

Author: Griselda La Fey
Author’s Note: I was watching Friends… that’s all I say…
Disclaimer:
J.K. Rowling owes the characters, Warner Bros owes the
plot, since Friends is theirs (come to think of it, so is Harry Potter in a
way) so technically, I don’t owe anything… that’s a sad thought.
Beta-reader: Corrin. Thanks
Summary:
Do you remember that Friends- episode from season 4
when they make that huge bet about who knows who best and the girls and up
losing their apartment? Well, let’s just say the Hogwarts- teachers are bored
and AD/MM close a bet…
Setting:
Set during the holidays after ‘The Prisoner of
Azkaban’. And yes, I know Moody wasn’t really Moody, but I liked the
OotP-character...
*****
Chapter 1: The Bet
‘Merlin, I’m bored!’ Alicia Sprout stated, looking
sadly at her empty plate.
‘Join the club’, Felix Flitwick agreed with a
deep sigh.
‘You know, I never thought I would say this, but
I will be glad when the students are back’, Zelda Hooch said. She looked
at Severus Snape, who was reading his book, ignoring the conversation. ‘How
come you’re not bored?’ she demanded.
Severus merely looked up. ‘I keep my self busy’,
he answered in his usual indifference voice.
The Hogwarts- teachers were sitting in the Great
Hall. Since it was the summer holidays, the castle was empty. They were about
to have lunch, but waited for the Headmaster and his deputy. Apart from the
usual teachers, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts- teacher, Alastor Moody
was also present. It was a cold, rainy week and all the teachers were bored out
of their minds.
‘I just want something fun to happen’, Poppy
Pomfrey sighed. ‘Something…, anything…, it doesn’t matter what’.
They looked up when Albus Dumbledore and Minerva
McGonagall entered the Great Hall, immersed in a heated discussion.
‘I just know it’s true’, Albus said.
‘No, it isn’t’, Minerva replied hotly.
‘Yes it is!’
‘No it isn’t!’
‘Yes it is!’
‘No it isn’t!’
‘Yes it is!’
‘No it isn’t!’
‘Yes it is!’
‘No it isn’t!’
‘Yes it is!’
‘No it isn’t!’
‘YES IT IS!’, Albus stated firmly sitting down
on the table.
‘What’s going on?’, Hagrid asked confused.
‘Minerva has been reading deep into the night’,
Albus explained, ‘and I know she has been reading ‘The Bridges of Madison County’ because her eyes are still red
and it’s the only book that makes her cry’.
‘It is NOT!’, Minerva replied, glaring at the
Headmaster. ‘I haven’t been crying and I haven’t been reading ‘The Bridges of Madison County’.
‘Yes you have’, Albus said, a small grin forming
on his face.
‘No I haven’t’.
‘Yes you have!’
‘No I haven’t’
‘Yes you have’.
‘Children, children’, Felix chuckled, ‘Minerva,
why are you so wound up about this?’
‘Because Albus thinks he knows me better then I
know him’ she said with a final glare. ‘And that’s just not true’.
Before they could start their ‘yes it is, no it
isn’t’- mantra again, Hagrid chipped in. ‘It’s true. We know ye better then ye
know us’.
‘Who’s we?’ Poppy asked indignantly.
‘The males’, Hagrid explained, pointing at
Albus, Severus, Felix, Moody an himself, ‘we knew you girls better’.
Minerva, Zelda, Poppy and Alicia began to protest.
‘Fer example’, he added to Felix, if ye looked
inside Alica’s bag, ye would findda half eaten box of Flavoured Beans’.
Felix leaned over and looked in the bag. ‘It’s
true’, he said impressed, ‘you’re good!’
Alicia shrugged. ‘So what, I’ve been grading
papers all morning. Everybody snacks when their grading papers, that was
obvious’.
Hagrids beard twitched up. ‘How many items are
there in that bag?’ he asked.
Felix did a quick count. ‘Four more’, he
replied.
Hagrid grinned at Alicia. ‘Right, I’ll bet ye
five Galleons that we can name those four in five tries’.
‘Deal!’ Alicia answered, matching his grin.
‘Firs’ of all: A copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi’, Hagrid started.
‘Correct’, Felix said, his eyes glimmering.
‘Hand creme’, Moody offered.
‘Yes’, Felix cried, holding up ‘Wonka’s Wonder Creme’.
‘A bunch of dried Lavender’, Albus said calmly.
With an air of an conjurer Felix pulled the
Lavender out of the bag. Despite herself, Alica looked impressed at the
Headmaster.
‘One more item to go!’ Felix squeaked.
‘A mirror’, Hagrid beamed. But Felix shook his
head. ‘No, that’s not in here’.
‘Ha’, Minerva and Poppy said in unison.
‘We still ‘ve got one go’, Moody growled. Their
was a short pause…
‘… a handkerchief’, Severus said, without
looking up from his book.
Alicia slumped back in her chair, defeated. ‘How
did you know that?’ she asked Severus.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly,
‘you have a cold since Monday’.
Minerva shook her head. ‘This doesn’t say
anything. So you men know a few random facts about us, that still
doesn’t mean you know us!’
Hagrid shoot right up in his chair. ‘Wanna bet?’
he asked dangerously.
Zelda leaned over the table, looking equal
dangerous. ‘What’s your offer?’
‘Let’s make this interesting’, Albus said
slowly, ‘boys against the girls. The losing party will patrouil the whole next
year’.
‘Done’, eight voices replied immediately.
Albus turned to the Potionmaster, ‘Severus?’
The hook noosed teacher rolled his eyes. ‘Fine’,
he said eventually.
‘Whoo ooh’, Poppy cheered enthusiastic. Then her
smile faded a little. ‘Who will make the questions?’ she asked.
Felix jumped in his seat. ‘Please let me, let
me. Then you have even teams’, he added convincingly.
‘That settles it’, Albus said. ‘Felix will think
of the questions and we will assemble in the Staff Room tonight at eight
o’clock’.
He eyed the female members of his staff. ‘You
might want to start catching up on some sleep’.
Chapter 2: The First Round