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Avoiding Drama
Author: Ellis
Date: 10-30-17 18:27
Alys and Chip queued up at Briar's Bakery and wondered how it was that the line was already out the door. They'd left Hogwarts early with the goal of beating the crowds, but obviously, everybody else had had the same idea. It was crisp outside, and the two shifted from foot to foot while they waited for the line to shrink, but at least the sun was blindingly bright at the moment.
During past Hogsmeade trips, Alys and Chip had been accompanied by Blakeney and Tessa, but not this time. After Tessa unceremoniously dumped Chip during the summer, hanging out as a group would be awkward. Blakeney and Tessa were best friends and were no doubt wandering the village together.
As Hogsmeade wasn't exactly a large place, they all knew they would probably run into each other at some point. Alys didn't want any drama, even though she wasn't really involved. She noticed that Chip seemed more like his old self when Tessa wasn't around, but he either became angry or morose when she was. Alys just wanted to have a good time in Hogsmeade with her own best friend.
"Incoming," Chip muttered while they were still standing in line outside the popular bakery.
Alys' heart sank, but she turned and saw her brother coming over, not Blakeney and Tessa. This was Conrad's first time in Hogsmeade. He was with Frederick Benwick, who looked just as excited to be in the village. Somehow, they already had pockets full of sweets.
"Alys!" Conrad exclaimed. "Chip!" He executed some kind of choreographed handshake with the older boy, which ended in a chest bump.
"Why are you so chipper in the morning?" Alys asked.
"He's always chipper in the morning, isn't he?" Frederick said before Conrad could answer.
"True," Alys said. "He has that in common with Bla–– Oh, we can go in now."
They stepped over the threshold to the bakery, but the line was still thick inside and all the tables were occupied. Alys was guessing they would have to get their breakfast to go.
She chanced a glance at Chip to see if he noticed her near mention of his ex's best friend's name, but he was craning his neck to see into the display cases and mentally compiling a list of everything he wanted to sample.
Eventually, they ordered and stepped outside with their baked goods, with Conrad and Frederick joining them a short while later.
Patrol
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 10-31-17 18:38
Ethan patrolled Hogsmeade. So far, he hadn't stumbled upon any trouble––student-related or otherwise. The village seemed very quiet, all things considered. Although it was a bit on the dull side, Ethan preferred it this way.
He turned the corner down the little lane that led to The Hog's Head and smiled when he happened to spot Maverick exiting the pub.
"What brings you to Hogsmeade on this busy Saturday?" Ethan called out to his friend.
Maverick shook Ethan's hand and said, "I felt like going somewhere out of the way and quiet. Little did I know today was a Hogsmeade Saturday for the Hogwarts students."
"I don't imagine there are many students in that pub," Ethan remarked, and he wondered whether he should go in and check out the scene.
"Nobody in there except a few decrepit old men like me."
Ethan chuckled. "If you're old, what does that make me?"
They started to walk back to High Street. "Have you seen or heard from Nero?" Maverick asked, after they finished joking about their ages.
"Nope," Ethan replied. "He's up to something, though. I know it, and it makes me uneasy."
"I don't blame you," Maverick said. "He's probably biding his time. Let's just hope he gets caught before he causes anybody any harm."
Ethan nodded but didn't reply. Nero had a history of causing problems for him. It was only a matter of time before something else happened.
He pointed out Briar's Bakery and suggested they got get something sweet from his sweet. Maverick rolled his eyes good-naturedly and followed his friend to the bakery.
First Hogsmeade Weekend
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 10-31-17 18:57
Despite wearing the coveralls provided, Abraham Albright had managed to get paint from Wizarding paintball all down the front of his shirt. One of the gaming centre's people, the one called Daria, uses a nifty cleaning spell to rid his shirt of the paint. Vincent pays close attention when she performs the spell. The spell name isn't difficult but there's a quick flip of the wrist that seems a bit tricky. Knowing it would be helpful when Vincent does something like smudge chocolate frosting on his trousers or dribble soup onto his t-shirt, both of which he's done so far today. And it's early yet.
There are other cleaning spells but some work better than others and some are harder than others. With the exception of getting that wrist flip just so the one Daria just used seems simple enough. Vincent pats down his pockets searching for a piece of parchment or something else on which to write. Finding a piece of waxed paper from an earlier purchase, since eaten, he borrows a quill and ink from Daria to jot down the spell name and a short reminder of the arm and wrist movement, on the non-waxed side of the parchment of course.
Abraham impatiently asks, "Aren't you coming for another go, Vinny?"
"Maybe later. I'm suddenly hungry again." Thinking about the chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and the soup and the sticky candy that had come in the waxed paper have Vincent's stomach rumbling.
Abraham looks out to where the starting point of the course they'd used is located then back at Vincent who has now shed his coveralls. "I could go for more food."
Coveralls turned into the used bin and paintball wants returned to the counter, the two third years walk outside, debating where to eat. They've already hit Briar's Bakery, Brews & Stews, and Honeydukes Sweetshop. Brews & Stews would be good again but trying one of the other places might be good as well. This is, afterall, their first Hogsmeade outing without parents to chide them about having too many sweets or eating too large a lunch.
They decide on the Crown & Cauldron, a place neither has been without at least one adult to dictate what may or may not be ordered. Once there, Abraham and Vincent decide to order something different each, maybe two things each, and then share. They also decide that before returning to Hogwarts tonight they will hit both the bakery and sweets shop again.
When their food arrives, they somehow get to talking about Quidditch and Ravenclaw's chances for the cup this year. Both boys had tried out for the team but neither made the cut. Vincent's okay with that for the most part but Abraham can stew about it at times. When it looks like he's ready to go on and on about how he thinks he's better than some of those who were selected - Abraham's really sort of wobbly on a broom as far as Vincent can tell - Vincent gets his friend off the topic by pointing out that Abraham's current crush, Slytherin's Julia Vernon, has just walked in.
Not wanting to appear a glutton, Abraham slows down the pace he's been stuffing food into his mouth, actually taking breaths between. When Julia and her friends stop on the way to their table to say, "Hi, having fun this first Hogsmeade weekend?" Abraham has little enough food in his mouth that he can hastily swallow without choking to answer her.
Vincent smiles and speaks as well, trying not to laugh at the way his roommate is turning bright red the longer Julia stands there.
(Tessa) Sweets
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 11-01-17 17:55
Blakeney looked thoroughly bored while Tessa debated between a couple of different types of sweets. She wanted to buy clothes or accessories. Sweets were all find and good, but there was nothing like a new purse or a pair of earrings.
Tessa, on the other hand, found clothing shopping a bit on the dull side, and it was all the more boring when she had to do it with Blakeney, who took forever trying things on and modeling them. With their interests so different, it was a mystery how the two girls were friends, and best friends at that.
"You're normally not this decisive when buying sweets," Blakeney pointed out. "Has your sweet tooth become more refined, or what?"
"I just want something to snack on when I feel like I need something sweet, which is right now, if I'm being honest," Tessa replied.
She knew that Chip was in the village with Alys. They'd so far been able to avoid each other, but Tessa wagered she wouldn't get through the day without bumping into him at least once. It was bad enough they saw each other in the Hufflepuff common room all the time. She just wanted one day without him around looking angry or sad.
"You know what I really want?" Tessa asked, turning around to face Blakeney, who was covering a yawn with her hand. "Ice cream."
"Botanicals & Beyond has some. But isn't it too cold?"
"It's never too cold for ice cream. Let's go!" Tessa decided to buy the sweets already in her hands and went up to the checkout counter. Then it was out the door and to the tea and herb shoppe for speciality ice cream.
In The Stands
Author: Charlie Weasley
Date: 11-01-17 19:09
Sitting in the stands watching the workshop Professor Krum is holding, Schuyler contemplates finding where the hot chocolate is located that so many seem to be sipping. As if reading his mind cousin Larkin appears at his side, two cups of the steaming beverage in hand. "Here. Mind if I sit?"
"Thanks, and why would I mind?"
"I guess what I was really asking is if it's someone else's seat."
"It's not. I thought you were doing broom sprints."
"I was but it was time to change out groups doing them so I decided to take a break. You?"
"I was over there earlier," Schuyler points off to an area behind a section of stands, "doing some sort of chase after the snitch drill. Came up here to sit awhile when it was done."
"You all right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Don't know. You seem down or something. Is it because you didn't make the Quidditch team and this is reminding you of it?"
"No, I'm okay with not making the team."
"You are? You looked upset that day."
"I was upset. I'd just had four bones in my hand broken. Bloody awful pain."
"But not upset at having to leave the trials?"
"Not really. Only tried out because it seemed like I was supposed to."
"What?"
"I'm a Weasley and a boy at that. Seems like half the stories we hear from parents, aunts, and uncles are all about Weasley's playing Quidditch for Gryffindor while at Hogwarts."
Larkin does a half shrug, conceding his point. "Yeah, does seem like half of them. Other half is all about fighting evil."
"You didn't try out and you're better than Seth and Gideon," Schuyler comments, wondering why this has only just occurred to him. Larkin was there but only to watch.
She shrugs again. "It's fun to play and I'm as competitive as any Weasley but being on the house team isn't my thing."
"Why?"
"You're sounding like my brothers now."
"Sorry, but why?"
"I don't know. Just doesn't. You'll eat bananas and banana flavored things but if there's something else to eat, you always pick the other. Why?"
Schuyler thinks about it a minute then does his own one shouldered shrug. "Don't know. I like bananas but don't like them. Okay, I guess I get what you mean about Quidditch."
Larkin points to the pitch. "Looks like an obstacle course group is forming. Let's see if we can get in on it."
Schuyler stands with her, "Yeah, okay." He chugs what's left of his hot chocolate on the way out of the stands, trying not to spill it in the rush to get down to where the group is being put together.
At Work
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 11-02-17 18:33
Lysander was at Twice Told Tales, where it was fairly busy, due to all the students visiting Hogsmeade. As in past Hogsmeade weekends, with every purchase he and Julian were giving away leather-bound journals. The one he slipped into a sack for a Ravenclaw girl was midnight blue.
"Have a nice day," Lysander said, flashing the teenage girl a smile.
She giggled, mumbled her thanks, and went to rejoin her friends who were already at the door. Lysander turned to the next person in line, only to see it was Astrid. She had August on her hip and held Dylan by the hand.
"We were going to go to the park before the sun goes down. Is that all right?"
"Yes. It's fine," Lysander answered. The boys were warmly dressed in layers, which Dylan at least would probably peel off one by one as he worked up a sweat during playtime.
Astrid shot Lysander a quick smile and then exited the shoppe. Lysander watched them through the window until they disappeared from sight. On the one hand, Lysander was glad Astrid hadn't yet found a place to stay because it meant August and Dylan were always nearby. On the other hand, he wished she would go. He didn't want to go down the rabbit hole with her again and was afraid it might happen.
Lysander shook the thought from his mind and thought about Charlotte instead. She was at Hogwarts, too young to visit Hogsmeade for the day.
Charlotte and her cousin Noah were at the Quidditch Pitch, taking part in the flying and Quidditch workshop. Both were excited to have made their respective house teams. Lysander was especially proud that his daughter, a mere first year, had earned a position on the team. He couldn't wait for the first match!
On Patrol
Author: Eoghan
Date: 11-02-17 19:29
As he'd never worked one before, Eoghan had been pegged to work a shift in Hogsmeade for the Saturday student influx. He doesn't mind. It's a change of pace from working a handful of tough cases. It also gave him an excuse to skip a birthday party for Aideen Cleary. He's sorry about missing the luncheon for which his mum and sisters were making the food and sorry about missing the cake and any other sweets afterwards but having to do a gift for Aideen and then pretending to be happy about being at a party for her is not a miss for him.
Reaching the turnstile at one end of a lane, like many others over the years, Eoghan wonders what the story behind this turnstile being here is. He turns to being back, stopping upon hearing a noise. Not moving, listening hard, he hears the noise again. Turning and moving rapidly, he goes around the turnstile in case it squeaks. In a cozy little cleared spot in the middle of some thick bushes are two teens rolling and grappling on a blanket, both of them only half-clothed.
"That's enough, you two," he barks.
Startled, the two somehow jump up and apart all in one motion, grabbing at clothing.
Eoghan isn't a prude by any stretch and he does know these two are just doing what teens who believe themselves in love do, but as an Auror on patrol he has to squash things before anything more happens. He gets their names telling them after, "You know I'll find out if you're having me on. Now get on back to the village."
They start to hustle away only to stop when he says, "Don't forget your blanket. Looks like a nice one."
One of them snatches it up then the two scurry down the lane. Eoghan will have to keep watch for them elsewhere. This spot may be ruined for them, at least while he's on shift, but there are countless others in and around Hogsmeade. That makes him wonder how many couples thinking about shagging have been run out of the Shrieking Shack over the years.
Back up the lane, he turns at an intersection with another. A babushakad woman is unsteadily bent attempting to retrieve her dropped purse. Her magic must no longer be reliable, Eoghan thinks, increasing his pace. "Here, let me get that for you," he calls out.
The woman slowly straightens. "Thank you."
Eoghan hands her the purse as she repeats her, "Thank you."
He nods as he begins to step away but she speaks again, her words stopping him. "I heard through a source you'd be patrolling today."
His eyes go to slits. "Bellatrix?"
Her smile reveals yellowed, uneven teeth. She's gone all out with her disguise. "I hadn't seen you in sometime. I wanted to make sure you're doing all right with your career change."
"Yes, fine. Why the elaborate disguise? And why are you suddenly checking on me?"
"Can't very well have you seen gabbing to Bellatrix Lestrange, now can we? Not without raising questions. I may currently be free but people do get ever so suspicious about my every little word, my every little appearance somewhere. It gets to be tiring. As for suddenly wishing to check on you, well, my maternal instincts and urges may be rather low compared to many but I do have flashes from time to time. At my age I'm beginning to wonder if it's fluctuating hormones."
Eoghan takes a deep breath, giving a small shake of his head. "You are on the barmy side, Bellatrix?"
"Only on the barmy side?" she cackles. "Some would tell you I'm over the top insane. A right bloody loon. Say, you wouldn't happen to be a metamorphmagus, would you? Or a animagus?"
"No, neither."
"A pity. The only one in the family in decades is that cousin of yours, Nymphadora. Metamorphagus. I do hear her son has the talent. Not sure about her daughter."
"I'd forgotten all about having cousins and such. I work with her some, you know."
"Pity her mother ruined your cousin's blood line by marrying so beneath her."
"Pity you no longer claim her mother as your sister."
Bellatrix makes a gesture with her head and shoulders to acknowledge the point though from her expression Eoghan can tell that after all this time she doesn't appear to feel any shame or sorry over the parting of sisterly ways.
That expression turns to an enigmatic one when he asks, "Don't suppose you can tell me anything about Adriana Fairchild's murder?"
"No, don't suppose I could. Hardly knew the chit."
"But you did know her."
"Mostly only in passing."
She sound sincere but that expression tells Eoghan she's not being honest but, then, she IS Bellatrix Lestrange and he IS on duty as an Auror. He could hardly expect her to give him all the juicy, gossipy details.
Bellatrix smiles at him, the smile of the innocent, if an innocent smile is filled with yellowed, uneven teeth. "I should go on. You're still working and even though I'm incognito someone might wonder why you lingered for half the day with a geriatric woman."
He bids her goodbye and she departs, walking arthritically in the direction of the heart of Hogsmeade, Eoghan watching her for a few seconds before continuing along the narrow lane, wondering if perhaps there was a muck up when he was born and he was somehow switched with Bellatrix's real baby. A baby who grew up to be as loony as its parents and who may even now be serving time in Azkaban.
(Titus) Ralph
Author: Tiberius Nott
Date: 11-03-17 04:37
Titus was on his way to the Team Delta Echo meeting at the Shrieking Shack, when someone abruptly pulled him from behind, and dragged him into an alley, between two buildings. He was pushed against the brick wall with violence. He had been surprised, but he tried take his wand from his pocket, in order to defend himself from his attacker. Unfortunately, his intentions were guessed, and a hand snatched the wand, and tossed it away. Titus saw it roll away further down the alley. He finally faced his attacker.
"That's right Andrew, we found you. Or shall I call you Titus?" Ralph Saddler said, in triumph. He was pressing Titus against the wall, a dagger pointed to his neck. "How fancy you look in those clothes! And you are a prefect! Oh my!" His voice was charged with irony. Ralph had noted Titus' prefect badge, pinned in his sweater.
"What do you want, Ralph? The village is heavily patrolled. It will be a matter of time until someone notices us."
"Is that another one of your lies?"
"I swear it's true," and a moment later someone passed by the alley. It was a group of giggling girls, and right behind them, one of Hogwarts' teachers. Ralph was fast enough to hide the dagger and pretend he was having a joyful conversation with Titus. Once the people were gone, he pushed Titus once again against the wall.
"I thought Roper would be mad, considering what had happened at the hideout. But he was ecstatic: a wizard among our group! You turned out to be more useful than he ever imagined," Ralph spoke, clearing showing this panorama did not please him.
"I am not part of your group anymore," Titus declared.
"Roper warned me you would say that. But you can't discard us. We gave you food and shelter, and you become one of us when you started stealing. You know our crimes and we know yours. We are bounded and there is no turning back."
It all started when Titus decided not to be under Judith Foxcastle's guard this past summer. He had boarded the Hogwarts Express, but in the middle of the journey, he locked himself in one of the loos with a backpack, and drank all of Malden's Felix Felicis. He had not felt so good in his life before.
Suddenly everything became clear. He left the loo, finding an empty corridor. He somehow knew he had to walk down the corridor, to the end of the carriage, open a door, and then jump out of the train. He wasn't even afraid of doing such foolishness! He just jumped, and by luck he landed without any scratch. He watched the scarlet train moving away, no one noticing his absence. In normal circumstances he would panic, finding himself in the middle of nowhere, not knowing what to do. He couldn't even use his wand, as he was still a minor and Judith would be able to track him. But in that day, he knew exactly where to go. He walked for about ten minutes to find a red can saying 'Coca-Cola' on the ground. Titus knew that was a Muggle drink, but he never tasted it. He knew he had to pick up the can and so he did. How lucky! The can was a portkey! In the countryside, a young man would look suspicious, but in the busy streets of Muggle London, he would be hard to locate.
The Felix Felicis had one last gift to offer him, before its magic would fade away. It lead Titus straight to Roper's lair, in London. Roper was a squib, in his thirties. He seemed to be the leader of a group of younger squibs, most of them with age to attend Hogwarts if they had been born with magical abilities. They all had bitter feelings towards both the wizarding and the muggle world, as they didn't fit well in either of them. Some had runaway from home, others were left behind by their ashamed wizard parents. Roper took them in, and together they dedicated themselves to steal from Muggles and also witches and wizards. Sometimes they were hired to do little criminal jobs. Who would suspect of a bunch of poor squibs?
Titus told Roper his name was Andrew Birch. He didn't lie when he told him he could not to magic. He told Roper the wand he carried had been stolen from someone else. Roper asked if Titus had more experience in stealing, and Titus replied positively, thinking about Malden's potion. Soon he started doing small thieving jobs with Ralph and the others. It was quite thrilling, sometimes even fun. The Muggles were very stupid and easy to deceive. Judith was not going to find him, here. But Tiberius did.
Somehow his brother had located him. Titus was having too much fun in London, but the idea of spending the rest of his summer at Endhope Abbey was also good. He took Tiberius to Roper's hideout, which he learned to call home. He had his own sleeping area, and he gathered some little tokens he had stolen and which Roper had allowed him to keep. One of them was a golden bracelet with a butterfly, which Titus was thinking offering to Susan Fricks. It seemed the type of thing she would like, and she had been great for watching over his cat during summer, without making any questions. Titus collected his wand, ready to leave. Roper and the others were not around to say goodbye.
Unfortunately, when he walked away, Judith was waiting for him, with a group of wizards. Tiberius had deceived him. He didn't mention he was going to deliver Titus back to Judith. Titus tried to run away, but he was stunned, by one of Judith's wizards. Tiberius apologized, saying this was for the best. Titus needed to behave, he needed to do things right, and keep out of trouble. If he kept misbehaving, even when turning seventeen in December, Judith would still be all over him.
The betrayal hurt even more when, at the prison like facility Judith lock him up, she managed to send him a copy of a Daily Prophet. In one of the pages there was the news that Roper's hideout had been raided. Roper was arrested, and some of the runway squibs had been returned to their families. However, it seemed like some have escaped. Titus ripped of the newspaper, and punched the door, angered. He felt like he was boiling inside. Judith came almost daily to try and learn how he escaped the Hogwarts Express and reached London. She wanted to know all about Roper and the others. She even threatened to give him Verisaterum, but she never reached to that point. Titus refused to talk. He didn't say a word to her at all.
Finally, on September first he was released and sent back to Hogwarts. Roper and the others had been away from his thoughts, as he returned to the usual routine of classes and homework. But now Ralph was here. He had been able to locate him and he knew he was not Andrew Birch.
"Where is Roper?"
"In prison. But not for long. He will be released soon, as there are no concrete proofs against him. None of us talked, and we know you didn't either. Roper was happy with that."
Ralph pulled Titus in his direction and then pushed him down. He fell on the floor. Ralph dropped the golden bracelet he stole for Susan in front of him.
"You kept looking at this one, so I know it was important to you. It was left behind when they raided the hideout and I kept it. It's not made of real gold, like you thought, but consider it a welcome back present. We will be in touch."
And Ralph walked back into the busy Hogsmeade streets, leaving Titus alone on his knees.