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Potions And A Little Chemistry
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 11-16-08 14:30
Snorting with frustration and disgust, Christopher tosses his quill onto the parchment half filled with a Potions essay. A House Elf in pristine white towel appears at his elbow. "Christopher would like another hot chocolate? Very soothing."
"Yes, thank you."
At his other side, Jenny Gabble appears almost as suddenly as the House Elf. "Are you done with that reference book yet?"
"Yeah, sorry. Didn't mean to hog it. It's not even as though it's much use."
"It's not?"
"From the information in it I was able to write one entire sentence for this essay."
"Crap."
"Understatement."
A dark skinned girl standing just behind Jenny asks, "Are there other sources?"
Cat swivels around so that he can actually see Marjani Batuti. "Others have them, or at least the ones I know that would be useful for this essay."
"What if we cannot get enough to meet the minimum required length by Monday?"
Jenny and Cat shudder. Jenny gravely states, "You don't want to know."
"It would be bad? Much like my brother's detention with Professor Yaxley today?"
"Or worse," Cat nods.
"I really want to go home," Marjani says in a near sniffle.
"Can we come with you?" Jenny asks, not altogether joking.
The House Elf shows up with another hot chocolate for Cat, asks the girls what they would like and then before scurrying off to get their drinks asks someone who's just sat at a nearby table what she would like. Hearing the familiar voice of Catriona Amherst, Cat excuses himself for a moment from Jenny and Marjani.
Even though Cat Amherst is only a second year, Cat has found he enjoy what time he's spent around her. Because of this, Cat has decided to ask her a question.
"Hi, Cat. Have a second?"
"Hi. Sure, I'm just waiting for Biana."
"Would you like to go to the Hearts and Roses Ball with me?"
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Cat's look of astonishment changes to a very bright smile. "I'd love to!"
"Great! Thanks! I've got a Potions essay to work on. Talk to you later about it?"
"Yeah, okay."
Cat returns to his table, looks at the amused faces of Jenny and Marjani, and asks, "What?"
"Nothing," they chime.
"Back to this Potions paper. What have you two go so far? Here's what I have."
(The Mews) Time To Make A Move
Author: Charlie Weasley
Date: 11-16-08 15:03
"Problem, Pennifold?"
Hadley Pennifold quickly stands up straight. "Er, no. No problem, Bartlesby. Just smoothing out a lump in this sofa cushion."
"Sorry. It almost looked as though you were searching for something."
Pennifold doesn't have what would be called a very good poker face. He nearly blanches before rushing to say, "Not sure why you'd think that, ha ha."
The face of Barny Bartlesby makes a silly me face while the mind of Charlie Weasley thinks, "I'd think it because I've taken your wand."
Charlie had been grappling with the best way to go about the revolt to take place at The Mews. The Order wants to go ahead and take action but don't want to risk any plans for the other communities they know of, and in some cases have now infilitrated. After noticing how careless Hadley Pennifold can be with his wand when in places like the employee break room, Charlie formulated a strategy for The Mews.
Step 1, the stealing of Pennifold's wand, is completed.
Step 2 is keeping the wand until Charlie knows whether Pennifold will admit to losing the wand. If he does admit it, then a search of the prison camp will not turn it up and the chances are good the thinking would be that Pennifold misplaced it somewhere else.
Step 3 is revealing himself to Severus Snape.
Step 4 is giving Snape the wand along with instructions for crafting basic wands out of sticks or similar items. If necessary, Charlie will find a way to provide Snape with the stick. As long as the wands, with the exception of Pennifold's that is, look homemade from things that could be picked up around the camp, it doesn't matter where the materials actually come from.
Step 5 is coordinate an attack by the prisoners, with Snape leading the attack. With surprise on their side, hopefully all of them will be able to successfully escape.
Barney Bartlesby will come out of the attack with a hazy memory of events. The real one that is. Charlie will move on to whatever else the Order needs him to do for the good of the cause.
Watching Pennifold a few seconds more, Charlie takes a seat at one of the tables to eat the lunch before resuming Barny's scheduled shift.
Distraction
Author: Kissy Isuki
Date: 11-17-08 15:22
Kissy has just unsplinched Rosalinda Yorke, who'd managed to get the tip of her right pinky across the room into her hoop but nothing else, when Ryland enters the Great Hall. He makes a slow, nonchalant pass around those gathered for the apparition lesson then comes to stand just behind and to the side of Kissy.
Kissy ignores Ryland, not even acknowledging that he's there. The students are once again listening intently to Profssor Twycross's instructions of the three D's: destination, determination, and deliberation. Kissy is watching for any who are able during this first session to partially apparate and need assistance after they've splinched themselves. She jumps a little when Ryland unexpectedly speaks next to her ear so that only she hears.
"Not cozying up with Declan Douglass this morning?"
Kissy takes a step back to better hiss in a low voice at Ryland, "My social life is not any of your business."
"It is when it interferes with your duties to Hogwarts?" he smugly smirks.
"I'm here fulfulling one of those duties, aren't I?"
"Does Hodfuffer know you are stepping out on him? Oh, that's right. You two aren't really dating again. It's all been a sham in hopes of dissuading me from convincing you to go out exclusively with me. I might point out that it's not working."
Kissy retorts. "And you might have noticed I'm no closer to willingly dating you."
"All the more fuel to my fire."
"Why do you always have to be so juvenile and insufferable?"
"Tell Douglass you are not free for dinner."
"We are nothing more than colleagues and friends."
"Ah, so that means you won't have to beg off any dinner plans you have. Excellent. Be ready at 7."
"No."
"I love it when you're coy."
If not for the students and other adults present, Kissy would have slapped the smug grin off Ryland's face. He smirks again then leaves. Kissy glares daggers at his back before putting a neutral expression back on her face in time to turn and see if any students need her help.
A second later AJ sidles up and asks, "Problem?"
"Nothing I can't handle."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, it's nothing. Just Ryland being a prat."
AJ smothers a snort so as not to distract the students. "Isn't he always a prat though?"
"Good point!"
Relocated
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 11-17-08 16:33
"You there! Headmistress Carrow wants to see you!"
Emerald had been hunched over painting a picket fence Alecto Carrow had wanted around what will be a flower garden come warmer weather. Straightening, wincing as a blast of wind hits her full in the face, Emerald asks the message bringer, "Are you sure it's me she's wanting? Emerald Green?"
"No, she's wanting the Minister for Magic," the guard sneers, his grip on his wand tightening as if waiting for Emerald to question again that he's got the right person.
"Sorry," Emerald hastily says then adds, "Thank you," in case he has a thing against students who don't know how to be polite.
It's so cold that in the short time she's been standing there holding the brush, the paint on it is stiffening. She hurries to drop it into a jar of paint thinner then turns to rush to the Headmistress's office only to find Olive blocking her way.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
"Then why does she want to see you?"
"I don't know, Olive, and the longer you stand here asking me things I don't know the answers to, the longer it's going to take me to find out what she wants. If you keep me standing her long enough, I'm sure I'll get a taste of her dislike of having been kept waiting."
Olive's cheeks, a ruddy red from the chill air, lose some of their color. She jumps out of Emerald's way but then falls into step beside her.
"You have work, Olive."
"I'd rather get punished for being slow to get it done than to have you go into Bitch's office and have something happen to you."
"Like you could prevent it."
"I could."
Emerald whirls on her sister, grabbing her arm in a tight grip. In a whispered hiss Emerald warns, "Don't you dare do anything to jeopardize the plan, Olive. Not for me."
Olive's eyes have gone wide. It's been a long time since she's seen Emerald this angry with her. "I wouldn't. Not really," Olive's voice quivers.
Emerald pulls Olive into a fierce hug. "I didn't mean to frighten you. It's just so important that nothing stand in the way of the plan."
"I know." This comes out muffled thanks to Olive's face being smushed against Emerald's shoulder.
Emerald steps back, pushing hair off Olive's face. "Go on back to your work. If I am in trouble for something, there's no sense in you getting punished too."
"Ok."
Emerald starts for the office again only to have Olive reach out for her hand. "Wait. Do you have... do you have it on you?"
Shaking her head Emerald responds, "No, it's hidden. You know where."
"Then take mine."
"You shouldn't be carrying it around with you."
"Well I am and now you're going to take it. Hide it with yours later when you've got a chance."
Olive moves to give Emerald another hug, slipping the wand inside Emerald's shirt as she does. Emerald gives Olive a reassuring squeeze then pushes her sister back in the direction of the work Olive was doing, lining a pathway with stones that will be charmed with heat. This path and others like it, are for Happy Haven staff only of course.
To make up for the Olive delay, Emerald runs the rest of the way to the building where Alecto Carrow's office is, several times nearly losing her balance on the slick, cold ground.
At the office door, Emerald pauses only long enough to make sure the wand isn't visible then knocks.
"Enter."
"Emerald Green reporting."
"Took you long enough."
"Yes, ma'am. Sorry."
"How old are you, girl?"
"Seventeen."
"You look older."
"Yes, ma'am, so I've always been told."
"I'm not certain you are really only seventeen."
"But you taught at Hogwarts when I was a sixth year."
"You were not a student of mine."
"No, but I was a sixth year then."
"You are lying about your age. Slow minded. Typical of you Nons. You were held back and have been ashamed to admit your true age. I judge you are at least nineteen, perhaps even twenty."
"What? No, I'm really just seventeen."
"Crucio!"
Emerald drops to her knees in pain, Alecto Carrow standing over her ordering, "Done arguing with me, girl?"
Biting her lower lip, Emerald nods. The inhuman bitch rings a bell and almost instantly someone else comes to the door. "This Non is to be relocated immediately. See to it."
Emerald's arms is gripped by a large, slightly hairy hand and she's jerked to her feet. In less time than it takes to blink, Emerald feels a strange pull on her body and standing outside a building as bleak as any of those at Happy Haven. The grip on her arm tightens more as she's forced to march inside, wondering if the head here would be any more willing to listen to her than Alecto Carrow had been.
At least she's got a wand.