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(Adriana) Winter Term Starts
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 03-16-12 16:53
Adriana couldn't decide whether or not she was pleased that term had begun once again at Hogwarts or if she'd rather be on an extended holiday. Her time off at Christmas had been quite satisfactory; she had seen Jimmy often, even though she didn't really have feelings for him and had gotten what she'd wanted out of him already. Nonetheless, he seemed to serve another purpose for her for the time being.
Adriana couldn't deny that she liked being at Hogwarts, however. She liked teaching and still thought fondly of her first year at Hogwarts, when she'd taught Muggle Studies and had only just learned about her own magical heritage. Those days felt like an age ago, and Adriana wasn't the same witch anymore.
There was another reason why she liked being at Hogwarts. She felt strongly that she needed to be there, almost as if someone else had whispered the idea into her head. She knew what she had to do, and she was well on her way to succeeding.
Already this morning, she'd taught her returning Gryffindor and Ravenclaw first years about the Severing Charm, or Diffindo, which they would continue to study all week and perhaps into the next as well. Her second year Hufflepuff and Slytherin students had started learning the Freezing Charm Immobulus.
Now she had her third years practicing a rather tricky spell. Each had a paint chip consisting of four shades of the same color before them. Adriana had picked up the paint chips at a Muggle hardware store. First, she wanted them to practice changing the order of the colors, not by using a rearranging-type spell but by actually changing the colors. Sometime later this week or perhaps next week, she would have them try changing the colors completely.
She demonstrated using a blown-up version of her own paint chip. It was in the green family, with colors ranging from light to dark in the following order: corn husk green, grass cloth, grape leaves and jungle trail. She pointed her wand at the corn husk green stripe and clearly enunciated the incantation while determinately thinking about the next color. Instantly, the corn husk green turned a slightly dark shade, matching the one below it. Adriana pointed her wand at the next stripe and followed the same procedure. She did it again to the one below that and then again to the last stripe, making it corn husk green like the first stripe had been.
"Now, you try," Adriana said to her students.
They picked up their wands and had a go at changing the colors on their paint chips.
Bubble-Head Charm
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 03-16-12 17:25
Ethan sat on the edge of his desk and glanced between his roll book and the Gryffindor and Slytherin second years gathered in his classroom. Today was the start of Winter Term, and while everybody seemed reenergized after a holiday without classes, homework, exams and for the most part teachers, just about everybody wished that term hadn't resumed quite yet. Ethan felt the same way to some extent, but he didn't mind too much that it was time to get back to business.
"All right, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are ready to get back to learning about Defense Against the Dark Arts," he said, closing his roll book and setting it aside on his desk. He remained perched on the edge of his desk and looked around the room, making sure all eyes were upon him.
"We are going to begin this term by studying charms that can be useful in dark arts situations. Can anybody tell me what this is?"
He stood up, produced his wand, and pointed it at his head.
Eyes widened as the students wondered just what he was going to do to himself.
Ethan said nothing, choosing not to demonstrate the verbal incantation just yet, and merely thought the spell into existence. A bubble formed around his head.
Some of the second years laughed. Their professor did look a bit silly. Others seemed concerned that he couldn't breathe, even though he appeared to be just fine.
"Well?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled.
Madoc McGonagall tentatively raised his hand into the air. "I think that's the Bubble-Head Charm, sir. It's supposed to help you breathe underwater, and it also protects your head from falling objects."
"Take five points for Gryffindor," Ethan said with a smile. He pointed his wand at his head again and thought the incantation to remove the bubble, causing it to vanish.
"Madoc is absolutely right. That was the Bubble-Head Charm, and as you can imagine, it could be quite useful in sticky situations. What if someone tries to drown you? If you're lucky enough to have your wand with you, you might be able to cast the Bubble-Head Charm, which will allow you to breathe underwater. Likewise, what if you are trapped in a room or underground where there is little or no air? The Bubble Head Charm just might keep you alive. Yes, Luke?"
"Can the bubble ever pop?" Luke Walker asked. "I mean, if something heavy lands on your head while you've got the bubble on, won't it pop?"
"No," Ethan answered. "The illusion may be misleading, but the Bubble-Head Charm works like a helmet. Say you find yourself in a cave-in. If you're quick on your feet, you cast the charm, protecting your head from falling debris AND giving yourself an air supply, should the cave-in make it so that there isn't any circulating air left. Sounds rather handy, doesn't it?"
There were plenty of nods of agreement.
"Good, now let's all try it. Follow my example."
He cast the charm again, this time stating the incantation loudly and clearly. The students followed suit, first just practicing the pronunciation and then the wand movements. Then Ethan had them put it all together, which had very limited success. Ethan didn't expect them to get it right just yet and had already planned on allotting the next few class meetings for continued practice on the spell.
He went around the classroom, adjusting wand positions or demonstrating the proper movements. All too soon, class was over and it was time for lunch.
Has the apocalypse begun?
Author: Ginny Weasley
Date: 03-16-12 19:45
From their room's deck, Ginny calls out, "What's taking so long?"
Harry steps out, beach towel draped over his arm. "Sorry, I was packing a few things."
"Harry James Potter packing early? Has the apocalypse begun?"
"Funny. This everything?" he points to a bag at Ginny's feet, reaching for it and folding his towel in on top.
"I think so," she replies, threading fingers through his after he's slung the bag over the opposite shoulder. "Seriously, why were you packing? We've another full day."
The follow the deck around the bungalow built over water, reaching the walkway carrying them past other bungalows to the beach. "I just thought I should do my share."
"I think it's more like you are wanting to get back so you can try and convince Kingsley to lift your suspension."
There's a pronounced enough flash of guilt across Harry's face that even seeing him only in profile, Ginny knows she's struck the truth or close to it.
Harry lifts Ginny's hand to his lips then asks, "I'm on my honeymoon. Getting back to work is the last thing on my mind."
Ginny smirks. "Sure you aren't." On the beach now they turn to make the short walk to the pier from which their excursion is leaving for another lagoon. "You might as well save yourself the headache. You know Kingsley's going to stay firm. You have about three more weeks so enjoy the time off."
"I don't see the harm in trying. He could at least let me do paperwork."
"Yes, because sitting at your desk doing paperwork all day is why you so love the job. If it's that you're going to be bored sitting at home, no one in need of rescuing, I can pretend to be drowning."
"Still so very funny."
"I can take more time off. I've already given a heads up that it's possible."
"Really? When?"
"A few days before the wedding."
"So if we decided to extend our trip, either here or continue on to somewhere else, all we'd need to to is let Hagrid know he's going to have Hedwig a little longer?"
"That and let my family know so they don't send out search parties thinking something has happened to us when we don't return on schedule."
"Okay, so which would you rather do, here a few more days or somewhere else?"
"When we get back this afternoon, let's check on availability here for two or three more days then maybe continue on somewhere else. Doesn't matter to me where or if it's Muggle or Wizarding."
Harry stops walking, pulling Ginny closer. "Excellent idea, Mrs. Potter."
After a kiss that they can't linger too long over as they do have a boat to catch, the newlyweds continue on their way to the pier, mulling over possible places to go on their extended trip.
Offended
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 03-17-12 04:34
"Why doesn't she talk to me? What have I done wrong?"
"Why don't you ask her?"
"I did, but she doesn't reply."
"Try again."
Gus did what Felicia said and turning to Johanna he asked her what he has done for her not to speak with him. She ignored Gus and kept eating her lunch, paying full attention to the roast chicken in her plate.
"See? It's like I'm not even here!"
Mark ,who had joined them, seemed amused with the entire situation and after Gus had inquired him about Johanna's silence he shrugged his shoulders telling she had spoke to him in the morning and he found nothing wrong with her.
"So I'm the problem! But what have I done?"
Johanna wanted to yell at Gus and tell him but she had promised herself she would only speak to him again when he realized what he did and apologized. It started when they went together to Hogsmeade and they got the mugs for Professor Miller and Professor Knight. Gus had seen a pair of keeper gloves at Krum's Completely Quidditch that he had liked a lot. They were a little bit expensive and Gus had complained that he had asked his parents for a new pair of gloves but they had told him the ones he had were still in good conditions and they weren't going to spend money on new ones.
Despite that Gus still tried out the gloves and started to move his arms and hands around simulating some defensive moves keepers did. He even held a quaffle in his gloved hands, and played with it for a while. Johanna had to drag him out of the store, but for the rest of days until the holidays Gus went on and on about how he wanted to have those gloves.
Knowing he would probably comeback to Hogwarts disappointed he didn't get the gloves he wanted, Johanna decided to buy them herself and offer them to Gus at Christmas. She had spent a fortune on those gloves but she knew they would make Gus happy and if, Merlin forbid, Slytherin lost the next quidditch match he wouldn't blame his old gloves for it.
Instead of receiving a grateful owl from Gus, he had wrote to her saying he got THREE pair of gloves, one from Johanna, other from Drizella Ratcliffe and another one from Joanna Porter.
Johanna actually recalled seeing the Porter girl at the shop with Roger Gesner. She had probably listened to Gus but Johanna had no idea why would she send him such expensive gift. Maybe she was tired of Roger and wanted to date someone else. Johanna wondered what would happen if Roger knew what Joanna did. She sent a look at the Ravenclaw table and saw the two of them together. Maybe she should have a word with her ex…That made her smile with malice.
Then there was Drizella. There was no doubt she was after Gus, Johanna could see the way she looked at him during classes. She wanted to impress him with a nice gift.
Gus also wrote to Johanna saying he was going to trade her gift for a Miramorphus Magic Set sold at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Plus as a Christmas gift to her he only sent her a box of chocolates and a card. Yes, it may be her favorite chocolates but she had given him something he really wanted, not something random and without a meaning. If he had paid attention he would have seen the way she had looked at a book on medieval witches and wizards at Twice Told Tales. And it had actually a reasonable prize.
"At least give me a clue…" Gus begged.
But Johanna ignored him. He had offended her. He should trade Drizella and Joanna's gifts not hers. She finished her lunch and without waiting for anyone she went alone to Charms class.
Who's Got The Piercing Wit?
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 03-17-12 19:37
Plopping into a seat next to Catriona, Christopher reaches for the nearest serving platter, already in motion to fork food onto the plate when Cat physically stays his hand. "You're moving so fast that your plate hasn't even appeared yet."
He glances down as she says this, a plate seemingly materializing from thin air. Which it sort of did by way of the kitchen. Five and a half years here and he still has no idea how the kitchen elves know when a seat at one of the tables has been occupied and in need of dishes. Some sort of detection charm maybe?
With a plate in front of him now, Cat lets go of his arm. "How was the field trip?"
"Awesome of course."
Sitting across from them Daniel Gelson snickers. "Professor Kent could take us to a bare field thick with oozing, stinking mud to look at some microscopic sized bug and Christopher would think it's amazing."
That's so true all Christopher can do is grin and agree. "What can I say? I've a passion for Care of Magical Creatures and make it a bug awesome is an understatement."
Cat gives a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes. "It's a good thing I'm not squeamish about most bugs or he'd have been looking for a new girlfriend a long time ago."
"You mean my stunning good looks, piercing wit, mind boggling genius, and athletic prowess wouldn't have kept you on the hook?"
"You mean there's a side of you I've not yet seen?" Cat slyly asks.
Her retort has Daniel trying not to choke on a bite of chicken while laughing. Christopher grins at her then launches into a full description of the fieldtrip Professor Kent took the sixth year Care of Magical Creatures class on to Gringotts in Diagon Alley as part of their unit on goblins.
Avoidance
Author: Errol
Date: 03-17-12 19:41
Flipping through some of his Defense Against the Dark Arts notes, Errol finds where he'd left on making note cards for the Ordinary Wizarding Levels. His former school did not administer exams called OWLs but something just like, the Wizarding Aptitude & Achievement Tests, or WAAT. For those in their last year at his former school the exams are the EL WAAT, which just means Exit Level Wizarding Aptitude & Achievement Tests. They're all the same exams basically, just different names from what Errol can tell from the study materials and from what he's been told of how the OWL and NEWT testing is conducted.
In between making DADA notecards, something he could have fully caught up on over the break, especially since it's not like he had much of anything else to do, Errol eats a banana. He's not really all that hungry but since shoving it down into his backpack this morning, it's becoming somewhat mushed. Finishing it off, he gets out of his seat to go toss the peel into the waste basket. He would have tried making the basket from where he was sitting but he already knows that from the position of his desk the banana peel would catch on the lip of Professor Isuki's desk. He could use his wand to flick it in from there but that almost seems like more trouble then getting up and tossing it in from a closer distance and from a better angle.
Turning back around Errol freezes. Megara is standing just inside the classroom doorway, book satchel at her feet, arms crossed, head tilted slightly to one side, annoyance written across her features. "For someone who gave me a charm pendant that's Kanji for friendship, you have been acting anything but friendly since we all got back last night."
Errol shrugs, "Sorry," and moves again towards his seat where he picks up his quill and starts working more on the notecards.
There's silence for a few seconds then footsteps coming nearer. Megara's book satchel is dropped with a dull thud by the desk next to his. Out of the corner of his eye he can see her perching on top of that desk, arms once again folded. He doesn't have to see her face to know she's boring holes into him.
"That's it? Sorry?" Errol can hear the huffiness in her tone.
"Yes, sorry."
"You weren't at supper last night or at breakfast this morning."
"I went to bed early yesterday and this morning grabbed a couple of pieces of fruit then went to Charms."
"Where you ignored me."
"Professor Knight started class seconds after you walked in."
"You bolted as soon as we were dismissed."
"I had to go to the bathroom and didn't want to be late getting to Transfiguration."
"And after Transfiguration?"
"I had a question for Professor McGonagall. Snape had you helping clean up that broken glass after Potions."
"You didn't go to the Great Hall. I asked around. No one saw you there to even so much as grab a sandwich."
"That's because I came here from Potions."
"You weren't hungry? Just two pieces of fruit for breakfast?"
"One for breakfast and a banana just now."
"Errol, can you at least look at me?"
He does as asked to find her with that head tilt again, studying him. "Have you lost weight?"
"Maybe. I don't know." His stomach gives a slight lurch, that lone banana he'd not really wanted to eat acidly roiling around.
Megara suddenly leans forward, reaching out a hand to touch his forehead. "God, Errol, you're burning up." She jumps up to grab him by the arm. "You're going to see Madam Pomfrey."
"I'm fine, Megara, really," he says, shaking off her hand.
Megara firmly asserts, "You are NOT fine and ARE going to hospital."
Megara is clearly going to be stubborn about this and while Errol can be somewhat stubborn himself, at the moment he doesn't have much energy or desire to argue. He'll let her think he's going to the hospital wing them maybe go back to his dorm room where he can crawl into bed again. It's a good plan except for where Megara insists on walking with him, announcing their presence to Madam Pomfrey as soon as they get there. After flashing him a triumphant smile, Megara leaves to go back to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom where others will soon be arriving for their one o'clock class.
At least for the time being Megara won't pester him about her Veritaserum idea.
Scratchy Throat
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 03-18-12 12:39
Throat feeling more scratch than usual, Ron unconsciously massages it as he sits reading a request from the U.S. state of New Mexico for the international task force to review an open case that bears the hallmarks of Danielle Baatz's murders. Just based on the summary sent, Ron's of the opinion the dead man is another of Baatz's victims. That woman certainly got around. There's no telling how many murders can be attributed to her and she's not been cooperative in revealing anything beyond those murders already tied to her.
Reaching for a piece of cinnamon flavored hard candy, Ron clears his throat a couple of times before popping the candy in his mouth. Since the gas attack months ago, his throat has been scratchy at times, occasionally making him hoarse. Today is much worse. Not only is his throat more scratchy but it's dry and a little sore. Hopefully, it's just a mild cold common on and not flu or something equally as nasty.
Hot coffee is not as soothing as tea with cream and honey so grabbing up the task force request Ron is of a mind to get some as long as he's up to contact Janette Duckworth. So that he won't have to spit the candy out when he's got his tea, Ron finishes off the orange disc with a combination of sucking it and chewing it. Then, armed with the cup of fragrant honey sweetened tea, Ron heads for a room lines with what look like small fireplaces but at a level comfortable for sitting in one of the chairs scattered about while having a fire chat.
Although Janette's in the US, in the Washington D.C. area to be exact, the request from New Mexico was sent to Ron. With the task force having members from all over the world, having one office to send such requests to is more organized so they'd drawn names with Ron being first. If going through official channels requests first come to Ron. If Ron is unavailable, such as sick or taking a few days off, if the request needs to be answered sooner rather than later, the request is forwarded on to the second person drawn, Mignon Chevalier in France.
In addition to the small fireplaces the room is also lined with clocks giving the times in other parts of the world. He'd already figured it was probably to early to find Janette in the office but Ron's eyes still reflexively flit to the clock designated for Washington D.C. His thought is that if she's not in, he'll send a copy of the request through to whomever he speaks with there, asking that Janette contact him when she does get in and let him know if she wants to take the trip to New Mexico or should Ron take it, or even see if one of the others wants to go.
Ron's right about Janette not being in yet so he sends the request copy on and returns to his desk, stopping along the way for a splash more tea. He can't help but wonder if his throat would feel as raw as it does if there were no damage from that gas attack.
His mind now on that attack has Ron also thinking about the attack on Harry here at work and the bomb at Harry's house. The level of frustration over the unsolved attacks is more than Ron could put into words. He doubts that even with Hermione's extensive vocabulary help, he'd be able to fully express how he feels. Harry's probably got it worse what with Pinky nearly dying because of something meant for Harry.
Sucking down more of the tea, Ron stares for a moment at the next item on the stack of paperwork he wanted to work on this morning. Instead of starting on it, he gets up again, going first for more tea with a heavy does of honey and dollop of cream then to pull the file on the attacks. Since it's been months since he looked at it, maybe this time through he'll spot some useful clue.