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Article, Speech, Feast
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 09-20-13 16:41
The Life and Lies of Minerva McGonagall. So read the headline in the weekend edition of The Daily Prophet. Despite expecting the article about herself, its arrival had nonetheless come as a shock to the Hogwarts headmistress. Some of what Rita Skeeter wrote was of no surprise to Minerva, even in its skewed form. The rest, particularly when it came to certain members of her family, felt like a low blow indeed.
The article detailed much of Minerva's life, from her Muggle father, to her brother Menelaus and his darker affiliations. Unlike in reality, where Minerva and Menelaus became estranged because of his support for Lord Voldemort, Skeeter implied that they had stopped speaking because Menelaus wouldn't take Minerva under his wing like she wished him to do. Skeeter claimed that Minerva willfully joined the Order of the Phoenix in spite of her brother, and not because she had always been against dark wizards.
What cut Minerva the most was Skeeter's implication that her late husband Elphinstone Urquart died under suspicious circumstances, only a few years after their marriage. Although she didn't say it, it was clear that Skeeter wanted her readers to think Minerva had had something to do with Urquart's death.
Minerva had long been in the habit of not discussing her late husband and knew that that was likely to change, now that his name had been dredged through the mud in one of Rita Skeeter's articles.
Of course, the subject of Minerva's arrest at Hogwarts was mentioned in the article, as was her alleged blatant disregard for the authority of the Board of Governors.
Although she did not find her position in the spotlight any more welcoming than the other Hogwarts staff when it had been their turn, the mention of Menelaus had given her reason for concern. Madoc knew the reason for her estrangement with his grandfather already, but Malden did not. Even with Madoc already knowing the truth, seeing it in print probably also gave him a bit of a shock.
As tempted as she was to go and speak with them both, she let them be and focused on what she would say during her speech for the End of Term Feast.
Now that moment had come. The Great Hall was decorated in black and yellow to celebrate Hufflepuff House, the winner in terms of house points. All four house tables were filled, and every seat at the staff table was also taken.
Minerva rose from her seat, and Professor Flitwick tapped his fork against his goblet to gain the attention of everyone in the room. All voices fell silent, and all eyes turned upon the headmistress. She observed a few heads duck close together after a pause, with hushed whisperings being exchanged. She could only guess what the topic of conversation might be.
"Good evening," she said, "and welcome to another End of Term Feast. For you first years, I hope Hogwarts lived up to your expectations. For you seventh years, I wish you all the best in your next endeavors. Remember that you will always been welcome within these walls. I hope we will meet again at future school events.
"I would like you all to give a warm round of applause to Professor Flint. He has decided to move on and will not be teaching next school year. Our best wishes to you, Professor Flint." She turned in his direction and clapped her hands together. Everyone else in the Great Hall followed suit.
When the clapping died down, she continued, "Let us also congratulate Hufflepuff House for their victory in Quidditch this school year. Well done!"
There was quite a bit of whooping from the Hufflepuff table.
"And now, for the house points. In fourth place, Slytherin with 122 points."
There was polite applause from the other houses, with much frowning at the Slytherin table and rather unhappy looks directed at one of the second year students.
"In third place, Gryffindor with 348 points."
The applause was a little bit louder, though the Gryffindors looked somewhat disappointed as well, knowing how close they had been to making it to the Championship Match. Being there would have certainly given them an edge in the race for the House Cup.
"In second place, Ravenclaw with 425 points."
The applause was much louder.
"And in first place, Hufflepuff with 614 points!"
The Hufflepuffs erupted into loud cheering again. She waited for the noise to die down again before saying, "Have a wonderful summer. Now, let us eat!"
(Andrina) A Winner
Author: Wendy Mills
Date: 09-21-13 06:35
"Why have they won? It's not fair! It should have been us!"
Andrina was not sad or upset that Ravenclaw did not win the house cup. Instead she was revolted and somewhat outraged. She had spent the past weeks convincing herself that despite the defeat at the championship match, her house would still be able to win enough points to outstrip the Hufflepuffs. It was with horror and disbelief that the young witch had listened to the Headmistress Minerva McGonagall proclaim Helga Hufflepuff's house as this year's winner of the house cup. She didn't even clap her hands like almost everyone else.
"Maybe we will have a better luck next year," Wendy said, trying to console her best friend.
"I don't care about next year. It should have been this year. It's not fair!" she repeated.
But as soon as the food appeared, Andrina's spirit lifted a little bit and she put on her plate a large portion of roasted chicken with potatoes. She couldn't believe that her first year at Hogwarts was about to end. Around her, everyone was talking about what they were planning to do during the summer holidays. Ector mentioned spending some time with his grandparents who lived by the sea, while Caleb still wasn't sure where he would go. Wendy was going to camp with her family and Andrina had already asked her mother if she could invite Wendy to spend a week or two at her house. She gave her permission to do so and she said now it was only a matter of contacting the Mills about it.
Andrina was pretty sure they would not say 'no'. She had met Wendy's parents at the Spring Social and they seemed quite nice. But their clothes were odd, since they were Muggles and she thought that Wendy's older brother, Peter, might descent from some troll. No offense to the other Mills, of course.
Andrina was also eager to spend more time with her two sisters, Susan and Rose. Their brief encounters along the year hadn't been enough to tell them all about the spells and potions she had learned at school. She knew Susan would be jealous while Rose, who was the youngest, would run to their mother and ask her in a weepy tone why she couldn't have a wand like her sister and parents.
"The best thing about all this is that Flint is not coming back," Ector commented cheerfully.
"He wasn't that bad…" Caleb admitted.
"That's because you were one of the few who seemed to understand him. There were times where I thought he was speaking in another language. "
Like almost everyone else Professor Flint wasn't Andrina's favorite teacher and for a person who was used to do well in almost all the subjects it was frustrating to not understand half the things he used to say. Of course that academically he seemed brilliant, but he lacked that human touch all teachers and educators should possess. Andrina was very happy she wouldn't have him next year.
She continued eating the delicious food with a wide smile on her face. She had already forgotten about Hufflepuff's victory. She too felt like a winner: she had a pleasant school year, she was pretty sure she would have good grades and the summer was coming and soon she would see her family. What else could Andrina ask for?
Supper
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 09-21-13 10:30
Fritz and Coco sit together outside at a sidewalk café not too far from Fritz's neighborhood. Coco's dogs, Cash and Zelda, are leashed and lounge next to the chairs, looking at the passersby, especially if they happen to be other dogs. Zelda, still somewhat anxious though she seems to be okay at the moment, is pressed up against Coco's leg.
"This was a nice idea," Coco says between bites of her salad.
"I thought so," Fritz says with a smile. "I heard tonight is the End of Term Feast at Hogwarts, so I decided we should have a little feast of our own. It's not quite the same," he goes on, thinking of the miles and miles of delicious food on offer at every Hogwarts feast, "but it's a good alternative."
"Agreed," Coco says, nodding her head.
They talk about work. With term over, Fritz has taken on more hours at the potions shoppe. He still hasn't regained the trust of his coworker Elias, which makes the extra hours at work all the more uncomfortable, but Fritz is doing his best to stay positive and show utmost patience. Many times, he tries to put himself in the other wizard's shoes. How would he react to somebody brought in for questioning on a very serious matter?
The truth is, Fritz probably wouldn't think twice about it, considering the outcome, but some wizards are quick to judge and are not as forgiving. Although Fritz knows that legally, he's done nothing wrong, he does blame himself for everything Berthold Beatenberg has done lately. If Fritz hadn't been so foolish as to listen to a talking book, then Berwick Oldridge would still be alive. Who knows how many other wizards Beatenberg killed or hurt since gaining his freedom.
At least he is in Ministry of Magic custody now, where he can't hurt anybody else.
---
The days are still long, but Berthold cannot tell the difference. For him, it always seems dark because his holding cell at the Ministry of Magic doesn't have any windows. He never knows what time of day it is, except when his meals arrive.
After much questioning and little result, he was put on trial and found guilty of the murder of Berwick Oldridge. As much as the Wizengamot wanted to pin an affiliation with Adriana Fairchild on him, it could not be done, as there was no proof. Fairchild had done well to protect herself, and no amount of curse breaking could force Berthold to say anything about her and those around her.
Next Berthold would face the European courts and the very many charges against him, dating back 50+ years. He had been told that he would make the journey overseas under the cover of night this very evening. Not knowing the time of day, Berthold could not judge whether he would leave soon or much later.
The door to his cell suddenly slides open and one of his guards appears, holding a dinner tray. Since Berthold still has no hands by which to feed himself, the guard must spoon feed him. Berthold finds the entire ordeal painful, but hunger always overwhelms his pride.
He knows now that he will leave this place in just a few hours… with any luck, never to return.
(Kate) Hufflepuff Pride
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 09-21-13 12:10
Kate sat at the Hufflepuff table between Wilhelmina Kluck and Aleydis Vanderbilt. It was a nice change of pace to have the Great Hall decorated in her house colors. Slytherin had won the House Cup the past two years in a row! The only other time Hufflepuff had won had been during Kate's first year.
She constantly looked over at the Slytherin table, where all her friends sat. Kate was certainly friendly with her housemates and roommates, but her best friends were in Slytherin. The gang looked like they were having fun all seated together, though she could also see how disappointed they were to find themselves in last place. At least they all seemed happy for her.
She didn't have any grand plans for the summer, other than getting to know her half-sister better. Tessa hadn't written Kate any letters since joining the family, but Will had written her often and had mentioned that everyday seemed an improvement for the young witch. Kate couldn't imagine what it must be like, to find oneself abandoned with people she didn't even know. At least when Kate's mother had abandoned her, she had left her with her actual father. Who knew who Tessa's father was.
Kate hoped to see her friends this summer. There was already talk of getting together for Emrys Fest. Maybe she and Mark could see each other on the sly sometimes too. Since he would be interning with her father, maybe she could visit them both at work.
Kate realized she was staring at him from across the room. He was laughing at something Gus said, not noticing that he held her attention. Kate looked over at Aleydis and saw that she, too, was gazing in the direction of the Slytherin table. Like Kate, she was dating a Slytherin boy too.
"Could you pass the gravy?" she asked Aleydis, who was nearer to the tureen.
"Hmm? Oh, yes," Aleydis said, reaching over for the boat and handing it to Kate.
"Thanks," Kate said. She poured herself a generous amount of gravy and then picked up her fork to continue eating. As usual, the food was heaping and incredibly delicious. Kate wanted to try everything but knew her stomach wouldn't allow it. If she wanted dessert, then she would need to pick and choose only some of the entrees and sides up for grabs.
She glanced over at the Slytherin table again and saw that this time, Mark was looking her way. He smiled, and she smiled back. Maybe they couldn't get together much over the summer, but they would have the whole train ride home tomorrow to spend in each other's company.
All Roads Don't Lead to Rome
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 09-21-13 13:18
Lysander sat alone in his flat and researched the Baetylus stone some more. His trip to Rome hadn't panned out in the slightest, though he had taken advantage of being in the Eternal City by taking in some of the sights, visiting antiquarian bookshops, and eating gelato.
While in Rome, he had gone to visit the Palatine Hill, now a popular tourist destination for Muggles. As he had in Delphi, Lysander had felt a bit out of place being a wizard surrounded by photo-happy Muggle families. Everywhere he turned, somebody was there, taking a photo of a ruin or posing with grins on their faces.
He made his way to the site of the Temple of Cybele, or where it had once stood, since it didn't exist any longer. It was on the western slope of the hill and overlooked the Circus Maximus, now little more than an open field. The original temple and subsequent buildings had all burned down, the last being in use until the 4th century.
It had been said that the temple had been home to a Baetylus stone, which had been brought from Greek Asia Minor to Rome at the behest of an oracle. Little else was known about the stone, much less its present location.
Lysander spent a long time wandering where the temple had been and had even talked with some of the tour guides to get more information on the stone. He did not get much help and eventually decided to call it a day. If this Baetylus stone still existed, it wasn't there. If it was anything like the remaining one in Delphi, then it wasn't the right one either.
Now he turned his attention to Turkey. Another Greek temple was said to have had one. Lysander planned on visiting Samandag tomorrow to investigate the site of Seleucia Pieria. He didn't have high hopes that he would find any stone at all, but maybe luck would be on his side for once.
He put down his quill and got up from his chair to fetch the magic mirror from his bedroom. It wasn't quite late enough to chat with Charlotte, but he didn't want to miss her in case she was already in her room, waiting for him to appear in her mirror.
One glance at his mirror told him he was correct. The glass was dark, suggesting it was still hidden somewhere. He sat back down at the table, propping the mirror up so that it faced him, and returned to his research.
Last End Of Term Feast (Basil)
Author: Jared
Date: 09-21-13 17:25
Listening to Ivan prattle on about the three dates he has so far for Emrys Fest, Basil reaches for a platter of lamb chops but changes his mind. He interrupts Ivan to request, "Pass the roast."
Without a pause Ivan continues talking as he hands Basil the platter. When Ivan does stop, probably to take a breath, Thalia asks him, "Who exactly are these girls, Ivan, as I'm sure none are here at Hogwarts?"
"Why're you so sure of that?" Ivan asks, not huffily but out of pure curiosity.
"Because we here are all too familiar with your ways." Thalia says this with a grin.
"If you must know, one is someone I met during the IQT. We exchange letters from time to time."
Basil gets in a good natured rib by commenting, "A little hard to believe as that would mean you're somewhat literate, Ivan. I only say that as I've seen what you pass off as homework and the essays you've written."
"I can't help it that Snape says I have the penmanship of a crow." Ivan makes a face at Basil then looks back to Thalia. "One girl I met during spring holiday. The third is, for your information, a Hogwarts student."
Thalia launches into naming possible Hogwarts females who would give Ivan the time of day. Basil, who knows the mystery Hogwarts girl's identity, tunes her and Ivan out as he continues to add food to his plate. Spooning up some potatoes au gratin Basil looks at one of the large Hufflepuff banners hanging nearby.
He's a little disappointed that not only did Slytherin not win either the Quidditch Cup or the House Cup, the green and silver came in last. Basil reflects on how just a year ago he wouldn't have been a little disappointed. He would have been furious, channeling anger he felt about other things in his life against the winning house.
A lot has changed and, Basil believes, all for the better. By finally telling Etta the specifics of why their relationship went from of close cousins to a hated fueled distance helped him better come to terms with everything. It helped him stop being angry at Etta for something she's not responsible for.
Having Aleydis in his life has also made a huge difference. Basil finds himself thinking more about his words and actions before speaking or acting, not wanting to say or do something that would have Aleydis questioning why she bothers with him. One of these days he might actually find the nerve to tell her she makes him a better person.
Basil already knows he's going to miss Aleydis once summer holiday ends and she returns to Hogwarts for her seventh year while he works for his dad and starts Blane College at St. Emrys. If all goes well, he'll also make one of the university quidditch teams.
Basil is pulled back into the Thalia-Ivan conversation when Thalia starts snapping her fingers at him. "Basil. Yoo hoo! Ivan won't cooperate and tell me. Do you know which girl here he's slipped a love potion?"
The laugh the question elicits nearly has Basil choking. When he's able to catch his breath he points out, "If Ivan slipped someone a love potion, she'd probably be obvious to you."
"Imperiused then."
Ivan decides it's time to shift the conversation away from being teased that no girl would willingly date him. Breaking the crust of a small pot pie of some sort, he shoots Thalia a huge grin as he suggests, "You know, Thalia, as overly interested as you are in my love life, I'm starting to get the impression you're envious of the three I have dates with for Emrys Fest."
Thalia sputters a string of denials, face growing red. Ivan looks to Basil and asks, "What's that saying about protesting too much?"
Basil just snickers and, realizing he's plowed through much of what he'd had on his plate, he looks around at the variety of dishes, trying to decide what to have next. Thalia has turned her attention from Ivan, her face still splotchy red in spots, talking instead to the person sitting immediately to her left. Ivan, between shoveling food into his mouth, turns his conversation to Quidditch Con and who he'd like to get autographs from this time around.
You Don't Really Know Me (Dexter)
Author: Arlington J Montgomery
Date: 09-21-13 19:34
Dexter groaned in his holding cell, he had slipped in and out of consciousness, only mildly coherent when his captors came into the room to question or torture the young man. The room was dimly lit, he remained bound to the rickety old chair for the most part, allowed up for short intervals, his hands ached and bled from the restraints. Time passed slowly, and Dexter had lost track of how long he had been here. Throughout his captivity, he discovered the witch who had grabbed him, the apparent leader, was none other than Adriana Fairchild, and realization that he might not make it home alive hit him, hard.
His thoughts drifted to what he had left behind, his home, his wife, three young daughters. He had to wonder how they were holding up. His thoughts were interrupted when someone came in and tossed a plate of some form of slop at his feet. Was it rancid? No matter, he would refuse to eat it anyways. He kicked the plate away, as Adriana stepped into the room, and Dexter knew another round of questions and subsequent curses would follow.
She studied him for a moment before speaking, "Tell me, Dex, who are you? A wizard? Do you have family? I'm sure your dear wife would love to have you home." She motioned to his wedding ring that had been pulled off of him. "Why would a wizard be in a filthy muggle bar?"
"I told you my name, and that is more than you need to know." Adriana took offense to the lack of information, drew her wand and cast the cruciatus curse. It sent Dex tumbling backwards out of his chair, and he writhed in pain. She repeated question when he opened his eyes, a darkness tinted them.
"Look, you annoying little bint, the last thing I remember was being in my brother's bar--" he paused as a sinister smirk of revelation crossed her face, she hadn't known that Driver was the current owner and manager of that particular muggle bar she and her followers had ransacked, or that he was her prisoner's brother. "Do not mess with my family, Adriana. Any of them," there was an icy edge to his voice, he was more determined than ever to get out. He weighed his options, any decision he made could have dire consequences; he could either attempt to escape, somehow find a way to his wand, and apparate out, or he could play to the dark side. Even if he tried to fool someone like Adriana, it would be tough, and might get him killed, but he could at least try.
A smirk etched onto his face as he attempted to make a deal, "Tell me, what if I joined your side? I have insight into the muggle world, as well as other connections that could prove useful."
"I know what you're trying to do," Adriana said, revealing a smirk of her own. "Do you really think I believe you want to join me? No, Dex. You're just trying to save your own skin."
"Maybe," Dex admitted, "but you can't really know that for sure. You don't know anything about me, or very little, at any rate."
"True enough, but I would wager you don't want to be here in any shape or form, or you would have been more forthcoming from the very beginning."
She turned away from him for a moment to ponder the option of using him as a pawn like she was using Christina Sorcha. She supposed it could work, but she would have to impose severe limitations upon him. He would need a babysitter, no doubt, and she would need to cast the same spells she'd put on Berthold Beatenberg to keep him from talking to the wrong wizards. She also couldn't allow him to know the whereabouts of the abbey, requiring that he side-along apparate with a true follower any time she requested his presence there.
Adriana turned back to him and asked, "Say I do invite you to join me? Are you prepared to do what is necessary for the cause? Think long and hard about what it means to be one of us, Dex."
"What do I have to lose?" Dex asked. "Either I stay here and wait for you to kill me or for me to die of starvation, whichever comes first, or I do what I can to protect my family."
They stared at each other for a long moment.
"I will think on it," Adriana finally said, the possibilities already whirling in her mind.
Dexter watched Adriana walk away before he slumped onto the cold floor of his holding cell, his mind spun at the thought of what was to come. No matter what happened, he would make it home, one way or another, even if it meant becoming one of them.
Summer Plans
Author: Mildred
Date: 09-22-13 07:51
"Don't you just love the look on their faces?" Achilles told Mildred, his hand indicating the Slytherin table.
Mildred turned her head and observed them for a few moments. Some did seem upset to have their house placed in last, while others were eating and chatting cheerfully like everyone else on the Great Hall.
"Maurice Kilman looks like he had just swallowed a large portion of dragon dung…"
Queenie laughed with Achilles' joke but Mildred didn't. She concluded that she really didn't care how Maurice Kilman might be feeling right now. Instead, she wished Gryffindor had won the house cup. It had been very frustrating that by only ten points the Quiddtich team didn't make it to the Championship Match. But there were several of her house mates that thought that it was more important for Slytherin to have lost, than have the Great Hall decorated in red and gold. This was a result of the known rivalry between the two houses and of course that Mildred was happier that Hufflepuff had won instead of Slytherin, but she still would rather it had been her own house.
She used her knife to cut her delicious steak while everyone was discussing their plans for the summer. The exams' week had been somewhat intense and only now they had the time to freely discuss about other things that had nothing to do with school.
"I'm going to Quidditch Con," Wesley declared with a large smile on his face. "It's my birthday and my parents promised to take me there. My mother wrinkled her nose, because she doesn't like Quidditch that much but she is more than glad I didn't ask for a new broomstick instead."
Everyone laughed. Queenie was going to visit some relatives who lived abroad but she hoped to be back on time for the St. Emrys Fest.
"I don't know if I can go," Amelia informed them. "My mother thinks I'm too young. But Alcmene is going, which isn't fair. She's just a year older than me."
Amelia sent a jealousy look to her older sister that was a few seats away, talking with her friends. Mildred who never had siblings, couldn't help to find funny how at times Amelia would complain a lot about Alcmene and her other siblings, but when Alcmene had been at the hospital wing with a severe cold last winter, Amelia was very concerned and she spent all her free time at her sister's bedside making sure she had everything she needed.
"I know for sure I am not going," Melpomene said. Her parents were Muggles and she had previously explained to her friends, how they weren't very comfortable sending her daughter to a wizarding music festival they had never heard of.
Achilles was going to spend part of his vacation on his family's countryside home. He described the large property the Sims family owned and how he liked to explore it. His father was also teaching him how to hunt and he was getting very good at it.
Mildred, on the other hand, had no idea where she was going to spend her summer holidays. Both her aunt and her grandmother had written to her saying they would be waiting for her at the King's Cross station, once the Hogwarts Express completed its journey back to London. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew that soon she would find out.
Mildred preferred to spend time in the United States at her aunt's house, where she even had her own bedroom. She could even pay a visit to Joseph. However, being so far away from her country and her friends displeased her and perhaps it would be better to stay at London with her grandmother. She also felt that she would be closer to Azkaban, therefore closer to her father. The perspective of seeing him again cheered her up.
She put more gravy in her steak, trying not to laugh because Wesley was rolling his eyes as Achilles talked about a centaur colony he and his father planned to hunt down this summer. Mildred could bet it was all a lie but nevertheless it made Melpomene horrified. Queenie lightened up the environment as she described a situation where the centaurs would capture Achilles and his father turn him into their pets.
Everyone laughed but Achilles who didn't seem to think this was funny at all. But he defended himself saying:
"Unlike you all, my father and I are brave enough to handle some centaurs. You'll see what I am talking about. I'll show up next year with photos to prove it!"