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(Alanna) Aftermath
Author: Beck
Date: 01-11-17 18:42
Alanna lay in her old room at her grandparents' house and stared at the ceiling. She thought she would feel instant relief without Reed in her life, but her troubles were far from over and Alanna didn't know if she would ever experience normalcy again. She hadn't foreseen the complications that arose after Reed's untimely death, but then she hadn't expected him to die. Alanna had thought he would end up in prison, not a grave.
She'd woken up in a hospital room at St. Mungo's with her grandparents at her bedside. The looks on their faces had been part worry for her health and well-being and part concern for something Alanna hadn't immediately realized. All the while, a law enforcement officer had been stationed outside her room because she was considered a person of interest in her husband's death.
After Alanna was discharged from the hospital, which happened two days later, she was escorted to the Ministry of Magic for questioning. Law enforcement officers spent hours interrogating her on what happened the morning of New Year's Day. Alanna explained everything from the very beginning and grew more and more discouraged from the disbelief and distrust apparent in their eyes. She begged them to talk to her brother, but Anthony was barred from working on the case since they were related.
Most of Reed's secret files had either been destroyed by the fire or irreparably damaged from too much smoke, but some fragments of documents had been recovered and were in the process of being studied. Alanna, herself, didn't burn up because a neighbor had gone in to look for her and Reed upon seeing the flames through the office window. He'd pulled her out to safety and then summoned law enforcement and mediwizards to the house.
The evidence in Katherine's custody was currently of no use, since the charm Alanna had paid a wizard big money to place had been a little too specific. The contents would only be released if something severe happened to Alanna by Reed's own hand, and the most he'd done that fateful day was trip her up. That alone was not enough to release the charm. Law enforcement seized the packets Alanna had sent Katherine and were busy trying to reverse the charm. They were no doubt also looking for the wizard who cast it but apparently hadn't found him yet.
Alanna thought she would easily be in the clear even without evidence, because Reed's death had been an accident. Not so. The information gained from her long interrogations had been inconclusive, and now Alanna was under house arrest. She couldn't go home because much of it had burned down, and it wasn't home anyway. She'd be happy never to see that place again.
She heard a knock at the door and muffled conversation. There was an exclamation of protest, which should have gotten Alanna up and out of bed, but she didn't have any energy to move. She heard a pair of footsteps pound up the stairs and then the door to her room opened. Two hit wizards entered the bedroom.
"Alanna Wycombe, you're under arrest for the murder of Reed Wycombe," said the bigger of the two wizards. "You're to come with us."
Alanna sat up slowly. "But it was an accident," she explained. Why was this happening? She hadn't murdered Reed, no matter how often she'd thought about it. His death had been unexpected and not her fault in the slightest. Why was the law so certain she had meant for him to die?
"Evidence found at your husband's office suggests the contrary," said the same hit wizard. "Come quietly and there won't be any trouble."
Alanna slowly climbed off the bed. Her hair was a mess and she was wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. Her feet were in mismatched fuzzy socks. "What evidence?" she asked.
"He wrote in his diary that he was sure you would kill him if you could, among other things," the hit wizard said. He held out his wand, and Alanna obligingly held her wrists together and allowed them to be bound.
"You're basing this on something he wrote in a diary?" Alanna asked.
The hit wizard didn't reply and grabbed her by the arm. He led her out of the room, down the stairs, and past her grandmother who was in tears. Alanna tried to reassure her grandmother with a glance, but she knew she wasn't convincing. Alanna couldn't even convince herself that everything would be okay.
First Day of Winter Term
Author: Illyria
Date: 01-12-17 18:31
It was the first day of Winter Term and Illyria was wrapping up her first class of the evening: Gryffindor and Hufflepuff first years. After welcoming back her students and briefly asking about how the holidays went, she introduced the topics for the new term and then dove into a discussion on the life cycle of a star. As she lectured, she offered visual examples on the enchanted ceiling in the classroom.
Illyria's own Christmas had been quite lovely. The entire Jones clan had gathered at the home of Arsinoe, the eldest sister, who was pregnant with her fifth and she swore last child. It being Ian's first Christmas made the holiday extra special for Illyria. She decked him out in an adorable outfit of trousers, vest and bow tie, which he promptly spit up on after his own Christmas Eve dinner.
The New Year's festivities had taken place with Nathan's side of the family. Ian received a lot of attention from his Goode relatives and a decent amount of belated Christmas gifts, too. The most miraculous thing to happen during the holiday was that Ian fell asleep and actually slept through all the fireworks. For a child who never wanted to sleep and awoke quite easily, he crashed long and hard on the noisiest night of the entire year.
"That's all about stars tonight," Illyria announced. "Your homework assignment is to write an essay on black holes. No limit to how long or short you make it, but make sure you give your sources. Have a good night!"
The first years hurried out of the classroom. Illyria had only a few minutes of solitude before the next group of students entered the room. These were the third year Ravenclaws and Slytherins. She waited until the official start of class to welcome everyone back and make the same quick inquiry about Christmas and New Year's. Then, she got down to business.
"The Quadrantids meteor shower takes place in late December and early to mid-January every year." She pointed her wand to the ceiling to show the meteor shower as it looked every night it was visible.
"It's actually going on right now, but there isn't much to see anymore since the peak took place on January 3rd." The display on the ceiling cycled through the intensity of the meteor shower.
"Can anyone tell me what zenithal hourly rate, or ZHR, means?"
There were blank expressions on most everyone's faces. Illyria supposed she couldn't blame the class for not knowing, since it was only the first day back to school. Perhaps she should have required some reading over the holidays.
Eirene McLaggen raised her hand.
"Yes, Eirene?"
"Zenithal hourly rate is the number of meteors a single person sees in an hour of peak activity."
"Very good. Three points to Slytherin." Illyria turned to a blackboard to write out the mathematical formula for calculating the ZHR. When she turned back around, she noticed that a lot of faces had a glazed-over look, which was probably a combination of the math, the late hour of the evening, and the fact that school was back in session after a nice, long holiday.
Late Supper
Author: Travis
Date: 01-12-17 19:21
Indigo sets a plate of roasted vegetables on the table. "We've asked and asked but you've never said with the deal is with that Kellen chap."
"I know him through Briar. I had forgotten Ogden has an uncle so was surprised as anyone that Kellen is Kenneth Fitzmorris's brother."
"I don't think I ever knew there was a brother to have forgotten about in the first place. How did Briar come to know him?"
"Apparently, he was friends with her parents." By now, Travis knows there's more to the story but it's not information to share without Kellen's say so.
"So, he what? Comes back to the area after years away and looks her up?"
"Something like that. There were photos involved. What has you so nosy all of a sudden?"
"Not all of a sudden. I've asked before only to have you deflect or the few times I've been around Kellen weren't exactly a right time to get information out of him. Are you two dating?"
Travis nearly snorts wine up her nose. "He's close in age to Mum and Dad."
"So?"
"So, no, we aren't dating. Who's that witch with the bad blonde dye job I saw you with yesterday?"
Indi screws up his face. "Bad dye job? Blonde? Ooooooh, I think you mean Gladys Castleberry. She's got five dogs, seven cats, two guinea pigs, four horses, a pig, three pygmy goats, and a miniature donkey. A number of the menagerie are fosters. She has a potential adopter for one of the horses and was wanting my opinion and advice on whether she should allow the adoption or turn the person down. Speaking of fosters, how are your two newest?"
Travis gets a goofy grin. "I'm thinking we might have a foster fail. Clown and Fauna love them."
"But you only merely like them," Indigo says with a laugh.
"Maybe I love them too. Nothing wrong with that."
"Nothing wrong with that at all," Indigo agrees.
"Fauna acts like they are her babies. As I was worried the most about her reaction to having two kittens in the house I've bee pleased with how maternal she's been. I'm not sure about keeping their names. Bling and Sequin don't suit them."
"What do you like for them instead?"
"I'm not sure. You have any suggestions?"
As kicking around potential names for the three month old kittens is preferable for both of them over discussing their dating lives, or lack thereof, Indigo and Travis spend the rest of their late supper debating what to call Travis's two newest family members.
U-No-Poo
Author: Gerry
Date: 01-13-17 17:09
Gerry and Will had nearly reached the Great Hall for lunch, when the former felt an overwhelming urge to use the bathroom. The feeling came on quite suddenly and with a painful twinge in his gut. He turned away from Will without a word and hurried to the nearest loo, which in that moment didn't feel near enough at all. Unfortunately, even with the sudden urge to empty his bowels, Gerry couldn't actually go. He strained and shifted on the toilet seat but to no avail.
In his efforts to "make room", as he and Will jokingly called it, Gerry thought back to everything he'd eaten in the last 24 hours. Lunch yesterday had consisted of baked macaroni and cheese with bits of bacon. For supper, he'd eaten a bowl of clam chowder and a small salad, but only because Professor McGonagall had walked by and insisted he eat something green. Breakfast today had been shredded wheat, the frosted kind that tasted far better than the healthier, plain variety.
None of that, or the snacks he'd gotten in the Commons throughout yesterday afternoon and evening, should have caused the extreme bathroom problems he was currently experiencing. Gerry suddenly remembered that there was one other thing he'd eaten just that morning before breakfast, in fact.
While looking for one of his socks he thought might have wound up under his bed, Gerry had found a plastic bag containing chocolate. He couldn't remember where exactly he'd gotten it, but in that moment the origin of the bag didn't matter. Gerry emptied the contents into his mouth without a second thought, found his missing sock, and went about his day.
Could the old sweets with unknown origin be the cause of his distress? Gerry was starting to think so.
He eventually gave up on trying to eliminate his bowels and left the bathroom, though he wasn't feeling well at all. He debated going to the Hospital Wing to see if Madam Pomfrey could fix him up, but he went to the Great Hall instead and found Will.
"Where'd you run off to?" Will asked first, but upon noticing Gerry's sweaty complexion, he asked, "What's wrong? Are you sick?"
Gerry nodded and answered emphatically, "Yes." He explained what he'd eaten.
"Oh, I still have mine. Guess I definitely won't eat it after what's happened to you."
"You got one too? Where did we get it?"
"Halloween carnival," Will answered. "That headless gentleman gave it to us."
Gerry thought back and only had a vague recollection from that day. He'd been on one heck of a sugar high and Halloween had been ages ago.
"Either the chocolate went bad, or someone tampered with it," Gerry decided. "Any guesses on who the headless gentleman was?"
"Nope," Will said. He was too busy licking chocolate-hazelnut spread off his fingers.
Gerry scanned the Great Hall. The boys had played tricks on a lot of people, but the only person they'd ever truly humiliated had been Kaycee Sickleby. Had she caused his current discomfort?
"Don't throw out your bag. I want to study it," Gerry told Will. After that, he went to the Hospital Wing to get a potion from Madam Pomfrey.
Maybe, Just Maybe
Author: Jared
Date: 01-14-17 18:53
"Wycombe was an ass. Of course she did it."
"He was an ass before she married him so why would she marry him if that didn't appeal to her?"
"She wanted his money. Made sure she's named in the will then plots a way to make it look like an accident."
A hand tugs at Jared's sleeve. Kordelia Dancescu, formerly Reese-Emerson, draws him out of earshot of a version of a conversation that's been making the rounds. That it's a topic of discussion at this engagement party for two Department of Magical Games and Sports employees is not surprising.
"I know it's hard but ignore them."
Jared glances at the two Kordelia has pulled him from. "I was ignoring them." He gestures to one of the tables, the one where he'd been standing. "I was trying to decide what I want from that part of the buffet."
Kordelia's expression is skeptical.
Jared wants to roll his eyes. Wants to heave a sigh. Tell her to leave him alone. Mind her own business. Instead he says, "Really. I never had a chance for lunch today so I'm about to pass out from starvation."
Kordelia's mouth pulls into a pucker, disbelief still clear on her face. She's the one who sighs, though it's small. "It's a bit rude when they know you're around."
"Maybe they didn't realize I was close enough to hear."
"I meant around as in here at the party but," Kordelia shakes her head. "Never mind."
"All that has been the buzz around the entire Ministry for days. It's nothing I've not heard before, which is why I can easily ignore it."
"Easily, huh?"
"I've heard all the going theories, all the speculation. I've been asked my thoughts. I was even officially questioned early on. I can't say I'm entirely immune to it all but, for the most part, it's nothing more than background noise."
Kordelia looks as if she doesn't fully belief him but after another tiny sigh she apologizes. "I'm sorry if I've stuck my nose in."
Jared pats her arm. "You mean well and I appreciate that." He tilts his head towards the food ladened table. "I think I'll get that food now before I swoon at your feet."
Kordelia's lips lift into a slight smile. "Sorry again. The little ham and cheese quiches are particularly good."
"I'll be sure to try them out," he says with a smile in return.
Back at the one buffet table, near those same two people who are now talking about hearing one former colleague was fired for stealing office supplies, Jared begins adding food to a plate. He's frowning as he moves around the table because now he can't stop thinking about her and the dead husband. He definitely will not miss that one. Good riddance to bad rubbish as the old saying goes.
No one would be shocked to know his thoughts there. What might shock them is that a small part of Jared thinks that maybe, just maybe, it would have been better if she died in the fire.
Jared finds a spot at a table to sit down, allowing himself to be pulled into a discussion on which Quidditch teams are looking the best at this point in the season.
(Beatrix) Birthday
Author: Griet
Date: 01-15-17 08:49
Using her backside, since she was carrying a laundry basket filled with various items, Beatrix pushed open the door to the dorm room she shared with Rowan. She was in the process of moving back in after the long winter holiday with her family in Canterbury. Hilary term started on Monday, and Beatrix wanted more than just the weekend to buy her new textbooks and course packets. She also wanted a little bit of peace and quiet.
She'd enjoyed her time away from St. Emrys for the most part, but Beatrix had also found that being an adult in her parents' home came with its share of frustrations. They looked at her as if she were still a child, like Franciscus. If she slept too long in the mornings, they commented. If she left dirty laundry on the floor of her bedroom or didn't make her bed, her mother had something to say about it. Even this morning, on her 19th birthday, they insisted she not wear the worn, Ravenclaw sweater she'd put on over a pair of leggings, because she looked frumpy.
Beatrix thought she looked fine and didn't have any qualms about going out in public the way she was. She'd brushed her hair and put it up in a high ponytail, so it didn't even look like she'd just rolled out of bed. The important thing was that she was comfortable and happy with the way she looked.
The decision to move back into the dorm on her birthday was her present to herself. Beatrix would have loved to celebrate her big day with Rowan, but Rowan wasn't due back to the dorm for another few days. The Westwicks had gone on their first vacation as a family in thirty years, to the beaches of Ibiza in Spain. Ash and Rowan were still there, but Linden and Willow had already returned since term started at Hogwarts this week.
As far as Beatrix knew, Pablo probably wouldn't return to St. Emrys till the very last minute. He wasn't the most studious or motivated of former Ravenclaws, but what he lacked in diligence he made up for in intelligence.
Beatrix was perfectly content to be alone on her birthday, especially after the too much togetherness she'd experienced over the last month and a half. She started emptying out the contents of her laundry basket, which consisted of clean clothes, toiletries, and some of the birthday presents her family had given her at breakfast.
When she finished putting everything away, she turned to the window and decided to open it for a short while to let in some fresh air. The room smelled a bit musty after being unoccupied for so long. As it was the middle of winter, though, Beatrix didn't intend on keeping the window open for very long.
She stood at the windowsill and noticed a speck in the sky. As it approached, she realized it was an owl carrying an unusual bundle. When it was even nearer, she saw that the bundle was actually a bouquet of flowers wrapped in brown paper. The dark brown marsh owl flew straight for the open window, and Beatrix backed up to let it into the room.
The owl deposited the flower bouquet onto her desk and then landed on the windowsill to clean its feathers and wait for a treat. Beatrix didn't have any owl treats on hand, but she did have a bag of Asian-style trail mix. She wasn't sure if the marsh owl would want any wasabi peas or rice crackers, but it didn't appear to be picky. It ate from the pile of trail mix Beatrix left on the windowsill and then departed through the open window.
Beatrix, meanwhile, unwrapped the bouquet and searched for container to place it in. She didn't have a vase, but she did have a tall glass. She used her wand to make it bigger and then filled it with water and put in the flowers, which consisted of red carnations, Spanish bluebells and white Lantana. Beatrix didn't notice a card at first, but then she found it nestled in the brown paper.
To her surprise, the flower bouquet was from Ash, who wished her a happy birthday from the Spanish island where he was vacationing. Beatrix felt a big smile cross her face. She hadn't expected him to remember her birthday, much less get her anything.
"Who gave you those?"
The voice came from the doorway, and Beatrix turned to see Pablo there. He carried a duffle bag over his shoulder.
Beatrix felt her cheeks turn pink. She didn't know what she had to feel embarrassed or guilty about, but for some reason she did.
"They just arrived from Spain," Beatrix said, which wasn't a lie. She put the card face down on her desk next to the make-shift vase and crossed the room to kiss Pablo hello.
"What are you doing back here so soon?" she asked him.
"Thought I'd surprise you for your birthday," he said.
"I'm surprised!" Beatrix exclaimed, exaggerating her enthusiasm. She looked at his bag and asked, "Do you need help bringing things in?"
"Nope," Pablo answered. "This is all I have. You?"
"I'm done too, and in fact," she went on, thinking quickly, "I'd love to pop across the way and get some coffee. Want to join me?"
"Sure. Let's just stop by my room to drop this off and then we can go."
Beatrix smiled and nodded and quickly turned back to the window to latch it shut. She grabbed her coat and purse and followed Pablo out of the dorm room.
Sick
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 01-15-17 10:35
Bronwyn rested on the couch with a blanket covering her and Shadow the cat nestled against her side. A box of tissues and a perpetually hot cup of tea were near at hand. She'd been sick since the start of the work week, but today was the first day that she felt bad enough to stay home. The Wizarding Wireless Network would probably air a rerun of one of her shows, unless her producer found someone else to fill in for her.
Toby was also at home after having suffered a bad sprain to the shoulder during Quidditch practice yesterday afternoon. His coaches insisted he stay home today to allow the healer's potions enough time to work their literal magic, but Toby was set to return to practice tomorrow, even if he just remained on the sidelines.
He sat in a nearby armchair and read The Daily Prophet. A frown marred his handsome face.
Bronwyn, who didn't have the energy to read one of her many fashion magazines piled on the coffee table, glanced over and asked, "More bad news?"
"More like no news," Toby replied.
The latest about Alanna's situation was that she was being held at the Ministry of Magic pending her trial, which was being fast-tracked and meant that she would probably end up in Azkaban by the weekend. It was one thing to have Anthony falsely imprisoned, but knowing his baby sister would end up behind bars and in Azkaban of all places really disturbed Toby.
It didn't help matters that everyone in the Beck family, especially Anthony the auror, believed Alanna's story. She'd sacrificed herself for the sake of those she loved, and Reed's death, though welcome, had been a terrible accident.
Being the eldest, and in lieu of his deceased parents, Toby was supposed to protect his younger siblings. He was failing spectacularly at it.
Bronwyn looked over at her husband and frowned. She wished that she could do something to help ease his concerns. If only the information Alanna had sent Katherine for safe-keeping was accessible. Apparently the packets contained evidence that just might help Alanna. At the very least, it would prove Reed wasn't on the up and up. That had to count for something.
Toby threw down the newspaper and looked at his wife. "If he weren't already dead, I could kill him," he said.
Bronwyn sighed. "And then you'd be awaiting trial for his murder."
"Better me than Alanna."
"Don't say that. She's innocent, and the truth has to come out. It has to!"
Toby didn't feel very confident that it would, but he nodded and said, "Yeah."