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(Belinda) No Wands
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 02-09-20 04:09
Team Delta Echo's meeting assembled in the morning. Belinda and the others told Maurice about their performance at the Sweethearts Dance and he praised them for being able to keep the composure in front of the aurors who had been on watch that evening. It had not been easy to climb to the stage and be completely exposed. They were the ones the Ministry of Magic were hunting and during the band's act, Belinda felt quite vulnerable on stage, but she and the rest of the group had put on a good show and she hoped their act was credible enough. They worked really hard to mount their cover as a band.
Maurice encouraged them and he promised that the Dark Lord had not forgotten them. He made an eloquent speech about how important they were for his cause and he also urged them not to be afraid. They were being cautious and they would not be caught. Maurice then taught them some surveillance techniques they could apply in order to be sure the aurors were not on their tails. He told them to work together and to communicate.
When the meeting was over and Belinda was ready to leave Maurice ordered her to stay. When the last member closed the door, Maurice used his wand to lock it.
"I have presented your idea to the other Death Eaters and to the Dark Lord."
"And?" Belinda asked, feeling some butterflies in her stomach.
"It was approved. You have green light to do it."
A smile flowered on Belinda's lips. Her idea would luckily bring some instability to Hogwarts and it would give Team Delta Echo some presence at the school. They might be hiding but they were very much alive.
"But you have to be cautious, and you must be sure no one sees you do it. Remember it's not just about the people, there are the ghost and the portraits too. Hogwarts has many eyes and ears. And you have to do it the Muggle way. No wands. An auror could easily link the spell to your wand."
"What if I steal someone's wand? By the Muggle way it would be easy to erase it. If it's made with magic, it can be there forever!"
"No wands," Maurice sibilated.
"It's my idea, and I think we should use a wand. If they find out whose wand was it can also work for our benefit because then we can frame someone and confuse the aurors."
"No wands," Maurice repeated."
"But…" Belinda was about to protest when Maurice used a spell to push her against the wall. Belinda tried to move, but she felt as if she was glued to it. He approached her.
"If I say no wands, then there will be no wands. You do not have the right to contradict me. It seems to me you are becoming too comfortable in your role as the group's leader. So much so, you aren't being cautious enough."
He went to his pocket and took off the familiar box which contained the choker he had offered her on her birthday.
"What was going on in your mind when you decided to give this to Titus at the Great Hall? You know how dangerous it could be if someone had witnessed this little transaction? Maybe they wouldn't make anything of it at first, but later it could turn into a connection link. Imagine Titus was caught. Then someone recalled your interaction with him that day. In no time they would come to you and discover everything. You have jeopardized Team Delta Echo's existence because of a stupid jewelry piece!"
"I didn't want to send you an owl. They might have tracked it down," Belinda justified herself.
In a last struggle she looked Maurice in the eyes and challenged him.
"You shouldn't have offered me that gift. You know I have a boyfriend!"
Belinda thought about the moments she had with Conrad at the Sweethearts Dance. It had been one of the best evenings of her life, so much so, that for a brief moment she thought about revealing him everything about the Team Delta Echo team, and beg him to join her.
Maurice laughed.
"You foolish girl! You think that boyfriend of yours will still want to date you when he learns which side you are on? I know you Belinda. You have a lot of potential. Your dedication is unquestionable and your idea to make a statement at Hogwarts was very good. A lot of people were impressed by it, including the Dark Lord. Don't waste your time with that boy. It is not worth it. In the end all he will do is hurt you."
He approached her, and deviated a lock of hair that fell over her face. Then he passed his hand over her neck. She wanted to move but couldn't, still a victim of his spell. Maurice opened the box and put the choker on her neck. One of his fingers brushed her lips. He used his wand again and she felt a tingle on the skin below the choker, for a brief moment. He gave a step back and looked at her with lust.
"You will not be able to take it off," he informed her. "I have charmed it. Use it as a symbol of my affection for you, or if you prefer as a reminder of how much you still have to learn in order to earn a Dark Mark. What we are doing here is not a game, Belinda. It's not some sport where you can play lead singer of a band, practice some Unforgivable curses during Hogsmeade trips and then go to lunch with your boyfriend, as if nothing happened. This is serious. And if you don't understand that, then perhaps you don't deserve your role as a leader, or even be part of this project. I care about you, so please prove me wrong. "
Maurice freed her from her spell and unlocked the door.
"No wands," he reminded her.
Then he walked away, leaving her behind.
(Fulvia) With Magnus
Author: Griet
Date: 02-09-20 08:02
Needless to say, Fulvia had been pleasantly surprised when Magnus McCourt asked her to dance with him at the Sweethearts Dance. She had almost not gone to the event, since not one boy had asked her to be his date. Not only had Fulvia been embarrassed about being dateless at the biggest couples event of the school year, but she'd also been angry. How dare nobody ask her to the dance!
It had been Charlotte and Mira who'd insisted she get dressed up anyhow. Fulvia hadn't wanted to be the fifth wheel, as Charlotte had James and Mira had Schuyler, but that was exactly what she'd ended up being… until out of the blue, Magnus asked her to dance.
She had seen his advertisement posted in the Commons, but no way would she ever ask another boy to be her date to the dance, even if he offered himself up to anybody interested. In her mind, it was a boy's job to do the asking and to do so properly. Fulvia had also never thought about Magnus much. Although he was actually good-looking, she heard he was Muggle-born, and Fulvia was snobby enough for that to make a difference, no matter that fact that she, too, had Muggle ancestry.
But by the time Magnus turned up at her table, Fulvia was lonely and desperate. She had no idea that his reason for asking her was out of desperation, too.
In the end, Fulvia had actually enjoyed dancing with Magnus. He wasn't bad at it, and being up close to him made her notice just how cute he was. He stuck by her side the rest of the night, and they even walked together to the Slytherin Common Room together.
In the week that followed, they walked to and from class together, met in the library to study, and sat next together other at meals. Last night, while hanging out in the Commons, Magnus asked if Fulvia wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him in the morning.
They departed the castle together and went to Briar's Bakery, which was crowded at that time of day but well-worth the wait. With all the inside tables occupied by the time they reached the counter, they took their breakfast outside, where it was crisp but very sunny.
"Have you ever thought about featuring students in your articles?" Fulvia asked. She took a sip of her hot chocolate and left her hands around the mug to warm them.
In their time together this past week, Fulvia had noticed that Magnus always seemed to be looking over his shoulder. When asked who he was hiding from, without hesitation Magnus replied that he was always on the hunt for a good story for the school newspaper and that he didn't want to miss any opportunities.
"Sure," Magnus replied. "I've featured Quidditch players and a few other students already, but there are some that I haven't managed, like the members of Team Delta Echo. Not everyone is willing to give an interview."
"I am," Fulvia replied. "Seriously, ask me anything."
Fulvia really wasn't that interesting and her life-story probably wouldn't get anybody's attention, but she felt like she deserved to be respected and known.
Magnus smiled at her and indulged her request. He got out his quill and notebook and posed her questions while they ate. Fulvia was in her element as she talked about herself and thought how nice it was to have a boy's undivided attention.
(Festus) Bowtruckle Island
Author: Griet
Date: 02-09-20 08:48
"Someone will see us," Gavin said, throwing a look over his shoulder in the direction of the Quidditch Pitch, where mostly younger but also some older students were streaming for the workshop taking place there this morning. Other students were also out and about heading to or already departing from Hogsmeade.
Festus tossed Gavin a bemused look and said, "Since when do you care about following the rules?"
They were walking around toward the backside of the lake, the shore of which was nearest to a small, wooded island.
"It's not so much about breaking rules as it is about getting caught," Gavin pointed out. "We're not exactly alone out here."
"Think of it this way," Festus began, peeling away from the shoreline to approach scraggly bushes which were mostly a tangle of branches and thorns, since it was still the dead of winter. "If you get in trouble, you might impress your precious Belinda. Who knows? She might even dump your brother in exchange for a bad boy like you."
"Shut up," Gavin said. He knew damn well that he was too young for Belinda, but it still didn't stop him from liking her. "Tell me again what we're doing out here?"
In response, Festus went to a part of the hedge that had a gap and reached in, pulling out what looked like a weathered canoe. It was similar to the bigger boats that led first year students across the Black Lake on the first day of term, and in fact, its parts had been salvaged from one such boat long ago.
Gavin looked at it skeptically. "It's going to sink, and we're going to freeze to death in the lake."
"It won't sink," Festus said, "at least it probably won't."
Gavin frowned, but he helped Festus pull it to the shore of the lake. There was one oar, the handle of which was full of splinters. It was a good thing they were both wearing gloves.
They pushed the canoe into the water and then tentatively got in. Surprisingly, the hull was virtually in tact. There were a few small holes easily plugged, but none that prevented the boat from getting from the shore to the small wooded island. There, they got out and looked around a bit.
"Bowtruckles," Gavin commented, looking at the little creatures crawling all over the trees.
Festus shrugged and said, "As long as they don't bother us, I don't care what they are."
"So, what exactly are we doing here?"
Festus grinned. "I was thinking we could use this as our base of operations. We've come up with some neat tricks, like with that girl's flute and the punch at the party, but I think we can plan on a grander scale from here without worrying about being overheard." Here he cast a look at the bowtruckles, which were not sentient but gave off the appearance as if they were listening.
He narrowed his eyes but got distracted when Gavin added, "This would be a good base of operations for those student Death Eaters, if there are any left."
"Would you join if you could?" Festus asked.
"I dunno. Maybe," Gavin said. "You?"
"Same."
They fell silent as they each contemplated the possibilities. Then Gavin noticed movement out to shore and sank low behind the trees. Festus ducked down, too.
One of the auror patrols walked along the same path they had come but did not come all the way to where the track of their canoe surely showed on the ground. Instead, the auror turned away from the lake and crossed the grounds to another part of campus.
Festus and Gavin watched until they couldn't see the auror any longer and then resumed talking about all the secret things they could do on their tiny island.
(Conrad) With Belinda
Author: Ellis
Date: 02-09-20 17:00
Because Belinda had a meeting with the band, Conrad spent a little time at the Quidditch and flying workshop before heading into Hogsmeade. He arrived at The Three Broomsticks around lunchtime and looked for Belinda, who was supposed to be there. The pub was crowded and dim, as usual, so it took Conrad a little while to find his girlfriend. When he did, he found her alone at a corner table, looking sad and uneasy.
Conrad immediately wound his way over to her and stopped beside her chair, leaning down and laying a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, are you all right?"
Belinda looked startled but then relaxed and offered him a wan smile. "Yes. I'm just a little distracted, but I feel better now that you're here with me."
Conrad grinned, gave her a peck on the lips, and then moved around to the chair opposite hers. She already had a butterbeer at her elbow and the menu was open on the table.
Conrad, meanwhile, shed his jacket and draped it haphazardly across the back of his chair. In minutes it was on the floor, forgotten.
"It's quite warm in here, isn't it?" he asked. The pub always seemed to get toasty when it was crowded. Students were crammed at all the tables, and the hearths were roaring with fires, making it all the warmer. "Aren't you warm?" he asked again, when he noticed she was wearing her coat with the collar turned up so that her neck was covered.
Belinda shook her head.
"Are you sick? Do you want met to escort you to the infirmary? Have you got chills? The flu is going around right now…"
Again, Belinda shook her head. "I'm fine, really."
Conrad started to reply but a barmaid came over to ask if he wanted a drink and if they were ready to order. Conrad ordered a butterbeer and quickly looked over the menu while Belinda gave her lunch order. Conrad then supplied his and waited for the barmaid to leave before asking, "Are you sure everything's all right?" He smiled then in his light-hearted way and joked, "Was it a bad meeting then? Did someone try to choke you to damage your vocal chords and take over as lead singer of the band?"
At this, Belinda actually started to cry. Conrad jumped out of his chair to comfort her, but she gently put a hand on his chest and said, "I'm just really stressed. OWLs, you know?"
Conrad nodded in understanding. He'd always heard that students suffered from breakdowns when it was an OWL or NEWT year, but he wasn't sure if that sort of thing was supposed to happen in February. He patted her arm and said, "It'll be all right. Hey, you're sweating."
Belinda wiped her tears and nodded, because it really was rather warm in the pub. She pulled down the collar of her coat and undid each button before slipping out of the coat and pushing it over the back of the chair.
"Wow," Conrad remarked. "Did your other boyfriend get you that?" He smiled lazily at her, because he had absolutely no reason to think she would ever step out on him.
"Oh, this?" Belinda asked, touching the choker with her fingertips. She wiped another tear with her other hand and explained, "It came by Owl Post from Sophie. I know it's too nice to wear on an ordinary Hogsmeade trip, but I couldn't help myself. I'm not sure I ever want to take it off."
Conrad smiled. "It suits you," he said. He moved back to his seat once he was satisfied that Belinda was all right.
"Why don't we get some study guides at the bookstore later? We can also get sweets and other comfort foods to help get us through the rest of the school year."
Belinda smiled, looking somewhat better already. "That sounds good," she said.
They ate when the food arrived, eventually departing to visit other establishments around Hogsmeade.
Confession (Justin)
Author: Plum
Date: 02-09-20 21:37
Willow places her napkin beside her plate. "This has been so nice and sooooo good." She waggles fingers at an almost empty platter. "Cinnamon roll French toast waffles. You've been holding out on me."
Justin admits, "Maybe on cooking other things for you but not this. The waffles I only learned to make a few weeks ago. I've been practicing since then." He nods to Jordan's cat and dog who have been watching them intently. "Lulu and Xander helped with yesterday's practice batch. You may have noticed them helping this morning as well."
"If by helping you mean making sure the floor stayed clean of any dropped morsels," she laughs.
"I think Jordan is worse than I am about that. They'll be happy when he gets home tomorrow."
"Will you be happy to get back to the residence hall?"
"I guess. I've gotten used to the bed there but it's been nice having a flat without Jordan as a roommate." He slyly grins, "A lot more privacy these past few days." He reaches for the plates to start cleaning up as Willow laughs at his comment. When she reaches to help he waves her off. "I've got it, thanks."
"If you insist," she laughs again, reaching for the mimosa Justin had refilled a moment ago and moving to sit on the couch, Lulu and Xander promptly joining her.
Using a combination of magic and manual labor Justin soon has the brunch style breakfast cleared. Joining Willow on the couch he has to shift Xander to be able to sit next to her. Taking one of Willow's hands he laces his fingers with hers, raising her hand to his lips to kiss. He turns a little so that he's looking more directly at her. "You shared a family secret with me," he says in reference to Willow telling him that her brother is alive and living in a witness protection type program. "It's time I share a secret with you. It's not a family one but some of them know or suspect."
Willow's mouth forms an O as her expression shifts from that of humor to surprise. Justin plows on before he can change his mind and say something like, "Just kidding," or, "Haha. Got you." "The secret is why I wanted to go to Hogwarts, or any other school really. Hogwarts was only because of Plum." Justin feels his hands going clammy. He releases his hold on Willow to nervously run first one hand then the other down his shirt.
"There was someone. Luther Wenk was something of a bully. He was also a semi-closeted homosexual. At the time he would bad mouth gays." He shakily takes a deep breath. Willow reaches out to retake his hand, giving him a reassuring squeeze but saying nothing as if she understands he needs to get this out uninterrupted. "I say he was semi-closeted because while he publicly despised homosexuals as deviant, in private he would put pressure on others."
Justin takes another deep, shaky breath. "Pressure for sex. I was one of the ones he pressured. He kept at me because I resisted. He was relentless, making life miserable. I even wore up in the middle of the night once with Luther trying to slide his hand into my shorts. I fought him off but that's when I packed up and left."
Willow finally speaks, softly asking, "You never reported him?"
Justin vigorously shakes his head then ends up using his free hand to push hair off his face. "I know girls put up with stuff like this all the time. Some report the guy, or girl if it's another girl, but some never say anything. I think guys are more likely to never say anything, to not admit being a victim of... of sexual harassment or assault. I think we're raised that way. I don't mean anything overt. It's just a sort of accepted masculine thing. You know, like boys don't cry, and boys don't hit girls, and boys don't play with dolls, only not something expressly said aloud. Not usually. It took me awhile but I've come to realize that not speaking out, not telling my parents, not reporting him to a professor, not even to the Sydney's nurse was the cowardly route. There wasn't anything manly or brave in saying nothing."
Lightly squeezing Willow's hand he tells her, "I know you're wondering if anyone ever did speak up. Some did but only after Luther was caught by the Charms professor while trying to force a first year to give him oral sex. Luther was expelled. Charges were brought. He admitted to everything. Apologized to anyone who'd listen." Justin considers telling Willow he'd rebuffed all of Luther's attempts to apologize, even after learning that Luther wasn't looking for forgiveness. He chooses not to, for now anyway. Instead he wraps up his confession with, "And then Luther killed himself. Jumped off a cliff."
"Wow. That's... Wow." Willow goes quite for a moment then asks, "So his harassment of you, assault on you isn't specifically known?"
"No. Only those who came forward. When admitting everything Luther didn't name names other than to confirm those who'd spoken out and the boy he'd been caught trying to force. He did speak directly to others or write to them as he did me but I never wanted my name as part of any of it."
"Did you ever get any therapy?"
"I have trouble talking about it. It's deeply embarrassing and shameful."
"That you think that is why you should speak with a professional."
"Yeah, you're right. It's just another thing I've been a coward about."
"You've told me. That's a big step. How about Monday between classes I go with you to make an appointment with one of the St. Emrys counsellors?"
"Yes, all right." Justin slips an arm around Willow. "I've another confession. I love you, Willow Westwick."
(Malden) Wizards for Wizards
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 02-10-20 18:04
Malden, again donning the same guise he'd worn to the old folk's home last month, entered Blackfoote Harbour, a pub in Blackwaterfoot on the Isle of Arran in Scotland. Bonneville was already there, sitting amongst a group of wizards and a few witches, too. Most of those gathered had a sort of grizzled or weathered look, as if they made their living outdoors doing hard work and had done so all their lives.
At the front of the pub, drinking a pint of pale ale, stood a wizard of indeterminate age. He had a youngish quality to his features, but Malden got the feeling the wizard was probably at least middle aged, if not older. Besides Malden and Bonneville, the wizard was the only one not to look worn and bedraggled.
The wizard put his glass down on a tall bar-height table and said, "Welcome, all. The name's Cecil Jones for those who don't know me. I'm the President of Wizards for Wizards."
Wizards for Wizards was a fairly new political organization that sought to end Muggle influence in wizarding affairs. The group didn't exactly advocate for pureblood superiority, but some of the members certainly leaned in that direction.
Jones' grandfather lived at St. Oswald's and had been present when Malden and Bonneville posed as university students researching the state of affairs according to the public. The noise made there only bolstered the viewpoints Jones already held.
"I want to hear from you," Jones said, looking out at the faces before him. "Tell me what's wrong with our government. Tell me what you want to see changed. Yes?"
He pointed at a wizard with gray mutton chops growing on his face. The wizard stood up to address the whole room from his chair and said, "I don't like what this country is coming to. Why does our government have to work in partnership with the likes of Muggles? No doubt the Muggles are only in it for themselves, and by working closely with them, we're exposing ourselves to unnecessary risks. It's a threat to life as we know it, if you ask me."
"Hear, hear!" someone shouted.
Someone else stood up. "What happened to term limits? Shacklebolt's been in office too long. All he seems interested in is relations with the rest of the world instead of helping his own constituents. It's time we got a Minister for Magic who puts wizards first!"
"Yeah!" shouted a few people.
"Good, good," Jones said, stoking the crowd. He sipped his beer and pointed at a woman with fiery, frizzy red hair streaked with gray. "And you, ma'am? What do you think about Minister Shacklebolt?"
"Well, he's not very good at protecting his own, is he? The Death Eaters are still out there and no closer to being captured."
Heads nodded.
A wizard with deeply tanned skin despite it being the dead of winter didn't bother to stand when he voiced, "I'm not condoning their actions… murder and the like… but at least the Death Eaters support wizard kind. What's that say about our government if the bad guys do more for us than the good guys do?"
More sounds of agreement followed.
Now Bonneville stood, playing the part of a disgruntled citizen. "I think we've been too lax with incorporating Muggle ways into our manner of doing things. That university, for starters. What does a wizard need higher education for? In my day, Hogwarts was all the education one needed. You either went straight to work after or apprenticed with a master. We've bucked tradition by sending our children to St. Emrys."
"That's true!" someone stated.
Mutton chop man stood again and said, "Hogwarts is another institution that needs reform. Two sets of teachers per class! Regular interscholastic activities with other schools! Has the school budget really increased exponentially or is this just a case of rampant overspending?"
The frizzy-haired woman stood again and added, "Did you know that the school owns a Muggle contraption and uses it to ferry students to activities? The staff is knowingly endangering students by placing them in this… this deathtrap! How can any wizard truly know how to safely operate such a thing?"
Malden decided to play along and shouted with his hands cupped around his mouth, "There's also an honest to Merlin Muggle estate used as a classroom! It's outrageous!"
Jones at the front of the room sagely stated, "There seems to be a lot of change from the old days and not for the better."
Bonneville looked dead at Malden when he said, "The Headmistress and all the staff need to be sacked!"
"Yeah!" shouted a few people.
Malden clapped his hands and grinned slyly. It really didn't take much to get this crowd going. Maybe Bonneville had been right when he'd said that this task of theirs would require little work on their part. Just fan the flames a little and watch the fire spread.
Don't Ask Stupid Questions (Carina)
Author: Lucius Malfoy
Date: 02-10-20 20:51
Carina crosses the obstacle course's finish line, pleased with her posted time and that she made the run cleanly, without penalties. Angling down to the ground she makes what she considers to be a graceful landing. Broom in hand she makes her way to the refreshments tables for a drink. Turning from the table, taking a sip while looking up at the Quidditch scrimmage taking place above the pitch Carina's view is blocked when someone taller steps directly in front of her.
She barely restrains herself from rolling her eyes settling instead for a bored, flat tone. "I was wondering when you'd get around to speaking with me."
The woman whose name Carina is fairly sure is Eunice Smirt gives Carina a stare that's as flat as Carina's voice. Her lips draw out into thin lines, the lower lip nearly vanishing underneath the upper. "Why would you automatically presume my brother or I would wish to specifically speak with you, Miss Malfoy?"
Carina drops her broom to use the hand that had been holding it to tap a finger thoughtfully against her lips as if giving deep thought to Ms. Smirt's question. Dropping the hand to her cocked hip, head tilting slightly in the opposite direction as her hip she somewhat sarcastically replies, "Oh, I don't know. You are both searching for students recruited to the dark arts and my last name happens to be Malfoy, which some associate with those very same dark arts."
"Watch your tone, Miss Malfoy. I will not tolerate disrespect from an eleven year old."
"Then don't ask me stupid questions."
Eunice whips out a notepad and hastily scribbles on it. "One more rude remark and I shall personally oversee your detention."
Carina isn't sure of either Smirt has the power to dole out punishments such as detentions. She's not even heard of a single time one of them has taken or, less likely, given house points. What they absolutely could do, however, is report her so that McGonagall, Flitwick, or even Snape might take points and dish out a detention.
Rather than say anything Carina fixes Ms. Smirt with her most serene, angelic smile. For a few seconds this seems to have the older witch entirely nonplussed. She uses that time to write again on her notepad then with quill poised above the small tablet Eunice looks directly at Carina. "What do you know of the dark arts, Miss Malfoy?"
"Nothing beyond what Professor Somerset teaches in class."
"No private lessons at home?"
"Private lessons, yes, but not about the dark arts."
"Your father was one of the Dark Lords most devoted followers."
"Was. He had that mark removed. I'm not supposed to know but at one time Voldemort wanted him dead for that."
"If you are not supposed to know then how do you?"
"I am small, Ms. Smirt, and only eleven. People forget I am there and say things. There has also been a lot written about all that. Books and magazines no one thinks a girl my age would care to read."
"You would have me believe that neither Lucius Malfoy nor his associates such as Bellatrix Lestrange have tutored you in any of the dark arts? Or sat you down and filled your head with their versions of why they became Death Eaters? You learned what you know entirely on your own and from paying attention when people talk?"
"Yes, exactly."
"Hmmmph." The quill moves across the writing pad with a furious intensity. "Has anyone ever approached you about private dark art study groups?"
"No, only public ones that anyone in my year may join."
"There is a dark arts study group?" Smirt's voice has an excited breathless quality.
Carina audibly sighs. "Not like you're trying to say. "It's for class. That's all."
"Public, you say?"
"And just first years. We meet in the library most of the time but sometimes in the commons."
"Has an older student ever discussed the dark arts with you? Spoken of a private group?"
"Never."
"Did you attend the Valentine's dance with George Weasley as a way to insinuate yourself into his good graces in an effort to lure him into the study and practice of dark arts?"
Carina ticks off on her fingers, "Georgie asked me. He's a classmate, a friend, he's cute, and I like him. The only time the dark arts came up was when I asked him if he'd finished an assignment for Professor Somerset's class. Are we done here? At least for now? It's my turn on the course again." For emphasis, Carina points upward in the direction of the course she's been working on mastering.
"You may go but I may wish to talk with you again."
Carina flashes that overly sweet, angelic smile again, bends to pick up her broom, and scampers off to put down the drink she'd been sipping on during the "chat" with Eunice Smirt. She cannot help but snicker at hearing Eunice say to Eugene as he walks up while Carina is still within earshot, "That girl may be older than she claims to be. She does not speak like someone who's only eleven years old."
What Carina Said (Viola)
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 02-12-20 20:13
Viola had been a little chilly this morning when first arriving at the pitch but staying active had warmed her up. Now towards the end of Coach Krum's workshop when she's been watching more than participating, she's starting to feel the chill again. Not helping is that the sun is almost gone. Cassie Flefferfore drops down beside her with a mug of hot cocoa, the steam wafting Viola's way carrying a pleasant aroma of chocolate that makes her mouth water. "That smells so good."
"Tastes good and it's warming me up a little but I'm ready to go in."
"Me too but after I watch Carina and Seymour face off. He challenged her."
"Seymour must like to lose. Did you hear that Carina called one of those Ministry people stupid?" Cassie blows on her cocoa then takes a sip.
"I heard she told the woman she dressed stupid."
"You're both wrong." A second year Hufflepuff Viola knows is called Emmie but doesn't know the surname scootches down from the end of the bench type seat, coming to a stop right by Viola. "I heard Carina told Eunice Smirt she's stupider than her brother Eugene."
Directly in front of Cassie a boy shifts around. Though a second year like Emmie and in Ravenclaw, Viola knows his full name is Erik Haaken because she thinks she's gorgeous and has asked around about him. Erik tells the three girls, "What I heard is she told the Smirt woman that her job here was stupid and wanted to know who the Smirts Imperiused to get paid to stand around all day asking pointless questions."
All four shift their attention to Carina and Seymour starting their obstacle course race. Seymour shoots ahead but gets a penalty on the first obstacle. At the halfway mark, he's got three penalties, Carina has none and she's edging past him. Cassie, Emmie, Erik, and Viola loudly cheer when Carina crosses the finish line first, garnering one penalty towards the end to Seymour's seven. As if receiving some silent signal the four and others scattered around that set of stands rise and begin filing towards the stairs to the ground. As they walk the two first years and two second years discuss which tidbit about what Carina said to Eunice Smirt is the correct one, Viola finally offering, "She's my roommate. I'll found out and let you lot know at supper."