Preparations
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 07-16-04 09:04

As much as he wants to sleep in, Harry drags himself out of bed early enough that his dorm room is still deep with the dark shadows of first morning light. He tiptoes out, showers, brushes his teeth, and dresses then returns to the Gryffindor Common Room to put up the banner and streamers for Ron's birthday.

Harry's only been working a few minutes when a beak rapping on one window draws his attention. He rushes to open the window to let in the owls carrying the carefully boxed cake from Briar. He takes the box and places it on a table over which he'd already spread a cloth. After thanking the owls and giving them treats, Harry closes the window to stave off the cold draft that threatens to blow through the common room. By that time Dobby has appear with perfectly chilled milk, cups, plates, forks, and a knife to cut the cake.

Harry makes quick work of getting the rest of the decorations up, goes quietly back to his room to retrieve Ron's present then returns again to the common room to wait with Dobby for the party to begin.

Cold Thoughts
Author: Bellatrix Lestrange
Date: 07-16-04 18:48

Bellatrix pulled her fox fur cloak closer around her face to keep out the biting chill of the February wind. It hardly ever snowed in Sussex, but this winter seemed to be an exception. She sighed; knowing that shortly Rodolphus would realize she wasn't inside and come looking for her.

With that in mind she turned back and looked at the manor house. From this angle she could see the square sound end of the house and the windows illuminated in candle light, throwing huge rectangles of yellow light onto the snowy ground.

Her mind traveled back to last week's daily prophet. Plastered across the front cover was the words "MISSING GOBLIN FOUND IN GRINGOTTS VAULT, DECEASED" with a photo. Bellatrix couldn't help herself, she started to laugh. Poor Snape; he must be in convulsions of terror right now! After all, Snape had a lot to worry about. They had visited Gringott's under the pretense of going to his vault and she was sure that now the goblins would be onto that fact.

She had been in disguise so she had nothing to worry about. She had a flashback to vault #405 and the execution of that little sniveling goblin. Snape of course had wanted to just lock him in the vault but that would have been insanity, as now proven. Eventually they would have found the goblin and he would have talked, but at least since he was nicely dead that wouldn't happen. And they had needed his hand to get into the vault, what was Snape going to do – reattach it later on? No, things were better this way – the permanent way – she had just helped Snape make his mind up a lot quicker about events.

She wondered briefly if she should pay a visit to Snape, but it was tricky. It would be hard to sneak into Hogwarts again and she didn't want to risk that. Better to let him panic on his own and if he needed her, he could probably find her. She was glad however that the Lestrange Manor was unplottable, she'd hate to be disturbed in the middle of the night over anything she didn't consider important.

Suddenly there was a sound of a heavy door slamming, and then Rodolphus appeared at her side. "Aren't you cold dear?" he asked.

Bellatrix snorted. "Not really. But then perhaps you should have come out dressed for the weather?"

"Well, the last person I leant my cloak to was my brother Rastaban, and look what happened to him. I hardly had time to get it back you know?"

Bellatrix laughed out loud. Her husband passed her a silver goblet with some spiced mead inside, which she drank, letting the hot liquid slide down her throat. "Lets go inside, shall we?" she asked. "I could do with some warming up!"

Surprise!
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 07-16-04 20:00

Hermione slipped into the Gryffindor common room and found Harry and Dobby standing around the cake table, waiting on the start of the birthday party. She smiled at them and walked over, bearing a book-shaped package in her arms.

"Good morning, Harry, Dobby," she said. "Ron still asleep?"

Harry nodded. "Like a rock the last time I checked."

Other Gryffindors were present, including Dean and Seamus and the Creevey brothers. Lavender and Parvati entered and immediately came over to inspect the birthday cake.

"Can you believe he's eighteen years old today?" Hermione asked Harry. "Where has the time gone?"

"We're getting old," Harry joked. He eyed the package in Hermione's arms. "Another paperweight?" He grinned.

Hermione punched him lightly in the arm. "No, it's a complete factbook on the Cannons. Rosters through the years, schedules, scores. The kind of thing Ron probably already has memorized. If only he'd devote such diligence to his studies!"

Harry laughed.

Suddenly, Neville came bounding down the stairs. "Ron's awake. He's coming. Everybody hide!"

The lights were dimmed and some people ducked behind chairs and sofas, others under tables or in the shadows. Hermione, Harry and Dobby knelt by the cake table.

A sleepy-eyed Ron came down the stairs shortly, oblivious to the students crouching out of sight. After he reached the bottom step, everyone jumped up and yelled "Surprise!" and then they launched into a "Happy Birthday to you."

Surprised, Ron grinned and thanked a few people before walking over to Harry, Hermione and Dobby. And then his eyes fell on the cake. "Whoa..."

Another Run-in
Author: Rikku
Date: 07-17-04 01:57

I had been running for an hour, I think. My watch had stopped working ever since I had gotten here. I still hadn't gotten used to the castle. I was pretty sure that it was moving or something. None of the stairs were where I remembered them to be.

I had run into some scary looking guy while doing some early morning exploring. He scared me and I had been running from him ever since. I had been trying to find the way back to the Gryffindor common room, and I think I found it finally.

"OOF," came out as I plowed into something soft and hard at the same time. I hit the ground with my behind and bounced a little.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" A boy's voice said. I looked up to find a boy with very light blue eyes and gray-blue-white hair. I wasn't sure what color it was. He looked a bit angry though.

I stood up but amazingly I found I wasn't breathing hard at all. Which was weird after all the running I did. But I was able to say, "Sorry," to the boy clearly. He didn't look convinced though. "I'm said I was sorry, I didn't hear you coming."

"You weren't even looking!" He shot back.

"How am I supposed to see if I'm being chased and look ahead at the same time?" I asked him.

"Figure it out yourself," he grumbled.

"I know! You could wear a bell! And so could…" I was cut off by his sudden comment of, "Are you nuts? I'm not going to wear a bell!"

"Why not? You'd look good wearing a bell Riku," Another voice said out of nowhere. I saw that it was the boy that had run into me, twice!

"Yeah? I'd like to see you wear one Sora!" The boy in front of me said. Whom, I guessed his name had the same as mine, since his friend said it.

"Hey, I don't remember either of your names. What were they again?" I asked looking back and fourth between the two.

Gift Giving
Author: Ginny Weasley
Date: 07-17-04 19:58

Ginny smiles in anticipation as Ron opens the gift from her. Using money she'd earned over the summer working at the twins' shop and gotten converted into pounds at Gringotts, Ginny had gotten Ron two pairs of the Muggle blue jeans he's come to love. Now knowing that Harry got Ron two Chudley Cannon shirts, thanks to Ron having already opened the one from Harry, Ginny thinks they jeans will be perfect to wear with the shirts. Based on the exclamation of delight Ron's just given and the hug he's now embraced her in, Ginny's guessing Ron thinks so too!

It's a Go!
Author: Pyrrhus
Date: 07-17-04 21:29

As Py sits down at the Slytherin table for breakfast, Isolde smiles at him and asks the very generically vague question, "Everything set?"

Answering in an equally general fashion, Py replies, "It is."

Alexis, Santhea, and Draco give their own responses by grinning. Crabbe and Goyle, on Draco's far said, are eating so loudly they don't hear a word that's said and therefore don't look up to question what's being set. Further down the table Pansy and Milicent are also in the dark over plans discussed first in Hogsmeade and then in the common room late last night when most everyone else was in bed. Nor are they aware that the reason Py arrived later than his little group is because he took Theodore Nott privately aside earlier this morning to have a chat. For those at the table in on the plan, Py's reply of, "It is," lets them know what Theodore's reaction to the idea was.

Feeling quite pleased with things, Py reaches for his fork and digs into his breakfast.

Sunday Morning
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 07-18-04 05:42

Orei came downstairs, yawning when she heard the cry of surprise from the commonroom, looks like it was someone's birthday. Sleep filled eyes fell upon Ron, and she smiled. She headed over to where he stood embracing his sister Ginny. "Happy Birthday Ron." She said with a grin and offered him a hug when he released Ginny.

"Morning Harry, Hermione. Hi Ginny." She said sleepy good mornings to them all. She looked around the common room and then moved toward a seat off to the side. She probably shouldn't stay long since she had quite a bit of homework to do and most of it would take all day including an essay for potions and an essay for transfiguration.

She saw Brett come downstairs and waved him over. "Morning Brett." She said and shifted slightly to let him sit down next to her. "What do you have planned for the day?" he asked when he sat down.

"Well, homework for starters anyway. I've got two two scroll essays to write, one for potions and one for transfiguration. And I have a couple chapters to read for charms and lots to read for DADA." Orei said and leaned against her friend resting her head on his shoulder. "You're welcome to keep me company." She said with a grin.

Birthday Delivery
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 07-18-04 09:43

An owl tapped its beak against the window and waiting patiently for someone inside to open the glass pane. A mousy-haired boy approached the window and gently pushed it open, then moved away to allow the owl room to pass. It fluttered inside and landed on an end table nearby, bearing a small parcel.

"Ron, there's another gift for you," Colin exclaimed, taking the package from the owl. He offered the animal a treat from his pocket, then passed the present to Ron.

"It's from Bill," Ron remarked, smiling. He cut through the twine wrapped around the parcel and then ripped through the brownish paper to get to the contents of the gift. Inside was a thin, hard-cased black box. He opened it to find a bed of blue velvet upon which three coins were nestled in three round, fitted holes. One was a glimmering gold galleon, one a shiny silver sickle and the last a shimmering bronze knut. There was a note with the box upon which Bill had written:

Dear Ron,

These are mint edition coins to mark your eighteenth birthday and the year of your graduation from Hogwarts. May you always have money in your pockets when you most need it. Happy birthday little brother.

Bill

Who's Who?
Author: Riku
Date: 07-18-04 11:32

"Hey, I don't remember either of your names. What were they again?" asked the annoying blonde girl.

"What? You've been here two weeks and you don't remember either of our names? You've only followed me around nonstop since you've arrived!" Riku yelled at her.

"I have?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

"Yeah, we have all the same classes…" Riku asked.

"We do?" She asked with the same confused look as before.

"Oh man, you really are dumb," Riku grumbled.

"I'm not dumb! I just forgot," She tried to explain. It wasn't working; Riku figured she was just some dumber-then-normal blonde.

"Well," Sora spoke up, "I'm Sora and that's Riku." He pointed to Riku when he did the introduction.

"Really?" the blonde girl spoke up, "I'm Rikku!"

"He wasn't saying your name was Riku, he said that was my name!" Riku yelled at her.

"Oh. Then what's my name?" She asked, once again confused.

"I don't know. What is your name?" an annoyed Riku asked.

"It's Rikku!"

"No, stop," Riku commanded, "See, my name is Riku. His name is Sora. And your name is…"

"Rikku!" she repeated. Riku sighed and put his hand up to his face in frustration. It seemed that she had become confused by Sora's introduction and adopted his name. While Riku has frustrated, it appeared that Sora had become greatly confused by the whole conversation.

Late Evening in Sussex
Author: Bellatrix Lestrange
Date: 07-18-04 17:36

"How did they do it?" Bellatrix slammed her silver backed hair brush onto the dressing table and turned to Rodolphus.

"Hmmph?" Rodolphus opened one eye and peeked over the coverlet. Seeing his wife was about to start a lengthy conversation about something, he sat up and prepared to look interested. Sleep would be quite a while away it seemed.

"My sister Narcissa and Lucius," she continued, glaring at him.

"I'm sorry, poppet, but you'll have to explain a little better than that. I seemed to have come into the conversation late."

Bellatrix sighed and picked up the hairbrush, continuing to brush her long black hair with heavy strokes. "At the Knight's Ball they both mentioned that they'd been there for hours, way before we arrived. Yet I know for a fact they were at the damn Valentine's faire at Hogwarts until late."

Rodolphus blinked. "I'm sure you misunderstood your sister, dear. That's impossible and you know it as well as I. If you're so concerned about it why don't you invite them over for dinner this week? We haven't had the Malfoy's over for ages."

Bellatrix turned back to the mirror. "That's not a bad idea, you know," she mused. "Plus I can see what Narcissa is wearing these days. It's bound to be awful you know."

She stood up and called for Mortifer, who like always appeared promptly, proving beyond a doubt that he was eavesdropping outside the bedroom door.

Using the Lestrange letterhead, Bellatrix wrote out a quick note inviting the Malfoy's to dinner at their earliest convenience. Within the hour the letter was soaring across the night sky by private owl, ready to arrive just in time for breakfast at the Malfoy residence.

Oh Boy... or Girl... ACK!
Author: Sora
Date: 07-18-04 19:02

Seeing this made Sora's head hurt! He pulled on his hair in confusion as he listened to this argument. How could she be Riku, when HE'S Riku? he thought in frustration, looking from one Riku to the other Rikku.

"I told you, I'm Riku!!" cried Riku, but the other Rikku just gave a confused look. "If you're Riku... then who am I?" she asked looking over to Sora who only stood there staring at her. "Uhhhhh............" he said. Riku groaned in frustration. "You're wasting your breath!" he snapped at Sora.

"Aw heck with this... Welcome to Hogwarts Rikku!" greeted Sora holding out his hand. Riku smacked it before Rikku could shake it. "What are you doing?! I thought you were on my side!!" he shouted at Sora, who only gave a confused expression.

"Don't tell me what to do! Can't a guy welcome the new Rikku in like the old Riku?" Sora snapped back. Rikku and Riku looked at him with confused looks. Thinking back to what he had said, Sora became confused again as well.

"When will this end...?"

Re: Oh Boy... or Girl... ACK!
Author: Riku
Date: 07-19-04 00:14

"When will this end...?" Sora asked with a confused look on his face.

"It will end when I prove that this…thing isn't Riku!" Riku yelled at Sora while pointing at the blonde girl.

"But I'm not a thing, I'm Rikku! R-I-K-K-U! Rikku!" the girl yelled at Riku.

"Oh, I see. So even though your name sounds exactly like mine, it's spelled differently. Ok, fine. You're Rikku." Riku finally relented. Sora didn't look confused anymore. The three of them stand there looking at each other in silence. A sudden grumbling noise made them look at each other.

"Sorry," Sora said, "I haven't eaten all day." Rikku just giggled. "Come on Riku, let's see if we can get something to eat!"

"Ok!" Riku and Rikku both said at the same time. The two looked at each other with confusion.

"I mean, Riku, not you Rikku…" Sora tried. "Oh crap…"

Nicknames!
Author: Sora
Date: 07-19-04 11:57

This wasn't working. It was easy for Sora to know who he was talking about, but when it came to the Rik(k)u's... that was just downright difficult! "Well... why don't you come too Rikku?" said Sora. Rikku and Riku looked at each other. Sora could see what he had said wrong. "No, Riku is coming, and Rikku can come too... and... er... aw, heck with this! The both of ya's just come with me!!"

Later as they were walking down the hall to the Great Hall, Sora couldn't help but think about the Rik(k)u's. He had to call them something or he would never be able to tell them apart. Then it hit him! "I got an idea!" said Sora. Riku snorted. "What else is new..." Sora acted as if he didn't hear him. "We gotta call you two something to know who we are talking to, so why don't we give each other nicknames!"

Rikku liked this idea, but Riku on the other hand thought this whole idea was dumb. "So Rikku," said Sora. "Yes?" the Rik(k)u's said together. Crap, thought Sora. "Female Rikku! What do you suggest we call you?"

"How bout 'Dumb Blonde'?" shot Riku. Rikku glared. "How about we call him Big Meanie?" Rikku shot at Riku. Sora could only pull his hair in frustration. "I have another idea. How about we name each other after fruits?"

"You mean like Kairi did with you, Kiwi?" snapped Riku

"Aw, shut up Banana!" said Sora. Riku only hit him on the head.

"Pear?"

*clonck!*

"Orange?"

*smack!*

"Peach?"

*wham!*

"Stop it you Big Bully!!!" shouted Rikku as she jumped on Riku's back. Sora only rubbed his head and watched as the action and arguments went on. "I was only making suggestions!" Sora shouted to Riku over all of Rikku's yelling and name calling.

"Well what do you guys think??"