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Search Warrant
Author: Nymphadora Tonks
Date: 08-03-07 20:36
Tonks stood in the foyer of the home of Constantius Ravenscroft and delegated tasks to the aurors who'd been assigned to assist her in the thorough combing of the South Kensington property. Constantius stood near her, fuming despite the fact that she'd produced a search warrant that even bore the signature of Berwyck Oldridge. How she'd managed to get him to agree to something she supported baffled her, but she wasn't going to question his motives. He had a reputation for disappointing everyone to further his own agenda, but recently he started showing more interest in certain staff members, like Tonks. She wondered if it had anything to do with favoring purebloods over others, like what was happening at Hogwarts now. The thought made an unpleasant tingle creep up her spine.
"I don't at all see why this is necessary," Constantius spat out, not for the first time since Tonks arrived at his home with her entourage.
"Do you deny assaulting Marzipan FitzRoy outside the Hog's Head last week?" Tonks queried, directing a hard gaze at the older man.
"The girl is delusioned into thinking that her father is a saint while the man who took her mother away from that sad excuse of a family is evil incarnate. Whatever lies she told you about my past are just that, lies."
"You didn't answer my question, and remember that there was a witness."
Constantius laughed maniacally. "Yes, my poor excuse for a son. I suppose it's only fitting that he wind up with her."
An auror approached Tonks with a cardboard box of evidence. "There's more in the cellar."
"Take it all," she said, and to Constantius she recommended, "I suggest you say where we can reach you, Mister Ravenscroft. I suspect you'll have plenty for which to answer."
First Meeting With Zinnia
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 08-03-07 20:48
Drumming my fingers on the desk as I debate changing up some things for tomorrow's class of fifth years, all whopping three of them, I also try to decide whether to forgo the Great Hall for lunch. I can always eat in our quarters or walk into Hogsmeade, or go to Cloud's Kiss, or even eat right here in my office. I think I'll find Saffron and suggest we eat in our residence. Or would that be wrong? Should we do lunch in the Great Hall? Keep being visible?
Making a notation of the change for tomorrow on the top page of a very thin set of syllabi to hand out to Miranda, Octavia, and Estella, I call out without looking up to a knock at the door, "Come in."
"Am I interrupting?" an unfamiliar voice asks.
Putting the papers aside I gesture for the other Muggle Studies professor to sit down. I've seen her of course but as yet we've not spoken though truth be told I've not gone out of my way to even say hello to the woman.
"No, not interrupting, Professor Marcasite. What may I do for you?"
"For starters, how about we officially introduce ourselves. Zinnia Marcasite. Please call me Zinnia."
"Aaron Miller."
"This is all so awkward. What I think about all the new rules or what my thoughts are on blood status don't really matter. I accepted a job to teach Muggle Studies. That is what I intend to do. The students come first."
"I agree that the students come first. That's why I don't agree with what's being done."
"Yet you stay," Zinnia states.
"For the students," I state in reply.
Zinnia shifts in her seat as if displaying some of the awkwardness she just mentioned. "The fourth years yesterday were telling me all about a place called Cloud's Kiss. The third years seemed disappointed that they'd not be getting to have classes there."
"Are you asking to use my home?"
"Your home?" Zinnia asks, confused.
"Cloud's Kiss is my property. When not here at Hogwarts, that's where my family and I live. My mother is often there and my father sometimes stays as well."
"I hadn't realized."
"Are you asking to use the facilities there or not?"
I realized I'm sounding pugnaciously confrontational. I tone it down and extend an olive branch. "How about a tour first? Then you can decide if it's suitable for your educational needs. We can go there now if you like."
Zinnia offers a smile. "Yes, thank you."
"Let me just put a note on the door that I've gone to Cloud's Kiss in case anyone's looking for me since it's still my posted office hours."
A half minute later, Zinnia and I are on the way to my Muggle Studies classroom to Floo to Cloud's Kiss.
Talking With Jewel
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 08-04-07 10:22
Just after lunch Emerald heads for the common commons. It's where she's spent most of her down time so far, though every time she enters the room she expects Professor Snider or Professor Yaxley to show up and inform all the Nons that they are no longer allowed the use of the room. What would they call it then? The semi common commons?
Entering, Emerald pauses just inside the doorway to pull out the sheet of parchment on which she's got her schedule, Olive's, and Phin's. Olive should be reaching Transfiguration right about now. Phin is free the rest of the day though Emerald hadn't seen him in the Great Hall nor does she see him here in the common commons. Emerald had had Herbology this morning, Ancient Runes is at 2, Care of Magical Creatures at 3:30, and then Astronomy is at midnight.
Emerald orders a drink at the bar then takes it to go sit on one of the beanbags. Emerald's barely taken a drink when someone approaches, "May I join you?"
Nodding to the empty beanbag next to her, Emerald tells Jewel Reily, Phin's stepsister and as of this week Emerald's roommate, "Sure. Done with classes today?"
"No, I've got History in a bit. You?"
"Three to go, starting with Ancient Runes."
Emerald shifts to better look at Jewel. "I've been wondering. I know your mother's a Witch. Was she Muggle born or was your father?"
Jewel gives a tiny half smile. "Yeah, my father's side. Yours is your mother, right?"
"She was a Muggle," Emerald nods. "As far as I know, she never knew Dad has magical abilities beyond the card tricks he'd do for us. Those tricks weren't real magic. Just sleight of hand stuff and rigged deck of cards."
"My mum said she'd if I want, I could be home schooled. Maybe if this weren't my last year, I'd jump at the offer. What do your aunt and uncle think of all the changes?"
"They are really upset. They've written letters of protest and are planning to attend some meeting Aunt Blythe said some of the parents are holding to discuss what might be done."
"There have always been some who wanted to make it illegal for Muggle borns to be educated, some who wanted to take it a step further and make it half bloods. There have always been factions against those they call half breeds. Never though has anyone actually been in the position to make these changes. Not even You-Know-Who?"
"I asked Uncle Woody about this person named You-Know-Who I kept hearing mention of. Was he truly that terrifying that even know he's dead, people don't say Voldemort?"
"Yes, he was that bad. In the between years when he was first thought dead until the time he appeared again and started making another play for power, very few people said his name. Even now that he's dead for certain, I think it's habit instilled by fear that has people saying You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"I wonder what he would have thought if he'd known that in America, in the Muggle World there, segregation was once standard."
"No? Really? Whatever for? Was it Wizarding too?"
Emerald shakes her head. "I don't know if the American Wizarding World had segregation or not. I'll have to look it up. In the Muggle World, for a long time, segregation was by skin color. Not just separate classrooms but separate schools, separate public restrooms, even separate drinking fountains."
"And all by skin color?"
Emerald sighs, "Yes, anyone considerred to be black was segregated."
Jewel shakes her head, finding this heard to believe. "Segregation based on nothing more than skin color? Wow. That's just... that's silly beyond words."
Emerald nods in agreement. "Isn't it though?"
Lap of Luxury (Daria)
Author: Blossom
Date: 08-04-07 17:49
Entering the library, Daria picks an empty seat at a half-filled table and sits down. She glances around to make sure there are no telltale purple lines of demarcation anywhere. She can't say she'd be the least bit surprised if the library were to suddenly be divied up. Daria can well imagine those not of pureblood status being relegated to the far walls and dark corners, made to wait on books if a pureblood wanted those same books at the same time, and generally given second class status within these walls as they have been in other parts of the castle and in classes.
If that happens, Daria shall add everything to the growing list she's keeping, from the loathsome purple ribbon adorning certain hems to the purple line dividing dining tables to the tatty, itchy, lumpy mattresses, to the aged, unsafe brooms some were expected to use for flying lessons (this information to Daria courtesy of Phin Hodfuffer's cousin Wiggy's friend Hadrian whose brother Hunter is a 1st year). Daria keeps her eyes and ears open for additions to the list. Every couple of days in a letter to her parents she fills them in on those additions.
Daria has considered telling her parents she's quitting Hogwarts. At the same time, she really wants to stay despite that hairy ogre Snider and her henchman Yaxley. As bad as they are, the thing that Daria thinks about most as a reason to leave is the odious purple border that now runs along the bottom of her school robes. Daria has the most comfortable mattress ever, the most luxurious bedding on that mattress and even, much to her shock, turn down service complete with mint on her pillow. She's a prefect. Being pureblooded, no matter what happens with the Quidditch teams, her status assures her a spot on the team if the rules so far are anything to judge by. Just this morning a sign went up offering special, free, tutoring services to pureblood 5th and 7th years for OWLs and NEWTs, respectively. Yesterday, Daria noticed that the utensils at the pureblood end of the Ravenclaw table are expensive silver and the plates and bowls are all fine china now. Even the food seems richer, more luxurious.
All these wonderful things, and probably more to come, but only because of the damned purple ribbon marking her hem.
Daria doesn't feel right about being a have. Making it worse is being a have witnessing how the others are being treated. Seeing people being treated as though they are inferior doesn't sit well with Daria. She feels guilty for having the purple hem even though it's none of her doing. That guilty is what makes Daria keep thinking about leaving Hogwarts even though it would mean leaving a 7th year that would be done in the lap of luxury, making the stress of the NEWTs seem not so bad. Given the division now at Howarts, though, the lap of luxury is not something she much desires.
First Birthday
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 08-04-07 19:18
Posed on one side of Tristan and Carys on the other, Griff has his arms around the back of Tristan's chair and is looking straight ahead, smiling into the camera. In front of Tristan is a small cake. After the first picture is taken, Griff lights the candles then Carys and he pose for another picture. Yet another is taken as they help Tristan blow out the candles. The best pictures though are the ones of Tristan being allowed to dig both hands into his cake and smear the icing on his face as he laughs with delight.
A few minutes later, Griff has a small piece of the cake, cut from the side Tristan couldn't reach and Mairwen Hanham is dolloping vanilla ice cream onto his plate. "Thank you, Mrs. Hanham."
"How many times do I have to tell you it's all right to call me Mairwen?"
Griff smiles, revealing one of his dimples. "I'm sorry, ma'am. You keep telling me but every time I go to call you Mairwen it comes out as Mrs. Hanham. This cake is excellent."
"Thank you. Have some more." Mairwen shoves another slice onto Griff's plate.
"If you insist," he grins in reply.
Griff feels eyes on him and looks to see Carys watching the exchange with her grandmother. So far she's said nothing about his offer to pay for St. Emrys. Griff won't push the point. Carys will let him know if she wants to take him up on his offer.
Conscious that Griff is now looking at her in return, Carys lowers her head to say something to Tristan. The boy gurgles happily and slams his frosting covered hands together as if clapping. Brushing back strands of her hair that threaten to get caught up in Tristan's frosting fun, Carys cuts her eyes towards Griff again for all of half a second. Griff would like nothing more than to walk over and run his fingers through her hair and pulls it back for her.
Griff restrains himself. He takes another bite of cake and tries not to remember the feel of Carys hair. How it smells. Thankfully, before he's pulled too deeply in memories best not had in mixed company, Mairwen returns to Griff's side. "I've made tea. You will have some of course. Tristan just loves the play equipment you got him. We've sat for hours outside since you set everything up."
Griff smiles at the woman who despite him having gotten her underage granddaughter pregnant, has attempted to treat him like family since they first met. It's not always been easy but Mairwen's efforts and those of her husband Alun's haven't been lost on Griff, even at their most awkward.
Darting his own glance Carys way, Griff then smiles down again at Mairwen. "I'm really glad to hear that. Also, if I've not said it already, thank you for having me to Tristan's birthday party. I don't think I could bear having missed it."
Offer and Acceptance
Author: Carys
Date: 08-04-07 20:53
Carys still hadn't forgotten the moment Griffin had told her that he was nine years older than she, causing her to realize she'd been having a sexual relationship with a grownup while she had only been a girl. She was of age now, and a mother since one year ago, and despite her good memory, she had softened to Griff over the past year. Things weren't how they'd been when they'd first met on the day of Gaenor Hanham's death, and Carys wasn't sure they ever would be again, but at least she could be civil with him.
Even though he didn't see Tristan very often, Griffin seemed like he would make a good father. He was also always very polite to Carys' grandparents, and she could honestly say that he hadn't done her any wrong for a good while now. She watched him with Tristan and came to a decision.
"I want to offer you more time with your son," she said.
Griff looked up, ceasing tickling Tristan's stomach for a moment.
"What I mean to say is," Carys went on, before Griffin could say anything, "that I think you shouldn't just visit him on birthdays and for dinner occasionally. I think you he should come to you and stay with you, maybe a weekend a month to start with?"
Griff's features immediately brightened. "Are you sure that's what you want, Carys?"
"Yes," she said quickly, before she changed her mind. She'd never been away from Tristan for longer than a work shift at McMerlin's, but Tristan truly wasn't hers alone. He had a father. True, his father had had an illicit relationship with an underage witch, but Carys knew in her heart that it had only happened the one time and that Griffin probably had had real feelings for her.
"What about the third weekend of every month?" she suggested, the first already having past and the second creeping up quicker than she wanted, even though it was only Wednesday. "You can have him from Friday evening to Sunday evening." She looked at the smiling Tristan, who wiggled in his father's lap. "It will be good for him to get to know his dad."
"That's really generous of you."
"So you accept?" Carys asked.
"I do!" Griffin responded quickly, with a smile. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Carys replied. She hesitated a moment and then added, "I decided to accept your gift of paying for my classes at St. Emrys. I can't take a full load because of my job and my commitment to my family, but I want to take at least one." She sighed. "Sometimes I wish I were still at Hogwarts. I've forgotten how to do simple things, not having been allowed to do magic at home until a few days ago. And I feel so behind academically."
"Did you hear about the changes at Hogwarts?" Griffin asked.
"Yes, I saw the article in the Daily Prophet. I suppose if I were still at student at Hogwarts, I'd have been one of the privileged."
"Luckier than many, for certain," Griffin replied.
Even having changed her life dramatically by bearing a child at 16 and being expelled from Hogwarts, Carys still felt pretty lucky. She had a beautiful boy who had just turned one year old today.
Getting A Letter Off
Author: Brett Kingston
Date: 08-04-07 20:55
Brett dips the quill into the new bottle of ink in a medium shade of cornflower blue. He'd started a letter to Orei several times, even before receiving her first one from Hogwarts. He simply keeps getting interrupted. Then, when he learned of the whole purple as the pureblood color indicator thing, Brett had gone right out and exchanged three new bottles of deep purple ink for other shades. He didn't think Orei would really want a letter written in ink that would instantly remind her of all the things she found evil and awful at Hogwarts.
Halfway through the letter, Brett scowls in consteration at the knock on his door. Is there some signal he doesn't know about to tell others to come bother him whenever he's sitting down to write Orei?
Rising, Brett goes to the door, not really all that surprised to see Cecily. Nor is he shocked she's weeping. Cecily weeps a great deal these days.
Leaving the door open for Cecily to enter, Brett returns to the letter. "Make yourself at home, Cecily. There's butterbeer in the kitchen. Tea as well. I need to finish this letter and get it off so excuse me a moment if I'm a poor host."
Cecily shuts the door. "Thanks, Brett."
Cecily goes into the kitchen, already talking a steady stream even though Brett mentioned he's writing a letter. Brett, rereading the last couple of sentences before starting the next, only half listens to Cecily. He can tell it's more of the same.
Lucius has left for the evening again.
Lucius never wants to spend time with her.
Lucius says he's at the Ministry at night but does Brett think Lucius is lying?
During the day Lucius shuts himself up in his study or goes off visiting people he says he can't take Cecily to meet.
Does Brett think Lucius is embarrassed of her? Is that why he won't take her to meet those people?
Reaching an end to the letter, Brett signs then seals it. Giving it to the owl he recently purchased, Melon, Brett lets it out then walks over to a chair near the couch. Cecily, out of the kitchen for several minutes now, is sitting on the couch, wiping away fresh tears.
When she stops chattering long enough to take a breath, Brett works in the question, "If you're that miserable, Cecily, then why not grant Lucius a divorce?"
Brett sighs and reaches for his own butterbeer as Cecily breaks out into another round of sobbing.