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Tortoises to Teapots
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 08-10-09 21:54
The second year Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students rise to leave, Sirius reminding them, "Next written assignment is due next week. Don't forget!"
Even before the last of them has filed out of the third floor classroom, third years students are filtering in. All of Sirius's Transfiguration classes are combinations of Hufflepuffs and Slytherins or Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. This is one of the former.
Watching them enter, he does a quick head count and when all are there, shuffling to seats or already there and bent over bookbags and satchels, Sirius says, "To start off, all you'll need is parchment, ink, and quill."
Although the quiz has been on the schedule since day one, his words are met with groans and resigned signs and one student has that wide-eyed look of someone who's only just remembered there's a quiz today. When Sirius is certain that textbooks and notes have been cleared away, he points his wand to one of the free standing blackboards to reveal the quiz questions written there.
"Shouldn't take above ten minutes but you have fifteen. Points off if you forget to put your name on your paper. Begin."
"Quills down."
Sirius summons the quizzes to him, hiding a smile when he hears a murmured, "That couldn't have been fifteen minutes."
"We're continuing from last week so everyone get a tortoise. Some of you are nearly all the way there with a teapot. If you think you've successfully fully transfigured your tortoise to a teapot, make sure I see your work before you start trying to change the teapot back into a tortoise."
Fifteen minutes after that, at the class's halfway point, Sirius is making a turn around the room to inspect everyone's work. "Almost, Abigail. You can still see a bit of the tortoise's tail along the handle."
"Good, good, Bianca, but your teapot shouldn't be moving slowly away from you."
"Your spout is blinking, Mark, but otherwise you're making good progress."
Sirius reaches Baltus Crane who has gone red in the face and still has a completely un-transfigured tortoise. "Trouble, Baltus?"
"Sort of, sir. I got a teapot."
"But didn't wait for me to have a look. Just do it again, but remember to call me over next time."
"It's not that, Professor Black," Baltus replies, looking somewhat embarassed.
"What is it then, Baltus?"
"I transfigured my shoe by accident."
Baltus points downward, Sirius's eyes following the movement. Sure enough, one of Baltus's feet is clad in a black loafer style shoe. The other is encased in a tortoise shell colored teapot.
Hiding a smile for the second time today, Sirius pats Baltus on the shoulder. "It is a good teapot but be more careful from now on."
With a single tap of his wand, Sirius returns Baltus's shoe back to being a shoe, gives Baltus an encouraging look then moves on to the next student.
Orientation
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 08-11-09 17:42
Around midafternoon, Hermione slipped into St. Mungo's Education Theatre and made her way down the aisle toward the front of the room. As she walked, she swept her gaze to either side at the many faces around her. A few she recognized as interns from her same year. Others she also remembered from the corridors of St. Mungo's, mostly as interns farther along in the program.
Hermione sat in a seat in the first row and immediately took out a stack of parchment, several quills, and a bottle of ink. As she got herself situated, more people filed into the room. Denisia Massey, the St. Emrys University Liaison, with whom Hermione had spoken to several times in recent months, came to the front of the room and sorted through her notes at the podium. A few other individuals joined her at the front of the room.
In just two weeks time, the mini review sessions for all interns displaced by former Minister Euphemia Smythe-Jones's pureblood movement would begin. Hermione already knew what her course schedule would be for the first two-week session at the beginning of Michaelmas Term. She would be taking a lecture and review class on Artifact Accidents, which would also include an observational rotation on the hospital floor of the same name. Hermione would also have reviews of Medical Charms and Medical Potions.
Denisia had arranged for all the returning interns to attend an orientation session this afternoon. She knew that there must still be some questions about the mini reviews, and she wanted to invite everyone to hear her answers, in case people had the same questions. Once it came time to start, she welcomed everyone and gave a bit of an introduction to the revolutionary sessions that would soon start. Some of her colleagues spoke too and then the floor was given to anyone who had a question to ask.
Hermione's hand shot in the air, as she had a long list of questions on her mind. She was allowed to ask several, but ultimately had to yield the floor to others who had their own questions to ask. The orientation and questions and answer session went on for several hours. Hermione was rather reluctant to leave when it seemed over but she forced herself to vacate her chair and not pester Denisia and the other staff members with more questions.
Instead of go straight home, she decided to stop by the Visitor's Team Room, where she'd seen some of the other interns she knew go. Imogene Li spotted Hermione first and waved her over. She looked a bit thinner from what Hermione remembered but otherwise seemed all right.
"It's good to see you, Hermione," Imogene greeted. Philomena Patil and Orson Rush came over too to say hello and catch up on old times. All of them except for Hermione had spent time in one of the communities. They didn't say much about that time, as it was much rather forgotten, but they all acknowledged it in passing.
"Oh look, there's Fletcher," Imogene said, nodding her head in the direction of the door, where another from their year had just entered. Hermione hadn't seen him in the orientation, and for good reason. He was a pureblood and hadn't been affected by the movement.
Fletcher spotted the group and hesitated in coming over, but then he did, albeit only for a short time. As Hermione looked upon him, she suddenly remembered something she had witnessed a long time ago. Fletcher's skin looked awfully pale, if not a bit translucent, and he had bags under his eyes. He attributed his sickly features to just not having been sleeping well lately, but Hermione wondered if his appearance had anything to do with the fact that she'd once found him sprawled on the floor of a supply room with empty potions bottles all around him. Was he still sampling medicinal potions?
She said nothing about it, even after he'd gone to get some coffee. The others in the group peeled away one by one to return home or wherever else they needed to be, and eventually Hermione found herself alone too. She ordered some raspberry pomegranate tea for herself and for Ron and then left St. Mungo's for home and her social life.
Chance Encounter
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 08-12-09 17:13
After picking up a couple of boxed lunches from The Imperial Crown & Cauldron, Lysander braved the rain and headed back to Twice Told Tales. He only had to go next door, and yet it rained hard enough that he would have gotten wet if he hadn't carried an umbrella. As it happened, the rain fell at such an angle and splashed wildly on the cobblestones that his shoes and lower pant legs didn't remain dry for very long.
He made it halfway between the two buildings when a figure down the road caught his eye. Lysander recognized her instantly as Astrid, who wore a belted trench coat that fell to mid-thigh and revealed the hemline of the floral skirt or dress she wore beneath it. She had gray sandals with kitten heels on her feet and carried a slim clutch purse in her hand. Without an umbrella of her own or a weatherproof charm over her head, Astrid streamed with raindrops. They ran through her long silky hair and down her bare legs. Lysander was entranced.
Astrid seemed to be hurrying in the direction of Scrivenshafts, away from Lysander and Twice Told Tales. He found himself in pursuit of the young woman and when he'd managed to narrow the gap between them halfway, Lysander called out to her. She turned at the sound of the familiar voice calling her name and waited only a moment longer for Lysander to reach her and hold the umbrella over her head.
"It's pointless now," Astrid said, with a laugh, "but thanks for this."
Lysander tried to focus only on her eyes and not her glistening hair. He was consciously aware of how close they stood under the umbrella, and as much as he longed to really touch her, he forced himself to show some self-restraint.
"Got caught in the rain, did you?" he asked her, smiling.
"How can you tell?" She grinned at him.
"It started so quickly, didn't it? It was threatening to rain when I left the shoppe to get lunch for Julian and me, which is why I thought to bring my umbrella, but it only took a minute or two of me being at The Imperial Crown and Cauldron for it to start pouring. Were you headed to Scrivenshafts? I can escort you the rest of the way," Lysander said.
"What about your lunches?" Astrid asked, eyeing the two boxes Lysander managed to hold on to without getting them wet.
"It'll only take a few minutes. Lunch can wait."
Astrid smiled up at Lysander. "All right then." She started to turn, when her heel snagged on one of the cobblestones. She threw her balance at Lysander, forcing him to catch her. He still somehow managed not to lose hold of the lunches or the umbrella, though they were nearly all but forgotten, now that he had Astrid in his arms.
She looked up at him, and he looked down at her, and for a moment they didn't move. Then she gradually extricated herself from his arms and said, "I'm really sorry about that. My shoe got stuck on the cobblestone."
"It's quite all right," Lysander replied hoarsely.
Astrid started to walk again, this time without any accidents and with Lysander at her side. They bumped into each other a few times along the way, but they didn't have another close encounter like the one they'd just had. Lysander left her at the front door of the stationary shop, and then headed back to Twice Told Tales in a complete daze.
Montevideo, Uruguay
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 08-12-09 18:30
Geoffrey Blackwell, who has that worn look so many who spent time in the communities have, paces in the moderately sized room where he and Harry have been waiting for the better part of an hour. Their scheduled meeting with Gianina Montesdeoca, a ranking vice minister with Uruguay's version of a Ministry of Magic, was unexpectedly put on hold two minutes before it was to begin with an emergency arose requiring Vice-Minister Montesdeoca's immediate attention.
Geoffrey and Harry haven't said much during the time they were alone, mainly because Geoffrey's got enough of a sore throat that he's saving talking for the meeting. Harry's been looking out the window but turns when he hears Geoffrey hoarsely saying, "I thought there was a water pitcher."
"There is," Harry answers, turning to point to a side table then moving to pour Geoffrey a glass.
"I looked right at it and it never even registered. Thanks," Geoffrey says, taking the water and downing it.
"You took something, didn't you?"
"First thing this morning and then again right before we left the hotel. I don't think the potion's working that well."
"You're starting to look feverish."
"Yeah, I think I am. I hope this meeting gets going soon."
Geoffrey's moved over to the water pitcher and has refilled the glass, drinking it all in a rush. He pours himself a third glass then joins Harry, who's back at the window.
"Sometimes I wish our Ministry had real windows with a real view."
From their vantage point, they can see the Montevideo's Plaza Independencia, the city's most important Muggle plaza. Taking in the busy city, the brilliant blue sky with wisps of white clouds Harry nods, "Yeah, me too. We can have any scene out of our windows but it's just not the same."
Further conversation is halted when the door opens and Gianina Montesdeoca bustles in trailed by two others, both of them with such harried expressions Harry figures they must be junior assistants or something similar. For her part, whatever emergency it was she just handled, Vice Minister Montesdeoca looks exceedly calm and unruffled.
She greets them in accented English. "Mr. Blackwell, Mr. Potter, please excuse the unavoidable delay." She gestures to the rectangular table made of carved dark wood with matching six chairs. The table and chairs in the room as well as the side table, which matches the other furuniture, is in Harry's opinion a nice change from the usual decor of a government office.
The vice minister takes one of the seats at the end and an assistant goes on either side of her. Geoffrey takes the other end seat and Harry takes the nearest to him, putting him on Geoffrey's right. The assistant sitting next to Harry slides a file to the vice minister who scans the contents as if refreshing her memory.
When Vice Minister Montesdeoca looks up, she meets first Geoffrey's eyes then Harry's. "I do not quite understand why your government has sent you two gentlemen. We thought our stance was understood."
Geoffrey's lead on this so Harry lets him do the talking but is ready to step in should Geoffrey's already very hoarse voice give out.
"We are hoping to sway your decision."
"Isodro Cousillas is an Uruguayan national. He was in Great Britain legally and worked for the British Ministry of Magic during a six month stay in England. Señor Cousillas has since returned to Uruguay. We are not inclined to issue a mandate ordering him to be taken into custody and given over to your government."
"We have sworn statement after sworn statement testifying to the brutal treatment Señor Cousillas gave while working as a guard in one of the prison communities established by Euphemia Smythe-Jones."
"Yes, I am aware of that information in the file."
Geoffrey starts to reply but is beset by a racking cough. One of the assistants, whose named have not been given to the two men from Great Britain, gets Geoffrey some water. The coughing stops but when Geoffrey goes to speak again it starts in just ad badly. With eyes watering, he nods at Harry to continue.
Harry starts by saying of his colleague, "Geoffrey's coming down with something."
"We have a healer on staff," one of the assistants offers.
Geoffrey manages, "Thank you. After the meeting."
"I do not see a reason to continue, gentlemen. My government is not going to arrest Isodro Cousillas for the purpose of extraditing him to Great Britain."
"Do you condone what he's done?" Harry asks.
"What he's accussed of doing? No, I do not. If any of it is true, it is distasteful. Despicable. The decision to reject your peition was not, however, solely mine to make."
"You've read the testimonies? The affidavits?"
"Yes."
"If he's guilty of those crimes, you would see him remain free?"
"As I said, this is not solely my decision, Mr. Potter. If Señor Cousillas is arrested for breaking laws here in Uruguay, we would be happy to review your petition again. As of now, with Señor Cousillas not guilty of any crimes here in Uruguay, he is to remain free. I should now take a moment to caution your government. If Señor Cousillas disappears while known to be in Uruguay, we will presume your government forcibly removed him from the country. There would be serious repurcussions."
Harry looks to Geoffrey, who croaks out, "Guess we're done then."
They all rise, with Harry saying, "Thank you for your time, Vice Minister."
"I am sorry we are at an impasse, gentlemen. Now, if you will excuse me, I am behind on meetings so must rush to another. Cesar will take you to the staff healer. I do hope you feel better quite soon, Mr. Blackwell. Good day."
Gianina Montesdeoca and one of the assistants exits the room going one direction, Cesar leading Geoffrey and Harry in the other. A short time later, back at their hotel, Harry asks Geoffrey, "Go home or stay and try again?"
"We stay," Geoffrey says, his voice even more raspy from all the coughing. "Isodro Cousillas either needs to be caught breaking a law or "
"He needs to leave the country where we could pick him up without ticking the Uruguayan government off," Harry finishes.
Moody Guest
Author: Lucius Malfoy
Date: 08-13-09 20:15
The rain is coming down so hard that visibility is so bad that Lucius cannot see more than a few inches beyond the windows. The wind is also howling fiercely, periodically whipping debris against the windows. It's not a day one wants to be out and about, even if one is a Wizard.
No matter.
There's a crackling fire going. Carina, a partially eaten vanilly biscuit in one hand, is playing happily on the carpet, out of range from any sparks that might pop from the fire. Lucius has a freshly brewed pot of tea and cucumber sandwiches and several daily newspapers from various cities. It's important to keep abreast of the goings on in other countries, particularly Great Britain.
When the door suddenly opens and Bellatrix comes striding in, a look of annoyance on her face, motions for her to sit down. A servant trails behind, pestering Bellatrix for her cloak in between profusely apologizing to Lucius for not announcing his guest. Bellatrix removes the garment with dramatic flair, tossing it backhanded to the maid before elegently dropping into the indicated chair.
"A human servant? Honestly, Lucius, I shan't be at all surprised if one day I visit and find you cavorting with Muggles. That chit, by the way, is a pest. She's damned lucky I didn't zap her a few times as she trailed after me insisting I be announced and practically begging for my cloak. I might still. I'm rather bored."
"Good evening to you to, Bellatrix."
"Don't sound so amused. I'm in a mood."
"I hadn't noticed."
"I couldn't get in to see Rodolphus."
"Oh?"
"A perfectly good disguise all for nothing. Neither he nor Rabastan are being allowed visitors."
"Perhaps check with Draco before acting next time."
"Don't go being reasonable with me, Lucius. I'm not at my most tolerant right now."
"Tea?"
"Yes, with a dash of something stronger. Better yet, make it something stronger with a dash of tea."
Lucius flicks his wand to produce a nice sized mug for Bellatrix, into which he pours a good measure of excellent brandy, followed by a dollop of tea.
"As foul as your mood is, I have to wonder if there's more to it than the weather and the loss of a perfectly good disguise."
"I have to stay clear of my favorite house. That bloody infernal blood hound device."
"You know you are welcome to stay here if you want or need."
"Thank you, though I do have other houses."
"Has losing your favorite place affected your special project."
Bellatrix gazes levelly over her mug at Lucius. "I don't know to what you refer," she replies with an innocent smile.
"Of course you don't," Lucius says dryly. He regards her for a moment longer than says, "Excuse me while I see Carina to bed."
After he's tucking Carina into bed, Lucius reads to his daughter but he's read this story so many times before he can do it without thinking. This allows his mind to dwell on Bellatrix and her secret project. She's been undertaking it for a long time but as yet hasn't included Lucius or anyone else. What could she possibly have been doing all this time?