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Opportunity
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 07-26-09 11:43
Monday morning, Hermione flooed bright and early to the Ministry of Magic for her job at the Office of Magical Maladies. The Atrium was full of Ministry employees just arriving for their day shifts in the various departments. Hermione fell into step with those heading for the lifts and waited to be admitted into one. A few minutes later, she stepped off at Level 3 and made her way to the office.
Once there, Hermione punched her time card and then went to her small work station, where assignments already waited for her. They included copying files, filing away paperwork, and checking certain forms for mistakes. Hermione had just begun to tackle the top most pile of work on her desk when Dr. McShane, the healer on staff at the Ministry, arrived with two cups of English Breakfast tea.
"Morning, Hermione. I took the liberty of picking up a cup for you."
"Oh, thank you. It wasn't necessary, of course," Hermione replied, accepting her cup.
She sipped it cautiously, for it was still hot, and smiled at her boss. "Absolutely delicious."
"Good. Now I must be frank with you, Hermione. I'm bribing you."
"You are?" Hermione asked, matching Dr. McShane's grin.
"I'm only working a half day and none of the other trained staff are coming in today. I don't anticipate anything extreme happening, though something may."
"What are you asking of me?" Hermione questioned, intrigued.
"Should a patient come in requiring simple medical attention, I would like you to fill in as our resident healer today. With your background and from what you've shown me while observing my work, I'm certain you can handle it. Anything beyond your capacity should, of course, be directed to St. Mungo's."
"Of course," Hermione replied, delighted. She'd shadowed Dr. McShane since starting her job at the Ministry of Magic and had done similar observations at St. Mungo's in recent weeks. She'd even helped out here and there when she could.
"Excellent! Well, I will leave you to that," McShane said, eyeing the pile of paperwork at her work station. "Take an early lunch and be ready for this afternoon, Hermione."
"Oh, thank you. I will!"
Hermione beamed, took a hearty sip of her tea which had cooled only slightly since her first sip, and then once again tackled the pile of parchment on her desk.
Vanishing Spells
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 07-26-09 12:21
Professor McGonagall arranged a pair of pink peep-toe, sling-back pumps on her desk and then waited for her fifth year Hufflepuff and Slytherin students to arrive. They came in, sometimes alone or in pairs or a small group and took their seats. The shoes on Minerva's desk drew the admiring attention of the girls, though at the same time they were surprised to associate them with their old Transfiguration professor.
At promptly 9 o'clock, Professor McGonagall addressed the class.
"Good morning. Please pass your homework assignments to the front of the classroom."
The sounds of rustling parchment echoed throughout the room. A moment later, it was relatively quiet again.
Professor McGonagall summoned each stack to her desk with a wave of her wand and then announced, "Today, we will continue our unit on vanishing spells concerning inanimate objects. What is different today is that we will not be vanishing a single item, we will try a pair."
She gestured to the pink high-heels on her desk with her free hand. "Observe."
Minerva pointed her wand at the shoes and stated clearly and succintly, "Par Evanesco."
Before everyone's eyes, the pair of pink shoes vanished.
Professor McGonagall turned to her students. "You may practice with your own shoes or select a pair from the trunk against the wall," she said, pointing to a rectangular, leather-covered trunk with iron bands and large brass studs under one of the classroom windows.
Few students wanted to use their own shoes. Many rose and searched the trunk for a pair to practice on, finding an assortment to choose from, like dark green rainboots, white fuzzy slippers, gray-colored sneakers that had once been new and white, and brown hiking boots with a hole where one big toe would be. They carried the pairs of shoes to their desks and at Professor McGonagall's guidance began to practice the vanishing spell.
Family
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 07-26-09 12:45
The Dewhurst family sat at the breakfast table, enjoying the buttermilk pancakes Toby had whipped up for them. They were all there, Bronwyn, Siegfried, Wotan, and even Aemilia, who had thankfully returned to the family safe and sound.
The night Olympia Jones had come to the house with the news of Aemilia's discovery was not one easily forgotten. Bronwyn and Siegfried had gone straight to the Ministry, where they'd finally, after well over a year, set eyes upon their mother. She was in a state of shock and confusion, having just had her memories restored to her by the obliviators.
While being checked out by the staff healer, Aemilia had told Bronwyn everything she remembered from the time she was snatched by the RAC until the gap in her memory between being at Camp Lollipop and winding up in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Aemilia had found her way to a homeless shelter, where she'd lived until discovered by officials from the Ministry of Magic.
With their mother cleared to go home, Bronwyn and Siegfried had taken her there, where they'd found Toby waiting with a pacing Wotan. The reunion between husband and wife had been bittersweet. Seeing each other after so long apart had driven them both to tears, both happy and sad.
And Wotan's secret had hung in the air, unsaid by all who knew it.
Two weeks later, and Wotan still hadn't confessed to his wife that he'd fathered a child with someone else in her absence. Bronwyn, Siegfried, and Toby hadn't said anything either, because they felt Aemilia needed time to adjust to being home again. Besides, it was for Wotan to tell.
Bronwyn hated keeping something so huge from her mother, though.
She poured her emotions into letter-writing instead, sending regular missives to Arley and Seb and to Desi as well. Desi didn't write all too frequently, being consumed with the return of her father as well. Bronwyn knew that Annabelle couldn't hide Wolfie from Wesley and wondered what was happening in the Diamond household. She also wondered how long it would be before the news reached London.
Wotan still visited Seattle, but much less frequently than before. He explained away his absences by claiming he had a big project at work. Wotan didn't like lying to his wife at all, but until he shared the biggest lie with her, he simply couldn't tell her where he was going. Bronwyn didn't get any information out of her father about the Diamond family either, but had seen the tell-tale sign of a black eye on his face, which he'd explained away by claiming to have run into an open door.
Bronwyn thought Wesley had done it, but what she didn't know is that Bianca had finally gotten her hands on her father. Clearly, Desi was too distracted now to protect Wotan from her easily angered sister.
Desi still hadn't confided anything about Xavier to Bronwyn either, leaving her to conclude that it just hadn't worked out between them. At least Bianca and Blane still seemed to be going strong, if the tabloid pictures were anything to go by.
Bronwyn looked across the table at her mother. She looked thinner than before but healthy enough. Bronwyn looked at her father next and wondered when, if ever, he'd spill the beans about Wolfie Diamond.
Not A Happy Camper (Alastor)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 07-27-09 21:26
The next day's Herbology and Transfiguration homework and that night's Astronomy homework spread in front of him, Alastor sits plucking at the feather of his quill. Sharing a table with Alastor, Jill looks over at her cousin, her own quill hovering above a sheet of parchment that's filled with Jill's neat, though overly loopy, script.
"That's finally done," she says with satisfaction.
Also at their table is Hunter. He stops his noisy slurping of a chocolate and peanut butter milkshake to ask, "What's done?"
"I wrote the Transfiguration work for tomorrow over again and in the process added two and a half more inches."
Looking at how much Jill's written, Hunter bends at the side, rummaging around in a book bag. He produces a somewhat crumpled looking sheaf of parchment. "I did mine yesterday but do you think it's enough?"
Jill takes the proffered parchment, eyes darting back and forth as she reads it. "Other than some misspelled words, it's a bang up job," she smiles. "What do you think, Alastor?"
"Alastor?"
"Huh?"
"What do you think?"
"'Bout what?"
"Hunter's Transfiguration homework?"
Alastor's brows knit together. "Transfiguration homework?"
Jill waves a piece of parchment at him. "Yes, Hunter's homework for Professor McGonagall tomorrow. Do you think it's worth at least an Exceeds Expections?"
Alastor looks at Hunter's work in Jill's hand then at what she's got in front of her. He glances down at one of the pieces of parchment in front of him, each blank except for his name and the class each is for. Mumbling, "Yeah, looks fine," Alastor dips his quill in his ink and starts to write only to stop and ask, "What's the assignment again?"
"Honestly, Alastor. It's due tomorrow. Have you honestly not started?"
Looking at the blank page again he shrugs, "Guess not."
Hunter finishes draining the glass that had held his milkshake, takes a backhanded swipe at his mouth and leans over to take a look around the textbooks blocking his view. "Doesn't look like you've got anything. What's that one for?"
Alastor taps the one he thinks Hunter means. "This? Herbology tomorrow."
"And the other?"
"Astronomy tonight."
"Your section is at midnight?"
Alastor nods at Jill. "Yeah."
Jill's own brow crinkles. Perplexed she says, "We've been in the commons since just after supper. You've not done anything since then?"
"Wrote my name."
Jill, whose started gathering up her things, frowns slightly. "You'd best get on that Astronomy."
"Where are you going?"
"It's nearly curfew."
"Is it?"
"Yes, and you need to get back to your house before curfew. You can't sit in here until your class."
Hunter stands, his book bag packed with what he'd taken out while he'd worked and his Transfiguration homework stuff back in as well. "See you at breakfast."
"Yeah, see you, Alastor," Jill says.
"See you," he parrots back.
Left alone to gather up this things, Alastor crams pieces of parchment, quills, and ink into his satchel, nearly forgetting to put the stopper in the ink. As he's shoving textbooks in on top of everything he wonders how come Hunter seems fine with not making the Gryffindor team. He should have as far as Alastor's concerned.
What bothers Alastor most is that he didn't make the Ravenclaw team. He was so sure he had qualified in all four positions. He'd wanted beater so badly but knew realistically that Fritz and Coco were going to get the two spots. Alastor doesn't think either is any better than he is but finally had to admit to himself that as seventh years with far more experience playing and little miss Coco the great Happy Haven Heroine those two would be offered the spots and he'd only get Beater if one of them turned it down. Bloody unlikely either would do that.
While waiting for team rosters to be posted, Alastor had had to content himself with graciously accepting one of the other positions. He was all set to be humble when the congratulations came and to offer praise and condolences for those not making the team. To say he was shocked when he couldn't find his name listed under Ravenclaw was a vast understatement of epic proportions. To say Alastor was devastated would not do his feelings justice.
He kept looking at the list, running his fingers down it then he'd run his finger up the list then check the lists of the other four houses to make sure he wasn't put on one of those teams by mistake; then, he'd do it again. Daniel made the Ravenclaw team. Hadrian made it. Alexa is on Slytherin's.
Why them and not him?
Liannah, Jasper, and Hunter were left out. Liannah wasn't upset because she hadn't been expecting to make it anyway. Jasper was disappointed but stated matter-of-factly, "I don't have the experience with flying or playing and I'm only a first year. I'll start practicing now for next term."
Hunter had shrugged, said there were always pick-up matches for fun, and he'd join Jasper practicing for next year's trials.
Alastor had said nothing.
Alastor had gone from denial to seething anger when the shock of not making the team wore off. All he's thought about since then is that he hopes someone gets hurt badly enough not to continue playing, which would have to be pretty bad with the excellence of Wizarding healers and Hogwarts's own Madam Pomfrey.
Jerking his satchel off the chair, Alastor deliberately shoves Hunter's milkshake glass to the floor where it shatters with a loud crash in the now nearly silent common commons. He really wanted to pick it up and hurl it against a wall but that would have been a bit too obvious, wouldn't it?
Only a couple of other students are in the commons and neither saw him topple the glass onto the floor but he's sure that the House Elf who scurries over had seen. He glares at the House Elf, daring it to say anything, then shouldering his satchel, Alastor stalks from the commons and heads to Ravenclaw House where he'll try to get his Astronomy and Herbology done. Transfiguration isn't until two so he can work on it tomorrow.
Two Weeks of Change
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 07-27-09 23:41
Two weeks. Two life-changing weeks. My sister being plastered over British tabloids was probably the highlight of it all. Of course, even that came with some grief. Angela had brought one of them in to work, and tried to convince everyone it was me in the pictures making out with Blane Cooley.
Most of the two weeks consisted of my father’s return. It was great at first. I picked him up from the hospital in England, where he’d just gotten his memory back a day or two before. He was also so excited to hear that Bianca had already been found and was doing great.
He and I talked for a good couple hours. Everything that he could remember about him, and I filled him in about everything that happened in his absence. Well, except for one thing. Mom had asked that she be the one to tell him. She said it was because it was her responsibility to tell him, not ours. Or, Mom speak for ‘if he gets mad, it’ll be directed at me, not you.’
After we had filled each other in about what happened over the last year, he finally told me it was time to go home. That’s about when the joy of the moment left for me. I knew what was coming, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.
We arrived home, and Bianca nearly tackled our father when he came out of the fireplace. She went with him to England to watch his back, and failed. She had taken his absence hard, even if she didn’t show it.
Bianca and my father held each other for a while, before making sure each other was ok. Finally, it was my mom’s turn. She seemed a bit restrained in her greeting of him. There was hugging and crying by both of them sure, but none of the super excitement you’d expect from her.
My sister and I watched as they hugged and kissed and exchanged ‘I love you’s.’ They both looked so happy. It was probably a full half hour or more before they finally sat down, next to each other. I could see how happy my mom was to see her husband. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her quite that happy, or sad at the same time.
It wasn’t long before my mom took my father upstairs to show him something. Bianca and I both knew what she was going to show him. It was quite for about an hour or so. Then my father came down the stairs and looked at us. It was obvious that he was hurt.
After telling my sister and I “This wasn’t exactly the reunion I had expected,” he said he’d be staying somewhere else for the time being. He needed some time to take everything in. He left a little later. The next day he told us that he was staying with Rich, our old driver.
If that wasn’t bad enough, after a week or so, Wotan happened to show up while my father was actually at the house, mostly to see my sister and I. He was polite to Mom, but distant. When Wotan showed up, things went tense right away. After a bit, Mom asked for my sister and I to leave, so they could all talk. They talked for easily more then an hour. I don’t know about what, but I could guess getting out their stories in full detail, and asking for forgiveness.
My mom walked out of the room, leaving the two men alone. She told my sister and I that our father was taking everything, “A lot better then I expected.” After some time, Wotan came out of the room and said it was ok to come back. When we all did, my father told everyone that he wasn’t going to do anything to Wotan.
That’s about when my sister popped Wotan right in the eye. Only once, but it was enough to knock him backwards, almost to the ground. She didn’t do anything more, saying that Wotan, “Deserved at least one.” Wotan didn’t say anything in response.
After the guys left, my mom told Bianca she was disappointed with her for hitting Wotan, but happy she showed restraint for once by not hitting him again. Things were quite after that, depressed quite. My sister, Mom, and I all barely spoke to one another, all thinking about Dad. Anytime I went to visit my dad, he was depressed, thinking about everything that happened, and missing us.
Then, there was this last Saturday, actually, Friday night for me. After two weeks of not so happy times, I needed to go do something. So, I popped over to England. Totally surprised Xavier with a visit, then a kidnapping.
I knew Bronwyn would probably be scared to no end if she went with me; my sister and I were getting along, but not quite to where I could confide in her. Then I did not want my personal life spread around the office by Angela. Which left Xavier the only person I was willing to talk to, who’d probably not scream like a sissy the whole time.
I took Xavier to Germany, actually, to my grandmother’s house. He had to wait outside though. He was surprised when I drove up to him with my father’s BMW M5. Built in, and for, Germany. We were going driving.
Once we left the urban areas, I punched the car up to more then 160 km/h. At first, Xavier was enjoying it. After a couple of ‘close’ calls at now 200 km/h he was feeling a bit different. I, on the other hand, had been enjoying myself the entire time.
We had ended up somewhere out in the country before I finally started talking a little bit about what had happened at home. He took the opportunity to mention how it was nice to be away from all the fans for once and be a normal dude. A normal dude who had no idea what anyone was saying, but normal nonetheless.
We were out there for a while before we took the car back and returned to England. I went back home and passed out, since I was up all night, for me anyways. Now, Monday, and yet more news, the transfer to England was accepted, pending formalities of course.