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Discovery
Author: Carys
Date: 07-17-09 18:20
The attic at the home of Alun, Carys and Tristan wasn't as packed with long-lost or forgotten objects as it had once been––the looters having taken much of the more valuable and interesting items––but a fair amount still remained. When the family first returned, they'd spent the majority of their efforts in cleaning up the main rooms. The attic had more or less remained untouched until recently, when Carys started sorting through everything to determine what could stay and what they no longer had any use for.
It was precarious work, sifting through the objects, since the looters had made quite a mess and broken many things. Glass shards and wood splinters littered the floor and some of the other surfaces. Carys often wore the dragon-hide gloves she'd used at Hogwarts to protect her hands while she worked. She sometimes wondered if there was a spell she could use to do a quick cleanup, but at the same time she liked going through everything piece by piece.
Each time she picked something up and studied it, she wondered where it came from if she didn't already know its history. Some items were easy to place in the "keep" pile: a shoebox of old photographs, her grandmother's wedding dress, a box of letters between various members of the family. Others could be tossed with little regret: broken picture frames, old clothes that should have been thrown out or given to charity ages ago, a pile of magazines no one read anymore.
"Carys, how much longer will you be up there?" called Alun from the foot of the attic ladder.
"Just a few minutes more," Carys shouted back.
She'd just opened a crate and unearthed a small camera from its bed of straw. That no one had discovered it, surprised her. Most of Gaenor Hanham's photography equipment was lost now, taken by those who'd pillaged the house. Carys lifted the little camera and examined it closely. It didn't take long for a little light to come on inside her head. She'd spent the last month or more considering her options for the future and hadn't had an idea of what she wanted to do with her life. And now it seemed to be in her hands... Photography.
With a smile on her face, she came down the ladder carefully and joined her grandfather and son in the kitchen, where she was surprised to find Griffin too.
"Griff wanted to spend his lunch break with us," Alun announced cheerfully.
Carys smiled. The surprise birthday party Griffin had thrown her was still on her mind, several days after its occurrence. Tomorrow they would have another birthday to celebrate, that of Tristan who would turn three years old.
"What's that you've got there?" Griffin asked, returning her smile and indicating to the camera she still held in her hands.
"Oh, this? I found it in the attic. I think it was my mum's." She started talking about her mother's old photography studio and how she used to help out there during the summer.
"I think," she went on, pausing to recollect her thoughts, "I think I might want to study photography when I'm all caught up with my regular classes."
"I think that's a great idea," Griffin responded warmly.
"Yes, a very good idea," Alun agreed.
"GWEAT!" Tristan cried out, clapping his hands together.
Carys laughed and kissed her son. "Okay, so it's settled then. Now, what's this about lunch?"
Schedules
Author: Fionna
Date: 07-17-09 19:16
Catriona sits with head bent over her course schedule, trying to memorize it. Mondays are the absolute worst. Seven classes. Seven!
Cat frowns and again looks at the sheaf of parchment clutched in her hands. Make that six classes. She had had Ancient Runes scheduled for in the mornings Mondays and Wednesday. Although she'd attended AR for its first meeting of the term, Cat has gotten her Ancient Runes elective changed to that of Muggle Studies. With Professor Aaron Miller teaching that course in a vastly different manner than Professor Parkinson had, Muggle Studies is something Cat is very interested in.
While she hated asking Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, the Deputy Headmistress and the Ravenclaw Head of House respectively, to drop Ancient Runes, as only a third year, Cat's very limited on the number of electives she may take. She'd initially signed up for Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes. In picking one to drop so she could take Muggle Studies, AR lost out. Cat does plan to pick it up again in her upper years and is going to attend the Ancient Runes club Professor Hodfuffer oversees.
The change of courses means that instead of seven Monday classes, she's got six. Wednesdays Cat meets four of them and Fridays she meets those four plus Muggle Studies. Fitness & Athletics is just on Tuesdays. Tuesday and Thursday mornings Cat has Herbology and the afternoons she's got Transfiguration.
"Are you going to stare at whatever is in your hand's all day or are you going to eat lunch?" Bianca asks from directly across the table from Cat.
Cat hadn't even heard Bianca sit down. "Sorry! I'm still trying to learn this new schedule."
From Cat's left Megara Flynn says, "Pass that sandwich platter, please? And I'm having trouble remembering mine as well. I've spell-o-taped a copy of it into all my notebooks and binders."
"Good idea! I might do that myself. Where did you two go after Herbology?"
Megara tells Bianca, "I needed to make sure I was ready for Transfiguration this afternoon."
"I went and left a note on Professor Miller's office door about the textbook for his class. I thought Mum was going to have it here this morning," Cat says. "I thought you were going to the library, Bianca, so looked for you there. When I didn't find you I went to the common commons and read over Transfiguration and finished the reading for History tomorrow."
"I went to my room to get something. I was going to go to the library but Olive was practicing for Charms this afternoon and I ended up staying to practice alongside her. We could help each other that way."
Polly plops down in the chair beside Bianca. "Cor, I'm famished. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I left Charms just now."
Bianca takes the sandwich platter that Megara slides across the table and passes it to Polly. "We were just talking about Charms. Is Flitwick in a good mood today?"
"He's very jolly."
Cat says, "He's been that way every time I've seen him since Start of Term Feast."
"I think he's just thrilled to be back at Hogwarts," Bianca says. "He was like that at end of term when he took over for Yaxley if you remember."
This last is directed at Cat since neither Megara nor Polly were at Hogwarts last term. Cat nods, "Yes, very true."
Polly grins, "I'm very glad to be back as well though I wish being back didn't come with SO much classwork and homework."
The other three girls giggle in agreement. They eat their lunches and talk for the rest of lunchtime, leaving the Great Hall after eating to go to the commons together. They only split up again just before 2 pm so that Polly may go to Potions, Bianca to Charms, and Megara and Cat to Transfiguration.
Relaxing and an Idea
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 07-18-09 07:40
Orei sighed, sliding a hand through her hair as she stared down at the muggle puzzle she was doing. Its thousand tiny pieces mostly scattered, well at least about eight hundred of them were still scattered, the rest formed a neatly put together outter edge. The remainder were slowly being peieced together to create a pretty seascape with dolphins and colorful fish. She was currently working on a rather colorful fish, when Maddie poked her head into the kitchen.
"Are you going to sit there and do that puzzle all day?" She inquired, tilting her head so she could take a look at the fish that Orei was putting together.
"Maybe, I've got nothing better to do. Mum and Dad don't want me working, but I need something to do, to kill the time before classes start up for Michaelmas term at St. Emry's." Orei said, at least before Jim had gone back to Hogwarts she had something to do. Maddie had Tidus. Everything was easier.
"Go get a job, your parents will never know. Seriously. With your linquistic skills, I bet you could get into something at the Ministry. You are like the only person I know who can speak several different languages both dead and not. Go apply at the Ministry, I bet they will work around your St. Emry's courses when the term starts."
Orei glared up at Maddie, then thought, was she really becoming a boring old witch and she was just eighteen, going on nineteen? She looked down at the puzzle and let out a heavy sigh. "Alright. Alright. I get it! No more moping around the house. However, they'll also have to work around my quidditch schedule, because I plan on trying out for one of the teams. Probably the Vipertooths since I'll be staying in Agrippa for now, may go into Blane when I've finished with stuff I want in Agrippa."
"Good. Now, go down there Monday and see what you can do. I am heading to work, is there anything we need so I can grab it on the way home?"
"Nah. I'm just gonna go grab some lunch over at Imperial, or something. May go catch a muggle movie or something." Orei said and pushed upwards heading toward her room and ultimately taking a quick shower before dressing and apparating to Diagon Alley from there she would slip through the Leaky Cauldron and out into the streets of Muggle London.
Flying Lessons Begin (Theodosia)
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 07-18-09 15:14
Just before 3 o'clock Theodosia started gathering the broomsticks for the first years to use for the first flying lesson of the term. A student who'd come to the pitch to get in some Quidditch time helped but it wasn't until some of the first years had arrived that she realized he wasn't a student whose name she readily knew. Theodosia reminds herself to find out so that she might award the young man points for assisting her.
The first years arrive in a steady trickle at the quad where the flying lesson is to take place. Theodosia had contemplated having each of the lessons at the Quidditch pitch but with students grabbing practice time for Quidditch trials whenever possible, she felt there would be too many distractions for the first time fliers and even for those with some experience. The quad where the lessons had traditionally been held is once again the scene of brooms lined up in two neat rows and nervous students awaiting instruction.
So that she might get right to the lesson, Theodosia's been checking names on her roster as the first years arrive. Hydrangea Marchbanks, Liannah MacDougal, and Jasper Jenkins were the first to arrive. Next were Beatrix Vanderbilt and Hera Roberts. Arriving together right on their heels were Arthur Fu,
Gaston Gallagher, Mason Jeffers, and Boris Samson. By the time 3:30 arrives, the other students have arrived, have been checked off and are waiting for things to start.
Theodosia directs the first years, "Stand by a broom. It doesn't matter which one as they are all the same."
As most were already more or less standing near a broom it doesn't take long for the students to each be to the right or to the left of a broom in two long rows facing each other. Theodosia stands at the head of the two rows, looking down them at the thirty-two faces turned towards her with a mixture of eager anticipation and nervous dread.
"I am Theodosia Batuti. I answer to Coach, Professor, and even Madam. Some of you will get to know me better on Monday in Fitness & Athletics. All of you are going to get to know me somewhat over the course of each Thursday this month.
Now, if you are not already standing with your dominant side next to the broom, you may wish to switch. It's often easier for new fliers to use their dominant hands when ordering their brooms about."
Theodosia gives the students a few seconds for any to switch sides then with a hand held out slightly from her body, hand extended with palm facing her broom, she says, "All right then. Hold your hand out over your broom as I am. Very firmly, with conviction, give the command 'UP!'"
The thirty-two bright young faces keep looking her way so Theodosia gently says, "Do that now."
Up and down the two lines, those with some experience flying get right to the given task. Most of the others quickly follow. Of those slower to respond, Theodosia notes that they are looking up and down the lines as if seeing if what she's instructed is really all there is to get things started.
Theodosia paces the center between the two lines, going the full length. She pauses in front of Humbert Umberfield who seems to be having great difficulty calling his broom to him. She moves to stand behind the boy, first demonstrating how Humbert should hold his hand and then positioning his hand when he keeps facing his palm more towards the broom across from him in the other line.
Theodosia has the first years practicing giving the UP! command for ten to fifteen minutes before moving back to the head of the two lines. "Brooms down for the moment. I am now going to demonstrate how to sit your broom."
Theodosia goes through the demonstration and only after she's standing on two feet again, her own broom grasped in one hand does she say, "Your turn but no taking off. You may hover if you wish but nothing more just yet."
Instructions given, she again starts down center between the two lines to give help and advice where needed.
Friday Lunch
Author: Coco Nutt
Date: 07-19-09 15:53
Pausing after the walks through the large, main doors of the Great Hall, Coco's eyes do a quick scan of the vast room. She spots Fritz about halfway along one of the tables, food visible on his plate from where she stands. They'd left Transfiguration together but Coco had detoured outside with Pea, meaning to be only a minute or two but taking longer.
Sliding into the space on Fritz's right, Coco settles her book bag at her feet, places Pea on the floor along with a sauce into which she pours some water, and answers Fritz's question of, "Everything okay?"
"Yes, just got to talking with Hagrid. He wants Pea and me to visit today. He said to be sure you knew you and Domino are invited too. I was thinking of going after Charms this afternoon but before we're due for Quidditch practice. Hagrid said he might come to the pitch and watch us."
At the same table, a seat between them, Tranquillina Aemilius asks Coco, "Hoping to get the same position on your house's team, you two?"
"That's what we're hoping," Fritz nods just before biting into another sandwich.
With the relaxed atmosphere of lunch, this being Friday and only one class for her left today, and the talk being of Quidditch, Coco nearly falls into her old speech pattern. She stops herself, thinks about what she wants to say, then tells Tranq, "We'll take anything as long as we can be on the team," Coco affirms, "but Beater is the first choice for both of us. If I can't have Beater, I wouldn't mind Seeker."
A lower year sitting directly across from Fritz looks sceptically at Coco, asking with surprise, "You played Beater?"
"For many years," Coco says. She's seen the boy a time or two in the Ravenclaw common room but doesn't know him so she asks, "I know you're in Ravenclaw but what year?"
"Second. I'm Robin Sluefoot. You seem small for a Beater."
"Coco Nutt. This is Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen and she's Tranquillina Aemilius, in Gryffindor. As to being small, I'm stronger than I look."
"Do you all play?"
Tranq says, "I did at one time, Chaser mainly, but my parents felt I needed to concentrate on my studies."
Fritz hooks a thumb at Coco then at himself. "Coco and I were the Ravenclaw Beaters for a long time."
"Are you going to try for the team?" Coco asks.
"I dunno. I've been at the pitch this week when I've been able but I'm still not a very good flier."
Coco invites Robin to meet Fritz and her that afternoon. They and others around them spend the rest of lunch talking about the Quidditch trials for all four houses, which are a week from Saturday, on the 13th. Just before one o'clock, Coco makes sure Pea is comfortable in her pocket, picks up her book bag, then walks out of the Great Hall, hand-in-hand with Fritz, to go to Charms on the 3rd floor.
Going To Herbology
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 07-20-09 06:13
It was like she had always read and heard about. Dumbledore, the start of the term feast, the classes… No more rules that oppressed the so called nons. No more privileges for the pure blood and no more purple ribbons. Hogwarts, as well as the wizarding world, was again a fair place.
Her family was well, John returned to St. Emrys, his father had comeback well and safe (although he hadn’t mention where he had been) and her mother’s memory went back to normal.
Although the new life sounded full of happiness and security there were a couple of things that consumed Johanna. The first was Bianca. She thought that when she returned she would be waiting for her with open arms. She was wrong. Bianca hadn’t exchanged a word with Johanna since she had spotted her at the Slytherin table. Instead she was very close to Catriona Amherst, a Ravenclaw girl that she reminded vaguely. She felt a bit better knowing Gus was having troubles too talking to Mark Farnon. They had been close friends in the pass but now they didn’t talk to each other. He walked around the castle with his superior look. He hadn’t changed a bit.
The second thing was the fact she was still in the second year. Felicia tried to show her the positive side of it: if she was now on the third year she would feel bad at the classes because she didn’t had the magical knowledge of the others.
Felicia was right but although the others had the so called academic advantage Johanna knew she could beat them in life experience. The things she had saw, and had to pass not only at Happy Haven but also at Hogwarts had changed her forever. She could feel the bound of those who had been with her on that horrible place. Once she found herself greeting Kate Dewhurst in a corridor although she wasn’t from her house. And in the middle of the week, at breakfast she exchanged some words with Iris Audley, one of the girls who were at her when she was forced to break her wand at Happy Haven.
Besides those things all was well.
Johanna walked with Gus and Felicia to the greenhouses. They were going to have Herbology with Professor Marzipan Ravenscroft. She had taught them on their first year and she was one of the teachers who weren’t at Snider’s side. She treated them kindly and with respect.
Three boys, from Slytherin were waiting at the greenhouse door, chatting calmly between them. They were identical.
“Calder, Cruise and Cutter…or will it be Cruise, Cutter and Calder? I still can’t say who is who.” Gus said.
“You will end up recognizing them. After all you share the dorm with them.” Johanna assured him.
“I suppose so. If they dressed differently it would be easy to identify them.”
More students from the second year arrived to the green house. Professor Ravenscroft opened the door and welcomed them to the class. After they were all sat in groups, she started her class about prune Abyssinian shrivelfig.
In One Of The Staff Lounges
Author: Kissy Isuki
Date: 07-20-09 19:52
After her last class of the day ended at two, fifth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, Kissy had gone not to her office or to her residence. She'd come to her favorite of the Hogwarts staff lounges because she favored the view out one of its high, arched windows. One wave of her wand had a plush, comfy cushion on the window's stone ledge. There Kissy sat reading over in-class assignments done by all four of her classes today. Kissy had a topic on the board for each class upon entering and they were given only five minutes to write, with instructions to pay more attention to the process of getting thoughts jotted down over grammar, punctuation, and sentence construction. As Kissy explained to each class, starting with sixth years at nine and ending with the second of her fifth year classes at one, "Think of this as a lone brain storming effort."
So far the results she's read have been interesting, with Kissy adding neatly scrawled comments on each parchment along with either an O, E, or A, depending on each student's quality of work in the short span of time given. Her fifth year Gryffindor and Slytherin class had had a different topic than the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Kissy did that because the lunch hour falls between the two class sections and she did not want to give the latter class an advantage their counterparts had not had. Sure enough, a few of them had entered class with bright smiles that became slightly crestfallen when learning their topic was not identical to the other fifth year class's.
Kissy finishes writing comments on Cordelia Quince then reaches over to a small table placed near the window for a cup of tea. It's cooled slightly so she gives the cup a tap with her wand then has to wait several seconds before it's no longer scalding. As she sips the earthy, aromatic tea, Kissy looks out the window as students take advantage of the still nice weather on the first late Friday afternoon of term.
A large, burnished brown owl wings into view around one of the castle towers. It straightens then flies unerringly straight at the very window where Kissy sits. She has the window open for it by the time it's reached her. The brown owl drops a letter into her hand, circles around the room and flies right back out.
The delight of receiving correspondence quickly diminishes when Kissy sees familiar blocky looking script. She tosses the envelope unopened onto the small table then returns to sipping her tea, enjoying the view, and reading student papers. A few minutes later Kissy looks over as the door opens, revealing Declan Douglass and AJ Hodfuffer.
"Hallo, you two. I've a pot on this little table if you want a cuppa."
Declan waves a hand, "Hi, and thanks, but I think I'm going to have a butterbeer here in a bit.
"I'd love a cup," AJ says, already in motion towards the table with the teapot. "How's your day been, Kissy?"
"Really good, though I'm still not used to having only four sections to teach."
"Same here," Declan agrees.
AJ shakes his head sadly. "I'm so overworked compared to you both."
"Yes, having five whole classes must be wearing," Kissy teases.
"Oops! Sorry, but I got a spot of tea on your letter."
Kissy changes position on the window seat, putting the stack of papers and quill aside. "That's all right. I'm probably not going to read it anyway."
"Why not?"
"The writing is my mum's."
Declan asks hers, "Aren't you curious?"
Kissy shifts her gaze from AJ to Declan. "Maybe a little."
"So open it." AJ carries his cup of tea to a squarish table with chairs.
"No harm in that," AJ says by way of agreeing with Declan that she should at least look.
Kissy turns her head again to look at AJ with eyebrows slightly arched. Catching the look AJ sniggers before saying, "All right, so there might be a hex, charm, jinx, or some other magic on it."
"Does it make you wish you were Muggle?" Declan says with a grin.
Kissy reaches for the envelope, tossing it to where Declan and now AJ are both sitting. "One of you open it."
AJ sniggers again. "You're one of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors."
Kissy rolls her eyes. "Scared of being hexed?"
Declan joins AJ laughing and reaches for the envelope. "I'll do it." He deftly slits the envelope flap, extracting what looks to be a card. He looks over the front, opens it, scans that as well, then holds it up, turning the front around to Kissy for her to see. "It's an invitation to a baby shower."
AJ takes the invitation from Declan and looks at what's written. "It's for your sister-in-law. Did you know she's expecting?"
"Since that Hogsmeade weekend at the end of May. I was in the village and ran into Zen. He told me Akina and he had just found out. I congratulated him but didn't even ask when the baby is due."
The men both go quiet for a moment then Declan says, "I know you aren't on good terms with your parents, brother, or sister-in-law, Kissy, but would you want to miss out on a niece or nephew?"
Kissy shoves off from the window seat, heaving a huge sigh in the process. "Not really, but I don't see how I could be part of a niece's or a nephew's life and still not have much to do with those four."
"You could at least find out when you'll be an aunt," AJ says.
"True. Maybe I will. Maybe by the time the baby is here, I'll have figured something out on how to be its aunt without having to have much contact with the rest." Wishing to change the subject, Kissy asks Declan, "How did having..." even though no one else is around to hear a name, Kissy drops her voice and pointedly says, "her in class go?"
Difficult Topic
Author: Declan
Date: 07-20-09 21:42
The question Declan's been dreading all week has been asked. He really thought it would have come sooner. He's been expecting Professor Dumbledore to pull him aside since just after 3:30, Tuesday afternoon when that class ended its first meeting of term.
The question still hangs between them, making the staff room feel cramped and stuffy even though it's a rather spacious room with only AJ Hodfuffer, Kissy Isukia, and himself to fill it at the moment. The question takes up every nook and cranny, shoves up against the windows and door, sucks the very air from Declan's lungs.
How did having... her in class go."
Short. To the point if one overlooks the slight pause in mid-sentence. Sort of innocuous really.
Declan finds himself looking around the room, looking at the exit as if ready to bolt or as if he's expecting someone to come bursting in at the exact moment he answers and wanting to know who and what they're talking about.
He props his chin on one hand and drums the fingers of that hand against his cheek. AJ's mouth turns down and his nose scrunches up in a classic expression of disgust. "I don't think I would have agreed. Not to sound like I'm stereotyping but I was surprised enough when Ravenclaw was announced that I'm sure I was expecting it to be Slytherin."
Kissy shrugs. "Not typecasting, not really. When you think about how things were when we were students and how much has been made about certain past Slytherins, it's not surprising you'd think it. I admit to have had thoughts in that direction myself."
Kissy's mouth is open as though she's about to say more but at that moment she and AJ both realize that Declan has yet to answer the question posed. They look expectantly at him. He obliges by speaking but not with a reply to the question. Not yet.
"As Ravenclaw head of house, Filius has been told."
"And Jolyon? He's assistant head."
Declan shakes his head at AJ. "Now that I don't know. Something to ask Professor Dumbledore when the opportunity arises."
Thinking now that instead of the butterbeer he was going to have soon, Declan would much rather have something far stronger. A fire whiskey perhaps. It's Friday afternoon. He could get rip roaring drunk if he wants, forget about all this for a few hours. The question is, does he want to go to lengths that could lead to a massive hangover just to forget this Zabrynna Ravensdale business for a few hours?
Tempting.
Declan finally looks at Kissy, who's returned to her window seat. Sitting up straight, Declan gives a one shouldered shrug. "Under the circumstances, things went okay. I got through class Tuesday without acknowledging her beyond calling her name on the roll. Yesterday, I did look her way once or twice and even called on her but that was only because I'd already called on everyone else at least once."
"Can't make an obvious show of it."
"No, not without others eventually noticing. Make a good plot for one of your books, do you think, AJ?"
AJ gives a good humored sort of snort when Kissy admonishes Declan, "Don't give him any ideas or you will find it as a novel plot in one of AJ's thrillers."
"I could work it in the book I'm writing at the moment," AJ says with a nod. "How about we go into Hogsmeade to the Crown & Cauldron? I'm buying."
Declan and Kissy both get up with Declan asking good naturedly, "Does it really count as buying when your family owns the restaurant?"
"You should put a restaurant like the Crown & Cauldron in one of your books, AJ," Kissy remarks as she walks out of the room just ahead of the two men. "Wait! You already did."
"So you do read my books, Kissy," AJ grins.
"Has there ever been any doubt?" Declan laughs. "Speaking of, did I mention I've a cousin who wants an autograph? She's sent me a copy of that last one for you to sign."
"Be happy to. Is she pretty? Single?"
"She's pretty enough but she's married and already has five kids. I do have a nice looking male cousin if Kissy's interested."
Kissy turns and holds out both hands towards them. "No! Fix up anyone on a date but me. Let's get back to AJ. Or you. Let's see, who do I know who'd be suitable to date for either of you?"
By the time they reach the castle's front doors, Kissy is rattling off information about a few of her single friends that AJ and Declan might be interested in. Glad to not have the Zabrynna business as the main topic of conversation, Declan joins AJ in giving Kissy a hard time about the friends she's telling them about.