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Author: Kissy Isuki
Date: 04-09-09 18:48
Exiting Gladrags, Kissy turns right to walk down Hight Street to The Three Broomsticks where she'd told some of the other professors she'd meet them for a pint. She's just passed Scrivenshaft's when Kissy hears her name. She stops and turns, looking for the source.
Hurrying toward Kissy is her brother. Zen calls her name again and seeing she's caught sight of him, gives a cheery wave. Feeling anything but cheerful at the sight of him, Kissy nevertheless tops and lets him catch up to her.
Zen reaches Kissy and before she's able to stop him, he's got her in an exuberant hug. Extricating herself, Kissy steps back, putting distance between them.
With the same cheerful energy he put into that handwave Zen says, "You look good, Kisiaki. We wish you would come to visit."
Kissy neutrally replies, "You know why I don't, Zen."
"That's the past. We were not ourselves. Say you will come tonight. We are celebrating."
"No, but thank you for asking," Kissy politely replies.
"I have a cake ordered from the bakery. Somewhat last minute but I was assured it will be ready. Akina and I are to be parents."
Kissy experiences a thrill at the thought of being an aunt but quickly tamps it down. "How wonderful for you, but I still shan't be attending the celebration tonight."
Zen looks somewhat crestfallen. "Yes, all right, but perhaps when the baby is born you will come visit."
"Yes, perhaps then, to St. Mungo's if that's where the baby is born. I should be going along now. Friends are expecting me."
"Yes, sorry," Zen nods before grabbing Kissy again in a big hug. "I am so happy I can't contain myself."
"Is this man bothering you, Kissy?" Ryland Yaxley asks, coming up from behind where she's standing.
Pushing back wispy strands of hair from her face she looks over a shoulder to say, "No, it's fine, Ryland. My brother was just sharing the news that he and his wife are having a baby."
Zen bobs his head up and down at Ryland, lips splitting into a wide grin. He clasps Kissy's hand and gives it a squeeze. "I will let you get on to your friends. I'll owl with more information so you will know when to expect the baby's birth."
"Yes, that would be nice. Goodbye, Zen."
Kissy turns and starts walking away, Ryland falling into step with her. After a moment he says, "Cammie left something for you in her will."
The words freeze Kissy on the spot. She fully turns to look up at Ryland. "She did? Why? We met once."
"She liked you a great deal and she'd heard an even great deal about you from me."
"I liked Cammie quite a bit and wish I'd been able to get to know her better. That said, I hardly expected or deserve anything from her. You should keep it or give it to a relative or close friend of hers."
As she finishes the sentence Kissy is in motion again, walking in the direction of The Three Broomsticks.
Ryland easily covers the distance she's put between them. "Aren't you curious as to what it is?"
Stopping again Kissy admits, "I suppose I am a bit."
Ryland fishes in a pocket, pulling out something small enough to enclose with one hand. When he opens his fist there's a small jewelry box of the type usually associated with rings. Truly curious now and somewhat puzzled Kissy studies the box without taking it from Ryland's open palm.
After several seconds when Kissy still hasn't reached for it, Ryland turns the box so that he might open it for her. Turning it back around for Kissy to fully appreciate the very sparkly diamond and gold band, Ryland can't help but chuckle at Kissy's shocked expression.
"I can't accept this. It's too much. What was Cammie thinking?"
"She was thinking she wanted you to have her favorite ring."
"It's far too valuable, Ryland. No, I won't have it."
Kissy walks away, her head shaking back and forth as she says, "No. I won't accept."
Ryland bounds after Kissy, the now closed box held out to her. "You have to take the ring. Cammie wanted you to have it."
"I can't take something so expensive and nice from someone I met once. Why would she leave it for me, Ryland?"
"I think she was hoping you'd use it as a wedding band."
Stopping dead yet again Kissy gapes at Ryland. "She what?"
"She knew how I feel about you."
"You're impossible!" Kissy spat. "I won't have the ring, Ryland, and I won't have you! Why is it that I've not had a moments peace about marriage since returning to Britain?"
So angry now she wants to hit something - or someone - Kissy stalks off, going right past The Three Broomsticks, then halfway back to Hogwarts, after making sure that Ryland is not following, Kissy disapparates, not sure if she'll return to the school again until Monday morning.
Taking Level 4
Author: Coco Nutt
Date: 04-10-09 10:20
Coco had been one of the fake visitors queued up at the Visitor's Entrance. Appearing as a tall, averaged boned ash blonde with large hair and wearing high heels is not one of Coco'a favorite disguises. She's impersonating an actual person though and the woman has visited the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures enough times in the past that if Coco were to have done something so simple as switch the high heels for more comfortable flats, someone might have noticed.
Hagrid and Coco are overseeing the group assigned to secure Level 4, which is where the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is located. It's felt that between the two of them they will be able to calm any of the magical creatures that might be in holding on that floor. Even more importantly, they will be needed in the event that any of those magical creatures break free. Things will be in enough chaos without having frightened - and sometimes dangerous - creatures running around.
Going into the Ministry is a bit daunting. The other missions Coco's been part of have been against places like prison communities where there is open space interspersed with relatively small buildings. The Ministry is massive, enclosed, and underground. Most of the people in there could very well be on the Minister's side and unlike with the other mission she's been on, there is no clear picture of just how many people there might be. Those working in the Ministry and feeding the Order and Resistance information could give estimates but no firm numbers.
Once she had her visitor's pass and had gone through the registering her wand routine, Coco had entered one of the lifts stepping out a short time later at Level 4. When the designated time came, Coco had taken the five people in the room with her by surprise. They'd given up and gone docilely into one of the larger holding cells made for larger creatures, telling them, "For your own safety."
Her hope that securing the department would go smoothly didn't last when back in the corridor bright bolts of light had punched holes in the wall. Kicking off the offensive high heels and wishing she were back to her regular petite self, Coco dives into the open doorway of an office.
There she finds two sixty-ish aged women cowering in the cramped space beneath a small desk, shrieking every time the sound of spells being fired whizzed past the door. Not finding the women a threat, especially when it turned out that also under the desk with them is kneazle that the women are trying to shield, Coco urges them to stay put and speaks to the kneazle to reassure it.
Checking the hallway, Coco makes a dive with a tuck and roll to the opposite office. Once she's got cover again she uses her wand to shut the door to the room where the two women and the kneazle are tucked away. She also uses her wand to lock that door and mark it to let the others in her group know she's checked it and it's safe.
A loud roar comes from the direction Coco had come. It's Hagrid looking larger than ever and barrelling at top speed down the hall. The two, a man and a woman, who'd been firing shots see an enraged man of monstrous proportions charging them while ferociously roaring. They split apart, each going down other corridors.
When Hagrid came through the visitor's entrance, he was tall but thin and cadaverously gaunt. Bald. Pasty faced. Coco doesn't know if Hagrid's potion wore off or if he took another. Whichever is the case, the sight of an angry, very hairy, giant of a man firing his wand while charging along and roaring is definately helping to clear the corridors.
With Hagrid helping to clear the way, Coco jumps out of the office she's in, quickly goes through the routine of marking it, then runs to the next unmarked doorway she sees.
Securing Records
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 04-10-09 12:06
Sirius drops a security guard using a simple stunning spell but as the woman falls she hits her head on the wall with loud thud. Bending to check her still form while simultaneously keeping watch for anyone else shooting at him, Sirius determines the blow to the head, while going to be painful, wasn't enough to cause a concussion. The unconsciousness stems solely from the stunner.
Moving rapidly, Sirius banishes her wand and binds her, then moves her into a cubicle where she should be safe from further harm. She wouldn't have been harmed at all if she hadn't decided to do her job and try to keep back the invaders.
As he moves carefully along, Sirius catches sight of Drucilla across the top of some of the slow slung cubicles. She's wearing the face she's worn for months now as part of her undercover operation within the Ministry. No matter how often he sees her like that, which isn't often at all really, it's a jolt. She'd even worn that face when she'd surprised everyone by showing up to the twins's birthday party.
Dru had walked in carrying presents and upon seeing Sirius's shocked expression, she'd laughed, "What? You think I'm going to miss our children's birthday?"
Sirius had turned the shock to blankness saying in reply, "I had not idea what your intentions were."
He'd bitten back the part where he wanted to make a snide remark about how they don't know her looking as she did - as she does - and could she at least have come as herself. He was NOT going to be the start of an argument on Mira's and James's birthday if he could help it.
The party had gone well though the twins had been somewhat shy of Dru, which was to be expected given how little she'd been around and her not looking like their mother. Dru had stayed a couple of days, saying she'd taken off using the excuse of taking a few days of holiday to visit a sick relative. When she left Sirius saw her only once more before today, at one of the meetings about this very raid.
Sirius had wanted, and gotten, assigned with those charged with capturing the records and securing them. It meant he'd be able to keep an eye on Dru and keep her safe, not that Sirius would have said that to her. It would have only made her angry and started yet another fight about how Dru is capable and doesn't need constant looking after.
Reaching one of the vast rooms filled with row upon row of filing cabinets, Sirius and a few others start working their way through the room, checking for anyone hiding and for anyone who's going to put up a fight. Reaching one section, Sirius is making his way down the aisle when Dru joins him, pointing to an intersecting aisle and to the left.
"Information on all the prisons still running should be just there," she informs him.
"That's our priority then."
Two bolts of crackling blue shoot past them, both coming from the direction Dru had indicated, with one spell coming at such an angle it had to come from fairly low to the floor. Using hand signals, Sirius communicates with Dru and two of the others. Those two pass on the communication to others in the group. Slowly, they work their way towards the records on the prison communities, those with Sirius and Dru forming a tighening ring to ensnare the two who are sporadically throwing spells at them.
Family Is Important
Author: Jared
Date: 04-10-09 16:44
Strolling down one of the village side streets, Jared says aloud what he's been thinking all week, "This is the last Hogsmeade weekend for us."
Leaning into Jared's side as they walk hand-in-hand Alanna says practically, "We'll be able to have a Hogsmeade weekend whenever we want." This is followed with a wistful, "But it won't be the same."
Trying not to dwell on something they both are finding a little sad to think about Jared changes the subject. "Do you think there will be an Emrys Fest this summer?"
"I hope so but usually by now we've heard a date and some of the bands have been announced. If I were in touch with Anthony I would have asked about it before now."
"Phin and I write but he's not mentioned anything but then, maybe it's going to take place and Dynamic Duo's just not going to play."
"That's a possibility."
"If there is an Emrys Fest, want to go with me?" Jared asks with hope filled voice.
Alanna gives him a good natured elbow to the ribs. "No, I'm going to go with my other boyfriend."
Jared makes a show of looking relieved. "I'm so glad you have other plans. Since we were talking about it, I felt it only polite to invite you when really, I already have an arrangement with my other girlfriend."
"That's lovely," Alanna agreeably replies. "Perhaps we'll see you there; have a round of butterbeers."
From the backdoor of Briar's Bakery a laughing Ariella asks, "Are you two always so silly? Hurry in. No one saw you?"
"No, we don't think so," Alanna replies, stepping into the sweet smelling bakery kitchen and giving her sister a huge hug.
Ariella tilts her head towards the inner stairs leading up. "I've taken a break so we can go up, sit down, and talk for more then a few seconds."
Wanting to give the sisters a few minutes alone, Jared tells them, "Go on up. I'll see if I can help out in here, even if it's just taking pans from the ovens."
"See what you can cadge to eat, more like," Alanna laughs.
Alanna and Ariella hurry up the stairs then turns to Briar who's just entered the kitchen. "Put me to work."
"See the cakes and pies lined up? It would save me loads of time if you'd precut the slices and plate them. Plates are there. Just line them up by type as you go. Oh, and see that dish there? It's broken biscuits and there are some pieces of cake that crumbled and a couple of slices of pie that fell apart. Eat whatever of those you want. Actually, since you're helping, eat some of anything you want."
Jared just grins in reply and sets to work, but only after he's shoved a handful of broken mint chip biscuits, still warm from the oven, in his mouth. Briar is taking trays of more biscuits from ovens and several cakes and is replacing them with more pans. When Jared's done with his assignment, he moves on to trays of the biscuits that have cooled off enough now to also be transferred. As he works, Jared looks up occassionally at the ceiling thinking that in a few more minutes he'll take refreshments up to Alanna and her sister.
Briar comes back in again, checking more things in the ovens then asks, "Do you know how to frost a cake?"
"The basics but nothing fancy like you do."
"If you could take this big bowl of frosting and ice those three cakes, I'll do the fancy bits after. You're good to help out, Jared."
"I don't mind. It's important heading into the end of school for Alanna to get a little of the pressure off by getting to talk with her sister. She really misses her family."
"You do your parents proud," Briar smiles then leaves Jared alone again to start frosting cakes.
Cat at the Ministry
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 04-10-09 18:26
The cat in the basket carried by a disguised Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen remained in her feline state throughout the trip to Level 3, where several Ministry departments housed their offices. The pair, man and cat, were only interested in the Department of Magical Construction, where wizards could obtain building permits, research building codes, and arrange building inspections.
As to be expected on a weekend, few were present when Fritz as Aron Melton arrived with his cat Frou-Frou in tow. In fact, when they entered the office they spotted only two individuals, a receptionist of sorts and someone else of indeterminate position.
Fritz-Aron addressed the receptionist. "Greetings. I'm interested in obtaining a building permit to add an addition to my residence."
"All right. Let me find the correct form for you."
The moment the receptionist turned her back, Fritz-Aron pulled out his wand and stunned the woman. The other person in the office was quick to draw his own wand but Fritz-Aron was quicker and disarmed him with Expelliarmus. Now without a wand, the man tried to seek cover behind a cubicle, but Fritz-Aron feared that he would try another attack if allowed to go free, so he stunned him too.
He waited until he was sure no one else was lurking somewhere in the offices of the departmental headquarters before addressing the cat in his basket.
"Do you want to check what else is on this floor? I'll wait for your report."
The cat jumped out of the basket and slinked from the room. She padded quickly down the corridor and ducked into the neighboring offices that belonged to the Department of Magical Research. Only one woman was to be found in the entire place, and she was sleeping at her lab table, clearly overworked and exhausted.
After another quick circuit around the place, the cat slinked into the corridor again and continued on to another set of offices, this time belonging to the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. The department was much busier, though still rather empty compared to what it might look like on a weekday. A couple of wizards sat at desks in the Oblivator Headquarters. The first didn't notice the cat in the room because he had his nose in a magazine. The other noticed and immediately got up to give the surprising newcomer some attention.
"Hey, there's a cat in here!"
The other man looked up from his magazine but wasn't interested enough to give the unexpected visitor any more attention. He immediately buried his nose between the glossy pages of Magical Style Magazine, the cat forgotten.
She quickly darted from the room to avoid the other wizard, who nonetheless followed after her, and gave the rest of the place a speedy glance-over. There was a staff healer treating someone from law enforcement and a couple of other people milling about.
Attentive to the fact that the oblivator was still looking for her, the cat rushed from the office and sped down the corridor, back to where Fritz-Aron waited. She skidded to a stop and without waiting transformed into her human form.
"We haven't much time," Minerva McGonagall said, reaching for the new wand she'd acquired from a shop in Spain. "I was spotted and followed."
She quickly filled Fritz-Aron in on what she'd seen during her reconnaissance work and when the oblivator turned the corner and came into the office, she stunned him. She moved his body behind the front desk where the receptionist still lay on the floor and then turned back to her former student.
"Let's move."
It's Not Over Yet
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 04-10-09 19:45
Inside the conference room, the meeting attendees aren't immediately aware there's a storm blowing through the Ministry. That could partly be due to the dampening spells muffling sounds exterior to the room. Euphemia finds there are enough distractions in these meetings without adding to them and people standing around yacking on break can get very loud. Even if there are far fewer people in the building on a Saturday, trust those that are present to find a way to create enough noise as to make it hard to concentrate on the meeting presentation.
When those in the meeting do become aware that criminals are infesting the building in droves, Euphemia begins barking orders. Wand in hand, Euphemia strides from the conference room behind the others, who are scattering to carry out the orders she's given.
Just as Euphemia steps into the corridor a spell blasts part of the doorjam, sending splinters flying. Cursing in pain, Euphemia ducks back into the conference room, cautiously peering around to have a look.
A wedge of people are boldly walking this direction, there's something familiar about the one leading the way but Euphemia can't place why. She doesn't have time to think about it because from the opposite direction come more of the intruders.
One tall, thin, tanned young man in the second group spots Euphemia as she peeks up and down the hall, weighing her options. She says some ugly words under her breath, having no idea where those from the meeting have gone. They were just in front of her. They certainly scattered quickly!
"There she is!" the young man shouts, drawing attention to the conference room.
Dueling erupts all around as those from the meeting suddenly reappear, some from other doorways, some apparating. The leader if the first group Euphemia spotted strides forward undaunted, as if out for a brisk afternoon walk. As he nears, his appearance changes before Euphemia's eyes.
"You!" she shrieks.
Up and down the hallway those loyal supporters momentarily gawk at the figure of Albus Dumbledore. The reprieve from spells being thrown is exceedingly shortlived as the invaders press on in an effort to subdue them all.
The tall, thin, tanned youth who'd first spotted Euphemia has made it into a room just down and across from the conference room. Harry had seen someone he very much wanted to confront.
Imogen Bulstrode is partially obscured behind a partition dividing the room. Harry dives behind a filing cabinet, the spell thrown coming so close there's a singe mark across his shoulder.
"Don't recognize me do you, Warden Bulstrode," Harry calls across the room.
"Potter? Is that you?"
"Right on the first try, though I'm sorry, there's no prize."
"I should have killed you or the Minister should have. I argued for it, you know."
"You mean you weren't trying to kill me slowly all that time?"
Bulstrode cackles, "Haven't you heard about tough love, Potter?"
"Give up now, Bulstrode and you'll not be hurt."
"Why don't I believe you?"
"I'm not you, that's why."
"I'd tell you 'over my dead body' but I have no plans on dying today, Potter."
"I have no plans on killing anyone unless my hand is forced," Potter says with a shrug in his voice though in truth he'd dearly love to hurt this woman as she hurt him.
By now two others have joined Harry. In trying to take stock of the odds against her if she starts fighting, Bulstrode makes an error. Phinfilius shouts, "Expelliarmus!"
Bulstrode's wand goes flying. Unarmed now, she has no hope of apparating away. She asks, "You swear on your parents graves that you won't harm me, Potter?"
"I swear," Harry solomnly replies.
Heaving a great sigh Imogen Bulstrode comes from around the partition holding her hands out so they can be sure she's not trying to fool them. Harry personally binds the woman, perhaps tying the bonds a tiny bit tighter than needed.
With the room secure and Bulstrode no longer a threat, Harry and the other two check the corridor. The fighting is still heavy and all three jump in to join the fray. It's several minutes later when they've subdued all but a couple of people along this corridor that Harry notices Dumbledore dueling Rabastan Lestrange.
Seeing Ginny leading off a bound man Harry doesn't recognise he stops and asks her, "Where's the Minister?"
"Don't know," Ginny shakes her head.
Less than half of another minute goes by when Rabastan loses the duel with Dumbledore. Rushing over Harry asks what others are starting to wonder now as well, "Where's the Minister?"
Albus Dumbledore sighs a sigh greater than the one Imogen Bulstrode heaved. "I managed to get her wand but she escaped with a portkey she had in her possession. The question to ask now is where did she go?"
It's not until several hours later, when the entire Ministry is secure and in the hands of the Order of the Phoenix and the Restistance that they learn where Euphemia Smythe-Jones went upon leaving the Ministry of Magic. While the Ministry is no longer in her hands, things are quite over yet.