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Rivals
Author: Nathaniel Ross
Date: 10-31-11 14:57
Nate searched alongside the Slytherin table for Phyllida. He stretched his neck, trying to ignore the amount of heads that blocked his view. Finally he saw her. For his dismay, there was no visual contact; Phyllida was too busy finishing her supper. However Ferne seemed to spot him because her hand touched her cousin's arm. Phyllida raised her head and their eyes met, briefly. The Slytherin girl looked at him with cold indifference, maybe a little bit of hate, and then paid attention once again to her plate. Confused, Nate started to play with his food, not taking any into his mouth.
He just didn't understand what happened. One moment they were studying Charms together, the next he woke up with a sharp pain on his stomach. She had hit him with his Charms notebook and stormed away.
Nate glanced once again at the Slytherin table. Was it because he fell asleep? Maybe he said something during his sleep that had offended her. Not that Nate recalled speaking during his sleep, but it could be possible. There wasn't any other explanation. He sighed and took a sip from his glass, filled with pumpkin juice.
"Something wrong?" Timothy Gabble asked.
"Yes. The problem is I can't identify what it is."
"How so?"
Nate told Tim this afternoon's episode.
"Are you sure you two were just studying? Or was it something else?"
"I am going to pretend you didn't ask me that," Nate said, a little bit offended.
"All right. If it was just studying then I have no idea what got into her. But she's a Slytherin so who knows what's in their heads." Tim shrugged his shoulders.
Nate didn't felt the energy to tell Tim that was not a plausible explanation. Instead he changed the topic of the conversation to Quidditch and the trials. Tim was hopeful Hufflepuff would win both the House cup and the Quidditch cup this year. It was their last year at Hogwarts and it would be nice to see the yellow and black colours of their house decorating the Great Hall at the end of the year.
Suddenly he spotted Phyllida leaving the Great Hall with Ferne. He excused himself and left the Hufflepuff table, following the two girls. Sensing she was being followed Phyllida accelerated her steps and she disappeared towards the dungeons, probably into the Slytherin common room, where Nate had no access.
"Ferne, wait!" He approached Phyllida's cousin. "What have I done wrong?" he asked, in desperation.
Looking a bit apologetic, Ferne give him a fast reply, before she went after Phyllida. "You support the Wasps. Phyllida's team is the Arrows. She takes Quidditch…a bit too seriously. By supporting the Wasps you just proved to be not worth her time or friendship."
Nate stood where he was, incredulous. All of this because two rival Quidditch teams? He sighed and went into basement towards the Hufflepuff common room. Tomorrow he would have a little chat with Phyllida. He just hoped there wouldn't be sharp objects around so she couldn't throw them at him.
Constellations
Author: Illyria
Date: 10-31-11 18:55
Illyria stood in the middle of the Astronomy classroom and greeted each of the Ravenclaw and Slytherin second years as they entered the room. She knew them all from last year, when they'd been impressionable first years in her class. All had returned, with the exception of Penn Ellison, who'd left abruptly last spring. As a professor, Illyria knew a little more of the circumstances surrounding his mysterious exit than the students did, but even she didn't know the whole story.
"Welcome back to Astronomy class," Illyria said to the class at large. "I hope you had a nice summer."
She raised her wand to the ceiling. Immediately, the candles lighting the room dimmed, and an image of the night sky appeared on the ceiling.
"This year, we will begin learning about the constellations. Who can tell me what a constellation is?"
Jade Green raised her hand. "A constellation is a group of stars that usually makes a shape in the sky, like the Big Dipper."
"You are partially correct. Two points to Ravenclaw," Illyria said with a smile. "Constellations are star groupings defined by astronomers worldwide. However, the Big Dipper, which we call the Plough in Britain, is actually an asterism. Asterisms are also star groupings, but they may consist of only a part of a constellation or may even cross over more than one constellation. The Plough is only a small part of Ursa Major, or the Great Bear.
"There are 88 recognized constellations in modern Astronomy. Can anybody name a few?"
There were a lot of thoughtful faces and a few head scratches, but nobody could come up with a name.
"We already mentioned Ursa Major," Illyria said. "There's also an Ursa Minor. There's a Canis Major and a Canis Minor, as well."
She flicked her wand at the ceiling, shifting the sky from constellation to constellation as she spoke of them.
"48 of our 88 constellations go back to the Ancient Roman wizard, Ptolemy. I'm sure some of you have his Chocolate Frog card. Other constellations are attributed to the Dutch astronomer Plancius, the Polish astronomer Hevelius and the French astronomer Lacaille. The rest were created by a team of Dutch explorers, Keyser and de Houtman, who wrote about them in their star atlas, Uranometria."
Illyria delved next into how most of Ptolemy's constellations actually date back to the late Bronze Age. Then she talked about the Babylonians, the Ancient Greeks and the Ancient Chinese. Finally, she discussed the first constellation they would learn about in depth: Aquila.
Glad
Author: Ella
Date: 11-02-11 17:45
This year, Thursday was definitely Ella's favorite day of the week. She only had one class, Herbology, and it didn't meet until after lunch. This meant that she could sleep in and enjoy a lot of leisure time. Or so she thought at first glance. The reality of the situation was she needed the time away from class to catch up on all her assignments. Taking seventh year N.E.W.T.-level classes was no joke at Hogwarts.
Nonetheless, studying in the library or elsewhere around the castle or its grounds beat sitting in class anyday. She and Francis had staked out a study carrell at the library after Herbology and had spent all afternoon getting homework finished for tomorrow's classes. Unlike Ella, Francis had had a bit of a fuller day, with History of Magic in the morning. He also had Astronomy tonight.
He yawned and pushed his Potions book across the table. "I'm done."
"You sure?" Ella asked. She glanced at her watch. It was suppertime.
Francis yawned again and then his stomach growled. "Yes. I'm hungry and if I sit here for much longer, I will most definitely fall asleep."
"That's not good," Ella said. "You've got a class at midnight."
"Thanks for reminding me," Francis replied with mock sarcasm.
Ella grinned at him. The pair began packing up their things. While Ella shoved things into her book bag, she thought about the conversation they'd had on the Hogwarts Express exactly one week ago. She'd told him all about Delilah's deception and the divorce Ella very much looked forward to, even if she didn't like to see her father hurting. Since that day, Ella had heard from her dad that Delilah had given her newborn son the Harville name. Why, was anyone's guess.
Francis had also shared some news with Ella that day, and she'd thought about it often ever since the announcement. He and Ashleigh had broken up, this time for good.
Ella knew that Francis had really liked Ashleigh. Perhaps he'd even loved her. At any rate, Ella was pleased that they had finally called it quits. It hadn't been a secret that Ashleigh didn't like her, and frankly, the feeling was mutual. Also, Francis didn't seem too broken up over his breakup, so Ella didn't feel very sympathetic. She just felt glad.
They got up and exited the carrell and then the library, heading first for Gryffindor Tower and then the Great Hall. Along the way, they bumped into each other for laughs until they crossed paths with Filch, who threatened them with detentions. After that, they mostly behaved themselves, though they definitely had a case of the giggles.
Curses! Foiled Again!
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 11-03-11 19:07
Studying the coffee in the carafe, Ron swirls it around, one corner of his mouth turning slightly in disgust. The steaming coffee is sludge thick with an oddly crystalline rime across the top. Setting the pot down he's turning to make the trip to the canteen as it's quicker than attempting to brew something more resembling potable coffee when Connor MacRoth spots him. "Ron, have a few minutes?"
"Yeah, sure, what's up?"
Connor nods at the coffee pot. "Who's on the roster to brew coffee today? I think whomever it is purposely did that just to get taken off the roster permanently."
Ron points, "Someone tore the roster down. Covering up evidence for when when a coffee starved lynch mob forms. I thought about making a fresh pot but it's easier and faster to get some from the canteen."
"I'll walk with you. I've a file that's crossed my desk I think you'll want to see. The case is actually a Muggle cold case, from the New Scotland Yard. It was in a stack of cases our embedded liasion obtained copies of and sent to us. Aspects of the case are similar to your serial killer."
"Danielle Baatz? A Muggle victim?"
"Could be. So you want the file?"
"Like you have to ask."
Connor and Ron manuever around a few people bunched together in conversation, one of them being Harry. Harry sees Ron, smiles and nods but Ron doesn't meet his eyes, doesn't acknowledge him, just keeps walking. Even without looking Harry in the eyes, Ron can tell by Harry's change in posture that his snub stings.
"What's that about?"
Ron shoots Connor a quizzical look. "What's what about?"
"You just walked by your best friend as if he weren't there."
"Did I?"
"Okay, play dumb. I get it. Mind my own business." Connor breaks into a grin. "Lovers spat. It will be the main office gossip in no time and rate a mention in The Daily Prophet."
Ron rolls his eyes. "Exaggerate much? Just not seeing eye to eye about something."
"I promise I shall refrain from making smooching sounds and kissy faces."
"No, you go right ahead. Everyone will think you are either in love with me, and frankly, who could blame you if you were, or they'll think you've gone completely barmy and ship you off for observation. I've got dibs on your larger cubicle when observation turns to long term commitment to the Janus Thickey Ward or somewhere similar," Ron sniggers.
"So we get to the heart of it. There's a conspiracy brewing to get me out of my superior office."
Ron balls up a fist and shakes it dramatically towards the ceiling. "Curses! Foiled again! Fear not, I shall perservere and get that cubicle yet!"
As they are now in a canteen line for their coffee, Ron's antics earns them a few stares and quite a few chuckles. Connor, acting in just as an exaggerated manner, makes a show of pretending to have no idea who Ron is. Once back at Connor's larger cubicle, the joking is set aside as Connor shows Ron the file and goes over the salient details that possibly link the Muggle murder to Danielle Baatz.
Injuries
Author: Nathaniel Ross
Date: 11-04-11 06:11
After Ferne told him what was wrong with Phyllida, Nate made a huge effort to talk to her again. But Phyllida seemed to have developed the talent of avoiding him and no matter how hard Nate tried, she always managed to vanish before he could speak to her. When Charms was over at 2pm, Nate followed Phyllida on the way out to the next class. She glanced behind her once and she moved fast, trying to lose herself amidst a crowd of first year students. However she was taller than them and her red hair only made her stand out even more and so he had no problems following her.
"Phyllida, wait!" he called, but she ignored him, moving even faster. He saw her suddenly trip over a step that shouldn't have been there – she toppled over with a loud yelp.
Nate moved towards her, noticing immediately that one of her knees was bleeding. "Are you all right?"
She didn't answer him. Instead she tried to get up without success, cursing out loud once she felt the pain.
"Maybe it's broken," Nate diagnosed out loud.
"How do you know? I don't recall you being a healer."
"And I'm not. That's why I'm going to take you to the Hospital Wing." Without any ceremony, he picked Phyllida up and started to carry her along the corridors. Some students looked at them, but he ignored them. The reluctant Phyllida was not difficult to carry to the Hospital Wing – she had the weight of a bag of feathers. Once there Madam Pomfrey told Nate to sit Phyllida on a bed and wait, as she was taking care of another student who had cut herself during her Herbology class.
"It's swelling," Nate noticed. Phyllida looked at it, and he thought he saw some worry in her eyes. The injured knee was a pulsating, livid shade of puce. Putting himself on his knees so he could be at the same height of her legs, Nate took his wand out of his pocket and pointed it to her injured knee.
"Don't you dare to try anything with that! You're going to make it worse."
"I'm just going to stop the bleeding. No wonder you like the Arrows. You're a coward just like all of them," he joked. Before he could react, she had aimed a kick at his stomach. Both of them winced with pain, but when he looked up Phyllida had a mischievous smile on her face. If she hasn't kicked him hard, Nate would have think she looked pretty when she smiled that way.
"That's what you get from being a supporter of the Wimbourne Wasp, Ross," she told him.
That was the moment Madam Pomfrey decided to show up. After checking if Nate was all right, she focused on Phyllida's knee. Concluding it was not broken, and taking care of the bleeding, she recommended some ice and rest announcing that by next week she would be ready for the Quidditch trials. Phyllida said she wasn't going to try out.
"Well you should. With that awful temper and attitude, maybe your house could need you. I bet you would be a fearless player. Also it would be a good way to channel all that rage towards me. If we are going to be friends, Spore, you need to accept the fact I'm a fan of the Wasps."
"We are not going to be friends."
"Odd way to thank me after I saved you."
"You didn't save me. First, I wasn't in troubles and second I never asked your help. I would rather lose my whole leg to have a Wasp helping me," she told him with pride.
"That's the dumbest thing to say," he stated. He wanted to leave the Hospital Wing without her, but Madam Pomfrey made him escort Phyllida to the dungeons so she could take a rest at her dormitory. At first she tried not to hold herself to him and walk on her own but then she gave in and used his shoulder as a support. They didn't speak all the way until the entrance of the Slytherin common room.
"I'll go now," Nate said in a goodbye, knowing he shouldn't hear the password.
"Goodbye."
"A thank you would have been nice," he added, turning his back to her and disappearing upstairs.
Incompatible Friends
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 11-04-11 11:23
"What's wrong?" Felicia asked.
Johanna looked at her friend. They were sat together at a comfortable corner at the Slytherin Common Room. Johanna looked around to make sure no one was listening her and finally with a sigh she opened up:
"Roger and I had a fight."
"About what?"
"Well you know how he hangs out with us. Well he insisted that I should meet his friends as well. So yesterday I spent some time with them at the grounds."
"So that's where you were! Kate and I had been looking for you the whole afternoon."
"I'm sorry about that. Anyway it happens I didn't like his friends." Johanna gave a small description to Felicia about Roger's friends. She just couldn't identify herself with any of them and she even got mad when Donald Li, Roger's best friend, said she was obsessed with History of Magic.
"I'm not obsessed; I just like the subject a lot. He just got furious because I noticed he got something wrong on his essay. Then of course I told Roger I didn't like his friends. And he said he didn't like mine too but he had to deal with them. He said he suspected Gus from taking steroids or some potion that made the same effect on his body. He added he has no brains, just muscle. He accused Mark of not doing anything when we went to Happy Haven. What could Mark do, save us all? We were like 12 at the time. But he said he didn't mind about Kate. He said she was nice."
"And what did he tell you about me?"
"He said that you were a bit hysterical."
Felicia stood up, her wand in her hand.
"I'm going to curse him!" Some of their colleagues turned their heads to see who was planning to curse someone, but Johanna pulled Felicia back to her seat and told her to be quiet. "What did you tell him?" she asked a little bit calmer.
"I just walked away. But I think I can't date him no longer if he keeps insulting my friends and pretends you are all his buddies when he is with you."
"Thank Merlin. We couldn't deal with that idiot any longer."
Johanna looked at Felicia surprised and she explained that as far as she knew Gus and herself hated Roger. She assured her it was not because he was a Ravenclaw but because he was just odd.
"I think he wasn't your type. "
Johanna wondered what she should do, but deep down she knew she couldn't date someone who couldn't tolerate her friends. Also she knew she wouldn't survive another afternoon in the company of Donald Li without jinxing him. He was very annoying.
She had to break up with Roger. Better if she did it now then he would do it sometime later. She couldn't suffer that humiliation. It was fun while it lasted. But somehow everyone seemed to know it was not going to last, including Johanna.
"Here you are!" Gus said, joining them. "You're going to watch me at the trials aren't you?"
"I think half the girls of this school will." Felicia said and Johanna laughed. Gus ignored their giggles and asked about Mark, because he wanted to check some information about trials with him.
"Leave Mark alone for now. You can talk to him at dinner." Johanna told him, knowing that he might be with Kate. "You should focus on homework instead. Tomorrow you won't have much time to do it and I don't want to hear you complain on Sunday. "
"You sound like your nerdy boyfriend." he told her, tacking his Potions book out of his bag with reluctance.
"Ex-boyfriend." Johanna corrected him.
Heard A Rumor (Wiggy)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 11-04-11 18:41
Henry Appleton slides into the chair next to Wiggy. "I've heard a rumor that's some might term disturbing."
Looking up from an essay he's only halfway done writing and would very much like to complete before he's run out of the library at closing Wiggy was hoping to work till then completely uninterrupted. This being Friday night and only the first full week of term so few are in making use of the library, particularly at this time of night, that he didn't think he needed to work in one of the private study carrels. Still, it's not in him to be outright rude and tell Henry he's too busy to talk right now.
Trying not to sound frustrated at being disturbed Wiggy asks, "What rumor is that?"
"I heard you're playing professional now and won't be resuming your position on the Gryffindor team. The bollocks people come up with." Henry snorts goodnaturedly.
"It's not bollocks. I am on a pro team. Puddlemere United."
"You're not serious," Henry gapes.
"Very."
"But how can you attend practice and games if you're here? And I've seen you at the pitch with others getting in time before trials next week."
"Dumbledore, the coach, and I have it all worked out. No practices for me this week so I can get settled into my new class schedule. I'll start back with the team next week and will portkey back and forth. I've been at the pitch this week helping others, like my sister, who are trying out for house teams."
"Wow! I'm impressed. Puddlemere, huh? How's the team looking?"
"Pretty good in my opinion. How about I bring you some Puddlemere gear? Sweatshirt, cap, that sort of thing."
"Yeah, that would be great, thanks! I understand now why you're in the library working on a Friday night. Trying to make sure you are on top of all your coursework"
"Exactly."
"I'll let you get back to it then. Besides, there are sure to be some cute girls still in the commons to flirt with." He gives Wiggy a little salute and, with a scraping of chair legs, stands back up.
"See you, Henry."
Alone again, Wiggy sets to finishing the essay. When he resumes practicing with Puddlemere next week he will need to be fully up on all his classwork and then stay that way. If he falls behind or if his grades start slipping Professor Dumbledore will get involved and then his parents. Wiggy's made it clear he'll drop out of school but he knows that Dumbledore and his parents will work together to convince Wiggy it's in his best interests to stay in school. Although his mind is made up on the matter, he'd prefer to avoid that sort of pressuring coming at him from two fronts if at all possible.
Heirlooms
Author: Phyllida
Date: 11-05-11 03:24
Phyllida lay cushioned in the silver-embellished bedspread, wrapped up in the gloom of her petulance. She flexed her knee several times, examining the pale, unmarked skin for any imperceptible injury. Her hair fell over her face as she curled up, unseen by all, uninterrupted.
The bed-hangings were drawn around her four-poster bed, enveloping her in the subterranean gloom of dark wood and green silk. It was only when she isolated herself like this, in the near dark, that she felt truly at home. The house in Black Friar's Lane was built at a time when Wizards (and Muggles, for that matter) had believed in the negative effects of fresh air on the constitution. The windows were narrow, glazed with thick, ancient glass that swirled like water, reducing the outer world into the indistinct shapes of a grey dream. The lead mullions left a grid of shadows on the dark, polished floorboards.
In the padded silence of that ancient house, she felt safe. In the shadows of her ancestors, crowded in by heirlooms, stuffy tapestries, antiques with dark pasts, and overlooked by dozens of portraits of Grimshaws and Spores, she had no room for doubts. And she certainly had no room for self-righteous Hufflepuff boys with the most inconvenient opinions on Quidditch.
She sighed and rolled over. Her fingers unclenched to reveal a silver locket, elliptical in shape. The engravings were tarnished, impossible to read, overlapped by curling acanthuses and the tendrils of flowers and vines. If she looked closer, she saw that the detail was impossibly vast – one corner revealed spotted toadstools, tufts of lavender, bawling mandrake roots…the bark of tall trees, blossoming marigolds, fleshy orchids and lilies, lawns dripping with dew…
When she blinked, the verdure had vanished – once again, a sprig of acanthus leaves obscured the Spore family motto.
She stuffed the locket back into a drawer of her bedside table, and pulled a scrap of note parchment. It was time to settle the dispute with Mr. Ross.
Nathaniel, she wrote, using her green ink, Despite your lamentable taste in Quidditch, I am prepared to remain your colleague and friend. Meet me after breakfast tomorrow. Sincerely, P.
My family have been Appleby Arrows supporters since the 17th century. You might understand why I get a trifle hot-headed about it.