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(Kate) Monday Morning
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 04-19-08 10:26
Kate hurriedly ate her breakfast of runny scrambled eggs while keeping her gaze towards the front of the Great Hall, where Professor Snider stood with two individuals Kate didn't know. One was Wilkie Twycross, the apparition instructor for the pureblood students, and the other was Gerti Crouch, the corresponding teacher for the nons. At promptly 8:45, Snider announced that everyone must vacate the Great Hall. The apparition examinations, for eligible students only, were to take place in the dining chamber throughout the course of the morning.
Grabbing her Charms, History of Magic, and Transfiguration books, Kate quickly left the Great Hall. None of the students dawdled, particularly the nons, who didn't want to feel the wrath of the Carrows or Professor Parkinson. With the mob, she turned from the doors of the Great Hall to the grand marble staircase. The other first year nons stepped off on the second floor landing for Charms with Professor Flume.
Kate was one of the first to enter the classroom and quickly took her seat. Professor Flume wasn't very terrible a person in comparison to some of the other professors at Hogwarts, but she really didn't want to test his patience. She opened her Charms textbook to the page written on the blackboard and made sure she had plenty of parchment and a quill full of ink ready to go.
While she waited for the class to fill up and then begin, she thought about how only a little over a month of term remained. Kate realy couldn't wait for this school year to end!
Surprise Visit
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 04-19-08 11:21
Lysander stacked several N.E.W.T.-level books onto a piece of brown packing paper and wrapped them up, securing the package first with spellotape and then with brown twine. Several Hogwarts students had been taking advantage of both the library's owl-requests and Twice Told Tales' mail-order services. It had been ages since Lysander had been a student at Hogwarts, but even he could remember the intensity of the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. He placed the package behind the counter with plans to take it to the Post Office during his lunch break.
A tinkling of the bell over the front door signaled the arrival of a new customer. Lysander, manning the counter while Julian reviewed their accounts in the office, put on his best customer service smile and prepared to greet the newcomer. His face fell slightly upon the sight of Dawn Fox entering the bookshop.
Her face, however, lit up when she saw Lysander. She went to him, smiling. "Good morning, Lysander. I was hoping you'd be here."
Lysander recovered himself enough to offer her a small smile and greeting in return. "Morning. How did you know where to find me?"
"Please don't be angry with me," she began, even though Lysander had shown no outward signs of being anything of the sort. "After your second visit to Ashton-Hotwell, I wrote to Aralyn. I wanted to tell her about how fine a young girl you've raised. I know you probably feel that she doesn't deserve to know anything about Charlotte, but Charlotte still has a mother. Aralyn told me that you co-own this bookstore, or at least that you did when she still knew you. I thought I'd try my luck and see if I could meet you and Charlotte today."
Lysander took a full minute before responding to Dawn. He spoke cautiously, neither pleasantly or with spite. "It takes more than blood to be a mother to a child. As far as I'm concerned, Charlotte's mother provided the womb in which she grew and nothing else. I am the only parent Charlotte has or needs."
Dawn bit her lip, unsure of what to say or do next. Although in looks she and her daughter resembled each other greatly, their personalities appeared to differ. Despite having hoped to cut Dawn from his daughter's life once and for all, Lysander relented.
"Would you like to see her?"
Dawn's face lit up again. "Truly?"
He nodded, hoping he wouldn't regret his kindness. "Just give me a moment," he said. He stepped out from behind the counter to pop his head in the office where Julian worked. Julian agreed to man the counter while Lysander took Charlotte's grandmother on a supervised visit to see Charlotte at Blossom's.
Morning of Apparition Testing
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 04-19-08 18:32
Orei sat at the Gryffindor table, she had to take her Apparition Test this morning and was nervous. She was grabbing a quick bite to eat and praying that she didn't splinch herself during her test because that would not be very good.
She murmured the three D's over and over in her head as she ate a toasted bagel with cream cheese and strawberry jelly, a glass of orange juice and a bowl of fruit. She'd started eating a bit lighter because she didn't want to be in the Great Hall when the Carrows had come in for breakfast before their first classes, because this meant that a non or four would end up getting cursed and still have to go to class with the Professors.
She hated the Carrows and didn't even have them, but she like other students had heard the horror stories and seen the Nons in tears of pain being helped to the Hospital Wing after classes with the Carrows.
She checked her watch and headed out of the Great Hall finishing the final bites of her bagel. She wasn't sure where she had to go for the testing, but she would be taking her test this morning.
Licensed to Apparate
Author: Alanna Beck
Date: 04-20-08 08:47
Alanna's apparition exam had been promptly after breakfast. She'd been pretty nervous, not so much because she didn't feel confident in her apparating skills but because she didn't like waiting for her time to finally come. She'd begun wishing that she hadn't eaten so many pancakes, since her belly had started feeling uneasy the moment Snider had asked everyone to exit the Great Hall.
Very few students had waited in the entrance hall with Alanna. Some of the students who'd taken the apparition lessons weren't yet seventeen and had to wait until their birthdays to take the exam. Alanna's birthday had been less than a week ago.
Some of the other eligible students did have classes first thing in the morning and had to arrange their examination appointment around their schedules. Alanna's only morning class was Herbology at 10:00. She'd waited for what seemed like an eternity before being the one of the first of the students to get called into the Great Hall.
Her exam had been simple enough. Alanna had to disapparate from the spot in which she'd stood into the hoop on the floor in front of her. She'd done the same exercise over and over again in the twelve apparition lessons she'd taken since the beginning of February. Her examiner had asked her to apparate three times, and though Alanna had been extremely nervous, she'd managed to apparate without splinching any part, however miniscule, of her body.
She'd left the Great Hall beaming, for now she could legally apparate. Sitting still in Herbology hadn't been easy at first, but thanks to the mellowfruit they'd studied and repotted, Alanna had begun to settle down.
At lunch in the Great Hall, Alanna filled Ariella in on her good news, and before she knew it, it was time to go to History of Magic class.
Passing The Exam
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 04-20-08 18:49
Orei had been called in the last thirty minutes before she had to go to Herbology, which means that she would have to rush to class because she didn't know how long it was going to take. Though, those that went in usually came out pretty quickly. She'd congratulated Alanna when she'd come out having passed the exam.
She'd seen three or four come out after splinching themselves one quite severely, the others were not so bad: a nose or a finger.
Orei stepped in and looked at the examiner as she explained what needed to be done. It was the exact same thing as she'd been practicing at the lessons. She stood in the hoop and took her time for the first try. After a moment she opened her eyes and was standing in the destination hoop. The examiner had her do it three more times, just to ensure that she could do it successfully without splinching herself.
She still had fifteen minutes before she had to get to Herbology and so she would take her time walking. She slid into her seat and wrote a quick owl to Brett letting him know that she'd passed the exam and she was now licensed to apparate.
Harsh Critic
Author: Brett Kingston
Date: 04-22-08 12:48
The professor drones on with a critique of one student's model and the building plan that goes with it. He's been nit picking for a good ten minutes and as yet doesn't appear to be winding it up. While it's extremely important to find flaws in the building plan that, if the building were actually going to be constructed, could potentially be hazardous or aren't cost effective, etc., Brett can tell by looking around at his classmates that he's not the only one who thinks the professor is being overly harsh.
Granted, every student in this course is graduating soon. They ought to be held to a higher standard. That doesn't mean, though, that the professor should also critique the student's color choice on the model for the front entrance. That's more of a personal preference and has nothing to do with the overall design assigned for this particular project.
Maybe Brett's wrong to think that. Perhaps in similar courses at the other Wizarding universities that have been created around the world over the past few years or at Muggle universities this same type thing goes on.
Then again, maybe this is a direct result of there being so few students in this class. The professor spending more and more time finding nits to pick could be a way to fill time he'd alotted for these project presentations.
There's a small boom and Brett's thoughts are quickly back on the front of the class. The professor has pulled his wand out, blown up the model and set the building plans on fire.
"Dreadful! Just Dreadful! That's your grade as well! Be glad I didn't give you a Troll! Next! Who's next to present?"
Gulping. Brett grabs his building plans, retrieves his model from along the wall where it was lined up with those of other students', and moves to the front of the classroom to begin his presentation.
Whispers In The Library (Jane)
Author: Rolf Haaken
Date: 04-22-08 17:57
Jane had been leaning far forward over the library table, talking in a very low voice to Doug. Movement nearby has her pulling back even though Doug and she weren't touching. When another student, who is a Non, comes around the bookshelves, Jane rises enough to lean forward as she had been.
"Do you really think you won't be allowed to take your N.E.W.T.s?"
"I think they'll make the Nons pay a fee and then not let us take the exams anyway," Doug answers flatly.
"You're probably right."
Doug double checks no one is watching then slides a letter across to Jane. "Send this off for me?"
Jane leans back into her chair, sliding the letter with her as she goes. "Of course."
Doug looks around again but despite seeing no one drops his voice even more. "You should be getting a letter from my cousin any day now."
"The letter I owled for you on Sunday?"
"Yes. With the letter was that application for a job he'd checked into for me. I doubt he'd know yet whether I'll get an interview but he might at least be able to indicate if my application got a positive response."
"I hope you get it. There's a just opened college near Vancouver. If you get the job and I find one as well, and with the money Dad's promised, we could both take classes and go on and get married this summer rather than wait."
They abruptly go silent, giving their attention to the N.E.W.T. study guide they each have as Alecto Carrow steps into view. Her wand is visible in one hand and her fingers holding it roll the wand as if she's itching to use it. Professor Carrow sneers at Doug as she goes past, stopping a short distance away to pull a book from a shelf.
Doug shoots Jane a quick look then quietly gathers up his things. As he packs his bookbag Doug says to Jane but says it in a way that would appear to the professor that he's speaking aloud to himself, "Time for dinner if my stomach's rumbling is anything to go by."
Jane waits a full five minutes before she too gets up to go to the Great Hall for supper. As she walks away from the table, Jane can feel Amycus Carrow's eyes fixed on her. Suppressing a shudder, Jane is beyond thankful that the woman is not one of her professor's!
Interrupted Thoughts
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 04-23-08 14:47
Briar makes a pass through the dining portion of the bakery, making sure tables are clean. None of them have any plates or cups on them but that doesn't mean one or two aren't in need of being cleared of crumbs and washed off. After that she offers the only diners there - Maisie and Minnie - refills on their tea then goes to the glass display cases to see what needs stocking before the lunch hour rush hits.
Covering a yawn as she glances over the fairy cakes in the case, Briar thinks that a nap sounds very appealing right about now. With working more thanks to the employee shortage and a recurrence of odd dreams that she first experienced while nearing the end of her pregnancy with Grace, Briar would love nothing more than to take a few days off to do nothing but sit at home relaxing.
The dreams aren't what she would call nightmares, just odd, so Briar isn't sure why she always feels like she's not slept after having one of them. Originally they consisted of her mother still being alive and Briar married to someone she can't recall from real life. Lately though the dreams have also included Julian married to Helena Tufton and the couple having three children, Lysander and Chyler and that couple also with children, and Adriana Fairchild with a husband Briar cannot recall from real life either nor whose name she learns as yet in any of the dreams. Mention of her father has been made in a few of the dreams but so far he's not put in an appearance.
As if perceiving that Briar's thoughts include her parents, a voice from behind says, "Has anyone ever mentioned how much you look like your mother? Your hair color and mouth are more Algernon's and the set of your eyes isn't Claudia's but all in all you heavily favor your mother."
Standing up straight and turning to address the speaker, Briar can't believe she was so deep in thought about the dreams that she neither heard the bell over the door nor heard Harriet Snider's less than dainty footfalls coming up behind her. At least the woman left her flying carpet outside. Through the windows Briar can see it undulating slowly while maintaining a stationary position. Why it's simply not flat on the walkway or rolled up near the door Briar isn't sure.
To Harriet Snider she says, "You've never before mentioned that you knew my parents."
"I simply never thought to before now. I've gotten the impression from old news stories that your parents are a touchy subject for you. The way they died I certainly understand that you might not wish to speak of that particular incident. All in all, however, I should think you would be proud of Claudia and Algernon. They were good, upstanding, right minded people."
"By right minded you mean they were supporters of pureblood supremacy."
"Exactly," Harriet Snider smiles broadly at Briar, appearing not to have heard the undercurrent of sarcasm in Briar's statement. The woman goes on to say, "I would have thought that after your true identity was revealed you would revert to your given name. Rosalyn is a beautiful name and Burnshire is one to be very proud of."
Through a forced smile Briar replied, "I did consider it but I had, by that time, been known for so long as Briar Rose that I didn't ponder the decision very long. How may I help you today? Cake? Pie? There's a fruit tart made less than twenty minutes ago."
Harriet Snider moves closer to the display case directly behind Briar, her already small eyes narrowing to tiny beads as she examines the contents. If Briar hadn't been watching, she wouldn't now see the woman's eyes at all thanks to the overabundant furriness of Snider's unibrow.
"I'll have the fruit tart you mentioned, as well as the lemon cake there and what type of pie is that? The one with the raspberries?"
"That is a chocolate pie made from Italian and Swiss chocolates, and along with the raspberries is a raspberry glaze."
"I will take that as well."
"You are wanting all three whole or just a slice of each?"
"Whole."
Briar is nodding in response even as she's stepping around behind the counter to get boxes. Once Harriet Snider has paid for her items and left the bakery, an air of oppressive leaves with her much to Briar's relief. The bakery quiet again until the lunch rush, which is very soon, Briar begins restocking the cases and letting her mind wander back to the dreams she's been having.
A Visit With Aspen Woods-Bloodstone
Author: Furnella Hodfuffer
Date: 04-23-08 16:57
Sliding into the booth opposite Forest's sister Aspen, I ask, "You have news?"
"Saffron Sacheverelle was right. Her husband Aaron and Forest are both at Azkaban."
"It's what we've all suspected and what Saffron saw in her crystal ball. You've gotten confirmation?"
"Nothing official, even though the US government has been putting pressure on the British Ministry to answer questions about them both. I overheard one person muttering to himself about how he's said all along the Ministry should have been upfront about both arrests."
Leaning forward to cup chin in hand, elbow resting on the table, I comment, "Prunella must be there too."
Across the dining room Lars is pantomining pouring a drink. I nod and hold up two fingers then ask Aspen, "Do you think any of them have been officially charged or been given trials?"
"Most likely though what the charges against Forest and Prunella would have been I'm not sure. From what AJ first told us about Aaron Miller and what Saffron's filled in since then, I imagine that Aaron was charged with removal of a Non minor from school grounds."
"If that's what the girl's parents wanted and she's an American and her parents are an American, I'm not really sure what the crime there is," I frown. "Not that such things matter with the current state of affairs."
Aspen glances around the dining room that's been filling up for the first of the lunch crowd. "Should we be talking about all this here?"
"No, but if I were to get arrested at least I'd know why."
"Have you learned anything about your missing family members?"
"Nothing. It's bad enough not knowing where my sister-in-law and brother-in-law are, AJ's ex-wife as well for that matter, but I can't put into words how horrible it is not knowing where they children have been taken. One ripped away from her father, four taken from their mother. They've got to be terrified. Cornington is only five."
I was going to say more but my voice breaks. Lars has brought our drinks and I reach gratefully for mine, glad that he brought something stronger than wine. Although neither of us is very hungry, Aspen and I pick our way through salads, discussing what her next step will be with her government and what she overhead about Forest and Aaron.