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European Jumping Seeds
Author: Marzipan
Date: 02-28-07 15:42
Marzi walked towards the greenhouses, flipping her wrist over to check the time. She'd just held a class near the Whomping Willow, because her Gryffindor and Hufflepuff third years had just learned about the old tree and its magical properties. Before dismissing the class, she'd reminded them all that next class meeting they'd have an exam on magical trees. It would be the last major class assignment before spring break. She wouldn't require a holiday assignment from them either, so that they could enjoy Easter to the fullest.
She made it to the greenhouse a few minutes after the start of her next class, which consisted of Slytherin and Ravenclaw fourth years. Without a professor to supervise them, they talked loudly and exercised horseplay.
"Settle down, class," Professor FitzRoy said, when she entered the greenhouse.
Most students fell silent almost immediately, but a few felt it necessary to get in a few last words. Marzi shot them stern glances, causing them to clamp their mouths shut and turn their attentions to their professor.
She went straight to her desk in the corner and pulled a large and flat wooden box from its surface. Whatever was inside made a lot of noise. It sounded like little shoes tapdancing continuously.
"Does anyone have any idea what might be in this box?" Marzi addressed the class, as she stepped forward to the main table with the wooden box in hand.
Griet Vanderbilt raised her hand.
"Yes, Griet?"
"European jumping seeds, professor."
"And why do you think there are European jumping seeds in this box?" Marzipan asked, smiling.
"Because it says we are studying European jumping seeds today in the syllabus," Griet replied, with a smile.
Marzi laughed. "Right you are. Five points to Slytherin."
Marzi set the box down on the table and opened it. Everyone at the table leaned forward to peer into the box. Most of the seeds stayed within the box but a few jumped out onto the table, where they continued to bounce up and down. They were all mahogany in color and looked like beans slightly smaller than a pinky fingernail.
"The trouble with European jumping seeds is planting them," Marzi said with a laugh. "They don't ever want to stay put!"
She spent the rest of class discussing the seeds and when time remained towards the end, she allowed the students to attempt planting the seeds in small pots. The students made a game out of it, seeing who could successfully plant their seed first. Marzi found herself laughing throughout most of the class, which was a good thing because she didn't always find something to laugh about lately.
Abu Ababwa
Author: Nymphadora Tonks
Date: 02-28-07 16:16
Donal Douglas had finally gone to trial and been found guilty of a string of charges, including but not limited to theft, kidnapping and murder. He'd been handed a life sentence at Azkaban and would have probably received the Dementor's Kiss, had the dark creatures still been under government employment. In some ways, Tonks found that Douglas had gotten off easy for his crimes but on the other hand knew that he was still of some use to her and the other aurors investigating him for a number of unresolved crimes.
What Tonks wanted to unravel the most was the mystery behind the Resistance. Unfortunately, Douglas had proven unable to give her all the information she needed. At first, Tonks had thought that Douglas was withholding information from her, although he had willingly confessed much to her and the others interrogating him. Douglas was a very proud man and in many ways was more than happy to reveal the mechanics behind some of his more ingenious plans. However, the administration of veritaserum proved that Douglas knew very little about the Resistance. It was an entity he was not affiliated with; he'd only worked with the Cape Town office, which the South African Ministry of Magic had effectively shut down last year.
Tonks was among the escort delivering Douglas to his new home for life, Azkaban Fortress. She saw him over the water to the island, led him inside where he met the warden and lost all his personal effects in exchange for prison robes. Tonks saw him all the way to his cell, which happened to be in the same block as some of Azkaban's most notorious criminals, as well as one of Tonks' Order colleagues, Severus Snape.
Just as the door to Douglas' cell shut, a light seemed to flash behind his eyes.
"What is it?" Tonks asked calmly, trying not to sound as curious as she actually was.
"I have reason to believe there is an office of the Resistance in Algiers."
"Why do you believe that?"
"Because that man behind you is a member of the Resistance. I met him, in Algiers, before I began working with the South African office. The Resistance have trust issues and find it necessary to conduct extensive interviews with you if you intend on colluding with them on any project. Hello, Abu Ababwa."
There was a hint of a smirk on his face as he nodded to the man in the jail cell opposite him.
Tonks turned with her escort and studied the man. She addressed one of the guards standing next to her without looking at him.
"Who is this man, what has he done, and how long has he been here?"
The guard recited, "Abu Ababwa, as he says. He was picked up for grand theft auto––a Ministry car. He lived in Algeria but is an English national. He's been here since October."
Abu Ababwa glowered at Douglas. "Evidently you were untrustworthy." He spoke in a flawless English accent.
"What man is in our business, friend?" Douglas exclaimed, grinning.
"You will suffer grave consequences for this," Ababwa replied.
"Enough," Tonks stated. "I would like a word with Ababwa in private, if it can be arranged." She addressed the last part to the guard.
"It will be a waste of your time, young lady," Ababwa responded. "I have nothing to tell you."
"I'll be the judge of that," Tonks replied. She nodded to the guard, who prepared to unlock Ababwa's cell to escort him to an interrogation room.
As Tonks started to walk away, she heard Douglas call out "You're welcome."
She didn't say it, but she was thankful for the potential lead.
Not Again
Author: Brett Kingston
Date: 02-28-07 16:22
Brett hasn't been to the Bamboo Forest in a long time so when he'd run into Ginny Weasley the other day and suggested getting together for lunch, he'd surprised himself by suggesting this place. Brett walks in through the main entrance at the exact same time Ginny emerges from the restaurant's Floo. They exchange greetings and follow a waitress to a table. They give drinks orders and opt for the lunch buffet. It's a few minutes later that Ginny and Brett sit down at their table.
"Thanks for suggesting this, Brett. It's nice to have a break that doesn't include family," Ginny says with a smile.
"I'm glad we ran into each other. Other than part of a day out with Aussie, all my meals since term ended have been solo affairs consisting mainly of sandwiches or take out. How's the new business coming along?"
"It's going really well. Blossom hopes to open soon. When I'm not helping out there I'm at one of the Wizard Wheezes locations, regular clerk work, stocking, and doing all the photography for catalogs, ads, and mailers. I'm doing photos for Blossom as well for ads and mailers when the grand opening is announced."
"I've been spending a whole lot of time putting a portfolio together. One of my classes next term is a continuation of one from this past term. One of our big projects is this portfolio. We have to a variety of architectural plans for it such as a small, starter home and a large, grand mansion. I also check in on Kiril and Vanya when Yuri and Aussie need. That's not as much now though because Aussie isn't traveling so often with her job."
"Cutting back to be home more with her husband?"
"That to a degree given that Yuri travels with the Humbatas, just not like Aussie used to travel; but also because she was promoted. She does more of the talking with the teams to find out what they need then delegates a scout to go around and look to meet those needs."
"Brett! How nice to see you!"
Brett refrains, just barely, from rolling his eyes at the sound of Cecily Wright's voice. He forces a smile. "Hello, Cecily. How are you?"
"I'm good. This is my friend and roommate Vanessa."
"Ginny, this is Cecily. She's in the architectural program. Cecily, this is Ginny. Ginny is the first real friend I made when I transferred to Hogwarts."
Cecily looks to the woman leading them to a table. "We'll sit here. No sense in taking up an entire table when there are two seats here."
Brett shoots Ginny an apologetic glance, not sure of how to gracefully tell Cecily she and Vanessa should go on and take that other table. Ginny smiles in return, her smile wavering into a sort of smirk when Cecily makes a point of sitting next to Brett and scooting her chair a little closer to him.
Vanessa sits next to Ginny, asking, "What do you do, Ginny?"
"Lots of things. I'm a student at St. Emrys, I split time working at two shops belonging to my brothers, I do catalog and ad photography, and I'm helping a sister-in-law get ready to open a new business in Hogsmeade."
Vanessa gives Ginny a friendly smile. "Sounds very busy. I'm political science and international affairs at Merlin College."
Brett starts to say something to Vanessa but Cecily suddenly cuts in, "So, Ginny, if you went to Hogwarts you must know Brett's little friend Rory."
Brett shoots Ginny another look, this one more of a Merlin help us look and even though Cecily's question was directed at her, Brett answers instead. "Orei. Oreileah. Yes, Ginny knows her."
Ginny nods, "Orei is very nice. Brett and she are really good together."
Cecily's eyes narrow but she lets the subject of Orei drop, at least for now anyway, asking next how Brett's and Ginny's day is going so far.
Peanuts to Teacups
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 03-01-07 15:04
Professor McGonagall walked up and down the rows of desks in the Transfiguration class as she lectured on some of the finer points on switching spells and placed a single peanut before each student. For the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw first years currently gathered in the classroom, it would be the last time they'd meet before a long holiday. Some would be going home or on family trips. Others would remain at Hogwarts and wile away the days conducting mischief or being lazy.
"You'll all spend the remainder of class attempting to transfigure your peanuts into teacups. I also want you to practice the transfiguration over the holiday."
The students groaned. None of them wanted to do work over Easter break if they could help it.
Minerva set a single peanut on her desk and dumped the rest into a box set on a stack of flattened parchments. She pulled her wand from her pocket and pointed it at the peanut. As soon as she gave the incantation, the peanut grew and transformed into a beautiful porcelain teacup that was mostly plain white but also had dark green branches and leaves upon which bright fushia blossoms bloomed.
"Now, you try."
Each student set about transfiguring his or her peanut into a teacup. By the end of class, only few achieved their goals. Cora Fields had managed to create a plain white teacup with an ornate handle. Daniel Gelson, much to his own surprise, had transfigured his peanut into a teacup with a festive floral design.
The students filed out of the classroom. As Professor McGonagall tidied up the room, she thought about some of the things she'd planned for the next coming weeks that extended beyond Transfiguration class. It was nearing the time that she would have conferences with all of her fifth years to see what sort of career they envisioned themselves having in the future. She needed to sort through her pamphlets to see whether she had enough of everything and if she ought to reorder something or seek a little variety.
It was hard to believe that another school year was rapidly nearing its close. Most of the SAT had already come and gone. Only four events remained: The Spelling Bee and Broom Racing at Hogwarts and the Best In Show: Magical Plants and Mock Trial at La Escuela de Hechiceria. Then it would be time for OWLs and NEWTs and then summertime all over again
As soon as the classroom was to Professor McGonagall's liking, she went to her office to mark some papers.
Dinner for Two
Author: Anthony Beck
Date: 03-01-07 15:31
When Anthony heard Plum arrive through the fireplace he called out to let her know he was in the kitchen. His grandparents had gone out to play games with some of their friends and so Anthony had the house to himself. Since he didn't want to eat alone and figured he spent a lot of money going out to eat on a regular basis, he could invite Plum over for dinner and cook.
"What's cookin' good lookin'?" Plum asked, stepping into the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around Anthony's middle, kissed his cheek, and then peered over his shoulder into the bubbling pot on the stove.
"Beef stew. Why don't you make yourself useful and grab some bowls from the cabinet there."
"You're asking your dinner guest to work?" Plum joked. She unraveled herself from Anthony's body and went to the cabinet in question for the bowls. She grabbed two spoons from a drawer and went into the dining room to set the table.
"Dinner will be ready a lot faster if you help out," Anthony reasoned with a grin. "I went to a Muggle grocer to get some Coca-Cola and Sprite. They're in that ice chest on the floor." Anthony used his foot to indicate to the only ice chest in the kitchen.
Plum popped open the lid and pulled out a cold can of Coke for herself. "What do you want?"
"I'll take a Coke too, thanks."
The stew was about ready, so Anthony extinguished the stove with a flick of his wand and then carried the steaming pot into the dining room. He set it on a hot plate and Plum stuck a ladle into the pot so that they could tuck right into their supper.
They ate in silence for a short while, savoring their meals while it was still hot. Then Anthony spoke.
"Toby wants to know if we'll visit him in Australia this summer. He wants a bunch of us to come down. Apparently, there's going to be a big festival in Brisbane. The 500th anniversary of the wizarding community there or something."
"That sounds like fun," Plum said, smiling. "Will Ariella and Alanna go too and are they coming home for Easter?"
"I don't know and yes. I think they're both ready for a break from Hogwarts, especially Alanna. She's starting to feel the pressure of the upcoming O.W.L. exams."
"Sometimes that seems like only yesterday, but then other times it seems so long ago," Plum remarked wistfully.
"I know what you mean," Anthony agreed.
They talked more as they ate and eventually finished off the blueberry pie Anthony's grandmother had made earlier in the week.
Studying for O.W.L.s
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 03-01-07 15:46
Fritz spreads his materials out in a study room at the library and sets about doing a little memorizing from flash cards before dinner. With Easter break almost upon Hogwarts, Fritz is having a hard time concentrating. All he can think about is being lazy and relaxing for the next few weeks rather than studying and doing school work, but he knows that he's got to do a little bit regardless. The O.W.L.s are coming and Fritz expects nothing less than Es in all his exams. He thinks that getting in a little extra studying during what remains of the current week will allow him to justify slacking off just a tiny bit during spring break.
He's only part of the way through his Charms stack of cards when his stomach lets out a loud gurgle. Fritz wants to put off dinner a little longer if he can help it, but when his stomach continues to growl and grumble, he finally gives up, packs his things, and heads out of the library for the Great Hall.
Coco's already there, feeding scraps from her dinner plate to Pea in her pocket. She's saved Fritz a seat at the Ravenclaw table. He plops down next to her and says, "I'm going to fail all my O.W.Ls."
"No, you're not," Coco replies. "You'll at least pass Potions," she says with a grin.
Fritz gives her a goodnatured elbow in the ribs and then reaches for whatever food is nearest to him. It's after he's eaten half the food off his plate that he remembers why he's so hungry. Instead of eating lunch today, he went to talk to Professor Slughorn about a six-week summer camp at St. Emrys University. Evidently, the university intends on offering camps in several different subjects for interested Hogwarts students or other witches and wizards of school age. Potions is one of the fields offered, which, of course, has Fritz very interested. He has the application packet up in his dorm room and intends on reviewing it fully when classes end on Friday.
Like many Hogwarts students, he is going home for Easter. He hasn't seen his parents or Otto since Christmas, so it will be nice to see them all again.
Accidents Happen
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 03-01-07 16:15
Hand wrapped in a towel, Ron sits in reception waiting to be seen by a Healer. Molly, who'd just happened to be around when Ron got injured, hovers nearby, rightly saying, "They'll probably send us up to 4. Spell damage."
Molly stops moving long enough to sit down next to Ron, reaching over to make sure the towel is still wrapped tightly. "What were you thinking?"
Ron, white lipped from pain, grunts, "Mum, it was an accident, plain and simple. We weren't carrying on like you think we were."
Molly doesn't get a chance right then to say more because Ron and she are told that a Healer on 4 will see them now. Once on the stairs though Molly starts in again.
"George should have been more careful!"
"Mum, enough. Okay? George was being careful. I was being careful. I'm sure he's beside himself."
"But still," Molly persists.
"There is no but still," Ron interjects.
George and Ron had been working on Wizarding Paintball area. They couldn't do much yet because everything on order isn't in but with what materials they do have, they were setting up a section of half wall that, much like staircases at Hogwarts, moves and rearranges itself without warning. When completed, the wall will have charms on it not to switch around when anyone is standing in certain spots. Unfortunately, the charms aren't in place just yet so Ron ended up getting his hand badly smashed and cut in several places.
Molly, knowing how her sons can be, quickly concluded that George and Ron must have been horsing around for such an accident to occur. For once, however, that's not the case and Ron knows that George is going to get as much of an earfull from their mum unless he can convince her otherwise between now and leaving St. Mungo's.
Ron explains everything in detail as they climb the stairs. Even if Molly won't listen, talking so much is helping Ron not focus on just how much his hand hurts. They check in at the nurse's station and are taken to an exam room. Ron really hopes the Healer gets there quickly and gives him something fast acting for the pain.