|
|
Time to Move
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 04-05-08 16:41
Hermione slipped into the house and entered the kitchen, where she unloaded a plastic bag of takeout Chinese food. She pulled several plates from the cupboard over her head and carried them into the dining room, where Harry, Ron and Janine had a game of Monopoly going. Janine had stacks of money before her, and Harry looked to be doing all right. Poor Ron leaned on his elbow with his fingers buried in his fiery red hair and stared at his thimble token, which currently resided in jail. He looked up when Hermione came in with the dinner plate and groused, "I don't like Muggle games."
"You just don't like them because you always lose," Hermione said, setting a plate before each person and then placing one in front of the empty place next to Ron. They'd found the game hidden on a high shelf in one of the closets weeks ago and had played it a lot in the meantime. Hermione and Harry had shown Ron and Janine how to play, as Monopoly was a traditional Muggle boardgame and didn't exist in the wizarding world.
Ron grumbled and got up to help Hermione bring in the Chinese food from the kitchen. She grabbed chopsticks, drinking glasses, and a pitcher of lemonade and brought them out to Harry and Janine, who were carefully moving the boardgame out of the way without disturbing the pieces so that they could finish playing later.
Hermione sank down into her chair and opened one of the takeout boxes filled with sticky rice. "I think I was spotted," she said quietly.
Harry looked up with concern. "Are you sure?"
"No," Hermione replied, "but while I was out, I suddenly had the feeling I was being watched. Maybe it was nothing, but maybe it was something. I took the long way home. I didn't really get the sense I was being followed, so either my mind played tricks on me or whoever is out there managed to avoid my detection." She looked down, blaming herself for potentially putting them all at risk of being discovered.
"We're all wanted wizards," Ron stated, reaching out to pat her hand where it rested palm-down on the table. "We are being looked for, and if the Ministry of Magic is desperate enough and has enough resources for the job, I wouldn't doubt that officers are looking outside the wizarding world for its fugitives as well as within its borders. Maybe we should think about leaving here."
"It's probably not a bad idea," Janine added in, "since there's a greater chance of someone discovering our whereabouts if we remain stationary, rather than if we are constantly on the move."
"But," Ron reminded everyone, having had a most difficult time while constantly on the move before arriving at the safe house, "there aren't that many secure places out there."
"We'll find something," Harry said, "and even if you were spotted, Hermione, this house may not have been compromised. We can move out and someone else can move in, like some of our friends who haven't been living as comfortably as we have. I say, we start planning our next move right now over dinner."
A Form Of Help? (Lisi)
Author: Travis
Date: 04-05-08 18:11
Lisi looks up from her book when Darcy announces, "Dinner is ready, Mistress."
Lisi puts the book down. "It's Thursday so I suppose that means roasted chicken, carrots, and mashed potatoes."
"Yes, Mistress. Pardon, but Darcy gets it, Mistress. Orson and Darcy are overly predictable with meals."
Walking past the House Elf, Lisi sarcastically replies, "I hadn't noticed."
Wringing her hands on her tea towel, Darcy follows behind. "We can change the week menu, Mistress. Would that make Mistress happy?"
Lisi turns to look down at Darcy. "You know what will make me happy."
Darcy hangs her head, wringing the tea towel even more. "Mistress knows that Orson and Darcy cannot help with that."
Lisi spins around to continue on to the dining room and huffily says, "More like will not."
"We've been ordered, Mistress."
Without turning around Lisi icily snits, "As if no House Elf has ever gone against orders."
Lisi changes direction, going not to the dining room but to the kitchen. There she bangs around until she finds a box of dry cereal, milk, a bowl, a spoon, and a glass. After pouring cereal into the bowl and milk over the cereal and some into the glass, Lisi goes to her bedroom where she slams the door shut and locks it.
Lisi emerges later to take the dirty dishes to the kitchen and to retrieve her book. To her surprise there's another book sitting on top of the one she was reading. More shocking is that it's a book about Legilimency over long distances and how to not only extract memories and emotions but to project them as well.
Lisi carries the book to her room, wondering if she was wrong about Darcy, or Orson, afterall.
Unexpected Turn of Events
Author: Severus Snape
Date: 04-06-08 07:17
Snape turned the last page in My Inferiority, one of many similar books he'd read since the Ministry of Magic limited Azkaban's book truck to titles relating to Britain's wizarding world's hottest topic, Purebloods vs. Nons, and closed the back cover, where a moving black and white photo of the author shot him a grim smile and wiped sweat from his glistening brow with a folded handkerchief. Snape tossed the book next to him on the cot, hoping the book truck would swing by again so that he could choose another book to read.
By all rights, Snape should feel sorry for himself from reading the Ministry of Magic's propaganda. If not despondent, then angry, like Somerset next door. The former Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts professor grumbled aloud quite often while he read and regularly engaged his acquaintances in the cell block into a debate on the subjects presented in each book. Snape, however, usually read without voicing his opinion and instead filed away the information in an attempt to better understand the enemy.
"I should like to stretch my legs and see the world," Ethan said, from where he sat on his own cot. He stood, stretched his arms over his head and arched his back backwards before slowly trudging to the front of his cell. "I've grown tired of this place."
"I regret to inform you that you've tired of Azkaban too quickly," Snape drawled, remaining seated. "You have a whole life ahead of you in this place."
Ethan let out a short, unamused laugh. "I've been in here for three and a half months. It's felt like a lifetime already." He sighed and looked down at his feet or the floor––Severus couldn't tell and ultimately didn't really care.
"It's extra depressing in here lately," Ethan said, turning around and leaning his back against the bars of his cell. "Must be those damn books I've been reading."
Snape, watching Ethan's face, noticed something rather alarming.
"I don't think that's the reason." The thin hairs on his arms had risen as a chill came over the entire cell block. Snape rose to his feet and slowly walked do the front of his cell, his breath fogging up in front of his face.
Ethan, finally noticing it too, rubbed his arms with his hands and turned back around, watching the door to the cell block with trepidation. On the other side, they could hear a faint rattling sound. Suddenly, the door swung open revealing a thick cloud of fog. The two wizards, and indeed all others paying attention now, furrowed their brows and waited tensely for what would surely follow. Even in anticipation, no one was truly prepared for what happened next. A black, shrouded figure emerged from the fog and glided down the corridor. Everyone shrank back, including Snape, who instinctively covered his head with his hands to shut out the sudden image in his mind of Ulfin Applebaum, the wizard he'd killed at Voldemort's command. Applebaum had been nothing but a quivering mess of an old man at the time, and Snape had probably done him a favor by killing him, and yet, Snape would have prefered not to have ended the old wizard's life.
Snape moved as far as away from the front of his cell as possible and sank onto his cot, breathing raggedly.
One thing was for certain now. The dementors had returned to guard Azkaban.
Three Weeks Into Term?
Author: Plum
Date: 04-06-08 12:14
The door to Evan's office is open so Plum doesn't realize her father is standing in the doorway until he asks, "What are you doing here?"
Without looking up from the stack of papers in front of her Plum tells him, "Grading the homework assignments turned in by the third and fourth years yesterday."
"Grading homework?" Evan asks shuffling over to sit in one of the two empty chairs that face the desk. "Why would you be doing that?"
Stifling a sigh of exasperation Plum puts the quill down and looks across the desk at Evan. He's hair is disheveled, he needs a shave, and his clothes are rumpled. There are purplish spots under his eyes and his shoulders are so hunched that from behind Plum is sure he'd easily be mistaken for an extremely elderly man. At least he seems clean. Today at any rate.
Plum summons up some of the little patience she has left with her father to reply, "I'm grading assignments because someone must."
Evan furrows his brown. "Classes are in session again? How is it I haven't noticed?"
"You've not noticed a number of things, Dad. It's May."
"May? Are you sure?"
Suppressing another sigh Plum says, "Yes, Dad, I'm sure. This is Friday, the third of May. The term has been in session three weeks now."
Evan scratches his head in consternation. "I... where... it's May 3rd, you say?"
"Where you looking for me for anything in particular, Dad?"
"Yes, I think I was but now I don't recall. Where is Alex?"
"In Hogsmeade at Blossom's. The library was having a petting zoo today and Blossom's was taking any of the children at the daycare today."
"That's nice," Evan replies in a vague, distracted way, his eyes on a newspaper on the desk. "Trinity Term at St. Emrys already? You got all the classes you wanted this term?"
"I'm not going this term, Dad."
"Did you need money? You only had to ask and I would have given you what you need for tuition, books, and other supplies."
"It's not about money, Dad. I've enough else to keep me occupied at the moment."
"Is it the band? You haven't stopped attending university because of Dynamic Duo?"
"No, that's not it at all."
"Then what?"
Plum tiredly responds, "Someone's got to cover your classes, make assignments, do lesson plans. Someone's got to take care of Alex. Someone's got to take care of you. If I didn't remind you, you'd forget to eat, Dad."
What Plum leaves unsaid is that someone's got to make sure Evan's grief over Mary's death doesn't lead to him drinking again.
"I have missed a class or two, haven't I?"
"Three weeks worth of classes; not just one or two."
"Three weeks you say?"
Plum closes her eyes for a second, reminding herself to keep being patient with him. In a slow, mostly steady voice she replies, "Yes, three weeks."
Evan gets to his feet, saying mainly to himself, "I'm positive it's only been a day or two. Mary will know... oh, but I can't ask Mary."
Evan shuffles out of the office muttering to himself about how he's lost without Mary. Plum wavers between staying until the end of office hours and following Evan right then. Deciding it's best she make sure he's not going off to seek solice in a bottle, Plum puts a note on the door then goes after her father.
Help From The RAC
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 04-06-08 16:09
Millicent Prewitt pours tea for her mother Amorica Wenlock as her granddaughter Eden reads a version of The Fountain of Fair Fortune from The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Her grandson, ten year old Jasper, is opposite Eden, working diligently at a set of arithmetic problems.
On a normal Friday at this time of day Eden and Jasper would be here for part of the day, going home just after three when either their mother Gillian, who is Millicent's daughter, or their father Samson Jenkins came to get them. What makes today not normal is that Gillian and Samson have been missing for some time now. They arrived at the Ministry one morning for work in the Department of Transportation and that was the last any of the family have heard from them. It was that same day that Millicent's husband Christian had left for his job in the Department of Magical Games and Sports and had also vanished.
Since that day Millicent has had custody of Jasper and Eden, as well as their brother Alastor who is a student at Hogwarts.
Also since that day others have gone missing. Millicent's son Lachlan was taken right out of his house. Her son-in-law Samson's parents are both gone, according to a neighbor dragged out of bed at dawn by Snatchers. Millicen't sister Amica and her brother Cedric each have a son-in-law numbered among those helped by the RAC. Her brother Alastor, that is Peyton as he prefers to be called, has a son who up and disappeared after helping one of Peyton's granddaughters leave Hogwarts.
Millicent can well imagine that her daughter Eleri and Eleri's two grown children would also be on the list of missing if not for the fact that Eleri married an Australian and have lived in that country ever since. Eleri's oldest, Ophelia, was in Great Britain for a time but left when it looked as though even she, someone with citizenship in another country, wouldn't be safe from the Snatchers.
Eden stops reading to ask for help with a word. Millicent helps Eden sound the word out then looks to see how Jasper is progressing. He's got one problem left and Eden is nearly done so Millicent is about to suggest that they each finish and then they'll have lunch. Before she can form that sentence or the invitation to Amorica to stay for soup and sandwiches there is a pounding at the door so fierce that to Millicent it sounds as though the hinges are about to pop free.
Leaving Amorica to help the children finish up their work, Millicent hastens to answer the door before it does indeed break inward from the heavy banging.
Four people are standing on the porch, a woman and three men. One of the men barks out the question, "Is this the current residence of Jasper Jenkins and Eden Jenkins?"
Cold dread settles over Millicent and when she doesn't answer immediately the man snaps, "Well?"
"Yes, they live here. I am their grandmother."
"Millicent Wenlock, correct?"
"Prewitt. Millicent Prewitt."
"No, ma'am. The Ministry says your name is Wenlock. Where are the children?"
"Why? What do you want?"
A parchment is thrust at Millicent. "We are with the Relocation Assistance Committee. Jasper and Eden Jenkins are to come with us."
"Whwhwhat? But they are only ten and eight."
"They are Nons, ma'am, and now it's time for them to be relocated with our assistance."
The man tilts his head and the other three shove past Millicent. With a curt nod to her, the man follows them with Millicent following closely behind. She keeps up a steady stream of protest. Eden starts screaming and crying, hugging her great grandmother Amorica tightly. Jasper tries to fight back, kicking out at the two who are attempting to grab him.
It's over very quickly with Eden begging not to be taken away just as loudly as Millicent and Amorica beg for the children to be allowed to stay. Jasper has a bruise forming on his cheek when one of the Snatchers cuffed him. Millicent pulls herself together enough to ask, "What should I pack for them?"
"Nothing," the one woman coldly informs her.
Seconds later the house is eerily quiet as Millicent and Amorica stand in the doorway, watching as the four RAC members disapparate with the children in tow.
Slow Day At Work
Author: Julian Valentine
Date: 04-06-08 18:14
Julian moves a chess piece then reaches for a cookie from a platter on the counter while waiting for Lysander to make a move. They both look up with hope filled faces when the bell over the door tinkles. A man who looks to be in his 70s enters and though greeted by both Lysander and Julian it's Lysander who gets up to offer help, grinning at Julian, "My turn."
With so many people now deemed Nons and with all those Nons either gone thanks to the Ministry and its RAC or in hiding, business for everyone has steeply dropped off. A number of business owners, including Lysander and Julian, have heard that the Ministry will limit the type and number of businesses so that each business will be able to turn a profit and stay open.
The bookshoppe has seen a sharp decline in customers and they don't need part-time help to speak of anymore; besides that, two of their help turned out to be Nons and are now among the missing. Luckily though, Twice Told Tales still has a high volume of sales through owl order, many from other countries. It's not unusual for the owl orders to be for hard to find, expensive books; something Lysander and Julian have proven extremely adept at locating.
Still, it does make for a quiet, dull day in the store itself, waiting for the almost as rare as some of their books customer to come in. Today is especially quiet with Charlotte, Grace, and Caerwyn visiting the petting zoo at the library.
The older gentleman seems to have engaged Lysander in a long conversation and the two are disappearing down on of the book aisles. Julian decides it's a perfect time to make some lunch. He locates where Lysander and the customer have gone to say, "I'm going up to make sandwiches. Sir, would you like one? It's no trouble to fix extra and we have a pie from Briar's for afters."
The man gives Julian a toothy grin. "Why, yes, that would be delightful. Will give me more time to pick this young man's brain on books about growing herb gardens."
Glad to have something to do to fill time, Julian takes the stairs two at a time but still arrives well behind Dexter who gives Julian a plaintive feed me yowl before running through the open doorway to the flat and waiting impatiently for Julian to get to the kitchen.
Sherwood Forest
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 04-07-08 17:31
"Let's get the tent up before it gets too dark to see," the ever practical Hermione suggests.
With the four of them working together the tent is pitched in a relatively short time. From the outside the tent looks like a well worn four person tent. On the inside there is a spacious living room-dining room-kitchen area, two bedrooms, and a loo with shower.
Ron and Harry go straight for one of the couches and plop down to fiddle with setting up the portable radio in hopes of picking up news on the WWN and then after that maybe a sports broadcast of some sort. Harry's bum has barely touched the couch cushion when Janine's loudly cleared throat has him quickly on his feet again.
Both Hermione and Janine are standing in the kitchen area, giving Ron and him a hard stares. Harry pokes Ron and starts forward to help unpack groceries and assist in getting supper started. He takes two steps forward then turns and gives Ron a harder poke.
"What?" Ron asks, looking up from the radio. Seeing the groceries and the two young women giving him pointed looks, Ron jumps up. "Right. Sorry."
After supper last night, during which they'd discussed what they would do, the four cleaned up the house, packing up what items they have, taking out trash, and doing general straightening for whomever might have the house after them. They'd apparated to a place not all that very far from where the Dursleys live and despite the lateness of the hour by then, were able to get sleeping spaces at a youth hostel. Harry doubts that if it were full summer there'd have bee spots for them given the number of teens and young adults who travel during the summer hols. The carriers for Hedwig, Pig, and Crookshanks were disguised as backpacks. Ron grumbled about not having his cat Hero but Molly had let them know sometime back that Fred had taken Hero home with him so the cat is fine for the moment.
This morning had been spent putting together a shopping list and then actually shopping as well as making a final decision on which of the locations on their narrowed down list to go. Patronuses had been sent to let other Order members know what was going on. In that time Ron was on the run alone, he'd not used his Jack Russell terrier patronus because, as he'd told them, he had no idea when he might be found and didn't want to be in the middle of sending one or getting a message from someone else when found and have them figuring out how the Order members have been communicating all these years.
By the time Hermione, Janine, Ron, and Harry had made a decision on where to stay for the next few days, it was late afternoon. They apparated to an off the road spot then walked the rest of the distance to the Sherwood Forest Holiday Park. Harry had called ahead before they'd apparated to find out if a camping site was available.
The groceries put away, chicken breasts grilling, and vegetables cooking, Harry grins at Hermione. "Sherwood Forest. You know what that means I'd like to do tomorrow if things appear safe."
Hermione snickers. "Having visions of being Robin Hood, Harry? I'm not sure you'd look good in green tights."
"Oh like you never wanted to be Maid Marian," Harry retorts.
"Maid who?" Janine asks.
"Maid Marian," Hermione replies.
"That clears that up," Janine sarcastly says but also with humor.
"What about the green tights and the Robin person?" Ron asks.
During the rest of the time it takes to cook dinner and then over the meal itself, Hermione and Harry fill Janine and Ron in on Robin Hood, Maid Marian, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and all the rest and Harry tells them about the Sherwood Forest visitor's center.