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Where am I?
Author: Cassandra Catesby
Date: 05-14-14 05:41
Cassandra had no idea how much time had passed since she had been snatched off the street. It was dark. Not even a sliver of a window to show whether it was night or day outside. She'd had time enough to explore her surroundings though, such as they were. It hadn't taken her long.
The chamber was about eight foot square, measured out by careful paces. The walls and floor felt like stone beneath her fingers, some sort of large blocks that had been hewn and carved. It was damp and slightly cool, which made her wonder if she were underground. She would have said it felt rather like being in someone's cellar or basement, but there was another word that fit the circumstances better.
Dungeon.
Not for the first time, she had to take a deep breath and suppress the tingle of fear that rippled down her spine. Panic would not help to get her out of this, whatever this was. Were Camille Revanche's accomplices in the Wonderland Gang taking some sort of revenge for her part in bringing Revanche into custody? But, if so, why target her? Why not target the Blackguard? They had had more involvement in the Wonderland Gang case than she had.
Unless, Merlin forbid, this was all a trap and she was the bait. She knew Kirley would not rest until he found her, and she knew Nephele and Pip would help him all they could. Was she just the worm wriggling on the hook, waiting for them to bite?
The uncertainty nibbled away at her composure. It was tempted to bang on the door and scream for someone to let her out, but she'd already tried that shortly after she had been dumped here. All she had gotten was a bruised hand and a sore throat for her trouble.
Where was she was? Was she even still in London any more? She had no idea, and until her captors reappeared, no way to find out.
She just wished she knew what it was that they wanted.
Dear Old Friend
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 05-14-14 18:41
Bronwyn and Toby arrived in Hogsmeade, not far from the Crown & Cauldron, where they intended on meeting with Chance and her fiancé, Jonathan. Bron had been delighted to receive Chance's letter. It had been many years since they had been in contact and a lot had happened to both women during their time apart. They had a lot of catching up to do!
It had been decided that their reunion should include their significant others, though Bronwyn looked forward to having some alone time with her dear old friend too. After all, there were some things only girls confided in with each other and other things boys had little interest in discussing, like shopping, for example.
Toby held open the door for Bronwyn. Once inside the restaurant, she made her way over to the hostess' station, where she learned that the other members of their party had already arrived. The hostess led them near the garden area to a table occupied by a man and a woman.
Bronwyn recognized Chance instantly, though Chance looked a little different. Chance got up beaming and embraced Bronwyn. Bronwyn hugged her back tightly and gushed, "It's so good to see you!"
Chance pulled back but held Bronwyn at arm's length, raising one of her hands to touch the bottom of Bron's chin-length hair. "I never thought I would see you with short hair."
"That's a story for another day, I think," Bronwyn said. She wanted to tell Chance everything she had missed in the eight years she'd been away, but some of the more serious stories she planned on saving for later. Tonight was just for getting reacquainted.
"This is Toby," Bronwyn said. "I don't know how much you remember him from when you were still at Hogwarts. We were technically dating before you left, but I guess you and I didn't hang out too much back then even though we were friends."
Chance took Toby's hand and said, "Nice to meet you. This is Jonathan," she said, indicating to her fiancé.
Bronwyn and Toby shook hands with Jonathan and then the four sat down at the table.
"So, what brings you back to Hogsmeade?" Bronwyn asked.
"Work, actually," Chance replied. "Jonathan and I have both accepted positions at The Daily Prophet."
"That's great!" Bronwyn exclaimed. "Toby's sister works there."
Toby nodded. "Katherine Spinnet," he said. "She's a photographer."
"Good to know!" Chance exclaimed, exchanging a pleased glance with Jonathan. She turned back to Bronwyn. "What about you? When I left the last time, the pet shoppe had just closed. Did you finish your studies at St. Emrys?"
"After all this time, I should hope so," Bronwyn replied, laughing. "I took an unexpected break so didn't finish as quickly as I otherwise might have," Bronwyn began, thinking about how avoiding the snatchers and hiding out in Brisbane was probably another story better saved for later, "but I do have my degree in Communications and worked for the WWN for many years."
"And you, Toby? What do you do?" Jonathan asked.
"I play beater for the Falmouth Falcons."
"A Quidditch player?" Jonathan asked, impressed. "Nice!"
Just then, a waitress came over to take their drink orders. As soon as she walked away, the catching up started up again.
(Tompa, Hungary) Small Successes
Author: Xiomara Sofia Serano
Date: 05-15-14 10:06
The town of Tompa, Hungary had proven to be quaint, and it's population less than five thousand. It was delightful, and yet I was greatly ready to be gone of it. I missed the comfort of modernity, missed the delights of reclining in a five star hotel when I traveled and more importantly I missed my daughter. Unfortunately, it would be another day or so before I could be free of the quaintness of small towns and back within the posh comforts of my own home.
I had come to meet with a young wizard, Balazs, and he was handsome, but he was of course a means to an end - a tool to be used for the information it houses. I flicked my gaze over his profile as we shared a meal, he was quiet, but then again I'd yet to prod him for information.
The words soon slide effortlessly from my lips.
"Mondd meg, hol a könyv ...*"
To his credit, he held his composure and finished the bite of Pörkölt that he had recently consumed, before he opened his mouth, unfortunately the words that slipped free were not those I most desired to hear.
"Megsemmisült. Égett a tűz."
Were I not in the midst of a muggle establishment, the man would be writhing beneath a curse right now, begging for a small amount of mercy. However, with muggles about, I would need to behave myself for the time being...that would change soon enough. Unfortunately, I knew him to be telling the truth, Veritaserum is rather difficult to lie through and there had been some added to his wine.
"Vannak példányok nincsenek ott?"
This answer, however proved more useful, and perhaps kept my dinner companion from losing his hand, or some other vital part of his anatomy. The answer, also drew a smile to my lips, one that could perhaps be described as devious, and a touch malicious.
"Igen, van két másolatai."
Leaning forward, I gently let my fingertips brush against his arm, teasing against the flesh found there. Anxious for the information that would soon pour free of his lips, with little prodding thanks to the truth serum that had been consumed.
"Mondd meg, hogy hol vannak, vagy aki őket."
He seemed to struggle, briefly with himself not wishing to answer, but at the same time unable to fight the serum burning through his veins.
"Az idősebb a város két. De nem fog részt velük könnyen."
A nod of my head, at this information as I slowly withdrew my touch, drawing away from the man. Pushing myself upward, I closed the distance between us, tossing a few coins upon the table, before pressing my wand lightly against his form and murmuring a word or two, to erase his memory of our conversation. I bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, murmuring in his ear.
"Perhaps if I return we can spend a bit more time together..."
With that, I was free of the tavern, quickly moving to the home that held the elder, no doubt someone trusted, and highly regarded - probably something akin to a mayor of sort. Well, he had something I desired, and I wasn't leaving without it.
Translations:
-Tell me where the book is
-Destroyed. Burned in a fire.
-There are copies aren't there?
-Yes, there are two copies of it.
-Tell me where they are or who has them.
-The elder of the town, but he will not part with them easily.
Finals and Feelings
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 05-16-14 09:59
Fritz sits in his Fundamentals of Potions Analysis class and writes the theoretical portion of his final exam. He took the practical portion just this morning and thinks he did well on it, though he was under a time crunch and there was much to do during the exam. He stops for a moment to put down his quill and massage his hand. Since the moment the exam began, he's been writing and writing and writing. Fritz is well-prepared, so the answers to each question come fast and furiously.
After less than a minute, Fritz returns to his exam. He finishes well before the allotted time ends, but instead of leaving right away like some students do, he reads through all his answers to make sure he didn't leave anything out or make any mistakes. When he's satisfied with the answers he put down, he gathers up his things, rises from his desk, and drops off the completed exam at the professor's desk.
Having only snacked in between the practical and theoretical exams, Fritz is absolutely starving, though it's only mid-afternoon and not yet suppertime. He decides to treat himself to something at Demeter's Diner near campus. Apparently others have the same idea, because the restaurant is a bit busier than he expected for the time of day. There's an empty table not quite in one of the corners of the room, so Fritz makes his way over there, sets down his things, and picks up the menu.
He ends up selecting an American-style hamburger with two patties, extra cheese, and slices of crispy bacon. He also orders a side of chips smothered in gooey, yellow cheese and a soda. Despite the general busyness of the restaurant, his food arrives quickly. Fritz wastes no time digging in.
He's halfway through his basket of cheesy chips when he gets the sensation of being watched. It's not the sort of sensation one gets when friends or family happen to bump into you when you least expect them. It's the type that sends a chill up one's spine. Fritz wipes grease and cheese from his fingers with a paper napkin and glances around the room. No one seems to be paying him any attention, though.
A group of students are laughing at one of the larger tables. A couple of professors are in the process of paying their bill. Another student has a burger in one hand and a quill in the other, a textbook open and propped up against the napkin holder on the table. Nobody is acting suspiciously at all.
Fritz starts to think that all the preparation he has being doing for exam week has made him a little crazy, though he hasn't felt particularly overwhelmed or stressed. He took the entire week off from work and has been able to relax in between study sessions and exams. He shrugs to himself and goes back to his meal, completely unaware that the feeling of being watched hadn't been a wrong one.
(Ariella) Taking a Break
Author: Beck
Date: 05-16-14 11:54
Ariella glanced at the watch on her wrist and decided now was as good a time as ever to take a little break. She went to the loo first and then stopped in the break room to have a snack. Ariella had never been the sort to eat nothing but junk food, but she also had never made a conscious effort to eat more healthy foods either––until now. It wasn't just her health she had to think about these days, after all. She helped herself to a bowl of mixed fruit she'd cut up in the morning before heading out to work and opened up a baby name book.
She and Lawrence had no good ideas what to name the baby, whether it turned out to be a boy or a girl. There were so many choices. How could anybody settle on just one? And would the middle name or names be family names or something unique? A coworker told Ariella that the name should be something that sounded right when yelled, a comment that had made her laugh. She tried to picture her parents standing at the base of the staircase and calling out her name, but she couldn't since they had died when she'd been a very young girl.
Her break ended all too quickly. She put a bookmark in the baby name book and carried it and the empty container of fruit back to her desk, where she was immediately intercepted by her boss.
"Here is the information for the Athens trip. I need you to make the itinerary and write up my talking points."
"Yes, ma'am," Ariella replied, taking the thick sheaf of parchments from Christiana Chadd.
She immediately set to work. The business trip to Athens was scheduled to take place just before the trip Lawrence planned on whisking her away on at the end of this month. He always surprised her with vacations to exotic or romantic destinations, which she appreciated very much, but it was lucky she could get away at all this time. Her boss was very generous and had yet to deny Ariella a request for time off, but Ariella knew that there would come a time when she couldn't take a spontaneous vacation. At least Lawrence had given her enough notice to make this one possible.
It was unlucky that their vacation would take place in the same city as her business trip, however. Ariella supposed that while working she wouldn't get to see any of the sites, unless the Greeks planned on giving their guests guided tours of the city. Visiting Athens with her boss versus her husband would definitely be two different experiences, though, and it was something to look forward to. Who knew? It might be the last vacation they took as a family of two.
Related. Sort Of. (Daniel)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 05-16-14 14:21
"I'm going to score higher than you." The smile on Iris's mouth is mischievous.
"That won't be possible as I intend on having a perfect grade," Daniel states matter of factly.
After meeting Iris back in October and having a very spur of the moment date initiated by her, she and Daniel have gone out a few times. Neither would call it a "relationship" but they enjoy each other's company, have become friends, and back when Hilary Term began were pleased to discover they were taking the same History of Magic course.
Iris makes a goofy face at him. "I intend to distract you every chance I get."
"Which means you'll be so busy trying to ruin my concentration you won't finish writing your exam and I'll have a better mark than you as a result."
"Writing an exam. I'm still not used to that one yet. At home, we always just said taking a test."
"For this one, it's a fairly spot on description."
Iris gives a small sigh. "I don't think Professor MacDougl has a clue about any sort of test question other than essay. Even short answer would be a nice change."
"I don't think I've ever mentioned Professor MacDougal and I are related. Sort of."
"Sort of related? Nooo, I don't believe you have. How are you related and how is it only sort of? Is this why you make a good grade on everything in this class?"
"Scott MacDougal is married to Madeline, whose maiden name is Wenlock. My grandmother Amica's maiden name is Wenlock. Madeline's father and my grandmother are brother and sister, which makes Madeline and my father, Samuel, first cousins."
"So you say only sort of related to Professor MacDougal because it's by marriage."
"Yep, and as for my marks in here, they're because I've earned them."
"I know but I do have to tease when I find out something like this, don't I?"
"Then you know how to take it when I point out that one word from me and your exam grade is totally tanked."
Iris laughs while lightly punching him on the arm. Further conversation is stalled for the time being when Scott MacDougal enters, ready to get the final examination started.
Letters and Charlotte
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 05-16-14 14:41
Lysander sat at the roll top desk in his flat and wrote inquiries to the different specialized booksellers he had gone to in the past for works that were rare or otherwise difficult to find. The visit from the unknown wizard the day before yesterday had come as a bit of a surprise. Normally those seeking certain types of books came after hours, and it had been some years since Lysander had received such a request.
He might have asked questions, had the wizard come to him at a different time. Lysander couldn't help but wonder if the wizard had been Adriana in disguise. He hadn't seen her since the wee morning hours of New Year's and frankly thought it best they remain apart, so he hoped the individual from a few days ago had nothing to do with her. How disappointed he would be to know the truth.
Just as he finished up his letter, Charlotte came into the room. "I'm hungry, Daddy."
Lysander folded the letter three times and sealed it shut before turning to his daughter. "It's a bit early, isn't it?"
"But I'll spoil my dinner if I eat a snack now," Charlotte countered. "Can we go to Burger Wizard?"
"It's a Friday night," Lysander responded with a shake of his head, "so it's bound to be crowded. Besides, Burger Wizard is not up to my standards when it comes to dinner. Let's cook something."
Charlotte made a face but said, "Okay. What do you want to eat?"
"What do you want to eat? You're the one who's hungry."
"Macaroni and cheese."
"That's quick and easy enough," Lysander replied. He got up and followed his daughter to the kitchen. She didn't really know how to cook but she was the type to try and help rather than sit and wait for dinner to magically appear on her plate.
Not for the first time, Lysander got the impression that her time away from him had caused her to grow up quicker than she otherwise might have normally. Even being a natural doer, Charlotte seemed to be more independent than ever, as if she knew that she couldn't always rely on her father to get her through life. In someone as young as Charlotte still was, the idea made Lysander a little sad.
He got out a pot and filled it with water. Charlotte picked out the pasta she wanted to use for the macaroni and measured out the required amount at her father's instruction. It wasn't long before the noodles were cooking on the stove.
(Ailbe) Mrs. Holmes
Author: Roisin Rae McCray
Date: 05-16-14 14:56
The muggle world always fascinated Ailbe, and he woke up each morning with great enthusiasm. For many months he had hid in a quaint muggle town, living in the home of the kind caretaker. She once said that she needed something to do and someone to care for, otherwise she'd have no reason to continue in life. Her family were all deceased, she once said, but she never spoke of whatever happened. But she did not let her loneliness and sadness known, rather keeping a friendly and cheery demeanor at all times.
Each day saw a minor adventure, something the aging man desperately needed, and each day he gave a voiceless praise to Mr. Wood who had suggested hiding in the muggle world. Ailbe had only been in the muggle world a few times in his youth and had never paid it much thought later in life. Much had changed from the few things he could remember and he greeted each new bit of information with a smile.
"Here you go," Mrs. Holmes said, handing the white teacup to her guest.
"Thank you, Mrs. Holmes." Ailbe replied.
She sat down across from him and took a sip from her own teacup. "Can I trust you to stay here alone tomorrow? I must go to the market, but I don't want you to break anything while I am gone."
"Don't worry. I won't touch a thing." Ailbe said with a laugh.
They finished their tea and followed with light conversation. Once the conversation came to an end, Ailbe retired to the guest bedroom that was now his. He pulled out some parchment and a quill:
Mr. Wood,
The time is now. We must act.
Ailbe
Talking
Author: Capri Brycin
Date: 05-16-14 15:15
It was a cool but sunny day out and Capri and Mark found a spot outside where they could sit and be alone. Facing each other the two held hands and talked.
"You know there is an Easter egg hunt on Sunday." Mark said with a smile. "There are some pretty good prizes to be won too. Like gift certificates, concert tickets, quidditch tickets as well as candy and a few other big prizes.
"Really?" Capri asked as she leaned in and stole a kiss.
"Yes. It's usually pretty fun."
"I'm just glad that my parents agreed to let me stay here for the Easter Holiday while my brat sister goes home. I am just trying to fathom two weeks without my sister and her crap. It sounds like paradise and that fact that you will be here with me makes it even better."
Mark smiled at Capri and nodded his head.
Andromeda happened by the couple as they were sitting snogging in a secluded area.
"Oooh, look who is having a little fun."
Capri paused mid kiss and then pulled away from Mark as her sister's voice filled her ears. Mark shook his head in indication to not let her get to her.
"Andromeda. I don't know what I ever did to you but I don't understand why you hate me so much."
"Because all you do is get into trouble and take away any attention that I might get. Mom and Dad only think about you and what you are doing. How you might cause more problems and get yourself into more trouble. It's always all about you, Capri. Everything is always about you."
Tears filled Capri's eyes and she looked in Mark's eyes searching for some help.
"Andromeda just leave her alone. Why don't you go find some one else to pick on. We were sitting here minding out own business when you came up."
"Then there is this Rita Skeeter thing…and it's attention all on you again. I got a letter from Mom and Dad…"
"So did I." Capri cut in. "I think you just need to leave me alone. I've hardly gotten into trouble since we've been here and I don't plan on getting into any."
"That's what you always say, Capri. It's the same thing every time."
Capri shook her head and leaned against Mark and cried while Andromeda sneered and laughed and then walked away.