TBAY - FADED SCARF

[Sara_ELL]

No: HPFGUIDX 73259


The action was just starting in Theory Bay. Sara-ELL, recovering 
from a case of afluenza (an attack of overwork caused by the income-
expenditure equation being out of kilter in the wrong direction) 
finally managed to raise her head from above the crow's nest where 
she had been esconsced for almost the last fortnight.

She heard something mentioned about a FADED SCARF and, raising her 
ever-present omnicoulars to her eyes, saw Kiristini wrenching an 
ungainly child from her leg in front of the ominous establishment of 
MADAM WHIPLASH. The rather pathetic boy was draped, Sara-ELL could 
discern, in a FADED SCARF which seemed to have been dredged together 
from the remains of ... surely not
 Yes... Florence's once tangible 
cloak; the boy was now entrenched on a rather leaky barge moored 
near MADAM W's place.

Sara-ELL's eyes narrowed as she glimpsed the movement of a shadow in 
the doorway of Madam W's; she swore that she could make out a bow-
tie which must surely belong only to one Kneasley. It all made 
sense - the SCARF, the kid... the barge... all held together by a 
single, fragile fiber (one could hardly call it a thread, let alone 
can(n)on) of Harry's first vision of Snape. Snape, not SonOf!Snape, 
in the pensieve. Really! As though a social outcast like 
Sniv..Severus would've be seen behind any garden shed with a girl 
like Florence in the first place, never mind all of that LICKS 
business. Sara-ELL sighted the LOLLIPOPS cruise ship (still 
partying) on the right and felt that the kid was going to be stuck 
on that barge for awhile yet.

A commotion, louder than that which had been caused by the combined 
efforts of Jens and Diana holding back an apoplectic Captain Oryomai 
from abandoning the still-afloat boat SILK SHIRTS (and single-
handedly attacking Kneasy with the GREY UNDERPANTS, Rookwood Thongs
(TM) and whatever else she could find, Sara-ELL suspected), caught 
everyone's attention.

Sara-ELL's heart raced as she saw a deceptively cheerful-looking 
yellow flag raised up the mast of the USS SAD DENIAL. 'Oi there 
Captain,' she shouted down to crew. 'SAD DENIAL yellow-flagged - our 
can(n)ons shiny and intact though, aren't they?' 

Sara-ELL, who had by now managed to shimmy down to the deck, noted 
that Captain Oryomai was looking up at the SILK SHIPS mast with a 
very calculating expression on her face. 

'Cap'n - you're not thinking of letting the GREY UNDERPANTS go, are 
you,' Sara-ELL said anxiously; the greying undergarments flapped 
innocently above her.

'Well not yet. They are held together by a thread of can(n)on but 
hey ... what's that?' Captain Oryomai suddenly demanded, looking 
suspiciously at a small blonde-headed figurine sticking out of Sara-
ELL's robe-pocket.  In a controlled tone, she continued 'Look, we've 
been called "Malfoy Supremacists" once already; the Theory Bay 
patrol are out there with *BOTH* trans-Atlantic versions of the can
(n)on  and ...' Captain Oryomai finally noticed the "Dumbledore's 
Army" badge affixed to the front of the figurine's robe. She 
furiously as she spluttered, ' That's it - either that Redeemed!
Draco gets off this vessel or those GREY UNDERPANTS do, sailor !'

'- fine, fine.. I'll drop it off with Madam W. It really belongs 
there anyway, what with you know, that line about... ' Sara-ELL 
sighed, glancing down at the sappy-faced figurine she had tried to 
hide.

'Not now thank you... save your theories for Madam W,' Diana 
replied. 'Just stand right there...and...' 

In their eagerness to help her off the boat, the crew appeared to 
have had accidentally pushed her overboard, or so it appeared to 
Sara-ELL, who surfacing, nevertheless managed to bob around and 
waved a farewell. 'I won't be gone long, oh - and I'll sort out that 
SonOf!Snape too.' After a drink at the tavern of course Sara 
thought, and a look in at the museum.
 
'She's off the boat Captain,' Diana's relief did not match the 
sudden look on happiness her Captain's face. 'Actually, did she say 
anything after all of that?'

'No. But at least this boat's not getting scuttled because of a 
Redeemable!Malfoy,' the Captain replied, 'and...'

'Captaaain!', Sara-ELL's voice, now far-off towards the shore 
reached their ears. 'Forgot to tell you, I think you're wrong about 
us being on the SAD DENIAL one day in the near future. Snape's 
demise, should it occur, will probably happen at the end of the last 
book, and will probably be very Big and Bangy, nothing like Sirius', 
(who Harry actually, hardly *really* knew - a few meetings at 
Hogsmead and four weeks at Grimmauld Place).  The death that will 
affect Harry the most, quite paradoxically now, will surely be that 
of Snape, after Snape and Harry finally reach a level of 
understanding and respect for one other and Harry finally finds the 
father-figure he's always been after.  In any event, Snape's 
departure any earlier would leave the series a fairly black and 
white affair, hardly what Sirius himself (let alone JKR) alluded to 
in OotP.'

'Byeeeee' - Sara-ELL paddled away towards the shore.