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Confidence Is Key
Author: Dante Knight
Date: 06-06-12 16:35
Ducking Mark Farnon's successful effort to summon a paperback book from a table across the room, Dante offers a smile at the boy's success after slightly under an hour of practicing the Accio charm. "Very good, Mark. Three points. In what time's left keep practicing with books of about the same size and weight. Wednesday, take a two or three times with the books this size then start working on one of those large dictionaries." The dictionaries are thick, leather bound tomes weighing a few pounds each.
"Yes, sir." Mark gives a single nod before looking back to the table covered in paperback books, all of a similar size and weight.
A student next to Mark, another Slytherin, is having far less success. So far she's only managed to get a back to slide a foot from the table before it drops with a slap to the floor. Dante gets behind her to better adjust the grip on her wand and her aim. "You're doing great. Accio isn't as easy a charm as one might think."
"Mark's already doing it perfectly. Harry Potter could do it in fourth year." She dejectedly intones, thankfully without any hint of a whine.
"You know good and well there have been times you've got onto a new charm quicker than Mark or others. Where Harry Potter is concerned, as I recall reading, he worked for months learning Accio on his own, with a friend helping, specifically to use in the Twi-Wizard Tournament. Even then he wasn't sure it would work the distance it did until he actually implemented it in the midst of a challenge. You are doing extremely well for having less than one class period to work on it and with having the distraction of other students working on the exact same charm."
"If you say so." The sigh combined with the look Dante is getting is dubious.
"If you don't believe in yourself, then it's going to take a great deal longer to master this charm, or any charm. By now, you should know that you must have confidence and conviction in whatever spell you are doing for it to truly successful. Now, keep practicing. Don't give up. If it helps to know, you are ahead of a few others. Your books are clearing the table."
This bit of news brightens her up a bit. Dante moves on to observe cousins Sadie Mickle and Aleydis Vanderbilt. "Nice work, Sadie. Aleydis, if you'll bring your wand up ever so slightly more I think you'll find the results much better. I didn't say it early in the hour, congratulations, you two, on Hufflepuff's win. How is your arm, Aleydis?"
"Much better, thanks."
The girls put their full attention back to the table of books and after Dante observes their efforts he finishes making the circuit of the Hufflepuff and Slytherin fifth years. After that, he starts over, looking for signs of improvement, offering help and advice where needed. When only about three minutes remain in the period, Dante says loudly enough for all to clearly hear, "That's enough for today. Don't forget I want those five questions dealing with the Accio charm answered and turned in at the start of class Wednesday. Please tidy up the books then you may go."
There's a flurry of activity then the fifth years are streaming out the door as Dante double checks to make sure all is ready for the sixth years, some of whom are waiting patiently for the fifth years to get out of the way so that they may enter. Walking over to the doorway to greet the fresh batch of students, Dante can't help but hope this next class period goes by quickly. Seconds before his first class of the morning began an owl arrived. The letter must be from one of his family members but which one and why he doesn't know but private person that he is, Dante is not about to take it out to read while there are students in the room.
Secret Keeper
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 06-06-12 18:05
Bronwyn was NOT a happy camper. It had been weeks since she and Fallon Morgan née Montgomery had gotten together for lunch. As difficult as Bronwyn had known it would be for Fal to tell Arley the truth about her life, Bronwyn had fully expected the conversation to have occurred by now. Although she hadn't received word one way or another, Bronwyn knew it hadn't happened because Arley hadn't indicated that it had. She felt strongly that he would have expressed his feelings verbally or emotionally, but Arley seemed as normal as ever each time she saw him.
And so, she sat with the knowledge that Fallon had secretly gotten married years ago, and that along with a secret husband, she had two secret sons. The only person Bronwyn had confided in had been her own husband Toby. It felt good to unload on him, and he bore her rants and raves so very well––not that Bronwyn had regular mood swings. She was very naturally a cheerful, bubbly sort of person.
It was just that Bronwyn hated knowing something that Arley didn't, especially when it affected him completely and her not at all. He had a brother-in-law and nephews, but he had NO IDEA. What would he think of her if he learned that she had known about his secret family for weeks and not told him about it? Maybe he would understand that that knowledge wasn't hers to tell him, but it made her feel very uncomfortable to sit on it for this long without Fallon fessing up like she promised she would.
She sighed and put her head down. She was sitting in her cubicle at work. The Morning Show had gone off the air several hours ago. Bronwyn had spent the time thereafter combing through newspapers and sports magazines for stories to promote in the morning and made up a schedule of upcoming matches to follow for further reporting. She did feel rather distracted, though. Being a secret keeper was a major burden!
Tea with Severus
Author: Celeste Quigley
Date: 06-07-12 13:08
He never had sugar on his tea, Celeste noticed as Severus put the cup to his lips. From time to time they would gather in his living quarters in the dungeons, for tea and some talk.
Well mostly she was the one who speak and he would listen. Most of the times Celeste was sure her conversations bored him, especially when she was talking about frivolous things and not matters related to the school and the students. But she liked the fact she could talk to Severus and she knew he was honest enough not to show any sign that he cared about her personal life. Of course Celeste was sure if there was some detail it might interest him, Snape would listen to her carefully.
But she doubted that the fact Eugene wanted to have a child with her was something he would consider important.
"It's not that I dislike babies or children," she was saying, putting some sugar in her cup, and using her wand to make the spoon move. "But we did not marry with that ideal in our mind. None of us had the need to build a family because just the two of us was enough. He was determinate to get a decent place at Gringotts, you know how those goblins can be picky when it comes to corporate with wizards…and I was completing my formation in Astronomy. I never thought I would end up here at Hogwarts. I was so glad when Albus let me keep my position as a teacher after Harriet was arrested."
Celeste tasted her tea and not pleased with the bitter flavor she added another spoon of sugar to it. Severus kept quiet in his armchair, the light from the candles illuminating his place face.
"It seems that now that we are both settled down in terms of jobs, he is thinking about children. I noticed the way he looks at Sirius'children, not to mention little Lilly. And the worst thing is he already pictures our child playing Quidditch! Not even Saturday's rain was able to keep him distracted from that thought. I wonder what will come next. Probably he will want to discuss hair and eye color, names, and of course try to predict our child's house here at Hogwarts."
"The best thing to do is tell him that you don't want children. If he still wants them, then perhaps he should marry someone else."
Severus' tone was serious. Another reason why Celeste liked to speak with him was because he gave objective advices to her. Sometimes they might be a bit cold but she liked his raw honesty.
She picked up a biscuit from a small plate, and ate it.
The idea of divorcing Eugene did not please her. But having him spent the rest of his life begging her for a child was not a good perspective as well.
"I figure I should have a serious talk with him, yes. Maybe after the O.W.L.s and the N.E.W.T.s. There is still a lot of work to be done and I hope everyone will manage to achieve good results when the time comes."
"You should not have such high expectations. They might disappoint you."
"You are a pessimist man, Severus," Celeste told him.
"I prefer the word realistic. Most of the students don't have their heads in the books when they should. They seem to have bigger preoccupations. When they get older they will regret it."
"Don't we all?"
Severus did not reply and instead he served himself with more tea. Once again he did not add sugar to it. Celeste wondered if that was the reason for his constant bitterness. Perhaps a little bit of sugar would do wonders to him.
The topic then changed to the Saturday's match and the Hufflepuff victory. Both Celeste and Severus were eager for next term's match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Cornelia and Aleydis Vanderbilt would compete against each other to catch the snitch. Currently Celeste only gave classes to Aleydis but she had met Cornelia and she knew both were very talented witches. Of course that she wanted Cornelia to grab the snitch, for her house's sake. Severus agreed with her.
After some more lightly conversation, Celeste consulted her watch.
"Oh my look at the time! I need to go to the Astronomy Tower and prepare things for today's class. "
Severus nodded. After a short goodbye Celeste left his living quarters in order to give her midnight class to the first years Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
One Final Done and Late Dinner
Author: Lawrence Masterson
Date: 06-07-12 16:18
After all of his classes and office hours were done on Monday, Lawrence headed to St. Emrys for his first of three finals. He made it back to the Castle at about quarter past seven and thankfully it was still early in the month and he hadn't yet gotten papers to grade for his classes, but he did have a few final assignments to return from the previous week and those he'd finished marking yesterday. So, he was finally allowed to relax as his next final wasn't going to be until Wednesday evening and his last final on Thursday.
Ariella had been back for some time, as her courses were earlier in the afternoon, at the moment she was sitting on the couch studying for her next final. "Evening love." He said, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.
"How'd your final go?"
"Well enough, shouldn't be a problem. Am more worried about the Ethnobotany final on Thursday than any of the other two," he said with a light sigh and moved to sit on the couch, pulling her feet into his lap so that she could retain her lounging position.
"You'll do fine," she said with a light smile, before closing the textbook she'd been reading and turning so she could curl against him.
"I'm starving, I don't think I've eaten since lunch," he said with a grin. "I probably should have grabbed something from Orange, but I simply wanted to get home after that final."
"I think we have some leftover curry from the other night, or we could always head into the village for a quick bite at the Crown or somewhere like that," his wife offered with a grin.
"Mmm...not really in the mood for curry, lets go grab something in the village." He said and they quickly grabbed their coats because it as a bit chilly, and thankfully the rain from this weekend had let up, if only it had let up on Saturday so that the two quidditch teams hadn't gotten drenched during their match, though he was quite happy that Hufflepuff had won.
A Request
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 06-08-12 10:04
When Fritz enters his bedroom after his morning shower, he finds Domino sitting in front of his closed closet door. The kneazle is as still as a statue, though its ears turn back at the sound of Fritz moving about the room.
"What's the matter, Domino?" Fritz asks, but then it dawns on him what might be troubling the kneazle. Although Domino has never been around whenever Fritz's book has seemingly come to life, Fritz doesn't doubt that the kneazle senses the magic.
In response, Domino let out a low growl and begins flicking his tail.
Fritz buttons the jeans he just pulled on and then approaches the kneazle. Domino's tail begins thrashing more wildly, and when Fritz opens the closet door, Domino growls more loudly and then scurries under the bed.
The face of Berthold Beatenberg is not visible, but somehow Fritz knows that the old wizard is there. He bends to lift up the book.
"You're scaring my cat," Fritz says in German.
"I don't wish to," Beatenberg replies. "Fritz, I need your help."
Fritz's eyebrows shoot up. Knowing who Beatenberg was and who he'd once worked for leads Fritz to believe that whatever "help" Beatenberg wants will be more evil than good.
"I'm listening," Fritz says. With the exception of Domino and Fritz, the house is empty. Fritz's father is at work, and his mother is running errands. "I don't have a lot of time, though. I have an exam in a little while."
"I'll be quick, then," Beatenberg replies. "I can't live like this anymore. I thought that maybe one day I would reunite with my master, but now it's too late." Beatenberg chokes back a sob. "I wish to die a true death. I do not want to be the shell I am any longer."
Although Beatenberg once indicated that he is very much alive, the statement that he is only a shell of his former self is the most explanation Fritz has ever received on the matter.
"You want me to kill you?" Fritz asks. He sets the book down on his bed and takes a step away from it. "Even if I agree to help you, I wouldn't know how when you aren't exactly a person anymore."
"I will tell you how," Beatenberg says between sniffling.
Fritz has severe doubts that he should do anything to help Beatenberg, even if his help will end up getting rid of Beatenberg for good––which couldn't be a bad thing, right?
"First, you need to tell me what your relationship with Henrietta Hockenheim was," Fritz says. He glanced at the time. "But we'll have to continue this later."
"Very well. I will draw up a list of what you will need to release me, and before you cast the ritual, I will tell you everything you want to know."
"Fine," Fritz says. He pulls on a plain t-shirt and an argyle sweater, and then puts on his socks and shoes. By the time he picks up the book to stash it back in his closet, he knows that Beatenberg's presence is gone. Domino slinks out from under the bed and then disappears from the room.
Lessons
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 06-08-12 11:23
The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom looked as if a tornado had blown through it. Ethan had just seen off his fourth year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students, who had reviewed Diffindo, the Severing Charm taught in an early year Charms class. Instead of thinking of it as an everyday charm used to cut objects, Ethan had his students think in terms of Defense Against the Dark Arts. How might the spell be used defensively?
He obviously didn't have them attack each other with the spell. Using Diffindo against another wizard could lead to serious injury and even death. But he did have them practice the charm in other ways, such as cutting themselves free from bonds or using it as a distraction.
As a result, the hangings in the classroom were torn and a chandelier had fallen to the ground. A pillow had lost all its stuffing, and a few of the desks and chairs had broken legs.
Ethan made quick work of righting the room, but a few of his first years arrived early and gaped at the sight of the ramshackle that was their classroom.
"No need to worry," Ethan assured them with a smile, "but wait in the hall for a moment."
They did, but kept to the doorway to watch everything repair itself. When Ethan was ready for them, he said, "Come in, and take your seats."
They did, no doubt wondering what the class before them had done to the room. And if not the students, then what sort of creature had been unleashed in the classroom to cause such damage?
In the short time it took all of his first year Gryffindor and Slytherin students to arrive, Ethan thought about something that had been on his mind since the first day of the month. His daughter's first birthday was just weeks away, and the first anniversary of her mother's death would soon follow.
Ethan was glad that Lilly's milestone was coming up so quickly, but it saddened him that Rosamond couldn't share in his joy and that Lilly would never know her mother. Thinking about Rosamond inevitably brought Hattie to mind. Where was she now? Still in hiding, no doubt, but would she slip up again soon? Would she ever get caught?
And just like that, it was time to start class. Ethan picked up a box of rocks and distributed them among his students. "Today we're going learn how to soften objects, so that if you ever find yourself in a situation in which someone is hurling rocks or other heavy things at you, you just might be able to save yourself from a literal headache."
"Sir, are we going to be throwing rocks at each other?" asked Horace Quisenberry excitedly.
"No, Horace," Ethan pleasantly replied. "The rocks will be remaining stationary."
Horace frowned and muttered, "No fun," under his breath.
Ethan continued passing out rocks and then stowed the box by his desk again. "Now, let's get started…"
Having Brunch
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 06-08-12 11:27
Tuesday morning. Not even a special Tuesday for that matter. But for some reason, I was going to make the change today. Just… felt right. I mean, why wait any longer? So, it turned into a special Tuesday, the first day in forever that I didn't hit the snooze button when my stupid alarm went off.
The extra hour I would have slept was put into a much better use of my time. The final bits of color came out of my hair, returning it to only it's natural coloring. It was hard not to see my sister in the mirror when I was finished.
My new spring wardrobe would also make its first appearance. Having kept up with Bron all these years made getting the right fashions easy. A nice blouse and matching pants, with an also matching pair of shoes, no giant boots today. Although… I would kind of miss them…
As I finished my super long morning of getting ready, stopped and glanced over at the new Cleaver album. It was this great album from them, the first one in the last year. It had songs of love, loss, betrayals, heartache… emotional stuff. I heard it actually got great reviews for being this gut wrenching emotional masterpiece.
I had received a free copy of the album via owl, from Xavier no less. It sat, unopened, on a shelf covered in thin layer of dust. I need to clean more often.
After taking longer at the office then I had intended, thanks to getting stopped three times cause people didn't recognize me, I headed off to meet Bron for brunch. Breakfast for me, lunch for her. So, it worked out.
I met Bronwyn at the restaurant and we were seated fairly quickly. In just the few minutes I could tell Bron was distracted. Eyeing the menu but not really looking at it, biting her lower lip slightly messing up her lip gloss, absently twirling a bit of hair with a hand… something she picked up from me actually.
Once our orders had been taken, I finally asked, "Is there something bothering you?"
"No. Yes. I can't talk about it."
"Ok…"
"It doesn't have anything to do with you and me. Not directly at least," She started.
"Well, that's good," I started, "So, is it something in your family?"
"No, not my family," Bron admitted.
"Better not be my family," I told her.
"No, it's not either of our families."
"Oh, well, that's good." Bron didn't look convinced. Not that I expected her to. So, if our family wasn't involved then it was someone close. It left few people, but the only one I know of that has had any big issues is Arley. "So, it must be Arley and Seb."
"Nooo…" She answered. Close, but not close enough.
"Fallon," I said. No response. Jackpot.
"Well," I started, "I don't know what terrible secret she has. She seems pretty normal to me. It might be a little nontraditional for her and her husband to not wear wedding rings, but not weird," Bron looked up, "I can't find anything weird about their family."
By the time I had finished speaking, Bron's jaw had hit the table.
"What?"