|
|
Trouble Concentrating
Author: Griet
Date: 04-29-10 18:52
It wasn't easy devoting her full attention to Professor Twycross and his awfully repetitive mantra "Destination, Determination and Deliberation", but Griet did her best. She had to simply tell herself that this was the eleventh apparition lesson of term and the next one, the twelfth, would be the very last. If she could force herself through them and pass her licensing exam, she would never, ever have to listen to Professor Twycross again.
She looked around between practicing apparating and noticed that just about everyone, even the professors chaperoning the lesson, looked decidedly bored. Griet started to smirk, but then Snape glanced her way and she wiped the expression from her face. She tried to concentrate, but inevitably her mind wandered elsewhere.
Whereas in earlier lessons, Gervaise stood nowhere near Griet and Oberon, now he was right next to them. Griet was glad they'd made up and that things were going better between all three friends. Not only did it seem as if he had fully gotten over her, but his friendship with Oberon appeared as firm as it had been before Halloween night when everything had gone sour.
Oberon still hung around Cornelia quite a lot, and often on his own accord than at her insistence. That they had a real friendship, Griet couldn't deny. Whether or not it would ever progress to something more like Griet knew Cornelia deeply wanted, she had no idea. Gervaise seemed perfectly content to keep things as they were, but maybe his feelings would change over time.
Griet wasn't sure what she wanted. In a way, she wished Gervaise would never want more with Cornelia. After the way the younger Vanderbilt treated Griet, she almost deserved to pine away for Gervaise for the rest of her life. Then again, Griet really wanted to patch things up with her sister. For most of their lives they'd had a bad relationship, but that time between Cornelia's near-death and the discovery of Griet and Oberon's relationship had been absolutely wonderful. Griet and Cornelia had been best friends, and Griet wanted that again.
Griet hoped that Cornelia would be the one to initiate things, but she knew in her heart that her sister never would, no matter how she felt. If she wanted to make up, she would wait for Griet to say something first.
Maybe one day she would, but Griet didn't think that day would be today. In just a few short hours, her parents would once again be on campus. Griet didn't think she would have time between her lesson and their arrival to have a heartfelt conversation with Cornelia.
Initially, Johannes and Catharina Vanderbilt hadn't wanted to come. Their last visit to Hogwarts had been at the Fall Fair during which Griet and Cornelia had argued badly. In the end, they'd decided to come after all. Griet didn't plan on saying anything ugly to Cornelia, and she bet all the galleons she owned that Cornelia wouldn't open her mouth either. Cornelia didn't want her parents being reminded that she may or may not be sleeping with Gervaise, which, of course, she wasn't, but try convincing them of that when it was already in their heads.
"Is there a problem, Miss Vanderbilt?" Professor McGonagall said, cutting through Griet's thoughts.
She realized that everyone was looking at her. She didn't know why, other than she was probably staring off into space and making weird faces as certain thoughts crossed her mind.
Griet shook her head. "No. Sorry, Professor."
Professor McGonagally pursed her lips together. "Pay attention."
Griet nodded and forced her eyes to Professor Twycross, who immediately resumed his chant of the dreaded three Ds.
Unable to Relax
Author: Illyria
Date: 04-30-10 08:05
The weather was absolutely perfect for what Hogwarts had planned for later in the day. The sun shone brightly, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The temperature was comfortably warm, and the air was fresh. No meteorological mishaps would mar the day of the Spring Social.
Illyria stood just outside the castle doors and surveyed the preparations from her vantage point. Picnic tables had been set up in spots here and there, but there were more than enough green spaces leftover to spread out picnic blankets on the ground. Concession stands had also started springing up. Some were just empty tables for the treats any guests might bring to share with everyone else. Others belonged to businesses, some of which Illyria recognized from Hogsmeade.
The construction of a stage was rapidly underway. Illyria hadn't seen a set list to know who might be playing and when, but she could already imagine that whoever took to the stage would find themselves playing before a huge audience. She certainly wouldn't mind stretching out on a picnic blanket, eating ice cream from a giant wafer cone, and listening to music.
To just be able to relax seemed like a novel idea to Illyria. She hadn't really been able to since the mess with Roland, who was still missing in action and presumed on the run. The law enforcement officer assigned as her bodyguard continued to shadow her every move. Although it should have made her feel better, it only served to make her feel stressed and worried for her life.
There had been no leads in her case, no clues as to where Roland may have gone, and no idea what, if anything, would happen if Illyria were left unprotected. She hadn't heard anything new from the person behind the threatening letter she'd received. That unnerved her too.
What he, or she, biding time? Would a move be made later, whether or not Officer Eccleston was at Illyria's side?
Illyria still didn't get why the person had a problem with her, unless Roland had spun a tale that unwillingly put her in the limelight. Illyria hadn't even known that the money Roland had repaid her with had belonged to someone else. If she had, she never would have accepted it.
She sighed loudly and a moment later felt a hand fall lightly on her shoulder.
Illyria jumped.
"Sorry!" Officer Eccleston exclaimed. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"No, it's all right," Illyria breathed, pressing her hand to her chest.
"I know this is a difficult situation for you," he said kindly. He had noticed since the very beginning that the circumstances of his being with her weighed heavily on her mind and often distracted her.
Illyria sighed again. "I think I would feel better if we could find Roland and get some answers from him. I'd feel better too if we knew who wrote that letter to me and why. I didn't do anything to deserve it."
"Something is bound to come up," Officer Eccleston said.
Illyria hoped so. She knew that she couldn't have protection forever and that eventually, even without the case solved, she would wind up on her own.
Waning Interest
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 04-30-10 11:16
In truth, Professor McGonagall couldn't really blame the students in the apparition lesson for their waning interest in their instructor's lecturing. Professor Twycross was awfully uninspiring and knew not how to make the class more engaging. It wasn't even Professor McGonagall's eleventh time chaperoning his lesson. She'd attended them for many, many years and had heard about the three Ds ad nauseum. She had to admit he got the job done, however, and that because of his instruction most students were able to earn their apparition licenses.
She roved around the room, both in an effort to keep herself focused and to make sure that the students paid attention to the lesson. She could very well imagine that most of them were thinking about the Spring Social. It would be a first for Hogwarts, just as many other events over the school year had been firsts. As Professor Dumbledore put it, the special events were a way for everyone to come together and enjoy themselves in a carefree and pleasant atmosphere. It hadn't even been a year since the end of Minister Smythe-Jones's reign of terror, and though many wizards had recovered, there was still much healing to be done.
A scream of surprise drew Professor McGonagall's attention from her thoughts. By now, most students could apparate without splinching themselves, but the occasional accident still happened. Presently, Griet Vanderbilt stood in her hoop without her entire left leg. It had remained standing where the rest of her had only just been.
Minerva and Professor Snape converged on her to put her back together again. It happened in a cloud of purple smoke, and when it dissipated, Griet was whole again and looking rather shaken.
Professor McGonagall gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder and then resumed her rounds. Obviously, the girl's mind had wandered again. She decidedly ignored the fact that hers had been elsewhere when the incident had occurred!
Too Much Sun
Author: Ella
Date: 04-30-10 12:47
Sometimes Ella wished her dormitory room were in the dungeon and without windows of any kind. Even with the curtains drawn, the sun seemed powerful enough to penetrate into the room and even through the hangings of her four-poster bed. She groaned and rolled over, taking her pillow with her and squishing it over her head. When she found she couldn't breathe anymore, she flung the pillow away and sighed dramatically. So much for sleeping in on a Saturday.
Granted, it was a lot later than when she usually got up. Ella pulled her comforter and bed sheets away and parted the curtains from her bed. She peeked out and then climbed out fully, moving straight for the nearest window. She peeled back its curtains and saw nothing but blue skies and bright sun. No wonder she couldn't sleep anymore.
And then she remembered that today was the day of the Spring Social. Ella had mentioned it in letters to her parents and had heard back from both of them. They wanted to attend. Ella wasn't sure how that would go since she was certain that Dunstan would bring Delilah along. She couldn't imagine Delilah actually wanting to come, but she probably would to please Dunstan.
Thinking of her father and his girlfriend put to mind the end of the last Quidditch match. Sadly, Gryffindor had lost, but that had been less worrisome for Ella than what had almost happened after the game. As predicted, her father had sought her out to talk, and so had Zane. Luckily, the meetings hadn't overlapped. Delilah had been impatient to leave and so Dunstan had kept the visiting brief.
The conversation with Zane had been awkward at best. They hadn't talked since their breakup when they fought in Hogsmeade last fall. Zane had said that he missed Ella and that he wanted to give the relationship another chance. She hadn't known what to say. If the reunion had happened much sooner, maybe she would have jumped at the chance to rekindle their romance, but now she wasn't so sure. Yes, she still found him attractive and could almost see herself falling for him all over again, but was it what she really wanted?
She wouldn't call him a bad influence, since she'd been a bad influence on herself before she'd even met him, but since their breakup, she'd really turned her life around. Francis was undoubtably a good influence. When Ella was around him, she didn't think about cutting class or going out for a smoke. She didn't know why that was––it just was that way.
In the end, Ella had told Zane that she needed some time to think about it. Now a week had passed and Ella still hadn't decided. She hadn't invited Zane to the Spring Social (not that she would have, even if they were dating), and she really hoped that he wouldn't get the idea to surprise her with a visit. It would only make what could wind up being a very awkward afternoon even more so.
Easy Peasy
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 05-01-10 10:27
Apparating from one spot to another seems like second nature to Fritz now. He's even gotten over the weird feeling that comes with apparating. Sometimes it can still be an unpleasant experience but for the most part it doesn't faze Fritz much. He hasn't even splinched himself in a long time.
He supposes part of the reason he's having so easy a time with apparating is that he's had double the instruction as some of the younger students in the class, if Gertie Crouch's version of teaching could even be called proper instruction. Fritz can still remember quite vividly what it had been like attending the apparition lessons outside in the freezing snow.
Thankfully, from what he saw before entering the Great Hall, it looks to be a beautiful spring day. Fritz is looking forward to the end of the apparition lesson so that he can spend the rest of the day outside. Even if it weren't the spring social today, he probably would spend the day outside studying for the NEWTs, which are approaching with alarming speed.
The end of his time at Hogwarts is also coming quickly. Fritz finds it hard to believe that it's been seven (technically eight) years since he started as a first year at the school of magic. He knows what he wants to do after Hogwarts, but in a way, he wishes he could have more time at the castle. It's been a magical time for him, no pun intended!
Although Fritz wants to one day be a potions master somewhere, whether in a shop or for the hospital or in a teaching capacity, he wants to attend St. Emrys University first. He already sent in his application and is now waiting to hear whether or not he will have a place there next fall. He supposes some of it will hinge on how he does on his NEWTs.
Which brings him back to how he should get a little bit of studying done today, on top of homework he has for next week. If there's no time for that today, then he'll just have to do double tomorrow!
#4 Privet Drive
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 05-01-10 11:17
It's been a long while since Harry's been to Little Whinging and longer still since he's paid a visit to #4 Privet Drive. He'd apparated to a spot that he knew would shield him from prying eyes and then walked slowly to the Dursley house. Passing by the house Harry knew as Arabella Figg's, he briefly wonders if she still lives there and if so how many cats she currently owns. He's seen Arabella Figg a number of times over the years though not recently but none of those times did he think to ask her if she still lives in Little Whinging.
Reaching the house where he grew up, Harry stops before going up the walkway to the front door. He's not really sure why he agreed to come. Dudley asked him and with the way Dudley's changes and with the chance to see Uncle Vernon's reaction to what Dudley has to tell his parents, Harry found it difficult to turn down the invitation. Still, there are no good memories for him at this house and not once can he ever say he felt wanted much less loved.
Aunt Petunia didn't hate her sister, Harry's Lily. Upon learning that Lily was magical and that she was not and never would be, the envy and petty jealousy set in. Over the years it built and built and when Harry was deposited on the Durleys' doorstep, Petunia spitefully found an outlet for those negative emotions. In retrospect, Harry thinks too that some of that negativity was Petunia's anger that her sister had been killed. That the magic Petunia longed to share with Lily couldn't save Lily in the end and had been the direct cause of Lily's demise.
Petunia's envy, jealousy, spite, and anger was Vernon Durley's introduction to the fact that magic does indeed exist. Vernon is not the most open minded person around to begin with and learning of the Wizarding World from a wife who came with a full blown bias and seriously bad attitude towards magic even before Lily died ensured Vernon would have a very narrow, very hateful attitude towards Wizards and Witches. It certainly colored his attitude towards Harry, making it impossible for Harry to ever be seen in a positive light as far as Vernon was concerned, no matter how hard Harry tried. Having magical accidents occur as Harry, not knowing anything about the Wizarding World himself, grew older. Then once he did know and was at Hogwarts having incidents such as the time Dobby showed up and created havoc during an important dinner Uncle Vernon was having at the house only served to make matters worse.
A car pulls into the drive while Harry's still standing at the bottom of the walkway, eyes fixed on the front door. Dudley gets out of the driver's side. "Harry! Good timing. Listen, we really appreciate your coming." Dudley is walking around the car to the passenger side as he talks, holding his hand out to Mei who's already opened the door.
Harry moves from the walk to follow Dudley around the car. "Hallo, Mei. Good to see you." To Dudley he says, "You know I was only joking about wanting to see Uncle Vernon's face when you break the news."
"You were only sort of joking."
"Okay. That's true," Harry admits.
"I would have asked you anyway. We need the support and as serious as Mei and I are, we figure it's better to go on and break the news now instead of waiting."
Mei slips an arm around one of Dudley's then does the same with Harry. "I hope your parents will still accept me once they know, Dudley. I will love you no matter if they do or don't but relationships are always so much harder when parents are against it."
Harry asks Dudley, "Did you tell them you were coming?"
"Yes, so I'm surprised Mum doesn't already have the door open."
"You mentioned I was coming?"
"Er, no."
"Then Aunt Petunia probably got to the door, saw me out here, and is now feverishly whispering to Uncle Vernon trying to figure out what the bloody hell I'm doing here."
"You're probably right." Dudley takes a deep breath. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we do, the sooner we can make a run for it if things are dicey."
Mei giggles, "Harry and I will just pop you out of there. You can do a side along with someone Dudley's size, can't you, Harry?"
"For a short distance at least," a grinning Harry replies. "Should we pick a place to apparate to?"
"How about a pub? If we have to apparate Dudley out of there, we'll all need a stiff drink?"
"That's enough, you two," Dudley says, looking somewhat green, though whether from the thought of how soon he'll be finally telling his parents that Mei Butler is a Witch or from the thought of being apparated somewhere, Harry can't be sure.
As they reach the front door and Dudley reaches with one hand to knock while turning the knob with the other, Harry whispers in Mei's ear, "I could make it to the Leaky Cauldron with him."
Mei's reply is to flash Harry a grin as Vernon Dursley booms out a greeting to Dudley and Mei before asking, "What the hell are you doing here, Harry? Go away! Can't you see we've got a guest?"
Doing Better
Author: Isolde
Date: 05-01-10 13:07
For the present, Isolde felt quite well. She hadn't had an episode in a couple of weeks and almost felt like her old self again. She knew she wasn't out of the woods yet, and that she hadn't been cured, but because she felt so much better now, it almost seemed like she had overcome her illness.
Isolde tried not to get her hopes up, though. She knew that at some point she would crash again and who knew how long it would be before she would feel any better. Research healers were working around the clock to find a cure for her symptoms, so hopefully something would come up sooner than later. Isolde knew she shouldn't expect a cure to help her, though. It could be one would never be discovered, or maybe it would but not in her lifetime.
Just as she didn't allow herself to think too positively about her situation, she also didn't let herself feel negatively either. It would do her no good to mope around all day and night. Isolde did have a life to live, and she would do so to the best of her ability.
As it happened, today was the day of another Little League Quidditch match. The Plymouth Polliwogs were up against the Cardiff Cubs. It was a home game for the Polliwogs.
In between her relapses, Isolde had done her best to attend practices and games, but there were times when she couldn't take part. Sometimes Angelina Johnson filled in for her. Other times Pyrrhus did.
Isolde didn't like relinquishing her duties to others, but in those instances she hadn't had a choice.
At least now she felt well enough to coach her team, and they were doing great! The Polliwogs were leading by thirty points. Isolde had a good batch of kids this season. They were determined, hard-working players and almost reminded her of herself when she was playing Quidditch both at Hogwarts and professionally. If only there had been a Little League organization when she'd been their age!
The Plan
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 05-01-10 13:38
Ethan sat on the couch in his living room and propped his bare feet up on the coffee table in front of him. Professor Dumbledore had given him a lot to think about regarding Meadow O'Guinn. Ethan swore that Dumbledore remembered every student ever to walk through the doors of Hogwarts. How he did it, Ethan wasn't sure, considering hundreds if not thousands of students had been at Hogwarts during Dumbledore's time there.
Prior to their conversation, Ethan had already pulled records on Meadow, so he knew about her school accomplishments or lack thereof. What those records hadn't told him, however, was what she was like. Ethan had never met her and couldn't say anything about her, other than what he knew from Callum, and Callum had obviously never really known her for whom she truly was.
Dumbledore was able to shed some light on the subject. He remembered Meadow as being popular among her friends and envied by those who weren't. He remembered that she was very ambitious and often succeeded at whatever endeavor she undertook. She never got into serious trouble, but there were times when she walked a fine line between what was right and wrong. Her marks in her classes had been well enough, but not stellar by any stretch of the imagination.
Dumbledore had been certainly curious to know why Ethan wanted to know about Meadow, and Ethan had freely given him that information. Dumbledore knew about the book called Darkest Magick and understood full-well why Ethan might have concerns about it being in Meadow's possession. He even went so far as to tell Ethan that he would see what he could do to help track down Meadow and the book in question.
Ethan had thought about borrowing the Blood Hound device from the Department of Mysteries to locate Meadow, but he knew that it was still being used to find witches and wizards who'd gone missing during the pureblood movement, and when it wasn't in use, it was being perfected to overcome various barriers it thus far couldn't. Finding Meadow wasn't a matter of life and death––at least he hoped not––and he didn't want to use the device, which was already in high demand, to satisfy his own curiosity.
There was something else he could try, something he had used successfully in the past. He thought about how he had tracked down Maverick Pilot and more surprisingly himself using a Locator Potion. Professor Snape had helped him all those years ago. Perhaps he would be willing to help again.
Ethan decided then and there that it wouldn't hurt to ask. He was planning on going up to Hogwarts soon anyway to chaperone at the Spring Social. He got up, made himself ready, and then disapparated for Hogsmeade.