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Some Peace
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 10-05-10 13:06
Johanna went to the library and rejoiced with the silence. There were no giggling, sighs and girls exclaiming: Oh Gus! It was starting to annoy her all those girls trying to get the attention of her friend. Even Felicia was becoming one of them, always around him like a harpy. Gus loved the attention, and the popularity among the girls and he didn’t seem quite aware of what they really wanted.
Johanna no longer couldn’t do the things she liked to do with Gus. She couldn’t sit with him at classes, because there was always a girl who saved a sit for him, on the last row, a place he liked to sit and he preferred compared to those in the front. She couldn’t tell him to make his homework no more, because everyone was willing to help him with that. Joanna Porter from Ravenclaw had reached to the point to send him a herbology essay completely done, and Gus only had to sign it with his name. Johanna loved to hear Gus talk about his quidditch practices, tell him he was a good player, but he had found a bigger audience who listened to him with much more enthusiasm. They told Gus how good he was as a keeper, and how he would make Hogwarts the IQT’s champion.
Not even in the Slytherin common room, Gus was safe. Johanna hardly could have a serious conversation alone with him, because a girl would always interrupt them. Generally it was Felicia. She seemed to think Johanna was trying to have Gus for herself and so she would join them and start a new topic of conversation, generally something Gus liked to talk about, or offering him a chocolate frog so he couldn’t talk at all.
Mark had once asked her, while they were lunching, if she was jealous of all these girls, because he caught her sending glances of hate to them and Felicia. Johanna didn’t bother to answer him and concentrated on her food. Yes, Gus was good looking now, but that doesn’t meant he wasn’t Gus anymore, that is her old friend. She was only upset because these girls only saw a pretty face and told him things he liked to hear, to call his attention.
Sometimes she had also had a horde of girls around her, at the bathroom, making stupid questions about Gus, asking if it was true he had piercing, or if he was an animagus. It was ridiculous.
The trip to the library after a day of classes felt very good. Not that Johanna had any book in mind to consult, but just the silence and the peace of the place was enough. Miss Bramble asked gently if Johanna needed help, but she told her she was just taking a look. The librarian left her alone, and let Johanna wonder around the shelves, as long as she didn’t disturb the silence of the place.
Her fingers touched a transfiguration book about animals and she opened it curious. There was this spell that permitted to transfigure people into toads. She smiled, imagining herself waving her wand and transforming the horde of girls that were following Gus into ugly, disgusting toads. Felicia was included in this picture. She put the book on its place disappointed: the spell was very hard to perform, only proper to people with more years of transfiguration. Still the spell sounded very useful and she made a mental note to ask Professor Black about this spell and when she would be ready to do it herself.
Johanna kept her walk along the shelves and then she noticed a bit far away, in a work table, Kate. She was alone, writing something with her quill, while she checked a book. Johanna moved towards her smiling. Kate wasn’t like the others. Kate didn’t giggle, or sighed when she saw Gus. Maybe that had to do with the fact she liked Mark, but Johanna believed that even if Mark was out of the equation, Kate wouldn’t act like the others around Gus.
“Hey.” Johanna greeted in a whisper. “What are you doing?”
“History of Magic. I’m having some troubles with this essay; these dates keep confounding me, not to mention the name of all these notorious trolls.”
“Need help?” It was funny, from all the subjects it had to been History of Magic, the only one Johanna was really good at it. “I’ve already done my essay.”
Kate nodded and Johanna sat next to her. The two girls not only chat about the essay but they soon changed the topic. Thank Merlin none of those topics were Gus (or Mark, for Kate’s relief). They talked until dinner time, in whispers, under Miss Bramble's attentive look, who would pass once in a while around their table. Johanna was glad she had found Kate, and managed to have a normal conversation with her, without discussing Gus’ biceps or other hot physicals attributes he might have.
Organized (Liannah)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 10-05-10 15:20
Sitting where she normally sits in Charms, Liannah MacDougal frowns down at what she wrote for part of the homework assignment. When Beatrix Vanderbilt sits nearby and begins rooting through her bookbag, Liannah requests, "May I see what you put for the answer to the second question? I think I've missed something but no matter how many times I look over what I've put and read through my notes and the text, I can't figure it out."
"Sure," Beatrix replies, holding out a sheet of parchment.
Liannah gratefully accepts it, quickly scanning Beatrix's response to the second question then hands the parchment back. "Thank you. You have pretty much what I do so maybe I'm just getting myself confused for some reason."
Hydrangea Marchbanks, who sits directly to Liannah's left, slides into her seat and pulls out her own homework all in one smooth motion. "Still not liking your question two answer, Li?"
"Yeah, but I don't know why. I've compared with several others now and everyone's got the same basic answer."
"Then stop fussing over it, Hydrangea says with a laugh.
"I know. I just can't seem to help it."
In an effort not to be the nervous, jitterby, anxiety ridden baby she'd been last year, suffering greatly from post traumatic Happy Haven disoder, Liannah's worked hard at channeling that energy elsewhere. She's part of several clubs, plays Quidditch with friends, swims, she's been learning to knit. She also pays a great deal of attention to her classwork, reading the assigned text passages at least twice, writing everything down then organizing what's written and rewriting it all in a neater hand, researching for more in-depth then required for papers, and just being an all around stereotypical study-holic Ravenclaw. Liannah tries not to be annoying to her friends and classmates about it all, but every now and then, she'll not be at all happy with a small piece of homework and ends up worrying endlessly about it. Maybe she needs one more thing to help fill in her time. Like what if she goes to Miss Bramble and volunteers to write new card catalog cards for those needing to be replaced? Or archiving. There are stacks and stacks of parchments, photos, and other items all boxed up in some roons that need organizing. Liannah could do that. If Miss Bramble doesn't need help with the card catalog, Liannah will get up the courage to ask Professor Dumbledore who would be in charge of an archiving type project so that she could offer her services. The thought of possibly having something to help organize, be it in the library or school records or whatever has Liannah both smiling and feeling much better about her response to the homework's question two. And just in time as Professor Croghan is now standing at the head of the class calling for attention.
Wanting To Curl Up With A Book (Alexa)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 10-05-10 16:07
On Tuesdays Alexa Wenlock has Herbology from 9 until 10:30 and then nothing until Astronomy at midnight. Sometimes she goes back to her dorm and gets in a little more sleep. Sometimes she goes to the commons and gets a mid-morning snack or plays one of the games available there or gets to talking. Sometimes, like today, she returns to Slytherin House but doesn't go flop back in bed. She'll curl up with a book in the common room or get into a conversation. Walking in today after Herbology she found that it was one of those rare moments when not another soul is in the common room, not even just passing through heading in or heading out.
A fire was crackling merrily and with mid-October nearly upon them, this being Scotland, and a large part or all of Slytherin House (Alexa doesn't know which for sure) located under the lake, to her it always seems a little chilly. Could be that's also in part to Slytherin House being part of an old castle. Even with magic to help keep drafts away somehow some always find a way through the various nooks and crannies. Alexa slightly rearranged a chair to better enjoy the warmth radiating from the large fireplace then settled into the chair to read a romance by bestselling romance writer Gardenia Fairhaven. She hadn't wanted to put the book down last night but she'd forced herself and was good to not open it this morning in case she got sucked in and lost track of time, making her late to Herbology. She was good but it was oh so bloody difficult not knowing if flame haired Carnation Featherfall had allowed studly Baron von Dash to whisk her away on his black racing broom or if she'd continued to hold him at bay in hope that achingly handsome Diamante Stone would swoop in on one of the winged horses he raises and declare his undying love. Really. How's a girl suppose to concentrate on mundane school work when there's an epic romance to read about?
Alexa has just gotten her book open to where she'd left off when a hugely yawning boy with a severe case of bed head and extremely rumpled pajamas comes stumbling into the common room. Between yawns he blinks a bunch and looks around, eyes falling on Alexa. "Everyone at breakfast?"
At least that's what Alexa thinks he's said. It's hard to tell the way he's talking while yawning or yawning while talking. Whatever. She looks balefully at him. "Everyone's in class, the commons, or the library, or something."
"Must of overslept. Wasn't feeling too good last night. Still don't but suppose I'd better hurry."
"You're a first year, right?"
"Yeah. Vinny Xardel."
"What are your morning classes?"
"This is Tuesday? Have Charms first thing. I hope Professor Croghan isn't strict with tardies."
"He's new so I wouldn't know but that doesn't matter. What do you have after Charms?"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"That's where you should be then."
"Huh?"
"It's a quarter of eleven or thereabouts right now."
"Shit."
"As a prefect I am supposed to remind you, language."
"Sorry," Vinny says as he starts to yawn again only to start making retching noises. He groans and grabs at his stomach them vomits several times. Alexa has to turn away and cover her ears while he throws up or risk wanting to retch as well. When the vomiting seems to have abated she tentatively looks over at Vinny again. He seems safe for the moment from more vomiting so Alexa uses her wand to do a quick clean of the foul stuff, making a mental note to do a more thorough job when she gets back, then puts a firm hand on Vinny's back and guides him to the Slytherin portal, mindful that he's still got vomit on himself and that he could blow again at any moment. With her hand on his back as it is, she can feel how hot he is through his pajamas and thinks he's probably got a fever. Once in the corridor and heading to the hospital wing, Alexa tells him, "Well, Vinny, not you've at least got a legimate reason for skivving off class."
After depositing the ill Vinny with Madam Pomfrey, Alexa hurries to get back to the Slytherin common room and her book, hoping that whatever Vinny has isn't catching!
Accident
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 10-06-10 20:02
The two sponsors for the dueling club at Hogwarts, who also happened to be both Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, held meetings as often as possible due to the popularity of the club. Having many meetings on different days and at different times also allowed students with busy schedules and other extracurricular activities a chance to attend from time to time.
Sometimes both professors led the meetings, other times just one or the other attended. This evening happened to be a time when just Ethan ran the show. The group tonight wasn't particularly large, but it was a decent enough size and consisted of an even number of students so that everyone had a chance to square off with somebody else all at once.
Included in the group was Ethan's least favorite student, Penn Ellison. Ethan realized that he shouldn't think negatively of the first year Slytherin student. Penn did exceptionally well in class and did not have poor conduct either. There was no reason not to like him, but for some reason, Ethan couldn't help it. At least he didn't let it show.
"I'm glad you all could make it," Ethan said, when all had gathered in one of the DADA training rooms. "We're going to pick up where we left off last time and practice stunning spells. Right then, everybody find a partner and begin."
The students paired up and started practicing the spell in question. Penn worked with first year Hufflepuff Winifred Hicks, who seemed a bit nervous about dueling with him. Ethan did his best to rove around the room and give pointers to everybody, but he couldn't help but keep his eye on Penn.
Every time Winifred tried to stun Penn, he blocked the attack without saying a single word. When he stunned her, he also did it without an incantation. Ethan was baffled that a first year student could achieve such advanced magic, but then again, Penn was obviously a very exceptional student.
Ethan supposed that one thing that unnerved him about Penn was that Penn seemed so much older than his 11 years. Penn was not only very gifted magically and seemed in possession of knowledge beyond his young years, but he also appeared to have a very old soul. It was all in the way he looked at somebody, as if he could see right through a person.
Realizing he was staring, Ethan drew his attention away from Penn and moved to make adjustments to Daisy Khan's wand gestures when he felt a sharp pain extending from his left shoulder to below his right shoulder blade. It felt like someone had taken a knife and cut him diagonally across the top half of his back.
Lucy Lehane, standing nearby, let out a shriek. "Professor Somerset! You're bleeding!"
Ethan had suspected as much already. He wished the room had mirrors so that he could survey the damage himself. Instead, he turned and looked at the sea of concerned faces around him. "I'm going to see if Madam Pomfrey's can't patch me up," he said, trying not to grit his teeth together as he spoke. It burned like a line of fire on his back, but he had a feeling it was only a shallow cut.
"I'm sorry but we'll have to wrap up the meeting for tonight."
Most of the students didn't seem too upset by the news, though some let out sighs of disappointment. They all started filing out of the room, even Penn, who'd kept a very neutral expression on his face in the aftermath of Ethan's accident.
Ethan didn't want to accuse the boy. Maybe it had been an accident. Some of the students were very much beginners at magic and might have accidentally cast a spell they hadn't intended, causing an unfortunate consequence. Even the more experienced spellcasters could have accidentally done it, but maybe that was just Ethan trying to spare Penn the blame.
Ethan had never felt that Penn was out to get him, though sometimes he wondered what the boy really thought of him. Penn was always polite when they spoke, but his dark eyes seemed to suggest there was more to him than just a quiet, intelligent boy. Ethan had seen it for himself that Penn was capable of casting spells without giving an incantation. Perhaps he had wounded Ethan, but why? It must have been intentional, if he'd done it. But again, why?
Ethan pondered the possible reasons all the way to the Hospital Wing and even while Madam Pomfrey fussed over his injured back, but nothing at all came to mind.
Maybe it had just been a terrible accident.
Getting Ready For An Opening
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 10-07-10 19:34
Briar walks around inspecting the new tables that just arrived for the Diagon Alley bakery. The Flour Shoppe had been vacant for a long time but was still in fairly good shape when Briar began thinking about opening a second bakery location. She'd bought it in August and since then has been working to get ready for re-opening. She moves from one table to another then knocks on the top of the nearest one before saying, "These are not what I ordered, Hamish."
"You're sure? It's what Mr. Agnathy has on the delivery sheet."
"I'm positive. Let me get my copy of the order."
Briar goes back to the room she's using as the office though from items in there when they started cleaning up the place that's might not have been how it was used previously. It takes only a few seconds to find the parchment in the file she's got with copies of all the different inventory, equipment, and work orders. Back in the front room Briar shows Hamish her copy of the original table order.
"See. The description here is entirely different from these tables."
Hamish sighs. "I'm really sorry, Briar. I only have the delivery instructions to go by. Should I take these back?"
Briar crinkles her nose. "As I really don't care for these at all and they don't match the chairs coming, then yes, take them back."
Hamish makes some notations on the delivery sheet then takes out his wand in preparation of whisking the tables back to Mr. Agnathy's. "I'll try and get this straightened out and get the correct tables to you by two."
"Thank you. I hate that you have to do the extra work but I do want my tables."
"No need to apologize. It's our mistake. I'm just happy you aren't one of those clients who takes out anger on me when I'm just the delivery guy."
Briar smiles broadly and teases, "I'll just get you back with your next bakery order."
"Uh oh. Best tell the wife to avoid Hogsmeade for awhile, which is really too bad because she's got something like eight dozen fairy cakes she's promised for some play group our daughter belongs to and as neither of us bake and your bakery is our favorite, I might be sleeping in the dog house tonight."
Briar laughs lightly before asking, "When does Ellen need the fair cakes?"
"I'm not sure exactly. She mentioned it in passing over breakfast. I'm going home for lunch so will ask her and let you know when I come back with the corrected order. I'd best get going. See you sometime lunch."
"Thanks, Hamish."
After Hamish is gone with the tables, Briar plays around with moving the display cases and serving counter around. She has yet to be satifisfied with the placement in relation to the kitchen and has constantly been shifting them around in various configurations of lines and angles. At the moment she's the only one there so the only sounds in the shoppe are of the counters moving, Briar talking to herself, and the sounds of Diagon Alley coming in through the front door, which is propped open.
"Knock knock. Am I disturbing you?"
Briar waves her wand to set down the display she's moving as she looks over her shoulder to the speaker, Matthew McQuillen. "Hi, Matthew. No, you aren't bothering me. Come in."
"It's really coming together in here. Will you be opening soon?"
"The plan is for a week from today, just in time for the first big push of Halloween orders."
"Does everyone wait until last minute for orders?"
"More than you'd think, though we do get plenty of advance orders. We've actually had some since July."
"For Halloween?"
"For Halloween and for Christmas as well as New Year's."
"I thought people only ordered wedding cakes that far in advance."
"We don't get that many non-wedding related orders months in advance but we do get some. A fair number get orders a few weeks in advance but most wait until the week of and sometimes even the day before or the day of. Usually that's not a problem but there are certain times of that those who have large orders or need something special and who wait until the absolute last minute are very irritating."
"I can only imagine. Are you free for lunch? I was thinking of trying that new Mediterranean place that's had all the ads in the Daily Prophet and on the WWN the last few weeks."
"Yes, sure, that sounds great." Briar nods at the massive fireplace at one end of the room. "Do you want to floo or apparate? It's in Dorset?"
"Yes, Bournemouth. I know one ad mentioned the place has a floo so let's do that. Do you want to go now or do you need some time to wrap up here?"
"Now is good. The only absolutes today are checking on something I've order for Grace's birthday and I have to be here this afternoon for a delivery. Beyond that, I'm just doing some things here on my own. I purposely didn't schedule workers to be here today."
"Still lots to do?"
"Tomorrow there is the installation of some new equipment in the kitchen but other than that it's mainly the small details that are mainly to please myself. Monday and Tuesday of next week I'll put the new employees through their paces."
As Briar's saying all this, they've moved towards the fireplace. She's had a jar of floo powder sitting on the mantle ever since getting the fireplace cleaned up and back on the network. She'd reached for it once they reached the fireplace but Briar only takes the jar lid off after she finishes answering Matthew's question.
"I'll have to come by next Wednesday to have a grand opening celebration sweet."
"Is that a hint to have your favorite biscuits made for opening?"
Matthew takes a pinch of the floor powder from the jar she's been holding out to him. "Well, if you're offering... "
Taking her own pinch of powder out then replacing the jar on the mantle, Briar laughs. "I'll see if I can pull some strings with the owner."
Making an after you gesture at the fireplace, Matthew chuckles, the sound following Briar as she steps into the floo, eager to try the new restaurant.
Conversation with Dumbledore
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 10-07-10 19:59
News of Ethan's accident had reached Dumbledore's ears sometime yesterday evening. The headmaster had found the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher seated on the edge of his metal-framed bed, carefully pulling on his torn T-shirt. Ethan had winced from pain as the movement had pulled at the cut on his back. Madam Pomfrey had done wonders to the injury, though it wasn't quite knitted together just yet. Maybe by tomorrow or the next day, it would be fully healed.
"Ethan, how are you faring?" Professor Dumbledore had asked, after exchanging a few polite words with Madam Pomfrey. He'd come over to Ethan's bed and seated himself next to the younger wizard.
"Well enough," Ethan had responded. He had smiled, despite the seriousness of the situation. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened."
"Rumors have run rampant," Dumbledore had said. "On the way over here I overheard a pair of first years say there is an angry ghost on the premises who will cause injury to someone if he feels he's been mistreated by that someone." He'd leaned in close and peered at Ethan over his half-moon spectacles. "You haven't angered the ghost, have you?"
Ethan had managed another smile. "No, not a ghost at any rate. I want to believe that my injury happened accidentally. I know when I was young, even before I'd had my wand, I sometimes caused things to unintentionally happen."
"This is common among young wizards," Dumbledore had replied with a nod of his head, "but I wonder if that was really the case this evening. Is there something you are not telling me, Ethan?"
Once upon a time, Ethan had kept secrets from Dumbledore, secrets that had led to him fleeing the castle and taking up residence with Lord Voldemort. Now times were definitely different. Ethan wasn't under any dark influence anymore, and he also felt like he owed Dumbledore quite a lot.
"It's stupid," Ethan had finally said. "I have a bad feeling about one of my students and I don't have any legitimate reason why that might be."
"Mr. Ellison, I presume?"
Ethan had looked at Dumbledore with surprise. "How did you know?"
"I may not speak to most of the students on a regular basis, but I do make an effort to learn about everyone who walks through our doors. If not through conversation, then I do so through observation. I've watched him, watching you, and it has given me cause to wonder."
Ethan had felt surprise upon learning this.
"The boy does well in his studies, does he not?" Dumbledore had questioned.
"Exceptionally well. He's well-mannered. He arrives to class on time, always submits his homework in a timely fashion, and never gives me any reason to doubt that there's something off about him. But there's just something about him. You say you've seen him watching me?"
"I have, but as much as it has made me wonder, it has never given me cause for concern. I would suggest he admires you, except he never seems to show any clear emotion on his face."
After a brief pause, in which both wizards pondered what had already been said, Dumbledore had asked, "Do you suspect he hurt you, Ethan?"
"Like I said, I wouldn't know why he'd want to, but I do think he is capable of it. Albus, he can perform spells without giving a verbal incantation. I saw him do it, and I think it's entirely possible he did it when I turned away from him."
That Penn Ellison could peform such advanced magic had been news to Dumbledore.
"In my experience, a gut feeling is not something to be ignored," he'd finally said. "I should like to talk to the other professors about young Mr. Ellison, and especially with Revenant and Sirius about whether or not he also demonstrates nonverbal spells in their classrooms. Perhaps with a little investigation, we can get to the bottom about what happened tonight and about who our exceptional first year really is. In the meantime, you should go home."
"I'll be back first thing in the morning for my classes," Ethan had promised.
Now it was the next morning, and Ethan had his first class of the day, Gryffindor and Slytherin fourth years. There were already murmurings about what had happened during the dueling club meeting. One rumor was that a sword hanging from the ceiling had randomly fallen and sliced open Ethan's back as he'd been kneeling to tie his shoe. An attendee had squashed that rumor, though as what had happened remained a mystery, there was little clarification on the matter.
Ethan had thought about casually interviewing those present and might still, if it would help him get to the bottom of it. But for now, he was just glad that he didn't have Penn in any of his classes today!