Aberforth Dumbledore is a G

Salutations! (That's how Charlotte the spider says hello. It's wonderful how I remember small things like that from elementary school, but somehow I don't remember the important things, like adding and subtracting.) Today is Saturday, May 8. Are you ready to have the most imponderable pleasure that is the reading of Virgil's whimsical ramblings? [I learned the word "whimsical" in the fifth grade when my table's "cake" (composed of many ingredients, including one exceptionally delicious pickle) won "most whimsical" out of my entire English class. Good times.] Hopefully, today's post will not be quite as long as last week's, but you never know. I tend to get carried away.

[Insert segway of your choice]

This is a short drabble that I wrote for this week's Three Broomsticks challenge, which was about the final duel in honor of the international holiday that took place on Tuesday (scroll down for more on that). House, being even more of a grammar harpie than I am, will probably tear it apart with her metaphorical razor-sharp editing teeth of doom*, but I welcome constructive criticism. The prompt was titled "Harry pwned Voldy day" and the idea was to choose a character who was present at the Battle of Hogwarts and rewrite the scene from his or her perspective. Going out on a limb, I chose Aberforth Dumbledore. Granted, it's not the best thing I've ever written... you have been forewarned.

The boy is talking about wands. The Elder Wand. He sounds like Albus, always going on about wands, Hallows, and love. He had so much faith in that wandlore. Faith was his undoing; faith in the Wand, faith in Snape, faith in Harry. He never seemed to learn that faith, trust, and pixie dust don’t really make one fly: you need a broomstick to do that. He lived in a fantasy land where love conquered all, but he’s dead now, and that world died with him. Love doesn’t kill dictators – Killing Curses kill dictators.

Don’t make the same mistake my brother did, boy. Don’t put your faith in a wand. Kill him. Kill him now. You know the curse.

He continues to talk. Does he think he can just talk his way out of a duel with Lord Voldemort? My brother tried to talk his way out of dueling many times. Once, it cost our dear sister’s life. Another time, it cost him his own.

Just say the two words you know so well, boy— the words which engraved that bolt of lightning on your forehead. This man killed your parents and friends; you have justification enough. Surely you are itching to avenge their deaths.

I can sense Albus’s presence here in this Hall. He is watching us all… I know the stare of those piercing blue eyes all too well. Thinking about death, thinking about Ariana, thinking about this mess— it fuels my hatred toward him. For a moment, I wish for Harry’s death. Albus’s prodigy, his Chosen One, his Boy Who Lived: if the boy fails, Albus fails.

In my mind’s eye, I can see Ariana’s broken body curled up on the ground. She looks so skinny and fragile, like a birthday candle that has been wished upon and blown out. The flame is gone. What would Harry’s body look like when he was dead? Would it curl in the same manner as Ariana’s, like a child in the womb?

Two spells are uttered: one to disarm, the other to kill. I simply watch the scene unfold with neither horror nor awe as the wand changes hands and Harry is left standing. Albus’s prodigy, his Chosen One, his Boy Who Lived – he has emerged victorious.

You win, brother; you win.**

Perhaps faith shall triumph after all.

Oh dear, fixing the formatting for that was Tartarus. So yeah, that's the drabble. My style is usually quite different from this, but I had to modify my writing to fit the brevity requirements.

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I was originally planning something entirely different for this post, but the song "Imagine" just started playing while my iTunes was on shuffle, so I'm going to talk about that.

"Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy if you try / No hell below us, above us only sky / Imagine all the people living for the day"

Now this is an interesting line of music. Is it true that if there was no belief in a heaven or hell (personally, I have my doubts about hell... I won't go into that) people would live in the moment more? Would this be a good thing, essentially acting without anticipation of consequences?

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Now "Get Back to Hogwarts" is on. My train of thought, the Hogwarts Express, is getting sidetracked. Ahh, that was a play on words on so many levels. This pleases Virgil.

DFTBA*,
PDBAZ**,
Peace, Love & Otters***,

Virgil

*Don't forget to be awesome
**Please don't be a zombie
***Lookit teh perty starz!

*Teehee <3

**I would suggest "You win, brother. You win."