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Called On The Carpet
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 02-05-12 18:37
No sooner has Harry entered his cubicle and sat down at his desk then a memo swoops in, coming to a gentle landing directly in front of him. It unfolds itself, obscuring the file he'd been about to open. The color of the memo marks it as being from the Minister of Magic's office. The stylized header gives confirmation to that.
Quickly scanning its contents, Harry frowns. It's what amounts to a summons to Kingley Shacklebolt's office. An immediate summons at that. Wondering if there's some big case breaking that Kingsley wants him on, Harry puts the file he'd been going to review into a desk drawer, grabs up the memo, and makes for a set of stairs that are nearer than the bank of lifts. As all the Auror offices are on Level 2 and the Minister of Magic's office is on Level 1, he'll be up the stairs in the time it would take him to walk to the lifts, get on one going up, and then actually make the trip from 2 to 1.
Harry walks at a fast, purposeful clip. Giving the appearance of needing to be somewhere asap or being on some important errand helps dissuade others from stopping him though he does receive a number of greetings, all of which he returns. He thinks. Harry hopes so because he would hate to come off as deliberately rude.
Reaching the reception area to Minister's office, Harry holds up the memo to Kingley's assistant/secretary. Although relatively close friends with Kingsley, since this seems to be official business Harry sticks with being professional, "Harry Potter. Minister Shacklebolt requested to see me."
"Yes, sit right there, Mr. Potter."
Harry takes the indicated seat as the assistant disappears behind an impressively carved door. A minute and then another tick by. The assistant appears again just after the five minute mark. "Minister Shacklebolt will see you shortly."
Harry nods his thanks, his forehead creasing with a slight frown. He dislikes when someone, even the Minister of Magic, calls a meeting, indicating there is a sense of urgency, only to make those being called wait as soon as they arrive. He supposes that in Kingley's case he shouldn't be irked. There's no telling what business came up for Kingsley from the time that memo was sent and Harry arrived. Something pressing can arise in a matter of seconds.
When at least fifteen more minutes have passed and he's still not been called into Kingsley's office, Harry gets up and approaches the assistant's desk. "If Minister Shacklebolt is busy, I can return later."
"No, Minister Shacklebolt wishes you to wait. He expressly said so."
"Oh, okay."
Now, he thinks it's all right to be irked with Kingley or with Kingley's assistant. Summon him in upon immediate receipt of the memo then make him wait this long? Harry's got work he could be doing.
Not quite twenty more minutes pass, Harry growing impatient to the point of stewing when the door to Kingsley's inner sanctum swings open. Kingsley says something to his assistant then beckons Harry inside, shutting the door behind them.
Harry expects an apology for being kept so long but what he gets is, "Have a seat, Harry." Kingsley's deep voice carries a stern undertone.
"What's going on, Kingsley?"
Kingsley waits until he's seated behind his desk, fingers tented in front of him, a hard gaze fixed on Harry. "It has come to my attention that you have been harboring someone of interest to the Ministry."
"I don't "
"I'm going to stop you right there. I am in no mood for prevarication. Yes or no, are you giving aid to Peter Pettigrew."
Aw, bloody hell.
"Yes. How did y "
"Although he was pardoned under by Euphemia Smythe-Jones, you are aware that I have made him a person of interest, to be brought in for questioning?"
"Yes."
"You are aware of the reasons he is wanted for questioning?"
"Yes."
Kingsley stands up, palms down, leaning over his desk. "THEN WHY IN HELL ARE YOU HIDING HIM?" he thunders.
"I'm not exactly sure."
"Explain."
"One day when I was in Muggle Coventry, he showed up, begging for help. Pettigrew was scared out of his wits. He lost a great deal of weight and looked ill. I didn't know that day why I agreed to help him and in the time since I haven't figured it out yet."
Still leaning over his desk but looking less menacing, Kingsley's voice softens. "Even if I hadn't made him wanted for questioning, he's as responsible for your parents' deaths as if he'd kill them himself."
"I am acutely aware of that fact."
"Are you under a spell? Imperiused perhaps?"
"No, I don't think so, or at least not Imperiused. I'm fairly resistant to that one."
"I am going to personally determine if you are under some other spell, then you are going to take me to where you've got Pettigrew secreted away, and then, Harry, you are suspended for sixty days without pay."
"Suspended for sixty days? But ,"
"That is fair considering I could fire you altogether. Think of it as time you can spend helping get your wedding in order. Today is the twenty-nineth of November. Christmas Eve is only twenty-five days away. After that you may have a nice, long honeymoon. Unless you are at the Ministry in some official capacity between now and the end of your suspension, such as being called to testify at a trial, you are not to set foot on the premises. Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Then let's get started determining if Pettigrew has you under some sort of spell."
Telling Megara
Author: Errol
Date: 02-06-12 16:53
Tuesdays are somewhat light days with nothing from the end of Herbology at 10:30 to the start of Fitness & Athletics at 3:30 and then nothing again until Astronomy at midnight. With five classes on Mondays that meet again on Wednesdays, having so much time Tuesdays is nice for working on assignments. It's also bad because it's so easy to get lost in thought. Not pleasant daydreams but the nightmarish situation that led Errol being enrolled at Hogwarts.
When F&A ended at five, Errol had gone straight to the Great Hall for supper. He knows he probably should have taken a quick shower but he was having serious hunger pangs. Errol has no idea why he was as famished as he was. F&A wasn't more strenuous that usual and he'd sat down to eat a somewhat largish lunch at 12:30. Could be he's about to have another growth spurt. If that's the case, he'll have to write Uncle Ross for new pants and he'll have to see about having the hem on his school robes let out. Changing a hem isn't all that difficult really but despite repeated efforts in the past, Errol doesn't have a knack for it. It doesn't matter if he tries it by hand or using a simple spell. Finding out if there's someone at school who can help him with it is one more thing to ask one of his roommates or Megara. If he has to, he can send the robes to Uncle Ross but that seems the option that would take the longest.
Pausing at the Ravenclaw entrance only for the amount of time it took to state the password that's only good for one more day, "Spurious," Errol got that quick shower and now stands freshly scrubbed reading a recently posted announcement. He'd seen it when it first when up but found himself drawn to stand in front of it one more. Errol tells himself that standing here reading about something he will not be allowed to participate in is a way of putting off reading through his Astronomy assignment for the fourth time.
Megara bounces next to him. Literally. His eyes slide her direction, wondering what she's so energetic and perky about when their class day is not over for hours yet. Catching his look she her lips turn upward, slightly parting in a smile. "Secret Santa. You're going to sign up, aren't you? You HAVE to."
"I don't have any money to buy a gift."
"Tell your uncle that EVERYONE participates. It won't hurt to try."
"I guess so. I'll suggest that I find the gift to give in a catalog and Uncle Ross can actually buy it. That way he doesn't have to be concerned with me having any money, even though it wouldn't be enough for me to run away on or anything."
"Excellent idea. I will give you a detailed list of suitable gifts to give me should you draw my name."
Keenly aware of the promise he'd made Megara on Saturday near the end of the Drama Club play Errol decides to just go on and get it over with. "Uh, Megara, about what I said Saturday, if you have a few minutes?"
Megara chummily links an arm around one of Errol's. "You're sure you want to right now?"
"Might as well."
He lets her steer him to one of the quieter spots in the large Ravenclaw common room. She gets settled, situating herself so that she can see most of the rest of the room. "If I sit like this, a certain someone won't realize I'm staring at him," she says with a wink.
"Why not just ask him out?"
"I don't want to be his rebound."
"Makes sense."
Both go silent, Megara patiently waiting for Errol to give her a few of the promised details while he tries to reconcile himself that he's actually going to talk about it with someone who has no history with those involved. Someone who will hear his side of the story. Someone who might actually believe him.
Errol would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't afraid to tell Megara, or anyone else here for that matter. He has a deep down fear that hearing the story, none of them would believe him either.
Expelling air loudly, Errol starts, "The Saturday after school had started a group of us snuck out to a lakeside beach to have a bonfire. There was a spiked punch that this guy Frank brought. It was really strong and I didn't like the taste much so was sticking to a cola. You know, one of those Muggle soda pops? This girl Dayna and I had spent time together over the summer and by that weekend we were calling ourselves girlfriend-boyfriend. She was drinking some of the punch and kept offering me sips and even though I didn't really want it, I kept taking a drink every time she offered. She went and got a refill but after a couple more drinks of it decided the refill tasted funny. Even though I didn't want the punch at all, I let her switch drinks with me. For some reason instead of dumping it and going to get another cola, I sat there drinking the punch, which did taste a little different from the first she'd had. I'd had two colas and part of the one Dayna took from me plus all the sips of her punch and aside from the couple of sips she took of that last refill, all of that drink as well. Pretty soon I had to go find a tree to stand behind."
"Why would you need a, ooooh, sorry. Go on."
"Walking in the woods at night after a little drinking isn't easy but I found a good spot, well away from everyone, did my business and started back. I felt weird the whole time and partway back I tripped. I wasn't hurt or anything but I had no energy to get up and decided I'd just stay there for a minute before getting up, vaguely realizing I must have been outright drunk. Next thing I knew I was being hauled to my feet by a couple of seriously pissed looking adults.
I was still having trouble standing and walking so they practically had to drag me back to the beach. There were a other adults there, some of whom I recognized but others I didn't. A bunch of the other kids were there, most of the girls crying and even a couple of the guys. What conversations were going on all stopped when I arrived and everyone was staring at me. I spotted Dayna sitting on one of the logs we'd had scattered around the bonfire. She was crying, her clothes were torn, her hair had leaves and sticks in it, and I could see she had scratches and bruises all over. One of our teachers was with her, pointing to me and asking her, 'Are you sure Errol is the one?' Dayna wouldn't really look at me but told her yes, I was the one. I started asking, 'The one what?' and 'What's going on? What happened?' but no one would talk directly to me.
I'm taken by side along apparition to the school principal's office. She started questioning me about the bonfire. She wouldn't answer my questions either, just kept asking the same ones about what I'd done at the bonfire, and questions about a girl named Sarah Johanson and questions about Dayna. Uncle Ross finally came in to see me along with a lawyer, them both wanting to know what I'd told the principal.
It was several more hours before I found out what was going on. Ms. Mankowitz, that's the principal, had started in again with questions but this time they were more specific. How long after I left Dayna on the excuse of using the bathroom had I run into Sarah Johanson? How long was I with Sarah before I went back with Dayna? I had no idea what she was talking about but she kept insisting I was lying. Anyway, without going into all the details of what happened over the next couple of days, I found out that Sarah Johanson was dead. She'd been drinking and went off skinny dipping. She wasn't alone. There were signs of a struggle of some sort and she drowned. Dayna had been attacked. Those who had seen Sarah go off said she was with me. Dayna said we'd been sitting together and I got up telling her I had to pee, that I was gone a long time and when I got back I my hair was damp. She said we got up to take a stroll on the beach together but as soon as we were out of sight of the bonfire, I tried to force myself on her. She was screaming for help and as soon as some of the others came running out way, I took off into the woods. The assumption is that I tripped and either hit my head or passed out from drinking too much. When those two people found me, I didn't know it at the time but hours had passed."
Errol waits for Megara to say something, something skeptical about how if others, including his own girlfriend said he was responsible, then maybe he was but had been too drunk to remember. But all she says, with the bated breath of someone waiting for the conclusion of an edge of your seat thriller, is, "And?"
"I'm pretty sure that the last refill Dayna had gotten was spiked with something other than alcohol. That guy I mentioned, Frank, turns out he's the one who actually refilled the cup for her. If it was drugged, that would explain why the drink tasted different and why I was feeling so weird. It would explain why I seemed to be falling down drunk when really all I'd had were some sips of Dayna before that refill and then that one cup of the stuff."
"Why would Dayna say you attacked her and the others say you'd been the one with Sarah?"
"Frank's father is a huge contributor to the school and a bunch of those there that night have at least one parent who work for his dad's company, including Dayna."
"No one thought to give you Veritaserum?"
"When my girlfriend, two best friends, and other friends are pointing the blame at me, why would they? It was me against them. I think before letting any adults know something had gone horribly wrong, Frank gathered everyone around to tell them what the story was. Seeing I wasn't there I guess he decided to have them all blame me or maybe after Dayna had screamed for help and others came running, he told them to say it was me who'd attacked her. Frustrated boyfriend impatient with his tease of a girlfriend type thing. I don't know exactly how it all went down. I was never able to get anyone alone to fill me in.
Frank's father stepped in and offered Sarah's parents a settlement. Dayna's family got some hush money too He claimed it was to keep the school from getting bad publicity. I had hoped that Uncle Ross would believe me after that, that he would see that it was Frank because really why else would Russell Gresham pay off someone like that? Uncle Ross was too busy being angry and disappointed to listen to me. See, all these years he's worried that I'll turn out to be irresponsible and reckless like both my parents, no matter how well he tried to raise me. Then one night he's told some things that make him think awful things about me. He actually said to me at one point, 'You father might have been a major fuck up but he never tried to rape anyone, much less two in one night.' Not only does Uncle Ross think I did that but that one of the girls died because of it.
Anyway, I was expelled and was told over and over by all the adults how lucky I was that the Johansons or Dayna's parents were not pressing charges thanks to Mr. Gresham's generosity. Uncle Ross considered hiring a private tutor but then decided I was better off out of his sight for awhile; so, here I am."
"I just can't believe no one would want to make a hundred percent sure and question you with Veritaserum, or something like that."
"I'd gladly take it. I know I didn't do any of those things."
"You're sure you weren't under the influence of the spiked punch and the drug or whatever it was and you did something but don't remember it?"
"I was in the exact spot I remember tripping in when coming back from peeing so, yeah, I'm pretty sure."
"Had you been in trouble for anything before then?"
"Never. Not a single detention, not so much as a note home, nothing."
"I'm really sorry all that happened, especially that your uncle won't give you the benefit of a doubt when you'd never done anything up to then to make him think you're lying."
"Thanks."
Megara's response is to put one arm around Errol and give a little squeeze. "If it would make you feel any better, we can give you some Veritaserum."
"Yeah, maybe, though I might feel worse knowing someone bothered to hear my statement under its influence when it won't change what those others said about me or that my uncle, Ms. Mankowitz, my teachers, the Johansons, and the Uptons, they're Dayna's parents, all think I'm an attempted rapist and responsible for Sarah's death."
Megara squeezes his arm again then says, "If I hug you in the open like this much longer, people will think we're a couple and I'll have no shot at Deak."
Oddly, that makes Errol feel a little better, enough so that he smiles. Gingerly removing her arm from his shoulder he replies, "We can't have that now, can we."
Bill's Birthday
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 02-06-12 18:12
"Do you have the wine?"
"Got the wine. Do you have the gift?"
"Yes. So we're ready then?" Hermione asked Ron.
They'd changed out of their work clothes and were now ready to attend a dinner party in Bill's honor at his Hogsmeade home. Ron wore nice jeans, a button-down shirt and a jumper (not knitted by his mother), while Hermione wore a long-sleeved, black party dress. She threw on her coat and grabbed a small clutch purse, along with Bill's gift.
It was gently snowing when the couple set out for Bill's home, which was only three doors down. Despite the beauty of the weather, it was uncomfortably cold. Hermione and Ron could have apparated or flooed, of course, but it wasn't like they had very far to go to reach their destination.
Inside Bill's home, it was noticeably warmer. Hermione immediately shed her coat and gave it to Fleur, who took it to another room, along with Hermione's purse. Hermione set Bill's gift on a table where others had already been placed, while Ron took the bottle of wine to the kitchen.
"Happy birthday, Bill," Hermione said, giving her brother-in-law a hug.
"Thanks, Hermione. I'm glad you both could come." Bill wrapped Ron into a bear hug when Ron joined them.
"Wouldn't miss it for anything, mate," Ron replied with a grin. "Feeling old yet?"
Bill gave Ron a playful punch in the shoulder. "I'm only thirty-five."
"Yeah, which is ten whole years older than my own age."
"Which makes me old?"
Ron gave Bill's hair a cursory glance. "Any grays yet?"
"No, still just ginger. What about you? It's not unheard of for twenty-five year olds to have some gray hairs."
Ron changed the subject. "Is everybody else coming tonight?"
"As far as I know. Look, there's Percy and Audrey."
Bill excused himself to greet the new arrivals. Hermione took Ron by the hand and led him over to where Marguerite, Bill and Fleur's Turkish angora lay draped over the fireplace mantle, like a queen surveying her loyal subjects. They petted the cat for a little bit and then directed their attention to their two nieces, Victoire and Dominique.
Past Ready For Bed (Marion)
Author: Saffron
Date: 02-06-12 19:46
Stifling a yawn Marion careful rewrites the last two sentences for an assignment due in the morning. Finally done with something neat and clean enough to turn in, she moves on to redoing something for another class, which thankfully doesn't take all that long. Lastly, there's a Herbology quiz tomorrow. Marion needs to go over the material for it one more time.
Since school began Marion has generally been more on top of homework and exam preparation but she's not felt all that well the past few days. She did so much coughing and sniffling today she finally ended up going to see Madam Pomfrey. She stills feels icky but at least she isn't coughing, sniffling, or sneezing every two minutes. Trying to do write homework when your hand keeps jerking with every cough and sneeze is beyond tedious.
At least tomorrow is only three classes. Mondays Marion has five, but F&A and Astronomy are only one day a week classes. Today was only three classes too but the first two were before lunch and the third at two. She'd planned on getting this work down right after that class, History, was over but first she'd gone to the hospital wing and then she fell asleep for a little while, only going to supper because her a roommate thought to wake her up.
All her roommates are nice, particularly Ellie Mae Chamberlain. That hasn't kept Marion from wishing that Callie, Katheryn or Hope had been sorted into a house with her. What would have been the absolute best is if they'd all been sorted into one house together. Marion holds out hope that either Lilith or Savannah is named a Hufflepuff next fall. She misses them greatly. At least she gets to see the other three through the day and actually sees more of them overall than she had before they'd come to school. They'd all spent lots of time together but usually not every day and more often than not it was just two or three of them together at a time.
Deciding she knows the Herbology information well enough to make a high mark on tomorrow's quiz, Marion packs up her belongings to go to her dorm room. There she makes sure she has everything she needs in her book satchel for classes tomorrow, changes into some super soft fleece pajamas, remembers to go brush her teeth, then when again in her room, she falls into bed, snuggling under the covers and hoping that tomorrow she's feeling much better.
Productive Morning
Author: Ginny Weasley
Date: 02-07-12 19:48
"Start with the box in front of the bookcase."
Ginny has clothing piled on the coffee table, sorting through what she's packing and what she's getting rid of. Her eyes track Harry from the door down to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to the bookcase. While packing boxes is not exactly a fun way to spend part of a day Harry's lethargic progress is not lost on her.
"I told you not to feel obligated to help today."
"I want to help. I expected to help, I just wasn't expecting to have the time today."
Ginny refrains from pointing out that Harry brought the suspension on himself. There's no sense in, as the old chestnut goes, rubbing salt in the wound.
"Did you get your cases distributed?"
"Yeah. I got them passed out as evenly as I could. I wish I knew how Kingsley found out. Remus, Sirius, Ron, Hermione, and you are the ones who knew. You don't think Sirius said something? He's still pretty ticked with me."
"It's possible. Ask him."
"Maybe. I'm a little hesitant about it. He's been mad enough at me that he might think I was accusing him of backstabbing. That could make him furious all over again." Books in hand that he's just taken off one of the bookcase shelves, Harry half turns to look at Ginny. "Totally different topic, but have you given any more thought to house hunting?"
"I'm really torn. I do like Wildwood, and the Coventry area in general, and the backyard is so nice but it is only two bedrooms and security has been breached more than once. I know the security charms and hexes have been reinforced and added to and I know we can add on another bedroom or more if we need the room but I also sort of like the idea of getting a house that starts out as ours."
"As opposed to the house that I used to share with Janine."
"That's only a very tiny factor. I actually like Janine if you recall."
"But you like her more now that she's with someone else and you and I are together."
"You said it, I didn't."
"We'll do some house hunting and if you like, we can also consider building. Now, after we do a little packing today, what is the plan?"
"Since you are free, you are coming with me to a tasting for the food to have at the reception and to pick wedding cake flavors. Do you want a separate groom's cake?"
"I hadn't given it any thought."
"So be thinking about it. Here in Britain a truly traditional groom's cake is a fruit cake but not everyone's doing traditional any longer and some don't do one at all. In American, a chocolate groom's cake isn't unusual."
"What else do I need to be giving thought to?"
"What you're going to wear and what Ron will wear. We need to decide if we want an ushers and if they'll wear the same thing you and Ron do. Did you decide if you want anyone else to stand with you?"
"I had thought maybe Sirius, but with things between us being what they are, I don't know."
"If you really want him, he'll do it, angry with you or not."
"You think?"
"We'll ask. Rather, you will ask. I will be with you but you're doing the asking. It will mean more that way."
"If I have a best man and one other groomsman, does that mean you'll need a maid of honor and another bridesmaid?"
"It's not necessary but I was thinking to ask Luna."
"Where's another box? This one's full?"
"There are a few stacked in the kitchen."
Harry and Ginny work until lunch, talking wedding plans and features they both want in a house if they do end up buying or building. By the time they leave her flat for lunch at a soup and salad place Ginny knows, she feels like they've gotten a lot accomplished but there is still so much more to be done.