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First Day of Hilary Term
Author: Hermione Granger 
Date:   12-16-06 08:57

Hermione sat down at her breakfast table in the flat above Zonko's, to which she'd moved over the winter holidays. She'd had no problems living with Sirius and Drucilla but knew that they currently experienced some marital problems and could do without having someone else in the house who might overhear their private matters. Besides, she was ready to live on her own and wanted to rely only on herself and not someone else's charity. She would have to work on the second part, as Fred and George had been very generous with her, not only offering her the flat over their new store, but also a position in the shoppe for whenever she needed extra money or for whenever they needed the help.

Today was the first day of Hilary Term at Oxford and St. Emrys. Like in previous terms, Hermione had arranged her schedules so that she would attend Oxford classes in the morning and St. Emrys classes in the afternoon. This time, she had Neuroscience III from 9-12 at John Radcliffe Hospital at Oxford University. Then she had Transfiguration for Healers II at St. Emrys from 1-2 PM and Magical Bugs II from 2-3 PM.

Hermione had all her books and school supplies ready to go. She would make a stop at the flat after leaving Oxford to drop off her Neuroscience textbook and notes, fix herself a quick lunch, and grab her stuff for Transfiguration and Magical Bugs. Then, if she had time, she'd make a stop at St. Mungo's to see her father. If not, she'd stop by in the afternoon.

Like every term, this one would be just as jam-packed with things to do. It always seemed to follow the same pattern. The term would start off well, then she'd feel a little swamped before everything would turn out okay in the end. Hermione expected it to be no different this term.

She finished her strawberry yogurt and drained her cup of hot cocoa, trashing the yogurt cup and setting the used dishes in the sink. Then she grabbed her coat, her gloves, her hat, and her scarf and threw them on. After taking her Neuroscience stuff, Hermione disapparated for Oxford.

Posting a Notice
Author: Minerva McGonagall 
Date:   12-16-06 09:14

Professor McGonagall entered the Gryffindor common room and approached the notice board, where flyers of all sorts had been pinned up, announcing meetings for groups such as the Gobstones Club and other vital Hogwarts information, like a schedule for the Scholastic Aptitude Tournament.

Minerva had something else to add to the bulletin board:

Professor McGonagall had spoken to Wilkie Twycross personally only last week to confirm his return to Hogwarts for the Apparition Lessons. He was scheduled to come very Saturday from 9:30-10:30 AM, starting on the 3rd of February.

After attaching the notice to the board, Professor McGonagall left the Gryffindor common room. Her colleagues, Professors Flitwick, Miller, and Slughorn would post the same notice at their respective houses this morning. Minerva could well imagine that by the time the students came down to the Great Hall for breakfast, Apparition Lessons would be one of many topics of conversation.

She went down to the Great Hall herself, both hungry for a hearty breakfast and eager to see the students, who'd just returned from their winter holiday yesterday.

* Copyright JK. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Snitch
Author: Griet 
Date:   12-16-06 09:30

When Griet left the Slytherin common room and entered the entrance hall to Hogwarts castle, she stopped in her tracks and felt her jaw go slack. The four hourglasses that marked the house points for each Hogwarts house were all full but one. The Slytherin hourglass was empty of all the glittering emerald it had contained the last time Griet had looked at it.

"How did we get to negative 62?" a voice said behind Griet.

She turned to see Cornelia standing behind her, her blonde curls so untamed that no comb could ever manage them.

Before Griet could say anything, two sharp voices cut through the murmur in the entrance hall, for others had stopped to look at the hourglasses.

"You snitched, didn't you?" Oberon shouted at Griet. He stopped right in her face and clenched and unclenched his fists. His face was bright red.

"You told Dumbledore we went to the Shrieking Shack, didn't you?" Gervaise spat. He stopped on Griet's other side.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Cornelia exclaimed, attempting to step closer to her sister.

"Get out of here, pipsqueak!" Oberon said, sticking his hand on Cornelia's face to push her out of the way.

"What is going on here?" came another stern voice.

Oberon and Gervaise took steps away from Griet but continued to look angry.

"Nothing, ma'am," Oberon said to Professor McGonagall, whose lips were pulled into a thin line and whose brows had been drawn so sharply that it looked like her face might not ever relax again.

"There will be no shouting in the castle," she said sternly, eyeing both boys, "and you will keep your hands to yourselves. I trust neither of you want to lose Slytherin anymore points."

Gervaise grumbled something.

Oberon still looked angry but muttered, "No, ma'am."

"Go to breakfast, then. You too, Cornelia."

Cornelia looked reluctant to leave Griet's side but did as Professor McGonagall requested and followed the boys into the Great Hall.

"Professor Dumbledore would like to speak to you," Professor McGonagall told Griet.

Griet nodded. "Okay..." She started to walk away when she stopped, turned to Professor McGonagall and said, "Professor... they told a lot of people about what they'd done. It could have been anyone who'd snitched on them." She knew that Dumbledore had promised not to drag her into it and that Professor McGonagall probably already knew the whole story anyway.

"Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you, Miss Vanderbilt," Professor McGonagall said. To Griet she almost sounded a bit sympathetic and understanding, but it was difficult to gage Professor McGonagall's feelings sometimes.

Griet nodded her head again and headed to the marble staircase to visit Professor Dumbledore in his office.

Start of Term (Lisianthus & Indigo)
Author: Travis 
Date:   12-16-06 10:02

Lisi steps from the Floo, already bracing herself against a stomach full of butterflies. Something large shoves against her back and Indigo indignantly chastises, "You're suppose to move out of the way, Lisi."

"I know that," she says then realizing she'd not done that immediately after taking the first step out of the Floo she apologizes. "Sorry. Wasn't thinking."

Indigo puts one arm around Lisi and guides her away from the busy Floo conduits as a steady stream of people arrive for this first day of Hilary Term 2001. "You'll be fine, Lisi."

"I'm really nervous. I don't think I would have made it through picking up the class schedule and buying books last week if not for you."

"Sure you would have! You're doing remarkably well, Lisi."

"Oh, I know. Overall yes, I'm doing well and making good progress. It's just that much of my socialization from the time I was still fairly young was not with people who are generally known for socializing well. Add that to having a hard time being around many people at a time without my head feeling like it would explode. I don't know who to deal well with all this."

"You're bright. You aren't shy. You've handled yourself well at Travis's shoppe and Mum's parties. You talked to several people last week when we were here and it looked as though you were making friends. You can do this, Lisi." Indi speaks with conviction and positivity, hoping his words give Lisi some of the support she obviously is in need of right now.

Lisi leans for a moment against her brother and hugs him saying with a smile, "We should be thankful I was able to get some education while in that place so that I know big words like socialization. Now, if I can just learn how to do all that magic I missed out on by not being able to go to Hogwarts."

"Well, your first class starts in about fifteen minutes so you'll soon be on your way to that. Transfiguration is it?"

"Transfiguration is later today. This first one is a beginning Potions."

"Come on, I'll walk you. Where is the classroom?"

Lisi pulls out her schedule and shows Indi the information. He checks his own schedule then says, "Perfect. Your class is near mine if I'm looking at this correctly so we'd be walking together anyway. Carry you book bag?"

Lisi grins. "Thought you'd never ask."

Meeting Angelica Sanchez
Author: Nymphadora Tonks 
Date:   12-17-06 09:59

Tonks had almost given up on finding Donal Douglas through the list of drug dealers she'd rounded up from old Ministry records. William Pummel, one wizard on the list who was no longer in the business (though not by choice), had helped her find everybody else. Unbeknownest to him, she was not looking for a fix; she was looking for a wizard who was thought to be selling experimental drugs in his home country.

Today, Tonks had a meeting with the second to last name on the list, one Angelica Sanchez. Pummel had given Tonks the woman's contact information and after brief correspondence between the two, Sanchez had arranged for a meeting to occur at the Rotting Flesh.

Tonks occupied a table in the corner of the pub and drank a glass of butterbeer. Most everyone else in the establishment drank strong stuff, but Tonks knew she needed to keep her wits about her.

The table was half-shrouded in shadows, which made it very difficult for Tonks to see clearly around her. She did, however, notice a woman approach her table. The woman had long, dark, curly red hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wore black form-fitting robes with dark red embroidery on the bodice.

"Is your name Jane?" the woman asked in a husky voice.

"Yes," Tonks replied, acknowledging the alias she'd given herself for the assignment. "You must be Angelica."

"I am." She appraised Tonks silently for a moment. "So, you want a fix."

"Not just any ordinary fix. I want something new. Something that hasn't yet hit the open market. Do you have something like that, or do you know anyone who does? I'd be willing to pay for the information, if you direct me to someone else."

Angelica leaned back in her chair and flagged down a barmaid. "Ogden's Old Firewhiskey." Then she turned back to Tonks. "You're in luck, Jane. A dear old friend of mine has recently made an acquisition and has agreed to work with me to distribute the goods."

"Might I be able to meet your friend?"

"Perhaps, but there's really no need. Are you interested in what I have to offer you, Jane?"

Tonks pretended to think it over. "I'd like a sample before I make a decision."

"That can be arranged." Angelica pulled a business card from the front of her bodice. "Friday night. 8 o'clock. The Hanged Man."

"I'll be there," Tonks said, accepting the card.

"I'll look forward to conducting business with you, Jane." Angelica rose, snatching the whiskey glass from the barmaid bringing it over to the table, and moved to the bar.

Tonks finished her butterbeer and left for the Ministry of Magic, hoping that by Friday night she'd know where Donal Douglas was so that he could finally be brought to justice.

Lunch with Ciara
Author: Anthony Beck 
Date:   12-17-06 10:25

Anthony sat with Ciara in Orange Cafeteria at St. Emrys University and took a large bite out of a double-meat, double-cheese cheeseburger. He and Ciara had just had three back-to-back classes together, namely Introduction to Defense Against the Dark Arts II, Introduction to Transfiguration II, and Introduction to Charms II. They didn't have any more classes until tomorrow, when they had Introduction to Potions II, Introduction to Herbology II, and Introduction to Potions II Lab.

"What did you think of our first day back at St. Emrys?" Anthony asked Ciara, after he'd swallowed his massive bite. He washed it down with a butterbeer and then reached for three chips at once.

"I have a feeling this term will be a lot of work!" Ciara exclaimed, smiling. "So far, so good though."

"Yeah. I think it'll be a good term, but lots of work, no doubt."

Anthony happened to look up and see Katherine enter the cafeteria. He'd spoken to her since learning that she was his half-sister and knew that she was having trouble adjusting to it––not because she didn't want to, but because it was just hard after believing something else her whole life.

Katherine spotted Anthony and shot him a small smile. She pointed to the line to tell him that she would get something to eat and then join him at the table.

Anthony dropped his gaze to his cheeseburger and picked it up with both hands.

"What would you do," he asked Ciara, "if you found out that you had a sister you didn't know about?"

Ciara shrugged. "If she's like me, then I supposed I'd be glad because I'd have someone who understands what it's like to be me. If she's like my parents, then I think I'd hate it. I'm so used to be an only child, but sometimes it is a lonely feeling."

Anthony nodded. He couldn't really understand, because he'd always had siblings and didn't know what it was like to be lonely.

He took a bite out of his cheeseburger and thought about how nice it was to have an older sister again, and one who looked so much like Kendra, only Katherine would never be a replacement for the sister he'd lost.

The Magical Library of Congress
Author: Lysander Stratford 
Date:   12-17-06 10:57

The Magical Library of Congress was located directly behind the Muggle Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. and was shielded from Muggle eyes by any number of charms sustained by the US Department of Magic. Lysander stood before the steps of the Muggle building and stared up at the impressive structure. Numerous tourists stood around him and snapped photographs of the building and of themselves standing in front of it.

Lysander had dressed himself in jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. He wore a long overcoat, a scarf, and gloves. Lysander stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked around the building to the other side, where the entrance to the Magical Library of Congress was visible to his eyes.

He entered with a few other wizards and found himself standing in a two-story foyer that had marble floors and murals on the walls and ceiling. A small desk stood off to the side of the foyer. Behind it sat a tiny witch with gray hair pulled into a bun at the top of her head. She wore half-moon spectacles, much like Albus Dumbledore. They were connected by a chain she wore around her neck.

Lysander approached the information desk.

"How many I help you?" the lady asked pleasantly.

"I'm looking for Bastian Ironside. He is expecting me."

"Your name, please?"

"Lysander Stratford."

"Thank you. One moment." The older witch rose and disappeared from the foyer, allowing Lysander time to study some of the murals on the walls.

When she returned, she was accompanied by a man roughly the same age as Augustine Ravenscroft. When he spoke, Lysander noted he wasn't American but British.

"Lysander Stratford, I presume?" Bastian held out his hand.

Lysander shook it. "You must be Bastian Ironside. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise. Augustine told me a lot about you. Come, let me show you to the archives. There's something there I'd like you to see."

Lysander went with Bastian to a door that blended in with the murals on the wall. He'd have never noticed it there had he not just passed through it. While he walked through corridors and down stairs, he wondered just how much Augustine had said about him to his friend Bastian. Hopefully the fact that Augustine had stored Sebastian Taite's mangled body parts had never come up!

Eventually, the two wizards came into a basement room that was so large, one could hardly imagine that it sat beneath the building of the Magical Library of Congress. It was not only spread out over a large space but also extremely tall. Shelves and shelves of books were stacked up to the ceiling which stretched so high over Lysander's head, at least 10 of him could fit in it if they stood on each others shoulders.

"How ever do you find everything that's in here?" Lysander asked.

Bastian took Lysander to a desk on which an enormous ledger stood. "Everything is catalogued in here."

He gestured for Lysander to follow him to a moveable lift that could be arranged at any of the shelves and that could move not only up and down but side to side.

"Hop on."

Lysander climbed onto the magical lift with Bastian, who controlled it so that it moved to a particular shelf. It travelled to the center and moved halfway up. Lysander hadn't played Quidditch at Hogwarts because he had a fear of heights. He wished the lift had better railings.

Bastian seemed very comfortable on the lift. He reached over the side and pulled down an unmarked leather box that was roughtly the size and width of a briefcase. He set it on a small shelf on the lift and opened it.

"That's it," Lysander breathed. "That's the book I need."

"You realize I can't just give it to you, don't you?" Bastian said. "It's the property of the government. It would be a federal offense if I just let you walk away with it. However, no one ever comes down here and I'm really the only one who keeps control of the ledger... We might be able to make an arrangement... for a price."

"I'll give you 25% of what I'm to receive for deliving the book."

"50%."

Lysander ground his teeth together. "Very well. 50%." Drucilla had promised to reward him handsomely. He could do to part with half of it.

"I'll exchange the book for the money once you have it on hand. I trust you don't actually have it at the present time?"

"I don't, but I'm sure I can make that arrangement."

"Very good."

"I'll get back to you in a few days... in the meantime, can you let me down now?"