Ellie the Marauder | Sirius Black

|33| The Announcement

The Announcement: A Poem by Me (Ellie Greengrass)

Once upon a time there was a girl named Ellie

She loved bacon a lot and ate toast with jelly.

One day her boyfriend, eating his fried fish with glee

Asked what she thought her fathers announcement could be.

She said, "I don't know, maybe he's joining the circus.

Or learning to ski, or adopting a tortoise."

"That would make sense— sounds like ol' Wally.

Guess we'll have to wait until dinner to see."

The hours ticked by and Ellie packed her trunk

She laughed a funny picture Lily drew when she was drunk.

Then Aunt Gerdy's Scottish voice called her down

And her wistful smile morphed into a frown.

Dinner was fine, average at best

(She could have done without Benny's pretentious sweater vest.)

Then as bread pudding magically arrived

Wally cleared his throat with a manic glint in his eyes.

Ellie held her breath, Aunt Gerdy concentrated,

Sirius smiled, and Benny looked constipated.

"I've decided to return to Puddlemere United,

Playing as seeker," her father said, delighted.

Sirius cheered and Aunt Gerdy looked pleased

But Ellie and Benny knew all was not as it seemed.

* * * * *

"Dad... are you sure that's... I mean... a good idea?" I said, ignoring the strange look Sirius was giving me.

Dad spoke quickly. Way too quickly. "Of course! We finished the paperwork today and I've planned the whole thing out with Roger—" (Rodger was his old sports agent who smelled like salami) "—I'll start training next week and then play at the home games until July when I finally take over full time. Practices are twice daily and naturally I'll have to go get some new gear—oh, this is going to be amazing! Ellie Boo, I can't thank you enough for giving me the idea—"

Benny's head whipped towards me so quickly I thought it my spin off his neck and go flying across the bread pudding.

"Me?!" I said.

"Of course!" Dad beamed. Too happy. "If you hadn't given me that jersey for Christmas I would have never thought of getting back in the game! It was really so thoughtful of you—I can't wait for the first game! Sirius, you'll have to invite Regulus—I still want to teach him some—"