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Cats vs Dogflower
Author: Ellis
Date: 04-20-18 17:17
Daphne and Emily returned to their dormitory room after spending the bulk of their afternoon in the Commons. It was nearly suppertime, and both wanted to freshen up before heading down to the Great Hall.
Before they ever reached the doorway to their room, the girls heard aggressive barking and meowing. Daphne and Emily exchanged looks and then burst into the room, where they found Sunny and Fred on either side of an overturned potted plant. The pot was cracked, and soil was scattered on the rug. The plant, the dogflower Daphne grew for the SAT event last school year, was attempting a display of strength, but it looked pitiful anyhow.
"Sunny, stop!" Daphne exclaimed, hurrying to rescue Gypsy from the clutches of the two kitties.
Emily, meanwhile, scooped Fred up and pressed him to her chest. She nuzzled her nose into his orange fur and murmured, "Bad kitty."
Both kittens had grown considerably since the twins had first discovered them. Sunny and Fred still weren't fully grown, but they were long and slinky instead of the tiny balls of fluff they'd been at Christmas.
Daphne righted Gypsy's pot and frowned. The dogflower began to whimper. "It's all right," Daphne murmured. "I'll get you all fixed up, you'll see."
Emily suggested, "We should ask about a barrier spell so the cats leave Gypsy alone."
"Good idea. I'll check with Professor Longbottom about Gypsy's condition and see if Professor Flitwick can help with a barrier spell," Daphne said. "I hope they are both at dinner."
"What are you going to do with that?" Emily asked, indicating to the dogflower with a nod of her head. Fred was still in her arms, staring at the plant with big, unblinking eyes.
"Take it with us, of course," Daphne said.
"You're going to drop soil all throughout the castle."
Daphne looked over at her bed and said, "Grab a pillow case."
A short while later, the twins left the dorm room, where the kittens remained, and headed to the Great Hall. Daphne carried Gypsy like a baby, the pillow case protecting what remained of the broken pot and keeping the soil from dropping everywhere.
A Moldovan Forest
Author: Declan
Date: 04-20-18 19:01
Leana Garcia stares at lump in front of her, the shape vaguely human. Her head snaps up when Andras calls out, "Another one here."
Almost too quietly for the woman beside her to hear Leana states, "That's five."
Beth nods beside her then asks Andras, "Easy to identify?"
"No, like the other three."
One of those three is the lump Leana and Beth are standing near. "Small bit of luck the one identifiable is the one we most need. For now," Beth adds.
"Yes, most fortunate." Leana's tone is dry, almost flat. She pulls a small device from a coat pocket. "What's that number to ring the contact?"
Beth recites a number from memory, glad she's not the one making the call. For some reason she always screws up when using a mobile. She's learned how to use a computer and is rather handy on it but the Muggle technology called a cellular phone is difficult for her. Beth doesn't understand why when a computer is far more complicated than a bloody stupid mobile.
Leana's conversation is brief but during that time Andras and Guillermo find a sixth body. She increases the luminosity of her lighted wand when she moves to follow Beth over to where the men are now staring down. As she nears Guillermo informs her, "Can still tell features. Looks young. A teen I think."
"Bogdan will be about a half hour before he can get here," Leana says of their contact. He is a Wizarding liaison with Moldova's Muggle government. This site might be considered a Muggle location but the deaths here were most certainly not at Muggle hands.
She crouches beside the teenager's body. "Looks like the one we saw on that farm in Slovakia. Meena, I want to say."
Beth, with her excellent memory for anything not related to cellular telephones, voices agreement. "Yes, I think so too."
"Right, well, put a flag down and let's keep looking," Leana directs her people.
When Bogdan arrives 23 minutes later they've found what another five, Leana wondering just how many of followers the cult rid itself of and why.
Bitter Feelings
Author: Tiberius Nott
Date: 04-22-18 01:33
Tiberius watched the Hogwarts grounds from his office window. Dark dots moved here and there around the green grass, as the students walked between classes or enjoyed some free time outdoors. He wondered if one of those figures could be Titus. Their relationship had gotten even more sour after his brother found out about the family money.
Titus had expected to win a large sum of money once he came of age. However he found out Lucinda had no fortune to give away. He had stormed into Tiberius living quarters at the castle and questioned him. If his mother had left him only with a few personal objects stored at Endhope abbey, how could he be so rich? Tiberius was forced to confess that they have been broken for many years now. He too had found out the bitter truth when he came of age. All the family's fortune of their branch of the family was a merely facade. But he was not ready to let go of it and so he kept the appearances by getting a loan from the Gringotts' goblins. They had been happy to oblige and when he needed extra credit he would pillage the corners of Endhope abbey in search of old valuable pieces and relics which the goblins loved to collect.
Titus had been shocked by this revelation. He felt like his life had been a complete lie. There was no money and his brother had lived on loans and selling the family's goods for survival. Now he had a job at Hogwarts which secured him some steady income. Titus was ashamed and horrified. He had boasted and gloated about his upcoming inheritance to his colleagues. He felt that despite everything that happened, like those horrible summers under Judith's control, things would change as soon as he received his part of the family fortune. He would no longer be jealous of Malden and Asher, because he would be richer than any of them could ever be. People would want to be around him more often.
But now things had changed.
Titus had stayed at Hogwarts during Christmas and Easter. Going back home would be a torture. Endhope's abbey old and decrepit appearance which he thought it was part of its charms, started to gain another light. There was no money and so the mansion had not been well-kept. Now he had to be like everyone else and think about his future. He never really thought about it because he always thought he would not have to worry much about how life was going to be after Hogwarts because the family money would allow him to do everything he would like without any worries. The only good thing that happened had been Ralph Saddler's absence. Since that encounter at Hogsmeade he promised Titus he would be in touch but he haven't heard from him or any of Richard Ropper's group so far.
Tiberius sighed knowing he had done wrong by hiding such important information from his brother but his priorities had been others. He had spotted the squib named Ralph at Hogsmeade the same day Titus had been threatened. His face was familiar and he followed the boy into a forest area. It had been easy to dominate the squib with his wand. He questioned him a about his whereabouts and it was not hard to rip off the truth from him after a few painful hexes. He warned the boy not to comeback and to leave his brother alone. He threatened to kill him, if he or any of his group bothered Titus ever again. Ralph believed Tiberius's words and he vanished into the woods. Tiberius returned to the castle, not sharing his deeds to his brother. He knew Titus would be frustrated his big brother had stepped in and solved his problems.
Tiberius turned away from the window, and went back to work. There were classes to plan and he could not afford to loose anymore time.
Unexpected Delivery
Author: Lee Sickleby
Date: 04-23-18 18:21
"Sickleby, a word."
Lee, who was still on desk duty at work, marked his place on the report he was indexing by keyword and got up to see what his handler wanted.
He found Alvin Fieldmouse pushing pins into a map posted on the wall of his office. The colored pins referenced the statuses of different missions.
Lee waited for permission to be seated and then asked, "What can I do for you?"
Fieldmouse finished mapping out missions and sat down in the swivel chair behind his desk before answering. "I think you're ready to go back into the field. There are a number of missions you're ideal for, and no, you will not be assigned to the Travers case."
Lee frowned. He wanted nothing more than to bring the traitor to justice. Nonetheless, he understood why Fieldmouse didn't want him involved. Travers had killed the covert operative who often ran missions with Lee. For lack of a better word, Lee and Newell had been partners.
"Is there a particular mission you have in mind for me?" Lee asked, glad to be off desk duty at long last.
Before Fieldmouse could tell him about a certain case, a mail clerk tapped on the door frame. He left his cart outside the office and entered partway, carrying an envelope that appeared to have a red stain on one corner.
Lee felt his hackles raise. Fieldmouse stood with his knuckles pressed into the surface of his desk. "Who's it for?" he asked.
The mail clerk held out the envelope out towards Lee with a trembling hand. "It's addressed to y-you," he stuttered.
Lee eyed the envelope warily and took it from the mail clerk, who was dismissed from the office with a wave of Fieldmouse's hand. Lee saw his name on the front with the Ministry of Magic as his location and then carefully opened the envelope. He tipped the contents onto Fieldmouse's desk.
Out came the fourth finger of a woman's left hand. Above the severed base were two rings: the engagement ring and wedding ring Lee gave to Alaia.
Admin
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 04-24-18 17:18
Professor McGonagall sat in her office and worked her way through various administrative tasks that required her attention. Among them were elective selections made by students returning to Hogwarts next term, recommendations made by the heads or deputy heads of houses regarding the careers advice they had given to next year's NEWT-level students, and letters from parents.
She was pleased to see that the amount of correspondence from those concerned about there having been a Death Eater in residence at Hogwarts had diminished quite a bit. No doubt the fact that Robert Blackheart had been convicted and imprisoned in Azkaban had helped assuage matters.
Minerva was certainly glad to have him locked away and could now focus more of her attention on the other concern within the walls of her school, namely the alleged recruitment of future Death Eaters by none other than her own brother. She and the other professors continued to keep a close eye on suspicious gatherings but had yet to make any discoveries.
She did wonder how long Menelaus would be under investigation. Would it carry on until he committed a heinous crime himself, or would it go just long enough to incriminate him, possible others, and to hopefully gain valuable information about the Death Eaters? Minerva wanted him imprisoned sooner than later, but she understood the importance of a thorough investigation.
She loathed the idea of some of her students joining the Death Eaters, either as willing participants or as recruits made to see the value of joining the ranks. Some of the reluctant might take a little convincing, while others could be coerced or threatened into participating.
The most obvious young recruit was her own flesh and blood, but Minerva hadn't noticed anything suspicious about her great nephew. He was, however, most like his grandfather, and Minerva had every reason to believe that Menelaus was shaping Malden to be just like him. It wouldn't surprise her in the slightest if Menelaus had given Malden instructions for the recruitment of fellow students. She just had to prove it.
Her stomach signaled that it was time for supper. Minerva wrapped up her current task and then left her office for the Great Hall.
Home From Moldova
Author: Declan
Date: 04-24-18 19:11
Declan appears in the yard, pocketing the now inactive portkey to throw away once he's inside. It's a wrapper from a piece of cinnamon candy so there's no point in keeping it.
He pauses at the door before pulling it open to climb the stairs to the flat shared with Zabrynna, thinking about how they've been looking at houses. They want something in which to raise a family, a family that has started with Rand. At the door to the flat he pauses again, taking a deep breath.
Once through the door he can hear Zabrynna in the kitchen. He starts to announce he's home but she appears her welcome home smile turning to a frown at seeing his expression. "So it is her."
"Unfortunately."
Declan moves to sit down, one of the cats jumping into his lap. When Zabrynna tells him, "I'll bring you a cuppa," he nods, absentmindedly stroking the Claw's sleek back.
Less than a minute later Zabrynna sets a cup on the nearby table. "Strong with honey."
"Just what's needed, thanks."
She sits with her own cup. "Other than we need to tell Rand, what next?"
"They want to keep her for a bit to do thorough tests, gather evidence, that sort of thing but we can do on and plan a funeral for when she's released. I'll need to contact her parents though I have no idea if they'll even care."
"I should have come with you."
Declan shakes his head. "We went through this earlier. There was no reason for both of us to go."
"Just for the support."
He shakes his head again. "You've been supportive and there will continue to be plus there was no reason for you to see. At least Melanie was recognizable. Most aren't."
"You saw them too?" Zabrynna's eyebrows go up in surprise.
"I wasn't going to ask but then for some reason I did. They weren't going to show me any but then for some reason they did. I did look at the few others with recognizable features but I was of no help. Didn't know any of them and hadn't ever seen any even in passing."
"Leana had said the cult has vanished again. Has there been any progress since then on locating them?"
"Not yet."
"Until they are, we need to be extra vigilant with Rand."
"I'm glad we don't have to worry about a Hogsmeade trip until the end of May. Maybe by then the group will have been found and arrested."
"But if not?"
"At this exact moment I'm inclined to say he'd have to stay at school but come the end of May I may be more open to letting him go into the village but I'd for damn sure be on patrol the entire day."
"I'd be right there with you."
Declan reaches for Zabrynna's hand. They sit in companionable silence, Claw still on Declan's lap and Raven having climbed into Zabrynna's. Declan is worn out but doubts he could sleep just yet, not only because of what he saw in Moldova but because of grappling with when and how to tell Rand his mother is dead, murdered by "Father" Harvey and whichever of the other cultists helped kill so many of the followers.
Back On Track
Author: Saffron
Date: 04-26-18 19:12
"Curfew is soon," Callie reminds.
Marion yawns, "I wish we could stay here until Astronomy. I think I'll fall asleep waiting in my common room or dorm."
Seeing Marion yawn Hope yawns. "Stop that."
"I can't help it. I should have skipped this and gone to get some sleep after supper. If I nap after I'm back at Hufflepuff House for curfew, I'll be groggy for Astronomy."
"I have to say again I'm not sorry I skipped taking the class," Katherine smirks.
Callie taps the NEWT Potions study guide in front of her. "We don't have much time. Let's get back on track."
Katherine's smirk turns to a frown. "You are what one of my great uncles would call a taskmaster."
Hope, who has the same great uncle, snorts, "Takes one to know one in his case."
Callie sharply raps the study guide again. "Focus."
"I don't know why your so worked up about this, Callie. Your marks are high under a certain Potions taskmaster." Marion pokes a small portion of her tongue out before reaching for pineapple banana smoothie she got a short time ago from the refreshments bar.
"I want to score well on this NEWT. Is that a crime?"
"Time is creeping up on us," Katherine sighs. "Exams will be here before we're even half ready." That depressive thought has her reaching for a frosted sugar biscuit even though she'd told herself not two minutes before that she'd had too many this study session.
Marion yawns again then says, "Okay, Callie, next question."
All too soon the four friends, joined by Lilith and Savannah who'd been working on an essay at a nearby table, make their way from the Commons, parting ways to go to their respective houses. Callie, Hope, and Marion part with, "See you in a bit," all three hoping the time between now and time for Astronomy passes quickly.
(Alanna) Can't Concentrate
Author: Beck
Date: 04-27-18 07:46
After pouring tea into her cup, Alanna left the break room at Blakely and Winfred and returned to her desk, where she continued to review material from the discovery process relating to a property dispute between two wizards in Portree. She found it difficult to concentrate, though. For one, it was Friday, and the weekend beckoned to her. She also found herself thinking heavily about her last interaction with Jared.
She had gone to the Ministry on that mid-February day to conduct some legal research on Ariella's behalf. Her current employer certainly had reference material regarding absentee divorce proceedings, but Alanna had wanted to review the Ministry's regulations on the matter. She'd felt emboldened upon running into Jared in the Atrium, but all hope of reconciliation, or at minimum repairing their childhood friendship, was now most definitely a lost cause.
Jared made it evident that he hated her and could never forgive her for thinking she couldn't confide in him about Reed's threatening behavior. Alanna of course realized that she should have communicated her fears to not only Jared but her entire family, but at the time, she thought the only thing she could do to keep those she loved safe was to do exactly what Reed wanted.
Perhaps by coming forward, things never would have gone as far as they had, but Alanna had been afraid to take the chance because things definitely could have gotten far worse. Anthony could be rotting in a Muggle prison. Jared, Toby, Katherine, and Gillian may never have gotten their reputations or careers back. Karina might still be missing.
Alanna certainly understood where Jared came from but nonetheless hoped for the forgiveness that she knew now would never come. She'd felt extremely down ever since their conversation but knew that she needed to come to terms with her new reality. It wouldn't be easy and would take lots of time.
Realizing she was reading the same phrase over and over again in her notes, Alanna grabbed the stress ball she kept at her desk and got up to pace around the office. To any observers, she looked as if she were working out a case in her mind, but Alanna was desperately trying to push thoughts of Jared out of her head. She ended up thinking about Ariella and the divorce petition she sent to Lawrence, who had last been seen in Australia.
A month later, and there was no answer. If more time passed without a response, then Ariella would have to attempt another method for getting the petition to Lawrence. If that failed, as Alanna suspected it might, then Ariella could file a statement to dispense with the divorce.
Thinking about divorce inevitably put Jared back to mind. Alanna sighed heavily, squeezed the stress ball a bit more fervently, and returned to her desk in a fruitless attempt to get some work done.
(Kate) Preparing for Trinity Term
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 04-28-18 06:49
Kate carried a basket of books to the checkout counter at the bookstore at St. Emrys. Trinity Term, her last ever term at the university, began on Monday. Kate was both excited and nervous for it to be done. Besides some ordinary classes, this term included a practicum with an interior design company. Kate also had to put together a portfolio, which she hoped to also use when she started applying for jobs.
She could hardly imagine herself finished with school and entering the job market. It sounded like a very adult thing to do, but then she wasn't a child anymore and hadn't been for several years now.
Kate paid for her books and then charmed the sack so that it was light and easy to carry. She stepped out of the bookstore and waited for Polly to finish flirting with her new boyfriend. Harry Hughes had gone to Sydney's School of Wizardry. He was three years their senior and had come to St. Emrys in January to work on a secondary degree in foreign diplomacy.
Polly finally tore herself away from Harry and noticed Kate standing nearby with her sack of school books. "Got everything?"
"Yes. Hi, Harry."
"Hi, Kate." Harry smiled and said, "I'll leave you two girls to it." To his girlfriend he added, "See you tonight, Polly." They shared a lingering kiss and then Harry went off to conduct some school business of his own.
Polly's cheeks were flushed. "He's just… so…" She sighed and breathed, "Yum."
Kate smiled and rolled her eyes. "Can you handle a shopping trip, or do you need to rest from the lip service you just gave Mr. Yum?"
Polly laughed and said, "Yes, I'm ready to go."
The girls left campus to get a few things for their last few months as roommates. After dropping things off in their dorm, they parted ways to meet their respective significant others for dinner.