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Valid Question
Author: Forest
Date: 11-07-07 09:44
"What do you want me to do with Jelkins?"
Forest looks up from paperwork at law enformcement officer Latetia Lewiston. "Do you have enough evidence to formally charge him?"
"No, but we know he's guilty."
"Knowing he's guilty and having the evidence to prove it before the Wizengamot are two different things."
Latetia sighs and walks further into Forest's office. "I know but... well... with him being a Non and with the way things have been around here, I wasn't sure if holding someone,"
"A Non you mean," Forest interrupts.
"If holding someone who is a Non without evidence has changed as well."
"Not yet." Forest leaves unspoken the anyway that he's mentally tagged on to his reply. "Release him, back off for a few days, maybe even a couple of weeks, then watch Jelkins closely. He'll lie low for a bit after having been hauled in for questioning but give him a little time and he'll be back out there committing robberies. Get your evidence then. It would be helpful if you caught him in the act," Forest adds with a chuckle.
Latetia grins at that, leaving Forest to the loathsome paperwork. He doesn't immediately go back to it though, instead thinking about what Latetia brought up. Normally Forest would have given someone a hell for suggesting holding someone for trial despite the lack of evidence. Under the current climate and circumstances this time the question was extremely valid.
The Wizengamot still has people that Minister Smythe-Jones deams to be Nons. Those members are may only sit in judgement on other Nons. Wizengamot members who are considered to be Pures may hear cases of both Pures and Nons. Aurors and law enforcement officers who are Nons may only work on cases of other Nons. Those who are Pures may work on cases of both Pures and Nons.
It's not a stretch of the imagination to wonder if Nons may now be held for trial even if there is no evidence. It's a horrid thought that could well become reality. Forest has considered quitting. He can get a job back in the States or some other country. Forest hasn't even looked for other employment though because if he were to leave now, there's no telling who Smythe-Jones would replace him with though one thing is certain, it would be someone who would have just not told Latetia, "Yes, hold Jelkins even though you have no evidence."
(Mark) Transfiguration and Beyond
Author: Isolde
Date: 11-07-07 17:20
Mark waved his wand furiously at the red high-heel shoe on his desk. Each student in his Transfiguration class had been given a shoe that Professor Whitehorn had brought from her own personal collection for the day's lesson. They were transfiguring shoes to women's handbags. Personally, he found the exercise useless, as when would he ever feel the need to transfigure a shoe, much less a woman's shoe, into another item generally used by people of the opposite sex? He lowered his wand and shot first the shoe and then his instructor an exasperated look.
"You mustn't give up, Mister Farnon," Professor Whitehorn said kindly. She walked up and down the aisles and helped her students achieve the ultimate goal of the assignment.
"I just don't see the point, Professor," Mark replied.
Before Whitehorn could respond, class ended and Mark scooped up his things, abandoning the red shoe, and left the classroom almost quicker than his feet could carry him.
Panting, Gus caught up to him near the Great Hall. "Why the hurry?" He nodded in the direction of an alcove.
Mark went in the desired direction and sat down on the window seat. He looked out the window and immediately recoiled from the glass. It was a lot colder in the window than he expected. He got up and paced the small space, while Gus lowered his girth onto the stone seat and tried to catch his breath.
"Well?" Gus asked, his pink cheeks whitening just a little bit, even though he still breathed quite heavily.
"Just wanted to get out of there. I'm ready for hols. You?"
"Yeah. I can't wait to go home."
"Me too."
They fell silent for a while, Gus sitting and catching his breath and Mark pacing.
"Lookee," Gus finally exclaimed, and he pointed a fat finger at the passing crowd.
Mark saw Kate Dewhurst walking past. She had apparently just come out of the bathroom, because she had toilet paper stuck to the bottom of her shoe.
Gus started laughing loudly. Mark grinned. Kate shot them both a short look but then resumed staring straight ahead, completely unaware of why they were laughing at her or why the people behind her had smirks on their faces.
Mark finally gestured for Gus to get up. Gus heaved his body off the bench and fell into step next to his leaner friend.
"Did you put your name in for the Secret Santa?" Mark asked.
"Nope. You?"
"Yeah. And I got a Gryffindor. Pureblood, though."
"Who?"
"Julietta Wynbourne."
"I don't know who that is."
"She's on the Quidditch team. Has an older brother also on the team."
"Oh." Gus looked as if he still didn't know what Mark was talking about. They filed into the Great Hall. "Well, what did you get her?"
Mark said, "I put the parcel under the tree this morning. I don't know and really don't care what girls like, so I just got her sweets. Fizzing Whizbees, Chocolate Cauldrons. That sort of thing."
Gus licked his lips. "Save any for me?"
Mark smirked. "No."
"Aww."
They sat down at the Slytherin pureblood table and helped themselves to lunch.
Nice Surprise
Author: Carys
Date: 11-08-07 17:20
Carys waved her wand over her McMerlin's uniform and watched the wrinkles vanish as if an invisible iron moved over the material. A few months ago, Carys hadn't known how to do the ironing charm. She'd never quite paid attention to the times her grandmother got the wrinkles out of clothes and had never learned the charm during her five years at Hogwarts. She had learned the spell during her Remedial Charms class at St. Emrys, which she'd taken last term as part of the wizarding education diploma program in which Griffin had helped her enroll.
She'd only taken the one class, in the evenings three nights a week. Carys hadn't wanted to overwhelm herself, having been out of school a whole year, and she also had her other responsibilities, like her job at McMerlin's and the rearing of her child. It had certainly been an adjustment, returning to the routine of reading textbooks and taking exams, but Carys had quickly reacquainted herself with it and had really enjoyed it.
"Carys, a letter just arrived for you. It's from St. Emrys."
Carys turned and saw her grandmother, Mairwen, standing in the doorway to her bedroom. She crossed the room from where she'd been standing over her bed and took the official-looking envelope from the elder woman's hand. It was light.
"What do you think it is, dear?" Mairwen asked.
"Probably a notice on how I did in the class," Carys replied. If it had been a notice about the new rules cropping up at St. Emrys thanks to the many Ministry policies signed into effect with respect to blood status, Carys imagined the envelope would have been much bigger. She turned the seal over and broke through it with the tip of her wand. The letter inside matched the envelope, and was a natural yellow color. The text was written in black.
"Well?" Mairwen pressed.
Carys smiled. "I passed. I got an O."
"An O! Why, that's wonderful!"
Carys knew she'd done well in her class but hadn't expected an O. An E, perhaps, but not an O.
"We must celebrate, of course! I'll go tell your grandfather." Mairwen bustled out of the room, humming happily to herself while Carys remained standing with the letter on her hand and a smile playing on her lips.
Behind A Tapestry
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 11-09-07 18:20
The space behind one of the many tapestries isn't big but it's large enough for Phin and Emerald to share a few clandestine hugs and kisses. They have to keep reminding themselves to listen for anyone coming their way who might decide to check behind the tapestry for a Pure-Non couple exchanging affection in defiance of the school rules.
Pulling back from one kiss, Phin whispers in such a low voice if his mouth hadn't been right by Emerald's ear she wouldn't have heard him. "What did Coach Batuti want this morning?"
Speaking in an equally low voice Emerald tells him, "Sophia's quit the Hufflepuff team. After speaking to some of the Pures who tried out for other positions, the coach couldn't find one who wanted to be Seeker. Apparently I was top of the list of Nons who tried out."
"And?"
"I'm on the team. Have my first practice tonight."
Phin hugs Emerald more tightly to him. "Excellent!"
"Shhhh!" Emerald reminds.
Phin and she go utterly silent, listening for sounds in the corridor. After a full minute Phin whispers, "I guess we should go eat. We can come back here or somewhere else for awhile after that, before our two o'clock classes."
Emerald nods in agreement. They listen intently again then Emerald slips out from behind the tapestry to head for the Great Hall. Phin will wait three or four minutes before emerging. Emerald sighs, wishing it were Christmas break already so that she and Phin wouldn't have to skulk around even just to exchange a hug or to hold hands.
Cold
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 11-09-07 18:30
Minerva stood at her window and looked out at the dreary landscape that comprised the Hogwarts grounds. There had been little snowfall since fall began, but with winter just around the corner it had grown colder and colder still. The greenery that had stretched as far as the eye could see had long faded, and now everything looked as cold as stone. Minerva shuddered where she stood. She pulled the curtains shut and turned her back to them.
She looked out at the space that consisted of her office. Everything looked cold and lonely here too. Minerva had not ever really decorated her previous workspace, but she had certainly made it her own in her own simple way. She didn't need pink doilies and kittens on china to put her own personal touch to the room. Now, however, she had less than half the space she'd previously had and hardly any room for anything but her desk. She crammed all her books into the room, but most were stacked up on the floor and wedged between the tight space between the desk and the wall where she could hardly retrieve them. How was she expected to do her work when her office was hardly suitable for use?
Not that Professor Snider cared. Because Minerva was loyal to Dumbledore and the old, respectable rules of Hogwarts and the wizarding world, she couldn't possibly expect to get an ounce of support from the Headmistress of the school. Snider was so set in her backwards ways that only a drastic change back to normalcy in terms of the current government would make things right at Hogwarts again. Unfortunately, Minerva anticipated things only getting worse rather than better.
Dumbledore was still missing. The few leads around the world that some members of the Order had stumbled upon and led to one dead end after another. It was as if he'd fallen off the face of the earth, never to be seen or heard from again. Minerva didn't want to give up on him, but with each passing day it grew harder and harder to believe that he would simply turn up again. Deep down Professor McGonagall knew that things would get better if only Dumbledore were found alive and well.
Her gaze fell onto a small package on the corner of her loaded desk. Wrapped in silver foil, the parcel held a sneakoscope for Wiggersmythe Hodfuffer. She drew his name in the Secret Santa gift exchange for Christmas at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall thought the gift appropriate since there was so much evil lurking at Hogwarts at the present time. She stepped out from behind her desk very carefully (she'd rammed her leg into the corner of her desk countless times already and had the bruises to prove it) and scooped up the present. Time to place it under the Christmas tree with all the other gifts.
Going On A Quick Trip
Author: Charlie Weasley
Date: 11-09-07 19:30
Charlie makes sure he's stuffed his heavy duty gloves into the backpack open on the bed. Hendrika walks in holding up the parka Charlie had looked for earlier but couldn't find. "Where was it?"
"On the peg where I said it was."
"I looked there," Charlie says with consternation.
"No, you pawed through the things on the pegs but were so busy thinking about other things you weren't paying attention."
Charlie starts to make a retort but ends up conceeding, "You're right. Thanks for getting it for me."
"You have thick socks?"
"Wearing them," Charlie nods.
"A hat?"
"In the backpack."
"Scarf or something else to cover your face if you need it?"
"In the backpack."
Hendrika sits on the edge of the bed. "You won't be long?"
"Hopefully not. Dad and I think we'll be there four, maybe five hours at most. Factor in the travel time since we'll make a few rest stops along the way."
"It's a good lead?"
"It's a lead. Good?" Charlie shrugs, "I have no idea. It's the first lead we've had in awhile. I could take off from the dragon preserve on a moment's notice so that's why Dad's asked me to go with him."
Hendrika stands to put her arms around Charlie. "Take care. Be safe. Bundle up well. Northern Siberia might be extremely cold compared to here even though it's not quite winter yet."
Charlie hugs her back, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "We'll be fine. I'll be home for supper. If we're lucky, I'll be able to tell you all about finding Dumbledore at last."
There's a knock on the front door followed by Arthur's voice calling out, "Charlie? Ready to go?"
"Coming, Dad!" Charlie calls back then kisses Hendrika before walking out of the bedroom to greet his father.
Another Year Older
Author: Lawrence Masterson
Date: 11-10-07 06:40
Lawrence sat in his office, his birthday had passed yesterday without the usual hoopla such an occasion usually presents. Then again, he was unable to spend the day with the person he wanted to because well she was his student. Sighing he turned his attention back to the work he was doing, grading the last of the homework for his first years and second years. Most of them had turned their final assignments in early because they didn't want to have to deal with the assignment so close to the end of term and going home.
He then moved onto his sixth years, shaking his head as he once more noticed that Caitlin had not been doing her homework. He'd need to speak to her about it, but what good would it do? He was getting frustrated with the fluctuations in his student's performances, especially those that strongly opposed Sinder and the Ministry's changes here at Hogwarts. Finishing up the sixth years grading, he was about to close his office when Stephen Hunt knocked on his office door.
"Professor Masterson? May I come in?" The young Ravenclaw asked standing in the doorway.
"Of course Stephen. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I know the last assignment is finding a recipe using Rhubarb, and I'm having trouble finding one that no one has found before, can you help me a bit?" Lawrence had a feeling that this would be the young man's issue.
"Look in here." Lawrence handed him his grandmother's cookbook. "I know there is one in there for a rhubarb bake with orange in there. It is actually one of my favorite recipes from my grandmother."
With that done, and Stephen having his recipe for the assignment Lawrence closed his office and headed toward his quarters. It was walking into his quarters that he realized that Eloise had been there (when she'd not appeared yesterday, he'd been worried). There were streamers, balloons and even a spray of confetti when he entered the room. "Eloise not want Master to think she forgot his birthing day." She grinned that lopsided grin at him.
"Thank you Eloise." He said, setting down at the table. "Such a lovely cake." He let her cut a piece of the cake and serve it to him after warbling her version of happy birthday. After that she presented him with a gift, she cleaned up and then vanished with a loud Pop! once more leaving him alone in his quarters. Part of him wished that things had been different at the start of term, but either way he'd be spending his Birthday alone, because Ariella would be here, at Hogwarts.
He debated going to the great hall for dinner, then changed his mind and decided to have dinner in his quarters and listen to the WWN maybe something good would be on that would keep him entertained. He might even turn in early. He was ready for the end of term when he and Ariella could actually be a couple for at least a little while until spring term started.
Picking up the latest book he was reading, he turned his attention to that, he'd make something to eat when he got hungry, otherwise it was time he relaxed and tried to get out of the funk his birthday had thrown him into.
Whose Name Do You Have?
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 11-10-07 08:18
"What do you want to do now?" Cora asks Olive.
Olive, whose eyes have strayed over to the largest of the common commons Christmas trees and to the gifts piled under it, reaches for her bookbag. "I just remembered I'm supposed to put the Secret Santa gifts from Emerald and me under the tree."
"Either of you have me?" Cora asks, sitting up straighter to see the presents Olive is getting out.
"Nope," Olive grins. "I have Viktor Krum and Emmie got Fritz whatyamacallit. The boy with the long German name."
"I have Professor Fitzroy," Cora confides. "I couldn't think what to get her then I got to thinking about how she's probably still grieving for her father. Mom and Uncle Aaron helped me with my idea. I've had trees planted in several spots, including at her father's school in Australia, in his memory."
"So how did you wrap the gift?" Olive asks, eyebrows drawing together.
"The box has all the information, what kind each tree is and where each is located and that each bears a plaque with her and her father's names."
"That's really nice," Olive says, speaking as somoeone who's lost not one but both parents.
Cora gets up to walk with Olive to the tree as Olive says, "Well, as you know I learned to crochet and have been getting better at it so I crocheted Coach Krum an afgan. It's really soft wool, not the scratchy kind at all, and it's really dark green and a sort of midnight blue."
"Oooh, sounds great!"
"I think Emmie got Fritz an advanced Potions kit. He's apparently some sort of savant when it comes to anything with potions and chemistry," Olive tells Cora, glad that with Cora having lived as a Muggle, she doesn't have to explain the word chemistry to her."
"Maybe he can whip us up some sweets with it," Cora giggles.
The two girls poke around at the presents, looking to see if any have their names on them. Ten minutes later they join up with Jill and Alexa to play a board game, all eager for this week to be over so they can enjoy the holidays.