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Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 01-20-10 17:31
With a groan, Bronwyn extricated herself from her bedsheets and swung her legs around the side of her bed. She stretched her arms up high, arching her back, and then dropped her arms and shoulders. She sat hunched over for a long moment, wishing she had a day job instead of one that lasted all night. Bronwyn didn't like sleeping all day because it felt wrong to her body, and because she missed a lot of shopping sales that way. She also missed time with Toby, though he was away at practice at the moment.
She didn't move until she heard a tapping at her bedroom window. Bronwyn hopped out of bed, fantasizing Ethan Somerset throwing pebbles at the glass in a bid to draw her attention to the window, so that he could declare his undying love for her, but when she drew back the curtains, she saw a very tired-looking owl instead. Bronwyn recognized it immediately as belonging to her friend Sebastian.
She drew open the window and ushered the weary bird inside. It went as far as the chest of drawers under the window and perched there with its breast heaving. Bronwyn knew Seb's owl had to fly a long distance from New York to reach her, but usually it didn't arrive so bone tired as it appeared this time. Maybe it hadn't taken any breaks along the way. Did magical owls even need breaks?
She noticed then that it bore a letter. Bronwyn took the crumpled parchment from the owl's sharp talons and read the hastily-written script, her brow creasing with worry the more she took in. When she finished, she read the note over again, as if hoping it would give her more information.
Arley had mentioned to Bronwyn after they'd reconnected last summer that his sister had disappeared. She also knew from knowing him for years that he and his father didn't really get along. Bronwyn couldn't picture Arley's father making his kids disappear, but stranger things did happen. Not that she necessarily thought he had anything to do with either Montgomery sibling's disappearance. Bronwyn really didn't know what to think.
So she did the best thing she could. She went to talk to an auror–––to her best friend Desi, who Bronwyn knew was working today and who it turned out had gotten the same hastily-scrawled letter.
Only Desi didn't seem to have any time for Bronwyn right now.
"We just got a big break on a case. I really can't talk right now. Later, okay?!"
And with that, Bronwyn was left standing with Seb's note and still no idea what to do. She went back home, where she found the owl perched on top of a shelf high up in the house. Bronwyn's two cats, Nerisse and Shadow, prowled the ground underneath.
She shook her head and plopped down on the sofa. Perhaps she should write to Seb, but she didn't know what to say and she didn't want to send the tired owl on its long flight overseas just yet. It had obvioulsy pushed itself very hard to reach Desi and Bron in a hurry. Maybe in the time the owl recuperated, Desi would be finished with her pressing case and they could put their heads together on how to help Seb help Arley.
Walking Down High Street
Author: Coco Nutt
Date: 01-20-10 18:27
Exiting the pet shoppe portion of McFusty's, Fritz and Coco debate whether to take their purchases to the castle then return to the village or to just lug them around. Coco's shoulders go up and down as she says, "The bags have nice 'andles on them," then gives herself a mental kick for dropping the H. Sure, Fritz is long used to her way of speech and knew her when she spoke even more idiomatically and colloquially but that's not the point. The point is that Coco knows that speaking more properly is part of being the best she can be and a success once at university and then afterwards as a veterinary healer. Though she doesn't pay as close attention to how she speaks when it's just Fritz and her, Coco had decided earlier in the week that all day today, no matter who was around to hear, she'd work hard not to make any slip-ups.
Fritz says, "If they become heavy, we can always spell them to be lighter or send them on their own to the castle."
"That's settled then." Looking up at Fritz, Coco gives a firm nod of her head to punctuate their decision before asking, "Where next?"
"I don't know about you, but with NEWT prepartion I'm rapidly going through quills and ink."
"I think I'm down to my last pencil and have only one good quill and one not so good one left," Coco says with understanding.
The two set off for Scrivenshafts with Fritz saying, "I keep meaning to ask, that night awhile back that Caerwyn Valentine and Gus Hodfuffer came asking for help with their cat, why didn't you go to Professor Kent? Didn't he used to work as a veterinary healer?"
"I thought about that after we'd already knocked on Professor Hodfuffer's door. I think that Professor Kent wasn't my first thought as healer because I don't think of him that way."
They're walking past Petals now, where scantily clad, very voluptuous women are visible in the window. There are several boys standing around, gaping at the view but with a big, burly man from inside the club regularly chasing away underage gawkers and with a few other adults, including professors, regularly patrolling past the establishment, Coco knows they won't be standing there for long though that many will come back for more looks.
Coco hasn't every really given Petals and its employees much thought but now she wonders what led the various ladies to seek out work as exotic dancers. Unable to get other jobs? The hours fit best with the home schedule? The pay is really good? That does give Coco pause. She has no idea if exotic dancers make a decent wage but she now wonders as others with Muggle backgrounds have, where does a Wizarding World exotic dancer put the tips when all the money is coins?
"You are very deep in thought," Fritz comments, reaching out to lightly steer Coco around another student she was about to walk right into.
"I was just wondering where exotic dancers at places like Petals put their tips. It's all coins."
Fritz starts laughing. "That is a good question. Want me to go ask?" he teases with a waggle of eyebrows and what could only be called a very cheeky grin.
Coco grins back. "Go right ahead. I'll wait." Coco stops and turns to look back down High Street in the direction of Petals. "You might want to hold off until Hagrid and Professor Hodfuffer are past."
Fritz laughs again. "Why am I not surprised you would tell me to go ahead and go see where the tips go?"
"Because you are a genius," Coco answers back, grin growing bigger.
"Yes, it is nice to get well deserved recognition," Fritz jokes, when really Coco and everyone who knows him well, knows that in reality, Fritz is a fairly humble person.
"Not to change the subject off your genuis, but after Scrivenshafts I want to pick up some a bag of sweets for Granda Wal. He got some taffy at Honeydukes before coming up to the school for Parents Day and really loved them. I want to get him some for the week to tide him over until he comes to out match."
"I need to check with my parents and Otto if they're coming."
The upcoming Ravenclaw-Slytherin Quidditch match becomes the main topic of conversation until they reach Scrivenshaft's a short time later and each starts debating how many quills and how much ink to buy and both making sure to pick up owl order forms to make ordering more easier. They know they will need plenty of each with their regular coursework and studying for the NEWTs!
Rally the... Wait, What?
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 01-20-10 18:30
THUD! I sat up quickly and looked around. I was sitting at my desk in the Ministry, and my partner wasn’t anywhere around. Which may expain why I dozed off… There was, however, a tired looking owl. Just by looking at it I could tell it had flown from the States.
The note it carried was from Seb. Arley was missing, and probably hurt. I quickly sent a letter back telling Seb that I would be there as soon as I could, and to send me any information about where Arley may have been going.
Just as the owl left, I heard hurried footsteps approach, my partner had returned.
“I found him!” He said stopping in front of me.
“What?” I asked.
“Bill, I found out where he was!”
“You did? How?”
“I went over to Ezikial Wardle’s house and...”
”And you didn’t take me?”
“Well… you were sleeping…”
”So?”
“So, anyways, he lied about being at the bank in Hogsmeade. I just let him lie and left.”
“Right… Since I wasn’t there…”
“Right, but I just apparated to around the corner. I went around back where there was a second building…”
“And didn’t do anything stupid, right?”
“No, I just watched as Ezikial and another man grabbed Bill from somewhere and put him back. I saw Bill in that smaller structure.”
“And you still didn’t take me.”
“I was in a hurry.”
“Well, let’s go bust Bill out of there and pound those two guys into the ground!”
“We should get backup. What if there are more then just the two?”
“Good point,” I said after a moment, “I’ll take the main house, you grab Bill and get him out of there.”
“And what of the backup?”
“I take most of it with me to clear the large house. You grab a couple, clear the small one and grab Bill.”
“Ok. I’ll go grab the others.” Anthony took off to go find help for us.
Not two seconds after Anthony disappeared, that Bronwyn walked up in a huff. She was holding a note and seemed to be obviously worried.
“I just got this note from Seb, it’s about Arley,” She said.
“I got one too,” I told her, standing up finally.
“What are we going to do?” She asked.
“We just got a big break on a case. I really can’t talk right now. Later, Okay?!” I said trying to smile some. Bron nodded a bit, obviously saddened. I pat her on the shoulder a little before walking off to find Anthony and check on how the troops were going.
Fury (Alastor)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 01-21-10 17:28
After storming out of Burger Wizard, Alastor plowed blindly down the High Street, bumping into a few others along the way but not caring one bloody fig. It's only when he's well past the Shrieking Shack that Alastor slows then stops completely. Using his wand to blast away ice and snow from an old tree trunk, he clears a spot to sit. After tearing through the food he'd snatched up before leaving the restaurant, he methodically tears the packaging into smaller and smaller pieces before using his wand to disintigrate the remains completely.
After that, because he'd gotten a sense of satisfaction out of blasting things with this wand, Alastor methodically began destroying twigs, larger sticks, pebbles of assorted sizes, and chunks of ice. With each flick of the wand, Alastor's anger intensifies. He wishes that Hunter, Hadrian, Daniel, and Christopher were there so he could smash in their faces. He'd use his fists for that and then hit them with a few spells. They all thing they're so fabulously great, three of them on the Quidditch team and he not making the cut.
Thinking about Quidditch and not being selected for the Ravenclaw team infuriates Alastor even more. He has a mind to march back up to the school and give Theodosia Batuti a piece of his mind! What a fecking idiot bitch not to recognize who has the real talent. As thick headed and blind as that woman is, it's no wonder she can't control her own brother. Her defects make it difficult to show her any respect as a Hogwarts faculty member.
Not only is Batuti a dunce but Dumbledore isn't much better. Why couldn't Alastor have been put in fourth year where he belongs? Why punish him for the acts of others? How Jill tolerates it is beyond Alastor. How most of those put back because of the Pure versus Non conflict tolerate it is a mystery to him. Even Olive Green seems fine with being a year behind those her own age when it wasn't because of anything of her own doing, such as failing classes. If it had been Alastor alone with Happy Haven Headmistress Alecto Carrow he wouldn't have hestitate making the bint pay for all she'd inflicted on the students. Maybe he wouldn't have killed her but would have just made her wish he had.
Alastor spends the new few hours blasting away at inanimate objects while imagining those objects to be all the people he'd love to hurt as they've hurt him this past year.
Thank Merlin There's No Jet Lag
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 01-22-10 20:26
While Bill Weasley was being rescued, Harry was once again in Singapore. If he'd known what was taking place back in Britain, he would have Floo'd back long enough to help, if Kingsley would have allowed his participation that is, and then gone to the Singapore meeting. It's not as if Constance Jewkes has ever once been on time for a meeting. Besides that, Harry still doesn't grasp why field agents are the ones dealing with Constance Jewkes.
Stepping from his Floo, Harry goes as far as the nearest couch and flops onto it. Tired as he is, he can well imagine how much worse it would be if Wizarding travel made for serious jet lag like with Muggle travel. Along with the fatigue is the frustration that is Constance Jewkes.
Initially, Jewkes has been negotiating an agreement for getting her son a suspended sentence and the freedom to return to Singapore in exchange for testifying in Britain against the head of the prison community where he worked and against some of the worst of its employees. After weeks of wrangling, an agreement both sides could live with was reached. Harry had thought that meant he was done having to deal with the annoying woman.
Two days ago, the British Ministry of Magic was once again contacted by Jewkes, this time as an intermediary for another prison community employee who could offer additional testimony against some who had committed gross atrocities against the prisoners. With most of those people now incarcerated, serving long sentences in Azkaban, the Ministry might not normally be interested in committing personnel and hours to this person Jewkes is helping. The reason the Ministry did decide to take the meeting, or have Harry take it as he was once against specifically requested, is because a few of those people got out of some of the charges against them, resulting in lighter sentences. A few others are appealing their convictions. Having yet another former employee corraborate the actions of these people will help ensure they remain in Azkaban and for some, to get time added to their sentences.
Harry had shown up at yet another Muggle restaurant then sat waiting for Constance Jewkes for close to 45 minutes. He did eat while waiting and the food was excellent, but that didn't keep Harry from becoming increasingly irritated. If he'd known what he was going to miss assisting on because of Jewkes, Harry would have been far more than merely irritated.
When Jewkes finally showed, she gave one of her faux apologies as if that and a smile were all that were required to forget about how rude she is to forever be late to meetings she has set the times for. After another hour of going back and forth on the terms of the agreement, Jewkes made Harry wait another hour for her to go speak to her "client."
Harry used the time to return to the British Ministry's diplomatic offices there in Singapore to stick his head in the Floo to go over with someone the agreement as it stood right then. That didn't take all that long, with the travel time from the restaurant to the offices taking longer than the consultation had, so Harry still had awhile before the second meeting, for which Jewkes will surely be tardy.
After making sure of where he needed to be for that meeting, Harry wandered around, even picking up some pastry from a bakery that had lured him in with an enticing aroma wafting for blocks all around. As Harry killed time, he found himself keeping watch for a glimpse of his cousin Dudley. He knows that was a silly thing to do but as he walked he realized that he never did find out what Dudley had been doing in Singapore each of the times he was seen there and who the woman with him was each time.
Suprisingly, Jewkes was on time for the meeting and had her "client" with her. The woman was so nervious, thinking that she would be the target of revenge if she struck the deal with the Ministry, that things became drawn out. Harry had a document with him, drawn up while at the British Ministry's Singapore diplomatic offices, but every time the woman was on the verge of signing, she'd back out. Jewkes finally suggested a third location with more privacy, as this second one was again in a public Muggle spot, but it still took hours to get the woman, Diana Mullins, to actually sign. She seems so worried about repurcussions that Harry has serious doubts that she'll actually show up in Britain as agreed to give an official statement. Could be Jewkes will have to arrange for someone to go to Mullins to get the statement. Harry hopes to Merlin he's not part of the group tasked with it!
When Harry was finally able to return to London to deliver the signed agreement it was late enough that most of the handful working on a Saturday had gone home. Harry delivered the document by sliding one copy under one office door and the other copy to Records, leaving that one in an in-box just for such after hour deliveries. He'd not seen anyone who would have thought to stop and ask if he'd heard about his friend Bill Weasley.
Deciding he'll just stay on the couch for awhile, a 24-hour sports program on the WWN playing quietly, Harry dozes off still not knowing about the rescue mission he missed being part of.