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Quick Thinking
Author: Griet
Date: 05-13-07 10:19
Griet left the Slytherin common room in a hurry to get to Professor Slughorn's office. She had a few questions in need of answering with respect to some of her assignments and could only see the Potions instructor before breakfast since his schedule was otherwise booked due to classes and franctic O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. students.
He'd also requested to see her on a different matter. Only recently, a parent of a Hogwarts student had complained to Dumbledore about there being a werewolf in the castle. Surely, the student––Griet––was a potential danger to everyone within the walls of the school. She ought to be removed immediately!
Griet knew that she had Dumbledore's support, and parents seemed to trust him, even when they would otherwise have doubts. Although the parent was still concerned and had even passed along the news to other parents who were of the same mind, the outcry didn't go any further. Griet was glad she had Dumbledore on her side and didn't know what would happen if he ever left Hogwarts.
Slughorn just wanted to make sure that Griet was all right. It must be hard on the poor girl, having people accuse her of being a danger to others. He knew she had come to terms with her ailment long ago but that she still wished she could be as normal as everyone else.
Griet knocked on Slughorn's open door and peeked in to see him with three other students. They sat in chairs in front of Slughorn's desk and looked at parchments he'd given them.
"Ah, Griet. Come in! Have a seat." He gestured to an empty chair.
Griet entered the room and slid into the chair, gently lowering her book bag to the floor by her feet. She accepted a progress report from Professor Slughorn.
"I apologize for making this a group meeting, but time is short these days. Have a look over your progress reports and ask me any questions you might have. Yes, Philippa?"
While Philippa asked about a homework assignment her cat had eaten, Griet looked over her progress report. She'd done relatively well in all assignments, though there were a few lapses roughly the same time every month, when she was just too tired to put all her effort into her school work.
Alaric Beauchamp asked about extra credit assignments. Griet lifted her head to listen, because it probably wouldn't hurt for her to do a few herself.
She was just about to ask some of her own questions when Slughorn's face turned an alarming shade of purple. He gripped at his arm and then teetered out of his chair, landing with a fleshy thud on the flagstones.
Griet leapt out of her chair. "Professor Slughorn!" She moved to his slid and took his shoulder rolling him onto his back.
He tried to say something but the words didn't want to come out. His eyes were wide, and his hand roved from his arm to his chest.
"Alaric! Get Madam Pomfrey, right away!" Griet ordered. "Philippa, find Professor Dumbledore. You, what's your name?"
A boy hardly older than 12 stuttered, "A-Angus."
"Angus, check those store cabinets for hawthorn berries or mistletoe! I think he's having a heart attack." It had been good luck that they'd only recently covered medicinal potions in class, and it was wonderful that Griet could be so quick on her feet in so dire a situation.
Alaric returned with Madam Pomfrey within minutes. Griet had already shoved the hawthorn berries Angus had found down Slughorn's throat and forced him to swallow. He still looked in bad shape but his face had resumed a more normal pallor.
Pomfrey immediately got to work, shooing Griet and Angus away. Philippa returned moments later with Dumbledore at her heels. He assessed the situation and then assisted Pomfrey in taking Slughorn to the Hospital Wing. The four Slytherin students waited for Dumbledore's return in Slughorn's office. He came much later, looking grim yet impressed, and placed a hand on each student's shoulder in turn, commending them for aiding in saving Slughorn's life.
"He'll be all right?" Griet asked.
"Yes, he will be all right," Dumbledore said. "I understand we have you most to thank, Miss Vanderbilt. Fifty points for your quick thinking. And twenty points to the rest of you."
"Thank you, sir," Alaric said, "but we didn't really do much." He clamped his mouth shut, hoping Dumbledore wouldn't take the points back, because Slytherin really needed them.
"You all played your parts in saving Slughorn's life. However, he is too ill to resume teaching classes for the remainder of the week. I will take over his duties. In the meantime, some of you are late for classes and all of you have missed breakfast, and I correct?"
Angus, who was missing Transifiguration with Professor McGonagall, nodded his head quite vigorously. Philippa was only missing History of Magic. Professor Binns probably hadn't even noticed that she'd not shown up to class. Alaric and Griet didn't have Herbology until 10:30, but were both very hungry.
"I will send notes to Professor McGonagall and Professor Binns, exusing your tardiness. I have also notified the house elves to see that you all receive breakfast. When you have finished, please do not dawdle but go straight to your classes."
After a chorus of "Yes, sir," the students filed out of the office and went to the Great Hall, where they were served breakfast. Dumbledore, meanwhile, entered the Potions classroom and announced to first year students gathered there that he would be substituting for Professor Slughorn. The monkey business that had been going on with the absence of an authority figure immediately ceased, and the students all opened their textbooks to the right page and listened to Dumbledore's lecture.
A Different Life
Author: Carys
Date: 05-13-07 10:43
Carys put on her uniform for work and then went into the kitchen, where Mairwen was feeding Tristan. Half of his breakfast was on his face. The other half had landed on the front of Mairwen's robes. He had the biggest smile on his face, as if he knew what he was doing was naughty and that he knew he'd just get loads of kisses for being cute and bad at the same time. Carys took a chance at kissing her son and left, pleased that he'd decided to spare her uniform.
She kissed her grandmother goodbye and stepped outside to say bye to her grandfather, who was preparing fishing tackle. Then Carys went back inside and used the fireplace to get to work.
When she got to McMerlin's, she found herself staring straight at her own picture. At the beginning of the month, her manager had named her employee of the month. Carys couldn't say she was all that excited about the honor but she was gracious all the same. At least she was being recognized as being a hard worker, even if her work mainly consisted of flipping burgers and stating, "May I take your order?"
It was times like that that Carys thought about Hogwarts. Had she not gotten pregnant or rebelled against everyone and everything, she'd be close to wrapping up her sixth year now. She wondered what her old friends were doing. Elizabeth, Mindy, and Juliet were probably sitting in class now, or maybe they were in the library studying for finals. Carys found that she really missed going to school. She really missed her old life. She missed being a child.
Why did she have to grow up so quickly? Why couldn't she have adjusted to Owain's death and to Gaenor's death like most people handled the deaths of loved ones? Why had she needed to act out in ways she never would have done before their deaths?
She didn't resent having Tristan. He was the biggest joy in her life, but she knew very well that things would be very different and possibly better without him.
Carys sighed quietly to herself and set about getting herself punched in before taking her place at one of the registers.
Awaiting Visitors
Author: Illyria
Date: 05-13-07 11:07
Illyria didn't have any classes until late this evening, but she'd risen somewhat earlier than normal since she fully expected to find O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. students knocking on her office door all day long. The exams were less than a week away, and the students set to take them were growing more and more concerned with each passing day. Some were positively franctic, so much so that they filled the beds at the Hospital Wing. Others took the upcoming exams in stride, though they wanted all the extra study tips they could get to ensure that they do well. The O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s were, perhaps, the most important things in a Hogwarts students entire educational career.
Illyria could remember her own time as a fifth year and seventh year student. She'd been pretty hysterical herself at times, but she'd managed to do well in all subjects in the end. She was entirely confident that everyone would pass Astronomy. None of her students truly struggled in the course, though some were naturally better than others.
While she waited for the inevitable knock on her door, Illyria graded homework assignments. Her first years had been studying comets and had an essay due each class period on a particular comet. Second and third years were working on star charts. Four years studied Mars, fifth years Neptune, and sixth years were learning about stellar astronomy. The seventh years covered astrometry and would get a N.E.W.T. review tomorrow evening.
Illyria had just started to grade a first year essay when there was a knock at her door. She expected to see a student but it was Urania who came into the office.
"Hey," she said breathlessly. "I tried your quarters but you weren't there. It's really a hike up here. I'd forgotten!"
She held a clothing bag over an arm and handed it to her older sister. "Your bridesmaid dress, tailored to your measurements."
"Thanks," Illyria said. She hung it on the handle of a cabinet behind her and then turned back to her sister. "Off today?"
"No, just took the morning off to run some errands for myself and for Arsinoe. Being maid of honor is lots of work!"
Illyria laughed. "Better you than me then."
"Yeah." Urania laughed too but then she grew serious. "I miss Caden."
"Have you heard from him at all?"
"No, and I don't want to, but I miss him."
"If you ask me, you don't need him in your life. Maybe you'll meet someone new and forget all about him."
Urania nodded. "I sure hope so. Maybe I'll meet someone at the wedding if I don't find a date. There are always eligible bachelors at weddings."
Illyria laughed again. "Yes, maybe."
There was another knock at the door and a student with bags under her eyes peeker her head inside.
"I should go," Urania said. She hugged her sister and then filed out of the office.
Illyria called the student in and sat her down for a good cram session.
Preparing For OWLs, NEWTs, and Final Exams
Author: Saffron
Date: 05-13-07 11:16
Laura Madley jokingly asks Saffron, "If I come back to visit next term, Professor Sacheverelle, will I find out there's no one called that teaching at Hogwarts but there two Professor Millers?"
Saffron laughs. "I think professionally I'll be sticking with Sacheverelle."
Basilia Broomshull blurts out, "With being divorced from Mr. Sacheverelle, would you ever go back to being Porter like your brother?"
The girl clamps a hand over her mouth then pulls it away to say, "Sorry! I shouldn't have asked that."
Saffron forces a smile. "It's all right, Basilia. Let's just say I prefer the name Sacheverelle over Porter and leave it at that."
Harold Poynter enters the classroom in a rush, the last of the seventh years to arrive. Saffron smiles genuinely this time as he takes a seat. "Everyone's here so let's get started and make the most of our last class meeting together."
Picking up a list she prepared Saffron glances at it to remind herself of what's what. "Stewart and Jimmy, you still need to work on your palmistry. Ryan, tea reading. Natalie, the I Ching. Ebalus and Kevin, tarot. Basilia, astrology charts. Siegfried, phrenology. Fionna and Orla, crystallomancy - I've hidden two objects, one for each of you to scry. Lauren, reading runes. Laura, dream interpretation, and Harold, botanomancy. We'll switch up in a little while."
The seventh years get busy, Saffron going from student to student to answer questions, give feedback, and give contructive critique. When the time for them to leave comes, Saffron gives them each a small, wrapped box, the boys getting crystal tie tacks that look like little crystal balls and the girls getting pendants that looks like little crystal balls. "Find me if you need me," she tells them.
Moments later the sixth years begin arriving for their 10:30 class, Saffron saying to them, "Hand in your homework then get settled. We've got a little more to cover before your final eximinations review begins."
Need To Pay Attention
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 05-13-07 11:52
"Phin."
"Phinfilius."
"Mr. Hodfuffer-Flefferfore."
Phin sits up straighter with a start. "Yes, sir, Professor Lancaster?"
"The problem on the board."
Professor Lancaster looks from Phin to one of the blackboards then directs a very pointed look at Phin. It's then that Phin understands he's been asked to work the problem in question. He rises from his seat.
"Sorry. I think my mind wandered."
"As difficult as it is to pay attention when the weather outside is so inviting, try very hard. I'd hate to have to take points because of day dreaming." The professor looks at Phin then at everyone to stress what he's saying.
Phin reaches the board and picks up a piece of chalk. Phin can't even remember exactly what it is they're doing today so he takes several seconds to examine the Arithmancy problem, trying to place what form of Arithmancy or numerology it is. It's just so difficult to think and he's not even taking one of the two big sets of exams. Phin is feeling the normal stress that goes with upcoming final examinations but that pales in comparison to the stress over OWLs and NEWTs.
As best as Phin can pinpoint, there are two things weighing on his mind at this very second. One is that he's only got one more year of school and he's really got to make a decision about career and whether to take on more schooling at the university or to jump right into the working world.
The other thing on Phin's mind right now is not a thing but a person. This morning he learned that Emerald had had a hyperventilating attack last night. Phin can't help but be concerned for his girlfriend. She's had an extremely rough year. Her sister Olive has taken things more in stride but then Olive came into Hogwarts and learning magic as a 1st year. Emerald came into it all as a 5th year, which also means having to prepare for OWLs.
Blowing air out slowly, knowing Professor Lancaster and the rest of the class are staring intently at him, Phin clears his mind long enough to focus on the assigned problem. He gets it worked, even manages to explain, correctly, what he's done and why, then returns to his seat, glad that Arithmancy's coming to an end. Phin has no other classes today and Emerald doesn't have another until Herbology after lunch. He'll get her to go for a walk around the grounds with him, maybe do nothing but sit in the shade under a tree, thinking only about being lazy.
Payback
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 05-13-07 15:22
Viktor reaches the edge of Hogsmeade, still trying to decide whether to go to the Humbatas stadium first or to his office above Windweaver's. He needs to get an order in for new practice robes so he'll go on and stop at the office now and get that done. If Connor's not there he'll find his business partner at the stadium. Viktor wants to talk with him about moving their offices to there.
Windweaver has plenty of other uses for the space their taking up and with the stadium completely constructed and some of the operating offices there anyway, Connor and Viktor might as well move to some of the available space. Yuri pretty much works from the stadium already so Viktor knows that Gregorovitch would be in favor of all the offices moving to the stadium.
The practice robes ordered, Viktor makes the walk to the Quidditch stadium. As long as offices are going to be moved places, Viktor should offer the coaches of the two little league teams, the Glasgow Goslings and the Iverness Imps, who use the pitch some office space and equipment storage as well. Thinking about the little league teams reminds Viktor that they need to go over all the schedules again for updates. Viktor also needs to get the finalized schedule for the various summer workshops at the Humbatas stadium and get a copy of it sent to publications like Quidditch Weekly and The Daily Prophet.
Viktor's in sight of the stadium when a voice calls from behind him. Turning to look down the lane he asks, "Lyric?"
Lyric Morgan appears around the slight curve that had blocked her from his view. "I'm so glad I caught up with you, Viktor."
Lyric and Viktor haven't been dating again. They have seen each other socially a few times but Viktor has held back. Much as he likes Lyric and has fallen for her, he can't get over how secretive she is and how snappish she gets about it. Even Lyric's vow to tell him everything only went so far with Viktor.
That's because there were still gaps in the information he wanted to know about her. Not even probing, personal things. Which is why Viktor didn't like how, despite her vow, Lyric got snappish again and clammed up. At least if those things he had asked more questions of had been deeply personal, Viktor could have understood the desire for privacy. They hadn't though yet Lyric had acted as though Viktor was being pushy.
Viktor walks towards Lyric. "Vat brings you here today?"
"I wanted to see you. Might we speak in private?"
"Certainly. There are plenty of private places inside the stadium."
Lyric shakes her head. "No, I really don't want to chance us running into someone and you getting sidetracked on team business."
"There is a clearing just through this stand of trees. Vill that do?"
Lyric's smile is bright. "Perfect."
They don't speak again until they reach the small clearing. When they do, Lyric speaks first. "You have nothing pressing at Hogwarts over the next few weeks, do you?"
"No. I vill just be helping out professors who are proctoring O.W.L. and N.E.W.T examinations."
"So, you will be missed but not all that much," Lyric states.
"Vat is it you are vanting, Lyric?" Viktor asks, a little confused at what she's driving at.
"I've grown impatient. I tried, Merlin knows."
"Impatient? Tried vat?"
"He was a good man, you know. He had a message for the world. He offered purifity in our lives."
"Who? Lyric, vat are you talking about?"
Lyric takes a step towards Viktor then levels her wand at him. "Koyla." Lyric's lips twist into an ugly smile. "Cruico!"
Viktor falls to the ground writhing in pain. Lyric kneels beside him. "If you receive warnings about Koyla having a sister, you should have headed them. There is a saying. Perhaps you've heard of it. Payback is a bitch."
Lyric, still kneeling, shoves her wand into Viktor's abdomen. "Crucio!"
If anyone had heard Viktor's cries of pain and located the clearing from which they'd come, by the person reached that clearing, Lyric and Viktor were gone.
Two Outpatients
Author: Majandra
Date: 05-14-07 16:15
Sitting at St. Mungo's for a good chunk of the day is not how Majandra has thought to spent Wednesday. At least she didn't miss any final examinations at St. Emrys.
The day had started out well enough. Maj with Miranda had gone to Hogsmeade where Maj rotating from one napping group of infants and children to the next, allowing her to get studying done for the remainder of her exams. Blossom too was doing more quiet things today for the same reason.
Molly and Arthur were of great help. Keeping busy with the day care has served to keep their minds from being 100% occupied with Bill. Others like Maj's mum, Blossom's stepmother, and Hendrika also were of great help, doing more of the many active things today. It was Hendrika who told Maj around the time Miranda's group was having fun playing in a room with toys geared to that age that Miranda was being uncommonly fussy. By lunch, Miranda was downright miserable and had a fever.
Maj has scooped up her crying daughter and Floo'd to St. Mungo's. The wait was longer than Maj had hoped but once a pediatric healer had seem Miranda, things went by quickly. Miranda was diagnosed with an ear infection and the healer said a bronchial infection was trying to dig in as well. Potions were prescribed and one administered on the spot by the healer soothed Miranda and made the baby sleepy.
Cradling the dozing child, Maj was on her way to pick up the potions when Fred sought her out. "Now don't panic or get upset but George got hurt when one of our experiments exploded."
Used to the twins' experiments going wrong in the initial stages Maj had done neither of those things. She'd simply thrust Miranda into Fred's arms, instructed him to get the baby's potions, then take Miranda back to Hogsmeade. The rest of the afternoon was spent with George, first waiting to see a healer and then getting treated. Maj managed to hold her tongue when George was told, "We've gotten all the wood splinters out. Counted 119 of them."
In addition to the wood splinters George has a concussion. It's mild enough that after his right arm is splinted to keep it still while Skele-Gro repairs a fracture, George is sent home. Maj picks up the potions prescribed for George then as George stepped into a Floo, apparated home. She got him settled then went to Hogsmeade to pick up her study materials and to get Miranda. Hopefully nothing will happen this evening or during the night to require another visit to St. Mungo's!