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(Alanna) Client & Coffee Break
Author: Beck
Date: 10-20-17 17:53
Alanna sat in a small conference room at the Diagon Alley office of Blakely and Winfred and listened to a witch describe her grievance against a contractor she used to install new plumbing fixtures in her Sheffield home. Evidently, the contractor used a cursed toilet in the master bedroom.
The toilet constantly spewed water or sewage, which caused severe damage to not only the bathroom, but adjoining parts of the house. The complainant was positive the contractor had knowingly put a cursed toilet in the home, but could not provide any proof.
Alanna dutifully took notes and thought about how she would proceed with discovery. The witch probably had a case against the contractor, at least in terms of shoddy workmanship, but law enforcement would have to determine whether criminal activity was involved.
After the lengthly meeting finally concluded, Alanna escorted her client to the door and then went to her office to organize her thoughts. It wasn't long before she felt the need for some caffeine or fresh air or maybe both. She let the office receptionist know that she was stepping out, pulled on a light cloak over her business robes, and stepped out into the autumn air.
Alanna ended up walking over to Pie in the Sky, which still wasn't open for business. She found Ariella seated in a booth, working on a menu. Karina was seated opposite her mother, drawing on a sheet of parchment. Adam was dozing in his carrier, which was on the table.
Alanna slid into the space next to her niece and asked, "What are you drawing?"
"Us," Karina answered.
Alanna leaned in to take a closer look and saw that Karina had drawn five stick figures. One was her great grandfather, one was Ariella, one was Alanna, one was Karina herself, and one was baby Adam.
Alanna liked the picture because it represented Karina's household as it currently really was, but it also made her a bit sad. Karina should have her father in her life, but he was off doing Merlin-knew-what in Australia.
"Got any coffee?" she asked her sister.
"There's a small pitcher already brewed on the counter," Ariella answered. "Help yourself."
Alanna did and then slid back into the booth next to Karina. It was hard feeling completely happy these days, but being surrounded by family rarely failed to uplift her mood.
(Magnus) Owlery
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 10-21-17 03:06
After Herbology class, Magnus went to the Owlery in order to use one of the school's owls, so he could send a letter to his parents. He was still not used to the fact he could not use a telephone to contact his parents. On his very second day at the castle he had asked Ned where the telephones were and for how long he could use them to speak to his parents. He knew some boarding schools were very strict about telephone privileges and since he didn't spot anyone with a cell phone, he assumed Hogwarts forbid the use of such devices. Ned had no idea what Magnus was talking about. He didn't know what a telephone was and when Magnus explained the concept to him – something he never thought he would have to do in his life – Ned said that there were no telephones in the wizarding world.
"How else am I going to communicate with my parents?" Magnus had asked.
"By letter, of course, "Ned replied, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Magnus couldn't help thinking that not even his grandparents wrote letters anymore. That was something very old fashioned and out dated. But it seemed that it was how things worked at Hogwarts and he had to do some letter writing if he was to communicate with his parents. Ned explained Magnus the owl system and now every morning at breakfast, he would raise his head like everyone else once the owls arrived, expecting a letter from home.
Letter writing was something Magnus was still getting used to. Although eager to write to his parents and tell them all the experiences he was living at Hogwarts, he didn't have much patience to write everything down. He would prefer to tell them all about his classes, classmates, and hobbies in person, or by telephone. How would he explain in a letter his Herbology classes? It was a mix of gardening with botany, but he realized that there were tons of plants and herbs he had never heard about, some which could be life threatening. And how about Potions? It reminded Magnus of a chemistry lesson, but instead of elements like potassium and sodium, they were using rat tails and eels' eyes. So he just stick with the basics, saying that he was doing well, he made a friend named Ned, that he was eating well, and didn't have any troubles sleeping at night, like one of his roommates, who he had heard crying on the first nights at the castle.
In the letter he was going to sent today, Magnus told his parents he had joined the school's newspaper club. It was called the Hogwarts Herald, and Magnus was excited to get started. He thought that joining the school newspaper would bring him a deeper knowledge of the school and the wizarding world, as there was still so much he didn't know about.
He was selecting an owl when Eileen McCourt entered the Owlery. Magnus noticed her red eyes, a clear sign she had been crying. He didn't want to be nosy, but it was being awkward to be in the same division as a sad girl, so he asked in a cool tone:
"Bad news from home?"
"No, I don't think so. It's just my brother Elmer. I told him I was chosen to play as a keeper, for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and he hasn't written me ever since. He's not happy, so he is giving me the silent treatment. I just came here to see if by chance there was a letter for me. Maybe the owl dropped it on the floor by mistake…"
Eileen started to pathetically look around the owlery floor. However there was nothing there but straw and mice's bones.
"I might not be the best person to advise you regarding siblings, has I don't have any brothers or sisters, but if you ask me your brother is being a complete git. And you're wasting your time searching for a letter that you know it's not coming any time soon. Aren't Ravenclaws supposed to be clever? That's what my friend Ned told me. I think you're not being very clever at this moment, McCourt."
It was strange to call her by his own surname, but he just didn't felt he knew her well enough to treat her as Eileen. Magnus had already realized the McCourt sisters had a somewhat famous aura at the school. Ned explained to him that some wizarding families took their family name, values and tradition very serious. He named the Weasleys, the Blacks, the Potters, among others, and although the McCourts were not included in that list, Magnus could tell they were also important in this complicated web. Carrying the same surname as them did not bother him at all, but it seemed to bother others. He had noticed that the McCourt girl from Slytherin would sometimes stare at him as if he was a cockroach she would like to step. Eileen was not like that, but since they were in different houses, he didn't have much interaction with her yet.
"You don't understand. Elmer is a sick frail boy. I don't want to cause him any more pain than he already endures. "
"He's not in pain, he's jealous," Magnus stated. He didn't know this Elmer McCourt boy at all, but he decided on that moment he did not like him. He seemed some type of spoiled boy, used to have his sisters all around him, especially Eileen. "But you do what you want," he concluded, delivering his letter to an owl and watching it depart from one of the large windows. "See you later, McCourt."
"Goodbye," she mumbled, still looking out for a missing letter addressed to her person.
Work Meeting
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 10-22-17 07:55
Hermione stepped out of Westminster Station and moved to the street corner, where she waited for the light to change. Already, the area was thick with tourists. An Asian couple gestured for her to take their photograph in front of Big Ben. Hermione obliged, thinking how good it was that she had been working in the Muggle world for a while now and more or less knew her way around smart phones.
After returning the mobile phone to the couple, she crossed the street with the crowd. At the entrance to the Palace of Westminster, Hermione showed her badge to the guard at the checkpoint and was let through onto the grounds. She made her way to her office, where she first made herself a cup of tea and then settled down to check her email.
Partway through culling her inbox, Hermione received a notification that she had a meeting with the Prime Minister in fifteen minutes. She halted checking her email to gather together her notes for the meeting and to quickly finish her tea. Then, she was off to the small conference room, where she and a few others shot the breeze until the PM and his secretary arrived and officially started the meeting.
The Prime Minister began with a discussion on the Olympics, which were set to take place during the summer in London. Talk included security measures and celebrations. Hermione wasn't sure what the Olympics had to do with the Wizarding world, though she did think it might be fun to check out some of the sporting events.
The discussion shifted to worldwide politics, before finally turning to the reason Hermione was there. The PM wanted to know of any political issues and dangers going on in the Wizarding world, and in particular, what was going on with the Death Eaters. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Magic's undercover operative had not been able to provide any information of substance. Teams were working around the clock to unravel the spells placed upon him that preventing him from talking, but all efforts had so far failed.
Hermione promised to share anything she learned as soon as it became available, which hopefully would be sooner than later. It was known that the Ministry's mole was seriously affected by something he'd seen at Death Eater HQ, which made the lack of information all the more worrisome.
Photographed
Author: Carys
Date: 10-23-17 18:07
Carys left the Diagon Alley Arts Club after a productive meeting and felt pretty good about herself. The small art installation she had been a part of had just closed, but she had been asked to come up with photographs for a new exhibition. Carys was glad the group liked her work and looked forward to collaborating with them again.
She was all set to head back to Cardiff, where Juliet was manning the studio, when she bumped into Owen on the street. He was carrying shopping bags over both of his arms.
"I'm surprised see you here," he remarked, after greeting Carys.
"No appointments today, and any walk-ins will just have to wait or come back later," Carys answered. "And what brings you to London?"
"Back to school shopping," Owen replied with a sideways grin. He was turning out to be the perpetual student.
"It's almost that time again, isn't it?" Carys asked. How was it already nearly October?
"Hard to believe, I kn––" But before Owen could finish his thought, a flashbulb blitzed in his face. He and Carys both turned startled gazes at the photographer standing just feet away from them. The photographer took another photograph, temporarily blinding them both.
"The darling of Goen Bren with her warden's brother. The scandal! The intrigue! Our readers are just dying to learn more. Care to comment?" asked a witch dressed in acid green and standing off to the side of the photographer.
Carys couldn't even speak. She knew who Rita Skeeter was and couldn't believe that the witch would make such an accusation.
Owen had no problem commenting, though. "You're disgusting. You're making up a story that doesn't even exist."
The flashbulb blitzed again.
Owen ground his teeth together and grabbed at the camera, nearly pulling it out of the photographer's grasp.
"Let's go, Bozo," Skeeter said. "I think we've gotten all we need."
They sidled away, leaving Owen stewing and Carys stunned.
"Are you okay?" Owen asked. He started to touch her arm but then thought better of it.
Carys recollected herself and said, "Yeah. I think so. I better go, though."
"Yeah. Talk later?"
"Yeah."
They split up then, with Carys apparating for Hanham Photography, where she told a shocked Juliet what had just happened.
Good Sport
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 10-23-17 19:05
Harry extends a hand to shake. "Thank you for seeing me, Mrs. Clarkly."
"I'm curious why the Ministry would reopen Oren's case after ten years." She gestures to a chair while taking a seat as well. "There's also meeting the famous Harry Potter."
He offers a smile, hoping that the only reason she agreed to see him isn't because he's Harry Potter. Opening a notepad, quill not quite poised to write, he replies, "Unsolved cases get looked over every so often. People remember things or come across something that could be a clue. That sort of thing."
"I'm not sure what I can tell you. I've remarried and after years of trying we finally have a child. I don't even have pictures of Oren out any longer except for the one in a bureau in the spare bedroom. I don't want my husband inundated with Oren's memory. Oren's disappearance with hard on us both."
"You knew your husband when still married to Mr. Paulson?"
"Yes. Oren and Zeke grew up next door to each other."
Harry flips through his notes. "I don't recall the name Zeke Clarkly in the file. As a close chum I would have thought he'd be questioned."
"Zeke was out of the country at the time. Why would he have been?"
"Just as other friends and family were questioned in an effort to gain insight into Oren Paulson's last weeks and even months before he vanished. Do you think Mr. Clarkly would speak with me?"
"I don't see why not. I'll ask him to contact you."
"Thank you. Now, if you don't mind, take me back to that last day."
Unlike some who get testy at having to go back over the same information, answering the same questions, for the better part of an hour Edantha Clarkly is a good sport going over the events of ten years ago that she'd relayed repeatedly when her first husband vanished in what appears to be a dark magic related incident. When Harry is leaving she says she'll be sure and have her husband Zeke contact him no later than tomorrow. Unsure of whether this visit did any good or if talking with Ezekiel Clarkly bring forth new information, Harry returns to the Ministry, glad to be back in the field but wishing it was on active cases.
Lunch Meeting
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 10-26-17 18:07
Harry steps into the restaurant, its dim lighting making it hard to see after the natural light outside. He's still blinking when someone says, "You're Harry Potter, aren't you?"
No sense in denying it when this is a Wizarding restaurant and he's been in the newspapers at least a few times. "Yes, that's me."
"Your friend is already here and seated." The smiling hostess has hair of such a red color he wonders if she's a Weasley relation. She directs him to the table then turns to greet a trio who've entered just behind Harry.
At the table a moon faced man with rectangular wire spectacles, and wiry, curly hair that reminds Harry of an Airedale Terrier's fur, rises with hand outstretched. "Zeke Clarkly."
"Harry Potter. Thank you forseeing me."
"Happy to, though I'm not sure how I can help with Oren's disappearance."
They put that thought on hold to for Harry to give his drink order, Zeke having already ordered something. Surprisingly for the time of day that something looks to be alcoholic but not wanting to put Zeke Clarkly off before having a chance to ask a single question, Harry says nothing.
Zeke gestures to the menu. "I know what I'm getting but take your time deciding what you'd like."
The menu has a few photos with the salmon pie looking tasty so he decides to go with that.
After giving their orders Harry takes them back to the subject of Oren Paulson. "When Mr. Paulson vanished, you were not questioned. As a close friend you should have been."
"But I was questioned.
"There's no record of it."
"Probably because I didn't know anything. The officer, I can't recall the name after all these years, asked had I noticed anything off with Oren. I said no. That was pretty much the extent of it."
"When was this? That is, how long after Oren vanished did the office speak with you?"
"Ummm, three? Maybe four. I'd been gone on business. When I got word that Oren seem to be missing I wanted to rush back but my immediate boss at the time would not have been understanding if I'd not seen the business deal through."
Over the course of lunch, Harry guides Zeke Clarkly through a series of questions and memory prods to garner what information he can. If he's stuck on cold cases he's going to do his best to make progress, even if it's tiny, on each case he's assigned.
At Work
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 10-27-17 09:09
Bill shook hands with a client who had just closed out his bank account because he was moving to China. The client, an employee with the Ministry's Department of International Magical Cooperation, was transferring to China's counterpart. The client had emptied some items from his vault today and had arranged for the rest to be transferred to his new bank in Beijing.
After seeing the client to the bank's entrance, Bill stood in the doorway for a brief moment. It was a bit on the chilly side, but the sun was shining brightly, making it a very pretty day. His mind wandered to Victoire, who was at school and perhaps outside for afternoon recess.
There had been no sighting of the bad man who had frightened her in the park several weeks ago. True to her word, Blossom as well as the other teachers at Hogsmeade Primary Day and the daycare had kept their eyes open for the mysterious person. Bill had also reached out to Order members and law enforcement who lived in Hogsmeade.
Despite no sightings, Bill still felt concerned. They had no idea who the man was or what his motives were for lurking in the park. Victoire had renewed nightmares, too. She slept fitfully every night and was often tired during the day. Hopefully with time, the nightmares would dissipate, but Bill and Fleur worried for their daughter.
Fortunately, Victoire's mood had not rubbed off on the other children. It was disconcerting enough to have one upset child. Having three would be all the more stressful.
Bill closed the front door to the bank when he started to feel a bit chilly and returned to his office. Only a few more hours in the workday remained. He had another afternoon appointment with which to keep himself occupied and sat down at his desk to prepare for it.
Double Cross
Author: Lee Sickleby
Date: 10-28-17 13:42
Lee woke up on a cot in what appeared to be a large tent. Mostly Nigerian wizards were going about various business, which seemed to include military planning and treating the wounded. Lee felt a bit disoriented at first, but then he remembered that he was among the wounded.
His lower half was covered in a blanket, and a large bandage was wrapped around his naked torso. He'd taken a bad curse to the abdomen during a duel with a dark wizard––no, with Travers. Lee sat up suddenly, remembering more of what happened, and instantly regretted the movement. He winced and sank back down onto his pillow, wishing he had something for the pain.
A mediwizard hurried over and pushed gently on his shoulders. "You need to rest," he said in heavily accented English. "The potion is still working its way through your system."
Lee didn't remember taking a potion, but he took the healer's word for it and nodded his head. "Newell?" he then asked, but he already knew the answer as the memory flooded his mind.
Newell was dead.
The mediwizard frowned and patted Lee's shoulder. "Rest now," he repeated, and then he left to attend to someone else.
Lee squeezed his eyes shut for a long moment. The reconnaissance mission to a potion-making facility at the beginning of August had gone well. Travers had already done most of the leg work and merely needed to get the others on board, but he also welcomed their suggestions.
The three eventually agreed upon a plan to raid the facility, but the preparation took several weeks. There were security spells that needed careful dismantling, not to mention guards stationed everywhere. Then there were the innocent potioneers who had no idea the facility wasn't on the up-and-up. The three had to figure out a way to get them out safely without raising suspicion or alarm.
When the day finally came, everything appeared to go smoothly, until Travers revealed his double-cross. It turned out that he was in league with Zukovsky, and in the duel that followed, Newell was killed and Lee injured. He barely got out of the facility alive.
Did his handler already know what had happened? Lee couldn't remember having a discussion with him, but maybe one of the Nigerians had said something. And what about Alaia? Lee had told her he was on business but would be home soon. How long had he been in that cot?
He could feel himself get worked up, and more than anything, he wanted to get out of bed, but Lee could see the mediwizard eyeballing him critically from across the tent. Better he be compliant, or he might aggravate his injury and be bedridden all the longer.
In the Park
Author: Marzipan
Date: 10-29-17 09:54
Marzi and Illyria shared a bench in the park in Hogsmeade and watched as Ian played in the sandbox. The air was cold, but the sun was shining brightly and there was no wind. The nearly fourteen-month old was bundled up warmly, though, but he did not seem bothered by the chill.
The two Hogwarts teachers were also dressed warmly, and each nursed a cup of hot cocoa purchased at the bakery. Marzi had taught two classes in the morning, while Illyria last class had taken place at midnight. Both were a bit sleepy, but the chilly air helped keep them alert.
"I still can't believe he wrote to you," Illyria mused aloud, referring to a letter Marzi had received at breakfast in the Great Hall.
The letter had come from none other than Heathcote Hamstead, who hadn't been seen since before the release of the book A History of the Communities for Nons. There'd been a great deal of puzzlement concerning the fact that Hamstead, allegedly interned at 14-15-14 along with Marzi and Illyria, didn't actually appear in the book at all.
Marzi pulled her lips into a thin smile. "I can't believe he asked me to run away with him."
"Too bad he didn't indicate where he's been hiding."
The other members of the survivor's group had already begun to think that Hamstead, the group's organizer, was a fraud. He'd taken money from some of the more vulnerable members of the group, too. Poor Esther had emptied out his savings for him.
"If not for my children, I'd be half-tempted to take him up on his offer," Marzi said. "He needs to be caught if he really has been lying to us all along."
"Maybe we can convince Esther and some of the others he defrauded to go to the authorities. If they open an investigation, they can surely determine whether he is who he says he is, or if he isn't like we now suspect."
Marzi nodded. "Let's consider organizing a meeting of the group. If the others are on board, then we can take things from there."
"Good idea," Illyria agreed.
They stayed in the park a bit longer, then gathered up Ian and walked over to the primary school to pick up Carter and Vallon. After that, it was back to the castle.