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Reverse Progress (Duncan)
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 05-14-18 18:18
Duncan emits a low groan of frustration. He'd been doing fine, great even, with the apparition lessons but then last week he had a set-back. He made mistakes. He even splinched twice, something he'd not done in the previous ten lessons.
Today is even worse. The lesson's hardly begun and he's just splinched again. It's not much. Just the tip of a finger. Doesn't feel great but before he has time for any pain to fully set in one of the professors has him put back together.
Time for another try.
By the tenth lesson Duncan had been successfully apparating time after time. Last week, during the eleventh lesson he succeeded maybe half of the attempts. So far today he's not managed to apparate a single time yet.
Of course, it's early yet. The lesson only got underway a short time ago.
Thing is, if Duncan keeps getting worse, not improving, he'll never pass for his license. He'll have to always use the Floo or the occasional portkey. Fly on his broom. Maybe move to one of the countries where flying carpets are allowed. Duncan wouldn't mind using a flying carpet now and then but he's sure that once an adult wizard, having to regularly use a flying carpet would not be the ideal mode of getting from point A to point B.
So lost in these thoughts is he that as Professor Plaskitt once again reminds them of, "Destination... Determination... Deliberation," Duncan fails to get from his current point A to the point B represented by his hoop across the room.
Sighing, he resets the hoop, which had given a large hop even as Duncan stayed still, he forces his mind to clear of its chaos, focusing on the hoop and thinks of nothing but getting himself into the middle of the circle formed by the hoop.
(Asher) Twelfth Apparition Lesson
Author: Jolyon
Date: 05-15-18 18:32
Asher was fairly certain he wasn't the only apparition student glad that there were only twelve lessons in the series. This was the very last one before the exam, and Asher was so very tired of hearing about the three Ds. He also felt ready to earn his license.
His progress to apparate had been slow, but once he'd gotten over the hump, he'd had little problem maintaining his success rate. Not so, Arielle, who was by far the better student but seemed to lack a natural apt for apparating. Asher loved it when she splinched.
He looked over at her now and watched as she stared down her hoop. She leaned into it a little bit and then, with a loud crack, disappeared from where she stood and appeared a second later inside her hoop. Arielle looked completely surprised, and she checked the fingers on her hands and patted down her body to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be.
Asher shook his head and turned to his own hoop. He started to apparate, but then he stopped when his father came into view. Normally Professor Flitwick monitored the lessons, but Professor Kent was filling in today for some reason. Asher found his father's presence a distraction, but he was bound and determined to not make a fool of himself.
He focused on his hoop, thinking about the annoying three Ds, and then in a flash he was inside the hoop with every body part still intact. He grinned to himself but didn't dare look at his dad. Asher just knew he'd be disappointed at whatever expression the old man bore.
He felt himself growing irritated and tried to think of something else. Besides the apparition exam, next weekend was the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Slytherin had won its two previous matches, while Hufflepuff was 1-1.
The following Saturday was the last Hogsmeade trip of the school year. Team Delta Echo would be meeting up in the back room at Brews & Stews. Asher looked forward to another productive discussion.
He felt himself suitably calmed down and turned back to his hoop. Time to get a little more practice in before next Saturday's testing.
Double Take
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 05-16-18 17:55
The bank was only open for part of the day on Saturdays. Certainly the busiest day of the week, Bill always found that Saturdays passed quickly. He spent much of his time conducting business with clients in his office or traveling back and forth between there and the vaults.
Right now there was an unusual lull in the workday. Bill looked at his inbox, debating whether to tackle one of the assignments awaiting completion, but then his eyes slid to a pamphlet partially hidden under a stack of parchments. He pulled it all the way out and re-read the heading: A Magical New You: Reconstructive Healing.
After numerous consultations at St. Mungo's, other wizarding hospitals, and private healing practices, Bill had finally decided to correct the scarring on his face. He had a healer and a facility but had not yet determined the best time to get the work done. Bill had only returned to Gringotts two months ago, and he wasn't yet willing to take another lengthy absence while he recovered from the procedures.
Thinking about his scarring put Fenrir Greyback to mind. The werewolf had not been sighted since the attack on Bill. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Bill wanted Greyback caught as soon as possible, not for his own sake, but for the sake of his daughter and other children who could be in harm's way.
There was a knock at his door. Bill shoved the pamphlet into a desk drawer and called, "Come in!"
One of his clients opened the door a crack and poked her head through, saying, "It's only me. Is it too late to discuss opening a Junior Wizard Savings Account for my son?"
Half an hour later, after the arrangements were made for the new account, Bill walked the client to the front door of the bank. He said goodbye and have-a-nice-day, and then proceeded to lock the door, as it was also closing time and the goblins had assured him that no other member of the public was in the building.
No sooner was the door locked and Bill started to turn away that he did a double take at a familiar-looking man walking past the window. It wasn't Fenrir Greyback, the elusive, dark wizard werewolf. The man looked a hell of a lot like Khalid Adallah, but that was impossible because Khalid Adallah was most definitely dead.
Durmstrang Might Better Suit
Author: Majandra
Date: 05-16-18 18:29
George finishes ringing up a customer then with a stiff, almost rigid gait, crosses to where Miranda is looking at the newest batch of the Diagon Alley location's Pygmy Puffs. She looks over her shoulder at his approach. "Whyyyyy can't I have one, Dad?"
"To the office."
"But, Daaaaad."
"Enough of the whining. To the office."
Giving a huff, she sets her jaw, glares, then stomps to the office. There, George shuts the door, careful not to slam it in ire. Miranda sits down in a chair, arms crossed, the glare still in place, lips in a pouty frown.
"Do you know why I'm angry?"
"Because I kept interrupting you with a customer but, "
"But nothing. You know not to interrupt unless it's important, an emergency. Asking for another Pygmy Puff doesn't qualify."
"It's important to me," Miranda retorts.
"Grounded for a week."
"A week! There's a birthday party tomorrow." Miranda's tone is what one might deem snotty.
"Want to make it two weeks?"
"Don't even want it for one."
"Two it is."
"Daaaad."
"If you keep showing this unpleasant, rude, obnoxious side, Miranda, you won't be going to Hogwarts at all. Somewhere like Durmstrang might better suit."
"You wouldn't."
"Probably not but Mum and I would be tempted."
"I'm going to be a Gryffindor."
"Keep this attitude up and you'll get Slytherin."
"That's mean."
"But true."
Miranda's glare turns to a narrow eyes scowl. "You don't love me because I'm not your real daughter."
"You will not guilt me into rescinding the grounding."
"Rescinding? What's that?"
"Take it back."
"If you loved me you would."
"It's because I love you I'm not. Now, we're going to get lunch soon and then Gran is coming to take you to the Burrow. Until we go to lunch, you have the honor of cleaning up after the Pygmy Puffs and sweeping the shoppe floor."
Still scowling, Miranda gets up, considering some sort of reply but for once wisely keeping her mouth shut. Dad has rarely spanked her or Georgie but she has a feeling if she pushes much more she will have a sore bum by the time she goes to Gran's.
No Progress
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 05-18-18 18:07
After cleaning the kitchen and putting the children to bed, Hermione retired to the library to look over her notes on the abbeys of Great Britain. She had researched every single known abbey in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, and many though not all, had been visited or searched for if the location in question was only rumored to have ever existed.
The actual site of the Death Eater headquarters under Adriana Fairchild just couldn't be found. Hermione wondered if her research skills were lacking or she was on track and just hadn't found it yet. The fact that there were hundreds of known or rumored abbeys across the British isles didn't make Hermione feel any less frustrated, though.
She'd been working on this assignment for nearly two years and didn't have anything to show for it. Meanwhile, Elphias Doge was dead and the Death Eaters seemed to have reorganized and recruited new members. What else would happen before the right abbey was found––if it was ever found?
Systematically ruling out the vast number of possible abbey locations was a long and arduous process. Hermione at least knew that she shouldn't give up on the project. Kingsley Shacklebolt's mole had managed to confirm that the current incarnation of the Death Eaters still resided in a ruinous abbey.
The door to the library opened, and Ron entered the room with a glass of sweet dessert wine. He set it on the desk and said, "Thought you could use a little liquid inspiration."
"I'm not sure it will help," Hermione replied, "but thanks." She sighed. "I just don't know what I'm missing."
"Maybe it's an abbey that's been erased from history and you don't know to look for it," Ron suggested, "or maybe it is one on your list and security spells are keeping you from seeing what's really there."
"I've thought of that," Hermione said. She sighed again. "It shouldn't be this hard."
He dropped a kiss onto the top of her head. "If anyone can figure this out, it's you."
Hermione nodded, feeling slightly encouraged by his words. She just had to persevere, and hopefully all would fall into place before the next bad thing happened.
(Blair) Bad Taste
Author: Susan Fricks
Date: 05-20-18 02:54
Blair and Georgiana were having lunch at the Gryffindor table.
"I so don't feel like having Astronomy tonight."Georgiana complained. "What about you, B?"
"I don't mind, G" The girls had recently started to call each other by their initials. "Conrad Ellis looks sooo handsome under the moonlight."
They giggled, both trying to locate Conrad at the Great Hall, but without success.
"Good afternoon ladies," Walter Wickham from Slytherin greeted them, approaching them.
"I suddenly lost my appetite, G" Blair declared. She did not like Walter. Not since they had been partners at Potions a few weeks ago. He had made the foolish mistake of adding some extra cockroaches into their cauldron, against Blair's wishes. The cauldron's content reacted in such a way to the new ingredient that part of it came out, falling right over Blair's robes and hair. Unfortunately the mixture did not have a pleasant smell and she did not have time to change robes before her next class. Walter had apologized many times but Blair had not forgiven him yet. Moreover he was a Slytherin and she tended not to tolerate them much.
"Would you be interested in supporting the Slytherin Quidditch team on Saturday? We could use your support!"
"Get lost Wickham!" Georgiana said.
"Why not? I offer each of you a cupcake from Briar's bakery. My treat."
"You are bribing us with cupcakes?" Blair asked, rolling her eyes. "If you want to really bribe someone you should do it properly."
"Well, I don't have much to offer," Walter admitted. "I just figured Slytherin would benefit with your support. Gryffindor is out of the race for the Quidditch cup, so it is not like you are betraying your house."
"No deal. We will support Hufflepuff. G and I prefer the underdogs." While Slytherin had won its last two matches, Hufflepuff was at a disadvantage because they had one defeat.
"Too bad. We wanted pretty girls cheering for Slytherin. Never mind. You two are not that pretty,"
And he walked away. Blair looked at him with fury, feeling quite offended . How dare he? She considered herself quite beautiful.
"It is clear that Walter Wickham has bad taste, B. "
"Indeed he does, G. And it seems like we should teach him a lesson."
"Agreed."
They finished their meal debating on ways to make Walter pay for hurting their pride.
Death in the Family
Author: Marzipan
Date: 05-21-18 18:37
The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff fifth years were reviewing wand trees for the O.W.L. exams, which were around a month away. Some students were already exhibiting signs of stress now that the exams were just around the corner, but others seemed fairly lackadaisical about the review sessions.
Marzi had to admit that her heart wasn't into it today. At breakfast, she'd received an owl from her mother. The snowy owl had been the bearer of bad news. Marzi's great grandmother, Tullia, had passed away in her sleep last night. Her funeral would take place this Saturday, which meant that Marzi wouldn't be attending the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff.
Marzi hadn't yet told the boys but planned on it when they got home from school. This wouldn't be their first experience with the loss of a family member: Carter had lost his biological parents as an infant and the man who'd raised him who was also Vallon's father only a few years ago. The boys had been too young to understand those losses, though. The death of their great great grandmother might be different.
Then again, they didn't see Tullia all that often, so maybe they'd cope well enough. Marzi almost felt bad about how little they'd visited the matriarch of the family. And now it was too late to make amends.
She sighed and realized that her students were all staring at her. Someone's stomach growled loudly, which caused those nearby to giggle aloud. Marzi, on the other hand, glanced at the clock and realized it was minutes from the end of class anyway. She dismissed them early, much to their delight, and decided to write a quick letter to her mother. She wanted to know if she need do anything for the funeral or anything else.
Only after she wrote the letter and went to the Owlery to send it off did she go to the Great Hall to eat a little lunch, though she didn't have much of an appetite.
Thinking Too Much
Author: Finley
Date: 05-22-18 18:26
Finley sucked on the end of a sugar quill and thought about the revelation that her parents probably weren't her actual parents. She wondered who her real parents might be, but most of all, she wondered who the real child of Theo and Gemma Pride was. Finley pictured all the orphans at Winchcombe Children's Home who were her age and tried to connect one to the Prides.
Fortunately, she could rule Charla out straight off since she was black and the Prides were not. Nothing would be worse than finding out her own archenemy was supposed to be living her life.
"Stop dwelling on it."
Finley pulled the quill out of her mouth and turned to Eirene, who had taken her eyes off of Phoebus because he'd left the room to use the loo.
"I'm not," Finley replied.
"You are," Eirene insisted. "It's all over your face. There's nothing to be done for it until summer, so you might as well not think about it."
Finley shrugged. "I could write to my par––I mean, I could write to the Prides and ask them to tell me the whole truth. If you know they can't be my parents because prophecies always come true, then they have to know it too. Why would they keep the truth from me?"
It was Eirene's turn to shrug. "Maybe they decided to adopt you because they didn't want a witch growing up in a Muggle orphanage."
"Okay, but why tell me I'm their biological child?"
"I really don't know, Finley," Eirene said. "I think the best thing you can do is talk to them face-to-face, but you should only do it if the truth is worth upending the life you know."
Finley sat silently for a while. She knew she was lucky. For the longest she thought she would remain in the orphanage when she wasn't at Hogwarts. She never thought she would have a real home to go to when school wasn't in session.
"You're right," she finally said. "I need to stop worrying and just accept things for what they are. If the truth comes out someday, then so be it, but I'm not going to mess things up just because I'm curious to know more."
Eirene nodded and said, "Good." Then her eyes traveled to the doorway, because Phoebus had re-entered the room.
Cake Tasting
Author: Eoghan
Date: 05-22-18 20:55
Eoghan holds the door for his sister Gormlaith. "How is it no one else is coming?"
"Maire is but said she'd be a little late."
"Lochlan? Colm? Radha? The spouses?"
"Mine is at a conference. Colm and company are ill."
"Since when?"
"First of them yesterday morning and by last night all of them. Ma and I took soup by. We only saw Colm but he was practically green."
Eoghan makes a face and shudders. Before he can say anything else they are greeted by a Briar's Bakery employee who recognizes Gormlaith from a previous visit. "Hello! We're setting up over here if you'd like to go on and sit."
As they move to the indicated table Gormlaith says, "I'm sorry to have had to owl this morning that there'd only be two of us."
"It's nice of you to have thought to let us know," she's told with a smile. "Have either of you done a cake tasting with us before?"
"Only what I've bought by the slice," Eoghan chuckles.
Gormlaith nods. "I came with our newest sister-in-law, Noelle Riordin. Well, she wasn't Riordin just yet."
"Excellent." She indicates a parchment in front of Eoghan. "I'll explain the list for you. As you can see there is a spot for you to check whether you tasted a cake flavor, filling, or frosting and space to write your impression."
A door to what Eoghan takes is to the kitchen opens and someone says, "I can't find the notes detailing the colors for the Mitchell cake."
"Excuse me a moment."
Alone for a minute Eoghan asks, "You couldn't pick out a cake for the party on your own?"
Gormlaith rolls her eyes. "If I had come alone without having asked any of you I'd never have heard the end of it and it's not as though I could ask Ma to taste test cakes for her surprise anniversary party." She sighs. "If you don't want to be here then go on and go."
"I wasn't asking because I don't want to be here."
"Sounds like it to me."
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to come across that way. I'm actually looking forward tasting cake." He taps the parchment. "We can taste everything on this list?"
"If we want to pay for the full tasting, yes, but we're doing their basic tasting. These flavor cakes, fillings, and frostings in various combinations," she traces a finger along the top portion of the list. "If we can't decide from these we can pick some of the other flavors for another tasting or even do the full package but we'd have to come back on another day as they need notice."
"I hate to sound ignorant on what's been discussed for the party but has anything been decided on size of the cake? One big one? Something with tiers? What?"
"We girls are thinking something tiered along the lines of a wedding cake and if we want, we can have the tiers different flavors."
They look up as the are rejoined. "Sorry about that. Ready to sample cake?"
As Gormlaith and he dig in to an extremely traditional fruitcake with fondant, Eoghan is not only glad for this change from another evening spent pouring over the ever expanding file of an on-going, highly frustrating case but also wonders if Briar's Bakery has milk to drink to go with all this cake.
House Hunting
Author: Sage Porter
Date: 05-24-18 17:43
Sage walks over to a bay window that looks out on the back garden. From the doorway Connie Copperpot tells him, "There's storage in the seat."
Though he has no reason to doubt her Sage can't help himself, reaching down to grip the slight seat overhang to lift up and see for himself. Without turning he asks, "What do you think, Georgia?"
"It's nice."
"Only nice?"
She shakes her head. "I like it the best of what we've seen. It's beautiful, roomy rooms."
Connie states, "I sense a but in there."
Georgia shrugs. "It's larger than all the others and not what I think of as a starter."
"If we can afford it and we both like it the best of everything we've looked at so far, why do we need a 'starter'"? Sages asks, making fingers quotes when he says the word starter.
"You mean you can afford it."
"If we're both going to live here what's it matter if most of the galleons come from me?"
Georgia's brow crinkles. A long moment passes before she shrugs again and shakes her head once more. "I suppose it doesn't."
"Makes sense for us to go on and get this one if we want it rather than getting a house that might be considered a starter for newlyweds and then moving in a few years to something bigger because we've started a family."
"Vair good point. You like this one the best then?"
"I don't like it, I love it."
Georgia lips turn up into a beaming smile. "I do too. I didn't want to say so straight off and find out you had reservations about it."
"So this is the one?"
"I think so, yes."
Connie inquires, "Do you want to see either of the other two on the list?"
Sage's turn to shrug. "We can go see but I'm sure they'll both just confirm out of what we've seen, this is the house we want."
"Let's go then and I can hurry you through them then we can return to the office and put in an official bid on this one."
Connie takes the front door key to the next house out of her purse. When Sage and Georgia have both put their hands on hers, she activates the key as a portkey, taking them to the front porch of the next house. They do a quick walk through then head on to the last house, again using its key as a portkey. Less than a half hour after leaving the house Georgia and he want to buy, the trio disapparate from the last house on the list to the Davies & Llewellyn office where Connie starts the parchmentwork to put a bid in on what they are already thinking of as their house.
(Anthony) On the Job
Author: Beck
Date: 05-26-18 17:37
Anthony sat at the bar at The Hopping Pot and pretended to read the sports page from that day's Daily Prophet, but in reality he was on a stakeout. His target was sitting in a nearby booth with another wizard. Since October when the surveillance started, Menelaus McGonagall was often seen in the company of this other wizard.
The other wizard's name was recently discovered to be Josef Smetana. Smetana was a native of the Czech Republic, born in the days when the country was still known as Czechoslovakia. He attended Durmstrang Institute and worked in the family business, which specialized in dairy products.
At first glance, one might think Smetana and McGonagall were old friends. The various aurors surveilling the latter had never overheard anything to suggest a nefarious partnership. However, Smetana's description matched that of someone seen in the company of Robert Blackheart, a known Death Eater, and further investigation into Smetana's background had also raised several red flags.
Firstly, Smetana was the grandfather of Janus and Jupiter James, both of whom had disappeared in early February and were presumed Death Eaters, based on their own affiliation with Robert Blackheart. Secondly, Smetana's wife was Antonin Dolohov's sister. What were the chances that Smetana's four Death Eater connections were purely coincidental?
Ever since the bombshell discovery, the Ministry decided to also watch Smetana with assistance from the Czech government. Right now, one of their version of an auror was sitting at the next booth, also pretending to read the newspaper.
Anthony took a swill from his butterbeer and glanced at his watch. It was almost time for his relief to take over the stakeout duties.
"Hi!"
He almost choked on his drink, caught totally unaware by Katherine, who sat down on the empty stool next to his and partially obscured his view of the two elderly wizards.
Anthony coughed and said, "Hi. What brings you to the pub?"
"Just got out of work. It's a Friday night and I thought I could use a drink. Also…" She hesitated and almost looked sheepish. "I have a date."
"A date?"
Anthony looked at Katherine fully now and realized she did look a little dressed up for just an evening out after a long week at work.
"Yeah," Katherine said. "I thought it was time to get back out there. I signed up for Magical Match."
"Good for you. So who is this guy? Want me to hang around in case you need an excuse to leave?"
Katherine shook her head. "No need. I like what I see already."
Anthony followed her gaze and saw a wizard he sort of remembered from Hogwarts, though the guy was a couple of years ahead of him and in a different house.
Katherine got up and beamed. "Dean?"
Dean Thomas smiled back. "Katherine?"
Anthony looked between them and then past them when he realized McGonagall and Smetana were taking their leave. As it happened, his relief had just entered the door. The two aurors made eye contact and handed off their duties without a single word to each other. Then, Anthony waved to Katherine and headed out of the pub to go home to Plum, Alex, and Evan.