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What the...?
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 04-27-07 23:39
Sirius had risen early, taken care of James's breakfast and played with his son until James fell back asleep. Drucilla hasn't yet gotten up by then. Knowing Thelma would be there soon, Sirius left for Paris. Although a search by him would most likely be fruitless, Sirius had given in to the growing need to be out and doing something useful while his cousin Tonks is still missing.
Sirius isn't sure what set off his instinct that something wasn't right at home. What it was, it began with an unease Sirius at first attributed to being in Paris doing his own hunt for clues to Tonks's location. As the sense of something wrong grew, Sirius came to the realization that it had nothing to do with Tonks. With yet another thing he couldn't begin to explain, Sirius suddenly knew the feeling centered around James.
Sirius rushed back to Scotland, apparating a longer distance than he should have in one go. Inside his Hogsmeade home Sirius called repeatedly for Thelma as he raced from one room to the next. It was only after he was halfway up the stairs that it sunk in that the sound he'd been hearing was James crying in a way Sirius had never heard.
Throwing open the door to the room where the wails eminate, Sirius doesn't bother taking in the scene before him. He doesn't stop to ask questions. The only thing Sirius bothers with is to notice that Dru is bent over James in an odd way and doesn't seem to care that he's screaming in distress. Sirius points his wand and bellows out a stunning spell, "STUPIFY!."
Swooping in and scooping James up, Sirium leaves the room swiftly, paying no attention to Drucilla in his efforts to sooth and calm James. Only when the child has stopped crying and is drifting into a sleep brought on by sheer exhaustion from crying so hard and so much after a great scare does Sirius, James cradled closely against him, return to the room.
Dru is stirring on the floor. Sirius takes note of the child's tub used for bathing James and a piece of parchment with something written on it in red. Concentrating his attention on his wife now, Sirius hisses in a low tone through clenched teeth while holding up James's hand for Dru to see a red welt on the palm, "What in bloody hell were you doing to MY son?"
Dru, sitting up now, pressing hands to her head as if she's got a massive migraine, looks up at Sirius and James. Giving Sirius the oddest quizzical look, Dru starts to shake her head then winces. Pressing one hand even more tightly to her head she asks, "What?"
Sirius, not wanting to wake the baby, says only slightly more loudly, "What the feck were you doing to James?"
Dru cuts her eyes over to the tub and winces again as though even that movement causes head pain. Her expression is one of puzzlement and her tone is one of confusion. "I don't know. Giving him a bath maybe?"
"What do you mean you don't know? Explain this mark on James's hand," Sirius orders, his jaw starting to ache from how hard he's got it clenched.
Her confusion still very apparent, Dru looks straight at Sirius and says, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Alice in Wonderland
Author: Drucilla Eternal
Date: 04-28-07 13:28
“What do you mean you don’t know?” Don’t know… don’t know… don’t know...
I pressed my hands to my head, the throbbing pain almost unbearable coupled with the screams trying to break through. Screams of anger. Screams of pain. Screams of a stranger locked inside.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I finally managed to gasp as I looked the man standing before me straight in the eye.
“Drucilla, I have no time for your games. Tell me what is going on. Now!”
I could feel alarm growing inside as the veins along his neck started to pop out from rage he was clearly trying to hold within. Pushing myself up, I slowly moved into the corner of the room. Away from the man.
“Dru?” He seemed confused by my actions, not that I really understood what was going on myself. My eyes darted around the room in alarm. It was a bare room, with a stone floor, and a table with a baby bath set on top of it. A strange smell seemed to fill the air, as if someone had been cooking. A piece of parchment sat next to me on the floor. A parchment with brownish-red writing on it that almost looked like…
I felt my heart start to beat faster as my eyes darted back to the man holding the baby. What sort of sick things had he been doing in here? And what was he planning to do with the child?
Swallowing down my fear, I stood up on shaky legs, clenching the table with both hands in order to keep my balance. In the bravest voice I could muster I said with a slight wobble in my voice, “Why don’t you hand over the baby to me?”
He gave a dry laugh that almost seemed to veer towards the side of hysteria. I tried to look for a weapon, anything to defend myself from this man who was obviously crazy, but all I could see was a thin reed of wood. Useless.
Trying to stall him, I asked, “What are you planning to do?”
This seemed to puzzle him, as a frown creased his forehead. Finally he said, “That would depend on what you were doing here before I came home. What were you doing, Dru? And why is there a welt on my son’s hand?”
His voice was tight again. He was angry. Furious. And for some reason he was directing it all towards me!
The screams started again. The screams from inside. A voice trying to tell me the answers but unable to reach me. A sharp jab of pain flooded my head and I fell down on the floor again, clenching my head as tears of pain started to flood my eyes. This was a dream. A nightmare! I bit my lip sharply to stop the sob that was threatening to escape. This had to be a nightmare. It had to be.
Almost Number Twenty Four
Author: Bellatrix Lestrange
Date: 04-28-07 14:09
Bellatrix couldn't have been happier if she'd been holidaying in the Algarve. Prisoners run amok, killing each other and the guards, Dementors using the Kiss to dispatch those unfortunate enough to get in their way. She missed these days – only Voldemort had the power before to cause such havoc. And now both she and Lucius commanded it all, they walked amongst the chaos and left the dead in their wake. It was rather melodramatic and yet at the same time left like a good sip of Scotch on its way down, warming the stomach as it went.
"Protego" One word and the Stunner rebounded off Bellatrix's shield spell, glowing bright red before hitting its caster firmly in the face. A Dementor moved in to finish him off.
"I see Greyback," snapped Rodolphus. "I'll let him out." He turned away, and Bellatrix and Lucius continued along the cell block, finally coming upon the one they wanted.
A dirty face with unkempt hair stared through the bars in the door, thin hands clutched around the iron. "Bellatrix," the voice said eagerly. He glanced at Lucius, not recognising him through the disguise, and his fearful eyes snapped back to his wife as if looking for reassurance.
"I'm having second thoughts," Bellatrix muttered to Lucius. "Did I look like that?"
Lucius laughed, unlocking the door. "You looked worse. Now let's hurry, I want to be gone from here before someone calls a general alarm and the Auror's arrive."
Rodolphus walked slowly from the cell and looked around. "It looks worse out here than it did when I was on the other side," he commented. "Lend me a wand, I have a debt to repay to a cell mate."
"We don't have time," Bellatrix replied.
"Yes we do. I want to put the world out of its misery. I'm sure it will be a better place with one less sarcastic quip from Snape."
Bellatrix grabbed Rodolphus' arm, a unreadable expression on her face. "What did you say?"
"Snape. I'm going to kill him once you give me your wand. Hand it over now."
"Lucius, wait with Rodolphus. Snape is mine."
Lucius grinned. "Going for number twenty four, Bellatrix?" he asked. "Just don't be too long about it."
Bellatrix walked slowly towards the cell door, raising her wand. She unlocked it with a spell, and cautiously stepped inside. Snape was at first not visible, but she soon made him out in the shadows near the back, against the wall. She smirked. "Ready to die like a man rather a snivelling heap begging for mercy, Severus?" she said quietly.
He raised his chin, defiance written all over his face. "I wouldn't want you to miss the opportunity to gloat, Bella."
She laughed, and then suddenly she could see Sev, standing in a field filled with flowers. She shook her head and gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the rush of memories that flooded her head. She could feel herself giving into them, allowing them to return. This had to stop.
"Having a hard time making up your mind how to do it?" Snape stepped away from the wall, moving towards the center of the room.
Bellatrix raised her wand. "As much as this is going to pain me later, Severus, consider this getting off easy."
He looked confused for a moment.
"Call it a favour for....services rendered in the past, if you will," she continued. She glanced behind her, checking the way was clear. She felt rather than saw him move towards her, as if he was going to attempt to disarm her.
"Stupify!" She watched with clinical detachment as he fell to the floor in a blast of red light, and then once she was sure he wasn't moving, left the cell without a backward glance. She slammed the door shut behind her and joined Lucius and Rodolphus, who had managed to find a wand from somewhere. He seemed to be making up for lost time, and more than a couple of guards and prisoners had sucumbed to the Killing Curse.
"Is it done?" Rodolphus asked.
"Yes, Snape's been taken care of," she muttered. "Now let's find your brother and get out of here. We'll have to fight our way out by the looks of things."
Let's Play Laser Tag
Author: Rolf Haaken
Date: 04-28-07 17:17
"Starting to feel nostalgic?" Jane asks.
"Maybe a little. It's hard to believe there's so little time left to the term."
Rolf doesn't add that as long as these past seven years have felt at times it now doesn't seem like it was all that long ago he was waiting eagerly for his turn with the Sorting Hat.
Next to Rolf at their table Gabby grumpily says, "I do not want eet to end. My mother eez steel inseesteeng I return to Beauxbatons in the fall."
Doug reaches for his butterbeer, asking before he takes a swig, "Do you think you can convince her to let you stay at Hogwarts once you see her when term ends, Gabby?"
"I am 'opeeng so and eef not her then per'aps my father weel listen."
Doug then asks, "You'll be visiting your father this summer, Rolf?"
"For part of it. What about you?"
"Mostly be lazy at home. We are going to the south of France for a week as a family vacation and for one week I'll be attending a Quidditch camp at St. Emrys."
Rolf nods, "Jane's mentioned that." Looking at his step-sister Rolf directs a question to her. "Is Hank going to go too?"
Her mouth full with a pretzel, Jane nods. When she's able to talk she says, "It's during part of that time you'll be at your dad's. The week after that we're going to Lucy's."
Gabby asks, "Your mother's?"
"Shocking isn't it? Since that letter we got when all of you found out Hank and I do have another she's sent four more. Lucy has gotten it into her head she needs to play mummy for a week. Dad's not too thrilled about her sudden need to be maternal but with Hank and me the ages we are he's not too worried she's going to try to pull some stupid stunt like vanish with us."
Jane finishes off her butterbeer then glances at Gabby. Talk of family can be a little upsetting for the younger girl what with her brother-in-law Bill so gravely ill. Putting on a smile Jane suggests to the group, "Enough talk about relatives. How about we go play a game of that Wizard's laser tag at Blossom's?"
Doug and Rolf grin and push their chairs back with scraping noises in their haste to stand. "We're game."
Gabby smiles as well. "Jane and I weel, 'ow you say, keeck your arses."
Wedding
Author: Blossom
Date: 04-28-07 20:45
Wearing the dress that had the managar of Narcissa's offering to hire Maj for haute coutour work, Daria walks down the short aisle carrying a nosegay of pink, red, and white roses. The garden of the Imperial Crown & Cauldron is the setting, roses in the three colors festooning the area. Parker and Tracey will stand on the top step of the gazebo to recite their vows. While Chelsea and Blossom wear dresses similar to that of Daria's, Tracey and Parker had decided that smaller was better given the short notice. Mason is serving as best man but that's only because Tracey asked her soon to be father-in-law to escort her down the aisle.
Blossom and Fred had offered to have the wedding and reception at their home but the couple didn't want to chance Daria being unable to attend. They went ahead with reserving one of the larger rooms upstairs in the restaurant for the reception and were going to hold the ceremony there as well. Furnella Hodfuffer offered the use of the garden and the gazebo and since the ceremony is to be relatively short, Parker and Tracey accepted. They did so reluctently though because they didn't want to interfere with the extra business the restaurant will do today because of it being a Hogsmeade weekend for Hogwarts students.
There are some students and others scattered about the garden looking on. Parker stands at the bottom step of the gazebo turned so he may see down the pale pink carpet being used down the aisle. His already smiling face lights up even more when Tracey and Garrett come into view. Tracey is wearing a white dress with a straight shantung silk skirt and a gauzy laze overlay. Her hair is in soft curls around her face. Parker looks dapper in a formal tuxedo styled Wizarding robe, a red rose in his lapel.
The invited guest mainly stand in an informal grouping on either side of the pale pink aisle though some of the more elderly, like Grandmother Tulip and Azara's Great Aunt Nannette. With the ceremony being brief, the happy couple decided not to put Furnella and her restaurant to more trouble with having rows of arranged chairs. Everything goes as planned so soon the invited guests and the other onlookers are clapping for the newly married couple. Giving the onlookers joyous waves, Tracey and Parker lead the procession of invited guests upstairs to the reception.
Hogsmeade Trip
Author: Beck
Date: 04-28-07 20:47
Ariella and Alanna went to Hogsmeade together, stopping first at The Three Broomsticks before moving along from shop to shop. At Windweaver's, they looked thumbed through a Quidditch magazine previewing the newest line of brooms to hit the market over the next few months. They bought some tea at Botanicals & Beyond. Alanna wanted something soothing to help get her through the remaining weeks at Hogwarts, during which she'd be consumed by studying for O.W.L.s and taking the exams of the same name. She'd only allowed herself half a day at Hogsmeade, intending on spending the afternoon in the library at Hogwarts.
They went to the library in Hogsmeade afterwards, not to study but to take part in a craft. Both girls left an hour later, wearing friendship bracelets. Ariella's was black and yellow, like Hufflepuff's colors, while Alanna's was brown, yellow and green. They went across the street to Scrivenshaft's next, where Alanna stocked up on quills and parchment to get her through the rest of the term. She'd broken several quills just from her intense note-taking in preparation for the O.W.L.s.
They stocked up on candy at Honeydukes and then went next door to Briar's Bakery to get something to eat. After ordering and seating themselves at a table outside, where they could enjoy the nice weather and watch the people go by, Alanna asked Ariella how excited she was about the internship she'd been awarded just yesterday.
Ariella blushed. "I still can't believe they picked me." It had come as a complete surprise. Ariella had received the letter by owl yesterday morning at breakfast. She'd sent her acceptance of the offer immediately afterwards, extremely honored and amazed to have earned such a prestigious opportunity.
"You always sell yourself short even though we all know you're the smartest one in the family," Alanna said. "Of course they would pick you. You deserve it. You're brilliant and you're a hardworker. They can't lose with you."
Ariella blushed more. "I am very excited about it. I can't wait for my first day and I'm already dreaded my last one even though I haven't even started yet. It's a shame I won't get to go with you all to Australia but this is an opportunity I just can't pass up."
"We'll bring you back a souvenir. How does a hot Aussie sound?"
Ariella laughed. "Dreamy."
What Game Is This?
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 04-28-07 21:18
Sirius has an urge to grab Dru by each arm and give her a good shaking. That would mean putting James down and at the moment Sirius is loath to do that. With James now asleep, Sirius should go put the child down in his bed but Sirius doesn't want to break the physical connection to James just yet. Sirius forces himself to take several deep breaths, counting to ten then doing it three more times before he trusts himself to speak without yelling.
"I don't know what game you're playing, Dru. What are you even doing in here? It's an empty storage closet. Why do you have this portable bathtub and why was James in it?"
Sirius congratulates himself for the even, though stern, tone that comes out when the urge to shout is growing, not decreasing.
From her position on the floor, Dru looks like she's straining to raise her head. Sirius resists going over and jerking her up by the hair then thinks again he really should go put down his son in another room.
When Dru's got her head up enough to look at him again, she looks haggard. Her teeth are gritted tightly together and her voice comes out in a hushed whisper that reminds Sirius of someone with a hangover trying to speak.
"I told you I don't know. I don't even know where this is much less why I'd be in a storage closet giving your son a bath."
Sirius gives that exasperated sigh he's perfected since the twins were born and Dru made it clear her feelings about James. "Our son, Dru. It's not a difficult concept to remember given that you gave birth to him. Where's Thelma? I can't believe she'd leave early and not make other arrangements. She could have at least left James at Blossom's."
Dru gives Sirius a blank eyed stare, pain obvious in her eyes from her headache or whatever it is. Her next questions finally has Sirius stopping to consider that perhaps there's something very wrong with Dru, maybe caused by the pain she's experiencing.
"Who are Thelma and Blossom? What do you mean this child is our son?"
News from Henry
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 04-29-07 09:35
Hermione cleaned her work station in the Spell Research Lab at St. Mungo's and then went to her locker to grab some reading material. She usually spent her fifteen minute breaks visiting her father, but since his death, she'd used the time to do research on Bill's illness. Hermione went to the Visitor's Tea Room, ordered herself a cup of Earl Grey, and then sat down alone at a table with her books and notes.
A shadow fell over her page after a minute. Hermione looked up and then down again, stating, "You're in my light."
The shadow moved, pulling a chair from a neighboring table, and sat down next to her. "I'm leaving England."
"You are?" Hermione looked up from her book and peered at Henry Waltham.
"I received a job offer with a hospital in New Zealand. I leave in two weeks."
"Congratulations," Hermione said genuinely, "but what about St. Emrys?"
"I successfully defended my thesis last week. I'm finished there."
"Congratulations. I didn't know." She'd been very out of touch with what Henry did in recent months, having found that she mostly did not care.
"Thanks." Henry smiled. "How are you going to handle the rotations for both your pre-med program at Oxford and healing at St. Emrys?"
"I'm not," Hermione replied, looking down at her notes again. "I'm quitting med-school after term."
Henry was flabbergasted. "You are?"
"It's unrealistic for me to do both unless I have a time-turner, and I'm not taking that route again. I may be older and wiser now but handling both rotations would be much more difficult than managing a couple more elective classes at Hogwarts. Anyway, I feel like I've received a good foundation for Muggle medicine. Now I'm going to concentrate on healing and pull from what I've learned in both programs so that I can be the best healer for my patients."
"What's that?" Henry asked, looking at the material on the table.
"Research," Hermione answered, "for a friend."
"Ron?"
Hermione shot Henry a stern look. "His brother, Bill."
"Ah." Henry decided to take his leave after the shift in mood at the table. "See you at the lab."
Hermione nodded and returned to her notes, but by then most of her break had gone by and she had hardly any time to do some serious reading. She finished her tea and walked leisurely back towards the lab, not thinking about Bill or Ron or Henry, but about Tonks, who had gone missing over a week ago. She hoped Tonks would come home soon, safe and sound.