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(Cornelia) Chaperone
Author: Griet
Date: 09-25-08 19:10
Although Cornelia could come and go as she pleased, she agreed to go to Hogsmeade as her younger sister's companion. As a second year, Aleydis could visit Hogsmeade this weekend but not without a chaperone of sorts. Aleydis had never been Cornelia's favorite sibling (particularly after being sorted into Hufflepuff of all houses), but after losing Griet, Cornelia had a greater appreciation for the only non-Slytherin in the family.
The two girls buttoned their coats to their chins and left no part of their skin exposed except their faces, the noses of which had long-turned red from the bitter cold. Cornelia couldn't remember a winter as cold as this one, and it was only the beginning of December! January and February were typically the coldest months of the year. She could only imagine how frigid they would be.
They went to The Three Broomsticks first and ordered two mugs of mulled mead. Aleydis, who didn't get as often a chance to visit Hogsmeade as Cornelia, looked around eagerly and chattered nonstop. Cornelia only half-listened to what Aleydis prattled on about and mainly stared into nothingness while sipping the warm, spiced drink.
"Do you think I should buy Griet something? We missed her birthday."
The mention of Griet's name drew Cornelia's attention. She turned to Aleydis and gazed at her sadly. "I don't think there's a point."
"Oh, but I do. Even if we don't see her, someday I hope we will, and then we can give her all the presents we couldn't give her for her birthday and for Christmas. Don't you think she'd appreciate that?" Aleydis asked.
Cornelia blinked and looked at Aleydis as if for the first time. If they ever saw Griet again, and Cornelia truly hoped they would, then what Aleydis suggested made perfect sense. Wherever Griet was, surely she was missing out on having birthday and Christmas presents. How nice would it be to receive them retroactively? Presents always made Cornelia happy, at any rate.
"Let's go to Windweaver's first," Cornelia decided. She turned her attention to her mug and drained it, before rising to her feet and redressing for the walk to the Quidditch supply store. Aleydis, having talked more than drunk, hurried to finish her own mulled mead and then raced to follow Cornelia out the door.
The Shield and the Sword
Author: Janine Fox
Date: 09-25-08 19:17
Janine held her wand thoughtfully in her hand. Turning her hand, palm up, she found the center of balance and let the wand teeter back and forth in a hypnotic motion. Watching the wand, she let her thoughts wander.
The news of her mother from Charlie left her with a feeling of calm, but a calm so thin that it wouldn't take much to break it. But the good news gave her hope. Hope for her father. Hope for Harry.
Snapping her wrist, she grabbed her wand before it fell. Holding it, she knew she held something that was powerful. A shield and also a sword. But it wouldn't help her, if she didn't know how to use it properly. She needed a teacher. Her eyes immediately flicked to Remus. Kind, gentle Remus with a hidden fire that could flare up when evoked. He would be a good teacher, but not the best. Her gaze traveled around the room and caught the form of a man pacing back and forth restlessly. Sirius. A fighter, a warrior, and a survivor. But not the best teacher.
The door opened, and in walked a young woman with curly red hair to match her fierce personality. Ginny Weasly.
Clenching her wand tightly, she watched Ginny. Ginny walked into the room and as if the wand was an extension of her arm, she casually flicked it.
"No unnecessary magic!" hissed Molly. Ginny rolled her eyes but did listen to her mother and tucked her wand away.
"Always magic, it's always magic with you Ginny," muttered Molly.
Always magic. Standing up, Janine approached Ginny.
Ginny looked over in surprise, but didn't say anything as she waited for Janine to speak.
"Ginny, you are the best one here. Will you teach me? Teach me to use my wand?"
Ginny gave Janine a confused look. "But you know how to use your wand, Janine."
Janine shook her head hard. "No. I'm only satisfactory. I know this and you know it too. But you Ginny, you are instinctive. You have such an automatic response to your wand. I need to learn this. I need to know how to fight. Because in the end, that's what we're going to have to do right? It's going to come down to a fight. That's what Harry..."
Her voice broke off. She had barely spoken Harry's name since he had been taken. It was too difficult.
Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Janine looked up into Ginny's eyes. Her eyes looked sad for a moment, before she rapidly blinked them replacing the sadness with the confident look she was known for.
"Of course I'll teach you, Janine."
(Brisbane, Australia) Summer, in December?
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 09-26-08 05:18
The weirdest thing about Australia, hands down, is the backwards seasons. It’s December, and here I am on a beach, in a bikini. Along with hundreds of other people in various outfits designed for fun in the sun. It’s so weird.
I’ll still never figure out how Bronwyn managed to get me into this thing… in public. This morning, she got me up, and she said since it’s warm outside we’re going to the beach. Some arguing followed shortly after that, I said something about my underwear covering more then the bikini. I remember getting a come back about getting new underwear and the next thing I knew I’m here at the beach. Bronwyn has got some serous magic powers there.
So far, I hadn’t moved from my spot on the beach. Bronwyn and Toby were playing around in the surf. So far the only upside to the day was being able to watch Toby in nothing but swimming shorts. After all, he was a pro athlete, and he was built like it. I know nothing would happen between me and Toby, so there was no harm in looking.
Today was actually fun so far, not that I wanted Bronwyn to know that. I had been down the last week or so because of a letter from my mom. She was still in England looking for my dad and sister, and making about as much progress as Sisyphus. She wrote about Thanksgiving, which I totally forgot about. She spent it alone in England, a country that doesn’t even celebrate the holiday.
She was so upset that I got a three-page letter of stories of when the family was together during the holidays. It was so heartbreaking that I actually cried a little. Not sure Bronwyn saw the actual crying, but she did see me all emotional. She comforted me a little bit and then mentioned something about her father and how she can find out if it would be ok for my mom to go stay with him.
I was waiting to hear back from Bronwyn about her father’s decision before I wrote back to my mom. So, I had been pretty much a downer since then. Today was to be the ‘cheer Desi up day’ or something. Sure it was working a little, cause hey, watching a dozen well toned men including a pro athlete running around in nothing but shorts would cheer any one up. Ok, cheer any woman up.
So far, Bronwyn had been kind enough to leave me mostly alone once we got here. So, since I had the opportunity, and mostly because I couldn’t go anywhere else, I decided to lie down and take in a little sun. A nice tan would be a great way to make the other girls at work jealous.
In The Village
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 09-26-08 10:38
Wading through a snow drift to go around a cluster of giggling girls, Christopher approaches the main window display of Windweaver's. He'd asked his parents for a new broom, of the model type currently rotating slowly in the Quidditch shoppe window. Cat doubts he'll get his one big request. Although the Chants aren't hurting for money, his father has stated that with the ecomony such as it is, big ticket items aren't wise spenditures of one's finances.
Cat guesses if anyone would know about such things, it's his father. The man does something at the Ministry having to do with finances. Over the summer when Gringotts announced it was closing it's British branches, Cat's father had been one of the ones drafting a plan for the Ministry to step in and set up its own banking system. Cat's father's plan wasn't the one chosen and based on what Cat's read and heard about the Ministry run bank, the one that was has turned out to be a real dud. Or maybe it's a good plan but the people implementing it are idiots. All Cat knows is that his father's been extremely stressed.
That stress has made Cat's mum stressed. She already was, thanks to Snatchers taking away her step-mum. Grandma Hortense might be a step but she's the only mother his mum remembers. Adding to the Snatcher induced stress was the taking of Mum's half-sister, half-brother, and her sister-in-law as well as the Cat's cousin's. His Aunt Ruby's two kids are six year old Sally and nine year old Nathan. Uncle Edward's daughter is seven year old Devon.
On his father's side, no immediate family member was taken away but Cat isn't really sure what any of their statuses would be other than that his father's brother is also a pureblood under the current definition. Cat's dad doesn't speak much with his brother. Cat's asked several times over the years why that is but Dad always only says, "Your Uncle Thad is extremely hard headed and difficult."
That doesn't explain anything as far as Cat's concerned beyond explaining why Uncle Thad never visits and why Cat's only met him and his family once that Cat remembers. He's got a cousin his age and one a year older, Galen and Kalista. They live in Greece somewhere.
Turning from the broom in the window, Cat decides to walk down to the Imperial Crown & Cauldron for some lunch. After that he'll go buy some sweets from the bakery and maybe some from Weasley's. Perhaps he'll also find a a good joke item to buy for his Secret Santa. He also doesn't want to forget to go to Bontanicals & Beyond to get a selection of teas for his mum and paternal grandmother, Morwenna.
Forced Labor (Jewel Reily)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 09-26-08 17:01
Jewel stands, bending slightly backwards, hands pressed to the small of her back as she tries to stretch out the kinks. At the moment her back and knees feel closer to one hundred than to eighteen. Or is it nineteen?
Like many of the prisoners at Community 485, Jewel's lost track of the specific date. She knows it's either the end of November or the first part of December but that's about it. Jewel isn't even sure which day of the week today is.
A woman with a pleasant enough face going soft around the edges as often happens in middle age bustles into the room. She walks a circle around the sofa that Jewel is reupholstering and Jewel takes a step back to give the woman more space.
If not for the fact that this woman is married to the warden and seems to have no qualms about keeping people locked away as forced labor based on nothing more than blood status, Jewel might find her a nice sort. Or not. At times, like now, the woman does love to exploit her position as warden's wife.
Today she decided that the look of couch in her husband's office wouldn't suit. Jewel was drafted to reupholster the thing though she's not sure that the bright, overly busy floral print is going to make much of an improvement to the overall look. The original material is an almost garish yellow but the monochrome color seems a better fit to a man's office than this extremely floral print.
Satisfied with the progress Jewel is making, the warden's wife takes her leave and after another stretching of muscles, Jewel gets back to work.
(Brisbane, Australia) Life's a Beach
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 09-26-08 18:33
Toby emerged from the surf, his body covered in saltwater drops. He jogged over to the girls who lounged on large beach towels and shook his hair, sprinkling them with water.
"Hey!" Bronwyn complained, sitting up suddenly. She gazed at her husband in mock anger through her dark sunglasses.
Grinning, he replied, "I think it's time for another round of sunscreen." His gaze flickered to Desi, and he was careful to only look at her face. "You too, probably."
Bronwyn rolled onto her stomach and let Toby apply suntan lotion onto her back, while Desi opted to smear the stuff onto her own body herself. Bronwyn glanced at Desi and still marveled at how toned her friend had become in the years they hadn't seen each other. Desi's new tattoo, a protective charm, stood out against the white pallor of her skin.
Bronwyn had gotten a tattoo that day too, though she'd changed her mind upon arrival at the parlor. Desi hadn't let Bronwyn leave without getting something, though, and so now Bronwyn had a small daisy on her right hip to show for it. She knew her mum would kill her when she saw it.
Thinking of her mum made her smile for once. She'd gotten word from Drake Bennett that her mother had been seen alive in some prison community called Camp Lollipop. Bronwyn wanted to liberate her mother but knew it would be foolish to even attempt it, not that she even knew where exactly Camp Lollipop was. Just knowing her mum was alive took away many of the what ifs that had plagued Bronwyn's mind for so long.
Desi finished reapplying sunblock and lay down into a more comfortable position. Bronwyn knew that Desi was thinking about her mum too. Bronwyn had yet to hear back from her father about whether or not he'd agree to take Annabelle Diamond in so that she didn't have to frequent hotels and inns indefinitely, but she didn't think her dad would say no. He was probably lonely, too, and could do with some company in that great big house of his... especially with Christmas coming up.
"There, all done," Toby said, returning the cap to the tube of sunblock. He wiped his hands onto his legs and curled up on the beach towel next to Bronwyn, deciding a nap was in order.
Bronwyn rolled over on her side to talk to Desi and people watch.
Lunch with Maddie
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 09-26-08 20:10
Orei moved through the milling groups that worked their way through the snowy streets of Hogsmeade. Maddie was waiting for her at the Imperial Crown & Cauldron where they are supposed to be meeting for lunch. She had spent the morning sleeping in and attempting to wrap her head around a variety of things.
"Feeling better?" Maddie asked as Orei sat down across from her after slipping out of her coat.
"Much. Thanks for letting me sleep in. Took a long bath and just vegged for a bit." Orei said and looked at the waitress, ordered a mug of mulled meade and Maddie ordered a refill on hers. It was only then that Orei noted the stack of bags next to her best friend.
"What? I'm getting christmas gifts!" Maddie said giggling and shifted some of the bags. "I got something for my Secret Santa, well a copule of things because I am not sure just yet what to give. Got something for Mum, Dad and you of course. Plus Gran and a few others."
Orei nodded and greatfully accepted the mug of mulled meade from the waitress. "I'll have the turkey club please, chips. No, no vinegar please." Orei ordered her lunch.
"French onion soup with half a grilled ham and tomato sandwich please." Maddie ordered her usual fare for a Hogsmeade luncheon.
"Are you ever going to order something different Maddie? I swear, all you eat is french onion soup when we come to Hogsmeade, I think we are going to pick somewhere other than here next time." Orei said, teasing.
"What do you want to do after lunch?" Maddie asked, shifting the bags again.
"Well, I've got some shopping to do, and need to get things mailed to my parents so that they arrive in time for Christmas so, we can do that after lunch. I think, however, I don't intend on going back to the castle with as many bags as you've got." She grinned and reclined against the seat of the booth.
"So I love to shop, what's your point?" Maddie said, sticking her tongue out at Orei. "I think before we head back we need to stop and see what kind of sales Briar's got, as well as the book store, because I need a new book." Maddie said and Orei wondered where Maddie had time for pleasure reading with all the work they've been doing this year.
Christmas Shopping
Author: Jolyon
Date: 09-28-08 15:59
Jolyon had spent most of Hogsmeade Saturday preparing for next week's Care of Magical Creatures classes. It would be the very last week of Fall Term, but instead of winding down with review sessions and an exam, Jolyon intended on continuing to lecture on and provide hands-on experience in dealing with the wide spectrum of magical creatures that existed in the wizarding world.
He'd made an early morning venture into the Forbidden Forest to make peace with the centaurs, with whom he'd longed to talk ever since taking on the position as professor of Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts. He knew quite well that the centaurs loathed being considered so-called creatures and thought as themselves as equal or, perhaps, even superior to the human race. Careful wording gave him permission to bring his seventh year students into the Forbidden Forest on Monday to meet the centaurs and see how they lived.
His other students would learn about fire slugs, pixies, and Muggle tarantulas, whose parts were often used for potions. These magical creatures were quite easy to obtain, however, erklings, which his sixth years would study on Wednesday, had to be imported from Germany under strict regulations. Erklings were elf-like creatures who ate children. Jolyon felt pretty confident that he wouldn't face any casualties while the beasts were on campus, but just to be sure, he intended on taking the utmost precautions to make sure there were no unwanted surprises.
With all his preparations completed, Jolyon decided to spend the last hours of daylight in Hogsmeade. He had his own Christmas shopping to complete and carried with him a long list of family members and others for whom he needed to find a gift. Although Jolyon himself was an only child, his extended family was quite large, and they were a close-knit bunch (though family rivalries abounded as well), especially around the holidays.
First and foremost, however, he wanted to find something for his Secret Santa recipient. He had drawn Julietta Wynbourne's name. Julietta was in his third year Care of Magical Creatures class, so he knew more about her than just her name. She was a good, very disciplined student who had to date never caused him any problems inside or outside of class. She was also a very sweet girl, and what better gift for a sweet girl than a box of sweets? Chocolates, to be precise!
Jolyon picked up a festive box of varying types of chocolates, which he planned on giving to Julietta personally after class on Tuesday. He'd do it during class, but he didn't want to embarrass her or make the other students feel left out by not receiving a gift from him.
With Julietta's gift purchased, Jolyon tackled the rest of the names on his Christmas list.
On The Road Again
Author: Ginny Weasley
Date: 09-28-08 16:19
With her mum being so ticky about using magic except when necessary, even if the house is a Wizarding one and even if it's smack in the middle of France, Ginny had to come up with someplace to take Janine. Lots of places came immediately to mind but most Ginny didn't consider further because with everyone still on edge after the ambush on Ron and Harry, resulting in Harry's capture, the place had to be somewhere that Molly Weasley wouldn't have a fit about if Ginny and Janine left for a few hours. Not that Ginny's not fully capable of going somewhere without her mum's permission. She simply figures it's best for the moment to humor the woman who's got one son missing and one like a son captured.
It's late afternoon when Ginny thinks of the perfect spot to go. Molly isn't thrilled about Ginny going and taking Janine with her but seeing how determined Ginny is to go, Molly snaps at Arthur about Ginny being his daugther before going into the kitchen where the sounds of pots and pans banging drowns out Molly talking loudly to herself.
The two young women decide to stay a few days though Ginny would actually like to be gone longer not only because the Créteil house is full of tension and is beginning to feel overly crowded, but also because training with Janine is something constructive, something productive.
On the one hand, Ginny's got mixed emotions about helping Janine when it's Janine who's with Harry. She's got no right to feel any sort of animosity towards Janine but it would be so very easy to do just that. On the other hand, Janine is a nice person whom Harry cares for and having Janine feeling capable of taking part in a fight should the need arise would be very helpful to the Order.
Walking out of the Créteil house Janine and Ginny apparate to Paris. Standing on one street corner Ginny holds her wand up and out. Seconds later a bus jerks to a stop. Ginny's not sure what the French version of the Knight Bus is. She's not sure of her French but thinks the direct translation would be Autobus de Chevalier. For all she knows there's a fancy name for their transport system or something ridiculously as simple as just plain Bus.
Speaking in a mix of English and her poor French, Ginny and the bus driver have a brief conversation. Janine and she will take this bus right to the Swiss border and from there catch another. Not ever having been to their destination before and she isn't sure about a Floo there, while the bus isn't the quickest way there, it will do.
Once they're on the bus and seated Janine speaks up for the first time since Molly tearfully bid them goodbye. "Why did we come to Paris to catch the Knight Bus or whatever the French call it?"
"Dad suggested it. Just being cautious."
"Are you going to tell me where we're going?"
Ginny laughs, the first truly lighthearted laugh she's had in ages. "I'm sorry. I thought I had. Do you remember my friend Mfaume Ngowa?"
"The guy from Ron's Quidditch team at St. Emrys you dated?"
"Yes. He has a cottage just out of Zurich. Before we all went on the run, Mfaume told me if I never needed to use it to feel free. He said with things as they were, I might need somewhere to go unexpectedly. I can't imagine why I haven't thought about his offer before now."
The trip to the Swiss border is a relatively short one though the ride has been as herky jerky as the British Knight Bus. With to go cups of hot chocolate to drink while waiting for the Swiss bus to get there, Ginny outlines her thoughts to Janine.
"Tonight we'll just do warm ups. Simple, basic techniques like from Defense Against the Dark Arts. Then we'll practice things you are comfortable with but that are more difficult, like the Patronus. After that we can get in some real dueling. Maybe get Ron and Hermione to come so that you can work against people with differing styles. We could even do an obstacle course of some sort and have a fire fight."
"An obstacle course like the ones that Majandra set up at Blossom's for Wizard's paint ball and laser tag?"
"Exactly like that. You know Ron's and Charlie's friend Kissy Isuki? She trains her DADA students on courses like that."
"DADA might have been fun if we'd gotten to have something like that."
Ginny laughs again just as the Swiss bus appears with a bang. "And have missed out on Gilderoy Lockhart and his beautifully colorful robes?"
Janine pulls a funny face and climbs onto the bus with Ginny following behind to tell the driver the address near Zurich they need to go.
Time to Head Back
Author: Ella
Date: 09-28-08 17:59
Ella and Zane stood side by side against the outside wall of The Hog's Head and smoked. It was almost far too cold to be outdoors, but both preferred the relative privacy of the alley to the pub, even though it didn't see a lot of patronage. Zane stood nearest to High Street and blocked Ella from view in at least one direction. Hardly any of the students or adults who walked up and down High Street peered into the side alley where the Hog's Head Pub and Brewery was, though, so Ella didn't anticipate getting seen.
She inhaled a final time and then lifted her leg, crossing it over her other knee. She stubbed out the cigarette on the sole of her shoe and then dropped it into the snow.
"What now?" Zane asked. He dropped his cigarette into the snow and stomped on it.
"It's getting late, and I should head back to the castle," Ella said, sighing. She really didn't want to go, but she knew she'd get in trouble if she delayed any longer. The sun slid across the darkening sky, earlier every day with the coming Winter Solstice. Ella had to be back at the castle by sundown.
"Won't be long before you won't ever have to go back," he said, taking her by the hand. His long, leather-gloved fingers massaged the inside of her freezing, bare palm.
Ella said nothing. She still hadn't confessed that she wasn't a 17, nearly 18 year old girl in her seventh year at Hogwarts. She really didn't want Zane to know that she was 15 years old and only in her fourth year. Of course, she wasn't sure how she would carry on the lie next school year, but that wasn't something she had to worry about just yet.
She turned to him and raised herself on her tip toes to kiss him lightly on the lips. Then she slipped her hand from his and stooped to pick up the bags at her feet. Besides seeking out Zane, Ella had done some shopping while in the village. She found some gifts for her parents and even picked up something for the name she'd drawn for the Secret Santa gift exchange program Hogwarts was once again having this year.
Ella had been assigned Hadrian Rabnott, who she didn't even know. Choosing a gift for someone she'd probably seen around but couldn't identify by sight didn't make the task easy. In the end, she'd gone with a argyle, V-neck sweater because it was on the clearance rack at Gladrag's. Maybe Hadrian would like it, and if not, oh well.
"I should go," she said, turning to face him so that she had to walk backwards through the slushy snow. "Write me?"
"You first."
She nodded and then turned on her heel and trudged all the way up to Hogwarts castle.