CounterfeitA Chapter by Elf_Lord_ElphiasThe Hogwarts Common Rooms were known to reflect the
virtues and personality of each house it represented, and Hufflepuff was no
exception. The Hufflepuff common room was known to be as perennially sunny and
welcoming as the people it housed, with its cosy furnishings, brandished copper
and everlasting earthy feel. But at night after lights out, the place was
comparable to a large, round tomb. It was eerily silent, with only the feeble
crackling of logs in the fireplace to offer light and sound. Shadows cast by the
light of the dying flames would frolic along the walls and floor in an
unsettling dance, flickering and writhing, seeking attention they never
received. There were more pressing matters for Elphias to attend to than sit
and stare at shadows all night long. Leaning back in the bright yellow, overstuffed
armchair situated near a window, the young Hufflepuff stretched his arms high
above his head and groaned when the joints popped satisfyingly loud. It was one
in the morning, he was the only one awake, and his energy had long since ebbed.
Lethargically nudging the table in front of him away with his foot, he reached
for the plastic cup of iced water by his feet and tilted his head back, pouring
the cup’s contents directly onto his face. His eyelids twitched, limbs ached,
muscles tingled. “…that didn’t help at all,” he grumbled, voice thick
with fatigue. Chucking the cup to the side and dabbing at his eyes with his
sleeves, he picked a stray ice cube off of his robes and threw it into the
fire. A log hissed in protest. Using the water to slick back his tangled mess of
hair, Elphias tugged the table towards him and picked up his quill and wand.
Dipping the quill tip into the stolen inkpot of glittering emerald, he touched
it to the sheet of parchment he’d been working on all morning and waved his
wand simultaneously, murmuring something while maintaining utmost
concentration. Turns out the water did help a little. Soon, without him even
moving the quill, the ink started to move on its own, sliding off the tip and
sinking onto the parchment in curved, calculated lines like snakes settling
into a comfy patch of dirt. Soon, Elphias’s 18th attempt at forging
Professor McGonagall’s signature was finally a success. He wanted to rejoice,
to call to the heavens and grip the letter in his hand and scream “I’ve done
it!”, but all his tired throat could choke out was a satisfied hum. He read over his handiwork for what was probably the
hundredth time that morning, checking for something, anything to be out of
place:
Dear Mr. Knightley, We are pleased to inform
you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1
September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
An exhausted, ecstatic grin spread across Elphias’s
tanned face. Not a single ink spot was out of place. “Perfect.” © 2016 Elf_Lord_Elphias |
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1 Review Added on February 22, 2016 Last Updated on February 22, 2016 AuthorElf_Lord_ElphiasTauranga, Bay of Plenty, New ZealandAboutGreetings, weary traveler! Come, come! Perhaps you could sit with me? You look exhausted from all your reading and browsing. We could talk as you rest. What about, you ask? Why, anything you like! Co.. more..Writing
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