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Groggy (AJ)
Author: Furnella Hodfuffer
Date: 05-15-11 12:14
AJ probably would have come to the apparition lesson this morning even if Aaron and he hadn't decided last night that Aaron, as head of Hufflepuff House, would make himself accessible to all Hufflepuffs this morning. With what happened to Rosamond Boggs yesterday, all the professors have spent time reassuring, guiding, and counseling. For someone to be available to any Hufflepuff student this morning meant both Aaron and AJ couldn't be sitting in the Great Hall during this eighth apparition lesson. AJ didn't mind that Aaron is the one available this morning as he ended up paying several visits to Hufflepuff during the night because of a few students having nightmares. The prefects were handling things as best they could but when first year Winifred Hicks woke up screaming more than once, AJ had to help.
Even though some of the students, especially the older ones, have figured out that Rosamond's death is not a simple matter of someone taking a nasty tumble down the stairs, a goodly number of them only know a very bad accident happened. Nevertheless, students are upset and in Winifred's case, as she hysterically babbled repeatedly in the wee hours, she'd never actually seen a dead person before. Poor Winifred's nightmares were mainly about seeing Rosamond dead at the bottom of the stairs only to turn into an Inferi in front of her and begin chasing Winifred through the castle and all over the grounds.
Neither the first nor the second sleeping draughts AJ tried gave Winifred any relief. He was hesitant to try a third brew, not wanting to chance an accumulated effect and have Winifred slip into a dangerously deep sleep from which she might be extremely difficult to rouse. Poppy Pomfrey, who did not seem to be getting that much sleep herself, assured AJ the third one would be safe to try when she came upon him standing at one of the medicine cabinets turning the flask it was in around and around as he thought about what to do. She'd come to get a sleeping draught as well for someone else.
It's harder than ever this morning not to nod off to the repetitive cadence of Wilkie Twycross. AJ would consider taking a nap when the apparition lesson is over but many of the professors are going to be very high profile at points around the castle. Whether an accident or murder a death on Hogwarts grounds puts everyone on edge and when most of these students well remember the stress and chaos of a few short years ago, having the professors visible and approachable is comforting for them. Even the first years well remember either being at Camp Lollipop, being in hiding, or, if living freely, having tread carefully as people all around them vanished, then even an accidental death brings back bad memories of the British Wizarding World under the rule of Euphemia Smythe-Jones.
Taking a huge gulp of the extremely strong, black coffee he'd poured just before the lesson began, AJ can't help but wonder if getting up and pacing well behind the students' lines of sight would still be distracting to them. From the looks on some of the faces of the other professors present for the lesson, they got about as much sleep as he did and are similarly trying to think of ways to stay awake for the duraction of the lesson that do not require drinking entire vats of the strongest coffee on the planet.
Impossible
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 05-15-11 14:15
At Madam Pomfrey's insistence, Ethan and Lilly had spent the night in the Hospital Wing. The initial shock at finding Rosamond at the foot of the marble staircase had worn off, but Ethan still felt devastated. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her crumpled below the steps, brown eyes wide and staring at nothing.
Sometime yesterday afternoon, Viktor Krum had arrived to lend his support to his old friend and colleague. He'd sat at Ethan's bedside until well past supper, sometimes talking, sometimes listening, and sometimes sitting in companionable silence. When Ethan had needed to use the loo or eat something (even if he hadn't felt especially hungry), Viktor had held Lilly. Those were the only instances that Ethan had allowed anyone else to hold her.
She was the only link to Rosamond he had left and it pained him not to keep her close. In fact, Ethan had slept with Lilly in his arms, even after Madam Pomfrey had conjured a bassinet for the baby.
Throughout the afternoon and night, students had come into the Hospital Wing to get sleeping draughts or potions to calm the nerves. Ethan felt terrible that they'd been subjected to something as awful as seeing death firsthand, but he didn't know how to comfort them when he couldn't even comfort himself at the moment.
He'd managed to get some sleep last night and woke up sometime after dawn when Lilly started crying. Because there were babies living in the castle, Poppy kept supplies like diapers, should any of the infants require a stay in the Hospital Wing. She offered to bathe and change Lilly, but Ethan insisted on doing it himself.
Dumbledore's trusted house-elf came by shortly thereafter with a bottle for Lilly and breakfast for Ethan. Unlike yesterday, when Ethan hadn't had much of an appetite, he felt quite hungry this morning. He was still eating, with Poppy sitting next to him holding Lilly, when Professor Dumbledore came into the Hospital Wing.
"Good morning, Ethan," Dumbledore greeted. "Good morning, Poppy. Thank you, Londy," he added to the house-elf, who nodded in acknowledgement and then disappeared.
"Morning, Albus."
"Good morning, Albus," Madam Pomfrey replied.
Dumbledore went to Ethan's bedside and looked down at Lilly.
"May I hold her?"
Poppy waited for Ethan to say yes, then got up and handed the baby to Dumbledore. She moved on to check on a few students who had also spent the night in the Hospital Wing, allowing Dumbledore to take the seat she'd vacated.
Dumbledore smiled down at Lilly. The baby's little hands reached up and tugged on his beard. Dumbledore accepted this good-naturedly and glanced up at Ethan.
"I spoke with Mr. Ellison's parents yesterday. I was most concerned about his behavior following the events of yesterday and wanted to inform them of the incident."
Dumbledore studied Ethan's face. Pain was still written into his every feature, but he seemed rational enough to have the type of conversation two aurors might have with one another when investigating a new case.
"Were you aware that Mr. Ellison had died?" Dumbledore asked Ethan.
Ethan shook his head. "No. How, and when?"
"Those are the questions," Dumbledore replied. "His parents didn't know anything about it either. It is my understanding Mr. Ellison was gravely ill last summer, but as far as anyone knows, he never stopped breathing."
"I have gotten the feeling that Penn is a liar," Ethan said.
"Indeed he is," Dumbledore answered.
Ethan's eyes widened in surprise.
"There's something I must show you," Dumbledore said. He called for Londy and the house-elf appeared again, this time holding a piece of parchment folded at least a dozen times. It was nearly as long as the elf was tall.
"I made a late-night visit to the home of a friend yesterday evening," Dumbledore began. He nodded for Londy to step forward with the parchment. Ethan put down his fork and set his bed tray aside. He took the parchment from the elf's outstretched hands and saw absolutely nothing written on it.
Dumbledore produced his wand and leaned over Lilly to tap the front of the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he stated.
With those words spoken, ink began to spread over the parchment.
"What is this?" Ethan asked. He'd never seen anything like it before.
"A useful tool," Dumbledore replied.
Ethan read the words "The Marauder's Map" on the front. He unfolded the map and saw a blueprint of Hogwarts. It wasn't just an ordinary blueprint, though. It showed everyone in the castle and where they were at that very moment.
"This is brilliant," Ethan exclaimed.
"Yes. Now look for the first year boys' dormitory in the dungeons. Slytherin House."
Ethan ran his finger along the map. He found the room in question and saw a couple of names he recognized from his classes and one he knew from somewhere else entirely.
His blood ran cold. "Impossible."
"Do you recognize the name?"
The name stayed in one place in the room. Ethan presumed it hovered over the exact location of Penn's bed, but he didn't know for sure.
"Yes, but it's impossible."
"Why is it impossible?"
"Because Hattie Harsnip is dead."
Ripple Effect
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 05-15-11 15:03
Yesterday had been horrible, with the death of Rosamond Boggs, it had everyone in the castle on edge, especially those that were familiar with what had happened during the last Minister of Magic's reign, because that was what it was. Fingertips laced through Isma's hair as she stared for the one hundreth time at the paragraph she was trying to read in her Potions textbook. She was currently sitting at one of the tables in the Gryffindor Common Room, working through some homework. Blake and Eric were off doing something, possibly talking to Professor McGonagall or one of the other Professors that are free during the apparation lesson in the Great Hall.
Isma was irritated that this weekend wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, because a trip to the village would have done her quite well and been a better distraction than homework. She was staring at her potions homework, rereading the same paragraph over and over again. "Oh my god. If I don't find something to do to distract me I am going to go absolutely crazy." She said slamming the quill down on the parchment she had been taking notes on and pushing herself up and pacing the common room.
She slid a hand through her hair and finally just tossed the whole mess back into her bag and brought it up to her room. By the time she made it downstairs after a shower and change of clothes because she was still in her pajamas, Blake and Eric were coming back in through the portrait of the Fat Lady that was the doorway into Gryffindor house.
"Hey, you alright?" Blake asked, frowing lightly over the lack of anything in Isma's face when he came in.
"No. I think I may go talk to someone. I've not been able to concentrate and I don't want to take a sleeping draught just so I can sleep. I had nightmares last night, and still resisted the urge to take a sleeping draught. So, no, I'm not fine." She said in a clipped tone, and instantly regretted it as a flash of pain raced through Blake's features.
"Look, I'm sorry Blake. I.." She was cut off by his raised hand.
"Don't. We are all stressed. I understand. Go talk to someone if you need to, we will be in the common commons playing wizarding chess for a while." He said and pressed a kiss to her cheek, and Eric gave her a hug.
"See you in a little while Isma." He said and let her move past him so she could exit the house and head toward a place where one of the professors were to meet with students that needed to talk.
Comforting a Friend
Author: Isolde
Date: 05-15-11 15:47
Isolde sat in the waiting room at St. Mungo's and thumbed through the latest volume of Magical Style Magazine. She'd always been more sporty than fashion-conscious and didn't normally read rags like that, but it never failed that she picked one up when she had to wait for an appointment.
She'd scheduled a thorough checkup for herself just to make sure that her past ailments really were gone for good. Isolde hadn't felt sick in ages––she hadn't even had a cold in a good while––but she wanted confirmation of her good health. Just because she looked and felt okay, didn't mean she really was.
She got bored with her magazine and set it down on the table with all the others. Isolde checked the watch on her wrist and then looked in the small purse she carried for something with which to distract herself. She pulled out a stick of gum, unwrapped it, and folded it into her mouth.
She tossed the foil wrapper into a rubbish bin across the room and grinned at her pefect aim. Even after years of not playing Quidditch, she hadn't lost her touch.
Her grin faded instantly when she caught sight of her old teammate Aveline Boggs entering the room. Tears streaked her face, and she held a wad of tissues in her hand.
Isolde climbed to her feet, careful not to trip over her cane, and walked up to her friend, who had stopped at the reception desk to leave behind a form.
When Aveline turned around and spotted Isolde, she let out a sob and reached out for a hug.
"Hey," Isolde soothed, hugging back Aveline. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Aveline looked around subconsciously. The waiting room wasn't full, but it wasn't empty either. Since she played Quidditch professionally, there was a possibility that those waiting knew who she was and would want to know what had her so upset.
She gestured for Isolde to go with her to a quiet corner. The two sat down. Isolde reached in her bag for a tissue and handed it to Aveline.
"What's the matter, Aveline?" Isolde softly asked.
"It's my sister," Aveline replied. She blew her nose and daubed at her eyes. "She died yesterday."
Isolde frowned. "I'm so sorry! What happened?"
"I don't know. I guess she fell down some stairs at Hogwarts."
Isolde's frown deepened. She remembered how years ago, she and Pyrrhus had each grabbed onto Professor Snape's hands to keep him from tumbling down the staircase after he'd fainted. She also couldn't help but wonder what her sister-in-law Majandra knew about the latest incident.
"That's terrible."
Aveline sniffed. "Yeah. I found out yesterday. She's here... in the morgue downstairs." She sniffled again. "I have to make the arrangements. I feel like a kid with too much responsibility right now and it's making me irrationally wish my parents could help, but... Rosamond wouldn't want that, and it's not like I know where they are anyway."
Isolde had heard that Aveline's parents were on the run from the Ministry, and she also knew that Aveline and Rosamond weren't biologically related, but they'd been raised together and were very close.
"She had a baby recently."
"She did?" Isolde asked. It had been a while since she'd seen Aveline last and she hadn't heard the news.
"Yeah. A little girl named Lilly. Do you know Ethan Somerset?"
"Sure. He was my Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for half a second. Then he went evil or something."
Aveline actually laughed. "Or something. I guess that's how he and Rosamond met. Anyway, he's the father. I'm going to visit him later to discuss funeral arrangements."
"Good. He can help you."
"Yeah. We can help each other."
Aveline looked marginally better from when Isolde first saw her minutes earlier. Isolde hugged her again. "If you need anything, let me know, okay?"
"I will. Thanks."
"Mrs. Fine? We're ready for you now."
Isolde hugged Aveline again and said, "I better go. Remember, if you need anything..."
"I'll let you know." Aveline smiled weekly.
Isolde smiled back and then got up and followed the nurse down the hall.
Post Honeymoon
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 05-15-11 16:33
"What do you think?"
Hermione turned to Ron, who was still dressed in his pajamas and had hair sticking up in all directions. He sat on a stool in front of the bar counter and ate a bowl of cereal.
"Looks great," he said with enthusiasm.
Hermione took a few steps closer to him and turned around to make her own assessment. On the wall hung a canvas portrait of the honeymooners at Diamond Head on the Hawaiian island Oahu. They stood on the highest point of the crater, with nothing but cloudless skies and turquoise, sparkling water stretching out behind them. Wind whipped their hair, and they had the biggest grins on their faces.
"It's not even," she said.
"It is too even."
"I measured it and leveled it and it doesn't look even."
"Hermione. You measured it and leveled it so it must be even," Ron replied with a grin. "Besides, it looks even to me."
Hermione tilted her head and fussed a bit more, but she left the portrait where it was.
"Okay, this one is next." She held up a picture of the two of them standing in front of a row of plumeria trees. The blossoms ranged in colors. A butterfly flew into the frame and landed on Hermione's hair.
"Dining room wall?"
"I was thinking next to the garden window," Hermione said.
"That works."
After their wedding, they traveled to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Of the six Hawaiian islands, they only went to three: Oahu, Maui and the Big Island.
They'd had a lot of fun, visiting both Muggle and wizarding sights. On Oahu, they stayed at a beach house owned by an elderly wizarding couple. On Maui, they stayed in a Muggle hotel. On the Big Island, they stayed at a wizarding B&B.
They'd gotten back the day before yesterday. Neither was used to the time difference yet, but it had gotten better.
Yesterday, Hermione unpacked everything and did a lot of laundry. She made several trips from her old flat to the house to move things that hadn't gotten moved before the wedding. Hermione had a few items remaining over there and had given herself the deadline of the start of Trinity Term to fully empty the flat.
She knew the Weasley twins weren't going to rush her, and as far as she knew, they didn't have anybody lined up to move in after she moved everything out. She didn't want to take advantage of their hospitality though, especially when she didn't need the storage space, now that she lived with Ron in his much bigger house.
"Okay. Is it even?"
Ron padded over to the back of the house to take a look.
"Did you measure it?"
"Yes."
"Did you level it?"
"Yes."
"It's perfect."
Hermione shot him a look.
Ron grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side. "Look."
Hermione looked. It did look even.
She smiled and wrapped her arm around his middle. "Want to go back?"
"Definitely. I'm craving Kahlua flavored ice cream."
"We should commission Florean Fortescue to make some."
"And lychee flavored ice cream."
Hermione laughed as Ron ticked off on his fingers all the other unusual flavors he'd eaten while they'd been in Hawaii for the honeymoon.