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A Kiss(y) Is Not Just A Kiss(y)
Author: Kissy Isuki
Date: 02-13-09 08:48
Walking into the Great Hall with Ryland right behind, Kissy unobtrusively looks for the form of AJ Hodfuffer. The figure she seeks is standing with Theodosia Batuti and Jolyon Kent, listening to Wilkie Twycross. Nearly all the sixth years are gathered for today's tenth apparition lesson. Only two more lessons after this, though the twelfth one isn't two weeks from now. Due to a school holiday the last apparition lesson won't be for almost another month from today.
From behind, Ryland says for about the twentieth time this morning, "I can't believe you agreed to going to breakfast with me." Like the nineteen times before he then wolfishly grins. "I knew I'd wear you down."
If only he knew the real reason Kissy said yes to his breakfast invitation.
If only he knew there were backup plans in case he hadn't asked her to breakfast today as he's done for nearly every Saturday for weeks now.
If only he knew that Kissy isn't really Kissy nor is AJ actually AJ.
Bambi Fandango Hodfuffer has not said a thing any of the times Ryland Yaxley has crowed about wearing Kissy down until now. She fixes him with a gimlet-eyed stare. "What can I say? You're such sterling company."
"I detect a hint of sarcasm."
"Only a hint?"
Annoyingly Ryland flashes a grin but says nothing more as Professor Twycross calls the room to attention. Not a moment too soon as far as Bambi's concerned. Even though with Majandra Weasley's and Severus Snape's Polyjuice Plus Potion ensuring Blossom Weasley and she will look like AJ and Kissy until well after lunch, unless they each drink more of the potion that is, Bambi doesn't need to worry about the farce being discovered. Her desire to have the lesson begun means that the time for it to end is all that much closer, which means she can go and take a shower to scrub off the ooze that comes from being less than five feet away from Ryland Yaxley.
First Steps Of The Plan (AJ)
Author: Furnella Hodfuffer
Date: 02-13-09 12:29
AJ's stomach keeps flip-flopping, making him regret the bacon and toast with jam he'd eaten in Hogsmeade at the crack of dawn. While someone looking like AJ had returned to Hogwarts for the morning's apparition lesson, the real AJ had disapparated from Hogsmeade to the staging area for the Camp Lollipop rescue. If anyone saw AJ leave so early and were to ask, he'd simply say he was having trouble sleeping so decided to go for a walk then stopped at his family's restaurant when he saw that a few people were there to get a start on some of the food preparation for a Saturday brunch the restaurant offers.
The waiting for this day to come had really chafed but AJ knew that wait was necessary. There are only a handful of adult prisoners at Camp Lollipop but scores of children who won't be of much, if any, use should the spells, charms, and curses start flying. Because of this, careful planning and strategizing has been needed. They can't just go charging in like was done at Brecqhou.
Another reason to wait was that they knew changes in security have been made after escapes at several of the prison communities. They needed to continually update what the Green twins had told them and then what they'd learned themselves. Yet another reason was the fact that they'd not been able to ascertain whether Camp Lollipop had ever reported that two children had escaped. If the report was made, there could be security measures in place to prevent more escapes. Measures that wouldn't necessarily be readily apparent to those doing reconnaissance.
At this very second, members of the Resistance and of the Order of the Phoenix are getting in place around the perimeter of Camp Lolliop. The RV, this time transfigured to resemble something similar to the Knight Bus but with British Ministry of Magic marking is sitting with engine running, waiting for the signal to drive right up to Camp Lollipop.
AJ looks at the time then checks himself in the mirror. The face of Camp Lollipop warden Hester Rackharrow stares back at him. Early this morning, not all that long after he'd arrived at the staging area, AJ and a couple of others had gone to Rackharrow's house. They stealthily broke in and stunned the woman while she slept. AJ is the one who plucked hairs from Rackharrow's head, dropped them into a vial of Polyjuice Plus Potion, and drank the potion. He's not supposed to need another dose of the potion but carries one in his pocket just in case.
As Rackharrow, AJ Flooed to Camp Lollipop, stepping out fo the Floo acting irritated and in a pissy mood at having to be at Camp Lollipop at that hour of a Saturday morning. The two who'd gone with him to Rackharrow's remained behind to ensure the woman remains unconscious and then to obliviate her memory to guarentee that if Rackharrow heard or saw anything, she won't remember faces or details.
Turning away from the mirror, AJ stomps over to Rackharrow's office door. Opening it with more force then necessary, conveying more irritation and displeasure, as Hester Rackharrow AJ barks, "I've just confirmed with the Ministry, Camp Lollipop is to merge with another of the communities. A bus is already on its way to transport our residents."
The person to whom AJ's directed this comment is a tall, thin woman whose function AJ takes to be that of a secretary. The woman asks, "What about us?"
"Employees will be reassigned. I should think you'd know there are plenty of jobs to be had. The real question is am I being demoted and how will all this affect my pay," AJ snaps.
The woman, who probably thinks Hester Rackharrow is a selfish, self-centered cow, merely nods. AJ then says with great annoyance, "Don't just stand there. Did you not hear me say the transport is on its way?"
"Right, right. Yes, ma'am."
The woman scurries off, AJ following more slowly behind, one hand in a pocket fingering the wand there, hoping that things go as planned and they can get the prisoners evacuated before any of the guards or other employees glom on that it's all a sham.
Showtime
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 02-13-09 19:03
Hermione sat on board the bus en route to Camp Lollipop and looked out the window. When the community came into view, she sat straighter and wrapped her hand around the wand in her pocket. She clutched it until the bus pulled to a stop in front of the gates of the community.
"Showtime," somebody behind her muttered.
As if the word served as her cue to put things into motion, Hermione rose and took the few steps necessary to the bus door. Drake Bennett, at the wheel, pulled on the handle to open the door. Hermione threw him a quick look of thanks and then stepped off the bus and onto the cold, firm ground. She approached the gates just as a small entourage of indivduals emerged from a nearby building and made their way over.
A very haughty-looking witch, whom Hermione knew to be a disguised AJ Hodfuffer even though she had never actually seen the woman before, gestured for one of her minions to open the gate. Hermione was disguised as well, having taken on the appearance of a random Muggle woman. She wore a plain set of robes with the Ministry of Magic emblem emblazoned over one breast.
"I really don't see why this had to happen on a Saturday, and so early in the morning at that," AJ as Hester Rackharrow complained.
Hermione shrugged as if she didn't care. "I'm only following orders. Are they ready?"
AJ shot a look at one of the other wizards assembled there, who rushed off in the direction of the dormitory buildings. Some of the other guards had already rounded up the children, who appeared in short order in single file, led by a guard, and escorted by several more.
Hermione tried her best to keep a neutral expression on her face, but seeing the pained and frightened looks on the faces of the children and the few adult prisoners both saddened and disgusted her. How could anyone abuse anyone, and young children especially, in such a way. It was even more heart-wrenching to see a baby among the prisoners. It wailed loudly, probably from hunger and the cold. Hermione didn't recognize it as the daughter of her Oxford friends Jason and Elfrida Verona.
The leading guard stopped just inside the gates, causing everyone behind him to stop as well.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" AJ queried sharply. "Get them on board and out of my sight so that I can enjoy what remains of my weekend."
The guard didn't hesitate to push the first child through the gates. Hermione pointed at the open bus door and said, "All the way to the back."
Keep Moving
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 02-14-09 11:37
Inside the bus, a stocky man on the low end of average height says in a bored voice, "Keep moving towards the back or up the stairs. Adults over there."
When the first of the infants is brought on board, the stocky man that is Griff's body for this morning jerks a thumb. "Place for babies upstairs."
So many small children. There age range is wide but with the exception of the babies, every single child, no matter the age, has an odd combination of utter fear and stark blankness in their eyes. Some of the adults are't much better but a few do show some fire. One of them even stops in front of Griff. "Where are you taking us?"
"Keep moving. Adults to that section," Griff says in the same bored voice he'd been using.
"Not until we get some answers."
Griff looks at the man who's thin, dirty, bedraggled, and weary yet who looks as though he'd be really scrappy in a fight despite not being in the best of shape at the moment. Griff stares at the man. "Name."
"Aidan Bones," the man defiantly.
"Well, Aidan Bones, you are holding up my line." Griff gestures to the open bus door through which Camp Lollipop guards are continuing to herd children and the few adults onto the bus. The guards are close enough to hear anything Griff might say in at normal volume and close enough to have their interest piqued if he were to say something under his breath. Much as he hates to do it, if they're going to get away from Camp Lollipop without firing off a single spell, Griff's going to have to play the part of a Pure annoyed with a lowly Non who's keeping him from performing his job. Griff points his wand at Aidan. "Adults back in that section. You have a whole second to get moving before I move you to the not breathing section."
Aidan glares back but with so many scared children around, he wisely keeps moving. Griff releases some of the tension in his shoulders and reminds himself to find Aidan later to apologize for the threat and for frightening the children around them even more. Until then though, he's got a cover to maintain. The bored voice back in place, Griff tells the line of prisoners, "Keep moving towards the back or up the stairs. Adults over there. Place for babies upstairs."
Why So Sleepy?
Author: Blossom
Date: 02-14-09 17:21
Standing near the others supervising the apparition lesson, Blossom Weasley almost feels as though she could be lulled asleep by Wilkie Twycross's repetitive instructions to the students. It's more than just the professor saying the same thing over and over, Blossom just doesn't know what it is that has her so very sleepy. She would have thought she'd be just the opposite: wide awake and charged with energy.
Blossom has been excited to do something to actively help out. She'd been eager to volunteer and she'd found it thrilling to view the memories AJ Hodfuffer shared so she could better pass as him this morning. Why then does she now want to yawn massively and curl up somewhere comfy and warm to take a nap?
"Bored, Hodfuffer?"
It takes Ryland Yaxley speaking again for Blossom to notice he's addressing her. Or rather, Yaxley is addressing whom he believes to be AJ Hodfuffer.
"I asked, Hodfuffer, if you are bored?"
"Huh? Sorry. A possible plot twist for the book I'm working on just popped into my head and I was thinking of how it would affect the overall story."
Yaxley gives a sort of grunt, leading Blossom to think that he'd say more if he could think of some clever retort. Blossom returns to ignoring him, much as she has for the apparition lesson so far. What little interaction she has had with him, Blossom quickly reached the conclusion that it's little wonder that Ryland Yaxley does not seem to be even a little liked. Casting a glance at Bambi Fandango Hodfuffer who currently looks like Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Kissy Isuki, Blossom can't help but wonder who Kissy stands having Yaxley constantly coming on to her.
A couple of students splinch so Blossom-as-AJ moves to help with the unsplinching and wonders who the mission at Camp Lollipop is going. She also suppresses another yawn and wonders how much time is left in the lesson.
On the Perimeter
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 02-15-09 09:24
Fritz is among those waiting along the perimeter of Camp Lollipop, in case anything goes wrong and they need to move in for a fight. Because so many young children and even small babies are involved, he hopes that it doesn't come down to a fight, but if it does, he's ready. He's been ready for a fight for a long time, stemming all the way back to when he was at Happy Haven. All those months of pain and torture, starvation and hard labor, have built up a number of emotions, like anger and a desire for revenge.
He's especially enraged because the children at Camp Lollipop have no way of protecting themselves from the horrors they've surely endured since their arrival at the community. While it's true that there were a great number of children at Happy Haven, there were a lot of older kids too to balance out the numbers. Fritz knows there are adults at Camp Lollipop, but he understands that the ratio of adults to children is very small.
Despite the strong emotions running rampant through his mind and body, Fritz stays his hand and remains in place. He doesn't want to be the one to screw up the rescue mission, and he definitely wants it going off without a hitch. From his vantage point, he can't see the bus itself but he can see someone else on the perimeter, who sees someone else who can see the bus. Fritz not only glances regularly at the Order or Resistance members placed at equal distance on either side of him, but also all around in case the guards catch on to the plot.
On alert, Fritz waits patiently and anxiously for every last child and adult prisoner to be rescued from Camp Lollipop.
Laziness Interrupted
Author: Declan
Date: 02-15-09 12:45
Taking advantage of the rare moment of pure sun this morning is offering, Declan sits on a blanket spread out in a brilliant patch of sunlight. He's got a book with him, a new take on the Troll war in Spain in the 1200s. He's also got essays from his fourth through seventh years to read.
At the moment, Declan can't seem to bring himself to do anything more than lie on his back, eyes closed, sun warming his face. That warmth comes to a stop and behind his closed eyelids Declan can tell something is between the sun and him. Delcan opens his eyes a crack to stare up into the upside down, smiling face of Zabrynna Ravensdale.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you, Professor Douglass?"
Sitting up, Declan shakes his head. "No, I wasn't sleeping."
Zabrynna plops herself down next to Declan. With his legs out in front of him and there only so much room on the blanket and the ground damp from all the rain these past months, Zabrynna is next to his side, uncomfortably close. "I hate to disturb you but I'm having a hard time picking out a research topic. Would you help me narrow down the options?"
"What topics are you considering?"
"That's just it. There are so many, I'm having trouble narrowing things down."
"You've not even begun then?"
"Well no, not really."
"You've only got two more weeks and I won't accept shoddy, last minute work."
"Yes, sir, I know there are only two weeks left and no, I won't turn anything subpar to you."
Declan can't help but wonder if all this is a ploy just so Zabrynna has an excuse to get near to him. So far, she's not shown any signs that her crush has been directed elsewhere.
Pulling his feet in to sit cross legged, Declan points to the space that had been occupied by his legs, indicating Zabrynna should move to where she's sitting across from him.
"The topic has to be something that fits the Renaissance. You may choose a time within that period, a place, a person, or an event, or some combination."
"What do you suggest?"
"I'm here to guide you, Zabrynna, not make the decision for you. I gave a long list of examples to the class."
"So it's all right if I don't pick one of your examples but something else?"
"Yes, so long as the topic fits the criteria I gave and you can deliver to me a well researched paper of at least the minimum length requirement with a bibliography."
"There are just so many good topics. As I said, that's my biggest problem. Well, there is one woman whose name I came across who sounds interesting."
"Her name?"
"Aphrodite Evermore."
Declan turns his head and coughs, using the motion to cover a laugh. Aphrodite Evermore made great strides with the more effective love potions and spells. Not a very subtle approach on Zabrynna's part. The main thing, however, is that Aphrodite Evermore falls into the Renaissance period in history and if writing a paper on the woman means Zabrynna gets the assignment done to specifications and turned in on time, then that's all that matters.
Declan shrugs, "She fits the criteria."
Zabrynna gets up, a smile on her lips. Before Declan can move to avoid her, she's bent down, given him a very quick kiss on the cheek and is rapidly moving in the direction of the castle. He's got to have a talk with that girl though it might be best to have a witness to the conversation.
Stretching back out, Declan closes his eyes again and lets the sun warm his face once more as he tries not to think about having to dash a girl's crush on him.
Sweep
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 02-15-09 15:00
When the last of the children and handful of adult prisoners boarded the bus, AJ as Hester Rackharrow turned the guards gathered nearby and coolly stated, "You're free to go home now, since you are no longer needed here. Inform everyone else and pass along the message that you will receive your reassignments on Monday."
With that she turned toward the disguised Hermione, who had remained standing outside the bus, and barked, "What are you waiting for?"
The message was just as much for Hermione as for the guards, who moved away from AJ-Hester at a clipped pace. Hermione turned away from the community's fake warden without so much as another word, but before she boarded the bus, she shot a meaningful gaze in the direction of the dense trees that grew along the perimeter of Camp Lollipop. Then, she boarded the bus.
The doors closed, the engine came to life, and then the bus pulled away from Camp Lollipop, executing a broad turn before taking the path by which it had come. Nothing happened until well after the sound of the departing bus dissipated.
Then, there was a shrill whine and an explosion of red sparks overhead. A handful of Order of the Phoenix and Resistance Movement members emerged from the trees and made their way to the community's gates. Among the individuals was Bill, who had been positioned nearest to them during the entire exchange. AJ-Hester, who had gone around the community to make sure that all the guards and other community staff had vacated the premises, had set off the flare as soon as the coast was clear.
"We should work quickly," he said, "in case someone realizes something's gone amiss."
Everyone was in agreement, knowing that the danger was far from over. The very real possibility that one of the dismissed guard's might talk to the wrong person and raise a red flag in that person's eyes was all to clear.
Bill moved in the direction of the administration building and grabbed whatever papers looked important. He knew he didn't have the time to actually study them right then and there, so he took more than was probably necessary and figured he'd just sort it all out later. Better to have too many than not enough, especially when so many other lives were on the line.
He grabbed whatever seemed useful and then left Camp Lollipop for one of the safehouses.
Strangers at Home
Author: Havana
Date: 02-15-09 18:50
Being thrown into a group of strangers was hard. Havana had no idea why it still felt wrong to be living with these people. The Reveli family had been super nice, and they even had pictures of her..this had to be her real family. She sat in her oversized bedroom, quietly looking out the window.
"Taking in the scenery Isadora?" Annis smiled, and took a seat beside her youngest sister. "Braxton and I came over to check on you. Mum said you haven't been adjusting well."
"It's not that Ann, I've just been taking it all in. I mean I've lived on the streets for months, and to be honest it was nice. I saw people in a whole new light, I lived as a non-wizard."
Annis leaned back to look her sister over. "You associated with muggles and mudbloods?! How could you even stand to look at them. You listen to me Isadora, you are a high class witch from a very well off family. We expect you to act like it!" Suddenly her hand flew and she smacked her sister hard across the face.
Isadora sat frozen to her bed, her cheek was red and stung. "Ow!" All of a sudden the building tension with her new found family errupted. She grabbed her wand and aimed at her sister. "MY NAME IS HAVANA!"
"Everything alright in here ladies?" Braxton stepped into the room, and knocked Isadora's wand from her hand. "Enough of that child. My wife didn't mean to insult you. We've all been worried about you, that's all. Now, you two come down for dinner." He took his wife's hand and led her from the room.
"You had to barge in, didn't you?! I was trying to get her to see things our way!" Annis glared at him.
Braxton shook his head "Yes, but if we rush her, she's going to push us away again. We can't lose her so soon in the game."
"You are right, my love. You know how my temper can be, and she was talking about living with.." she shivered "muggles! I couldn't let her speak so dirty."
Havana/Isadora curled up on her bed, she had just been slapped by her eldest sister, someone she was supposed to look up to. Something was very strange about this family, they all seemed to hate muggles and non pure blooded wizards. Was this the reason she had run away? Maybe this was the reason she felt like she didn't belong there. Havana finally fell asleep, a flashback creeping into her dreams once again.