|
|
Call It A Loan
Author: Dante Knight
Date: 10-28-11 22:05
Morning office hours over Dante sits staring at the letter he'd received at 9:07 this morning. There he'd been, congratulating himself on making it through classes yesterday and on Friday without much of a hitch. Not once had he been forced to excuse himself to vomit up what little he'd eaten. The students seem to like him well enough, though granted it is early days yet. His colleagues have all been supportive. Even Severus Snape, who seems to have a perpetual sour sneer etched into his features, had given Dante advice Friday morning. If you are afraid of doing a bad job your first day, never let the students suspect or you will lose the class then and there and may never regain proper authority.
His plan for today had been to closely read through the same assignment the students have, something he's already done twice, jotting down possible quiz and exam questions along the way. That had been the plan before this damn letter arrived. Seven minutes into office hours here came an owl tapping at Dante's single fourth floor office window. He'd had to form a reply and send it off immediately. Since then Dante has done nothing but sit and stare at the letter, unable to think about anything but it and the meeting requested in its brief contents.
Dante,
That place must allow for lunch. Meet in the village at 12:30 at the nice place across from the strip club. Owl back that you'll be there or I'll come there looking for you. If you can't meet at lunch, then as soon as you can today. Either way, I expect a reply. No need to address it. The owl knows.
Xander
Realizing that it's now five past the hour, Dante snatches up the letter, folding it several times length wise then shoving it into a pocket as he leaves his office to make the walk into Hogsmeade. Xander is the name his brother used that day in Diagon Alley back in July. As Dante knows his family far too well to ever think his brother is using the name Xander again so soon, he can only surmise that the name was used in the letter so that Dante would know without doubt who sent it. Simply signing it Your brother would have been far too easy. So typical.
Then again, if giving his brother the benefit of a doubt, perhaps not knowing if Dante's admitted having any family or not and not knowing if someone else might see the letter, it's possible his brother signed the letter Xander to help cover Dante's back. Possible. Not probable. Not with his big brother.
The nice place across from the strip club is the Imperial Crown & Cauldron. Inside he tells the woman who greets him, "I'm meeting someone."
"Are you Mr. Knight?"
"Yes."
"Your party is outside at a garden table. Right this way."
Xander looks up from perusing the menu when Dante reaches the table. "Good. I'm famished and am beyond ready to order something."
"I'm surprised you waited for me."
A waiter approaches only to be sent away by Xander with an order of, "Double shot of fire whiskey on the rocks."
Dante had asked for a water with a twist of lime before commenting, "Thought you were hungry and ready to order."
"Thought I'd be nice and give you a chance to look at the menu."
Dante doesn't have much of an appetite so glances at the soup offerings. His brother orders one of the daily specials while Dante goes with a bowl of the tomato bisque, a question ready on his lips when the waiter walks away to put in their lunch order. Xander beats him to it.
"It was easy tracking you down. I went to that place where you'd worked since splitting from us. Someone there was kind enough to tell me where you'd gone and as you insist on going by the same name, checking out whether you gave them some bullshit story was simple enough."
"But why would you want to? Mum and Dad want you to have another go at convincing me to change my aberrant ways?"
"Dad's still to furious with you after that last time. Mum and Sis would like you back in the fold but they don't know I'm here."
"Then why?"
"I need a favor."
"What sort?"
"Monetary."
"Of course. Rack up more gambling debts, have you?"
"No, but a recent bad run of gambling is why I don't have the needed funds at the moment."
"A woman then."
"Yes."
"What expensive trinket are you wanting to lavish her with as a token of your undying esteem and affection before you erase all evidence of whatever name you gave her and never darken her doorstep again."
"It's not like that. Not this time. She's pregnant. We're going to get married. Mum and Dad like her and approve. She's knows about us and has taken a blood vow to keep all our nasty little secrets."
"So what is this favor?"
"I need money for the ring."
"Mum and Dad would lend it for that."
"Not for how much I need. I asked Sis but she's too much of a tightwad."
"Exactly how much is this ring?"
"Fifteen thousand galleons."
Dante gapes across the table, momentarily speechless. Regaining the use of his voice he asks, "Did you say fifteen thousand galleons? What makes you think I have that kind of money to loan. For a ring."
"Please, don't bother pretending you don't. I know you do. You had twice that saved even before you settle into your dull routine life complete with steady pay. Or did you turn all playboy and squander away your hard earned money once you were free to do whatever you pleased?"
"Let's say I do have that sort of money. What makes you think I'd lend you such a large amount?"
"Because you don't want someone whispering in the ears of the school's administrators."
"How do you know I haven't told them myself?"
"Seriously?" his brother grunts through an effort not to laugh. "When did you get a sense of humor?"
Dante glowers. "I'm guessing you had nothing to hold over Sis's head is the real reason she wouldn't lend you the money."
"That, but she really is something of a tightwad. So, have time after we've eaten to visit the bank?"
Dante doesn't have any Tuesday classes but he does have office hours at two. His jaw tightly clenched he bites out, "I should have the time as I don't see us lingering over lunch. How do I know this is really for a ring and not for you to go gamble away, or that only a small part of it is for the ring and the rest isn't because you want to cover the point spread on a sure fire Quidditch win?"
"You don't but as I'm not giving you much choice in whether you lend me the money or not, don't get hung up on where the money goes once it leaves your hands. Just be glad I'm going to pay you back when I could just as easily inform you that you are paying me a fee for keeping silent."
"It's coersion regardless how you phrase it."
"I call it a loan. You call it blackmail. My word's so much nicer. I'm your big brother. Trust me to pay you back. Unless your scarper away from that place in the dead of night and change your name again, I know where to find you to send a little each month. We can even sign an agreement if you like."
"Oh, sure. Sign an agreement. And what name would you be using? I left the life. That doesn't mean I've forgotten all the lessons learned along the way."
Xander chuckles. "I might be inclined to box your ears if you had. Hurry up and eat your soup so we can get to the bank."
Appetite pretty much entirely gone, Dante hardly eats anything so the waiting to go to the bank falls squarely on his brother's shoulders. Soon enough though he's done eating at well and is nice enough to not stick Dante with paying for both lunches. Dante's got a vault there in Hogsmeade, deciding it was a better choice than Diagon Alley what with him living at Hogwarts. It's a painful transaction to make, counting out fifteen thousand galleons to someone who may decide it's not a loan afterall. If that happens, there's not a hell of a lot Dante could do about it.
Once on the street again, is brother puts out a hand to shake. "Trust me," he says again before disapparating fifteen thousand galleons the richer. Dante trudges back to Hogwarts, wishing there were time for a long, mind numbing run before office hours. The three hours before his work day is done are sure to be agonizingly slow.
Interruptions
Author: Nathaniel Ross
Date: 10-29-11 05:42
Seated on a table by the corner of the Common Commons, Nate tried to focus on his Transfiguration essay. He flipped the pages of his text book, a little bit clueless. He knew what he was supposed to write but somehow he was stuck. Professor McGonagall was very strict with the language used in the essays and she would not permit simple terms or descriptions. Not when you were in the 7th grade. Everything must be written in a detailed way with perfect handwriting. Finally the word he was looking for come to his mind and picked up his quill ready to write.
"Hello Nate! What are you doing?" second year Thomas Middleton asked. He was a really curious child and after telling him what he was doing Nate tried to get back to work, since he had to have his essay ready for tomorrow. "Is it very hard? Yesterday in Transfiguration I managed to transform a button into a beetle!" Thomas said, sharing his triumph with Nate. After Nate congratulated him, Thomas left him alone.
Nate picked up his quill once again and was about to conclude his first sentence when a little girl showed up out of nowhere. Celia Middleton was right behind her.
"Hey Nate, have you met Pippa yet?" The little girl greeted him a bit shyly and Celia said she was giving her a tour around Hogwarts. "She got lost on her first day, but she got lucky no one remove points from Ravenclaw . But I don't want it to happen again, so I'm helping her. I'm also presenting her to the elder students."
Nate nodded in recognition and after asking if Pippa was liking Hogwarts he went back to work.
It was getting hard to recall what he had planned to write, but he finally managed to figure it out. On the moment he was about to continue his homework Lilac and Cyril showed up, both arguing about what was the best place to keep your money. Cyril kept insisting that the Gringotts' goblins could steal all the galleons they wanted from the vaults. Lilac assured him that was not true.
"It is, I read about it somewhere!"
"Whoever wrote that is wrong. Goblins don't steal, right Nate?"
Nate knew he should help Lilac on this argue against her cousin, but he really needed to do his work and it seemed that all the Middletons had picked the wrong time to talk to him. He then looked around, considering going back to the Hufflepuff common room. However he was caught by a flash of red, in a sofa by the fireplace. It was Phyllida Spore's red hair. She and her friend Ferne were seated together, books spread around them. There was no one bothering the two Slytherin girls. A Gryffindor looked with a bit of jealousy to the space they were occupying but he moved along, trying to find another empty spot for himself and his friends.
"Nate?" Lilac called.
"Lilac is right Cyril. Goblins don't steal wizards' money." He closed his book and gathered his things picking them up. "Now if you excuse me I need to finish this homework for tomorrow. It's really important. We will talk later." He kissed Lilac's cheek coolly and then he stepped away from the cousins towards Phyllida and Ferne's direction, hoping they wouldn't mind if he joined them.
Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration
Author: Phyllida
Date: 10-29-11 05:43
On a typical evening, following the close of class, the Spore girls could be found in what had once been the Purebloods Only Common Room, discussing the remains of the day.
They were seated at their favourite spot: a cozy corner adjacent to the fire, with three plush chairs (two for each of the girls, with one place-of-honour reserved for Ptolemy, their pampered cat) and a small round table swathed with damask, perfect for light study. Phyllida leaned her bright head against the flocked wallpaper, as lush violet curtains framed Ferne's pale face; both had their eyes lowered to their Transfiguration papers. Ptolemy dozed on his seat, perched upon a handsome, silver-tasseled cushion. It sagged under his considerable weight, and he lifted his heavy grey lids only occasionally to gaze with golden-eyed ire at any student whose boisterous chatter disrupted his dignified repose.
Phyllida, already one scroll into her essay, was unrolling the next sheet of parchment. Her writing crowded the first scroll in neat, compressed lines; small, sharp, and perfect.
It was getting more difficult to focus, however. A gaggle of young Ravenclaws were the cause of some disturbance on the opposite side of the spacious chamber. Their number seemed to multiply exponentially every passing year – Phyllida was certain they were about to contrive a takeover bid upon the entirety of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, subjecting it to their petty-minded amusements.
"The Horde," Ferne muttered with indignation.
Phyllida sighed. All bad things aside, she felt like saying, at least they wouldn't have troubled us when this place was for Purebloods only.
But the words remained lodged in her throat.
She missed a great many things about the original incarnation of this room. Luxury. Tranquility. Dignity. Solemnity. Having the house elves on hand, eager to serve them refreshments, was easy to miss too. She had grown fond of some of them, actually – she even remembered their names...or so she had thought, until she tried to recall them.
She re-examined the last paragraph of her essay, her brow creasing.
"Are you doing Transfiguration?"
She looked up. The boy from Potions stood in front of them, wearing that same ingenuous smile. There was a quaver of uncertainty, however – she noticed it twitching between his dark brows.
"Would you care to join us?" asked Ferne, always the first to extend her friendship to unknowns.
"If Miss Grimshaw-Spore doesn't mind."
Phyllida raised her cool eyes to meet his. "I don't."
With some relief, he lowered himself into the spare seat – or what he had thought was the spare seat. Ptolemy gave a threatening hiss, and leapt off his throne indignantly, eager to save his tail from being crushed by the posterior of a seventh year Hufflepuff. He gave Phyllida a look which seemed to say, quite plainly 'You dare permit such rabble into your company?' before waddling slowly towards the door, tail erect, poison dripping from his indifferent gaze.
"Sorry," the boy said ineffectively.
"Ptolemy doesn't like strangers" Ferne laughed. "Especially when they try to sit on him."
Nathaniel placed his book on the table, looking between the girls sheepishly.
"What part are you up to?" Phyllida flicked through her scroll, her expression dull.
"Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration…"
"That's the easy part. Just list the Five Principal Exceptions."
He hesitated "Er…Life. Food…Money…"
"…Information," Phyllida added, trying to help him along.
"That's four." Nathaniel ran a hand through his curly hair. Phyllida's gaze was drawn towards it unintentionally.
"Love."
"Hmm?"
"Love is the last principal exception," she muttered, returning her gaze to her book. "After that, you can cover the Avis and Serpensortia spells, by way of example."
"Right…" Nathaniel made some notes in his book.
Ferne twiddled with the dulled end of her quill, looking at her cousin with a queer, questioning gaze.
"Would anybody like some pumpkin juice?" asked Phyllida, eager to evade the awkward moment. "I'm feeling a bit thirsty."
Not So Crazy After All
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 10-29-11 08:07
Because Fritz didn't pack a lunch, his options are to buy something in the village or go home. He opts for the latter, since it is the cheaper way to go. He apparates to a familiar spot in his Muggle neighborhood, behind a large hedge that shields him from unsuspecting eyes. A few seconds later, he jogs up the steps to his front door, lets himself in, and calls out to see if his parents are home. They don't seem to be.
Fritz makes his way to the kitchen and opens the fridge to see what there is to eat. After a long time of staring into the open refrigerator, he pulls out sandwich fixings. A short while after that, Fritz has a sandwich worthy of a delicatessen and a side of cheesy crisps. He grabs a can of gingerale and then parks himself at the breakfast table.
It's almost too quiet at home. Fritz debates turning on the radio or perhaps even the TV, but he ultimately decides to read something. The latest issue of Chemistry World is on the table under a stack of bills. He extricates it from the pile of letters and flips through it.
He's deep into reading an article on synthetic enzymes when he hears his name. It's not either of his parents, nor is it Otto, who is still living in Germany on the army base. Fritz knows that voice. It is the same, ambiguous one that spoke from the book Frau Hockenheim had left him after her death.
Fritz abandons Chemistry World and his half-eaten sandwich for his messenger bag. He'd dumped it on the kitchen island upon coming home. He lifts the flap and rummages through the bag to find the book. The dark green, leather cover looks completely normal. Fritz stares at it for a long moment, but no face emerges to greet him.
He knew he'd been crazy to think he saw something before.
Fritz takes the book with him to the breakfast table and sets it down to take another bite out of his sandwich. As he does this, the book flips open on its own accord. It only opens to the inside cover, where there is a nameplate with the name Berthold Beatenberg written on it in old Germanic cursive. This type of cursive hasn't been taught since Fritz's grandparents were children. It's a bit of a struggle for Fritz to identify every character, but he thinks he's read it correctly.
"Who's Berthold Beatenberg?" he asks aloud in German.
He's not expecting an answer, but he gets one. "Das been ich,*" says the book.
Fritz immediately flips back to the cover to see if there is a face, but there is nothing to see. He goes back to the cover.
"Wer sind Sie?**" Fritz asks.
But the book doesn't answer this time. Fritz waits and waits, but the book doesn't say anything more. He can at least say for sure that he's not crazy and that the book has been speaking to him, however infrequently.
He goes back to his sandwich and crisps, realizing that he's got to be back at work soon. By the time he's finished and putting his dirty plate in the dishwasher, Fritz realizes he's probably not going to learn anything else from Berthold Beatenberg, whoever that is.
---
* It is me.
** Who are you?
Seventh Years and an Experiment
Author: Lawrence Masterson
Date: 10-29-11 10:01
Tuesdays and Thursdays were busiest for Lawrence class wise, as he had the bulk of his classes on these days, with only one class on the remaining three days of the school week. He was using the same lesson plans, and he was currently conducting an experiment concerning his students and how many of them would actually do the work, and not write home for papers and quizzes and the like from the year before.
"Good afternoon. Welcome to Herbology. Just a quick check of the roll before we get down to business. As you will see from your syllabus it is much the same as last year in regards to subject matter, however for the NEWT level coursework, you will be expected to expand upon your knowledge. You will be expected to turn in NEWT level assignments so that you are prepared for your examinations at the end of the year."
He moved through the classroom distributing the syllabi to his seventh year students. "Now, we will begin with a five question quiz. Short answer, no more than three or four sentences on each herb I am about to give you. You will have twenty minutes from the moment the last herb appears upon the blackboard."
Lawrence moved to the blackboard, a tap of his wand revealed the following herbs. Dandylion. Devil's Snare. Sage. Monkshood. Poison Ivy.
Lawrence watched his students write, wondering how many of them would be lazy enough to simply transcribe their assignments from the previous term to the current term and expect the same grade. It was no doubt an issue he would be addressing for his fifth and sixth year students as well.
"Time."
With several last scribbles given, quills soon went down and Lawrence collected the quizzes. "Now, to start things off, who can tell me about Devil's snare?"
Several hands went up. "Catherine."
"Devil's Snare is composed of a mass of soft, springy tendrils and vines that possess some sense of touch. It likes the dark and damp."
"Very good, five points to Ravenclaw. Who else can tell me something about Devil's Snare?"
"Francis."
"If caught in Devil's Snare, the more you move, the faster it will bind them, and become tighter and tighter until the captured individual dies. However, if ensnared, relax and you will not die as quickly, and give you a chance to cast a spell like 'bluebell flames' or some other flame spell to drive it away."
"Very good Francis, five points to Gryffindor."
The class moved along from there and Lawrence wrote the assignment on the board before class ended. "It will be due a week from today and no later." After that he dismissed his seventh years, and soon had his classroom clean and organized before settling down for his office hours, the first part of which would be grading the quizzes from his classes earlier today to get them back to the students on Thursday.
Busy Day: Shopping and Healers Oh My
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 10-29-11 11:04
Today had dawned early enough, with Meagan demanding attention the moment the first rays of sunlight filtered in through the nursery window. Which was good, because I had some errands to run before her check up at St. Mungo's at two. Jim had gotten up when Meagan began fussing and saw to diaper change and getting her dressed, before handing her off to Lily to ensure that she was fed while Jim and I took turns showering and getting ready for the day.
"Today was the day you were pulling a double right? Because Harmony is out with the flu?" I asked him as I pulled the brush through my towel dried hair and applied a bit of gel to the mass.
"Yeah. So, I should be home sometime just after midnight. Thankfully the doubles will stop when classes resume in October, but for now, the extra money can't hurt." He said kissing my cheek.
"Alright, I will be in London most of the day, running some errands with Mum and then Meagan's check up is at two. Do you think you could escape long enough to meet us at lunch at around three thirty?" I asked.
"Sounds like a plan. Meet you at Jade Garden?" He asked, knowing well my fondness fo the Japanese restaraunt when we I was in London for a day of maddening errands.
"Perfect, and I know my mum won't object. Now, food and coffee, and you've got to get to work." I kissed him, and shooed him out of the bathroom, while I finished my hair and make-up and finished getting dressed before heading into the kitchen for a cup of coffee, which Lily already had waiting for me.
I accepted the cup of coffee and Meagan from the house elf who busied herself with setting me a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and sourdough toast with a bit of honey butter. "Thank you Lily. Jim will be late tonight, and I will be out most of the day with Meagan, so unless there is some emergency you have the day free once things are done here."
Lily nodded her head lightly. "Thanks you Miss. Lily will have something small prepared for Master Jim when he gets home from work, and ensure that everything is right and perfect before she goes to visit her friend Dobby at Hogwarts."
"Very well Lily. Enjoy your time with Dobby."
After breakfast Megan, loaded in her pram, and I were off through the floo and meeting at my parents house before setting off for our day of shopping and doctors appointments at St. Mungo's.
Shopping was a dangerous thing, and the more time I spent in the stores, the more my purchases grew and soon enough my Mum's house elf was taking the parceles and leaving them in my living room after coming to get Mum's and taking them home for her so we were not juggling them through St. Mungo's and then at the Jade Garden for lunch.
I did however, keep a couple of items with me, one was an adorable stuffed griphon that Meagan had cooed over when we'd been in the toy store, and the other was a gift for Jim's co-worker Ansel who was celebrating a birthday today and they were throwing a small party for him. His internship at St. Mungos had completed in August, and now he was working at a local wizarding clinic in London.
Everything had gone well at Meagan's check up, she was doing well, growing well and was a healthy weight. There was only one issue and that was when we had to prise the healer's wand tip from one curiously chubby little hand before the wand tip ended up in Meagan's mouth. Wand was soon replaced by a binky before Meagan was once more dressed and slipped into her pram and we were off again for the remainder of our busy day.
I met up with my mum and Jim at the Jade Garden and we had a quiet lunch, Meagan nursing on her bottle and soon drifting off as I rocked the pram back and forth with a foot while I savored my pork onigiri*, Tekkadon*, and Miso soup*. I had a glass of plum wine with lunch and Hoshigaki* and a mug of green tea for dessert.
After lunch Jim went back to work, taking the gift for Ansel with him and Mum and I, along with the napping Meagan went to get some more shopping done before I finally decided that I'd had enough and Meagan and I headed home. By the time we got home I was ready for a nap, but my darling daughter was awake, and thus I would sleep later - which meant another cup of coffee while I let Meagan play in her playpen for a bit.
*Onigiri: balls of rice with a filling in the middle. Japanese equivalent of sandwiches.
*Tekkadon: donburi topped with tuna sashimi (donburi - one bowl dish consisting of steamed rice with savory toppings)
*Miso Soup: soup made with miso dissolved in dashi, usually containing two or three types of solid ingredients, such as seaweed, vegetables or tofu.
*Hoshigaki: Dried persimmon fruit