He looked down at Lena. “Does this include … uh … relatives, too? Like, in-laws?”
Arthur smiled knowingly. “Of course it does!”
Richard looked over at the real estate agent, who was at a loss for words, and smiled.
“We’ll take it.”