Watching the Fun
Author: Captain Electron
Date: 06-26-04 10:17
Electron had wandered up to Hogwarts in disguise, but shed it when he got there, and now he was strolling around, watching the games and races going on all around. He had his dreads tied back and his shades stuck on the top of his head, and maybe there was just a bit too much happening around for much of a crowd to gang up around him!
He didn't have to start working on the booth he'd been assigned just yet... he had time to look at everything and maybe he could even have a go on some stuff. There was a rather fun-looking booth just over there where people were throwing balls at a target which would drop a man into a tank of water... Electron chuckled at the sight of his angry face every time he landed. That might be good to try... on the other hand, he wouldn't want to get hexed by that individual after he finished being in the tank... so he wandered onwards, checking out the other games.
Getting the Boys
Author: Kairi
Date: 06-26-04 10:35
..:: Eairler
"Plan's all set. You got your letters written, yeah?" Kairi asked the two girls, who in response nodded. "Good! I'll go get the boys and bring 'em out to the quidditch pitch." She grinned and wandered off to collect the boys...
....:::.....::....:::....
Upon entering the Great Hall, Kairi scanned the room for Sora, Riku and Logan. Although it was rather hard to resist the urge to go and dunk Prof. Snape, Kairi did. Sora was there and she watched the conversation between Snape and Sora. The teacher must have said something really mean to Sora for him to through that ball so hard! But of course once Snape came up from the water glaring at Sora, he ran as fast as his big shoes could take him.
Not wanting to loose him, Kairi bolted after him. "Sora!! Wait up!" Kairi shouted after him. Sora slid to a halt...without falling! Kairi's mouth dropped seeing that. Sora, with his eye's tightly closed, clearly expecting to run into something. Kairi laughed. "It's ok Kiwi, open your eyes! You didn't run over anything! Or anyone for that matter!" She patted him on the back. "I think you're improving!" Still laughing at him.
"Wow!! I did it! I didn't trip or fall or hit someone or break anything or..." Sora was excited himself!
"Take a breath Kiwi! You did great." Kairi smiled. "Where's Riku and Logan?"
"They're coming down. I was supposed to meet them at the Dunk Tank...but uh...I'm not goin' back there....."
Kairi snickered. "Yeah, I saw the whole thing. Should've seen the look on your face!" At a glance Kairi spotted the other two Gryffindors. Dragging Sora behind her she met them. "Oy! Riku, Logan! C'mon, let's go out to the Quidditch Pitch. Roane and Tranquillina are waiting for us there.
She led the way and when Roane and Traquillina were in sight, gave them a giant grin....
What Shall Your Fortune Be?
Author: Drucilla Eternal
Date: 06-26-04 11:13
I sat across from the nervous Slytherin girl who had approached my booth after being pushed on by one of her friends. I could tell she wasn't really interested in fortune telling, and was a bit skeptical about the whole process. The nervousness began though, when she had spotted the four bones sitting on the table.
"What are those?" her voice, although strong, didn't hide her alarm.
I raised my eyebrow delicately, and smiled. "Bones." I didn't elaborate. Picking up the four bones in my left hand I casted them onto the circle piece of silk, which had lines that divided the circle into three equal parts. These sections would be used to read this girl’s fortune.
"With my first throw, I shall see your past." I gathered the bones again, and cast them out a second time using both hands. "The second casting will show me your present". Picking up the bones one final time, I threw them onto the table using my right hand. "And that, child, will show your future".
Leaving the bones where they fell, I closed my eyes. I'm sure it must have seemed very dramatic, and gave the impression of deep thought, but truthfully I was fighting back an urge to throw the bones at this stupid student, and march my way back to my apartment and away from this immensely boring carnival.
Opening my eyes slowly, I looked at the Slytherin girl who was fidgeting nervously in her chair. Adding a musical lilt to my voice, I gave the girl her reading.
"Your past shows you were born during a period of unease. Although there was an apparent calm happening amongst the wizarding world, your household was thrown into years of turmoil and distrust from the others. Presently, the bones read that you still have a wall thrown infront of you, where you choose your friends more for what they can offer you, than the actual relationship it brings to your life. And finally, your future." I paused, as I glanced at the bones. "The future shows a great decision is to be made. A decision where you will have to choose sides, and either decide to stick to your past family influences, or branch away and act on your own accord."
The Slytherin girl acted as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't seem to get any words out. Smiling, I swept the bones up and slipped them in my pocket again.
"Choose wisely little girl".
And with that, the shaky Slytherin left the booth, and left me praying for the moment that my shift would be over.
Curiouser and Curiouser
Author: Andrew Tennyson
Date: 06-26-04 13:42
*Abandoned all reason, that git has* I thought angrily to myself. *Jumping off into the Otherworld without a second thought about yours truly!*
It had been hours since Victor had crossed the veil of worlds. Initially, I had moved to follow him. But something stopped me. Something on the periphery of my senses told me to turn back. With senses like mine, paying attention to what's on the very fringe of them has often afforded me a kind of intuition about these things.
*Right,* I had thought to myself, *I'm not afraid, I'm intuitive.*
The hours since Victor's departure had been spent foraging for some breakfast of nuts and berries (all cleaned with a Purificatus charm). During that time, I had come to a singular conclusion.
I am afraid.
As I stand before the ring of toadstools, I steel my resolve. *There's nothing to be done about it now* I tell myself, *this is our only way home. And if I don't hurry, I'll be in the Otherworld without the one person I know who can navigate that mixed-up world as easily as the grounds of his own estate.*
I chuckle to myself as a variant on a Muggle slogan pops into my mind: What would an Auror do?
In a surge of adrenaline, I take the leap into the Faerie Ring. As Victor had before me, I find myself momentarily suspended in the air, as if weightless. Multicolored lights dance out from the toadstools around me, and my world turns inside out.
With a graceless thud I land on my back in a cavern of some kind. As my senses return to me, the pungent smell of soil and death overpowers me. *A tomb!* Stifling my panic with all of my might, I look around for my bearings. I see torchlight down a passageway. Lowering my trademark sunglasses to get a better look, I can make out Victor's shape, along with what appears to be an older, stockier version of a house-elf. *Must be a Gwee* I think to myself. *Figures Victor would make fast friends. Well, I'd best follow. Good thing time doesn't flow down here the same way it does in our world, or Victor would have been long gone!*
Pushing my round sunglasses back up my nose, I run toward Victor and his torch-bearing companion, silent as the wolf.
Shakespearean Sonnets and Saints
Author: Hestia Jones
Date: 06-26-04 16:15
"Jones? Is that you?" a man's voice came from across the room. Weaving between the crowded tables in the caffe came a handsome man who appeared to be in his early thirties.
"Bruno? Hello!" greeted Hestia. "What are you doing here, Bruno?"
He came over the table and hugged Hestia, "I was going to ask the same of you. I live in Italy, it is not strange to see me here, but you- you live in England. It is more strange to see you here." He gave a hearty laugh. "Oh, Farfalla, buon giorno! How are you? It's been a while since all three of us were together."
"Guess what, Bruno, Hestia quit her job at the Daily Prophet!" cried Farfalla.
"No! Jones? Quit her job?" Bruno brushed some loose black hairs away from his face. "I didn't see that coming."
"Yeah.. well.." Hestia bit her lip and thought of something to change the subject. "So what are you doing today, Bruno?"
He grinned, he could change the subject back later. "I was thinking of going down to Porta del Popolo to learn about Saint Valentine since it is his Saint's Day, as I am sure you are aware of."
"Oh, that sounds fun!" Farfalla chimed in. "Hestia, why don't we go with Bruno, as long that's okay with him of course." The women looked at Bruno.
He flashed his pearly teeth, "Of course I would love to be accompanied by two beautiful women on my adventure. Shall we go now?"
"Sure, let me leave some money for the waiter, and we can go." Farfalla pulled out her pocketbook, left some money, and the three old friends left the caffee, only to disappear into thin air once they turned the corner.
They reappeared outside Rome at Porto del Popolo, right in front of a little church near the large gates. "Saint Valentine's church," motioned Bruno. An old woman stood next to him. He leaned over to her, "Did you know he is buried just down the road on Flaminian Way? Although all his relics are kept elsewhere." The old woman looked startled, she had not noticed the three of them Apparate next to her. She made a small sound before scuttling off, away from the handsome Bruno.
Hestia laughed, "Are you sure that you are here to learn, or are you here to teach the tourists?" He shrugged, Christian saints was a hobby of Bruno's. Many people argued with Bruno about the truth behind the stories, but he always insisted that all them were real, especially the ones involving dragons.
"You really should write a book some time, Bruno," suggested Farfalla. Again Bruno shrugged his shoulders in reply.
"Why don't we go in and see the alter?" suggested Bruno.
So Bruno led Farfalla and Hestia into the small church. It was packed with tourists, many of them with flashing cameras. There was a little boy just inside the door selling roses. Hestia bought a red one to place on the alter.
A few steps farther was the beginning of the line, it seemed it would be a long wait. Bruno started dribbling on about Saints again. "Did you know that there are actually three Saint Valentines, at least?" Hestia turned away from Bruno, this was going to be a longer wait than she had thought.
Then something on the floor caught her eye. So many patrons had visited the alter in the past few days that the offerings to the saint had spread to lean against the surrounding walls. In between white candles and red roses was a piece of illuminated parchment. Written on the parchment was a poem.
"Take all my loves, my love, yea, take them all;
What hast thou then more than thou hadst before?
No love, my love, that thou mayst true love call;
All mine was thine before thou hadst this more.
Then if for my love thou my love receivest,
I cannot blame thee for my love thou usest;
But yet be blamed, if thou thyself refusest.
I do forgive thy robbery, gentle thief,
Although thou steal thee all my poverty;
And yet, love knows, it is a greater grief
To bear love's wrong than hate's known injury.
Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows,
Kill me with spites; yet we must not be foes."
It seemed very familiar to Hestia; she knew she has heard it before.
"You know, Jones, I think you should go back to school too," said Bruno.
"Hmm? Sorry, I had drifted off for a moment."
"I said that I thought you should go to college."
"Et tu Bruno!" exclaimed Hestia, putting a spin on a famous Shakespearean line.
"Yes, me too... I agree with Farfalla." The line moved forward a few feet.
"Actually, Bruno, I have already decided that college is a good next step."
"Really? That didn't take much convincing, but of course that is how you work," said Farfalla. "Have you given any more thought to where?"
Then all of a sudden Hestia remembered who the poem was by. "Shakespeare!"
"Mi scusi? Yes, 'et tu Brutus' is from Shakespeare. I thought we had moved on from that," said Brutus.
"No," laughed Hestia, "the poem I was reading on the floor, it was by Shakespeare."
"Oh, well, people do say Shakespeare wrote some of the best love sonnets known to man," said Farfalla. "I can see someone leaving one as a tribute to Saint Valentine.
Bruno shook his head, "Can we get back on subject, ladies?" Then he chuckled, "You know, Jones, speaking of saints and Shakespeare, why don't you attend St. Emrys in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the home of Shakespeare?"
"I hadn't thought of that. Maybe I should. Thanks, Bruno." The line had finally moved to the alter, and Hestia placed her rose down muttering a small incantation under her breath for good luck.
"Okay, one saint down, only about 200 more to go! Why don't we go to Vatican City, there are quite a few buried there," joked Bruno. The girls groaned. "Oh, come off it, I'm only joking." Bruno then reached for Hestia, "Why don't we go get a soda and snog in the corner in Saint Valentine tradition?!" Farfalla laughed and Hestia playfully ran out of the church, with Brutus in hot pursuit.
Round and Round and Round She Goes
Author: Prof Flitwick
Date: 06-26-04 16:40
... and where she stops, nobody knows!"
The wheel spins with a rattling "burr", slowly coming to a stop with a reluctant "tic, tic, ...tic, ...........tic"!
"Well now, young sir!" I squeak with excitement. "Let's see what the wheel has sent your way. It seems to have landed on GREEN!" I reach into the bright green box and pull out an oversized quill, made from an ostrich feather and dyed a beautiful chartreuse in color.
The sixth-year Slytherin seems ready to disregard his prize but at the last minute, snatches it from my and and elbows his way through the crowd in true Slytherin fashion. I watch in disbelief as he purposely breaks the quill in two. Immediately, it begins to drip ink the shade of fresh lime sherbet. Too late, the lad recognizes the problem and casts the quill from him. However his hands are already stained a bilious shade.
I shake my head and mutter an old Irish imprecation. With a flick of my wand, I capture the plume and set it to rights, returning it to the storage box. Perhaps someone else might appreciate it more. I might just save it for Harry Potter! Chartreuse seems to be his favorite color, according to recent rumors.
C'MON!...C'MON!
Author: Nevvyn
Date: 06-26-04 17:12
Tom sticks his head through the opening in the backboard and shouts to the crowd! "WHADDYA DOIN'? YA COULDNA PITCH A FIT!"
The young lass in Ravenclaw robes cocks her arm and lets fly with one of Briar's finest miniature pies. WHAP! It catches Tom on the side of the face. Grinning from ear to ear, he licks off a bit of the scrumptious cream that happened to splatter near his mouth.
Tom has been spelled to look like a wicked old witch, straight out of Knockturn Alley. This seems to give the students as much pleasure as if they were throwing at one for their less-loved professors.
I hand the young lady her second pie and she weighs it on the palm of her hand for several seconds. Meanwhile, Tom is up there pulling the most horrific faces and giving out such terrible witchly wails, that I have to stifle a laugh at his antics.
Finally, the girl makes up her mind. She rears back and lets fly with all her might. SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE! Tom is covered from forehead to chin with delectable Coconut Creme!
"Oooh!" her eyes light up. "Do I get a prize for that?"
"You most certainly do!" I reply, handing her a fresh pie. "Howsoever! This one's for you to eat!" She rejoins her friends, munching and grinning.
In the meantime, the Toms have traded places. This one looks like some sort of a great, hairy monster. He growls and grimaces and makes threatening gestures to his audience.
"All Right!" I call out! "Who wants to smash the monster with a pie?"
