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First Apparition Lesson
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 02-18-11 11:27
It was that time of year again, when students who would turn seventeen years of age by next term started learning the difficult art of apparation. There was a slight difference this year in that the first lesson took place on a Sunday instead of the usual Saturday meetings. This was because just yesterday, all of Hogwarts had been in Africa for the Quidditch match against Okapi École de Sorcellerie. The game had ended with a win for Hogwarts, and then a party for everyone at the Congolese school of magic.
Although the entourage from Hogwarts had not returned home very late last night, everyone did seem a little sluggish this morning. Minerva supposed that the students were all very hyper from the day's events and had difficulty falling asleep last night. She'd been pretty excited herself and felt a bit sleepy this morning too.
As Wilkie Twycross explained what apparition was and how to achieve it, Professor McGonagall walked along the perimeter of the Great Hall. As in previous years, the teacher chaperones at the apparition lessons consisted of either the Heads of Houses or Assistant Heads.
So far, Wilkie had done a lot of talking and some demonstrating but hadn't let the students try their hand at apparition themselves. That was all about to change. Wilkie conjured hoops for each student, which were placed on the ground a few paces in front of where they stood in straight lines.
"Remember to apparate successfully, you must concentrate on the three Ds: Destination, determination and deliberation. You must be determined to deliberately move to your destination. Understand?"
There were several shakes of heads, but Wilkie seemed not to notice. He simply said, "Now, you all give it a try."
Some of the students exchanged confused looks with each other, while the rest tried to apparate. No one managed it at all, not even to splinch themselves. One or two twirled in their spots. A few others concentrated so hard it almost looked as if they were constipated. A lot of students looked disappointed.
"Just follow my example," Wilkie stated. He focused on the hoop in front of him, pictured himself standing within it, and with loud noise disappeared from his spot. He appeared in the hoop seconds later.
"See, it's easy!"
The students didn't look very convinced.
Professor McGonagall, meanwhile, continued to rove around the room. If need be, she would assist a student who got splinched, but so far that didn't seem to be an issue.
At Work
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 02-18-11 12:50
Hermione held up her illuminated wand and shined its light into the eyes of a young boy who had just been admitted to St. Mungo's Hospital. His frantic mother babbled incessantly about how she found him on the floor of her greenhouse, awake but sluggish.
He could hardly sit up for Hermione, and so she had raised the upper portion of his bed so that he was halfway sitting, cushioned against a pair of white, fluffy pillows. Even then, his instinct was to slide one way or the other, but she managed to keep him semi upright.
"His pupils are dilated," Hermione said. "Did he eat something in the greenhouse?"
"It's possible, yes," his mother expressed, flustered. "I'm a stay-at-home mum, but I run a small business from my backyard. I grow herbs."
"Anything poisonous?" Hermione asked.
"A few, yes. I keep them on a high shelf so that he can't reach them," his mother said.
"Which poisonous plants do you grow?" Hermione asked. She suspected she already knew which the young boy had ingested, but she wanted to make sure.
"Foxglove, White Bryony, Water Hemlock, Deadly Nighshade... a few others, but I just can't remember right now." The mother gazed at her ailing son fearfully and took in a ragged breath.
"I think he ate some of your Deadly Nightshade," Hermione said, her suspicions confirmed. "Dilated pupils are common symptoms with some poisons and potions, but an inability to stand is definitely a symptom of ingesting Deadly Nightshade."
"Oh, Merlin! Is it curable?"
"Yes, of course. He'll be back to his normal self in no time. Let me just call over one of the senior healers and we'll take care of it."
Instantly, the mother looked relieved, but she still had an expression of guilt on her face. Hermione stepped out into the hall and went over to the nurse's station, where she found Pieter Vanderbilt, a healer who specialized in potion and plant poisoning. She filled him in and then together, they rid the poison from the young boy's system.
A short while later, Hermione finished up the boy's chart and then went upstairs to take a break. Her wedding was quickly approaching. Hermione and Ron had wanted a springtime ceremony from the beginning, but it was only recently that they'd finalized a date. They'd thought it best if the wedding took place between Hilary and Trinity term. Hermione was still in the middle of clinical rotations for her healing degree, though she normally worked full-time even when term wasn't in session. This time, however, she planned on taking time off for her wedding and honeymoon.
Most of the inivitations had already been sent out, but a few remained. Hermione knew she should have sent them out already and hoped that her guests hadn't already made plans for that weekend. She busied herself during her break addressing the last of the envelopes while she sipped a warm cup of fruit tea. At lunch, she would take them to the Owl Post office.
As they always did, her break ended all too soon and it was time to get back to work. She returned to the Potion and Plant Poisoning level of the hospital and saw to her next patient.
Catching up...
Author: Adina Blackwood
Date: 02-19-11 06:01
Adina sat curled on her bed, half a dozen things spread out around her. She was currently using this time to catch up on the last bits of homework and stuff from when she'd been in the Congo at the last IQT match. Despite having barely slept, she was more alert than one would have expected, and as it was, she was already pondering a trip to the library to do some research for one of her assignments. Fingertips slid through her hair as she studied over some of the information from History of Magic, it wasn't her favorite class, but she tollerated it well enough.
History of Magic was her second to last class tomorrow, but it was the class that she had the least amount of catch up for because she'd nearly been finished with the assignment before she'd left for the Congo several days ago. She also needed to get up to the owlry and send her gifts out. Finishing up History of Magic she packed up her things, slipped the required books and parchments in her bag for the work she needed to finish for Herbology, Charms, and DADA. Then, headed out of her room, her roommates still sleeping as none of them were old enough to go to the appiration lessons being held in the Great Hall.
She swung by the Common Common room and grabbed a cherry and cream danish that was on a tray from Briar's Bakery, and a mug of hot chocolate. She ate her simple breakfast and then headed to the owlry to post her packages, and then the library was her destination of choice.
She found a quiet study area in the library and hunkered down, intending on spending most of the day studying and ensuring that she kept her grades up. The one event she was looking forward to the most were at the end of the month, now that the Quidditch game was over, and that was Parents Weekend on the nineteeth. She was still a year behind being able to go on the Hogsmeade trips, but that's alright, there will be next school year.
After spending some time in the library, which turned out to be less than she actually needed (a handful of hours at most), she headed back to Slytherin House, to put her books away.
"I swear, it is times like these that I wish we could go down to the Village and eat at the Crown and Cauldron." She heard Whitney say to Kida, and the other two of their roommates agreed.
"I agree, however, we are stuck here because we aren't old enough, and I doubt that they will actually ever allow free passage of students in and out of the village when school is in session." Adina said, as she ran a brush through her hair really quick.
"Alright, so what do we want to do for the rest of the day?" She turned and asked her four roommates.
"I would suggest a picnic, however, the weather is still disgustingly nasty outside. Rain and snow, does not make for ideal picnic weather..." Daisy said, looking out the window, and the five girls couldn't wait for the spring thaws.
"I think I am just going to vege in the Common Commons, listen to the WWN and maybe see if I can get a game of chess going...anyone wanna come?" Adina said, and soon enough she and her four roommates were heading up to the Common Commons to spend the rest of the wintery day.
Professor Twycross's Lecture Gets Old Fast
Author: Kody
Date: 02-19-11 09:24
Deak tries very hard not to yawn as for about the millionth time Professor Twycross goes over the three Ds. Drake and Kody had told Deak how quickly the professor's repetitious instruction became both boring and annoying but Deak had thought they were exaggerating. Merlin, was he ever wrong!
Wiggy and Jack have sort of glassy eyed looks about them though Deak doesn't know if that's because they are tired or if they are bored or if it's a bit of both. Whichever it is Deak's glad they get to take the 12 week apparition course with him. If not for the time they'd spent at Happy Haven putting them a year behind here at Hogwarts, Jack and Wiggy would both be sixth years right alongside Deak instead of just fifth years.
For the most part the class year difference has no affect on the three boys' friendship. When it does, it's things like last year Deak having to spend more time studying because of the OWLs and this year Jack and Wiggy having to do the same. Deak also wishes they had classes together because he misses being able to work with them on assignments. Jack and Wiggy do ask him for help from time to time with an assignment that he'd had last school term and they are having to do this school term. Deak's also the only one with a steady girlfried so that definitely plays a part in how much time the three spend together.
Catching Aaron's stern gaze on him, Deak stops his wondering thoughts and stifles another yawn. He forces himself to listen to Professor Twycross's droning and on the hoop that serves as a focus point for Deak's apparition attempts. As the professor enourages the students to try again, Deak takes a deep breath, mentally telling himself, "Don't splinch!" stares at his hoop and makes another attempt.
Arriving At Her Parents' Home
Author: Kissy Isuki
Date: 02-19-11 15:02
With the first apparition lesson of the term being given today Kissy would normally have been in the Great Hall, at least for a little while. Minerva McGonagall is almost always present for every one of the twelve lessons so even though she's Assistant Head of Gryffindor House Kissy doesn't have to be there. Nonetheless she does like to help out though with today being the first lesson her help is most likely not needed. It's highly doubtful any of the students taking the course will successfully apparate today and few, if any, will even get so far as splinching even a so much as a fingernail.
If not for having something else to do, this being a quiet Sunday morning after a big day yesterday Kissy would have considered sleeping in a little then just lazing around listening to something on the WWN while reading the Sunday Prophet. That would be something to consider that is if not for the fact that Akina and Kazuki are still staying with her. Kazuki is an extremely early morning child and does not know how yet to do an "inside" voice. Akina offered to find somewhere else to stay but Kissy wouldn't hear of it. If she starts feeling a little crowded she has her office to retreat to and during a regular weekday she's in her office, classroom, or one of the obstacle courses so it's really not as though her sister-in-law and nephew are constantly underfoot. Also, Akina is very pregnant. Kissy would feel horrible having Akina staying in a hotel with an active toddler with her due date not all that far off. Besides, if all goes today as Kissy hopes, Akina and Zen may soon be back together.
After Akina arrived at her doorstep around 3 weeks ago and Kissy first learned of a ring Akina wore from that group-organization-cult called Traditions, she'd formulated a theory about why those in Traditions or who have ties to it have acted as they have, sometimes wholly out of character for many of them. Even though Kissy wouldn't explain why she wanted it Akina allowed Kissy to borrow the ring. When taking it Kissy had asked, "Did you wear the ring your entire pregnancy with Kazuki?"
Akina had replied, "Yes, though when my fingers started swelling some I wore it around my neck on a chain. I was going to do that this time too but with everything else I forgot to do it immediately after taking the ring off."
Since obtaining the ring, which she's been careful to physically touch as little as possible, Kissy has been testing it. After doing a comprehensive round of testing she'd run the tests again. From there she'd given the ring over to her friend Ron Weasley who works as an Auror. Ron, in turn, had gotten his father Arthur involved. Their results on the ring were identical to Kissy's. Only then had Kissy sat down with Akina to explain the deal with the ring. It had taken Akina a little while to get over the shock but not only is she handling it all well she's extremely determined to shut Traditions down once and for all.
With Akina beside her, Kissy approaches her parents' front door and raises a hand to knock. She's fully expecting resistance and a drawn out argument but Akina and she are resolved to fully break the Traditions hold over her parents Adamu and Nyoko and her brother Zen as well as Akina's mother. Akina had contacted Zen and her mother, Miyuki Saito, to ask them to meet her at Zen's parents' house. Kissy looks over to Akina and gives her a tight smile. Akina in return reassuringly squeezes Kissy's arm. Taking a deep breath, Kissy firmly knocks on the door, her body rigid and tense as she braces for the fight to come.