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Face From The Past
Author: Julian Valentine
Date: 11-24-10 19:13
Since the all of Euphemia Smythe-Jones's Ministry, business at Twice Told Tales has seen a steady increase. With the holiday season upon them, this second Christmas removed for her reign of terror business is already rather brisk and promises to increase even more as Christmas nears. Right now, however, is one of those lulls. There'd just been a flurry of customers but at the moment there's really no one here. The one employee in today is in the coffee nook checking the pots brewing and making sure things are tidy. Lysander stands staring at one of the large windows, playing around with painting snowflakes on the glass with his wand. After stepping outside to see how they look from the street, he steps inside again and says to Julian, "While it's quiet, I'm going to take a break. I shouldn't be gone long."
Julian looks up from the books he's taking from a box and smiles, "Take your time. I don't have to be up at the school for rehearsal until this afternoon, around five or so. I've no plans between now and then."
Lysander nods in reply and is out the door again, Dexter hot on his heels in hope that just once the magical barrier would not be in place so he could make a break for it. Unhappy to find his way barred yet again, the cat leaps on the counter, casting baleful looks at Julian, meowing pityfully.
"I'll take you out for a walk later. See if Wendy or Crookshanks are at their own houses and receiving guests. "Won't be long before Grace is here. And Charlotte. Caerwyn and his and Gus's cat Velvet will be here in a few more weeks."
This earns Julian a glare and a cat's arse stuck in his face before Dexter twitches off. Julian shakes his head, not sure if he'll ever be truly used to the tempermental cat's ways. He looks back at the box, picks up a book from it and matches th the title to the shipping receipt. He looks up from the task again at the sound of footsteps. "All done there?"
"Yeah, fresh pots are brewing and everything's tidy. Want me to start shelving these?"
"If you want, go on and take lunch. Now's a good time for it."
"You're sure."
"Positive."
"Back in a bit then. Need me to bring anything back?"
"Some thing for the coffee nook, maybe? See if Briar has any of that cinnamon streusel cake. It's goes will with the coffee and tea."
"Will do."
With the employee also gone now, the only sounds in the shoppe are the noises Julian's making as he continues checking the newly arrived inventory, all popular titles that sell extremely well as used books, and Dexter prowling about. Julian's just checked off the last book from a box and is thinking about getting some coffee when the bell above the door rings. Julian turns with a smile at the sound, a ready welcome on his lips only to fall silent in surprise.
"'allo, mate. 'member me?"
"Russel Peakes. It's been awhile."
"Yeah, Rusty Peakes is back, innit. Deal gone wrong in Hamsterdam landed me in the knick fer a time. 'eard you got out the bizness, dinnit I?"
"You heard right."
"Shame that hiz but I can unnerstand hit, innit."
"Is that why you're here? To see if we still carry certain merchandise?"
"Yeah, inna way. 'eard you gort a certain lot from an awkshun long while back. Certain book from hit I'm lookin' fer. Were 'opin you'd 'ave hit or could point me ter where hit is. Dinnit come empty 'anded. Willin ter pay a fair price I am. Nuffink can be said that Russ'l Peakes ain't one ter make a fair deal."
"What book is it?"
"Geheimzinnige Zilver. Dutch. Title translates ter Arcane Silver."
"Geheimzinnige Zilver?" Julian parrots back, too shocked at hearing that name to say much of anything else right away.
"Yeah. So?"
"Why do you want it?"
"Got a buyer willin' ter pay top galleon, an' before ya ask, I ain't tellin' who. Ain't gorna let anyone undercut me."
"I can't help you."
"So ya sold it then? Point me in the right direkshun? Make it worth yer while."
"It's destroyed."
Rusty scratches at his nose. "Destroyed? Mind me askin' wot 'appened ter it?"
"It was cursed and extremely dangerous." Julian does not mention the fact that it was also one of the darkest of the dark arts books with text written in human blood. Rusty already knows it's a dark arts book and there's no need to get into specifics about it."
"Cursed? That's bloody bad bizness."
Julian taps lightly on the frames of his glasses. "Bad is right. Nearly blinded me. I'm extremely luckly that the only lasting damage is that my eye sight isn't quite as good as it used to be and only need these some of the time."
Rusty agrees. "Lucky, innit. Yeah. Bad spot of bizness ter haf ter destroy an uhverwise perfectly good book. Will mark yer name off me list then. Damn but I thought I 'ad me a copy this time. On ter the next lead. Merlin's beard, hit's a hard little bugger ter track down."
Rusty sticks his hand out to Julian's to shake. "If yer come across anuver copy, be sure ter let me know. Find me through the old sources."
"Yes, I'll do that," Julian says, returning Rusty's congenial smile while thinking that if he never comes across another copy of Geheimzinnige Zilver it will be too soon.
(Anthony) List of Names
Author: Beck
Date: 11-24-10 19:51
The information Enid Eastwick had given Anthony had proven useful to a point. Armed with the list of names thought to belong to the mysterious group allegedly responsible for the Summer Solstice Murders, Anthony had gone to the Records Office to see what, if anything, he could learn about each individual.
At least one was dead. Marcus Ivrea, the very first name Mrs. Eastwick had supplied him, had died by Caden Eastwick's own hand during an attempted mugging at the junction of Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley. That act had led to Caden's own involvement in the group and ultimately to his own death.
Early records of Boris Nebbish existed, but nothing since late 2000. Anthony wondered if maybe Boris no longer lived either, but no record of his dead body being found existed, at least at the Ministry of Magic.
There was some information on other supposed members of the group, which Anthony thoroughly researched before hatching out a plan of investigation. He started with Sylvester Gudgeon, who had graduated from Hogwarts the year Anthony had started there. Following graduation, Gudgeon had worked a number of odd jobs such as busser, store clerk, and janitor. He had also had a handful of run-ins with the law, namely for petty theft and bar brawls.
As far as Anthony could determine, Gudgeon currently worked for the moving company Magical Movers, which had a small office in Diagon Alley. Anthony went there to speak to the manager, a wizard by the name of Stanley Ludlow.
Stanley Ludlow was a short, squat man with red cheeks and hair that grew on his head in gray tufts. He wore square, wire-framed glasses that were a golden-bronze in color.
He invited Anthony into his office with only the smallest amount of reluctance. Mr. Ludlow wasn't worried for himself. He had never committed a crime in his life, but he knew that some of his employees were less than model citizens. He'd done background checks on all of them, of course, to weed out the worst of the lot, but he had always been of the opinion that everyone deserved second chances.
Granted, Mr. Ludlow knew there was a risk in hiring some of them to handle other wizards' belongings. It wouldn't be the first time that someone filched something from one of the homes they were packing up or moving in. But why would an auror be involved in that sort of investigation?
"Who have you come to discuss?" he asked Anthony, before offering him a seat or something to drink.
Anthony sat down and retrieved a folded piece of parchment from his pocket, in which he'd written a series of questions.
"How long as Sylvestor Gudgeon worked for you?"
Mr. Ludlow leaned back in his own chair and thought on the question for a moment. "Five months, I would say. Maybe a little longer. What's he done?"
"How do you find his character?"
"Well enough. He usually shows up to work and gets the job done, which is all I ever expect from those I hire to work for me."
"Is he a pleasant sort of wizard?"
"I get along with him. So do most of the others. Won't you tell me what this is about?"
Anthony intentionally did not want to say exactly what he was after, in case Mr. Ludlow felt the need to tell Gudgeon that an auror had been asking about him. The likelihood that it would happen anyway was strong, Anthony felt, but hopefully Gudgeon would have no reason to think the visit had anything to do with his alleged affiliation with the pentagram group.
"Do you know much about his background?" Anthony asked.
"A bit. He's unmarried. Has no children. Lives in Tinworth."
"Were you aware when you hired him that he had been arrested for theft, assault and battery?"
"I was," Mr. Ludlow replied. "What's he done? Stolen from someone? Burglary of one of the homes that hired us to move them? Did he hurt somebody?"
That was exactly what Anthony was trying to find out.
"Do you think he has cleaned up his act, Mr. Ludlow? Do you think he's still got sticky fingers and a hot head?"
Mr. Ludlow stared at Anthony for a long moment. "I've never seen him steal anything, nor have I heard of a problem after one of his jobs. However, he has gotten into an argument or two with some of the other crew."
"Can you tell me who in particular?"
"Should I be worried, Mr. Beck?" Ludlow asked. A crease had appeared on his forehead.
"I don't know," Anthony replied honestly.
Mr. Ludlow assessed the young auror for a moment longer and then said, "Merrick McClanahan and Sheldon Albright. McClanahan and Gudgeon almost came to blows once in this very office. I would say it was Gudgeon who started it, but I wasn't present at the beginning of the argument."
"What did they argue over?"
"A job."
"Was it a job of any significance?"
"Not as far as I could tell."
"And with Albright?"
"Albright doesn't get along with anybody, so it was only a matter of time before Gudgeon crossed him the wrong way."
Anthony wrote down some notes and then said, "Are McClanahan and Albright here today?"
"They're both working the same job."
"I should like to speak with them whenever it's convenient. Preferably sooner than later."
"I can send you an owl when they return."
"Perfect."
Anthony left a short while later to eat lunch at his flat. While there, he compiled his notes and thought over what he would ask McClanahan and Albright later. He did want to talk to Gudgeon personally at some point, but he didn't want to tip him off about what he was really after until he could prove Gudgeon had done something wrong. Anthony was aware that by poking his nose in deeper into the investigation, the likelihood that something could blow up in his face drastically increased.
Cornered
Author: Lilac Middleton
Date: 11-24-10 20:17
A part of me really wanted to talk to Nate, a part of me really did. But for some reason I just couldn’t bring myself to talk to him. It wasn’t that I thought he was a bad person. That small part of me that wanted to talk to him, also knew that he wasn’t a bad person. It was just that… Well right before the whole Muggle vrs Purebloods episode, a lot of my friends didn’t want to be friends anymore. Not that I blamed them, but I was very sure that once Nate and I started to be friends again, he wouldn’t want to be after a while. It always happened. He was a Pureblood. I wasn’t. After the whole thing with Happy Haven the only people I had really talked to were my cousins and I was very grateful that they were still at Hogwarts.
“Lil, come on, Thomas, Cyril and I still talk to our old friends. They’re just the same as they were before we left. And Thomas even has a girlfriend who is a Pureblood. I don’t know why you won’t talk to Nate. “ Cee said. I glared at her and shook my head.
“Thomas is too little to have girlfriends.” I said rolling my eyes.
“No he’s not. Eleven is a perfectly sound age to have a girlfriend.” I sighed.
“That’s different, Cee. They’re babies practically.”
“Don’t tell Thom that.” Cee laughed. “He’s not such a baby. He’s more mature than we are most of the time. And besides, Natalie is a sweet little thing. But you wouldn’t know that because you haven’t talked to her. Really Lil. She’s eleven. What is Natalie going to do to you?” I shrugged. Even first years could do damage to a person if they needed too.
“Kids are mean. There are a million things a first year could do.” I said as we continued through the courtyard and down a hallway. Cecilia simply rolled her eyes at me. I didn’t know why she didn’t understand. She was at Happy Haven too.
“Well, I’ve had enough of running away from Nate. If you don’t talk to him, then I will.”
“Cee don’t do that. It’ll just make things worst.”
“You like him. Well, you do!” I glared at Cecila, I hated it when pointed things out to me. Yes, I did like Nate. But that didn’t mean anything.
“It doesn’t matter if I like him or not. He’s a Pureblood, he won’t want to be with me.”
“You don’t know that.” I glared at her again. It wasn’t a matter of if I knew that or not. Why would he like me anymore?
“Yes I do.”
“No you don’t.”
“I do too!”
“Lil, you haven’t talked to him. He doesn’t know you like him. It’s been two years!” Cee said as we rounded another corridor. I stopped and stared at her. Had it really been that long? I hadn’t noticed. Everything was still so clear in my memory, as if it just happened.
I was about to say something when suddenly, Nate came around the corner. I sighed and was about to run away when I was shoved into a room with Nate.
“Hey! Cee, let me out!”I cried, banging on the door.
“Talk to him Lil!” I heard Cee say just as she locked the door. I turned to face Nate, having a strange feeling that Nate and Cee planned this. Even if they didn’t, I was going to come up with something to get back at her for this. I leaned up against the wall and crossed my arms.
Hey!
Author: Ginny Weasley
Date: 11-24-10 22:14
Footsteps clomp heavily up the stairs leading down to the joke shoppe. Sitting in the sitting area of her flat Ginny expects a knock when the footstops come to a halt but instead the door unceremoniously swings open. Fred walks wordlessly in, coming to the sitting area and dropping onto the couch, narrowly missing her.
"Watch it, Fred!"
"Sorry. Didn't know you were there."
"You always come into my flat for a lounge when you think I'm not here?"
"Not often. Have a headache is all and needed more quiet than the office."
"That's what a muffling charm is for."
"Doesn't work as well when employees are in and out asking question after question. They never think to look for me here."
"Can't imagine why, as much noise as you made coming up."
"Good point. Next time I'll tiptoe."
"That's if I let you have a next time. This is my flat afterall. I don't go letting myself into your house whenever I want."
"Yes, you do."
"When someone's there. I don't go barging in if you aren't there or if I think you aren't."
"Why would you? You have your own flat and mine is full of babyish toys and snotty nosed children."
"Your children are not snotty nosed."
Fred levels his gaze at Ginny. "Have you seen Fabian's nose? And Gideon's?"
"You sound as though you could use a break."
"I love my kids, I do. I also very much love my wife and at times it's hard to remember what it's like to be alone with her. Three five year olds and two coming up on their first birthdays. It would be difficult enough to have some alone time even without two Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes locations and the day care and gaming center."
"Go away this weekend."
"I can't drop the kids on Mum and Dad on such short notice. I know Maj and George would offer if I said something but she's helping with a play at Hogwarts on Saturday."
"I'll watch them."
"There are five at last count."
Ginny giggles. "I'm well aware of how many children you have, Frederick Weasley."
"Five, Ginevra. Three who are five and two not quite a year old."
"So I'll get Harry to help. And Ron and Hermione."
"I should talk to Blossom though surprising her would be nice too."
"Where would you go?"
"Blossom's long wanted to go to Venice but I don't know if this is a good time of year for that."
"Check into it."
"You're sure about this?"
"I'm sure."
"Do you have anything for a headache?"
"Yeah, I've some tonic. Let me get it."
Ginny gets the potion for Fred along with some tea to help wash away the bitter taste of the tonic. He gratefully accepts both then after drinking them down reclines against the back of the sofa, his eyes closed. "Give me a few minutes for this to take effect and then I'll go look into booking us something."
"No rush, I was just sitting here reading."
"Thought you had Quidditch practice."
"It was cancelled. Most of the team and half the coaching staff have got the flu."
"Flu, huh? How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine though I should be taking care of a few things now that I've got the whole day free. For instance, I should be figuring out what I need to cook supper tonight for Harry and me."
"How's that going? You hardly say anything, not that you've ever been overly chatty about your boyfriends."
"It's going really well. Slow but for me that's because I want to make sure it's really right this time and I think for Harry, he's worried he's just rebounding from Janine and doesn't want to hurt me if that's the case."
"He hurts you I'll rebound him."
"You, George, Ron, Charlie, Bill... maybe even Percy though it's hard to tell with him. When he found out Harry and I were seeing each other again Percy sent me a very formal letter that went on for five pages with the gist of it being he approves."
Fred snorts. "Sounds like him. Was a time when Percy had a different opinion of Harry. Had a different opinion on a lot of things. He's still a prat but he's a more decent prat."
"I know what you mean. Mum and Dad are really happy though neither is pleased that he split with Penelope. Audrey's nice though. Mum's already got visions of another wedding in her head."
"Those visions are for you, not Percy."
"Bit early for that, don't you think?"
"Mum's had visions of you marrying Harry for years. Ron too. George and I would't mind it either. He's already family anyway. Better brother than Prat."
"Maybe when Percy was born, the babies somehow got switched and out there right now is a red head, freckled faced man with a great sense of humor whose stick up their arses family often wonders how they produced such an irresponsible child."
"Homeschooled or sent abroad, which explains why we never met him at Hogwarts."
"Probably named something like Reginald or Albert and they never, ever refer to him as simply Reg or Al."
Fred suddenly sniggers. "George is going to love this when I tell him. He and I will have to spin Percy a great yarn."
Ginny giggles again. "You do that but when Mum wants to box ears over it after Percy gets his knickers in a twist, leave my name out of it."
"But of course." Fred mugs innocently at Ginny. They laugh for a moment then Fred gets up, still chuckling. "All right then. I'm off to see about taking Blossom to Venice or somewhere else nice. I'll let you know what I arrange."
A cat suddenly jumps up from behind the couch then makes a running leap to Ginny's lap where it turns around three times then settles down to form a purring ball. "What's Hero doing here?" Fred asks.
"I was at Ron's for a few minutes this morning and she was begging for attention so I brought her home with me only to have her decide to curl up behind the couch in that patch of sunlight from the window, where she's until now."
Fred reaches over to pet the pretty little cat, causing the purring to amp up several notches. "Larkin's been wanting a cat. Miranda has that little dog so Seth and Gideon have decided they want puppies. As if things aren't crazy enough at our house."
"Going to get them pets?"
"We're thinking about it. For Christmas. I'm off. See you later, and thanks!"
"Bye, hope your headache goes completely away soon!"
Left alone, Ginny picks her book back up to read while also petting the suddenly affectionate Hero.