Penny Devotree gets a rude awakening and ends up on an adventure with a magical trio |
[Introduction] Penny Devotree is asleep in her dorm when Harry Potter and the gang materialize in front of her! They need her help tracking down and destroying something called... hor-crutches? Hock-rushes? Horcruxes! Follow along as this mystified muggle tries to make sense of the wizarding world. Originally written by the "Witches of Ravenclaw" : Emily Schnujo's Doing NaNoWriMo? Elycia Lee ☮ Added to by the Slytherins: Andy~hating university MirandaCookies IS IN COLLEGE Write_Mikey_Write! ______________ Written for: "Invalid Item" Prompt: Imagine the following scenario: You are asleep in your dorm when Harry materializes in front of you. He and the team need your help to track down the Horcruxes. (NAGINI (SNAKE), GOBLET, DIARY, LOCKET, RING, DIADEM, AND PART OF VOLDEMORT'S SOUL.) The team members are required to write and creative campfire story about you adventures. You don't have to write about all of them. If your team chooses to concentrate on one or each teammate wants to write about a different one, that is up to you, but each part of the story must link with the previous part of the story. Extra points will be given for the smoothness of the handover. |
I was fast asleep in my dorm when I was startled awake by a great whooshing gust of wind. Bleary-eyed, I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and peered around the dark room. Three figures stood huddled together near my open window. I couldn’t make out their faces, but the tallest one leaned in to hiss in the ear of the figure in the middle, “Harry, what did you bring us here for?” “Ron, shh. She’s awake!” The other figure, a woman, shushed the one called Ron. “It’s okay, guys. We had to run from Grimmauld Place after the Death Eaters broke through the protective enchantments, but before we head into the woods, we need some supplies.” “But Harry, this is a… Muggle’s House!” Ron whispered in a strained voice. “Ya, you think I don’t know that?” Harry whispered back, sounding a bit annoyed. Then he turned to where I was still lying in my bed, trying to wipe the sleep from my eyes and wondering what sort of bad dream this was. “Erm… ’scuse me… ‘Pologies for waking ya, Miss. See, me an’ my friends here need your help.” “What for? And how did you get in my room?” “You’re a world-class outdoors-woman, ain’t ya? I’ve seen you in the papers.” Well, that was true. I was well-known throughout London for my exceptional skills in living off the land. I even broke the world record for fastest time to put up a tent! Now, fully awake, I sat up, “Yep, that’s me! Penny Devotree! What is it you need my help for, then?” “Do you have a tent?” I grabbed my “To-Go” bag and slung it over my shoulder. Then I grabbed my coat and looked back at the strange trio standing at the foot of my bed. “I’ve got everything you’ll need.” If this was a dream, I decided to play along and see what adventures my mind would concoct. It was late at night now. I had set up the tent and organized all my supplies. How we had gotten here, I had no clue. All I remember is Harry, Ron, and the woman whose name I learned was Hermione, grabbing my arms and telling me to close my eyes. Then I felt completely nauseous, but the next second we were squatting on the wet leaves in the middle of a forest. I tried not to think about it too much. I listened in on the trio talking in hushed voices about some sort of locket and how they would destroy it. Poor locket. What if it was special to someone? The locket my gran had given to me was certainly special. Anyway, they sounded so glum, and I wondered why. They kept saying a word that sounded like “hor-crutch,” whatever that means. Suddenly, Hermione stood up and exclaimed, “Oh my god… The Sword of Gryffindor. It’s goblin made. Imbued with Basilisk venom! It can destroy Horcruxes!” “Well, we have to find it then.” 498 words |
After Hermione talked about what seemed to be nothing short of vandalism, she, Harry, and Ron got into an argument and Ron stormed off. Apparently, he's not into vandalism. If this is a dream, I'm glad to know my subconscious still has morals. "Excuse me, but what's a 'hor-crutch' and why destroy them?" Harry and Hermione giggled, briefly breaking their solemn mood. Harry explained, "A 'Horcrux' is an object containing part of a dark wizard's soul making him immortal." "You're kidding." Either I have a better imagination than I realized or I've gone insane because this dream was crazy. "I wish I were," Harry said. "Let's head into town." "Right." I slung my backpack over my shoulders, snapping the chest strap in place--along with some of my finger's flesh. "OWIE!" I yelped! "OWW--Not a dream! Not a dream!" I got my flesh free. "What's that you're hollering about?" Hermione asked. I blushed. "Nothing." We set off toward the small town. We approached a graveyard and stopped. I looked around at the sleepy town, dozing on Christmas eve. "Do you think they're in there? My parents?" Harry looked deep into the cemetery. A cold awkwardness crawled over me. I hadn't known his parents had passed. He's so young. I wanted to say something, but my skills lay in the woods, not words. I'm silent. He entered and began searching. I don't even know his last name, so I just followed Hermione, keeping a watchful eye out for ghosts and goblins. While I wasn't sure if the former were real, apparently the latter were and this wasn't the place I'd first want to meet one. Harry found his parents and I stood at a distance, allowing him and Hermione to have some time. My eyes widened as Hermione used a stick, or I'd have to guess, a magic wand, to create a wreath on Harry's parents' grave. Impossible. My nerves tightened and I started to feel like prey. Having had this sense before, I looked around for the source--perhaps a bear or cougar. I noticed an old woman staring at us. For some reason, she gave me the creeps. Her cold stare and dead eyes penetrated me. Regretting that I had to interrupt, but too unnerved not to, I whispered loudly, "Harry. Hermione. There's someone watching us." "I know that woman." Harry's words don't give me the relief I would have hoped for. He and Hermione approached the bent, haggard woman and I wondered if she's a witch, given that goblins and wizards are real. "You're Bethilda Bagshot, aren't you?" Harry asked. She didn't respond, but turned to leave. Why were we following this crazy woman? Oh, because she's just weird. We're the crazy ones. When Harry said he knows her, I hoped he knows her well enough that she's not going to lead us to a gingerbread house and shove us into an oven. Hey, the way things are going, it could happen. 495 words |
“Harry!” Hermione was hesitant. I guess she shared the sentiment I have. Harry raised his hands to assure her then continued to follow Bathilda upstairs. “I’m staying here and I think you should too,” Hermione turned to me, biting her lips. She looked so nervous that I became scared myself. What on earth are we walking into? The bushy haired girl looked around the house. It was desolate, dusty. My OCD wasn’t helping. I had this sudden crazy urge to clean. I clenched my fist and took deep breaths. Don’t do it! Hermione combed through the place and began touching things. What is she looking for? I mimicked her, wanting to read her mind but couldn’t stand the texture of whatever stuff she touched - even that book - it was sticky. Rubbing my hands together to get rid of the stickiness, I looked up only to find Hermione gone. A feeling of dread gripped my heart and just as suddenly, Hermione reappeared, running towards me. “Harry!” she called. She looked frantic. I jumped behind a pillar, fearing for my safety. “Penny, take this. It’s the Cloak of Invisibility. It should keep you safe,” Hermione tossed something towards me. I caught it, felt the fabric and put it on as I couldn’t see it myself. Why didn't they give this to me earlier? The next thing I knew, Hermione jumped towards wherever Harry went and then backed away when a huge snake slithered out of the upstairs room Harry was in earlier. I heard sounds of things being tossed around - or was it a fight? I saw the snake being pulled back in then Harry leapt out of the broken door instead. Wait! I have just the thing in my pocket! As a champion outdoors-woman, I always came prepared for whatever dangers there could be in the woods, including snakes! A mixture of hot pepper, peppermint and lime will do the trick. Since I was invisible, I felt brave enough to go upstairs when the snake suddenly appeared out of nowhere, right in my face. I took out my spray and blinded the snake with my mixture. It did not hurt the snake at all but it was enough distraction for Harry to escape. Hermione tried reaching out for something lying on the floor. “Leave those black sticks alone!” I told her. “Those are wands, you fool!” Hermione bit her lips. Of course wizards have wands! But by doing so, she gave our positions away. The snake came the next second, launching itself towards us and before we knew it, we were flying in the sky, out of the window and… God knows, how on earth did we survive? When I could finally feel my heart again, we were lying on the ground and all I remembered seeing was the starless night sky. "One thing's for sure,” Hermione who laid between Harry and I said. “We'll have to look somewhere else for the Sword of Gryffindor." 498 words |
Wands, snakes, goblins, and flying through windows. The thoughts and images of the last few hours swirled around my brain. “Hermione, what’s that?” I pointed to a shimmering light in a thicket of trees. “I think it’s a Patronus.” Hermione grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him close to her. “Harry, over there!” Harry looked into the distance. “It’s definitely a Patronus, Hermione. It looks like a female deer.” “Well, I don’t see any Dementors. Why would someone cast a Patronus?” “They’re sometimes used for communication. Maybe someone is sending us a message?” Harry ran off in the direction of the Patronus. Hermione shook her head. “That boy will get himself killed one of these days.” “Hermione?” I asked. “What’s a Patronus and Dementor?” While still keeping an eye on the direction Harry in, Hermione said, “Penny, basically a Dementor is a negative force that drains happiness from a person, and a Patronus is a positive force that can protect someone from a Dementor”. They heard yelling and screaming from the thicket Harry had disappeared into. Hermione and Penny, the latter against her better judgement, ran towards the shouts. They emerged near a lake, just in time to see Ron break the surface holding a sword and charging at Harry, who was on both knees and turning a decided plum colour. Ron drove the sword into the locket around Harry’s neck. There was a blinding flash of light, and all four were knocked on their butts by a concussive force. Word count: 251 |
A scream, filled with a rage of a thousand people, sounded across the clearing before everything went silent once more. “What was that?” My groggy voice spilled out only to be met with silence. The locket that Ron stabbed lay beside Harry, the opening charred and smoking. It was rather beautiful for such something that makes such a terrifying sound. Whatever reason they had for stabbing it better mean it was safe now. I don’t fancy dying in a world with glowing sticks and hellish monsters. “We killed it. Tom’s soul,” Harry replied. He sounded tired. “Er… great? That’s good, right?” There were so many things about this that didn’t make any sense. Why would they want to destroy a locket? It must have had some terrible curse on it or something. Yeah, maybe that’s why. “It’s great. Now all we need is to find the last two remaining horcruxes,” The red haired woman spoke. Her voice sounded warm this time. It was as if hope had finally lit inside of her again. “But first, sleep.” Ron mumbled and staggered back to the tent. The sword that he held had black residue around the blade now. It looked a little like tar. But swirled inside the black mass were a few red droplets. Ron’s blood, possibly. The way he was walking definitely was not from leg pain. Maybe tomorrow will be easier. Word count: 232 |
"Tomorrow" - yesterday, now - wasn't any easier. In some ways it was much worse, or so I'm told; I don't remember all of it. Hermione says she used a forgetfulness spell on me. "Some of the things you saw shouldn't be seen by anyone not specially trained in magic. You'd very likely have had the most frightful nightmares for the rest of your life," she'd assured me. I suppose I believed her. Some of the things I do do remember are more fantastic than I can find the words to describe. After killing that horrible snake, there'd been a pitched battle in that same castle; their school, I guess. Some of their classmates - Slitherings, I believe they're called - attacked Harry, Ron and Hermione in some Now-you-see-it-now-you-don't kind of room, and even unleased a massive fire. My new friends escaped the blaze, and even rescued two of their attackers. The third boy, though, the one who'd cast the spell, actually, got trapped and didn't make it out. The only good to come of the whole affair, was that the Horcrux thing they'd been looking for got destroyed in the fire. Things get pretty fuzzy after that. "I suppose you know best, Hermione, but please tell me what happened after the fire." Remembered pain along the path to final victory clearly showed in the gentle, brown eyes. She sighed, settled herself a little more on her bed, then spoke. "Harry turned out to be the last Horcrux, although not a true one. When Voldemort killed his parents and tried to kill Harry, a piece of his soul got attached to Harry. So as long as Harry lived, Voldemort couldn't die. Harry agreed to meet Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest, knowing that it would be possible for Voldemort to be killed, if the last piece of Voldemort's soul died along with Harry. It worked, too." "It worked?" I blurted out. "How can it have worked? I saw Harry just this morning!" "Yes, well, Harry had the Resurrection Stone with him, when he faced Voldemort in the Forest; it revived him. They brought his 'body' back to Hogwarts, so Voldemort could crow about having killed him. The battle resumed and Harry revealed himself." A fierce smile lit her face now. "Harry and Voldemort dueled, spells going back and forth, until Voldemort unleashed a Killing Spell at Harry. It backfired, though, and Voldemort was finally killed. It seems that the wand Voldemort was using was an Elder Wand. They won't harm their true master, and Voldemort thought it was his; as it turned out, Harry was its rightful master." "So what happens now?" "With Voldemort dead, the Death Eaters - the wizards who followed him or were allied with him - will likely be rounded up and taken to Azkaban, a most horrible prison. The wizard world should be pretty peaceful from now on; I hope so, anyway." "What about us, uhh, regular people?" "Muggles? Oh, I expect you'll have a lot less interaction with wizards than has been true of late. I mean, there shouldn't be hordes of Dementors roaming about or anything like that. We'll see. Anyway," she concluded, "it's high time you were home. Be warned: I'll have to put a spell on your parents, or you'll have the most awful time trying not to answer their questions about where you've been these past few days!" The girls joined hands, there was a subtle pop!, and the room was empty. Word count: 578 |