Happy Birthday, Harry!

Today is Lisa Galek's Happy Birthday, Harry blogfest in honor of Harry Potter's birthday.  My contribution is an excerpt from my fanfiction Professor Burbage and the Potions Master. This scene occurs in Harry's 5th year.  I thought it would be fun to give the professors a little love.

Excerpt

"A New Year"

Professor Burbage and the Potions Master

Charity returned to her second year as a Hogwarts professor after spending a good portion of her summer holidays in America. While there, she and her parents had visited Salem, Massachusetts, site of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Quite hilarious really, seeing that as far as anyone knew, witches and wizards hadn't appeared in America until the late 1800s.

Charity declared that the first staff meeting of each new school year was like a birthday for Hogwarts, and so she returned from her travels with gifts for each of the Hogwarts teachers. She gave them out as they gathered in the moldy staff lounge.

“For you, Professor Sinistra," she said as she handed the Astronomy professor a zodiac wall hanging.

"Why, those Muggles have almost got it right!" Sinistra commented with surprise as she studied the woven map of the stars.

"Magical Beans for you, Professor Sprout—they're supposed to grow bean stalks to three times their normal size."

Sprout shook the package.  "I'll bet I can get them up to ten!"

Charity gave a mug with the words “Stop by for a Spell” to Professor Flitwick, an East Coast Witches T-shirt to Madam Hooch, and a stuffed black cat to Professor McGonagall.

For Hagrid, she'd purchased a pewter Pocket Dragon with crystals embedded in the eyes.  Muggles said it brought good luck. Unfortunately, Hagrid was not to be found, and Professor Grubbley-Plank was taking over Care of Magical Creatures lessons for an unspecified amount of time. Charity pocketed the dragon and would make a point of getting it to Hagrid one way or another.

She turned to Sibyll Trelawney, professor of Divination and all things clairvoyant.  "I'll bet you already know what this is."

"Of course, my dear, and it's just exactly what I knew you would choose." 

Trelawney opened her box to find a fortune-telling tea cup, complete with instructions painted right on the saucer. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion while McGonagall sniggered in the corner.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you," Charity said to Snape, who stood with his arms folded tightly and a scowl on his face, apparently impatient with the whole production. She handed him a small box, which he opened to reveal a silver and glass ring. Inside the glass was a thick liquid.

"It's a mood ring," Charity explained. "You wear it, and it changes color depending on what kind of mood you're in. I thought it might be useful for us to know when it would be a good time to approach you and when it would be a good time to, eh, not."

Her comment drew general chuckles in the room, and Charity caught and held Snape's eye for the briefest moment. This was the year she was going to come through on her promise to make him like her.

The final gift was for Dumbledore. It was a liquid-filled ball point pen with a little witch on a broom that glided when he tilted it. His eyes sparkled and he chuckled as he watched the little witch fly to and fro.

"Thank you, Professor Burbage, for this delightful start to the school year. Now, down to business," the headmaster commanded.

Thanks for hosting the party, Lisa!

Hey, last night I saw the movie for the first time---and lourved it! (although I could've done w/ a bit more celebration after Voldy bit it, you know?)---and thought I'd share a photo of me w/ my Potter Posse, better known as The Harry Potter Finer Things Club.  One key member couldn't be there :( but I wore my London b-day gift from her to represent.