Hogwarts' Professors' Betting Pool
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; I leave that to author, J.K. Rowling. Sometimes I wished Gred and Forge.
Neville Longbottom walked into the teachers' lounge after his first full day as the Hogwarts' Herbology Professor. Out of all the things he was expecting, he wasn't expecting this; the teachers were betting on their students love lives.
Neville blinked at them. "What the hell is going on here?" he asked.
Flitwick smiled at him. "Betting, of course," Flitwick answered. "What does look like we're doing?"
"On what exactly are you betting on?" Neville asked.
"We bet on students' love lives, of course," Slughorn replied.
"Horace," Flitwick replied.
"Filius," Slughorn replied, "that's exactly what it is; why pretty it up? Besides, he should know some of us were more observant than he thinks."
Flitwick sighed and then nodded. "Take a seat, Neville," Flitwick replied and grabbed the old, worn parchment out of Hagrid's hands. "Thanks, Rubeus."
"No problem, Headmaster," Hagrid replied.
"Please, Rubeus," Flitwick replied. "Call me Filius. I'm not different since Minerva retired."
"Okay, Filius," Hagrid replied.
Flitwick sighed and turned to the year he was looking for. It was flipped to the year 1995. "Found it," he announced.
Neville saw the year. "How long has this been going on?" Neville demanded.
Flitwick sighed. "Since the school had opened," he said. "It started with Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin." He looked back down at the parchment until he found what he was looking for. "Here you are, Neville." Flitwick tapped at his name.
Neville blinked at the name next to his. "Luna?" Neville said shocked. "How? Who?"
Flitwick smiled. "The woman you've been married to for the past ten years," Flitwick replied. "Severus picked it up first."
"Professor Snape bet that I would marry Luna?" Neville asked. "He scared the hell out of me for a lot of years."
Flitwick nodded. "He did indeed scare a lot of students," he said, "but I believe Severus said something about being both outcasts." Flitwick smiled as Neville ogled. "I believe he's more astute about this sort of thing."
"Why was that?" Neville asked.
"He had the highest percentage of past student marriages correct," Flitwick replied. "He had more than Albus."
Neville blinked. "Wow," Neville replied amazed. "Was that because of-?"
Flitwick and Slughorn turned solemn when they thought about their favorite student. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was because of his love for Lily," Flitwick replied.
"The staff in 1971 was split for Lily," Slughorn remembered. "Remember Filius."
Flitwick nodded. "Indeed I do, Horace," he replied. "It was split wondering if Lily Evans would marry James Potter or Severus Snape. Obviously James Potter won in his seventh year after a little episode in fifth year."
"Harry told me about that," Neville replied.
Flitwick nodded. "After that little incident and several thousand rejected apologies, Severus steeped further into the Dark Arts until he realized that Lily's life was in danger," Flitwick replied.
Neville nodded. "I know the story," he replied.
"Minerva suspected that's why Albus picked James Potter to be Head Boy instead of Severus," Slughorn replied.
"What was his bet on," Neville asked, "James or Professor Snape?"
"It was James," Slughorn scoffed. "He had horrible potion skills. His grade improved sixth and seventh year. James' friends' grades improved as well."
"Minerva told me that Lily's Transfiguration grades improved in sixth year and seventh year," Flitwick replied.
"Evidence shows that they helped each other," Neville replied.
Flitwick nodded. "It does indeed," Flitwick told him.
"Who else did Professor Snape predict right?" Neville asked wanting to know.
Flitwick, Slughorn, and Hagrid grinned at each other.
"It appears, Neville," Flitwick said, "that he got all of your house year right."
Neville's jaw dropped. "He predicted Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, Seamus and Lavender, and Dean and Parvati?" Neville asked dumbstruck.
Flitwick grinned. "Yes, he did," he said. "With Harry and Ginny, Severus said something along the lines that Potter men can't resist red heads. It didn't hurt that Ginny kept signing her name as Ginny Potter instead of Ginny Weasley in her first year."
"What about the others?" Neville asked.
"With Ron and Hermione," Hagrid continued, "he reasoned that they already argue like an old married couple."
"Still do," Neville muttered.
"With Seamus and Lavender as well as Dean and Parvati," Slughorn continued, "it was a matter of knowing. He believes that's why Parvati accepted Harry to go to the Yule Ball in your fourth year. Lavender wanted to get Seamus jealous, so that's why she went out with Ron in your sixth year."
"Huh," Neville mused. "What about my parents?"
"That would've been my only correct one," Slughorn replied.
"The only one you didn't need encouragement for," Flitwick corrected. "It takes you until the students are in their third years to place bets on their love lives."
"But my parents are in there?" Neville asked.
Flitwick nodded. "They are," he said. "Now since we're finished discussing that, now about on to the betting pool for this year?"
Neville nodded and leaned against the counter drinking some butter beer. He was intrigued to see how this process was done.
"What about Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley?" Flitwick asked playing with his quill.
Neville nearly choked on his butter beer. "Are you insane?" he asked. "Ron and Draco Malfoy wouldn't like that union."
Flitwick glance over at Neville. "You know, Neville," Flitwick replied, "I am followed by Albus." Flitwick sighed. "They might not like it, but it's there. It's the matter of the heart."
"And if that's true, Neville," Slughorn replied. "Then they'll do what's in their hearts."
"Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson did what was in their hearts," Hagrid replied. "A couple predicted by Dumbledore."
Slughorn nodded. "The Parkinsons' didn't like the fact that their daughter wanted to marry Draco because he and his family were no longer a noble proud pure blood family," Slughorn replied. "They would've pulled a Black, but Draco's mother, Narcissa, spoke to them."
"A Black?" Neville asked. "As in Sirius Black?"
Flitwick, Slughorn, and Hagrid looked at Neville in surprise. "It has nothing to do with Sirius," Hagrid replied, "and everything to do with his cousin, Andromeda."
"Andromeda married a muggle-born named Ted Tonks," Flitwick said. "Teddy Lupin's grandmother."
Neville blinked. "I never realized she was a Black by birth," he replied.
Flitwick nodded. "Yes, she is," Flitwick replied.
"What exactly is 'pulling a Black'?" Neville asked.
"Turning away family for being who they want to be with or who they are," Slughorn replied. "Narcissa talked them out of it with the fact that they'll missing seeing their grandchildren growing up."
"Clever," Neville replied.
"Well, Narcissa has always been clever and intelligent," Slughorn replied "but she had all the characteristics of a Slytherin. She was prefect her fifth year with Lucius."
"Predicted by Dumbledore," Flitwick said, "which is why you picked Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black as prefects." He crossed his arms.
"Figured it might help them figure out there feelings for each other," Slughorn replied. "I don't know why Minerva didn't do that for Lily and James."
"Because Lily was still friends with Severus," Flitwick reasoned, "and she didn't want her two prefects arguing while they were supposed to be on duty."
"So Minerva picks the werewolf," Slughorn scoffed.
"Don't call him that," Neville argued glaring at his new colleague and Potions Professor. "He might've been one, but he couldn't help it. You've seen Teddy Lupin with his werewolf rights. They're people too."
Flitwick nodded. "That they are," he said. "I can only think what Victorie Weasley will think when you say that about her boyfriend's late father."
"She wouldn't be very happy with yeh," Hagrid replied.
"Remus is best known as a hero even with the added fact that he was a werewolf," Flitwick replied.
"Last I've heard from Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, they said that Molly and Arthur would be ecstatic to have Teddy officially part of the family," Hagrid replied.
"Now, that's a couple I spotted," Flitwick replied.
"You also caught most of their sons," Slughorn said. "I saw it in the parchment; though, Percy and Penelope didn't show up until their fifth year."
"The year they were prefects," Hagrid replied.
"What about Bill, Charlie, or George?" Neville asked wanting to know about the Weasleys brothers.
"There wasn't one with neither Bill nor Charlie," Flitwick said.
"Huh, really?" Neville said in surprise. "Bill was Head Boy and Charlie was Quidditch Captain. I can't see why no one would've paired up with a girl."
"Popular is what they were here," Flitwick said, "which is just as well there wasn't one for either."
"Wait," Hagrid said. "Go back to '94, Filius."
"Wasn't that the year of the Triwizard Tournament?" Neville asked.
"Yep," Hagrid said. "I wonder if Fleur noticed Bill then."
Flitwick flipped through the parchment until he came to 1994. "William Weasley," Filius said. "Right next to it; it says Fleur Delacour. It's in Severus Snape's handwriting."
"And his percentage keeps on climbing," Slughorn replied sarcastically.
"What about George?" Neville asked.
"Severus Snape got that one right again," Hagrid replied. "He did indeed marry Katie Bell. If Fred had lived…"
The room quieted knowing that they were all thinking about that fateful day over nineteen years ago.
"Angelina gave birth to his twin daughters, Hagrid," Flitwick replied. "Even though she lost Fred and her family, she has the Weasleys to help her raise them."
"The Weasleys and the Potters would be the first to say that things happen for a reason," Neville told Hagrid.
"But you see how it goes, Neville?" Flitwick asked.
"Yes," Neville said. "I do. Who's up next?"