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Ellis Siblings at Emrys Fest
Author: Ellis
Date: 09-01-17 16:57
The five oldest Ellis siblings were at Emrys Fest together. The oldest, Alys, was in charge. She was dressed in a pair of crocheted shorts, a cute tank, and sandals. At their mother's suggestion, she had brought with them a picnic basket, which was currently shrunk to a manageable size so that she could enjoy the first concerts without lugging around a bulky accessory.
Alys was feeling rather grown up at the moment. Not only was she responsible for looking after the four Ellis siblings accompanying her to the all-day music festival, but she had also just received her prefect's badge in the owl post. Alys could not believe that she had been selected to be a fifth year prefect for Ravenclaw House. Surely one of her roommates was more worthy of the title?
Blakeney opened a compact and checked her make-up. Her mother allowed her to wear a little, but Blakeney wasn't to go overboard because she was only fourteen. She knew how to make the minimalist look work for her, though. Not only that, she had brought extra with her so that she could touch up and add extra while at the long festival.
Blakeney wanted to look her best, because the place was swarming with boys. Not only that, a lot of the rock and pop stars were extremely dreamy. Blakeney knew that none of them would want to date her or anything, because she really was just a kid, but she would accept any compliment she got. If only some of her foreign boyfriends could have come to Emrys Fest!
Conrad, the only boy in the entourage, was wondering if now would be a good time to tuck into the picnic basket Alys was carrying. Since leaving Hogwarts, he'd had a bit of a growth spurt, and he felt hungry all the time. He was also starting to notice girls. There were a lot of girls milling about the university grounds, and some weren't wearing much. An older teenager, probably a university student, was wearing a bright red halter top that Conrad couldn't help but notice.
He tore his gaze away from her, which wasn't easy since she was bouncing up and down to the up-beat tune the Mermen were belting out on stage. The members of the Mermen were all shirtless and greased down with baby oil. The were wearing pants designed with shiny scales that looked like fish tails. Conrad couldn't see the appeal, but the girl in the red halter top seemed to like what she saw.
Twins Daphne and Emily knew all the words to the song the Mermen were singing and came up with their own dance moves, which would have been embarrassing if anyone was paying them any attention. They didn't care how silly they looked, though. The wilder their moves, the better! They jumped, and slid, and shimmied, and kicked out their legs, not at all caring how they looked. They were just so happy to be at Emrys Fest.
They were also glad to be at the all-day event without their parents hanging around and without any of their younger siblings in attendance. Little brothers and sisters were needy and wouldn't be able to last the whole day anyway. Neither Daphne nor Emily wanted to leave until Killed by a Curse took their final bow, but they knew that they'd only get to stay if Alys allowed it, and she was so good-natured that she probably would.
(Malden) Waiting for Arielle
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 09-02-17 13:29
Malden stood on the edge of the St. Emrys campus and smoked a cigarette. He'd only recently taken up smoking, and only because he thought it gave him a darker image. It had taken a while to get used to smoking without coughing, but Malden felt like a pro now.
Of course, his parents had no knowledge of his latest vice, and neither did Arielle. Somehow, Malden didn't think she'd approve. He really didn't feel bad about lying to her; after all, he did it a lot nowadays and so far had gotten away with it. He wagered there was only so long before she would question why he smelled like smoke, though.
It was nearly time for them to meet. She'd been busy in the morning and could only attend the second half of Emrys Fest. The plan was for them to meet near the concessions and then find a place halfway between both stages. Malden put out his cigarette, stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and made his way over to the concession stands.
He got in line and eventually purchased a bottle of butterbeer for himself and a basket of cheesy chips. By the time he got of line, Arielle was there. Malden stuffed a few chips into his mouth, washed them down with butterbeer, and then leaned in for a quick hello kiss.
"You made it," he said.
"Sorry I was a little late," Arielle said, though she was actually right on time.
"No worries," Malden replied. "I can get back in line and get you something, if you want."
"We just had lunch, actually, so I'm good for now." Arielle turned to look over at Stage Two, where Spellbound was currently performing. "Shall we?" she indicated in her head toward the crowds dancing in front of the two stages erected on the St. Emrys lawn.
"Let's," Malden answered.
They started to walk in that direction. "So," Arielle said, wanting to get a little conversation in before it got too loud, "how's Madoc doing?"
Malden shrugged. "Fine, I guess." Madoc had been in New Zealand for a couple of weeks. Frankly, Malden was glad his brother was halfway across the world. They'd never been close and the physical distance between them now would only make them forget about each other even more. Malden, personally, didn't have any problem with practically being an only child.
(Caleb) First Timer
Author: Celeste Quigley
Date: 09-03-17 12:59
As ridiculous as it sounded, this was Caleb's first time at St. Emrys Fest. Only this year his mother thought he was old enough to go. His OWLs marks also helped to convince her. Caleb was excited to meet his friends and also to have a chance to be at an university campus. One day he hoped to be a student here.
He was hanging out with Sophie, and other colleagues from Hogwarts, such as Hector Newland, Estine Mignon and Mickey Moon. Patricia was there as well, and she seemed thrilled to spend time with future Hogwarts 6th years, while she would be in her 4th year. However, she didn't act like the annoying typical little sister.
"We should go closer to the stage," Mickey Moon suggested.
He had spent the entire time glued to Sophie. Caleb noticed that once or twice his arm had moved around her waist. It was a gesture of possession and he seemed to reveal to the group his intentions towards Sophie. Caleb noticed that Hector was somewhat disappointed. He had tried to reach out to Sophie because there was a band they both enjoyed but Mickey had literally cut down his attempt to connect with her by pulling Sophie by the hand, announcing they were going to fetch something to drink.
"Yes, let's go!" Sophie agree.
"I want to stay here," Patricia declared. She explained she didn't want to be among the sweaty and crazy crowd. Their quiet spot in the grass was just fine.
Caleb noticed Sophie really wanted to go with Mickey but it was clear she had instructions not to separate from her sister. Being a good friend, he said:
"I'll stay here with Patricia. I am not a fan of crowds either."
Sophie thanked him and left. Everyone else also wanted to go near the stage and taking advantage of the fact Caleb would stay behind they asked him to save their belongings while they were gone.
"So…how is your summer being so far?" he asked Patricia.
"Good. But Penny is very loud. She isn't as quiet as Flo." Just like Florence, Patricia had given a nickname to her baby sister Penelope.
They kept talking about random things and then Caleb noticed it has been a while and none of the others have returned. He said that out loud to Patricia.
"I like it this way," she declared. "Just the two of us."
Her cheeks turned pink, but he didn't care. A more romantic song was playing and Caleb held Patricia's hand in his. He recalled that scene at Hogwarts where he kissed her and she rejected him. This time she didn't let go of his hand. A comfortable silence reigned between the two, as they listened to the song, simply holding hands but perfectly happy with that.
(Ash) Inspection & Revelation
Author: Rowan Westwick
Date: 09-03-17 13:19
While his younger sisters were at Emrys Fest, Ash was at Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe in Knockturn Alley. He had received a narrow scroll at breakfast with the instructions to meet at the knick knack store at a certain time. The scroll promptly incinerated itself and left ashes on his buttered toast. Fortunately, Ash had been home alone when the note came, or he might have had to respond to questions he wasn't ready or willing to answer yet.
At the prescribed time, Ash turned up at the shop. It was an odd place with a hodgepodge of wares, some of which were innocuous, whereas others weren't, as was befitting of the store's location. Ash had no idea that the store with its flat above was actually the Death Eater's London headquarters.
He milled about, unsure what to say or do since the note hadn't given any other instructions other than to show up at a certain time. Eventually, he found himself surprised when an elderly man wearing a red beanie and dark gray robes emerged from a back room and beckoned for him to step behind the counter. Ash hesitated and then stepped past the walkthrough and to a storage room, which had some cabinet space, counter tops, and lots of boxes stacked neatly here and there.
The man, who didn't say a word to him, led him up a back staircase into a modest-looking flat. A few people were there. Ash quickly took them in. One was a short man with dark hair and only one hand. He was massaging oil or lotion onto his stump. Another was a good-looking older gentleman. He cast Ash an appraising look but his features didn't betray what he thought of him. The third person was a pretty witch named Vandalia who Ash learned owned the store. The two wizards looked mildly familiar to Ash, but he had never before seen the witch.
The man in the red hat, who was someone Ash did not at all recognize, led him to a solitary chair in the room. Ash assessed the chair quickly, wondering how many others had sat in it and perhaps died in it before him. Little did he know that it was the chair that the former occupant of this flat had crashed face-first into it upon being hit with the Killing Curse.
Ash sat and awaited his fate. It was not the man in the red hat who spoke. Instead, it was the older gentleman. The sleeve of his business robes were rolled up, revealing the Dark Mark on his forearm. It was a relatively new adornment; for years, the wizard had merely been a Voldemort Loyalist.
"How do we know he is ready?"
Ash turned his head and saw that the man was talking not to him, but to the one in the red hat.
"How do we know that he won't do what his parents did? After all, sometimes the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," continued the older gentleman.
"Your apple did, though, didn't it?" sneered the man with only one hand. He, too, had a new Dark Mark, but it wasn't visible to Ash.
"No one asked for your opinion, Nero," replied the older gentleman, "and you know as well as I do that that bad apple came from a different tree."
Ash had no idea what or who they were talking about. All he knew was that these were bad wizards who wouldn't hesitate to kill him, and so he decided to plead his case. "I'm my own man," Ash said to the gentleman who doubted him. "I haven't seen my mother in decades, and my father cleans toilets for a living. I share your beliefs, and I'm ready to pledge myself to ensuring the world we live in is the world we want for ourselves."
"They say he is ready," added the pretty witch, who showed no outward signs of doubting him. "Let's not delay things any further and do the spells already so we can send him over for inspection."
The older wizard seemed dubious, but he shrugged. The man with only one hand attached a fake one to his stump and then got up to help with the spellwork.
When it was all over, Ash understood that they had placed restrictions on him. He could not say anything about what he saw or learned to anyone but those who already knew, which included the four other people in the room. If he even tried, he'd experience such pain, that he'd be a fool to ever try sharing their secrets again. The spells would make reporting things to the Ministry difficult, but Ash would find a way. That was what he'd signed up for, anyway.
"Shall we?" The man in the red hat finally spoke with the hint of an accent and gestured for Ash to stand.
Ash stood and took the man's proffered arm. "We will side-along apparate," the wizard explained. He sounded like he might be Russian or Eastern European.
Ash gave the room and its occupants one final look and then felt himself get transported through space. A moment later, he and the man in the red hat were in the middle of the woods. The weather was comfortable in the shade, but the sun blazed overhead and peeked through to the forest floor here and there.
"Follow me."
They walked through the woods and eventually reached a clearing, where they came upon the ruins of an abbey. Ash could see that a lot of work had been done on the site, because it actually looked inhabited.
Sentries on the roof looked down at the new arrivals. The main door swept open at their approach and someone came out to talk to them. It was a woman who spoke with a similarly-foreign accent. She was pretty and seemed very confident with her station.
"Is this him?" she asked. "The Westwick boy?"
Ash bristled at the term 'boy', but he hoped he didn't betray his emotions. He tried to act calm and submissive.
"Yes. Security measures are already in place. He is ready for inspection."
"Good," she answered in a clipped tone. She looked Ash in the eye and said, "Come with me."
Ash followed the woman inside, and again took in his surroundings without trying to make it obvious that he was making mental notes for the Ministry of Magic. The woman led him through the building, which was full of activity. Ash began to see witches and wizards he most certainly recognized from The Daily Prophet and most wanted posters. He felt chills run up and down his spine.
Those chills were nothing like what he felt upon reaching an office. It was occupied by someone sitting in a large wing-backed chair that was facing the wrong way. A pair of blackened human hands were mounted on the wall over the desk. The sight of them made Ash's stomach turn.
"Thank you, Ivanova," said the wizard in the chair. His voice was low and raspy but one Ash had never heard in person before, though he somehow knew it all the same. He felt himself start to tremble and hoped it didn't show.
Ivanova excused herself from the room, leaving Ash alone with the wizard in the chair.
"And how are Linden and Holly?" inquired the man. "I was disappointed to see them go. Are they well?"
Ash struggled to find the words. "They are deserving of the fate they were given. Holly is forever lost, and Linden is little more than a janitor."
"Do you see the error of their ways?"
"I do," said Ash. He tried to sound confident and hoped he was doing a good job of it.
"Will you serve where they could not?"
"I will," Ash answered.
"I will not take you at your word but from your actions. You are one of us on a trial basis. I trust you understand that there is only way out of your probationary status?"
"I understand." He would either be accepted or killed.
"Excellent." The chair wheeled around and Ash caught sight of someone he never, ever expected to see. Lord Voldemort was alive and in charge of the Death Eaters.
At the Festival
Author: Marzipan
Date: 09-04-17 10:07
On a blanket away from the crowds, Marzi sat with her two boys and Alaric Framboise and his children, Napoleon and Danaerys. It had been a long day, since the six had arrived shortly after the festival's start and it was now late afternoon. Despite their protestations to the contrary, Carter and Vallon were getting tired. The older children and grown-ups were beginning feeling the length of the day, too.
"Maybe after this band, we should consider calling it a day?" Marzi suggested. "We could get something to eat in Hogsmeade…"
The family Framboise was staying at the Hogsmeade Inn. Dining in the village would be convenient for all parties involved.
"But Muuuuuuuum," Vallon complained, "we want to see Dynamic Duo."
"And Dragon," Carter added.
"That's two more hours!" Marzi exclaimed. "I'm not sure any of us can last that long."
"Why don't we try eet," Alaric suggested. "Eef we grow more tired, then we leave early. Otherwise, we leave aftair… what eez ze name? Dragon?"
"Yeah!" "All right!" exclaimed the boys. "Can we go closer?" Vallon asked.
"If Napoleon and Dany go with you," Marzi said.
The older children were agreeable. Dany got up and held out her hand to Vallon, who clutched it happily and walked with her to the crowd. Napoloen and Carter followed behind them.
"Alone at last," Alaric said, smiling at Marzi.
"Yes," Marzi replied, grinning.