The Weekly Drabble - Changes - Results Posted!

[Magical Maeve]

Well, we've had a few of these recently, so how about we use all those feelings about change and create a drabble based around it.

This must contain one canon character dealing with a permanent change to their daily lives. It can be large or small, but let's get inventive with the changes. And it cannot be the death of someone.

This can be any canon character at any time. The most important thing is that you deal with their emotional response (or lack of it) to the change they have to cope with.


And the rules...

Drabbles must be between 100 and 499 words.

All MNFF's normal standards apply, including grammar,
spelling and formatting. Points may be deducted for
badly presented drabbles.

You can earn 5 points for your house for entering no
matter how many drabbles you post. The winner will be
awarded an additional 20 house points, second place 15
and third 10.

Challenge will be extended to accomodate those coming late to their houses.

Now closes on the 26th May.


Use this form...

Author Name:
House: [you must enter this or you will not gain points]

Title:
Word length:
Warnings:


If you have any questions, please ask them in the "The
Question Corner" thread, NOT this one. This is for the
drabbles only.

[HermyRox12]

Author Name: HermyRox12
House: Ravenclaw
Title: The Only One Left
Word length: 383
Warnings: None

“You did what?” screamed Ginny. It was summer at the Burrow. Nobody in the household was having a pleasant day. Ginny was having the most trouble.

“Who cares? I quit school, joined the Chudley Cannons, and started a new life. Who knows how my life would be ruined if I didn’t? Don’t you guys realize? My life would be a total waste if I followed in the rest of your footsteps. I want to be different sometime in my life! Why can’t you understand that?” Ron stormed off to his room.

Ginny sat down by the kitchen table. Her head was in her hands, and she was crying. Why was she the only one trying to help Mum and Dad? Bill goes off and works at Gringotts. Couldn’t he just stay here and work locally, while also helping out at home? And Charlie, going off in Romania working with Dragons. Everyday, Mom and Dad worry about him surviving the day. Percy, he just runs off and leaves us for the ministry. Fred and George quit school and work in Diagon Alley, working in a joke shop. At least they stayed somewhat local. And now Ron, their last son, running off, doing something that he is no good at. Quitting school for a career that will never last. Now Ginny. She was the only one left to stay home with them and help out.

This was tearing Ginny up inside. She loved her family, but there was no family left to love her back. This change would never go away. The change of family could never go back t normal. If they did return, which is very unlikely, they would still have the memories. The ones of pain, hut, and grief.

Ginny wouldn’t leave them. She would stay and help them. Maybe even live next door if she had to. Her husband would support the family while she helped at the Burrow. At least she would stay faithful to them.

She now had an extra responsibility. This change of family would never heal. She would write about it, but not let her parents know how it was troubling her. They had enough on their hands, and didn’t need to know about Ginny’s little troubles. She would have to face this one on her own.

[nenya]

Author Name: nenya
House: Gryffindor

Title: New Family
Word length: 373
Warnings: None

He had never thought this would happen so soon, it seemed like it was only yesterday that Lily had told him she was having a baby. James Potter paced the corridor of the hospital, his hands dug deep in his pockets. A baby was going to change everything. He, James Potter, prankster and Marauder was going to be a father. He could not help but feel excited but nervous at the same time.

James smiled to himself, as he recalled the day Lily had told him she was having a baby. She had been acting strangely for days, and James had begun to wonder if she was planning to leave him. The days had grown dark, and he had been doing at lot of work for the Order of the Phoenix. Therefore, he had been overjoyed when she told him they were having a baby. He immediately started doing less work for the Order, so that he could look after his pregnant wife.

That had been eight months ago, and two hours ago Lily had started her contractions. He had brought her to the hospital, she had insisted of going to a near-by Muggle hospital to have the baby, and now he knew his child was being born.

‘Mr. Potter?’

A stern looking mid-wife had popped her head out of the delivery room.

‘You can come in now.’

James felt an explosion of excitement in the pit of his stomach. He dashed into the room. His wife looked peaceful as she cradled a small baby in her arms. She looked so content with herself, and in his opinion she had never looked so beautiful.

‘James,’ she said softly. ‘Come and say “hello” to our little boy.’

He walked over to her side, and she lifted the baby into his arms. James looked into face of the small baby. He was full of wonderment as he held his son. James Potter had never felt such an upsurge of love, and he knew he would be the best father in the world to his child. He did not care that there would be endless sleepless night and a million nappies to change; all he cared about was that he did the best for his family.

[the nutty imp]

Author Name: the nutty imp
House: Gryffindor
Title: Regrets of a nobody
Word length: 143
Warnings: HBP Spoilers

This would be his last day here. Strange how he would leave this office with nothing to look back upon on his glory days; he had enjoyed rubbing elbows with the rich and influential. Unfortunately either his rich and influential friends had turned their backs on him, or they were arrested as Death Eaters.

He placed the last of his things inside a box. A box that contained a few trinkets to remind him that he was once here - he was once the Minister of Magic – one of the most powerful man in the Wizard World. Cornelius Fudge regretted the fact that he ignored Harry Potter's claims about the Dark Lord's return; he regretted spending all his time pleasing the elite. Regret was all he had, for he would be leaving this office in disgrace. No power, no name, a nobody.

[avada_kedavra_this]

Author Name: avada_kedavra_this
House: Gryffindor
Title: Grey
Word length: 340
Warnings: None

Everything seemed grey; grey and cold and broken, like those old Muggle black-and-white movies that would crinkle on the screen in the dusty theatres. Not many people liked those movies anymore, because frankly, the grey was depressing. Maybe that was why no one liked it here anymore either. Maybe all the grey had finally gotten to them.

Shop windows, thick with layers of dust and dirt, were shattered by rocks hurtled by careless people, people who knew it was never going to be the same. Old signs swayed on their rusted chains, creaking and groaning about the disorder of the street. Rubbish littered the street corners. It tumbled as the wind blew, making a scratchy, uncomfortable sound against the brick.

Neville could easily recall the times he had been in this place with his gran. He could easily recall the voices of the children admiring the newest broom in the display of Quality Quidditch Supplies. For a moment, as he stood there with his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed, he could almost smell Florean’s many-flavoured, delicious ice-cream, and he could almost hear the soft hoots of the owls inside their cages within Eeylops. The memories came quickly, flooding into his mind like a sweet drug that helped him clear his mind of all the troubles, all the worries …

Somewhere, a stray cat meowed loudly, and Neville opened his eyes. In a cruel rush, the smells and sounds were gone, and all that remained was grey.

Diagon Alley had changed; it had changed, and it would never again be the Diagon Alley that people had grown to love - or at least that was how Neville felt. Ever since Voldemort had returned, no one was safe to do anything anymore. Nothing was going as planned in the war, and nothing had remained the same. It wasn’t just Diagon Alley that was grey; it was everything.

With a sigh and a silent tear that he would never tell anyone about, Neville Disapparated and vanished into the foreboding grey.

[Cruciatus Love]

Author Name: Cruciatus Love
House: Slytherin
Title: Flight of Doom
Word Length: 477
Warnings: none

Narcissa slowly made her way down the stairs of her cold mansion. Ever since her husband had been taken away, the whole house seemed to have an eerie feel to it. She didn’t feel safe walking around alone.

It wasn’t as though she had much of a choice. Her options were either walking alone, or not walking at all. Maybe if she just kept going, everything would go away. Despite being scared to death every time she heard a creak or a snap, she continued to walk her flight of doom.

As she walked she reminisced on all that had been happening to her in the past few days. Had it really only been that long? It seemed like years since she had seen her handsome husband holding his head up high.

The last time she had seen him, he was being torn from his own home. He was wearing a black cloak as he always did with his collar up to show his self-importance. He had his hair down in a way that reminded Naricissa why he was her prince. Even in times of trouble, he was always holding onto his pride.

In his last few moments at the house he was gallantly fighting his way through the Ministry of Magic folk, but Narcissa knew from watching the battle that he could never win. No one man can beat an army of trained wizards.

As he was finally carried away in magical binding spells and even Muggle chains, Narcissa was positive she saw a tear run down his cheek. Maybe it had only been one, but it was enough to know that he did truly love her. She knew he would find his way back somehow.

She took a few more steps down the stairs while thinking about how he had affected her life. He was a strong man and always willing to fight. He wasn’t afraid of the Dark Lord, but rather used him to gain his own power. It seemed he was willing to risk everything to spare the lives of his family – of Narcissa.

Even his last few days when he knew the Ministry was after him, he made sure the best precautions were taken to save his family. He had created a niche in one of the side walls of the hallway where his wife and son could hide in case of an emergency. It wasn’t completely safe, but he knew the Ministry wouldn’t be looking for them anyway.

Narcissa felt empty as she ended her flight down the stairs. Every moment she thought of her loving husband was a moment of pure sorrow. There was nothing she could do to change what had happened, and she had no control over what would happen in the future. All she could do was grieve, and remind herself of the memories of the past.

[JaneA]

Author: JaneA
House: Hufflepuff
Title: A New Year With Fawkes
Word length: 410
Warnings: Big HBP Spoiler

Minerva McGonagall looked around the school she had come to love. Realizing that, for the first time, she wouldn’t have Albus Dumbledore, the person she’d always counted on, alongside her to help and guide her, she went back to her state of depression.

In front of the students and parents, she had tried to put on a brave front. She had tried to make them believe that everything would be just fine, that they would go on, just as if Dumbledore’s death had never happened. But inside, she knew that they couldn’t go on. It was impossible. The leadership that man had had couldn’t, and wouldn’t, be replaced by anyone. The progress that had been made in the past years was a waste. It didn’t account for anything, now that he was gone.

But she would try. She really would. She had received, that morning, an owl from the Minister saying that Hogwarts, as a safe place for students, would be open, at least for the next school year, and that she, Minerva McGonagall, would be its new Headmistress. She should have been happy that at least Hogwarts wasn’t closing; that her home of fifty years would still be there for her. Instead, she only thought about how Dumbledore wouldn’t be here, and how immense that change was.

She couldn’t bring herself to put her things in the Headmaster’s office. She knew it was something the students would notice, so she moved on to do it. Upon seeing the past Headmaster’s office, she realized that none of the things had been moved. The office was exactly the same as when Dumbledore had left. Everything was in its proper place, and the new Headmistress felt guilty having to remove it. Newly discouraged, she walked around, remembering.

Her eyes stopped on the window, when she started seeing a large red bird flying towards it. She instinctively gazed towards the phoenix’s cage. It’s not possible, she thought to herself. She jumped a bit when she heard a slight noise made in the glass. As her eyes readjusted to so much red, she walked forward, forcing the window lock to open. In flew Fawkes, looking dignified in his scarlet feathers. As he settled himself in his cage, he looked at McGonagall, as if he had only been waiting for her this whole time. The transfiguration professor locked eyes with the magnificent bird, and smiled to herself.

A part of Dumbledore had indeed been left.

[midnight_me]

Author: Midnight_Me
House: Ravenclaw
Title: A Special Connection
Word Count: 311
Warnings: None

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Padma watched in shock as her twin sister sat down at the Gryffindor table, while she remained at the Ravenclaw table. She couldn’t believe they had been sorted into different houses. This would be the first time they were ever apart.

Padma and Parvati had always shared a lot of the same interests. They both liked to read and draw pictures. And they both just had a way of understanding each other. When they had gotten their letters, Padma was sure they would be in the same house. She never imagined them being apart...until now.

Padma sighed as she wondered what it would be like to hardly see her twin. Sure, they’d have some classes together, but they wouldn’t spend near as much time together as they used to. Now she’d have to make new friends, which would be hard without Parvati at her side. She had always relied on her sister to do the talking when they met new people. Padma was a bit shy, but Parvati made things easier.

Just then, Padma saw a girl sit down next to her.

If I want friends, I better get used to talking to people without Parvati. Padma thought.

“Hi, I’m Padma.”

“I’m Helen,” The girl said with a shy smile.

The two girls talked for a few minutes, and Padma realized that it really wasn’t too hard. Maybe she could make friends without her sister’s help. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t miss her.

Padma glanced over at the Gryffindor table, and noticed Parvati talking to a giggly girl named Lavender that she and Parvati had met on the train. They both seemed to be having a good time.

Parvati looked over and caught Padma’s eye. She smiled and winked at her. Padma smiled back and realized that even though they were apart, they would always have their special connection.

[HP_Ber]

Author: HP_Ber
House: Hufflepuff
Title: One Letter Can Change Everything
Word Count: 427
Warnings: None

Hoping to catch up with her sister, Lily broke into a run once she passed the playground gates.

“Petunia! Wait!” She shouted, hoping her sister would slow down enough for her to catch up. They could walk home for tea, together.

“Go away, you freak!” Petunia shouted back at her, pausing for a bare moment to turn back towards her. “Leave me alone!”

Lily stopped dead in her tracks. Her sister – her only, but still favourite sister – had called her what?

‘Freak.’

The word reverberated in her head. Like a bell, tolling the hour, ‘freak-freak-freak.’

The letter. That letter that came through the letterbox yesterday. The letter that changed what school she would be attending next year. She would not be going on to Avondale School for Girls. She would not be applying for a scholarship at one of the more prestigious girls’ boarding schools her parents wanted their girls to attend.

Petunia hadn’t wanted to attend boarding school. Not because she feared homesickness, she said, but because she was so devoted to her younger sister, and her parents.

“There’s plenty of time for me to live away from home when I’m married,” Petunia had said when she was close to finishing primary school. Lily had always thought that it was because she hadn’t been accepted to Avondale School, nor had she managed to achieve grades to secure a scholarship spot. But Lily kept her mouth closed on that, and had been honored by Petunia’s choice to remain at a local school. Lily, on the other hand, worked harder to secure the right grades, and couldn’t wait for the application process to begin. She wanted to go away to school. She loved her sister, she would do anything for her sister and had always looked up to her sister. In her eyes, Petunia was perfect, even when she didn’t get accepted to Avondale. They didn’t know what they were missing in her sister. Better that she stayed home until Lily went away to school.

And then that letter came. Delivered, not by the postman, but by an owl. And her parents had been so delighted.

“We always knew you were special, Lilykins!” Her mother had squealed.

“Well done, Popkin,” her father had beamed.

“Petunia, congratulate your sister,” her mother had admonished, and through clenched teeth and clenched fists Petunia had turned on her sister.

“Good luck,” was all she’d managed.

‘Freak-freak-freak-freak,” the word kept bouncing in her head. Lily started walking towards home again, no longer trying to catch up to her sister. That letter had changed everything.

[mspadfoot89]

Author Name: mspadfoot89
House: Ravenclaw
Title: Lonesome
Word length: 374
Warnings: Slight HBP Spoilers

Lonesome

The sun was shining outside the window of the Burrow and birds were singing in the trees, as if announcing their happiness to the world. The vegetation that Molly Weasley could see and the clean air she was breathing were enough to lift anyone spirits up. However Molly was not smiling.

To her this was the first day of being completely alone during summer. She sighed deeply, resting her elbows on the windowpanes and watching a pigeon nearby feed her three young ones. She wished she had someone she could still look after, but alas all she had now was herself, and Arthur whenever he could get himself off work. Even when he was home, they would both look at each other in a lost way, their ears not accustomed to the odd silence that reverberated around them

It seemed that after Bill and Fleur’s wedding, everyone had gone their own ways, leaving her with nothing to occupy her endless days. She did not resent any of them, on the contrary, was very glad that Ron and Ginny had become important Quidditch players, that Charlie, Fred and George had each created their own families, that Percy was travelling somewhere in Scotland. It just seemed unnatural to her.

She has accepted it all during the war, knowing that each of their contributions was important, and she had been very busy herself. But now, that it was all over and that her family had come out of it with curable injuries, she needed something to occupy herself with.

Turning around, her eyes took in the table and its nine chairs, and her eyes slowly filled with tears as she saw it empty and lifeless. Memories took hold of her and she smiled through her tears as she remembered raising each of her children and how she had often wished that it were easier on her.

Grabbing her wand and purse, she headed out of her house, deciding to finally do something with her life, and she pushed the memories away from her. It was really a sad thing that she was alone, but she knew that her children would always need her, she thought as she went to visit Fred and inquire after his breathing problems.

Author Name: mspadfoot89
House: Ravenclaw
Title: On the Run
Word length: 348
Warnings: None

On the Run

Life on the run is a hard thing, Draco Malfoy decided while crouching inside a cave, feeding on a piece of moulted cheese he had found, in the ruins of a nearby house. However, he had no other choice but to keep running—running and wondering if he would ever get rid of the smell of sweat on heated skin, of the dirt that seemed to crawl under his skin, or of the habit he had picked up of eating his food as though it was going to be taken away from him.

He, Draco Malfoy, proud son of Lucius and pureblood heir of the Malfoy name, reduced to sleeping on tree branches and caves, eating whatever garbage he could find, not knowing if the next day would find him alive or dead. He was afraid to show himself to anyone fore fear of talking to a traitor, but kept his constant lookout for Harry Potter. Although he hated to admit it, Potter was the only person that could get him out of this mess. As much as Draco liked being independent, he appreciated his life more, and having clean clothes even more.

Having finished his dinner, he slumped on the back wall of his newfound cave, left alone to think about the misery of what he had come to call life, dreaming of warm beds, long baths and proper food. His imagination was not helping much though, as he could not clearly remember the smell of soap, the feel of clean sheets under him, or the taste of proper food. He looked at his long, blonde hair so covered in grime, one could not tell its colour anymore. His hands clenched around them, as he made himself a promise. If it were the last thing he would do, he would get out of this disaster he had dug himself into. And with that, and not much else, given to the fact that he had not slept for three days, his eyelids began to close, and he had long dreams of Voldemort chasing him with soap and water.