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Outside with Cailyn
Author: Alex Whitmen
Date: 08-05-07 18:50
Alex walked out onto the grounds and was glad to see Cailyn sitting there. She was flipping her sketch book around. He smiled even though she hadn't notice he was there yet.
"Boo!" he called walking over. She looked startled for a moment then smiled.
"Hey, Alex," she said.
"Hi. Whatcha got there?" Alex asked taking a seat next to her. She showed him the picture and he laughed.
"That's Professor Snider as a bunny," she explained. He laughed harder.
"Yeah, I see the resemblance" he joked. He laid down and looked up at her.
"You have a real talent," Alex told her. She blushed a little.
"Thanks. How was your day so far?" she asked. He shrugged.
"Eh, it was okay. Just talked to my mom and Sky. I'm too lazy to do homework right now," he told her.
"I'm not in the mood to do it either," she told him. He looked up at the sky. For it to be such a nice day the unhappiness in the castle seemed to swallow everyone up.
"I can't wait to go on vacation," Alex said randomly.
"That's a long ways off," Cailyn told him flipping to a clean piece of paper.
"I know, but I hate having to hide in order to see you," Alex said. He looked over at her.
"Me too," she replied. He liked hanging outside with her though at least out here no one bothered them.
Alex The Bunny Painting
Author: Cailyn Spicer
Date: 08-05-07 19:16
“At least we do have some where to go were we can be alone.” Cailyn said as she started another sketch. This sketch also ended up as a rabbit. Only, it was a cute, furry rabbit. That looked a little like Alex.
“Yeah that’s true. The only people who know about it are my cousin and mom.” Alex replied looking over to her.
A lake formed around the rabbit and a sunny sky. Cailyn looked at Alex. “ You know my dad said I should go to a Muggle Art school. But my grandfather didn’t like the idea. Alex, I want to go back to Waltings. But I told my dad that I wanted to wait and see how things went. I mean things could change. Couldn’t they?” Cailyn asked softly dabbing more paint on the Alex Rabbit.
Alex looked at Cailyn thoughtfully. “ I think things will change. At least I hope they do. No one is very happy with this. Not even the teachers.”
“I’ve noticed that, I guess Dumbledoore really held this place together didn’t he?”
“He sure did. Hogwarts just isn’t the same anymore.”
They lapsed into silence for a while and then, Cailyn finished her drawing. She blushed a little at the cute Alex Bunny.
“Do you want to see?” She asked holding the painting up for Alex to see.
Change Things
Author: Alex Whitmen
Date: 08-05-07 20:28
"Sure" said Alex sitting up. It was another bunny only looked more like him. It was nicer more lovable than the one of Snider.
"It's me!" he said laughing. She smiled and nodded. "Aw. Thanks for making me nice," he said with a wink.
"That's because you are nice," she replied. Alex grinned.
"Well, if I had even a third of your talent I'd try and draw you as the cutest little bunny, but I don't, so I'll have to work it out another way," Alex told her. Her cheeks turned red like his. The words flew out before he could stop them.
He turned and looked at the scenary more as a distraction than its beauty. He thought about her leaving for her old wizarding school. What would he do then? His days would be boring without her. He couldn't let her go. He made a mental note to talk to his cousin. She was always ready to cause trouble and try to change things back to the way it was at first.
"I'm going to talk to Skyler see what she wants to do about this," he said motioning back to Hogwarts.
"There are more of us than Snider," Alex said firmly. He was determined to make things change around here and keep Cailyn with him.
Not sure if going back is a good thing
Author: Cailyn Spicer
Date: 08-05-07 21:18
Cailyn watched Alex for a few moments. Then put her art things away and her sketch book. She moved a little closer to Alex and looked gently at him. Then out at the lake.
“My mom died when I was three years old.” She whispered suddenly looking down at the grass realizing she never told Alex about her mom. Even though he told her about his dad. Alex looked up at her a little surprised.
“You don’t have to tell me about her if you don’t want too.” He said.
“I don’t remember her well.” Cailyn shrugged. “ So it’s just my dad and me. Oh and Moondancer. And now my dad has this Simon person living with us. Someone I don’t like.”
“Why don’t you like him?” Alex asked.
“I think he is after our money. But I can’t prove anything. And my dad is really good friends with him, so I have to be careful of what I do around Simon. But Simon knows I don’t like him.” Cailyn jabbered. She sighed. She wondered if she could even stand going back to Watling’s. After all, she didn’t have any friends there. And it was so nice to be able to talk to someone.
Thursday Afternoon
Author: Marzipan
Date: 08-06-07 09:17
After lunch at what Marzi and Illyria deemed the "rejects table" in the Great Hall, the Herbology professor returned to her greenhouses to prepare her lessons for tomorrow. She didn't have any classes on Thursday afternoon, having only had first and second years in the morning. The first years had spent their hour discussing catmint and then harvested the flowering tops. The second years, in the next hour, concluded a discussion on the absynnian shrivelfig and pruned it.
Marzi sat down at her workspace, one that she had to accommodate for herself after Snider saw to it that Lawrence Masterson got the greenhouse in which she normally had kept her desk, and pulled towards her a calendar in which she'd quilled subjects she intended to teach to each class.
She eventually heard Lawrence return from lunch and go to one of his greenhouses to get some of his own work done. Marzi couldn't deny that Lawrence was a polite young man, and in fact had heard from some of her fellow original staff members, like Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, that Lawrence had always been polite and good while at Hogwarts. She quickly discovered she had no reason to dislike him, as it wasn't his fault that he was here at Hogwarts and that everything as they knew it had changed. If anything, he was just as much a victim as she, though the students certainly shared the brunt of it.
Marzi found herself momentarily distracted and reached for an unfolded letter she'd received that morning at breakfast. It was from Weston, responding to one she'd sent the day after the Start of Term Feast. He'd been in South Africa for an education conference and hadn't had a chance to reply to her message until yesterday morning. Like Marzi, he was shocked by the changes occuring at Hogwarts. Although he worked for the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Education, no less, he'd not known anything about what had been in store for Hogwarts.
Of course, it wasn't the first time that the Ministry of Magic had butted in on Hogwarts' own affairs. Just two years ago, Weston himself had been a part of a task force, sent in by the then new Minister of Magic Euphemia Smythe-Jones to monitor all foreign-born or foreign-raised Hogwarts professors. He himself had been assigned to Marzi, who, although born in London, had been raised in Sydney, Australia.
It was actually something else that she and Lawrence, the other Herbology professor, had in common. She'd heard his Aussie accent from the moment he'd opened his mouth and had heard from Minerva that he'd transfered to Hogwarts from Sydney's School of Wizardry. Marzi made a note to ask Lawrence later whether he'd taken Ancient Runes while at Sydney's. If so, then he would know her father, Percival, who'd taught the class for over two decades now.
Marzi looked up suddenly when a solid black owl flew in through the open greenhouse door and soared over to where she sat. It dropped a smoking red envelope onto Weston's letter and then flew out the same door it entered.
Marzi stared at the howler, stunned. She'd never in all her years received one.
She glanced in the direction of the other greenhouses and then to the smoking envelope once more. Holding her breath, she opened it.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?" screeched the voice of Georgia FitzRoy. "CONSTANTIUS HAS LEFT US ALL. I KNOW IT WAS YOU WHO TALKED TO THE AURORS. YOU AND THAT BASTARD WESTON. YOU'VE RUINED US, MARZIPAN. RUINED US."
And with that, the note tore itself up to bits.
Marzi jumped up suddenly, knocking over her chair. Did the authorities know that Constantius had flown the coop? She needed to contact the Ministry of Magic right away, for she knew that the search and seizure of his property had already occurred and that he'd been asked to stay in the area.
She turned to head for the door when she stepped back, startled, seeing a concerned looking Lawrence in the doorway. "Everything all right?" he asked, his brow furrowed.
"Not really," Marzi said, "but I don't have time to explain now. I need to contact the Ministry of Magic immediately."
He quickly stepped out of her way, allowing her to pass. Marzi raced down the green slope to the gates of Hogsmeade, slipped out, and disapparated on the spot.
Is There A Class Of Nothing But Sex Gods?
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 08-06-07 17:56
Thursdays aren't all that bad. There is the whole getting up for History at 9 thing. Unfortunately, unlike with Binns, I can't nap with Professor Whitman. This year truly is a hardship, isn't it? At least her son falls into the sex god category even if he is already making eyes at someone and not even in my year, so there's no looking at him in class like with a few.
Edward Croft is all right enough. Stephen Hunt too but he's not in my classes thanks to Snidely's rules. Deak Bennett is a sex god in the wings, being as he's still just a titch and all. A titch who's already taller then me but a titch nonetheless. Jack Emerson's the same. A tall titch who will be a full on sex god one day.
Even from the other houses there aren't any sex gods in my year. Pity.
All the real sex gods are older. Sage Porter is a prime example. Single too. Jared Wynbourne. Hank Hillier's my house and older but he can be a bit of a prat. Jet Obsidian. Orion Patterson. Titus Fitzgerald. Others with girlfriends but I am so there if they drop those girlfriends, Fritz and Phin. Yes, I am so there.
"Miss Copperpot?"
"Pardon? What?"
"I were askin' if ye know what this is?"
Hagrid points to something small. And brown. And woodsy looking. I should know this. I wasn't sorted into Ravenclaw for nothing as I keep reminding certain friends. Izzy Wizzy who is sadly off somewhere, though nearby, having class with that other Care of Magical Creature professor Elektra Warbeck.
Izzy would whisper the answer to me.
Then again, no, she would not. Izzy would lecture me on not being prepared.
I must think fast. Prove my Ravenclawness.
"I'm sorry, Professor Hagrid, I was so lost in thought thinking about what an excellent lesson you've started us off with and how glad I am to be in your class instead of Professor Warbeck's that I have lost the thread of what I was going to say in reply to your question."
Hagrid beams at me. At least I think he does. It's sometimes hard to tell with that big, bushy beard and mustache. I'm pretty sure he's smiling though.
"Tha's awl right. Thank you fer sayin' you want me fer yer teacher. Does a fellow good to hear. Awl right, who knows the answer?"
Hands shoot up around me as I take a closer look at Hagrid wondering what the face behind all that hair looks like and wondering whether he would have been a sex god in his own time.
Translations:
sex god = Must I go over this one again? Well, really, pay attention. This one is vair, vair important. A sex god is a person of the male gender who makes you think My giddy Merlin! and makes you weak in the knees.
titch = A little person or in the case of tall titches, someone younger.
prat = A gormless oik.
Picking up a Surprise for Ariella
Author: Lawrence Masterson
Date: 08-06-07 18:52
After his office hours, and the brief interaction with Marzipan, Lawrence slipped from Hogwarts and headed into Hogsmeade, having a little plan in mind, aside from dinner at the Three Broomsticks. First stop however, Briar's Bakery.
Slipping in he would look about. "Afternoon Briar, I'm in need of half a dozen cauldron cakes, and half a dozen chocolate fudge brownies."
Briar wrapped up the items, tucking them into a box. Lawrence then slipped over to Honeydukes and purchased a few bags of chocolate coins, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, and some chocolate frogs. Tucking them all into a bag, he would pay and slip out. His errands almost complete...Ariella would just be sitting down to dinner now, if he had his timing right.
Heading to the Owl Post, he would quickly send an owl off to Hogwarts w/the parcels trapped in his feet. A note tucked within the bag from Honeydukes, rethinking the meal at The Three Broomsticks he headed back up to the Castle, and into the Great Hall just in time to see the owl he'd sent from the Post in Hogsmeade deposit the box and bag in front of Ariella.
Settling at the "new" head table, foolish idea that was, the whole thing was, but he needed this job right now. He watched as she fished the note out and read it.
Ariella,
Missing you terribly...wanting to see more of you...knowing I can not...Sweets for the Sweetest Witch who has stolen my heart...
There was no signature on the note, but she just -might- be able to recognize the handwriting.
Move Along, Nothing to See Here... Writing a Letter and Homework
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 08-06-07 19:17
Orei sat at one of the tables in the Gryffindor Common Room, she currently had her astronomy text open and was working on the scroll that was due next week. She had some time on Tuesday and Thursdays to do homework, but the bulk of her homework would be done on Fridays as she only had one class...and that was Herbology with Professor Masterson.
As she was working, an owl tapped on the window next to her...opening the window she allowed the owl in and accepted the letter it had for her. Offering the owl a treat she would send it on its way. She recognized the handwriting instantly, it was from Brett.
She quickly forgot about her homework and tore open the letter, looking over it, she smiled at the choice of ink, it was pretty. Definitely he hadn't chosen purple...because she was beginning to hate that color, that and the putrid green that Hairy Snider had marked the "Nons" accessible areas in the Library. She knew that Miss Bambi had to be irritated, as most of the other staff had been with the new changes.
Sighing, she shut her astronomy text and put away the essay. She started on a reply to Brett...and apparently would not be able to do such in peace as Gaia Goyle, Artemis Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Ross came in and settled across from her.
"Who's that from?" Gaia asked, as Orei tucked away Brett's letter and the start of her reply to him.
"Brett, my boyfriend."
"I remember him, he was on the Quidditch team. His sister is...Aussie right?" Elizabeth said.
"Yeah. That's him."
"Didn't know the two of you were together." Artemis said grinning.
"Obviously you've not been paying much attention Artemis. They've been together since before Brett left Hogwarts. I'm just surprised it lasted as long as it has. I mean, isn't he going to St. Emery's?" Elizabeth said, smirking at both Artemis and Orei.
"Why thank you Elizabeth. Why were you surprised that it lasted this long? Thought he'd go off to St. Emery's and meet some other witch and fall madly in love?" Orei shot, getting irritated that they would judge her relationship with Brett knowing -nothing- about it.
"The age difference is all really, I mean you are what, just over two years apart. Why would he possibly be happy with someone younger when he could easily be with someone his own age?"
Orei attempted to keep her temper in check and not reach across the table and smack Elizabeth, who unfortunately, she had to share a dormitory with for the duration of the year. Taking several deep breaths and a sip from her pumpkin juice she would then speak.
"Brett and I, for your information are quite happy together, and will remain quite happy together. The age difference does not matter one iota to either of us. Age has very little to do with making a relationship work Elizabeth. Not that you'd know, how long has your longest relationship lasted? Two months?"
Elizabeth blanched..."I'm sorry Orei, really. I didn't mean..."
Orei cut her off with a lift of her hand. "Save it Elizabeth, you meant every word of it. You're jealous because you've never had what I have with Brett. Now, unless either of you has something productive to say, I'm going to finish my letter and then finish my homework."
With that she gathered her things and moved to another table in the Common Room. Gaia slipped from the table and moved over to Orei..."I'm sorry Orei, I didn't know Elizabeth was going to start in on a tiraid about you and Brett. I'd actually had a question for you, you'd always been good at Herbology, would you mind helping me with this week's homework?"
Orei looked up at Gaia for a moment, thinking, before nodding. "Go get your books and things and we will start after I finish this letter."
Orei quickly penned her response to Brett, using the same color she used for her herbology notes, a bright, cheerful forest green. Tucking the letter in her bag, to go into the post in the morning, she would wait for Gaia to return.
Once the other sixth year had returned, she would start working on helping Gaia with the homework, as well as helping her understand the few things that she'd missed in the lessons from the week.
Dark and Dangerous... an unbeatable combination for teenage girls
Author: Roane
Date: 08-07-07 14:41
Roane quietly ate her lunch alone at the front half of the table. She was a pureblood. She wasn’t sure if the decision was made through her Dad’s bloodline alone or if the school held records of her mother. Either way, Roane was thankful she ended up on the better side of the table so to speak.
Propping up her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, she let her thoughts drift. Professor Yaxely was certainly an unconventional teacher but she found she liked his teaching methods. It was turning out to be her favourite class a fact that she knew had a lot to do with the good looking professor. She wasn’t the only student with the same thoughts either. It was definitely noticeable that the girls tended to sit in the front of that class and were especially attentive when Professor Yaxley was speaking. Dark and dangerous… it was an unbeatable combination for teenage girls.
“Roane?”
Tranquillina approached the table tentatively. Her face was strained and her almost ever present smile had been very much absent since the school had been divided.
“We better get moving Roane. You know how Professor Yaxley doesn’t like it when we’re late.”
Roane nodded, wondering why Tranq was one of the only female pureblood students who didn’t have the hots for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Family Secrets
Author: Drucilla Eternal
Date: 08-07-07 15:17
I watched Sirius as he read the Daily Prophet. The news this week had all been about the changes at Hogwarts. Purebloods vs. Non-pureblood. Everyone was talking about it. Except Sirius.
“Drucilla, was there something you wanted to say?”
I blinked.
“You are looking at me very intensely.”
“Not you,” I stammered and then blushed. “The paper. I was looking at the paper.”
Sirius turned the newspaper around and glanced at the headlines. He shook his head in disgust.
“Are you… are you unhappy with the changes? Or do you agree with it?” I rushed the sentence out before I lost my nerve to ask.
“Agree with it? Agree with it??” Sirius gave me an incredulous look.
“But your family…”
“What do you know of my family?”
I had Sirius’ full attention now. I wet my lips nervously.
“They are pureblood. You are a pureblood.”
“Yes, I’m a pureblood.” Sirius practically spat the words out.
“It’s just that your cousin gave the impression that…”
I stopped speaking when both Sirius’ eyebrows shot up in surprise. “My.. my cousin? Tonks? I can’t imagine Tonks giving you any such impressions. Her dad is a Muggle you know.”
I paused, trying to chose my words carefully. “Your other cousin. I ran into him at the Ministry office when I was picking up my belongings. We had a brief chat and another longer chat a couple days later. He was quite informative about the family. I was just wanting to know more since you haven’t told me anything…”
I noticed Sirius’ face had paled slightly. In a very tightly controlled voice he asked, “Which cousin are you speaking of, Dru?”
Perhaps Sirius didn’t think of him as a cousin anymore, seeing he was technically a cousin through marriage rather than birth and now that his wife was dead... “Why, Lucius Malfoy of course,” I finally answered.
I almost blushed at the curses that followed.