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In Need Of Space And Fresh Air
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 04-08-08 12:02
Mira's persistent crying has James upset. Nothing Dru or Sirius does calms either child and already frayed nerves, including those of others staying in the tunnel with them, are grated even more. Never the most patient person around Sirius knows he's going to snap at someone soon. They all need a break from the tunnel.
All of them are on edge and for Sirius there's the added frustration of the Order's plan to use that locator potion they know about thanks to Ron Weasley went exactly as they'd hoped until the man Sirius the dog had bitten went and got himself killed trying to escape from inside the Ministry. As uncharitable a thought as it is, Sirius can't help but keep thinking that it would have been so much more helpful if the twit had waited until being moved from the Ministry to try and escape. At least that way the Order might have some idea of where the Ministry is sending Nons.
Mira's crying has risen in volume, which means James's shrieks of empathy have increased as well. Mira hasn't given them any indication she's ill, she's not hungry, she's clean and dry. All Dru and Sirius can figure out is that Mira has had it with being in the tunnel. Sirius can't fault her one bit for that, particularly since she's just shy of being two.
Gnawing on his upper lip while in thought, an idea comes to Sirius. To those who've been staying with them in the tunnel, Sirius says, "There is a house that's empty now that you may use as your next hiding spot. You simply need to be patient a day or two more. For now though I think you'd all be safe at a Yorkshire house the Order of the Phoenix has. We'd not used it before now for anyone because we weren't sure if it's been compromised; but so far there have been no raids on it. You should be safe for a day or two."
To Dru he says, "I'm going to get them to the Yorkshire location and then when I get back we're going to take the twins for some fresh air and room for them to run around on those cute, chubby toddler legs of theirs."
Sirius is gone for under an hour, the twins's crying seeming louder, and more heart wrenching, after his having been away from it a short time. Dru looks immensely relieved that he's back.
"What do you have in mind?" she asks, attempting again to cuddle Mira close to calm the child.
"Harry let us know Hermione, Ron, Janine, and he have left the one house and decided to camp for awhile. We could do that too, at least for a little while."
"Camp?" Dru sounds dubious.
"Dierna had a tent stored in one of her tunnel alcoves if I recall."
It takes Sirius about ten minutes to locate the tent. He apologetically tells Dru, "It's only got one bedroom but the living room is nicely appointed and there's a spa like bathtub."
The expression on Dru's face has Sirius chuckling a little. "It won't be so bad, Dru. Let's pack up some clothes and supplies - let's not forget Wendy's catfood - and we'll go to one of the Muggle campgrounds that was on a list Harry showed me."
Dru's face brightens. "There was one on the list that Harry had a pamphlet for. I thought it looked quite nice and there was a picture of a play park, though without the pictures moving it can be hard to tell sometimes what is exactly what with a Muggle photo."
Dru finds the pamphlet and shows it to Sirius. She points to the listed items of interest near the campground, one of which is pony rides. "I think the twins might enjoy that. They've been around Grace Valentine's horse two or three times and these are much smaller than he is. And look, here's that photo of the play park on the camp grounds."
Sirius smiles and nods, "It's settled then. Let's get packed up as quickly as we can and keep our fingers crossed that the site has a tent space we can rent."
An hour later the Eternal-Black family, including a curled up and sleeping in a haversack cat Wendy, are apparating to a spot within easy walking distance of the camping grounds they picked out. As luck would have it, there was indeed a grass site for a tent they could have even though they'd not had a reservation.
Shortly thereafter, Sirius is trying to get the tent set up while Dru takes the twins to play in the playground area just a short distance away from their camp site.
Park Outing
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 04-08-08 16:35
Tristan insists on going up the ladder of the slide rather than having Griff just put him at the top. At twenty months of age Tristan is far more of an excellent climber than Griff would care for him to be; nonetheless, Griff stands directly behind the ladder and has one hand protectively held against Tristan's back.
The entire way up, Tristan repeats the mantra of, "Mum, Mum, Mum." In ten days Carys will have been gone two months but the number of times per day that Tristan asks for her hasn't lessened a bit.
When Tristan reaches the top, Griff moves to the side where he can still keep protective hands at the ready. From a nearby park bench Alun proclaims, "Good job, Tristan!"
Tristan waves a fist at Alun, gurgles happily, then pushes himself down the slide. At the bottom, he tells Griff, "More," so around they go to the ladder again. Once he's at the top Tristan waves at Alun but this time instead of the happy sounds, the child looks momentarily puzzled as he gazes at his great grandfather. It's fleeting but there and Griff sees. As with Carys's absence, Tristan doesn't understand why Alun is still part of his daily life but Mairwen is not.
The frustration Griff has at not being able to locate either Carys or Mairwen. Ruth and he had both thought that with the black ops connections they'd find out in no time. For reasons she will never go into with Griff, Ruth had been doubly certain she'd be able to easily and quickly find out. Griff did have a connection to Forest Wood at the Ministry but Forest was out of the loop and then became one of the missing himself. It's enough to make Griff think he should reconsider that job offer from Euphemia Smythe-Jones. He really doesn't want to have to take that step - he cringes at the thought - but if it gets him information on where Carys and Mairwen are and how to go about getting them free, then he'll just have to have a stiff upper lip and do it.
Tristan comes down the slide a third time and when Griff straighens from catching his son at the bottom, he has the sensation of being watched. Turning he spots a man standing near a tree well beyond the bench where Alun sits. The last time Griff had seen the man, he'd convinced himself he'd been seeing things, that he'd simply seen someone who looked similar to Jacob LaBranche.
This time there's no second guessing himself. Jacob lifts a hand and gives a lazy wave, a huge grin on his face. Griff takes off in a sprint, calling to Alun as he passes the bench, "Watch Tristan!"
Jacob's stepped behind the tree by this time and Griff knows before he even reaches the spot that Jacob has disapparated.
"Fuck!" Griff practically screams.
He wants to smash something but retains enough control of his emotions to know better than to hit his fist against the tree. He scans the area to see if maybe Jacob only went a short distance away then trots back to where Alun is catching Tristan at the bottom of the slide.
Alun gently chides Griff, "You should watch your language when young ones are about."
Griff colors slightly. "I'm sorry. Normally I do."
"What's got you so worked up so quickly?"
"I saw my uncle."
"The one you told me about?"
Over the past few weeks Griff had filled Alun in on is family history. Griff nods at the older man, "Yes, the one I told you about, Jacob."
Alun loses some of the color in his cheeks. "He didn't know about Tristan, did he?"
"No, but I'm certain that he does now."
"Time to switch parks then."
"Definately."
Griffin scoops up Tristan, tickling the boy. "Let's go to the park with the choo choo, Tristan."
The park is a Muggle one that has a miniature train ride. Tristan adores it so he gets excited at the mention of it and doesn't protest leaving the slide. Seconds later Alun appears in an spot hidden from view by bushes and Griff appears beside him with Tristan in tow.
Reading all afternoon in Hogwarts grounds
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 04-09-08 14:04
After lunch, Johanna decided to spend the afternoon outside on the grounds near the lake. She had some homework to do but, she opted to doing it tomorrow. She sat on the grass protected by the shadows of a big oak. It was a really good spring day: the sun was shining and only a few clouds occupied the blue sky. She opened her book of History of Magic, “A History of Magic” by Bathilda Bagshott, and began to read it.
Johanna loved History of Magic a lot ( even when the subjects were about trolls and goblins). It was much more interesting than the muggle History!
She closed her book after reading a chapter about a war between trolls and stared at the grounds. “How Hogwarts looks beautiful today!” she thought.
Suddenly, like the owl that passed upon her head, Johanna felt homesick. She missed her house and her parents. Doubts started taking over Johanna’s thoughts. The term was almost in the end… Would she return home? Would her father be there? …?
She closed her eyes to obligate that doubts and thoughts to go away… Opening her eyes again, Johanna grabbed her bag and changed Bathilda’s book for a copy of “Hogwarts, A History”. It was a present from her father when she received the letter from Hogwarts. She started reading again.
Johanna was on Rowena Ravenclaw’s biography when she noticed that it was almost dinner time. She stood up and went to the common room to see if she found Felicia, so they could have dinner together.
Tenth Apparition Lesson
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 04-09-08 18:20
Professor Crouch eyed her students critically. They stood in their usual places, their hoops before them, and watched their instructor warily. By now, they were quite used to her cruel remarks, though none had gotten accustomed to the tortures the Carrows doled out with evident pleasure. The Carrows watched the students watching Professor Crouch and fingered their wands as if they just itched to use them on somebody.
"It greatly disappoints me that after 9 1/2 lessons, you have yet to fully master the art of apparition. Then again, what am I to expect from filthy nons such as yourselves? It is the inferiority of your birth that prevents you from ever becoming true experts in anything magical. Why, I think the lot of you should give up your wands and retire to the Muggle world. Leave the wizardry to the wizards, I say."
The nons present, including Ronan, endured Crouch's demeaning speech in silence. Although many longed to speak out, and some faces twitched with anger, the students knew they were better off keeping their opinions to themselves. No one wanted to get Crucio'ed. Nothing any of them said or did was worth the hassle of getting tortured, especially when their actions wouldn't change things anyway.
They took Crouch's harsh comments, even when half of what she said wasn't even true. Everyone had managed to successfully apparate at least once, with most achieving their goals more often than not in recent weeks. Ronan could usually make it into the hoop without leaving a body part behind, though just this morning, he'd lost an ear. He hoped that by the end of the twelfth lesson, he wouldn't make such minor mistakes anymore... and especially during his apparition examination!
Crouch stopped lecturing and ordered the students to continue practicing. Ronan looked down at his hoop and concentrated on the three Ds. As disheartening as things had become, he nonetheless tuned out everything except the task at hand. He disappeared from his spot with a resounding crack and reappeared a moment later in the hoop.
Crouch tutted loudly but didn't comment, even though Ronan figured she could find something critical to say about his perfect apparition attempt. Instead, she found fault in somebody else, leaving Ronan at peace for a moment. He stepped out of his hoop, breathing a sigh of relief, and prepared to disapparate again.
Just Another Saturday
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 04-10-08 07:51
Isma, Della, Blake and Eric sat in the common room of Gryffindor Tower. It was in truth a somber affair, because soon the term would be ending and they would be out of Hogwarts for summer break. Yet, none of them knew where they would be going, or if they would be leaving Hogwarts at all. They hadn't heard from their parents, and there were more and more rumors and worries about people being "relocated" by the Ministry, almost all of them were nons.
"I want to go home, I don't want to be in limbo for the summer. I don't want to be here either, but here I can spend time with the three of you." Isma said, curling further into the sofa with her potions text book. She was bound and determined to get passing marks and get through class without getting hit by another round of curses from her professor. They all were.
"I don't either Isma, but we are kind of stuck. I mean, I mean, you've lived here all your life, you've always lived in Scotland, I highly doubt that your parents would just up and move without telling you. Hell, I doubt mine would either, we just have to wait and find out what is going to happen when we get out of school."
Isma glared at Della, but knew that her friend was right, they would simply have to wait, and no, her parents wouldn't simply up and move, no matter how bad things got without finding someway to contact her. "I just hate not knowing what has happened to my parents, to your parents, to Blake's, and to Eric's. I mean, how come none of us have heard from our parents in months now? When the letters had been coming near daily, if not at least once or twice a week. Now, dropped off to nothing?"
"There is nothing we can do, I mean, we can't leave the grounds and try and find out what happened, we can't even go down to Hogsmeade." Eric said and hugged Isma to him, sighing softly.
"I think it is time for a study break, go to the Common Commons and grab something to eat, or maybe even call Dobby in and get something to eat directly from the kitchens. Play a game of wizard's chess, because that's about all we can do. The Pures are currently using the Great Hall for their lesson. We can go out and play a game of quidditch, at least a partial one." Blake suggested, and all readily agreed. They'd been studying since shortly after breakfast, trying to get high marks in all their classes as well as staying off the ire of their professors.
Though, they each thought that if they did -too- well, they'd be accused of cheating and end up getting cursed anyway because who is going to believe three nons and one half-breed, when they say that they didn't cheat to get such good marks? No one, not when two of those professors are Carrows, Former Death Eaters, and vastly absorbed in the ideal that nons, and others who are not purebloods are little more than wastes of magic, no matter how intelligent, how promising their talent is.
"A break sounds good. Some food is definitely good, and maybe a game of wizard's chess, I don't feel like being outside...nor do I feel like being in side." Della said softly, and shifted her Care of Magical Creatures book to one side, and stood up stretching.
Talking About Letters
Author: Jared
Date: 04-10-08 14:22
While Jared is in the Great Hall trying to move himself into the center of a hoop - if his lessons are like the Nons' lessons out here on the grounds, Etta sits with Jill, Alexa, and Olive. Although it's been a few weeks now, Cora's absence is still strongly felt.
Despite the large expanse of empty ground around them, the four girls sit close together, talking in near whispers. Etta's asking Olive, "Are you sure?"
Olive gives a furtive glance around then responds, "Positive. Aunt Blythe kept sending letters and couldn't understand why Emerald and I weren't writing back. Then one day she saw Emerald's boyfriend's mother and asked if she was getting letters from Phin. During the discussion they figured out that letters from students who are Nons aren't getting to us. They also think that our letters, that is us Nons, aren't going out either."
Alexa leans in even closer. "But Jill, didn't you get a letter the other day?"
"Yes, on Tuesday, from Great Gran. So maybe," Jill's eyes go big. "That letter came through Hadrian."
Alexa's head goes up and down once, "That's right. I forgot she'd written each of us but sent the letters all in one big envelope."
Olive asks, "Nothing was mentioned about younger Nons being taken?"
"No, not in mine," Alexa replies.
"Mine either," Jill shakes her head.
Etta requests, "Tell us again what was in your letter, Olive."
"Aunt Blythe said that Snatchers came early yesterday morning and took Hunter and Jade. She didn't want to worry us but at the same time felt we should know."
Alexa looks over in the distance to where the sixth year Nons are practicing apparating. "Is that why Emerald doesn't seem to be doing so well this morning?"
"Probably. I sort of wish Professor Hodfuffer had waited to give her the letter until later but I don't think he knew what was in it."
Etta taps fingers against her chin. "I wonder if Professor Hodfuffer and one or two others would be willing to help the Nons get letters in and out. I'll help and I'm pretty sure Jared would too."
Jill looks down at the grass and sadly reminds, "Some Nons don't have anyone to send letters to anymore, or get letters from. Some of the Pures too; the ones whose parents are considered Nons."
Etta tries to sound positive and cheerful when she says, "But some do, like you, and that's who'll we'll help."