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At Hogwarts for the Hunt
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 03-09-20 19:12
After getting through security at the gates, Bill, Fleur, Victoire, Dominique, and Louis headed for the zones open for the annual Easter egg hunt at Hogwarts. Victoire and Dominique were wearing pretty Easter dresses their mother had picked out for them, and Louis looked dapper in slacks, a button-down and bowtie. The children each carried an Easter basket and were ready to hunt for eggs and the prizes held within them.
As soon as the family reached the egg-hunting area for older children, Victoire, Dominique, and Louis dashed off to begin searching.
"And they're off!" Bill exclaimed, grinning.
Fleur looped her arm through his and said, "I'm surprised we were allowed to come today."
"So am I," Bill replied. He thought for sure that the Easter egg hunt would get canceled or perhaps closed off to outsiders in light of recent events at Hogwarts.
It seemed that Minerva was taking the 'business as usual' approach, which was probably not a bad thing. Security was tight at the gate, there were members of law enforcement patrolling about, and members of the Order were also present, Bill included. Hogwarts probably wasn't any less safe than usual.
That said, Bill and Fleur had sat Victoire, Dominique, and Louis down before setting off for the Easter egg hunt and asked them to stick together, not wander out of eyesight of their parents or another responsible adult, like the many relatives that would be at Hogwarts today, and to report anything that didn't feel right to them.
They stressed especially to Victoire and Dominique, who were nearly 11 and 9, to look after Louis, who absolutely did not want to hunt for Easter eggs "with the babies".
So far, they seemed to be holding true to their promise.
Bill and Fleur watched as the trio went around and collected eggs.
"I can't believe Victoire will be starting at Hogwarts in the fall," Bill mused.
"Where did the time go?" Fleur asked with wonder.
"Maman, look!" Louis exclaimed, rushing over with his sisters in tow. He held up a scarlet egg, which Bill thought looked rather Gryffindor-y, until Louis turned the egg around to reveal the Hogwarts Railways logo.
"Victoire thinks there's a train ticket in here."
"There might be, but you won't get to use it for several more years," Fleur said.
"Are you going to open it and see?" Bill asked.
Louis nodded and pulled the egg apart. Once he did so, a model Hogwarts Express popped out, along with tracks and miniature station. "Ooooh!" he squealed. "This is better than a train ticket!"
"Don't get distracted, Louis," Victoire said. "There are more eggs to hunt."
Bill helped Louis get his train back into the scarlet egg, and then the children were on the hunt again for more Easter eggs.
Before Patrolling
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 03-09-20 20:12
Fisted hand on hip, her basket agitatedly swinging in her other hand Niccola impatiently waits for either Saffron or me to reply to her request. After the question Saffron had looked at me and I'd looked back, the two of us having a wordless conversation that ends with Saffron shrugging. I look to Nic, "You may hunt in the student designated areas but no arguing over eggs. Mind your manners."
Nic squeals happily and bounces. "Thank you!" She hugs me then Saffron and hurries off so fast it's as if she thinks we'll change our minds. Having turned 11 in November she believes she should be treated as a first year even though she doesn't become a Hogwarts student until September 1st.
Slipping my arm around Saffron's waist as we watch Nic's rapidly retreating figure I ask, "What house do you think she'll be?"
"Gryffindor," she answers without hesitation. "What about you?"
"Gryffindor or Ravenclaw though she might surprise us with either of the others."
Behind them Brandon clears this throat and politely asks, "If you're going to snog please move that way. You're standing on an egg."
Looking down we laugh to see there is indeed an egg though technically it's between my foot and Saffron's rather than under one of our feet. Moving, Saffron unfurls the blanket she's carrying and spreads it out. I deposit a picnic blanket at one corner while asking Brandon, "Going to open it now or wait?"
The egg is a deep indigo with what look like twinkling stars. As Brandon studies the egg Senna comes up beside him. She holds out a pale pink egg with sparkly darker pink gem-like stones. "Trade you," she jokes. Senna had found the egg in one of her shoes when getting dressed this morning and has been closely guarding it, speculating endlessly as to what it might hold.
Brandon grins at her. "I'll open this one now if you'll open that one instead of just guessing."
"Guessing is fun but okay."
"We go together. On three." At Senna's nod Brandon starts the count, "One... two... three!"
They simultaneously pull their eggs apart, a telescope popping out of Brandon's and from Senna's a lacy confection of a dress the same shade of pale pink as the egg. The dress has sparkly dark pink embellishments matching the color of the ones on the egg's exterior. Matching shoes and jewelry follow and to Senna's delight a crown.
"Pretty cool, Brandon," I say of the telescope, coming over to inspect it.
Senna gives her goodies over to Saffron with the instructions on how to fit each item to her. "I want to put them on now."
At Saffron's, "You're sure?" Senna nods so Saffron uses her wand to shield Senna so she can change clothes and then follows the instructions on fitting the dress and shoes to the girl. The crown and jewelry follow and a few minutes later, decked out like a princess off to a ball, Senna swans away with her basket, eager to find more eggs and wishing Jessica would hurry up and get here so she can show off.
Brandon asks, "Can we use the telescope tonight?"
"Yes, sure."
"What if a boy had gotten Senna's egg? Would he have gotten the dress and crown?"
"If you'd found that egg would you have kept it or let a girl have it?"
"Let a girl have it or trade a girl for one I wanted. Oh, so you think it was only meant for a girl?"
"Yes, it probably was but we'll never know. I suppose you can ask one of the house elves who organized the hunt."
Brandon's shoulders rapidly go up then down. "Doesn't matter I guess but if a see an elf maybe I'll ask. The girls are going to find more eggs than me." Before rushing off he bends to scoop up another egg.
I drop beside Saffron on the blanket, accepting a butterbeer from her. I have a patrol shift but taking a few minutes alone with my wife, or as alone as we can be with people of all ages streaming over the grounds, can't hurt, especially since from here I can see much of the area I'm to patrol.
The Leaky Cauldron
Author: Rowan Westwick
Date: 03-10-20 19:10
Using her knuckles to wrap on the door of a room at The Leaky Cauldron, Rowan cast a glance both ways down the hall and then directed her attention forward when the door opened. Logan Meade, looking unshaven and worn out, opened the door wider and said, "I wasn't expecting you this morning."
Rowan stepped inside and shut the door behind her before depositing a sack of items on a dresser pushed against the wall. She turned to Logan and explained, "My patrol schedule at Hogwarts got jostled around. I got assigned the graveyard shift tonight."
"That makes a long day and night for you if you're on the clock now," Logan remarked.
Rowan didn't immediately answer. When she first identified herself at his house several months ago after responding to a domestic situation with a colleague, Logan didn't immediately twig to the fact that he had once known her. It came to him during the course of her questioning that he had once been friends and roommates with her brother and that all three of the Westwick siblings had up and disappeared along with their parents decades ago.
Somehow the conversation flipped from whether Logan was the dark wizard his wife accused him of being to the Westwicks, particularly how Ash was doing––dead, Rowan had reported.
Rowan ended up getting things back on track at that initial questioning, and more followed as the investigation continued. The accusation against him was one to be taken very seriously in light of current events, even though it had become very apparent that his wife was actually in crisis and needed a mental health evaluation.
At present, she didn't seem to be a danger to herself or the children, so they remained with her while Logan stayed at the inn. He'd been advised by law enforcement to keep his distance to avoid creating a dangerous situation for his children at home.
In the meantime, law enforcement was determining whether to handle Francesca's accusations as false claims or forcibly commit her, but the best plan of action for all parties involved was still being worked out. For his part, Logan was thinking about getting a divorce and seeking custody of the children, but he hadn't met with any solicitors yet to start either process. He also wanted to talk to his in-laws about having Francesca institutionalized but hadn't managed to have the difficult conversation yet.
Rowan finally replied, "I was in the neighborhood and thought I would bring you some reading material. You had a lot of books in your house and I see to recall you were a reader when we were at Hogwarts. Also, I found this at home." She turned back to the sack and pulled out something on top. It was a photograph of Ash looking not dissimilar to how he did now and a much, much younger Logan dressed in their Slytherin robes at school.
Logan took the picture and whistled. "Those were the days. I'm envious of you, still looking so young and pretty while I've turned into a middle-aged man."
"Don't be," Rowan said. "We missed so much while we were cursed. Life went on without us, though I am glad I'm back in it. And I'm glad we met again after all these years," she added with a small smile.
"I really am sorry about Ash," Logan said.
"Thanks. Me too." Rowan hesitated, not sure what to say next or what really brought her over to his room. She ended up telling him she had to run and she would check in again some other time.
Back downstairs, Rowan turned to go to the archway to Diagon Alley, but she turned when she heard Connor call out her name.
"What are you doing here?" Connor asked, when she joined him at the bar.
"What are you doing here drinking alone?" Rowan asked, nudging him with her shoulder.
"My time on-call just ended, so I thought I'd celebrate. Care to join me?"
Rowan grinned. "Sure. I should be able to sober up before I have to go to Hogwarts tonight," she added jokingly.
"Would make for an interesting patrol shift if you didn't!" Connor quipped.
Rowan stuck out her tongue. "And give the Smirts something else to comment on? No, thank you!"
Connor laughed and ordered Rowan a drink.
Octavia (Impatient)
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 03-10-20 20:34
Surreptitiously swiping at her nose with a hankie, not wanting her mother to pepper her with questions about having a cold or allergies flaring up, Octavia waits for her mother and Uncle Pollux to decide where to spread the two picnic blankets they brought. She would love nothing more than to return to egg hunting but Mum told her to wait until Pollux and she had gotten settled. On either side of Octavia Camilla and Tarquin restlessly wait for the okay to join others their ages and start filling their baskets. Tarquin's eyeing an egg just past Uncle Pollux while Camilla can't stop checking out how many eggs Octavia already has.
Spot selected and blankets spread Castoria takes a seat, patting the spot next to her. "Catch me up since your last owl, Octavia."
"But, Mum, the hunt."
"The Easter egg hunt can wait five minutes more." She pointedly looks at Octavia's basket. "Looks like you've already got a good many." At Camilla's not so subtle waggling of her empty basket Castoria tells her younger daughter and Tarquin, "You two may go hunt but check back in an hour."
Pollux decides to walk with the two younger children, both to give Castoria and Octavia a few minutes alone but also to make sure Tarquin and Camilla go to the correct area to hunt eggs. He wouldn't put it past either of them to try to snag a few in area for the toddler ages.
Castoria smooths a wrinkle from the blanket. "It was nice of Ron and Hermione Weasley to let us know to bring at least one blanket and a picnic basket. When Pollux and I were students we didn't have school-wide Easter egg hunts. Or Course Day or Club Day for that matter."
"Then how did you know what clubs to join or electives to take?"
"We have lists and we picked that way or had a friend who was interested in a club or an elective."
"I'm glad I don't have to pick electives yet. I have no idea which two I want. I went to Course Day even though I didn't have to yet but that didn't make it any easier."
Castoria pats her on the leg. "You have a year before you have to decide." An egg at the top of the heap in Octavia's basket catches her eye. "That's a pretty one. Are they all so beautifully decorated?"
"Some are plain but some are fancy like this one and some are in-between." Octavia turns out her basket to show her mum her collection thus far. She picks up one that's a yellow. "I overheard an upper year telling another lower year that the plain ones are usually sweets."
Taking in the eggshell's yellow hue that puts her in mind of lemons Castoria says, "So something like sherbet lemons?"
"Maybe so. Let's find out." Octavia pulls apart the egg halves, laughing when pajamas with dancing bananas spills out. "Maybe the upper year was having the lower year on."
"These are cute. Are they your size? Oh, I see fitting instructions."
Octavia waves a hand over her other eggs, magnanimously offering, "Pick one for yourself."
Castoria studies the selection, choosing one with an artistic, bright swirl of colors. "You're sure?"
"Yes, Mum. Hurry and open it."
Castoria prises the egg open, exclaiming, "Oh!" when what looks like two tickets pop out. She picks them up and reads the somewhat small print on one of them. "Oh!" she says again. She waves the tickets at Octavia. "These are for one of those places where you learn to paint a picture. We can do it together. If you want, that is."
"That would be cool, Mum. Do you think we could do it over Easter holiday or have to wait until summer break?"
"I'll find out Monday and let you know. Now, go on with your egg hunting. I know you're dying to get back to it."
Octavia gives her mother a peck on the cheek then with a promise to check back for lunch she hurries off to find more eggs and to see what her friends have found so far.
Not A Bird's Egg
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 03-11-20 19:27
Ron makes a face when one knee creaks while bending to lift Hugo. Hugo reaches for a speckled egg that looks real enough he asks, "Not a bird, Dad?"
"I don't know of any eggs that are fluorescent orange so no, not a bird's egg." Even as he says this Ron is thinking hard on what he knows of magical creatures that lay eggs. His concentration is interrupted by his son asking another question.
"What's floorsense?"
Shifting Hugo so he can reach another egg, this one a bright violet hue, in the same tree, Ron repeats, "Fluorescent. Think of it as glow in the dark. You see anymore up there?"
"No," Huge quickly replies only to exclaim, "WAIT!" when Ron starts to put him down. "Little higher, Dad."
The third egg has alternating red and gold stripes in shades that put Ron in mind of Gryffindor colors. He looks it over as well as the other two from the tree, trying to guess what each holds. Hugo leaves Ron holding the basket while he scampers over to a bush to look under it and to peer into the bush for eggs. Triumphantly holding up one in each hand he rushes over to drop them into the basket, changing direction when Ron says, "Go that way. We need to make our way over to where Rose and Mummy are hunting."
Stooping to lift an egg from a small indention in the ground Hugo asks, "Time for work?"
"Not for a bit. It's about time for lunch." Ron took a patrol shift for later in the day, thinking that by then 3 year old Hugo and seven year old Rose might be worn out. As an Order of the Phoenix member Hermione's doing a patrol later as well but until then it's trading off turns with the kids - Rose wanting nothing to do with the "baby" section designated for Hugo's age group. Ron can't really blame her for that. Ginny's only a year younger than he is and he well remembers a few times when he considered Ginny's interests too babyish for him.
With Hugo searching high and low for eggs what should have been a few minutes walk to join Rose and Hermione becomes a major expeditionary trek. When they finally reach the ladies, Hugo dramatically presents his basket for Hermione to ooh and ah over as Rose does much the same with Ron. With a promise to do a close inspection after they get lunch set up, Hermione and Ron make short work of finding a spot and getting sandwiches and drinks doled out. Within minutes Ron is listening to Rose describe each of the eggs she's found so far and her speculating as to what each holds. Surprising, neither Hugo nor she insists on opening any just yet. As Ron is fairly famished by that point, he's happy to nod along to the kids' prattle while he eats his lunch, and tired already that it's nice to just sit with Hermione and the children and not have to do much beyond chewing and swallowing.
(Violet) With Her Parents
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 03-12-20 19:01
After spending the morning hunting for Easter eggs with her friends, Violet met up with her parents. She'd last seen them when she had gone home for Christmas, so she was quite glad to be with them again. She didn't feel lonely when she was with her large group of friends, but whenever she saw her parents, she realized how much she missed them and also missed home.
Violet's mother Elfrida was very pretty. She was fair, with long, light blonde curly hair and blue eyes. After Hogwarts (where she had been in Gryffindor like her daughter), she had gone to work at the Ministry in the Department of Muggle Relations. Elfrida later went to Oxford University, earned a degree in psychology, and ultimately returned to her old job with a better understanding of how Muggles think.
Violet's father Jason had been a few years ahead of Elfrida at Hogwarts, where he'd been in Ravenclaw. After Hogwarts, he traveled, worked at the British wizarding embassy in Japan, worked at Gringotts Bank with his father, worked at an investment firm with his mother, and then finally enrolled at Oxford. Nowadays he worked as an economist at Gringotts.
Violet was still too young to know what she wanted to do with her life, but she was fairly certain that she wouldn't be following in her parents' footsteps. The only thought for the future she had right now was learning to play an instrument so she could start her band. It was why she had asked them to bring her books on how to read music, books about different musical instruments, and books about young musicians.
Resisting the urge to look at all of them right then and there, Violet set the tote aside and obligingly showed her parents some of the eggs she had found while hunting with her friends.
"That looks inspiring," her dad said, pointing to a shiny red egg that had what looked like piano keys around the middle.
Violet had noticed the piano keys when she'd picked up the egg but had forgotten about in her rush to fill her basket.
"Do you want to see what's in it?" she asked.
Her parents nodded, and her mother added, "But only if you want to open it now. You don't have to."
"I want to. I want to open them all, actually, but I'm afraid I'll have trouble getting everything back up to my room if I do that. So I guess I'll wait on the others. Let's see what's in this one."
She pried the red egg apart right where the piano keys were and gasped when what looked like a keyboard popped out. Violet felt thrilled and even more so when her dad exclaimed, "That's not a keyboard. It's a keytar!"
"What's a keytar?" her mother asked, laughing.
"It's a portable keyboard that you wear on a strap like a guitar. See this here?" He touched one end, which was long and pointed like the neck of a guitar. "You wear this side going towards your shoulder and play the keys with your right hand, but you can also lay it flat and play it like a normal piano. It just isn't full-size."
"How do you know so much about keytars?" Violet asked, amazed and excited.
"I saw a lot of weird things when I traveled the world after graduating from Hogwarts. Your keytar isn't weird, though. It's so sleek and red… really wicked! I'm going to guess your friends will be envious when they see it."
Violet was delighted. Her keytar had a neat shape, was shiny and bright red, and had some buttons and dials that she would have to learn how to use. It was only later that she would realize there was also an instruction manual and a basic tutorial on how to play piano folded up tightly inside the egg.
Trade
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 03-12-20 19:52
Popping a peach flavored salt water taffy into her mouth Myra goes through an internal debate on whether to open another egg or wait until she takes another snack break. Beside her Gage says, "I may have to stop eating sweets and have real food."
His remark prompts Cassie to get to her knees, lean over and feel Gage's forehead. "Are you ill?"
With a massive eye roll and a pushing away of Cassie's hand Gage tells Myra and she, "I can smell that pork roast Mum brought. Heavenly."
Myra nods in agreement. "It does smell good but I want to hunt more." She scrambles up, Cassie looking from Myra to Gage then back again.
"More eggs now for me too." Cassie and Myra leave the stop eating sweets Gage shoving a lemony Pegasus shaped wine gum into his mouth.
Getting up he selects another wine gum, cherry flavored this time, and walks the short distance to where other members of the extended Hodfuffer family are at various stages of lunch. Getting a sandwich and, because his mother insisted, some fruit salad, Gage takes a spot by Joe. "Get anything good yet?"
"Don't know. I've not opened any. What about you?"
"Sweets of course, dragon hide gloves that have flames on them," Gage roots around in his basket for the egg with the gloves, "and two tickets to Quidditch Con. I'm really hoping I get tickets to one of the World Cup matches."
"Me too! Make that you, me, and ever other Quidditch fan. So far none of my eggs make me think Quidditch though."
Joe and Gage look up as Amethyst says, "I have one." She sets her plate aside, reaching for her basket. The egg she produces has tiny snitches zooming around. "What will you trade me for it?"
Gage shuffles through his eggs to pull out what to him looks girly. The egg is a pale gold with what looks like a lace overlay. He'd planned in giving it to either Rhona or Dani, depending on what he found in it not that tell whichever sister that he'd had a look. "How about this one?"
"Pretty." Amethyst turns to Joe. "Have anything to offer?"
"Let's see. How about this one with lavender dots and the black and white plaid?"
Gage counters with the lacy gold, a white egg with a vivid yellow and orange sunburst, and a pale green from which the faint sound of music can be heard.
Joe's in the middle of adding two eggs to his offer when Aunt Bambi sees what's going on and puts a halt to it. "Amethyst Ruby Hodfuffer! Either keep your egg or do a one-to-one trade. None of this bartering business."
"But, Mum,"
"Don't but Mum me. Do you want me to confiscate what you've got and dole them out to others?"
Amethyst's eyes widen at the threat. She hastily shakes her head. "No, don't do that! I'll do a one-to-one."
Bambi movies away but stations herself where she can keep watch. Amethyst grumbles under her breath then gives her attention to her cousins. "Each of you pick one for trade." Gage sticks with the gold lace one while Joe selects the black and white plaid. Amethyst tells them, "One of you hide them both behind your back, and I'll pick a hand."
Gage takes the two eggs and with Joe's help shuffles them around behind his back. When ready they tell Amethyst, "Okay, pick."
"Left hand."
Gage pulls his left hand out to reveal Joe's black and white plaid egg. He's both disappointed not to get Amethyst's egg that has to have a Quidditch related prize and happy he has the egg to give to Rhona or Dani. Or maybe even to his mum.
Amethyst takes the black and white plaid and hands over the egg with snitches to Joe who drops the egg into his basket. At the expressions on Gage's and Amethyst's faces he sheepishly grins, "I guess I should go on and open it, huh?"
He plucks the egg open, extracts parchment that he silently studies. When Gage prompts, "And?" he grins sheepishly again. "Sorry. Not World Cup or Quidditch Con but it is for one of those day long pro Quidditch camps."
"Cooooool!" Gage exclaims, trying not to sound overly envious.
Putting the parchment back in the egg Joe glances at Amethyst. "Going to open yours now?"
"Sure. Why not?" She takes an egg end in one hand and the opposite end in her other and gently pulls. The black and white plaid egg opens with an audible POP!. It's only when she's holding up two tickets to Emrys Fest that she realizes, "Say, that's not plaid. Not really. The egg is white and what looks like plaid are lots of tiny music notes."
Peering closely at one of the egg halves, Gage again says, "Coool!" He gives his attention back to his sandwich. "I don't know about you two but I'm ready to finish lunch and go find more eggs!"
Reaching for their own plates Joe and Amethyst agree that quickly returning to Easter egg hunting is the thing, all of them wondering what other prizes they'll find when finally opening all their eggs at the end of the day.