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Location Unknown: Ash and Willow
Author: Rowan Westwick
Date: 08-08-18 18:41
"You're not still cross, are you?"
Ash was in a bed with a pillow propped up behind his back. A tray with a steaming cup of tea and the remnants of breakfast stretched across his lap. The morning's Daily Prophet was tossed aside on the patchwork quilt.
"Can you blame me?" Willow asked. She stood against the wall with her arms folded across her chest.
She wasn't really that mad anymore. Her relief at discovering that her brother was still alive outweighed every other feeling. He'd been missing for months and she'd presumed him dead, even without proof. It just seemed unlikely he'd ever return.
"I don't blame you at all," Ash said, "but you understand why she couldn't tell you or Dad anything."
"Yes, I know, but still," Willow said. "I can keep a secret, and had I known the truth, I wouldn't have needlessly worried the whole time you were missing. I could have focused on my NEWTs, for Merlin's sake."
"I'm sorry you were left in the dark and that you had to worry about me. Rowan had to worry about me too, despite knowing I wasn't lost. In some ways, I think she had it worse," Ash said.
Willow shrugged. Maybe she would have worried more if she'd known her brother was working undercover with the very group who'd cursed them all into nesting dolls three decades ago.
"It's too bad you can't come along with me today," Willow said, changing the subject.
"I wish I could, but I'm still on bed rest. Besides, I can't go out in public as I am anymore. Life as I knew it is over, I'm sorry to say."
Willow frowned. "I don't think that's fair."
"I'm just grateful to be alive. I'm just sorry I couldn't do more to warn about the attack on Diagon Alley."
"Response time from law enforcement was quick because of you. You're a hero, Ash. It's just too bad you can't be publicly celebrated."
After meeting with Connor and nearly dying from attempting to spill Death Eater secrets, Ash was transported to a safe house, where he would stay until other arrangements could be made. Family visits were carefully coordinated, and so far only his siblings and father had been allowed to see him. No one else even knew he was safe.
"You're going to be late."
"I've already missed the opening acts," Willow said, "but you're right. I better go. I'm sure Justin is already wondering where I am."
She crossed over to the bed and kissed her brother on the forehead. "Get well."
"Be safe."
Willow smiled at Ash and then met the law enforcement officer in the other room. He escorted her off the property, and then she apparated to Stratford-upon-Avon to attend Emrys Fest.
Need That (Mira & James)
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 08-09-18 10:53
Sounding petulantly impatient Mira demands to know, "Wheeeeen?"
"A half hour or so," Drucilla tells her.
"Why do we have to wait? James and I can go by ourselves."
"You may go by yourselves if you stick to the booths on this side. Don't go wandering out into the crowd or to any of the other booths."
Mira flashes a smile that mirrors that of her mother's when Dru is smiling, and grabs James's hand. "Come on!"
Though he's gotten to an age when he doesn't always want to do what Mira says and might speak up about it, this isn't one of those times. Like Mira, James wants to do more than wait on their parents to be done with their shifts at Mum's Saucy! booth.
Saucy! not only has a variety of its sauces, in a variety of sizes, but a number of the other items the shoppe sells, such as casseroles. This being Emrys Fest and people likely to not want to carry around jars of sauces and family serving sized casseroles, there is an option to owl home anything bought.
To entice people, Saucy! also has festival sized servings of sauces with pastas, rices, and potatoes, and easy to carry portions of several of the casseroles the shoppe offers. Before allowing Mira to drag him away James snags one of these eat-on-the-go portions, one that's more breakfast oriented, a sort of cinnamon roll casserole.
Dru gives him a look but doesn't make him put it back, instead handing him a spoon. James would have been happy to eat hold the small bowl to his mouth and eat that way but if a spoon makes his mum happy he'll oblige. Using the spoon also means not having to listen to Mira complain about him being, to use a word she picked up from one of the adults, a heathen.
As they pass Zaria, who is standing on a chair to better see the band currently on stage, and dancing to the music, Mira can hear her call out, "Hey! Where are you going?"
"We'll be right back," Mira tells her, grabbing James to hurry him along. If they linger they might end up having to have Zaria tag along or end up having to stay after all if she pitches a big enough fit about being excluded. Seven in October and she's still such a baby Mira disgustedly thinks of her younger sister. At least Regulus didn't notice them leaving. He for sure would have had a fit at having to stay but then he isn't even four yet so that's all right.
Mira slows at the booth two down from Saucy! There are brightly colored floral blouses on sale along with multi-colored cotton t-shirts. "Ooooh, pretty," she says, rubbing fingers along a velvety feeling blouse with gorgeous orange blossoms against a pale green background.
"Let me guess. You need that."
Mira doesn't even bother to cast a glance her brother's way. "Yes, yes I do. Dad will buy it for me."
"You sure about that?"
"I won't ask for anything else all day."
James smirks, "Sure you won't."
"I won't!"
That insistent declaration lasts until the very next booth when Mira spots a necklace of a black rose, putting her in mind of one of the last bands playing Emrys Fest today, Black Rose. When James grins at her and says, "Yeah, so you need that too," Mira growls, "Oh, do shut up, James. You can be soooo very tiresome."
As they look over the other merchandise the booth has to offer, Mira wishes for a time not all that long ago when James did her bidding without complaint and kept his snarky comments to himself.
Watching from Afar
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 08-10-18 17:01
Bronwyn and Clarissa sat on a blanket well away from the crowds surrounding both stages at Emrys Fest. They had only just arrived because Bronwyn knew her daughter wouldn't be able to last all day. Bronwyn herself was no longer involved in the planning or live broadcast at the annual music festival, now in its twelfth year. As a result, she was only there as a spectator and could come and go as she pleased.
Bronwyn hoped that Clarissa would be amenable to staying until after the Dynamic Duo performance. Last she heard, Anthony would be playing bass with the band, and he had mentioned that they planned on dedicating one of their songs to his sister.
Thinking of Alanna had Bronwyn frowning. Here it was, nearly a whole month after the terrible attack on Diagon Alley, and Alanna was still missing. Bronwyn held out hope that she was still alive, but she worried immensely for Alanna's well-being, both mentally and physically. If she really had been abducted by the Death Eaters, then she was probably going through hell right now.
"Cheeeeeese," Clarissa enunciated, holding out one of her little hands for a cheddar cube Bronwyn had brought in their picnic basket.
Bronwyn handed one over and hoped that the potion Clarissa's pediatric healer had prescribed would help ease her intolerance for lactose. It had taken Bronwyn and Toby a while to figure out why Clarissa's stomach was always upset after drinking milk or eating cheese, which she loved and couldn't give up, despite the number it did on her tummy.
Clarissa munched on the cheese happily and then asked, "Daddy?"
"Daddy has a match today, remember?" Bronwyn answered. "Otherwise, he'd be here with us, picnicking and enjoying the music. Is it too loud for you? Do you want ear muffs?"
Bronwyn had packed an adorable ear muff headband just in case the music got too loud for Clarissa's tiny ears. They were a good ways from both stages and the increased decibels, though. Clarissa basically ignored Bronwyn and munched on another cheese cube.
Bronwyn popped one into her own mouth and turned her attention to stage two, where Sitar Hero was currently performing a brand new song. She had heard it a couple of times on the WWN, but it was so new that she really didn't know any of the words yet. The diehard Sitar Hero fans in the crowd did, though, and were singing along loudly and proudly to the music.
No Magic
Author: Mildred
Date: 08-12-18 07:36
Mildred walked behind the church. Almost annexed to the sacred building rested the pastor's residence, a small but well treated house. She rang the doorbell before she had any second thoughts that would make her hesitate and turn back. A moment later the door was open by the pastor himself. The resemblances between the pastor and Mildred's father were remarkable. It seemed as if she was in front of a younger version of Alexander. She could tell by his eyes that he had recognized her too.
"Father Paul Campbell?" She asked.
"Yes. And you must be Mildred. Please, come on in."
The house was very tidy and modest. Mildred was conducted by the pastor to a small sitting room. The pastor told her to sit and she did so on a small blue sofa.
"Care for some tea?" He offered.
Mildred nodded and the pastor excused himself from the division. During his absence she studied the sitting room. There was a bookcase with several titles from theology, to gardening to muggle fiction. There were lamps and a box that Mildred knew Muggles called a television in front of the sofa. At a desk on the corner there was a family photo of the pastor, his wife and their daughter. If she didn't know she would never guess this was a wizard's house. Father Campbell returned carrying a tray with tea and some scones. He caught Mildred looking at the family photo. He placed the tray on a coffee table in front of Mildred and started to serve the tea, after he had sit on an armchair. He did so without using any magic.
"I was not sure if you would come..." Paul started. "I haven't been exactly a good uncle. But I did write to your grandmother when your mother passed away and she assured me you were in good hands. You look a lot like Sarah. I knew her before your father did, you know?We were in the same house at Hogwarts and she used to help me with Transfiguration homework. I was never good at it..."
There was a nostalgic look in his eyes. He took a sip of his tea.
"But that was a long time ago. I have given up magic since then."
"Given up?"
"Yes. You see, magic has brought nothing but trouble to my life. My eldest brother in Azkaban, my other brother lives a reckless life. My sister turned into a mad woman. I had witnessed some of my dear friends being snatched and sent away. Some perished at the hands of those who thought they had no right to do magic because of their blood status. No, I had to free myself from all that. So I put my wand aside and decided to become a Muggle. Meanwhile I found God, met my wife and we have a beautiful daughter."
Paul looked at the photograph on the desk. Mildred was still processing all the information she had just received, but her uncle continued to talk:
"My daughter is the reason I wrote to you. I thought that the chance of hay children with magic would be minimal. But I knew she was a witch since Chloe was a year old and she managed to put her music box playing from her crib. I told my wife Margaret the music box was broken and it played by itself. But its mechanism was working just fine. Chloe would use magic to make it play when she was bored at night. I have been using excuses for the odd things Chloe has been doing since then. Margaret believes some of them, others I think she attributes it to God. Chloe is a very good obedient daughter, and due to my job my wife thinks she had been blessed somehow."
"And now she is eleven..." Mildred guessed. "And she needs to learn how to control her magical abilities. You can do it, but she is still too young."
"Yes," Paul seemed desolated. "The letter came on her birthday, as expected. Margaret was enchanted with the owl, as was Chloe. I was able to remove the letter before they saw it. I was thinking of burning it. But I didn't. As much as it pains me, Chloe will have to go to Hogwarts. To the world I tried to run away from and that I tried to shield my family from. That is why Margaret and I do not have more children. She wanted more but I told her God has given us Chloe and that was enough."
"Does she know yet? Wait..did you ask me to come here to tell her?"
"Of course not! I am not the type of man who would hide behind his niece. I have already spoken to Chloe. She was very confused but at the same time quite relieved because things started to make sense. I showed her the letter and I told her I was a wizard. I had to use magic again to show her. It is like riding a bicycle, you know? I thought I couldn't make anything levitate anymore, or make water pour out of my wand, but there it was! She kept asking for more spells, but I refused. Magic can be wonderful but it brings more pain and suffering than pleasure. I don't want Chloe to find that out."
"Your wife...my aunt...she doesn't know yet?"
"No and she never will. Chloe had lived a normal Muggle life and after she completes her education at Hogwarts she will return to that life. I did not tell her much about the school. Just that it was a boarding school where she would learn magic, in order to control it. Margaret thinks she will be attending a school in Newcastle. As much as it pained Chloe and myself to lie to her, we both agreed it was for the best."
Mildred wondered if indeed her cousin Chloe agreed to anything or if Paul simple used his influence on her as a father and a wizard to instruct her. However she did not make any comments. Instead she listened as her uncle explained her that he had ordered all the school supplies by mail, including a wand, because he did not want Chloe to have any unnecessary contact with the wizarding world. She almost set fire to the altar when she started to wave her new wand around the chapel without permission. Paul locked the wand away and would only give it to her once she would go to school.
If Mildred thought her first year at Hogwarts had been hard after the death of her mother and her father in jail, she thought her cousin Chloe's introduction to the wizarding world would not be easy at all. She bet there would be a lot of questions and doubts in the girl's head. Paul might have good intentions by sheltering his daughter from magic, but at the end of the day Chloe was a witch and she would be the one deciding if she wanted to keep doing magic or not. He could not decide that for her and force her to become a Muggle when she was not one.
"I still don't understand why I am here."
"I want to know more about the school. Who are the teachers and so on. And news on the wizarding world too. It has been a while and I just want to learn how things are these days. I would also like to know you better, if you like."
Mildred decided she was not going to make her uncle's life easy. If he wanted to know things he should enter in contact once more with the world he had turned his back to. She was vague in her information not telling him anything someone who had been at Hogwarts before wouldn't already know. She also didn't say anything about herself that was too revealing. Only that she was going to St. Emrys this year, and when he asked about Alexander she told him the truth: she and her father had lost contact and they haven't seen each other for a while now. She omitted the Diagon Alley attack knowing that Paul would never let Chloe attend Hogwarts if he knew about it or the rumors on Voldemort's return.
"Well, it was very nice to meet you," he said by the door. He seemed frustrated: the encounter did not go as he planned. Mildred was frustrated too.
It became worse when as she was going out her aunt and cousin arrived in a car. Paul just pretended Mildred was a young woman who was thinking of marrying in his church and she had come to check the place. Mildred decided to play along for now. Margaret Campbell gave her a kind smile. Mildred smiled back. Then she looked down at the eleven year old girl. Chloe was wearing a white dress with pink flowers, and her light brown hair was split into two perfect braids. The two cousins looked each other in the eye and Mildred almost felt as if Chloe knew she was a witch too. She might even be the first witch her cousin had ever seen. She fought the urge to reveal her identity right here, right now and walked away. For now she would walk away. But Chloe was her cousin and unlike the Campbell family Mildred decided she was not going to walk out on her.
(Malden) Delta Echo
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 08-12-18 09:24
The members of Team Delta Echo who could make it were at Emrys Fest. After the Death Eater raid on Diagon Alley, and with the knowledge that other attacks could happen at major events like the crowded music festival, Malden's grandfather advised the group to wear something identifying themselves as Team DE. Another idea was born from that suggestion and would serve as the perfect cover for future Team DE meetings.
Malden and the others present were wearing black T-shirts with the Delta symbol ∆ printed in silver across the front. Inside the Delta was the Greek letter epsilon. Delta Echo was a new band––their new band––and though they were not performing at Emrys Fest or debuting there, this was their first promotional appearance.
The group had only just started practicing together to keep up their cover story, and truth be told, they weren't any good. Some had never picked up an instrument before now. Malden as the pseudo-head of the group was the lead singer. Fortunately, he had a decent singing voice. Asher had picked up a guitar over the summer and had busied himself learning chords. They also had a second guitarist, bass player, drummer, keyboardist, and a couple of backup singers. The rest of the group made up the crew.
The idea was that by wearing the T-shirts, the group would easily be identified as allies if a melee broke out during Emrys Fest. To keep up their ruse, the group was instructed to flee if something happened rather than participate. After all, the nature of their group was supposed to remain a secret. If they were found out, then all they were working towards would be for nothing.
Malden had long sensed that Arielle had noticed how secretive he'd been. He'd finally broken down and told her about the band. He'd feigned embarrassment, admitting to her that being the lead singer of a band had always been a dream of his. He'd not wanted to tell her before because he'd been afraid that she might not take him seriously or would think his singing needed lots of improvement. It was all lies, of course, but she seemed to believe him.
He even told her that he and Asher were repairing their friendship by taking on this project together. Arielle didn't give her brother a hard time while he struggled to learn how to play the guitar, because she really wanted him to succeed. His success would in turn help Malden out, and all she wanted was for Malden to be happy.
Arielle was at Emrys Fest with the band. She'd wanted to wear a matching T-shirt with the others, but Malden had told her he'd only had enough made for the bandmates. He mentally told himself that if there was an attack, he would make it his priority to get Arielle to safety.
In the meantime, the group and clueless Arielle watched Claudia Spellman perform. Emrys Fest was nearly over. Only two bands were set to take the stage: Black Rose and the Wicked Wizards of the West.
Emrys Fest
Author: Plum
Date: 08-12-18 18:03
Plum takes a seat on the large blanket next to her cousin Martha. "Any problems?" she asks of not quite three year old Evan.
"No. He's been an angel."
Evan, bobbing his head to music that for him has been magically muted enough to allow him to enjoy the music yet still protect his hearing, offers an apple slice to Plum while saying, "Me always good."
Plum grins at his assessment and gives an amused snort. Martha, before taking a bite of her own apple slice, asks her, "Are you staying to the end?"
"We're thinking about it but it may depend on whether this one falls asleep around the usual time or if not, how cranky he gets." Plum pulls a small wrapped box from a pocket. "A thank you for helping with Evan today."
"You didn't have to get me anything," Martha protests. "I'm happy to help."
"You're here on holiday yet you've spent part of the festival watching Evan for us and helping with Alex."
Martha makes a face. "You're family. Of course I'd help if you needed it, and you did."
Plum pushes the gift back towards Martha. "And we greatly appreciate it. This is just a token.
Across the field where Emrys Fest is taking place Alex is telling Jordan, "I need these."
"Drumsticks? Don't you have drumsticks?"
"Not really. They're giant chopsticks. A sort of joke."
"You don't have drums."
"I'm going to learn though. At Hogwarts. I'm going to join one whatever music group there is."
Jordan's current girlfriend, Martina, puts an arm around Alex's shoulders. "If he doesn't have drums then what's the harm? He not as though he can drive his parents crazy with them. Here, sweetie, I'll buy them for you."
Alex flashes a smile and tells her, "Thank you," as Jordan mutters, "You have no idea what he can use for stand-in drums to drive us all batty," but doesn't dissuade her. Instead he tells her, "I'll pay for them."
Martina shakes her head. "I said I'd do it. You can spend yours on me."
Betsy walks up just in time to hear Martina. She laughs. "Smart girl you've got there, Jordan." To Alex she says, "I'm thinking of some food. You want to come with me and get something too?"
Accepting the drumsticks from Martina and telling her thanks again Alex turns to Betsy. "Ice cream and candy floss?"
"Maybe just one or the other but not both."
Alex thinks about it then agrees. "Okay, but also we should get something with lots of melty cheese."
"You got it!"
They walk off leaving Martina pointing out to Jordan a set of earrings shaped like tambourines that she finds interesting. A few booths down, Justin is asking his girlfriend Willow, "This shirt or that one?"
After he holds up one in front of him then the other Willow says, "The bright blue one is a better color but the image on the washed out blue has a better image." The image in question is a phoenix going through its life cycle. The image morphing as the phoenix matures then dies are slow enough to not cause anyone looking at it to feel motion sickness.
Justin asks one of the booth attendants, "Do you have this phoenix one in another color?"
"Uhhhhh, yeah. Hang on." The clerk roots around and comes up with another shirt of a deep indigo that makes the colors of the phoenix really stand out.
"Do you see anything you like?" Justin asks Willow before he pays for the shirt.
"You bought me something already."
"Doesn't mean I can't buy you something else if you want."
"The way we keep stopping to watch the bands we still haven't made it to all the booths."
Justin shrugs, pays for the shirt, and taking the small shopping bag with one hand holds out his other to Willow. "Which means I'll now find twelve other shirts or something that I absolutely have to have," he says with a laugh.
Willow laughs as well. "Probably."
"Let's at least get something to drink at the next food booth we come across."
"Works for me."
The continue on the rounds of seeing what the vendors have to offer as Dragon finishes its set on stage two and Dark Magic begins its set on stage one.