Post by ginger newts on Jan 1, 2005 0:32:28 GMT -5
Well, I tried to get this up before midnight my time and failed. Happy New Year to everyone, whether you've celebrated already or not.
Nobody knew why they still bothered to put up a notice in the Staff Room, perhaps it was for the benefit of new staff members or just in case someone forgot what day it was. Whatever the reason, every year with out fail, on December 26th, the notice would appear on the bulletin board, courtesy of deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall.
Everyone always went and hardly anyone ever brought a guest. It was an unspoken requirement that all staff members attend any functions held throughout the school year and they had learned over the years that guests more often than not felt out of place and awkward, especially at the more casual affairs such as New Year’s Eve. So it was that every year the staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry gathered in the room that had been set aside as the staff room for a party.
The square room resembled a miniature version of the students’ common rooms with couches, chairs and desks for the professors to either relax and have a cup of tea or grade papers. A wardrobe stood in one corner with several sets of spare robes inside in case an incident during the day necessitated a quick change of clothing. Not all the professors kept robes there and some had been hanging there so long that no one remembered to whom they belonged, perhaps staff members long gone from their hallowed halls. There was a comfortable and often cozy feel to the room, and a sense of peace because it was one place forbidden to students which the children actually refrained from entering.
When the staff began to enter a few minutes before nine on the evening of December 31st, 1992 the Staff Room looked just as it had on New Year’s Eve for as long as anyone could remember. A banner hung across one corner wishing them all a Happy New Year, a long table pilled with food and drink ran along the wall under the windows, and a roaring fire burned in the hearth. Even the attendees of the party had been the same for the last decade or more, no one listened to Severus Snape’s grumblings about having to attend the party when he could be brewing potions or Sybill Trelawny’s predictions of gloom and doom for the coming year. They had heard it all before many times over.
The only thing that was different this year was the presence of this year’s unfortunate choice for Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. How the entire staff wished that Headmaster Dumbledore had received one other application, just one, then they would be free of the overbearing, bragging, frankly annoying Gilderoy Lockhart. Unfortunately for all of them, Lockhart had been the only applicant and thus had been given the job. Most of them had realized by this point that he was as big a fraud as their dear Divination teacher, but unlike Sybill, Gilderoy enjoyed being among his colleagues and never missed an opportunity to brag about his so-called accomplishments. He was in fine form tonight, resplendent (so he thought) in his garish party robes of bright purple mixed with baby blue and the boots he had bought at Gladrags just for the occasion.
Gilderoy arrived fashionably late at nine-fifteen and was disappointed to find he was not the last to enter the party. The headmaster and deputy headmistress were not yet among the assembled and those who had been at Hogwarts for any length of time knew that they were having an argument as old as time itself. Namely, that Minerva would be attempting to persuade Albus to remove from his robes the rosette that would proclaim loudly all evening “Happy New Year” and would burst into song at midnight. She always lost and by the end of the night each of them would be sorry she had.
Looking around the room at the other staff members, who were all trying desperately to avoid his eye and thus any conversation with him, Gilderoy opened his arms wide and proclaimed, “Happy New Year, everyone! I wonder which of you lovely ladies will be the lucky one to receive my kiss at midnight.”
People turned away to roll their eyes as groans were stifled and Severus sneered darkly. “I see Minerva has not arrived yet,” Gilderoy continued as though he had not noticed their reaction, which of course he hadn’t. “I do hope she’ll be here, she is high on my list for sharing that kiss.”
At that, several staff members were unable to contain snorts of amusement. The poor clueless man, they were all thinking, this could be fun when Minerva arrives.
“I don’t think she’ll be interested, Gilderoy,” the school nurse Poppy Pomfrey said with an attempt at politeness.
“Not interested? Surely you jest, Madam Pomfrey,” he replied airily. “What woman wouldn’t be happy to receive a kiss from me? Oh-ho-ho,” he laughed suddenly, “do I detect a note of feminine jealousy? Not to worry, you are in the running as well.”
“Oh good,” she said dryly while her friend Rolanda Hooch, the flying instructor, collapsed against her in a fit of giggles.
Being used to giggling and jealous women everywhere he went, Gilderoy took it all in stride and went to pour himself a glass of punch. No one bothered to tell him not to drink from the bowl of punch Hagrid had mixed and he promptly choked on his first sip, it was unbelievably strong. A few people snorted with laughter again and then normal conversation resumed until the heads of the school finally arrived a few minutes later, the rosette pinned firmly to the front of Albus’ robes.
“Good evening, all, and Happy New Year,” he greeted them jovially.
“Happy New Year, Headmaster, Minerva,” they all responded as the couple entered the room.
The next two and a half hours were spent eating, drinking, and mingling. People roamed from group to group and talked about anything that came to mind, there was a calm easiness in their interactions tonight – the one night they allowed themselves to forget about the students and their work and just be friends. A few people grew tipsy as midnight neared, either from too much punch in general or from mistakenly accepting a glass from a beaming Hagrid. Gilderoy Lockhart was widely and studiously ignored by everyone in so much as was possible. Around eleven, Minerva found herself alone with Poppy and Rolanda.
Giggling, they gave her a warning, “We know you won’t be able to resist him, Minerva, but you might want to watch out at midnight. Gilderoy seems to have chosen you to be...how did he put it? ‘The lucky lady to receive his midnight kiss.’ Something like that.”
She groaned, “I wish he would leave me alone. I don’t understand his obsession, it’s not as if I’m the most desirable woman around here.”
“No, but you are the most powerful, authoritatively speaking...well, magically as well probably,” Poppy said. “I think he’s drawn to that.”
“I would resign as deputy if I thought he would leave me alone,” Minerva responded. “Where is he? More importantly, has anyone seen my husband lately? How he can disappear in this tiny room is beyond me.”
“He’s by the fireplace with Filius,” Poppy supplied, looking over Minerva’s shoulder. “Albus that is. Gilderoy is by the buffet.”
Minerva turned and caught her husband’s eye from across the room, sending him a subtle signal that she required his presence by her side. He excused himself from the Charms teacher and crossed the room. “Something you needed, my dear?” he asked with a smile.
“Yes actually,” she said briskly. “I need you not to leave my side until after midnight. I have it on good authority that our dear Defense professor is going to attempt to ravage me tonight.”
“She’s afraid she might not be able to resist him unless you get there first,” Rolanda said and Poppy elbowed her in the ribs, but she was smiling.
“Your wish is my command,” Albus said grandly, his eyes twinkling. “If you thought I would have let you out of my sight as midnight approaches you were severely mistaken, my dear.”
“All right, that’s enough mushy stuff for now,” Rolanda said.
“Save it for midnight,” Poppy added.
“I don’t see why we should,” Albus said without ever taking his eyes off Minerva.
He was looking at her with such love and admiration that the other two women felt as if they were intruding on something intensely private, they both blushed and cast around in their minds for excuses to leave. Albus laid his arm around Minerva’s shoulders and drew her closer, just as he was about to turn her to face him for a kiss the moment was shattered.
Nobody knew why they still bothered to put up a notice in the Staff Room, perhaps it was for the benefit of new staff members or just in case someone forgot what day it was. Whatever the reason, every year with out fail, on December 26th, the notice would appear on the bulletin board, courtesy of deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall.
NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY
Hogwarts Staff Members and Guests
(limit one guest each)
31 December
9:00pm - 1:00am
In the Staff Room
Everyone always went and hardly anyone ever brought a guest. It was an unspoken requirement that all staff members attend any functions held throughout the school year and they had learned over the years that guests more often than not felt out of place and awkward, especially at the more casual affairs such as New Year’s Eve. So it was that every year the staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry gathered in the room that had been set aside as the staff room for a party.
The square room resembled a miniature version of the students’ common rooms with couches, chairs and desks for the professors to either relax and have a cup of tea or grade papers. A wardrobe stood in one corner with several sets of spare robes inside in case an incident during the day necessitated a quick change of clothing. Not all the professors kept robes there and some had been hanging there so long that no one remembered to whom they belonged, perhaps staff members long gone from their hallowed halls. There was a comfortable and often cozy feel to the room, and a sense of peace because it was one place forbidden to students which the children actually refrained from entering.
When the staff began to enter a few minutes before nine on the evening of December 31st, 1992 the Staff Room looked just as it had on New Year’s Eve for as long as anyone could remember. A banner hung across one corner wishing them all a Happy New Year, a long table pilled with food and drink ran along the wall under the windows, and a roaring fire burned in the hearth. Even the attendees of the party had been the same for the last decade or more, no one listened to Severus Snape’s grumblings about having to attend the party when he could be brewing potions or Sybill Trelawny’s predictions of gloom and doom for the coming year. They had heard it all before many times over.
The only thing that was different this year was the presence of this year’s unfortunate choice for Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. How the entire staff wished that Headmaster Dumbledore had received one other application, just one, then they would be free of the overbearing, bragging, frankly annoying Gilderoy Lockhart. Unfortunately for all of them, Lockhart had been the only applicant and thus had been given the job. Most of them had realized by this point that he was as big a fraud as their dear Divination teacher, but unlike Sybill, Gilderoy enjoyed being among his colleagues and never missed an opportunity to brag about his so-called accomplishments. He was in fine form tonight, resplendent (so he thought) in his garish party robes of bright purple mixed with baby blue and the boots he had bought at Gladrags just for the occasion.
Gilderoy arrived fashionably late at nine-fifteen and was disappointed to find he was not the last to enter the party. The headmaster and deputy headmistress were not yet among the assembled and those who had been at Hogwarts for any length of time knew that they were having an argument as old as time itself. Namely, that Minerva would be attempting to persuade Albus to remove from his robes the rosette that would proclaim loudly all evening “Happy New Year” and would burst into song at midnight. She always lost and by the end of the night each of them would be sorry she had.
Looking around the room at the other staff members, who were all trying desperately to avoid his eye and thus any conversation with him, Gilderoy opened his arms wide and proclaimed, “Happy New Year, everyone! I wonder which of you lovely ladies will be the lucky one to receive my kiss at midnight.”
People turned away to roll their eyes as groans were stifled and Severus sneered darkly. “I see Minerva has not arrived yet,” Gilderoy continued as though he had not noticed their reaction, which of course he hadn’t. “I do hope she’ll be here, she is high on my list for sharing that kiss.”
At that, several staff members were unable to contain snorts of amusement. The poor clueless man, they were all thinking, this could be fun when Minerva arrives.
“I don’t think she’ll be interested, Gilderoy,” the school nurse Poppy Pomfrey said with an attempt at politeness.
“Not interested? Surely you jest, Madam Pomfrey,” he replied airily. “What woman wouldn’t be happy to receive a kiss from me? Oh-ho-ho,” he laughed suddenly, “do I detect a note of feminine jealousy? Not to worry, you are in the running as well.”
“Oh good,” she said dryly while her friend Rolanda Hooch, the flying instructor, collapsed against her in a fit of giggles.
Being used to giggling and jealous women everywhere he went, Gilderoy took it all in stride and went to pour himself a glass of punch. No one bothered to tell him not to drink from the bowl of punch Hagrid had mixed and he promptly choked on his first sip, it was unbelievably strong. A few people snorted with laughter again and then normal conversation resumed until the heads of the school finally arrived a few minutes later, the rosette pinned firmly to the front of Albus’ robes.
“Good evening, all, and Happy New Year,” he greeted them jovially.
“Happy New Year, Headmaster, Minerva,” they all responded as the couple entered the room.
The next two and a half hours were spent eating, drinking, and mingling. People roamed from group to group and talked about anything that came to mind, there was a calm easiness in their interactions tonight – the one night they allowed themselves to forget about the students and their work and just be friends. A few people grew tipsy as midnight neared, either from too much punch in general or from mistakenly accepting a glass from a beaming Hagrid. Gilderoy Lockhart was widely and studiously ignored by everyone in so much as was possible. Around eleven, Minerva found herself alone with Poppy and Rolanda.
Giggling, they gave her a warning, “We know you won’t be able to resist him, Minerva, but you might want to watch out at midnight. Gilderoy seems to have chosen you to be...how did he put it? ‘The lucky lady to receive his midnight kiss.’ Something like that.”
She groaned, “I wish he would leave me alone. I don’t understand his obsession, it’s not as if I’m the most desirable woman around here.”
“No, but you are the most powerful, authoritatively speaking...well, magically as well probably,” Poppy said. “I think he’s drawn to that.”
“I would resign as deputy if I thought he would leave me alone,” Minerva responded. “Where is he? More importantly, has anyone seen my husband lately? How he can disappear in this tiny room is beyond me.”
“He’s by the fireplace with Filius,” Poppy supplied, looking over Minerva’s shoulder. “Albus that is. Gilderoy is by the buffet.”
Minerva turned and caught her husband’s eye from across the room, sending him a subtle signal that she required his presence by her side. He excused himself from the Charms teacher and crossed the room. “Something you needed, my dear?” he asked with a smile.
“Yes actually,” she said briskly. “I need you not to leave my side until after midnight. I have it on good authority that our dear Defense professor is going to attempt to ravage me tonight.”
“She’s afraid she might not be able to resist him unless you get there first,” Rolanda said and Poppy elbowed her in the ribs, but she was smiling.
“Your wish is my command,” Albus said grandly, his eyes twinkling. “If you thought I would have let you out of my sight as midnight approaches you were severely mistaken, my dear.”
“All right, that’s enough mushy stuff for now,” Rolanda said.
“Save it for midnight,” Poppy added.
“I don’t see why we should,” Albus said without ever taking his eyes off Minerva.
He was looking at her with such love and admiration that the other two women felt as if they were intruding on something intensely private, they both blushed and cast around in their minds for excuses to leave. Albus laid his arm around Minerva’s shoulders and drew her closer, just as he was about to turn her to face him for a kiss the moment was shattered.
... but ah, such cuteness, a perfect way to start the new year ;D! Great! May you have an AD/MM 2005 
!
