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High Voltage [Bertie & Edwina]
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 01-26-16 17:47
A group of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor first years enter the Great Hall together, coming from History of Magic. Albert Nutcombe is carrying the school bag he got from his Secret Santa, another first year named Jacob Harper. A few steps inside the doors, the aroma of food tantalizing to the small group who've been on the go with three classes this morning, Rand Prinsloo gestures to Bertie's bag. "What does high voltage mean?"
Bertie shakes his head and shrugs. "Don't know. Maybe from a book or something."
Edwina Trainor, looking just as perplexed, tells him, "I meant to ask you when I saw it over the holiday. Sylvestor got a messenger bag too and he didn't know what the decoration was either. Libby and her sister Georgia told us."
Bertie scrunches up his face in thought. "That's the one that has like a cross and red dots and stuff on it? Tindeno?"
"Nintendo," Edwina corrects. "They said the bag looks like Muggle game piece. Ummmm, controller? Yeah, I think that's it. A Muggle game controller."
Bertie says, "What's that?" at roughly the same time Rand asks, "A controller of what?"
Edwina shakes her head. "It's hard to explain. Georgia went to her Muggle grandparents' and got one from there to show us. Anyway, Jordan Thompson gave the bag to Sylvestor. She's good friends with Jacob Harper so maybe yours is something Muggle too, Bertie."
They all look to the main table at the same time, Bertie saying what they're all thinking. "The Muggle Studies teacher and club head probably could tell us."
As one, the three start that direction instead of going to one of their house tables to eat. Rand has Astronomy tonight but otherwise they are finished with classes for the day and won't need to rush through lunch so they might as well see if Professor Miller can satisfy their curiosity as to what high voltage means.
Twins
Author: Ellis
Date: 01-26-16 18:12
Conrad copied down the homework assignment Professor Morgan had written on the blackboard and then stuffed his notebook and quill into his book bag. He made sure the top to his ink well was screwed on tight before he tossed the bottle into the bag, and then he got up, slung the bag over his shoulder, and made his way over to the door.
It was the first day of Winter Term, and Conrad already felt worked to death. Maybe it was because he wasn't used to a busy schedule after the long, relaxing holiday. At any rate, being a first year, Conrad really didn't know what overworked felt like. What he did know was that he'd had three back-to-back classes this morning, including Transfiguration, DADA, and History of Magic. His day would end late tonight after Astronomy.
He went straight into the Great Hall, where he joined his sister Blakeney at the Hufflepuff table. For a change, Alys was also there. She was reading from a letter received that morning at breakfast.
Late last night, after the three Ellis siblings were already back at Hogwarts following the long train ride from King's Cross, their mother went into labor and delivered a pair of twins at St. Mungo's Hospital. The babies, a boy and a girl, were named Quinn and Rosaleen.
Having new arrivals in the family was both exciting and old hat for the elder Ellis siblings. Conrad in particular wondered if his parents would ever stop having kids. They only needed seven more to get to the end of the alphabet, but what if the baby named Z also turned out to be a twin? Would his parents start with A again, have two Zs, or do something insane like name the baby after a special character? How would that even get pronounced?
Alys put down the letter, which her father had sent that morning. She turned to her siblings and said, "Twins, again."
"It's not surprising," Blakeney said. "Mum's really fertile."
"Yuck," Conrad said, making a face. "Can we talk about something else?"
"Daphne and Emily seem excited about starting Hogwarts next year," Alys said.
Blakeney raised a brow and grinned impishly. "Shall we bet on where they end up like we did Conrad?"
"No," Alys pointedly remarked. "If I lose again, I'll probably have to buy you two things."
Blakeney laughed. "You're no fun." She turned to her brother. "What about you, Conrad? Care to make a wager?"
"Let's revisit this conversation in a few months," Conrad said. "I need to weigh all my options."
"That's code for, he needs to think of a really good thing he wants in case he wins, and he wants to have enough time to really figure out where Daphne and Emily belong," Alys said, grinning.
Conrad gave her a playfully scornful look. "Don't give away all my secrets, okay?"
Blakeney laughed again. "Fine. We'll talk again in a few months."
Conrad smiled and said, "Don't think you're a shoo-in to win just because you won last time."
"Oh, I'm confident I'll win no matter what. I'm just that good."
Conrad grinned and said, "We'll see about that."
Sal Ammoniac
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 01-27-16 18:28
On this first day of term after the Christmas holidays, the seventh year Alchemy students are learning about sal ammoniac. Fritz has an example of the mineral, which almost looks like ice. He's really in his element today, because he gets to discuss chemistry as well as alchemy.
Sal ammoniac is composed of ammonium chloride and has been used since ancient times. The Romans in ancient Lybia collected ammonium chloride deposits near the Temple of Jupiter Amun and called the compound sal ammoniacus, or salt of Amun. Sal ammoniac is used to clean the soldering iron for making stained-glass windows and has also been used to make cookies crispy in texture. It's still used to make salty licorice, of which Fritz has provided samples to all his students.
Historical alchemists like Albertus Magnus, Isaac Hollandus and Basil Valentine all wrote about sal ammoniac. It was first manufactured in Egypt using soot. In Europe, it was made using common salt and urine. Nowadays, ammonium chloride is usually purified by sublimation, or the transition of a substance from the solid to gas without passing the liquid phase.
Sal ammoniac has health benefits, too. It loosens bronchial secretions, stimulates the intestines, is a diuretic, and aids neuralgia, among other things.
"We're just about out of time," Fritz announces, after a quick glance at his wrist watch. His students have sort of glazed-over expressions on their faces. Today's class was all lecture and no hands-on tasks, but tomorrow's class will involve a practical assignment. "We're going to make sal ammoniac tomorrow," he says, which causes a few faces to flicker with interest.
The seventh years file out of the classroom. Fritz stays behind, since he has office hours. He doesn't expect to see anybody today, it being only the first day of Winter Term. Fritz keeps busy by getting thing ready for tomorrow morning's class. He starts by putting a volumetric flask and stopper on each desk. Then he makes sure he has enough ammonia and hydrochloric acid in his storage closet. The experiment won't require much more than a freezing charm. It's so simple, and it will have amazing results. He just knows the students will enjoy themselves tomorrow!
Happy Couple
Author: Mildred
Date: 01-28-16 13:20
"I think I've done some progress," Wesley said. Mildred looked to the plate on his desk and she commented it looked the same to her. "Feel it," he invited.
She touched the plate. Instead of its usual cold hard surface, the plate was soft and it deformed in the place Mildred's finger had put pressure on. They were at the Transfiguration class, where they were supposed to turn a dinner plate into a mushroom. Wesley had managed to get the right texture, but its mushroom still had the form and shape of a plate. Professor Black passed by the desk, checked Wesley's progress and he encouraged them to continue practicing.
"It's so hard!" Wesley complained when Professor Black walked away. He had been hoping he would be awarded points due to his achievement.
"It's a matter of focusing," Mildred said, checking her notes to see if she was saying the spell correctly. There was an h in the incantation, and Professor Black had warned them it should be pronounced, almost like a whisper.
"Tell that to them," Wesley said, pointing to the back rows where Queenie and Achilles were seated, together. They didn't seem very committed to their work and they took advantage of a moment when Professor Black was checking Hope Hyland and Katheryn Finch's work, to share a quick kiss. Queenie giggled and she used her hand to cover her mouth, trying to be quiet.
Everyone on the group was already starting to get tired of Achilles and Queenie as a couple. They were very passionate and were always exchanging kisses, or goofing around with each other. They did it in a loud way, and Mildred knew that the only reason they haven't yet lost any points for their behavior was because the term had only started yesterday. However, they were pushing their luck, because McGonagall had reprehended them at breakfast. Mildred and Wesley were a more discrete couple: they kissed when no one was watching, and they were happy with just holding hands in public. But there were things Queenie and Achilles did in public that Mildred would not feel comfortable with, like their snogging at the Gryffindor common room.
"Just forget about them," she said and turned her attention back to her dinner plate. After a few more attempts she had managed to transfigure half her plate into a mushroom.
"Nice one! Now you just have to double your efforts," Amelia teased from her desk she was sharing with Melpomene. Amelia had given up practicing the spell, but Melpomene had managed to do what was asked and she was waiting to show it to Professor Black. She was the best of the group when it came to school work.
The bell rang five minutes later, and the Gryffindors left the class, marching to History of Magic classroom. Achilles and Queenie stayed behind. Mildred wanted to remind Achilles they had to patrol the corridors later, together, but she didn't want to interrupt the happy couple. She took a glance at the two of them, and in a strange way she found herself hating the way Queenie had adjusted Achilles' hair and the way he smiled at her.
(Alanna) Honeymoon
Author: Beck
Date: 01-29-16 17:42
Alanna stood on the deck of the Silver Goddess, the yacht Reed had rented for their honeymoon in the Caribbean. It was as silver as its name suggested, with a sleek body that reflected the crystal blue waters of the ocean. The newlyweds had traveled from island to island in the yacht, and their honeymoon was far from over.
Alanna had to be the only bride in history to wish to be anywhere but on that yacht with her new husband. They had departed for The Bahamas on New Year's Day, where they spent a few days before chartering the yacht and sailing to Turks and Caicos. They were currently heading for Aruba.
She heard Reed come up the stairs from below deck, and then his arms were around her. He nuzzled the side of her neck and breathed in the scent of her hair. Alanna fought the urge to shudder or shrug him off. Even though there was no one there to witness anything between them, she had to keep up the appearance that she at least tolerated him. He wasn't stupid enough to think she loved him, but as long as she was receptive to his wants and needs, then he could live with the nature of their relationship.
Alanna could barely tolerate the mess she'd gotten herself into, but she had no choice. During their stop in the Virgin Islands, Reed had gotten a letter from abroad. It just so happened to regard the crime for which Anthony had gotten arrested. Apparently there was evidence to suggest Anthony hadn't committed the murder, and though he hadn't yet been released from Ministry custody, it seemed imminent.
Alanna hadn't been surprised, but a choked sob had nevertheless escaped her upon receiving the news. Anthony had languished behind bars for almost an entire year. He had missed the birth of his son.
As far as she was concerned, it was all her fault.
Reed squeezed her middle and asked, "What's wrong?"
Alanna shook her head. "Nothing. I'm just a little cold."
It was a bright and sunny day, but it was January and the breeze off the water was chilly. Reed gave her another squeeze and then went below deck to retrieve Alanna's jacket. He slipped it over the cardigan she was already wearing and then wrapped his arms around her again.
Alanna stifled a sigh and stared at the horizon. It was all she could do to maintain her composure. The honeymoon could not end soon enough.
Weekend Plans
Author: Susan Fricks
Date: 01-30-16 14:17
After breakfast, Blair and Georgiana went to Charms. They spotted Maud on the corridor, and knowing she was going to have the same class as them, Blair approached her.
"Good morning!" Blair greeted.
Maud didn't seem to share Blair's energy, as she clearly looked like she needed a couple more hours in bed. She confessed to Blair she had been practicing some transfiguration spells until late hours of the night, at the Ravenclaw common room. Blair couldn't understand Maud's need to practice so much, when she was already good with her spells. Georgiana had commented once that Maud didn't practice too much because she needed to, but because she liked it. Blair was starting to convince herself that matched to the truth.
"Do you have plans for the weekend?" Blair asked Maud, as they entered the Charms' classroom.
"Just doing homework. Why?"
"Georgiana and I are going to explore the castle."
"Explore the castle?" Maud inquired as they took a seat. She occupied the front row. Blair looked at the seat next to Maud with a grimace, and she took the chair behind her. She didn't like front rows. Georgiana didn't either, and she sat next to Blair.
"Yes. We have been here for a whole term and we still haven't found any secret passage! I've heard a Hufflepuff mentioning he had used a secret passage as a short cut, so he wouldn't be late for class. Can you imagine how much time we would spare by going from one place to another? It wouldn't be so bad, if they didn't make us carry so much textbooks between classes. So what do you say? Do you want to come along?"
"I'm not sure…how about Filch? He probably won't like what we will be doing."
"Filch won't even notice a thing. And it's not against the rules to look behind portraits, test the walls for passages or just walk around the castle on a weekend," Georgiana said.
"Exactly," Blair supported. "We aren't doing anything wrong. It's going to be great!" she exclaimed, feeling quite excited with the idea of exploring the castle. Last semester she was still adjusting herself to her life at a boarding school and to its routine. Now, she was already starting to feel that Hogwarts was like a second home to her, a place where she would spend a great portion of her life, and she wanted to make the most of it. Exploring the castle seemed the next logic to take.
"Can I invite someone to come with us?"
While Georgiana said 'Ff course', Blair asked 'who?'. She didn't want Susan to come with them. Not because she didn't enjoy her cousin's company, but because Susan was a second year and she probably knew a lot more about the castle then the rest of them. She would spoil their fun.
"My friend, Reginald."
"I guess that will be fine," Blair approved.
Reginald Price was also a first year, but a Slytherin. Blair wasn't particularly lean to like the people from that house since the day an older sixth year student had bullied her and Georgiana into leaving their nice seats at the common commons by the fireplace, just because he was older and could easily turn them into cockroaches, if they didn't stood up. However she also knew not everyone from Slytherin was like that boy, and if Maud called Reginald a friend, then he probably was cool.
The classroom filled with first years Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, as they were talking and Professor Flitwick entered the room as well. The lesson began and Blair tried to pay attention, but it was hard because her mind was always traveling to her weekend plans.
Witness Again
Author: Ginny Weasley
Date: 01-30-16 19:09
"Ginny Potter."
Ginny gets up from the bench outside the courtroom where a new trial for Freya Southway is underway. Somehow Freya's attorney got her conviction appealed and a new trial scheduled. Member of the Holyhead Harpies and others affected by Freya are shocked, appalled, and angry.
It's been difficult sitting and waiting to be called to testify yet again while not talking about how this all came about. Two court employees stand monitoring everyone to ensure nothing s said about Freya, this trial, or the previous one. Ridiculous really when that's all any of them have talked about with each other before coming to wait their turns today.
Inside the courtroom Ginny takes the indicated seat and is sworn in. The Wizengamot solicitor takes Ginny through a series of questions that are either identical or similar to the ones she was asked in the first trial. Ginny answers each easily, comfortably, confidently.
When Freya's attorney, a woman called Deena Thrushton, is given the floor, her initial line of questioning isn't an expected one. "Ginny Potter. Your husband is Harry Potter, correct?"
"The Harry Potter who is cousin of the Ministry of Magic's most wanted Adriana Fairchild?"
"Yes."
"Isn't it true that Mr. Potter's relationship with Miss Fairchild is suspect enough that he is suspended from his duties as an Auror?"
The Wizengamot's man, Dustin Malkin - distantly related the Madam Malkin - objects. "What has this line of questioning to do with Miss Southway and the crimes of which she is accused?"
"I am merely establishing the credibility of this witness," Ms. Thrushton counters.
"By questioning Mrs. Potter about her husband?"
"Mrs. Potter is married to someone no longer fully trusted by the Ministry."
"I fail to see what that has to do with her credibility regarding Miss Southway. Are you suggesting guilty by association, in this case association by marriage?"
"Something like that, yes."
Mr. Malkin makes an exasperated sound and turns to the small group of Wizengamot members who will be deciding this trial's outcome. Ginny sinks a little in the somewhat uncomfortable chair. She'll either be dismissed relatively quickly or this will drag out awhile.
Three hours later Ginny's time as a witness still is not over. The constant back and forth between the two attorneys has meant she's actually been asked few questions by the defense. At this rate, she'll still be on the stand when the trial breaks for the day.