Party On
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 09-28-04 12:44
Their only Tuesday class well out of the way, a small group takes lunch outside, needing some fresh air and a change of scenery. All are laden with books and notes though none compare to the stack Hermione's managed to haul out. Under her supreme organizational skills, they soon have a round robin review going on. At one point when a Herbology question comes up, Neville quietly asks, "Did I tell any of you that I've gotten into St. Emry's Herbology program AND have a job with Mariam Willow, one of the Herbologists who supplies several of the Diagon Alley shops?"
Everyone congratulates Neville and all decide to take a break to talk about anything other than NEWTs and studying. After a few minutes Harry poses the question, "Would anyone be interested in having a big party at my house while Sirius and Drucilla are on their honeymoon?"
Betrayal
Author: Genesis Sparrow
Date: 09-28-04 12:58
Genny glared and pointed a warning finger at her father. "You shouldn't do that, you're ruining a perfectly fine day," she scolded. Their father could be quite the nuisance some days. Gen didn't even see why he bothered showing up at Adam's, it only meant a short bit of hell for her brother and his wife.
"That's absurd, I am not at all." Darius leaned back in his chair, scowling at his eldest daughter.
"You are. There was no need to send him out the door; that was ridiculous. Adam deserves to be treated with more dignity than that."
Darius only scoffed and took a sip of his latte.
Adam looked up from the couch, excitement in his eyes. "Do you think I could get a wand?"
"Of course you can," Genny said.
Darius lowered his cup. "Why not?"
Gen turned around, a crinkle of confusion forming between her brows. "You aren't going to fight me on this?"
"Why would I? It's a waste of money but the boy should have a wand, don't you think?"
Genesis gave a small smile. "Of course. Oh! Before we go, do you have an owl I could borrow, Captain Morgan?"
* * *
Genny opened the window and let Captain Morgan out into the bright light of the early afternoon. The great snowy owl spread his wings and took flight for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"What was that about?" Adam asked.
Gen shrugged. "Nothing, just a letter of inquiry."
"Inquiry about what?"
"A job."
Darius was standing by the door, ready to be off. "Why are you looking for a job? I thought you were going to work at St. Mungos?"
Genny dropped her gaze and twisted a bit of her gauzy shirt between her fingers. "Well, yes, I was considering, but, Daddy, I would much rather teach."
"That's ridiculous, you could teach there, have an administrative position, even."
"But...I'd rather work at a school is all..." Gen bit her lip as she dared to lift her eyes from the floor to meet her father's.
It was exactly two seconds and three quarters of a heartbeat before Darius exploded. "Hogwarts! You WANT to teach at HOGWARTS!!?" He hurled his wand across the room, the small bit of wood hitting the counter with a clack before bouncing into the air and falling to the floor. "Fine. Just fine." He spread his arms open dramatically. "Go ahead, right now! Avada Kedavra! Go on! You know you want to!!" Darius' face was beyond red and well into a constricted purple. Veins were beginning to bulge on his forehead and neck. Genny took a deep breath and tried to swallow her fear, but her father raged on. "Why else would you go to Hogwarts instead of me!!?" Darius closed his eyes and inhaled loudly through his nose, looking like a mocking version of a very red-faced Christ.
Genesis folded her arms and lifted her chin. She wouldn't let him do this to her, not one possible chance. She wanted this job and she didn't care if he didn't like it. Or rather, she did care, but she wasn't about to let him make her regret sending the owl. "This has nothing to do with you, Daddy. I just wanted to be near Adam and Sidi. And besides, Hogsmeade is a very quaint little town. Anyway, did you not say yourself that you come to visit often? So I'll have all the more chance to see you here because we both know I'd never see you if I worked at Mungos."
Her father didn't say a word, only holding his pose, daring her to strike him down where he stood.
Genny snatched her satin scarf from the chair back and tossed it around her neck and over her shoulder. "Fine. Come on, Adam, we're going to get your wand."
Darius' eyes flashed open for one fiery instant, his teeth grinding, then apparated without another word.
Gen cringed. "Well, that didn't go over too well, did it?"
The Afternoon After
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 09-28-04 14:46
If someone told me that there were people more tired then I was last night, I would have said they were lying. Monday was horrid. First thing that happened was in the afternoon I started to get tired way too early. Then my writing hand cramped up. Bronwyn said it was because I wrote so much in History of Magic.
I fell asleep before dinner, and didn't wake up all night. I was half awake for about an hour before I finally started to move. It was horrid, I felt like I had been drained of all my energy. I usually felt like that in the morning, but not this drained.
"Morning sleepy," Bronwyn said in an overly cheerful voice. I managed a mumble that nobody could ever hope to understand. She left me alone as I changed into my school robes and generally woke up. It took a while, but I was finally awake, or mostly awake.
"Ok, ready for breakfast?" I asked Bronwyn, who was finishing up with her makeup.
"Your hair is a mess," Bronwyn stated. Right before she came after me with a brush. She put me into a chair in front of her mirror and started getting to work on calming my hair. I tried to get up, but she was just able to push me back down with ease. "Oh, by the way," Bronwyn started saying, "It's lunch. You slept all morning."
Time for Daddy Day Care
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 09-28-04 18:33
Right on time Julian shows up to take Grace for a walk. Briar has the pram ready, Grace sitting up clapping her little hands together in anticipation, pillows around her not to prop her up as she's sitting well on her own these days but to keep her from bouncing around so much over Hogsmeade's bumpy streets. Grace, with her easy going never-met-a-stranger personality, doesn't fuss in the slightest when Julian crouches beside the pram, tentatively reaching fingers out to stroke his daughter's hair.
"Grace, this is Daddy. Daddy's going to take you for a walk," Briar explains even though she knows Grace is too young to truly comprehend anything beyond being in the pram means going for a delightful walk. To Julian Briar points out a few things. "This bag tucked in the pram's corner contains fresh nappies. There's also a bottle. These are some cold cookies. She's getting a tooth and gnawing on the cold cookies is soothing. If she starts to fuss, check her diaper first and if that's fine, try one of the cookies. If the cookies nor the bottle work, she wants her parrot," Briar shows Julian a bright, stuffed parrot. "The parrot is Grace's version of a pacifier. In time you'll learn the difference between her cries to know what she's wanting without having to go down the list. You'll also find she rarely cries otherwise. Most of the time she's very happy and cheerful and quite chatty."
Julian, still kneeling by the pram and finding Grace charming and greatly amused by her fascination with his fingers, asks softly, "Anything else, Briar?"
"The jumper she's wearing should be enough against the spring breeze but if she seems a little chilled, there's a blanket folded under the nappie bag. Keep Grace the rest of the afternoon if you wish but please have her back here by six. If you prefer, I can pick her up."
The pram already halfway out the door, Julian replies, "Yeah, why don't you pick her up. Come up to the flat."
With a pang, Briar watches them go. She finds it funny in a weird way that just this morning during their usual get together, Bill had looked up from his coffee and asked, "Something I've been curious a great deal about lately. If I'd ever asked you to marry me for the baby's sake when you were still pregnant, would you have said yes?"
Briar had seriously replied, "No, I would never have burdened you that way for being chivalrous." She'd then added with a laugh, "Good thing too the way you make eyes at Fleur when you think no one's around."
Bill had sputtered some protests but Briar knew better and she felt that deep down so did Bill. That doesn't stop her from wondering now if Grace and she wouldn't have been better off if he had asked and she had accepted. Maybe Bill making such an open show of claiming Grace as his would have prevented the events of today.
Sighing, Briar shakes her head thinking that no, probably it wouldn't have stopped Julian once he'd reached the conclusion of who Grace's father is. Being married would only have complicated the issue, especially if it were with Bill because he would have butted heads with Julian, opposing custody, for no other reason than it would tick Julian off and that wouldn't be good for Grace no matter the outcome in the long run.
To keep herself from thinking about how Grace's time with Julian will go today, Briar moves to the front of the shop, greeting and waiting on customers.
Not Good Enough
Author: Darius Sparrow
Date: 09-28-04 19:13
Doctor Sparrow took his anger out on his office at St. Claires. Horatia silently watched from her door to see her boss destroy the bar in his office then then throw himself onto the sofa. She quietly entered the room and stole up behind him, sliding her hands up his back trying to knead out the stress induced tightness of his shoulders and neck. He moaned in appreciation. She climbed over the back of the sofa, pushed him back onto the arm, lay next to him and kissed him.
"You look ten years older than when you left this morning."
"Smashing, because I feel One hundred years older than when I left this morning."
He put his arms around her and held her. His melancholy disturbed her. She propped herself up on one elbow and caressed his cheek.
"What's wrong? Where did you go? Darius what happened? I've never seen you like this before."
Darius lifted his wand off the coffee table and pointed it at the fireplace.
"Incendio. My eldest daughter has betrayed me."
"What!" Dr Bellet sat up.
"Genesis would never do that. How? I mean betray you how? She wouldn't do that!"
Darius poured a glass of Chateau Cheval Blanc, 1996 of course, and handed it to his protege. He then poured another for himself and sipped.
He smacked his lips. "Well she did and I don't want to discuss it. You're already taking HER side!" he growled.
Horatia was in love with the dangerous doctor and as young women do, normally jumped automatically to his defense and rallied his cause. Her lack of instant outrage angered him.
"No!" She sat the wine glass down.
"No! I'm not! I 'm just saying...you know Genny is one of my best friends! My God Darius we went to school together! I know her better than anyone! She's not like that! She loves you!"
Her continued defense of her friend inflamed him. His temper skyrocketed. He stormed away to his desk and sulked in his chair.
She hurried to follow him.
"Darius, Genny is nothing but loyal to you. Loyal to a fault!"
"Is that so? " He slammed hands down on the desk top, his voice rising as he did until he was leaning over the desk and nose to nose.
"She's trying to get a job at Hogwarts! She is persuing employment at Hogwarts. She covets a teaching position at Hogwarts." His voice would have registered on the Richter Scale.
Horatia was stunned. "Oh my God. I can't believe that."
Darius fell back into his chair, his elbow banging on the desktop. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his eyes and sighed a stricken sigh. His hand travelled up his forehead and through his hair.
"St. Claire's isn't good enough for her! St. Mungo's isn't good enough for her! She's seeking an allegiance with the entity that deemed me unworthy, humiliated me and ruined my life!"
Horatia winced and mustered up the courage to in one last effort, defend her friend and talk some sense into her lover. She was between a rock and a hard place and intuitively decided not to point out that his unacceptable behavior and rule breaking wasn't anyone's fault but his own. She chose her words wisely.
"Darius, I don't know many people who would consider you ruined...."
A Message from a Professor
Author: Annie Paul
Date: 09-29-04 04:11
Sleep didn't come easy for me. As a matter of fact it hasn't come easy for the past few days, since I got that letter from home. As I sat in my dorm a house elf appeared before me. She was rather small and slim. Her eyes were blue and she gave me a bow.
"You be Miss Paul?" she asked. Her voice gave a slight squeak as she talked. I nodded. "Yes, who are you?" The elf gave another bow. "Twinkle is my name. I bring you a message from Professor Gryffindor Miss." She handed me the scroll with the Gryffindor seal upon it and bowed again. "Thank you." I said, and with a small pop she vanished.
I opened the scroll and looked at it it read:
"Miss Paul, I wish to talk to you about your problem in greenhouse 1 during your lunch break. Your presence is much needed. Do not be tardy. Professor Angelina Logan-Gryffindor, Herbology." I rolled up the scroll and wondered what she had in mind as far as talking.
Putting on my robes I went to the Common Room, then out to the Great Hall for breakfast before my Charms class.
Making a List and Checking It Twice
Author: Drucilla Eternal
Date: 09-29-04 06:49
"Here it is Sirius."
As I handed over the rolled up parchment, Sirius gave me a questioning look.
"It's the list," I answered.
"What list?"
Resisting the urge to thump the list over Sirius' head, I instead gave a smile and small laugh.
"Our wedding list dear. I have written down all the guests. The invitations will be ready to go out next week."
"Let's take a look then."
Sirius opened the parchment and grinned down at me. As the parchment began to unroll, it hit the ground with a small *thud*. I smiled innocently, as he stared at me in shock.
"What the…? Dru dear, I think…I mean, what happened to the idea of a small wedding? It looks like you invited the whole magical community!"
"They're mostly co-workers, Sirius. I mean, the Ministry of Magic is quite large and I couldn't just invite some and not others, so I invited them all."
"All?" Sirius gave me a suspicious look and started to scan the list more closely as I moved slowly out of the room.
When I reached the foyer I could hear shouting from the kitchen.
"We are not inviting the Malfoys!! Do you hear me Dru? No Malfoys!! Dru? Dru, I'm serious!"
I laughed softly as I slipped out of the house. The Malfoys would be there, along with every other person on my list. Honestly, hadn't Sirius learned yet? He couldn't deny me anything.
Birthday 'Party'
Author: Mary
Date: 09-29-04 09:54
It was after potions and before Charms that Mary finally realized why the knowledge of today's date had been bothering her all morning.
Today was May 20th, Nora's birthday.
Mary had completely forgotten. So, when they made it to the common room Mary raced upstairs, leaving Nora, Crispin and Mortimer looking confused in her wake.
"What's with her?" Mortimer asked, but Crispin just shrugged, "Not my week to keep track of her."
"Who are you kidding? It's always your week to keep track of her. No one else can."
Crispin shrugged again. Losing interest in the conversation, Nora jumped over the back of a chair and settled herself in the cushions. A few minutes later, just as she was getting comfortable, she felt something drop into her lap. Looking up she realized it was a snake, and it wasn’t all too happy to have been dropped.
Nora blinked, looking at it. It was a harmless garden snake, striped with dark greens and browns, with two perfectly round black eyes.
"Happy birthday, Masters," Mary said, her voice low as she crossed her arms and looked away. As such, she missed the glare Nora fixed in her direction.
"Birthdays are stupid. They don't matter."
"Hey, happy birthday Nora!" Mortimer bounded around the chair to get a good look at her.
"You're thirteen now, right?" Crispin followed at a calmer pace, "Good age."
He had been thirteen for a while, now. So had Mortimer. In fact, when Mary thought about it, she was the youngest of the lot. She pretended not to notice.
Nora glowered at her new pet snake.
"Whatever."
Mary smirked, "I bet if I told the kitchens they'd make you a cake. Pink and sparkly, with trick candles that sing you songs when you try to blow them out and everything."
"Don't you dare! How did you know it was my birthday, anyway?"
Mary grinned and tried to look mysterious. Nora's eye narrowed.
"Eh? You told us when Crispin turned thirteen back in December. We asked you."
Mary had forgotten about Mortimer's amazing memory. She shook off her failing attempt at being enigmatic and said, "Well, enjoy it. Or whatever. Just don't name it something stupid."
Nora stared at it.
Mary was a little bit sad to part with the little snake. She'd been planning on putting it in Iris Audley's bed one night. Oh well, she could always catch another outside of Hagrid's. Besides, it seemed to like Nora. It hadn't tried to bite her yet, at least.
Over My Dead Body
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 09-29-04 14:01
As the morning progresses, Sirius stews more thinking about the Malfoys being at the wedding. It's his wedding too, right? He's gone along with everything she's wanted so far for the wedding. He's already taken down the fence between his house and Dierna's. He's already paying rent for the empty lot on the other side and take his fence down along that part of the property line. He's created the pathway of stones she picked out. He's built arches and has roses and ivy twining up and over them and he's even building a gazebo himself.
When Sirius cannot get any angrier at the prospect of the Malfoys attending his wedding - and he knows Lucius would just because it would make Sirius mad - Sirius stomps into the house. Without bothering to clean up or change, he Floos to the Ministry and goes straight to Dru's office. Ignoring everyone else about Sirius walks to within a arm's length of Drucilla then very firmly says in a tight voice, "You're taking lunch right now and we are going to trim some names off the guest list."
Dru smiles, making the office and hallway light up. She lightly pats Sirius on the arm. "Sirius, darling, if you think about it. Don't you want them to see how happy and successful you are? If everyone knows they are invited and they don't come they will little petty. When have you ever known either of them to purposely appear small and petty over something that EVERYONE will notice? It would look as though you got the better of them. It's your chance to make them squirm and force them to give us a gift in the process."
The more Dru talks, the more Sirius begins to see her point. By the time the amicably stroll down to the cafeteria for lunch, Sirius is ready to personally hand deliver the Malfoys invitation. After he's seen Dru back to her office and returned home, Sirius works more on the gazebo, and begins to think about that maybe he needs to hear those reasons once more for inviting the Malfoys to the wedding. When Dru says it, it all makes so much more sense!
St. Mungo's
Author: Darius Sparrow
Date: 09-30-04 06:40
Darius sat sulking as he looked around the offensive medieval hovel they called an office. He didn't know why Wizards seemed to think they were ultimately superior to Muggles. It was true they did have more power, but in every other aspect their existence was disgusting. He stood and perused the room. It needed cleaned and upgraded to a place of quality and elegance. He refused to work in what looked like a public restroom in a metro-park.
"You! Owl!"
His flexing index finger allowed the bird to understand that Dr. Sparrow was calling to him. It fluttered over happily. Darius tied a note to its leg.
"Off you go."
"Owl" flew off as if on a mission from God.
Great. An ass-kissing owl.
Darius again strolled around the room, inspecting everything in the enormous rectangular "office." He looked at himself in a full-length mirror and shook his head.
"Oh how the mighty have fallen…"
He tugged at and brushed off his robes, congratulating himself on finding the perfect shade of jade. The color was quite complimentary yet could be considered dignified, unlike, he winced, the lime green abomination the healers seemed so proud of. He ran his fingers over the St. Mungo's emblem, truly impressed at the quality needle-work of Molly Weasly.
"Ooooooooh, nice office!" Horatia suddenly appeared. Darius wasn't amused. "But you look gorgeous!" She crossed her arms in front of her and huffed at the cold glare that demanded a professional demeanor.
"Oh come on this isn't really work!…… oh okay!"
Darius' opened arms swept the room. "Welcome to my nightmare. Shall I give you a tour?"
He pointed to an immaculately carved cherry wood desk.
"That is my desk. I can live with it."
He gestured to the farthest quarter of the room filled with a massive cauldron, tables, burners and what seemed to be a greenhouse. He walked into it.
"This is the laboratory." He sounded like Mr. Rogers from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.
"The burners look quite scientific don't you think?" He waved one in the air to punctuate his thought.
She giggled as she strolled over to get a better look, passing a house-elf holding a spouted pot with a very long handle over the fire in the fireplace. It bowed its head in humbleness as she walked past it. Horatia looked up quizzically. "…and this?"
Darius threw the burner down on the table in disgust and looked over.
"Coffee-maker."
Peace of a Cello
Author: chase danielle black
Date: 09-30-04 10:32
Chase got a weeks grounding and got her driving capabilites [license] taken away. She sat on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Boredom came over her and she began to hum a tune. The tune instantly reminded her of her cello. She stood up and walked to the den and began playing her cello. The beautiful sound of the cello bellowed through her grandmother's house. Chase's world was finally at peace once again.
Lesson Plans
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 09-30-04 20:21
Returning to my office after returning from Cloud's Kiss with my third year students, I think that today went well. The students used the system of phones I'd had installed to practice using the telephone, not just how to make a call but common phone courtesy as well. The students with strictly Wizarding backgrounds had had a great deal of fun even just listening to the different tones each number makes when dialed. By the time class ended, Euan Abercrombie and Ariella Beck had both earned five points for their respective houses.
I look over tomorrow's lesson plans just to remind myself what's on tap for the sixth and seventh years. Sixth years will play around with vacuum cleaners, hand held dust busters, and things like non-magical brooms and mops. They'll also put in more practice with the phones. The seventh years get to stay here at school, practicing answering questions such as those that might appear on their NEWTs.
Pulling out blank parchment forms, I get to work on next week's lesson plans. If I work hard, by tomorrow I can get lesson plans done for the rest of the term. With that in mind, I get to work, leaving my office door open in case a student needs to speak to me. Both the fifth years and seventh years are starting to get really nervous about the upcoming tests and most of the staff are making themselves as available as possible to the students. This reminds me to check the bottom two drawers in my desk for plenty of snacks and drinks to offer to any student who might drop by. Popping open a bottle of butterbeer, I get to work, already looking forward to Friday when the fourth years will get another chance to practice baking cookies.
Unhappy Birthday
Author: Nora
Date: 09-30-04 21:07
Nora curled up in her chair, quietly thinking to herself. Ever since she was little, Nora hated birthdays. What was the point? There was nothing special about anyone's birthday, it was just another meaningless day to her. Over the last month or so, Nora's slowly become more reclusive, only leaving her dormitory for classes when Mary drags her there. Ever since the school year began, Nora's dealt with a severe eating disorder, which she tries to hide from everyone. Maybe I should tell someone...maybe someone can help, but who? Her thoughts were soon interrupted when Mary dropped a snake in her lap, offering it as a birthday present.
"Oh, thanks Black..." In a way she was rather excited about the snake, it was the first birthday present she'd ever received. Being her normal self, she wasn't about to act very excited, besides she was too weak to move. She stared at the snake, her thoughts drifting back to her 'little problem' as she calls it.
Nora's grades have been slipping steadily, and she was surprised no one had approached her yet. Ah well, that wasn't important to her, she couldn't wait to get out of school; however, she may have to find a new place to stay during the summer. With an arsenal of thoughts swarming her brain, the extra stress finally caught up with her, and Nora once again passed out, falling out of her chair and landing on the cold floor.
Twenty Questions
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 09-30-04 21:18
"For the tenth time, no, I do not know where Voldemort's lair is," Ethan stated with great exasperation. "Are you suggesting I knew it at one time, then?"
Kep-Tian raised a black brow and replied coolly, "I am trying to determine what you know." He looked down and scribbled something onto a piece of parchment.
"I've already told you everything I know," Ethan said. "What more do you want?"
"Who are the Death Eaters?" Kep-Tian asked.
"What?"
"I want names."
Ethan shrugged his shoulders. "Bellatrix Lestrange... Rodolphus Lestrange... those are the names everybody knows."
"You can't recall any others?"
"Should I?"
Kep-Tian regarded Ethan seriously. "You don't remember at all?"
"Remember what?" Ethan asked, rolling his eyes.
Kep-Tian scribbled something onto his piece of parchment. "I'm finding I don't like your attitude, Ethan, which is quite a shame. We were rather good friends, you and I. Considerate of each other. Helpful when one of us was in need."
"You call this being considerate?" Ethan countered, attempting to move his hands in gesture.
"It must be so."
"Why?"
"Because you are a criminal."
Ethan replied, "You're not the law." And he added after a brief pause, "I know who you are, what you are. You belong in a cell in Azkaban just like me, maybe more."
"So you do remember." Kep-Tian rose from his stool and gave Ethan a hard stare.
Ethan bit his tongue. He still couldn't seem to remember his own involvement with his captor and only had Viktor's words to guide him.
"We have ways of getting the truth out, Ethan. Perhaps we will try another method tomorrow."
As Kep-Tian breezed past and left the darkened chamber, Ethan muttered sarcastically, "I look forward to it."
