In Anticipation

A homemade poster for
Deathly Hallows Part 1
(hence the November date)

This is a short piece I wrote for a fanfiction contest on The Leaky Cauldron, a Harry Potter fansite. The prompt was to describe Albus Potter's (Harry's son) first meeting with Peeves, the school poltergeist, who has a reputation for causing trouble whenever possible. In anticipation of the new (and last) movie coming out in July, I have edited and posted this story. Enjoy.

Albus Meets Peeves

            Al was weaving his way through the maze of corridors in Hogwarts castle, trying to find his way to his next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Suddenly, a loud, rude, cackle interrupted the usual hum of students chatting in the halls. He looked up to see none other than Peeves, the school poltergeist that his father had warned him about on Platform Nine and Three Quarters a few days before. Students all around him ducked in mid-step as Peeves swooped at their heads, whooping delightedly at the startled looks on their faces.

            Spotting Al, Peeves dived at his face, causing him to drop his books, quills, parchment, and ink, which splattered all over his books and onto the floor.

            “Hahahaha! First years!!” cackled Peeves, “Ickle firsties…lost on their way to class! Ooooooh, going to be late, you are!” Laughing evilly, he grabbed some of Al’s quills and started throwing them like darts at his back as he stooped to pick up his things. Just then, Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher, and Hogwarts’ only ghost teacher, came floating down the corridor, looking far from his usual bored appearance.

            “PEEVES!!!” he screeched in his slightly wheezing voice, while the students below marveled at the presence of this new expression on his face. “What is the meaning of this??”

            “The meaning of what, professor?” Peeves said slyly, inflecting the last word with as much scorn as possible.

            “Those--those--things I found on my desk this morning! I suppose you think it’s funny, don’t you, you and your silly little pranks, putting rocks on my desk that start swearing every time I begin talking, in the full knowledge that I, being a ghost, cannot pick them up! Oh hello,” said Professor Binns, noticing Al finally. “and who might you be?”

            “Er--Albus, Albus Potter, sir.” Al said, a bit overwhelmed by the scene.

            “Aaaaahhh…named, I presume, after the late Albus Dumbledore, one of Hogwarts’ greatest headmasters? A most honorable man…” Binns seemed to drift off at this statement, into his long past. Getting ahold of himself, he said suddenly, “And speaking of headmasters, Peeves, I shall be speaking to the headmistress about you! And the Bloody Baron, if I can find him,” and floated away down the corridor muttering to himself.

            As Al bent down once again to retrieve his books, Peeves resumed launching his quills at him. Al was given a moment's respite as Peeves was distracted by one of the prefects, who was rushing along looking anxious. Leaving Al to rummage on the floor for his books, Peeves seized two of his quills and started firing them at his new target. Relieved, Al haphazardly shoved his books into his bag and hurried off to class, hoping that the professor wouldn’t notice him walk in a few minutes late. As he rushed as fast as possible towards the classroom, he began wracking his brains for a valid excuse in case his teacher spotted him. But when he reached the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, it swung open to meet him and he nearly collided with--

            “Al! I wondered when you would get here!” Harry Potter said, smiling down at his youngest son.