A New Pen Pal
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 06-17-04 18:35
Harry stares at the parchment, mulling over what more he could possibly write to finish the Potions assignment due tomorrow. He's still got two inches to fill to meet the minimum lenght requirement. He'd not even have as much as he does if not for being ahead in his readying and studying. What doesn't help is trying so hard not to think about something else that all day he's thought of little else. The one exception was during Muggle Studies when the class was having a blast helping to test the various game booths for Saturday's carnival.
During breakfast this morning, Harry got a letter in the owl post. The envelope is nothing special. A very nondescript sort of ivory. The type sold in just about every paper and writing supply store. The parchment is equally generic. No signature either. There is one short sentence, written a large, bold, creepy looking style, in the middle of the page. Red ink. It looks alot like dripping blood. Maybe it is blood. That thought has crossed Harry's mind countless times today. Harry's also thought about who he should share this with if anyone. He is, afterall, seventeen now, and the whole flobber worm farm obsession spell aside, he's handled much worse than some cryptic note from an anonymous sender.
Potter, the end approaches.
Early Valentine's Gift
Author: Lucius Malfoy
Date: 06-17-04 19:42
"What do you think, dear?"
Lucius looks up from reading The Daily Prophet. "Pardon?"
Narcissa glides across the room so gracefully it almost appears she floats. Settling on one arm of Lucius's chair, Narcissa taps the pages Lucius had been perusing. Amusement in her tone, she asks, "What's new is so fascinating you tune me out in the middle of the conversation?"
"A recently fired underling of Fudge's has announced that Fudge himself arranged for all those incidents involving young Mister Potter. The plan was for Fudge to capilize on the Potter name, using the poor unfortunate orphaned boy to allow Fudge to become the stalwart savior in the fight against evil. Fudge only changed his plans when that Diggory boy was killed. To avoid being held culpible of murder, Fudge came out publically that all this nonsense about Lord Voldemort being back is utterly ridiculous even though Fudge knows for a fact the Dark Lord has returned."
Narcissa's lips turn up and her eyes seem to dance with amusement. "The Daily Prophet is getting to be more and more like the Quibbler each day. The only value this refuse of an article has is that readers will put these accusations off as being made by a disgruntled former employee thus giving more credence to the notion that Lord Voldemort is long gone."
Lucious nods in agreement, folds the paper, then affectionately pats Narcissa on the knee. "Now what was it you were saying?"
"Oh, nothing overly important. Bellatrix will wear black to the Knights of Walpurgis ball. She always wears black and looks so fetching in it that I've changed my mind on wearing my newest black dress robes. I just cannot decide what color to wear instead. I want your opinion."
Lucius, who considers the initiation requirements of the Knights to be a tad silly to bother joining but knowing the value of networking with equally right minded people accepted Rodolphus's invitation to the Valentine's Ball, steeples his fingers together and purses his lips in thought.
"Something icy blue and dripping with diamonds would be perfect," a ghost of a devilish grin plays across Lucuis's lips as he adds, "but we have the Hogwarts Valentine's Day carnival to attend. We made a generous prize donation and we promised we'd help run a booth or two."
Narcissa's face scrunches into a pout. "Oh yes, I had quite forgotten about that."
Lucius dips one hand into a pocket and draws out a small but elegant box. "That's why I got you, us really, this little treasure."
Narcissa snatches the box from Lucius, rapidly opening it. "A time turner! I won't even ask how you got one since I'm quite sure the Ministry would never approve of using a time turner so we might attend two different functions on the same night."
Lucius reaches for the box, closes it, then drops it back into his pocket. "Go. Get your new dress ordered. Have your dressmaker charge it to me."
Suddenly energized with excitement, Narcissa apparates off to shop. Lucius unfolds the Daily Prophet and, having found the article against Fudge so amusing, he begins reading it again.
Time to Me, Myself and I
Author: Sora
Date: 06-17-04 20:23
"YESS!!!!!!!!"
The bell rang indicating that Transfiguration was over, and Sora coudn't wait to go! He was already ready to go five minutes before the bell rang. Sora jumped to his feet (surprised that he didn't fall over) and sprinted out the door.
Throwing his books on his bed, Sora made his way back downstairs with Felix riding on his shoe. They both went downstairs to the Great hall, where they found Roane studying her notes. After messing around a little, Sora and Felix (now on Sora's head) decided to go back up to Gryffindor Tower.
On the way Sora almost ran into Professor Snape, who gave Sora a stern look as Sora kept bowing and saying, "I'm really sorry! I didn't know you were there! SorrySorrySorry!!" Even Felix kept nodding her head as if she were trying to say 'Sorry' as well. After about five minutes of offering Professor Snape some chocolate frogs, Sora and Felix now ran back to Gryffindor Tower.
Up there, Sora had decided that he needed his nap. Kairi overheard this and quickly said, "See you in the mornin' Kiwi!" Sora laughed and went straight up to bed. Nearly tripping over his books that fell off his bed, Sora collapsed onto his four poster (Felix too) and was fast asleep.
Well?
Author: Blossom
Date: 06-17-04 21:37
As she puts the finishing touches on dinner, Blossom hears Fred coming home from the shop. Wiping her hands on her apron, she hurries into the other room. A quick kiss hello then sounding a little breathless she asks, "Did you hear anything?"
Fred beckons Blossom to follow him into the kitchen where he gets out dishes and begins setting the small table. "Percy's not working at the Ministry on Saturday and not going to the carnival. He's got plans for the evening but after giving us one of his lectures about nothing, he said he'll watch the shop."
Blosson, stopping in mid motion of serving the salad, makes a face at Fred. "That's excellent but you know what I meant."
Setting the two bottles of butterbeer he's just uncapped onto the table and taking his seat, Fred gives Blossom one of his cheekiest grins. "Lunch on Friday at Pots & Pages. Works out well actually. We tell Mum and Dad on Friday then at the carnival on Saturday we can tell Ron, Ginny, and even Bill."
Leaning over to give Fred another kiss, Blossom settles back in her chair and the recently engaged couple discuss more of their wedding plans as they eat their evening meal.
Shipwreck
Author: Victor Harkwell
Date: 06-17-04 23:15
By now, the crew of this ship are well aware of our presence. Stretching out the kinks in his back, Tennyson huffs an unintelligible disagreement with his formerly-petrified form. This is presently interrupted by another sharp turn, sending my old friend and I across the ice-slicked deck. I botch several spells in my desperation to keep my footing while trying to locate the Thor's Hammer through the thick fog.
The ship weaves at high speed, through clouds of chilling mist, a hundred feet above rough sea. At this time three giant wizards, as hulkish as the first, appear before us. Each of them carry great axes that appear to have belonged to their Viking ancestors. This isn't looking good. I've never wanted Hagrid around so much in my life.
Their swings come quite close. Dexterity is the only thing to save us, for the weapons they carry appear immune to our spells. Even the articulate Tennyson, with his fame for spell accuracy, has no success in disarming, creating flame or petrifying. Stepping backwards to avoid attack, I stumble over something and fall painfully on my backside. It's Thor's Hammer at my feet!
I lift up the Asgardian weapon and put it between a giant's axe and my head. The blade of the axe splits into two pieces, flying in opposite directions!
Tennyson is fed up with the futility of offensive magic and takes a defensive approach. With a swish and flick, our feet lift off the deck and the two of us are carried up into the sails of the ship. I carefully stow away Thor's Hammer into my shoulderbag.
A series of Tennyson's eloquent severing spells loosens the main sail from the ship, and the two of us each take two corners. No longer able to maintain it's position, the airship crashes into the violent sea below. But we are far from relieved. My resourceful friend and I drift through the air in our makeshift parachute, unsure of our fate.
Late Night
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 06-18-04 03:01
I stifled a yawn as I made my way back in to the dark dorm room after Astronomy. Stargazing was fun, but I had to get up early for classes, or more accurately, class. I only had one class tomorrow and it was at nine in the morning. Doing what I did normally on Wednesday nights, I made my way to the dorm in the dark.
The common room was dimly lit just for the astronomy students. The dorm room itself was a different story. It was completely dark. After months of practice I was able to walk around in the room with no problems. I had placed my books down on my nightstand, and turned to climb into bed.
As I took the step to get to my bed I found the floor had suddenly become round. Realizing that it was my crystal ball a half second too late, it rolled under my weight sending me falling onto my bed. It went crashing into some stuff and stopped. The room was silent once again.
Very carefully I crawled into my bed to sleep for the remaining few hours before breakfast.
A New Day Begins
Author: Nathan Xavier
Date: 06-18-04 10:35
Nathan Xavier yawned and rubbed his eyes before finally prying them open a bit and letting in the morning light. He hated getting up so early worse than anything and found himself longing, for the hundred and fifty-first time already, for the summer to come along.
"Whatcha doin' Pete?" Nate mumbled sleepily as he tumbled out of bed, casting a glance over at the slight red-haired boy bent over a desk. He could have saved himself the trouble of asking though, he could tell from the pile of tiny sticks and the tube of muggle glue that was leaking onto the desk top that Peter was doing what he always did when he couldn't sleep, he was building a ship.
Peter started a bit and then leaned back, turning 'round to face Nathan and holding up a tiny little pirate ship. "This is the smallest one yet. Isn't it aces?"
Peter Woodbridge was Nathan's best friend and had been for as long as either of them could remember. They had grown up next door to each other and both descendants of wizards, witches and the like. The two, in fact, were virtually inseperable, so it was a great relief to both of them when they had gotten their letters at the same time and then had both been sorted into Ravenclaw.
Nathan grinned as he held out his hand, taking the tiny ship which stood a mere two inches high, and turning it gingerly. Pete had been building ships since the two were small boys (which wasn't so long ago, considering that they were both eleven) and even now he refused to do it by any other means than by using his own two hands in the most mugglish of fashions. But while most boys who loved ship-building seemed to always want to make them bigger and taller, it was Peter's goal to make the tiniest ship ever built. 'So tiny a crew of mites could man it.' Pete had once told him.
Having agreed that it was the best one yet, Nathan passed the miniature ship back to his friend and began pulling on his clothes as he felt his tummy begin to growl for want of breakfast.
The Great Hall
Author: Emma Crusher
Date: 06-18-04 14:18
The day began with its usual moans and groans, but Emma felt displaced. She had dreamed, for the first time in weeks, of Kody. They had simply been wandering the castle halls, decorated as they were with all the Valentine's Day glories. It had felt so utterly normal, comftorable, even, that she felt out of place now, sitting across the table from her fellow students, thinking of the book she had been studying for the past months.
Even so, by the time she finished her breakfast, the feeling passed, to be replaced with a touch of resentment towards those around her. She glanced over at the Slytherin table and shook her head. Maybe they had it right, not trusting the muggle-borns... but then, they shouldn't trust her in that case, either, for she, too, was but a half-blood.
Eventually she'd get it all sorted out, but in the meantime, she had a class to get to.
Lunch
Author: Riku
Date: 06-18-04 17:53
Riku trudged into the Great Hall having made the long trek from the DADA classroom to the Gryffindor common room and back down. He took a seat next to Sora and across from his three other friends, Kairi, Tranquillina, and Roane.
"I hate Thursdays." Riku said as he sat down.
"You always say you hate whatever day it is," Kairi pointed out.
"Yeah, 'cause it's cold and I have to get up too early," Riku gumbled as food appeared on the table, "But right now," he said a bit more excited, "It's time to eat!"
End of Lunch
Author: Kody
Date: 06-18-04 21:17
Both Tuesday and Wednesday came and went without either Drake or Kody speaking to Ariana or Emma about going on the Tunnel of Love ride with them on Saturday. Now here it is the end of lunch on Thursday with their Herbology class due to begin soon. Polishing off his meal, resisting the urge to lick the plate of every crumb, Kody sighs, "I did start to ask Emma but she seemed out of sorts so I didn't say a thing. Maybe I'll just wait until Saturday and if a chance comes up, I'll ask her then."
Barely intelligible due to a mouth full of chocolate cake is Drake's reply. "AhmgonnaskArianafterHerblgy."
Well used to Drake's mouth being full when he talked, Kody has no trouble deciphering what his friend just said. As they get up from the table, Kody slaps Drake on the back. "Good luck!"
Still chewing that last bite of cake, Drake's response sounds something like, "Nksllneedhit," which Kody correctly interprets to be, "Thanks! I'll need it!"
Summoning the Sacrifice
Author: Bellatrix Lestrange
Date: 06-19-04 12:43
"Mistress! Mistress! I have important news!"
Bellatrix turned around and seeing nobody drew the obvious conclusion and looked down. The latest in the Lestrange's long line of house elves stared back upwards.
"Yes Mortifer?" she enquired, the honey dripping from her voice. Rodolphus of course would have taken this for the ultimate in sarcasm.
"Mistress, I had just popped over to the Malfoy mansion and-"
"What were you doing sneaking around over there?" she inquired, one perfect eyebrow raised in question.
"Just…checking up, Mistress. I know how you like to keep informed of things and-" Mortifer rang the dishrag he wore between his hands. It was the only sign of extreme agitation he ever showed. "I thought you should know that Narcissa and Lucius were invited to the Knights Walpurgis Ball and she's wearing ice blue."
Bellatrix sat down. "Ice blue?" she spat. Why? Her sister always wore black and it gave Bellatrix a chance to show her up. Now the woman was wearing a color by Merlin's beard! This could only be the work of Lucius. "Well," she replied, "wearing 'dove grey' is out, then. I'll not be seen next to Narcissa in some insipid pretend shade of black!"
She turned to the closet and laid a hand on one of the numerous dresses she owned. Suddenly she felt a tingle in her arm which grew in intensity. Out of habit she placed her right hand over the Dark Mark just above her left elbow. Yes, it was getting warmer, she decided. It was followed by a decidedly sharp burning pain causing her to hiss as it continued to burn. The pain was intense and somewhat pleasurable and she knew this summons was just for her.
She pulled her cloak from the closet and wrapped herself up nice and warm for the journey, pulling the fox fur around her face. She disapparated, leaving Mortifer standing in an empty room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When she arrived, Voldemort's grand hall was deserted. This puzzled Bellatrix tremendously, as the place was usually crawling with sycophants and hangers-on. She'd been looking forward to verbally abusing that sickening excuse of a human, Pettigrew. It had become a ritual to be completed upon every arrival, and Pettigrew's absence bothered her.
Sighing, she swept regally down the passageway and towards Voldemort's inner chambers. A tall, almost emancipated figure in a black cloak stood before a roaring fire, the figure outlined against the flames.
"Master?" she whispered in disbelief, walking carefully towards the fire.
The figure turned and gazed upon his favorite pupil. "Ah, Bellatrix," he whispered. "How good to see you."
"Lord, you are…getting stronger?" she enquired carefully.
"Every day, dear heart, every day."
Bellatrix couldn’t help it; she sank to the floor in a low curtsey.
"Don't waste your time groveling, Bellatrix," said Voldemort, reaching out an almost skeletal hand and pulling her to her feet.
She noticed he now had much strength and it was growing day by day. "I have a task for you," he began. "I need you to keep an eye on Snape. I still don't wholly trust the man."
Bellatrix snorted. "Neither do I, although it was fun to watch him panic during our break in at Gringott's."
"Locate Severus and find out what he's done regarding the scroll. If you have to find him at that Valentine's Carnival do so. But Bellatrix," he said softly, "in this case I must insist on no harm coming to any of those children there."
Bellatrix stared at the Dark Lord in disbelief. He continued, "I don't need anyone drawing conclusions at this point. If you harm anyone in anyway it will cause an uproar and the Order of the Phoenix will start a war. I am so close to gaining immortality and now would be a bad time to jeopardize what we have done so far."
"But Master, don't we want a war?" she cried.
"Not yet, Bellatrix, not yet. Your moment will come, and you will walk beside me, I promise you that."
