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Hogwarts Egg Hunt
Author: Ginny Weasley
Date: 04-23-16 15:19
Ginny passes through the security at the main gates then walks not in the direction of the castle but to the area that in past years has been set aside for the small children to look for eggs. Jamie and Albus are there, somewhere, with Majandra, Miranda, and Georgie. Harry is here as well but took an early patrol shift as part of the intensified security for the popular Hogwarts Easter Egg Hunt. That way he has the rest of the day to spend with family.
Ginny is only just arriving because she too had work. She'd been selected for the British national team vying for the Quidditch World Cup. Initially, she'd not been sure about being on the team as the practices are longer and more involved and thus far more time consuming than her schedule with the Harpies. After discussion with Harry, during which he'd pointed out it's temporary and not something open to every professional player, Ginny became part of the team.
After a grueling practice that began early this morning Ginny went home to clean up and change. The boys had spent the night with Majandra and George, excited at the prospect of a sleepover with their older cousins but also at getting to see Larkin, Seth, Gideon, Freddie, and Fabian who live next door, and seeing Granny Molly and Granddad Arthur who also live close by.
Ginny spots Albus first. He turned two in January and though his toddler legs still have a short chubbiness to them, he's had a growth spurt over the last month giving those chubby legs a slightly leaner appearance. Albus's face breaks into a broad, somewhat chocolatey grin as he triumphantly holds up an egg to add to the cute basket Majandra made for him. It's got a dragon theme. Jamie's is similar but a different color.
Albus sees Ginny as he starts looking around trying to figure out where to search next. He breaks into a toddler trot, "Eggs, Mummy."
"You have lots already," she says, kneeling to give him a kiss and a hug. She then waves to George to let him know she's got Albus for the moment. He nods and waves, walking off after the quickly receding figures of Jamie and Georgie.
"Hep me, Mummy." Albus is stretching to reach an egg in a tall bush.
Ginny picks him up and in the process he spies two more and she sees one. Those three retrieved, Albus wants to open one of them. It looks quite like an actual robin's egg, enough so Ginny quadruple checks to ensure it's not before helping Albus crack it open.
A tiny robin looking bird emerges, singing and flittering about to Albus's delight. It alights on his shoulder where it spends the next half hour singing and nuzzling him as he continues adding eggs to his basket. The only reason it stops sitting on his shoulder is because Albus oh so carefully takes it off to show Jamie when they've caught up with him. They all decide it's a good time for a break so they sit on a blanket Majandra had spread out and drink juice while the boys examine their eggs, wondering what's in them but not quite ready to open them to find out.
(Oliver) First Time at the Egg Hunt
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 04-24-16 10:29
When Oliver first heard about the Hogwarts Easter egg hunt, he wrote home to his family to see if they could send him his childhood Easter egg basket. It wasn't too childish, or he'd have been too embarrassed to be seen with it at school. It was blue with a white ceramic bunny clutching one side of the handle. The bunny wasn't very cool-looking, but at least it was small.
His parents ended up sending the basket along with Oliver's uncle, who had gone to Bristol to collect Lilly so that she could hunt for Easter eggs, too. Oliver didn't quite know why Lilly lived with his grandparents nowadays instead of with Uncle Ethan. Maybe it was because of the recent bad things that had happened in the wizarding world. All Oliver knew was that his uncle seemed kind of sad when Lilly wasn't with him.
Oliver and Rand went down to the grounds and met up with Grace in front of the castle steps. They set out to hunt for eggs, which seemed quite easy. Everywhere Oliver looked, there was an egg. Some were in plain sight, but others were cleverly hidden or camouflaged. He found one that blended in with the stone set behind it.
After a while, the three friends decided to sit down in a patch of sunlight. It was still on the cool side, but at least it was a pretty day.
"Are you going to open any?" Oliver asked his friends.
Grace said, "I think I might wait till my family comes." Even though she was a first year, like the two boys, Grace had participated in the Easter egg hunt before. She had an idea of the types of treasures hidden in the eggs.
"I can't decide," Rand replied. Like Oliver, this was his first time participating in the Hogwarts egg hunt. "What about you?"
"I think I'll open one," Oliver said. He looked over the different colored and patterned eggs in his blue basket. Eventually, he settled on one that had tiger stripes on it. Oliver cracked it open, not knowing to possibly expect a full-grown tiger to jump out, but that didn't happen. Instead, two golden tickets emerged.
Oliver held one up and read, "Admit One: Toothill's Traveling Circus." He beamed and said, "I went to a circus when I was really little. I bet a wizarding circus is even better than a Muggle one."
"Only two tickets, though!" Rand exclaimed. "Which one of us will you bring?"
Grace laughed. "Don't put him on the spot, Rand."
Oliver chuckled and stuffed the tickets back into the tiger stripe egg. He was really tempted to open another one right then and there, but the others decided it was time to hunt for more eggs. They got up and started searching.
Stratfords at the Easter Egg Hunt
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 04-24-16 13:13
Lysander stood in line at the security checkpoint on the Hogwarts grounds. He held Dylan in his arms, though the child did not want to be held. Dylan squirmed to be let down, but Lysander held firm. He didn't want Dylan running off until they made it through security.
Beside him stood Charlotte and Noah. After weeks of hearing nothing from Liam, Lysander's younger brother turned up at his doorstep that morning with his eldest child in tow. He asked if Lysander intended on going to Hogwarts for the annual Easter egg hunt, which he had heard about from a work colleague. After Lysander said yes, Liam inquired if Noah could tag along. Noah would be attending Hogwarts next year as a first year and it would be nice if he could see campus before term officially began.
Lysander didn't hesitate to say yes. He thought it would be nice if Charlotte and Noah could bond.
That settled, Liam went on his way to do whatever he had planned, and after hanging around the flat for a bit, Lysander, Dylan, Charlotte and Noah set off for Hogwarts.
"I see Grace!" Charlotte exclaimed.
Lysander followed her outstretched arm and pointed finger and saw Grace in the distance accompanied by her friends Oliver and Rand.
"We can head that way as soon as we're through the line," Lysander said.
A few minutes later, they walked in Grace's direction, with Charlotte and Noah at the lead. Along the way, Lysander stopped to help Dylan put some eggs into his basket. They soon reached the children and said hello. Lysander assured Grace that various members of her family were still planning on visiting and then asked if she and her friends minded if Charlotte and Noah stuck with them while he took Dylan to the area for the smallest children.
"Of course we don't mind!" Grace replied, grinning.
Lysander reminded Charlotte to be on her best behavior, eyed Noah to see if he understood the same meant for him and then took Dylan to the toddler area.
Charlotte, meanwhile, introduced Noah to Rand and Oliver. She almost felt like she was older than him and that she needed to make sure he had friends at school when he started in the fall. Noah didn't seem to mind that she was taking him under her wing.
"Now that everybody knows everybody," Charlotte said, "Noah and I need to catch up to you lot. How are your baskets so full already?"
Grace grinned. "Because we are that good at finding eggs!"
Charlotte and Noah wasted no more time and got busy searching for Easter eggs.
(Titus) Power
Author: Tiberius Nott
Date: 04-24-16 14:59
Unlike the past years, this time Titus was not that interested in the Easter egg hunt around the castle. He had always found the hunt to be exciting, and he ambitioned to find good things such as a brand new broomstick or maybe some galleons. But this year he had already something quite extraordinary in his possession and nothing inside those eggs could replace it. The Felix Felicis rested in a safe place at the castle. Titus had not yet used it. For once in his life, he was being patient and saving the potion for the right moment, even if he was not sure yet when that would be. But just the presence of the potion in his life was enough to make him feel better these past weeks.
First, for his delight, it seemed like Malden and Asher were not friends anymore. Everyone could sense the tension between the two at the dormitory at night before bed, and they wouldn't hang out together like they used to. Titus had even witness them quarreling at the bathroom the other day, and he wasn't even able to hide his satisfaction in front of them. It was almost as if the potion knew he was jealous of Malden and Asher's close friendship and it somehow ruined it just for him.
Then there was Andrina Fricks and how she had helped his reputation around the school. Professor Flitwick has insisted on them to practice some more duets together and Andrina would often want to do so after dinner. They would rehearse in empty classrooms. However one night Peeves had barged in, and he started to create clouds of dust using the blackboards dusters. Andrina decided they should practice somewhere else and they ended up at a cupboard used to store cleaning supplies. They practiced their duet, and when they left forty minutes later, they had been spotted by someone. The next morning, Bruno had patted Titus' back complementing him for his achievement. A rumor has been started about him and Andrina. People assumed there was something going on between them. Andrina seemed embarrassed and kept denying it to everyone, but the more she did so, the more people thought she was just hiding their relationship.
The idea of dating Andrina Fricks wasn't unpleasant to Titus. The girl wasn't ugly, although a little bit obsessed with grades, homework and most of all the school choir. But he had zero experience with girls and that had always made him feel he was falling behind compared to some of his classmates. But now this rumor had changed things, and he had gained a new reputation. Even if it was a lie, people believed he had already snogged a girl at the school.
The sessions with Judith had become bearable to Titus. Now that he had the Felix Felicis, he kept daydreaming about taking it and that something unpleasant would happen to Judith. Maybe she would lose her voice and he wouldn't have to listen to her anymore. She had asked him if he would like to spend the Easter holidays outside the school. Titus hoped she would say he could stay with Tiberius, or even his uncle and aunt, but Judith said 'another family', being vague. That scared Titus and he started to realize that maybe he would never be able to recover the life he had before next to his brother or the Hobdays. But he had the potion and he could change things. He had the power, not Judith. That thought gave him hope and he told Judith he would rather stay at Hogwarts, even if he was already tired of staying in the castle. He hasn't left school since September.
He was not expecting any visits today, so after breakfast he decided to just walk around the castle and collect some eggs, but without the usual heist he had in the past. Maybe if he found some interesting items he could sell them to Bruno or any other interested student. On his walk around the corridors, he stopped on the Felix Felicis' hideout just to see if the potion was safe. Titus often fought the temptation to check it often because he was afraid Malden realized he was doing many trips to the girl's bathroom on the second floor. He had hid the flask under a loose tile on the floor, inside one of the cubicles. Myrtle wasn't there to witness it and he was hoping her cries and moody temper would keep most people away from the bathroom, like always. He was counting on the ghost as a guardian.
The potion was safe. Titus found himself kissing the flask with perhaps a little too much tenderness, but that golden liquid was everything he had to make his life better. He put it back where it was and walked away, after making sure no one had followed him.
Mystery Prize [Sylvestor]
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 04-24-16 15:05
Around a mouthful of a canary cream type sweet, only this was blue and came in a blue feathered looking egg, Sylvestor asks Fritzwilliam, "Are you still hoping to find a racing broom?"
As the unusual biscuit begins giving Sylvestor the appearance of a bluebird Fitz pauses in his selection of an egg to open. "Yeah. Or Quidditch Con tickets but a broom would be bloody fab to get."
Sylvestor eats a couple more of the bluebird creams, noting a hint of a blueberry flavor, as Fitz exams the piece of light purple parchment with deep purple script that came out of the egg he'd just opened, which had been striped in those two colors. He reads it again, looks at Sylvestor to say something but ends up snickering. Because of the additional cream cookies he ate, Sylvestor is still a big bluebird. A bluebird currently poking an egg shaped chocolate into its beak.
"What?" Sylvestor wants to know.
"I wish I had a camera."
Sylvestor looks down, noticing as if for the first time his appearance. "Oh. As it wasn't a canary cream I forgot about the whole bird thing. What's that you have?"
"I don't know. It's strange. I'm to fill out the second piece of parchment. Name, birthday, Hogwarts house, that sort of thing, then use the addressed envelope," Fitz holds it up, also light purple with dark purple writing, "to owl in. I'll get back a personalized prize."
"What kind of prize?"
Fitz shrugs. "It doesn't say."
"Fill it out now and let's go send it off. Maybe whatever it is will come in a few days."
"Yeah, okay."
Fitz has a pencil stubb in one pocket though doesn't remember why or when he put it there. He hastily fills out the paper, using a nearby stone bench as backing while he writes. Sylvestor steadily eats more of the bluebird creams while waiting, from time to time spotting another egg to add to his basket. A few minutes later they head for the owlery, keeping eyes peeled for additional eggs, big blue bird Sylvestor oblivious of the giggles he causes along the way or that halfway to the owlery he's begun shedding large blue feathers as he molts back into being himself.
Eggs Galore [Edwina, Libby, Bertie]
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 04-24-16 15:53
Stretched out on her stomach Edwina's fingers grapple for purchase on an ostrich sized egg, with a color such that she's put in mind of orange citrus if not for the egg shape. "Got it!" she grunts triumphantly.
Still on her stomach, she edges backwards from under the bush only to not immediately see anyone. "Libby?"
"Here!"
Libby drops from the branch of a tree, Bertie right behind her. "Find something?" Edwina asks.
Bertie shows her an egg before dropping it into his basket. It's the average size of a regular chicken egg but is the coloring of a snitch complete with lightly flapping wings. "I'm thinking Quidditch related." He almost crows with delight at the thought. Brooms, personal equipment, and coveted Quidditch Con tickets are all sought after prizes. Or so Bertie's been told. Unlike Libby and Edwina, this is his first Hogwarts Easter Egg hunt. He's even heard that some Quidditch themed prizes are for a day's or more attendance to a professional run Quidditch camp.
The egg Libby got from an opposite branch of the tree is one half sky blue, one half patterned in bright greens, reds, and blues, and has fringe around where the egg pulls apart.
Bertie looks at the snitch egg now in his basket. "I can't stand it! I have to know." He takes the egg and opens it. Though having grown up with magic and having already opened a few eggs since getting up this morning, he's still somewhat amazed at how much can come out of something regular egg sized. That amazement shows now as a snitch, a quaffle, two bludgers, and a trunk to hold the balls drop from the two halves of the now separated egg. "Not a broom or tickets but this is just as good."
"Too bad there are no bats for the bludgers," Libby comments.
As if hearing her, one egg half promptly deposits two bats at Bertie's feet. "You two will have to help me carry the trunk and bats."
Edwina shakes her head. "We should be able to get it all back in the egg."
"We can?" Bertie looks at all the balls, the trunk, and bats, wondering how they'll do that when they're only first years and have limited knowledge of spells.
Libby nods in agreement with Edwina. "It usually only works with the egg the prize came out of."
"Let's go on and pack the balls in the trunk," Bertie suggests even as Edwina is picking up a bat and working it into half of the egg.
It takes them a couple of minutes but they finally get it all back in and the two halves back together. That's when Libby decides to open the egg she got from the same tree. Cracking the unusual egg open, a miniature flying carpet comes out. The pattern of the carpet matches the patterned half of the egg and the fringe around the egg is identical to the fringe on the carpet. In the middle of the carpet is what looks like a scroll.
With the miniature carpet undulating in front of her, Libby takes the scroll and unfurls it. "Ooooh. Marvy! It's a pass for a magic carpet experience. Good for four. We'll do it over the hols if we can get together."
"Me too?" Bertie asks.
"Of course, silly," Libby says with a playful punch.
Not wanting to ruin his chance of getting to go on a magic carpet ride, Bertie refrains from telling Libby her playful punches hurt. Instead, he rubs his arm while smiling. "That would be great, thanks!"
Edwina asks, "Who'll be the fourth?"
"Mum will probably make Cheeky Monkey come with us but if not, I guess we could include Sylvestor." Libby looks to Edwina. "You do one now."
Edwina thinks why not so takes the orange egg she just crawled under that bush to get. She squeals with delight with figurines of the Tangerine Dagger band members appear, the lead singer launching into a song that's surprisingly loud giving the small size of the figurines. "Tangerine Dagger is one of my favorites!"
"I didn't know that," Libby says. "The Cheeky Monkey knows Tommasso," she says pointing to the little bassist figurine.
"She does?" Edwina breathlessly asks.
"Yeah, even dated him when on a break from sex god Sage Porter." Libby vaguely gestures in the direction of the area where the littles have their egg hunt. "She's here somewhere you know. The sex god is Professor Sacheverelle's brother and he and Georgia were bringing his little sister to the hunt."
Edwina lets the Tangerine Dagger figures finish the one song then puts them back in the egg. "I'm going to ask her if she'll get me Tommaso's autograph."
She wants to go right then. Libby and Bertie decide to tag along as they can hunt eggs anywhere as long as they don't take any from the littles' area. They start off in that direction, frequently stopping as all three spot eggs, though Edwina spies the least, her thoughts full of having a cousin who personally knows Tommaso!
At a Picnic Bench
Author: Rowan Westwick
Date: 04-24-16 16:10
Rowan and Beatrix sat at a picnic table opposite Lon and Pablo. They ate some of their chocolate eggs, some of which were solid milk or dark, while others had fillings like caramel or cream. None of the four were expecting visitors for the Hogwarts Easter egg hunt. However, all of them intended on going home for the Easter holiday.
Rowan herself looked forward to the trip home. She wanted to spend some time with her father, the Finches, and with Ash. Rowan especially wanted to get some advice about what she should do after Hogwarts. Ash had gone straight to work following graduation. Rowan wanted to know if he thought he'd made the right choice or if she ought to give the university a go. St. Emrys hadn't existed when she should have graduated in 1984. She knew the lack of wizarding higher education way back when was the main reason why Ash had passed on attending St. Emrys altogether. Did having a degree from a university make a difference nowadays, though? She needed to find out, fast.
She knew that Beatrix was planning on attending St. Emrys, and Beatrix hoped that Rowan would too so that they could be roommates. Rowan didn't know what she should do.
With a sigh, Rowan fished a sunny-yellow egg from her plain wicker basket.
"What's got you so glum?" Lon asked.
"I can't believe we're graduating soon," Rowan said. "I feel like I'm running out of time to figure out what I want to do with my life."
"Just think," Lon began, unwrapping a foil-covered egg, "if you'd graduated when you were supposed to, you'd have been in the real world now for a quarter century now! What do you think you'd be doing, had that happened?"
Rowan shook her head. "No idea."
"You'd be married, probably," Beatrix supplied, "and you'd probably have kids."
Rowan couldn't imagine any of that. She opened her egg and found a pair of stylish sunglasses inside. It was a little sunny out at the moment, so she put them on.
"How do I look?" she asked her friends.
"Like a superstar!" Beatrix exclaimed. "Seriously, though. I can picture you working at the Ministry of Magic. Doing what exactly, I'm not sure."
"Something that requires brains," Lon said.
"So you should totally consider attending St. Emrys with me so that your brain can become even smarter," Beatrix said with a grin.
Rowan wasn't so sure, but she said, "I'll think on it."
No Fair!
Author: Gerry
Date: 04-25-16 11:59
Gerry parted a cluster of daffodils planted near the greenhouses and grabbed a pastel pink egg. He entertained the idea of opening it right then and there, but then he deposited it into his basket and turned to see where his family was. They were all there. Gareth's basket was overflowing with eggs, so much so that those on the top fell out every time he moved. The twins also had full baskets.
Gerry's wasn't so full, not because he didn't want to keep up with his brothers or because he didn't have an interest in winning awesome prizes. He was simply trying to be on his best behavior. No matter the urge, Gerry restrained from fighting over eggs with his brothers. He knew he was on thin ice with his parents, due to the poor marks in all his classes, and Gerry didn't want to give them another reason to threaten to remove him from the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
"Let's take a break, shall we?" suggested Gerry's mother.
The family moved to a sunny patch of grass not far from the greenhouses and unfolded a checkered blanket from the picnic basket Gigi carried. She handed everyone a sandwich, opened a bag of crisps, and set out a container with freshly washed purple grapes.
Gerry was pleased to find salami on his sandwich and waited till he had finished every bite before reaching for some grapes. Surely his parents would appreciate the fact that he chose fruit over junk food!
"I'm going to open an egg," Gareth decided. He reached for one perched precariously on the edge of his basket and cracked it open. Inside was one of the most coveted prizes imaginable.
"Merlin's beard!" Gareth exclaimed, "A pass good for four to the Quidditch World Cup opening ceremony in Greenland!"
"Whoa!" Graham exclaimed.
"Wicked!" said Grady.
"We just need to buy two tickets, and we can all go," Gerry remarked.
"The opening ceremony takes place over Easter holiday, and you're staying at Hogwarts, remember?" his father said.
Gerry stared at him. "But…"
"No, buts," Geoffrey said.
Gerry opened his mouth to say something else but then he clamped it shut again. He couldn't believe that his brothers would get to go to the Quidditch World Cup opening ceremony, while he had to stay at school. No fair!
Mira Will Be Envious
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 04-25-16 20:34
Drucilla looks relaxed in a lawn chair at the edge of the picnic blanket Tonks and she had spread earlier. Curled against her Regulus, two in late August, has fallen asleep for a much needed nap. Tonks is off somewhere around the grounds doing a shift on security patrol. Remus and Hope, who turns four on April 8th, are on the hunt for eggs just over a low rise. Mira, James, and Teddy have decided that at almost 10 (the twins) and 7 1/2 the area designated for the younger kids is beneath their bother unless helping a younger sibling. Sirius can't see the at the moment but isn't overly worried. They can't leave the Hogwarts campus and the area around the Forbidden Forest and lake is well enough patrolled that none of them should be able to wander into the forest or try to take a swim.
Sirius looks off in the general direction he's seen the twins and James only a few moments before. Can it really be that this time next year Mira and James will be looking forward to turning 11 on their May birthday and starting Hogwarts the following September 1st?
A shock of bright red hair catches Sirius's eye. Seth Weasley is hopping up and down attempting to grasp the lowest limb of a tree, most likely in an attempt to get one or more eggs. Thinking of his oldest children turning 11 next year brings to mind the fact that if he's remembering correctly, Seth and the other two making up the triplets, Gideon and Larkin, turn 11 this August.
Where has the time gone?
"Daddy, don't just stand there. Help me."
Sirius turns to look at his younger daughter. At 4 1/2 Zaria is not quite as imperious as Mira was at that age but he chalks that up to not having a twin brother to boss around. She does what she can with Regulus but he's still not quite old enough to order about the way that Mira was able to with James. The way that Mira does with her and even Regulus. Sirius will not be at all shocked or surprised if Mira is Sorted into Slytherin. Though with her version of leadership Gryffindor is also a distinct possibility.
"Daddyyyyy!"
"Oh! Sorry, poppet. Daddy's mind was wandering. With what do you need help?"
"That!" Zaria points to an egg so minuscule in size Sirius likely would have overlooked it as a small pebble. He even bends down to peer more closely at it, thinking it actually is a sort of egg shaped pebble; but, no. It looks to be an egg.
"Pick it up and put it in your basket."
"Can't."
"What do you mean you can't?"
Zaria squats and puts fingers on the tiny egg. She pulls and pulls but the egg doesn't move. "See, Daddy."
"How odd." Sirius bends, grabs the egg and nothing happens other than him grunting with the effort of trying to pick it up.
He gets down on his knees to better grasp the egg. With a massive heave he pries it up. The egg isn't heavy in the slightest so he can't understand why it was so difficult to pick up.
Sirius adds the egg to Zaria's basket then, still on his knees, bends to examine the ground. It takes him a moment to figure it out. "I see now. Look, Zaria. It was stuck on this bigger egg that's somehow gotten buried."
Never one to shy away from digging in the dirt, Zaria promptly plops down beside her father to help him uncover the bigger egg. When they have it out of the ground they see where the little one was attached.
Sirius takes another moment to see if there's a way to put back on the little one he "broke" off. That turns out to be a fairly simple process. The little egg snaps onto the bigger egg. The reason the little one was hard to pick up is because the snap is tight and snug, most likely to ensure the it stays as a unit with the large one.
Zaria says, "Daddy," a couple of times while he's looking over the thing. When that doesn't work she tugs on his shirt and repeats, "Daddy."
"Yes, Zaria?"
"I want to open it."
"All right. Big egg first or the little one?"
"Big."
Actually unsure if the eggs can be opened separately if connected he hands them over to her saying, "If the big one won't open, I'll take the little one off again and that should work."
Even as he's saying this Zaria is pulling open the larger egg. As she does a disembodied voice asks, "Are you a boy or a girl?"
"Girl!"
"Do you like pink, purple, yellow, or green best?"
"Purple!"
Put the egg on the ground.
Zaria does as instructed, placing the cracked but not fully pulled apart egg down. The egg shudders slightly and then out from it pops a bed. The frame looks like a little castle with a turret on either side of the bed itself, which runs with the head of the bed inset at one turret and the end of the bed inset at the other turret. Each turret has shelves. The castle part is a medium shade of purple with dark purple and light purple flowers around the base of the turrets and along the bottom edge of the bed as well as flowers in yellow and pink. Green vines twist up and and around. The top of the castle, that is the area above the bed between the turret towers, forms a sort of canopy above the bed. A crenellated rail runs from one turret to the other. The bedding is predominantly in the shades of purple but there are also the three other colors visible. Closer inspection shows that those colors are flowers and vines like those painted on the castle. There are pillows shaped like flowers, also in various shades of the four colors.
Zaria claps her hands together in delight. "Look, Daddy, look! For me!"
"I'm impressed," Sirius says with awe.
They stare at it for another moment then Sirius claps his own hands together. "I'm going to put it back in the egg, Zaria, so it's easier to get home."
"'Kay, Daddy."
She watches as he does this then exclaims, "The other egg! What is it?"
Sirius has forgotten about the smaller, attached egg. Curious now himself he unsnaps it from the big egg and hands it to her. To Zaria's delight the little egg produces a miniature, doll sized bed that is identical to the one from the big egg and has a doll to go with it, wearing a flowing, gauzy gown that matches the castle and its bedding.
She doesn't protest Sirius putting the little bed back in its egg but wants to keep out the doll. As he walks with her, wondering what the bed would have looked like for a boy and what the small egg would have held and also thinking that there's a likelihood Mira will be envious, Zaria and he search for more eggs and Zaria tries out a number of names for the doll, finally settling on Zinny, which is what Zaria has always called the flower Zinnia.
(Tessa) Will Visits
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 04-26-16 19:29
Tessa walked around the Hogwarts grounds with her guardian. She was glad he took the time to visit. Will might not be her real father, but he was the closest thing she had to one. He didn't have to take her in when her mother dropped her off at his home, but he did, and for that, Tessa would forever be grateful.
"Kate wanted to come," Will said, stooping to pick up an egg he almost crushed beneath his shoe, "but she's attending some sort of design convention." He dropped the egg in Tessa's basket.
Tessa shrugged. She hadn't gotten all that close with Kate in the few years they knew each other, so she didn't mind so much that her step-sister was too busy to visit. It was probably the age difference that kept them apart.
"That's okay," she said.
"She seems to be enjoying her studies," Will went on. "Two terms down at St. Emrys now. I suppose one day it'll be you, working on your degree."
"Maybe," Tessa said, "but I don't think I have to worry about that just yet."
Will laughed. "True, that. Will you open any of those eggs, or are you going to keep me in suspense?"
Now it was Tessa's turn to laugh. "Tell me which one I should open first." They stopped walking so that she could turn to face him. She held up her basket and smiled.
"The chevron-patterned one," Will said.
"This one?" Tessa asked, pointing at a white and pink one.
"That one," Will said. He took the basket from her so that she could take the egg out and open it.
What came out was an A-line skirt in the same pattern. It was very cute, though Tessa was a bit of a tomboy and didn't wear skirts except when she had to.
"What do you think would have come out if I were a boy and not a girl?"
"Who says a boy can't wear a pink and white skirt?" Will asked, grinning.
"Would you?"
Will held out the basket in exchange for the skirt. "I'm not sure it's my size, but it definitely looks like it'll fit you. You should wear it when we have Easter dinner."
Tessa eyed some of the other eggs in her basket, debating if she should open another. "I guess I could."
Will read her mind. "The green one."
Tessa reached for it and wondered what she would find this time.
Larkin With Miranda
Author: Blossom
Date: 04-26-16 20:26
Pushing off her forehead hair that's got more red than when she was little but is still a lustrous brown, Larkin sits on a stone bench in the shade of a tree that would be good for climbing. "I'm not sure I want to go here in September."
Selecting a sugared jelly that's green and in the shape of a lime slice, one of several jellies that was a prize in an egg decorated with colorful fruits, her cousin Miranda asks the obvious question. "Why?"
"Because we have to stay here the whole time. I don't understand why we can't come in the mornings and leave in the afternoon."
Not understanding the reason either Miranda responds with a simple, "Yeah."
"It's too bad you won't be coming when Seth, Gideon, and I do."
"Not even the year after," Miranda says with a small sigh though she's not sure why the thought makes her sad. The longer it is until she starts Hogwarts, the longer she gets to stay go home after every school day. It's small consolation that her mother teaches here.
Larkin makes a face. "Yeah. The birthday rule is stupid too."
Though a year and slightly more than a month younger than the triplets, Miranda's September 27th birthday means she cannot start Hogwarts for two years.
Miranda has a thought. "Schuyler starts the year after you. I think."
Larkin thinks about that a second then nods. "He's ten in a few days. His party is Saturday."
"It's weird that he and Artie are both nine right now."
Bending to tie her shoe Larkin agrees. "It is! Oooh, another egg."
The egg was nestled against part of the bench leg. Miranda looks beneath the bench as well, not expecting to find anything only to see there's another egg beneath the bench on her side. As they deposit their eggs in their baskets they both look up at the tree. The excellent tree for climbing has several eggs visible and who knows how many they'll find once they start climbing. Unable to believe their luck that no one's been here already, the two girls start stand in the bend and start climbing, all thoughts of the rules concerning Hogwarts attendance forgotten for the moment.
(Malden) With Mum
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 04-27-16 19:05
Malden walked his mother to the Hogwarts gates. It had been just the two of them at the Easter egg hunt today. In a strange coincidence, both Madoc and Mr. McGonagall had fallen ill just that morning. Malden's father had woken up with a sore throat, while Madoc had extreme congestion and ended up taking a bed in the Hospital Wing.
"I wish things had gone differently today," Mrs. McGonagall said, stopping just before the edge of the grounds. "Your father really wanted to come, but I didn't think it a good idea. Besides, he was awfully whiny this morning."
When that didn't put a smile on Malden's face, his mother touched his cheek with her hand and asked, "What's the matter, Malden? You've been glum all day."
"It's nothing," Malden said.
His mother looked doubtful. "Does it have to do with Asher?"
"No," Malden abruptly answered. He absolutely did not want to talk about Asher.
"What about that pretty sister of his?"
Malden had not once told his mother about Arielle, but he supposed it was no secret they were dating. Probably his great aunt found out and passed the information along to his parents.
"Arielle and I are fine," Malden answered. He felt his cheeks flame and wished they wouldn't.
Thankfully, his mother dropped the subject of his girlfriend and only said, "He'll come around eventually. Well, I best go check on your father. You do me the favor and check on Madoc, all right?"
She knew Malden would only do it reluctantly, if at all, but if he was out of sorts about his falling out with Asher, then maybe he'd actually take the time to check on the brother he usually didn't much care for.
"Okay," Malden said. "I will."
He sounded like he meant it. Mrs. McGonagall gave him a smile and then a kiss on the cheek. "Be good, and I'll see you next weekend. Hopefully the others will be well by then."
"Bye, Mum."
His mother offered him one last smile and then turned and continued on through the gates. She disapparated as soon as she made it off the grounds.
Malden, meanwhile, trudged back to the castle as if he were the unluckiest person in the world.