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Didn't Even Need To Fabricate A Story (Goen Bren)
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 12-14-08 12:04
Griff steps out of the Floo where he's greeted in a not very friendly manner by a sullen man he takes to be a Goen Bren guard.
"Identification!" the guard snaps. "State your business."
Griff holds out the ID badge all Ministry employess now must wear and also offers the guard a piece of parchment.
"Griffin Price, Department of Magical Transportation."
The guard shoves Griff's ID back at him. "Says your PK Tech."
"Yes, that's right."
"No portkeys here."
"I know that." Griff waggles the piece of parchment he's still holding out to the man. "I've got orders to verify the security of each Floo you have here and to do a visual inspection on all buildings to ensure there aren't any secret access points. I'm also to keep an eye out for any unauthorized portkeys."
The guard grunts. "Still don't see why a PK Tech'd be sent."
Griff shrugs. "All I know is that the already understaffed Department of Magical Transportation was cut by nearly three quarters yesterday."
The guard's eyes shift, he leans in a little closer to Griff, and lowers his voice. "We got more guards yesterday and this morning. Security's being beefed up. Heard it's because another community had a mass escape. You hear anything?"
"Heard the same thing and that another community had a revolt as well."
The guard's eyes widen slightly at this added tidbit. Griff doesn't know anything but why not fuel the gossip. The man jerks his head at an open door. When you get done inspecting here, go out that way. Have your ID and that work order ready to show again."
Griff nods, already turning to face the fireplace to make a show of inspecting the Floo. The beauty of his plan to check out Goen Bren, looking for Carys and Mairwen is that Griff didn't even need to fabricate a reason to come. He and one other from the department were told that the Nons were being held in places called communities and that each needed security checks on any Floos or portkeys. Griff was put under a secrecy charm but at no time was he asked if he already knew about places like Goen Bren. He supposes that the Minister is in denial that anyone working at the Ministry might listen to the Resistance broadcasts or attend meetings or be active Resistance members. Or, in Griff's case, capable of getting information from someone already under such a spell.
Certainly made part of Griff's mission to rescue the two women that much easier.
Unexpected Reunion
Author: Carys
Date: 12-14-08 18:10
Oblivious of her work, Carys automatically went about her chores while her mind considered more serious thoughts. In the last couple of weeks, an increasing concern pressed itself heavily upon her shoulders. She wasn't entirely sure that what she feared was in fact a reality, but she had cause to wonder lately. At the same time, she lived in deplorable conditions and had lost enough weight since first arriving at Goen Bren that her body no longer followed its usual routine and hadn't for quite some time. She didn't think she could even get pregnant in her current state.
And yet the thought nagged her constantly now. What if she was? And what would the warden do to her if he found out she carried his child? Would everything she'd gone through to survive at Goen Bren have been for nothing?
She shook her head in a failed attempt to clear her thoughts. When that didn't work, she picked up a bin of murky water and stepped out of the back door to dump it and to get some fresh air.
Carys didn't seem to notice the cold that bit through her threadbare clothing, nor did she grasp that she'd spilled some of the dirty liquid onto her legs, for standing with her in the otherwise deserted alleyway was a person she never expected to see again.
She dropped the bin in the snow and took the few steps necessary to meet him. Without hesitating, she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him as hard as she could, almost not believing that he was standing there with her. She felt his arms wrap around her, warm arms that she wished would never leave her body.
"Am I dreaming?" she whispered.
"No," Griffin replied, running his fingers through her hair.
Carys gently extricated herself from his embrace, even though she didn't want to, because she was suddenly conscious that she was dirty and that she hadn't washed her hair and who-knew-how-long. The fact that she hadn't hugged Griffin since they were a couple never crossed her mind.
"How did you get here?" Carys asked in a quiet, rushed tone. She knew that someone could join them outside at any moment.
"That's not important right now," Griffin responded, and Carys sensed the urgency in his voice. She didn't ask any other questions and allowed him to guide the conversation. He was quick to the point.
"I want to get you and your grandmother out of here. Is she nearby?"
He sensed the sadness that came over Carys. "Carys?"
Carys felt a tear slide down her cheek. It had been ages since she'd cried for her grandmother. "My grandmother is dead, Griffin. She just... she just withered away and died."
Griffin pulled Carys back into his arms. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Carys nodded her head against his chest. "So I am." She pulled back but stayed in his arms, looking up into his face. "Tristan?"
"He's wonderful, though he misses you."
"My grandfather?"
Griff hesitated. "He's sick with worry over you both. I will be sorry to give him the news of Mairwen's passing."
He put his hands on Carys' arms, noting how thin they seemed. He looked deep into her eyes as he said, "I'm working on figuring out the best way to get you to safety. Can you hang on a little longer?"
"Knowing you're going to rescue me soon, I can."
He kissed her on the forehead. "Soon, I promise."
Carys stepped out of his tender grasp and picked up the bin she'd thrown into the snow. "I better get back before someone notices."
Griff nodded. "Soon, Carys."
Carys offered him the smallest of hopeful smiles and then stepped back inside the kitchen. Maybe things were finally looking up for her.
Looking For Information
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 12-15-08 21:20
Bundled up against the cold, Ron looks around at what was once the Happy Haven School For Nons. He comments to Sirius, "I know the ones in charge at the moment are idiots but they're even bigger fools for not thinking to change plans once Carrow was captured."
"Oh, she will think of it, might already have. Just has a lot to deal with all at once," Sirius replies.
They enter what had been the administrative offices, splitting up to start going through file cabinets and drawers in what had been Headmistress Alecto Carrow's office. The Order and the Resistance have been watching both Happy Haven and The Mews since the breakouts occurred.
On Saturday moring there'd been a flurry of activity at The Mews and late Saturday afternoon, activity here at Happy Haven, but in the few days since, there's been nothing. Not a single person has been sighted at either place. There's a chance that detection spells are in place but according to the information they've gotten so far from Carrow, Euphemia Smythe-Jones never conceived that any of her communities would fall, so there was no such plan.
Ron isn't sure there would have been even if the woman considered the possibility of prison breaks on such a mass scale. He thinks this because once all the people are gone, what would be the point of any of those people returning?
Sure, he's here with some of the Order and Resistance people but would the Ministry think they'd do that?
Still, Ron would have thought with two breakouts and someone like Carrow missing, Minister Smythe-Jones would rethink a few things. Not that Ron's complaining. Makes his job easier.
Sirius shoves some files into the bag Ron's holding. "You find anything?"
Ron shakes his head, shoving shaggy locks out of his eyes. That reminds him, Hermione's been hinting around that Ron should get a haircut. He'll have to remember to do that sometime today. To Sirius he says, "Nothing of interest. I still added it to the bag, just in case."
"Good. I'm going to look in the next office."
"I'll be right there. Just want to make sure we didn't overlook anything."
Sirius nods and has reached the door when Ron says, totally unrelated to the task at hand, "I sent another Patronus this morning."
"I wish we knew if he's getting them."
"I wish we'd come up with something more then sending Harry Patronuses," Ron glumly says.
Sirius's face darkens. "Don't remind me."
"We'll think of something," Ron says unconvincingly.
"I wish they'd let me have a crack at Carrow. If she knows whether Harry's in Azkaban or someplace else, I'd get her to tell."
"I've not been allowed near her either."
"Great to be trusted, isn't it?" Sirius asks dryly. "Let me start on this next office."
Ron nods, quickly finishing in the one office then also moving to another. In the other buildings, people are gathering up anything of the former Happy Haven students that might still be useful, as almost all of them had their Hogwarts trunks with them when they arrived. When Ron and Sirius are done in the offices, they join the others, Ron eager to be done with job and out of there. As he works, Ron's already thinking of a way to get in to see Carrow and knows that Sirius is doing the same.
Solemn Evening
Author: Illyria
Date: 12-16-08 17:37
Illyria stripped off the clothes she'd been wearing during the day for the only other set she currently had and shivered the entire time. Having been outside for most of the day, in the wet and the cold, had completely soaked her clothing. The new set of clothing wasn't thoroughly dry––nothing was at 14-15-14, what with the poor construction of the water-and-windswept island's single building––but at least it was only slightly moist and not sopping wet. She used a small, ragged hand towel to dry her hair and then left her room for the dining room.
What had once been a fairly crowded room at mealtimes, now had enough vacant seats to make the community's decreasing numbers obvious. Or maybe Illyria had witnessed enough suicides to make the gaps on the benches stand out all the more. She sighed as memories of some of the deaths came to mind. There'd been 23 in all, so far.
Spotting Marzi already seated at one of the long tables with a space next to her, Illyria then turned to the buffet table and helped herself to what looked the most appetizing. Many dishes were already empty, which made Illyria wish she hadn't been late to dinner, since the earlybirds had probably gotten the "better" food. She wasn't too choosy, though, since she really couldn't afford to be. Illyria knew she had to keep up her strength, or she might get sick and die. There'd been a few of those deaths, too.
She piled a little bit of everything, excepting one or two dishes that she really didn't think she could stomach, and then carried her plate to Marzi's table. Illyria sat down on splintered bench and murmured, "Hi."
"Hi," Marzi replied softly, after swallowing a particularly disgusting bite of something she couldn't quite identify.
They didn't exchange "How was your day?" since they both knew the answer to that already.
There really wasn't much conversation from anyone in the dining room, mainly because everyone was just plain too tired to do something as simple and everyday as talk, but also because the warden didn't like things to get too loud or casual.
Illyria impaled something with her fork and stuffed it into her mouth without giving it another look. If she scrutinzed it for too long, she wouldn't want to eat it any more than she already didn't. Instead, she tried to focus on something she should have been thinking about all along, especially in the beginning when she was still strong. She wanted to leave the island, but she just needed to figure out how.
Overly Long Meeting
Author: Lucius Malfoy
Date: 12-16-08 18:03
Lucius's eyes stray to the large clock in the corner of Euphemia's conference room. She's certainly had it fixed up much nicer than Fudge or any of the previous Ministers for Magic. While the decor might be more grand and the chairs more plush, having to sit through a long meeting hasn't become any easier. How long should it take to establish that yes, each community has implemented the stricter security measures?
Apparently Rabastan and Rodolphus both are thinking along the same lines. Lucius observes Rodolphus checking the clock and Rabastan keeps looking down at a pocket watch he's got. Lucius wonders if they too are starting to question some of the Minister's actions and ideas.
Wouldn't it be easier to consolidate some of the smaller communities with the larger ones?
Reassign the staff of the smallers ones to the larger ones?
Doesn't Euphemia realize that the already strained work force is going to be even more so if she's diverting half of the Ministry employees to enhance security at the communities?
The answer to these and other questions is, sadly, no.
Why is it that someone with such excellent ideas regarding Pureblood superiority has such tunnel vision? Such a blind spot? Perhaps a tinge of mental instability?
The warden of one of the smaller communities finishes droning on about the specific measures now in place there to meet the new criteria. With the lull, Lucius clears his throat and speaks up.
"Forgive me if I'm interrupting but wouldn't this be an excellent spot to conclude the meeting? We have been at it for nearly four hours now and I'm sure everyone is ready for a dinner break."
"Have it really been four hours?" Euphemia asks. "My, the time flew by. Yes, let's do break for dinner. I know an excellent place, Ministry treat. Anyone not wishing to join me there, let's reconvene here in two hours."
There are murmurs around the table and nods. Rabastan, Rodolphus, and Lucius exchange looks, all of them clearly hoping that by then excellent ideas have come to mind that allow them to skiv off the rest of the meeting.
Patronus?
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 12-17-08 18:27
Harry's gotten so good at digging irrigation ditches while at Community Q that he's thinking of taking it up full-time once he's free again. Then again, to hear Warden Bulstrode carry on, Harry does such a piss poor job at everything that he shouldn't even have aspirations to flobberworm farm, and everyone knows how easy it is to raise flobberworms.
Lifting another heavy shovelfull of dirt, Harry empties it into a nearby wheelbarrow. Before moving to lift load the shovel again, Harry wipes his brow. There are few clouds today and the day is already hot with a humidity that's hard on people who are used to the climate of Great Britain. As Harry moves his hand from brow to shovel, he catches a glimmer of something.
It's not the first time he's seen something like it. In a way, it reminds Harry of a Patronus yet whatever this is, it's wispy, not fully formed, and if there's any specific shape, Harry can't determine what it would be. If it is a Patronus, it's being blocked by a spell or spells in and around Community Q.
A whip cracks, its tip licking across Harry's right arm. Warden Imogen Bulstrode snaps, "Stop woolgathering, Potter. If what you're doing is woolgathering. Bloody rotten woolgatherer you'd make. The only thing you're good at is taking up space. If I didn't need this ditch finished, I'd put you back in the hole so you'd at least be taking up space out of my sight."
Bulstrode rants for a full five minutes more before stalking off to harangue some other prisoner. Harry's left in relative quiet for awhile, allowing his mind to return to thinking about whatever it is he keeps seeing. He think it's a Patronus, which would mean someone is trying to contact a Community Q member.
This gets Harry to thinking about who might have always been around at the same time he's seen it. After a quarter of an hour of digging and thinking about all the times he's seen what could be a Patronus, the only common denominator Harry comes up with is himself.
Stands to reason if he's the only one who's always been around when the Patronus comes into view then he's who someone's trying to contact. Harry's got to ask Hagrid if he too has seen anything that might be a partial Patronus. Harry doesn't know who else at Community Q might have someone on the outside who might think to use a Patronus for communication like the Order of the Phoenix members do.
Harry tops off the wheelbarrow then climbs out of the ditch to go empty it. He's walked the route enough times now that he can concentrate fully on the Patronus issue. What sort of spell or spells might block one? Could the barrier be overcome without needing a wand? Are there places around the island where the barrier would be thinner or weaker?
Something to discuss at supper this evening if no guards are standing near enough to hear. If it's not possible at supper, then after they're back in their huts. Now if Harry can just get through the day without Bulstrode deciding to send him to the hole for another night.