As Ethan and I enjoyed our time together we both heard a crash and a voice shouting, "What in the name of Merlin is going on here!" It was no mystery as to who shouted it, Professor McGonagall. Ethan and I got up from our table as did Professor Dumbledore to see four students, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Baine bloodied, bruised and battered and from where I stood. It looked like Mr. Baine did most of the work.

After being asked twice by both Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress what started, Hermione and Malfoy began to explain giving two different stories. At this point I would have wished for my Sneak-a-Scope to find out who was lying.

I then noticed Dumbledore was looking like he was getting a headache. He said he was going to think things over. He then did something I thought was rare for I never saw him do what he was about to do when I was a student. He took 50 points from both houses and then left everything to Professor McGonagall as he left the place.

Ethan then took the boys back to the school to see Madam Pomfrey after Professor McGonagall also added detention. She then left after speaking to the girls. I looked at the girls. Hermione was still looking upset and Annabella looked like she was doing her best to comfort her.

I walked up to the girls and placed a gentle hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Don't worry, dear, you know what the right thing is. You always have from what I hear. Listen to your insides and do the right thing. Again if you're still troubled, my office is available for a private talk, ok?"

The girl nodded. I saw the mess was being cleaned up but the owner and I paid my bill, gave the girls a reassuring smile, then left back to the school.

Fulfilling a Promise
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 02-10-03 07:52

Sirius had been up with the sun so that he could get some work done on the tunnel between Dierna's and his houses before time to get ready for Harry to drop by. Sirius could hardly wait to see his godson again. Not only did he have Harry's room completed but the room was full of Harry's belongings from the Dursley's. One day not long ago, Sirius had simply shown up at their door, informed them of who he was and why he was there, then gone straight up to Harry's room and packed everything of the boy's into boxes he'd brought along just for the occasion. Then, Sirius had loaded the few boxes into a Ministry car Dierna had requisitioned for him to use.

Yet another surprise for Harry is that in between working on the secret tunnel and vault, getting Harry's belongings, and fixing up a room for Harry, Sirius had met with both Ron's and Hermione's parents to learn more about those two then used that knowledge to do up rooms for them as well. It was no big stretch to think that they might wish to visit Harry from time to time just as Harry would surely be visiting them on occasion. Sirius simply wants them to feel as at home in his house as Harry hopefully will.

All this work getting his house livable and creating the secret tunnel and vault (which so far only Sirius and Dierna know about) had meant that for the time being Sirius was not doing anything for the Ministry. At times, Sirius was happy with this because after all, it was the Ministry that had been fooled by Pettigrew's lies and deceptions thus landing Sirius in Azkaban for all those years. Then the Ministry had been slow in believing credible people and overwhelming evidence that Pettigrew was alive and Sirius should be declared free and innocent. At other times, Sirius toyed with taking at least a part-time job with the Ministry. There were still a few blind idiots there with enough power to do harm to the progress being made in fighting Voldemort's second rise. The more working for the Ministry who saw things the same way as people such as Dierna or Arthur Weasley, the better. The mission he'd done months ago, the one where he'd had some contact with Hagrid's mother Fridwulfa, was in dire need of being followed up. There were branches of the cult formed and led by that man Koyla that needed to be tracked down and disbanded. Pettigrew needed to be located again and captured. And, most importantly, Voldemort needed to be stopped.

Running a hand through his damp hair, Sirius shoves the thoughts of Ministry work from his mind. Deep down he knows that it's only a matter of time before he's working there in some official capacity for one of its departments but today all that can wait. Harry should be arriving at just anytime now and Sirius for some reason is feeling nervous to the point of giddiness because today as far as Sirius is concerned that he becomes a parent. He failed James and Lily in his duties as Harry's godfather, promising to see to Harry's upbringing in the event something happened to them. Today is the day he starts finally living up to that promise.

Briar rubs her forehead both in exasperation and to subconsciously lessen the growing headache. "We'll talk about this later, Julian. The shop was already swamped when you dragged me up here to talk. My answer is the same as it was yesterday. You are not doing yourself any favors by standing here arguing with me about it when I'm needed downstairs."

"I wanted to resolve this last night but you stormed out and apparated away. Coming over now rather than waiting till tonight is the only way I could be sure you wouldn't do it again. Why is your answer no? Why won't you even consider it?"

"I should have thought that was fairly obvious since we've gone round and round about it all for several weeks now. Maybe you just weren't listening because none of it's anything you wanted to hear. For the sake of wrapping this up quickly so that I can return to a bakery full of customers, fine, I'll go over it again. I'm nervous. It's a little thing called cold feet. You believe in so many things I don't. We disagree on a number of important social and political topics, not the least of which is that you think Wizards should have complete and total control of the world with the Muggles pretty much as our slaves. Maybe, just maybe, we could get by with agreeing to disagree on those subjects but there are some we could not. Namely, how much you dislike one of my very best friends, someone I think of as family. Then there's how your mother has decided to plan our wedding, as in yours and MINE. She's gone behind our backs and changed every single thing and you've said nothing to her. In fact, if you recall, you told me to just relax, to let her have her bit of fun. The only concession you've tried making is to suggest we elope last night or tonight but still said we should go through with all your mother's plans afterwards just to please her. If we did that, what would eloping solve? I'd still have to put up with your mother, whose tastes are the polar opposite of mine, planning a huge wedding right down to making out a minute by minute schedule for both the wedding and the reception and even picking out where we would spend our honeymoon..."

Briar, extremely angry again and feeling as though the vein throbbing at her temple will explode any second now, lets her voice trail off before making a frustrated sound far at the back of her throat. Waving her hands in front of her to indicate she's done talking for now and to leave her alone, she stomps down the stairs to the bakery kitchen. There, she pauses a second to take a deep, composing breath, then calmly walks out into the packed shop. Smiling at a customer she recognizes by name, Briar greets him, "Hi there, Jet. What will you have today?"

Whoops
Author: Captain Electron
Date: 02-10-03 14:15

Straightening up, Electron set off again, but didn't notice that the door had opened again until he ended up in a collision with the woman who was coming out. Electron stepped back, but she came forward, stumbling on the hem of her robes, and her hat came off. He retrieved it for her.

"Sorry," he said with an apologetic smile, "should've been looking where I was going."

She took the hat and put it back on. "Don't worry," she said, "I'm usually the one at fault."

With some apprehension, Electron noticed some more students heading down the street. "Why are there so many kids around today?" he wondered, half to himself.

The woman smiled. "It's their Hogsmeade weekend." She introduced herself - Professor Veronica Dumbledore - and explained that she was with the students. That was just what Electron needed! But his dreads were well out of sight, and she didn't seem to know him, so maybe he was safe for the moment.

"I'm - um - John," he said, remembering his alias just in time. "Listen, why don't I get you a drink, to say sorry?" He turned them away from the students, thinking that the local pub must have some dark, quiet corners. If not, he could always buy a bottle of something potent to take home... or two... He glanced at the Professor, waiting for her response.

Back to Hogwarts
Author: Clara Devaki
Date: 02-10-03 14:18

"Wha..." Clara watched Draco and the Ravenclaw boy as they got into a fight. She didn't really noticed her butterbeer slowing spilling out of her mug. Then she glanced at Tempest. "What was that about?"

"How should I know." Tempest shook her head as they watched the boys leave. "But let's head back to Hogwarts, you can always ask him later."

"Yeah..." Clara nodded and the two Slytherins headed back to Hogwarts and lounged in the common room for awhile.

Veronica beamed a bit, though her shyness was showing. "Its a pleasure making your acquaintance, John, and thank you. I would like that very much. I don't drink very often, but the occasional social merlot never hurts," she said with a chuckle.

Snap
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 02-10-03 17:12

"Now, Professor Somerset, if you would escort these gentlemen to the hospital wing to get cleaned up," directed Professor McGonagall.

Ethan nodded and jerked his head to the door, signalling for Baine, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle to step outside. They complied, some more reluctantly than others, and began the march back to Hogwarts in silence.

He observed the boys during the walk, not failing to notice the rigid tension in the air. Cuts, bruises, scrapes and other marks peppered the boys' skin, although Gabriel and Draco seemed to have received the most blows.

The lone Ravenclaw walked on Ethan's left, while the three Slytherins, with Draco in the middle, kept to his right. A scowl remained fixed on Draco's face, who occasionally cast heated glances at Gabriel.

"Do you care to tell me what this was about, boys?" Ethan asked when they neared the gates of the school.

Gazes hardened, but none deemed it necessary to answer.

"I realize it's quite common for adolescent males to get into fights...a tavern brawl, that's classic!" Ethan paused, grinning, though he realized that perhaps he shouldn't make light of the situation.

By now, the four had begun to climb the rolling, green hills in front of the castle. The towering structure loomed overhead, growing larger and larger as they made their approach.

Ethan cast a knowing look at the boys and stated pointedly, "It's always about a girl. They make us do foolish things all the time."

"Nothing foolish on my end, Professor," countered Draco confidently, sending a defiant smirk in Gabriel's direction. He made the unfortunate decision to remark, "Filthy Mudblood's got Baine all–"

He never finished his venomous statement because Ethan made an abrupt right face and violently reached for the neckline of Draco's robes, pulling the Slytherin to a sudden halt. Gabriel, who had given a start at Draco's crude commentary, watched the scene unfold in surprise, and Crabbe and Goyle stood back, flubbery jaws agape and eyes as round as saucers.

Sudden fury erupted through Ethan as he barked, "I don't ever want to hear you use that word, Mr. Malfoy. Use it again and you'll not like the consequences. Are we understood?"

He pulled on the Slytherin's collar until the boy answered, "Yes sir."

"Good." The sudden rage subsided, leaving Ethan slightly startled. Keeping his temper in check never seemed a problem before...perhaps the stress from the hearing that voice...

"Let's, ah, press on," Ethan said, gesturing for the boys to continue walking.

Never knew you could just snap, did you?

Ethan, at best, tried to ignore the voice.

"Come on, you four. To the hospital wing with you." He ushered them inside and lead them up the stairs and down the corridor to the hospital wing.

Hi, Miss Rose. I'd like a slice of whatever that cake right there is," Jet taps a finger on the display case at the cake in question. "That's to eat outside at one of your tables. Two servings of your biggest glass of ice cold milk to go with it, please. Then I'd like one slice of the same cake to go as well, along with a slice of this one, that one, and a wedge of that apple pie too, please. Oh, I have some coupons. From that booklet all the students were sent."

Jet's Salazar heightened senses pick up that Miss Rose is inwardly seething for some reason but outwardly she beams at Jet as he places his order. She nods when he mentions the coupon booklet and a short moment later, Miss Rose has carefully stacked everything onto a tray and accepted Jet's payment and coupons. He picks up the tray, weaves through the mass of people in the bakery and heads outside. After setting the tray down, Jet plops into the nearest chair and takes his first bite of the heavenly cake.

After he's cleaned the plate of every crumb and drained both glasses of every drop of milk, Jet sees that Miss Rose had put a folded shopping bag with handles on the tray along with the four twine wrapped to-go boxes. He packs the boxes in the bag then saunters over to the bookstore. Once inside, Jet slowly makes his way to the hidden doorway to the secret room. Glancing around to make sure no one's in close enough proximity to observe his actions, Jet utters the spell to reveal the door and slips inside.

Jet can't keep the evil grin off his face as Isolde Farnon sits up with a gasp from making out with Pyrrhus Fine, Azaelia Bramble looks up from where she sits reading, her mouth hanging open, and Pyrrhus stammers out, "How how di di did you get in here? How'd you even know about this place?"

A hint of malicious laughter in his voice, Jet replies, "Oh, you might just say the spirit moved me. A little ghost whispered in my ear." With that, Jet sets down his bag and moves to peruse the books on one shelf.

I step outside and walk a short way up the road, catching up to Professor Somerset. "Please see that Mr. Malfoy is kept separate from his "friends"," I tell him quietly. "I want to get their individual stories, once Madam Pomfrey has had a look at them. I suspect the physical damage is mostly superficial." Ethan Somerset nods to indicate his understanding of my order, then continues herding the quartet up the road. I return, just in time to meet Minerva coming out of the Three Broomsticks.

"Well now!" I say with wrinkled brow. "It appears that someone has invented an entirely new way to spoil a Hogsmeade visit." I shake my head in bewilderment. "And I was looking forward to a fine dinner at The Spinning Horn. Ah well! Perhaps, next time," I sigh. "Would you care to walk back with me, or should I summon one of the carriages?"

"I think the walk will do us both good!" she replies. "It will give us time to cool off and get our thinking straight." I offer her my arm, and we stroll back up the hill and through the gates to the Castle.