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Potions Test
Author: Skyler
Date: 05-30-07 00:34
Skyler woke up a little early, she felt a little better than yesterday but not much. She looked at the window and saw Silver, her owl tapping on it, Sky let a small smile cross her face and opened the window.
"Hello Silver" she said softly, her owl replied with a soft hoot. She pulled out a piece of paper and quickly wrote a note to a friend she had met back at the orphanage.
Ello Deely,
How are you dear? I was hoping you would do me a favor. Could you go the hospital I was born and get my birth certifcate, I need to know my father's name. I have final decided to find him, yes I know you have been telling me but I am final doing it. Thank you Deely it means so much, I shall see you soon. Another week of OWLS then I will come to stay with you like we discussed before. Much Love!
Your friend,
Sky*
She wrote neatly then tied it to Silver's leg.
"Silver, this is really important okay, make sure it gets to Deely as soon as you can. Safe journey." Sky said. She gave Silver a pat on the head before he flew away. She checked her watch then raced to get ready so she wouldnt be late for her Potions test. Sky ran down to the great hall and barely made it on time, this time she focused on her test. However in the back of her mind she hoped she could find her father and more family.
Barnabus Is Annoying
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 05-30-07 13:26
Moving around Wolfsbane & Belladonna restocking shelves, waiting on customers, and trying very hard not to let Barnabus annoy the hell out of him, Griff keeps darting glances at the closed office door. Jacob is in there with Mercutio and Belladonna. If Barnabus weren't around, Griff would attempt to eavesdrop. He doubts that would get him anywhere because of spells that would be in place to prevent that sort of thing but sometimes people get careless. Griff might chance upon the sheer dumb luck of just such an occassion.
Barnabus is not only hanging around, he's not doing anything othr than trialing Griff, talking non-stop about a date he'd had over the weekend. Griff does his best to block Barnabus's scratchy, irritant of a voice. All Griff succeeds in doing though is thinking about the dinner he'd had with Belladonna.
Belladonna Barkwith had gotten even nosier then she had while still here at the shoppe. She'd asked about Ruth, the only "family" she knew Griff had. "When I was asking about family earlier, you didn't say anything about that aunt you sometimes meet for lunch and dinner."
"Aunt Ruth," Griff had supplied. Talking about Ruth was and is much easier than talking about his real family. Maybe that's because the relationship with Ruth is a purely fabricated one. Now that Jacob's shown up, it's a damn good thing that for this mission the cover doesn't have Ruth as a blood relation. Griff had gone on to tell Belladonna, "Ruth isn't a blood relation. It's more of an adopted one. How it came about involves the deaths of my parents. I don't like talking about it much."
That was all it took for Belladonna to murmur words of sympathy and back off. Now though, if anything gets said around Jacob about Griff having an Aunt Ruth, Belladonna won't question Jacob's denial of there being a Ruth related to Griff and she'd fill Mercutio in. They also have been told that Griff lost touch with Jacob so that explains right there why Jacob wouldn't know about an "adopted" aunt.
Glancing at the office door again, Griff hopes things don't get any more complicated. He'd wanted to bring this mission to an end but he's been told to stick it out a little longer. Griff will follow orders but if it looks as though Jacob is going to get his business with Mercutio and Belladonna completed, Griff will go ahead and act so that he can keep Jacob from vanishing again.
Wiped Out
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 05-30-07 20:16
Sprawled out on a sofa in the common commons, Ronan felt as if he could sleep for a week without budging from the spot. Unfortunately, he had several more OWL exams to go before he could even think about sleeping. Today's Potions OWL had been especially grueling. Ronan wasn't a particularly bad student at Potions, but it was definitely not his best course. The practical exam had definitely gone better than the written one, even though Ronan had almost blanked out on identifying easy identifiable ingredients like Chinese Chomping Cabbage. Ronan had felt he didn't answer many questions the best possible way, though maybe he was being hard on himself. He tried not to allow himself to dwell on it anymore, as he had his remaining OWLs to worry about.
As Ronan vegetated on the sofa, he thought about Caden and wished that he would have taken the time to ask him about his own experience taking the OWLs. Caden had done well enough on all his exams, excelling even in Potions.
Even if Ronan had asked Caden for tips about the OWLs, he was certain he wouldn't have gotten much support. Caden grew more distant from Ronan everyday. Ronan couldn't even remember when the last time was that he'd heard from his big brother. He was sure that if he wrote Caden tonight, he probably wouldn't get a reply. By the time Caden would think to get to it, it'd be too late. School would be out, and Ronan would be home again.
Ronan could well imagine the house trashed again, as it had been when he'd gone home for Easter against Caden's wishes. It was times like this that Ronan missed his father the most. Bertram would have kept Caden from turning into the black sheep of the family.
A yawn escaped Ronan's lips. He knew he ought to get a little bit of studying in tonight but he was simply too tired to crack open a book or read his notes. He would do more tomorrow, he promised himself. Staggering to his feet, Ronan left the common commons and stumbled all the way to Gryffindor Tower for his bed.
In Need Of A Snack
Author: Sage Porter
Date: 05-30-07 21:02
Sage puts down the books he's reading. He'd really like a snack but that would mean getting off the bed to see what he's got to eat. At the moment, the urge to do nothing but continue lying here reading is far stronger than the urge to snack.
The only other person in the dorm room is Jim who's already asleep and snoring. That means until someone else comes in, Sage can't even pull a, "Say, as long as you're up," to get someone else to open his trunk and see if there's anything there to eat and if not, to root around in his armoire. Not that any of the other guys probably would unless there was food in it for them as well.
Sage's stomach suddenly feels more empty than ever. It's almost as if Sage hadn't eaten supper, which he did. Sage in fact ate more tonight than he's been eating. With no exam tomorrow he was feeling a little jubilant, which made him hungrier than he's been being lately. At the thought of what he'd had for dinner, Sage's stomach gives a loud rumble.
Letting his book drop onto the bed, Sage grumbles, "Oh, sod it."
Going to his trunk, Sage kneels before it, searcing for some potato crisps or cookies. Anything would do. When he comes up empty, Sage looks through his armoire. Grumbling again, Sage heads to the common room to see what snacks might be had there. He supposes that if he has to, he'll get to the common commons before it's too late to go or give Saffron a visit. She'd have something in her residence he's sure.
In the common room he finds Silvia and Olivia with cookies they're willing to share and talking about the written and practical portions of today's OWL in Potions. To one comment Olivia makes Sage shakes his head. "It's finely diced radish roots and coarsely chopped slugs."
"I got that wrong then," Olivia moans.
"I messed up on at least one thing for Professor Tofty. The potion I was making didn't turn bright green right away like it should have. It turned a dull brown, then a pale green, before going bright green and I'm fairly certain it wasn't the proper shade of bright green. It should have been a really nice shade of grass green but it was more like a dark lime," Silvia says in a rushed of breath that ends in a sigh. "I bet you did really well, Sage."
"I think I did. Doing Potions is just like cooking and baking and I'm good at both of those things."
"I keep telling myself that," Silvia comments, "but so far I don't seem to get it. Oh, I do all right but I could do so much better."
"Me too!" Olivia empathizes then holds out the box of cookies, "More?"
Silvia shakes her head but Sage grabs two. "Thanks!"
Holding up some note cards Silvia asks, "Will one or both of you help me get in a little more studying for Care of Magical Creatures? That's tomorrow."
Sage takes the cards, "I'll help. Just keep the cookies coming!"
A package from Sapphire
Author: Thessily
Date: 05-31-07 08:48
“Thessily! Thessily! You have mail, look!” My friend Kyrstal cried jumping up and down and pointing at my snowy white owl named Chirp. “ It looks like a small package.” Krystal stated when Chirp sat down on the window sill with a brown package in her claws for me.
I grinned at my friend as I took the package out of my bird’s claws. “ Thank you Chirp. Here is a little treat.” I spoke gently giving my bird an owl’s treat and petting her. She leaded her head into my hand and then took off. You couldn’t cage a bird for long.
Sitting down on the floor with my package in my hands I looked at it this way and that way. It was a box shaped package. Neatly wrapped and tied with a light blue ribbon. I slowly undid the ribbon and then let the wrapping fall.
Inside the package was a tiny box covered in old fashion wrapping paper and tied with yet another blue ribbon. I raised an eyebrow and looked up at Krystal who only shrugged and smiled.
“Well, go on open it. I mean you never get anything in the mail Thessily.” She said eagerly. I think she was just as excited as I was to know what was in the box.
I slowly and gently took the pretty blue paper and took the ribbon off to reveal a small velvet box with a silver clasp on it. The boxed looked expensive too and I couldn’t help but admire it. Who in their right mind would send me something this valuable? I wondered. I knew it wasn’t my grandparents and it certainly wasn’t my aunt and uncle. They never sent me things but letters once in a while.
“Thessily, if you aren’t going to open that box, then I will!” Krstal said giving me an annoyed look.
I smiled at her. She was so impatience. I slowly opened the box and frowned, because there was a note on top of yet another little package. Only this time the package was wrapped in blue silk.
“ Goodness. They certainly don’t want me to get into this package easily do they?” I asked looking up at Krystal.
“ No they don’t.” Krystal said. “Thessily… Come on, quit stalling.”
I opened the letter and stared at it. The package was from my little ghost friend Sapphire.
Dear Thessily,
I had a hard time figuring out what house you belonged too. But eventually, I found you. I wanted to send you a small little gift. It’s a necklace with a sapphire teardrop as a pendant. The chain is silver. I hope you like it. It was mine before… Well, my mother gave it to me and I want you to have it.
Your new friend
Sapphire.
“Oh, how sweet.” Krystal said when I pulled out the necklace. The silver and sapphire gleamed in the light while Krystal helped me put it on. “I mean how many people can say they have a present from a ghost that is a nice one?” She asked.
“That’s true.” I said smiling. “And I never get presents. I like it. I should go find her and thank her.” I stood up and hugged my friend and then walked out the door.
Constant Headache
Author: Jet
Date: 05-31-07 13:39
"Pay attention, now," Hagrid kindly chides.
"What's all the noise," Mindy Fort asks.
"Getting ready for this afternoon's OWL and NEWT?" Phin Hodfuffer-Flefferfore volunteers.
Jet rubs his temple, wishing the topic under discussion hadn't strayed. He was doing all right keeping his attention on Hagrid's review but in less than half the time it took Mindy to ask her question, Jet's focus is wavering. The pain of the constant headache he's had since that day in Muggle Studies last week sharpens and he has to bite back a snappish retort to Phin.
Hagrid confirms what Phin's just posited. To Jet's great relief the rest of the class, with its final examination review, passes without further off topic questions. Though difficult to follow along, Jet found it not nearly as hard as when the dicussion had strayed.
When Hagrid dismisses the class, Jet takes his time walking back even though a steady rain has begun falling and he has neither umbrella nor mackintosh. The headache has persisted but not the voice. When meeting with Professor Dumbledore after Professor Miller had escorted Jet from Muggle Studies to the headmaster's office, the voice had gone away on its own. Professor Dumbledore had poked around in Jet's thoughts and memories, including one of the ones that involved hearing the voice.
When asked if the voice was familiar to him, Jet had nodded. "Yes, sir. It sounds very much like the one I used to hear when under that hex or possessed or whatever it was."
"The voice then called itself Salazar, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"Have you had any indication that this reoccurrance of the voice is connected with the shadow figure that looks like you?"
"I don't know but if anything else happens I'll be sure to let you know."
Jet had then gone to the hospital wing for headache relieving potion. Digging into his backpack now, Jet locates the bottle but it's empty. Sighing, he trudges the rest of the way to the castle and then to the hospital wing. From there Jet goes to Hufflepuff House to take a nap before lunch, during which time he hopes this potion does some good.
Mass Grave
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 05-31-07 20:36
"Merlin's beard." Ethan knelt on the edge of a recently dug pit and covered his mouth with one hand. Nine bodies, dead for at least a couple of days if the stench was anything to go by, were piled haphazardly in the crater. Geoffrey Blackwell stood next to Ethan and whistled.
"I haven't seen anything this bad in a good many months," he said.
"We need to extract the bodies and see if we can get them identified," Ethan said, standing up straight. He turned away from the pit. "Eight females, one male. As far as I can tell there's not a single mark on him." He didn't need to say what caused the deaths of the females. They had all had their throats cleanly slit.
"The male definitely has the look of the Killing Curse on him, but I'm not so sure about the females," Geoffrey commented. "I don't know what sort of Muggle would have that level of precision, excepting perhaps a surgeon, but even then, the victims would have struggled and made it difficult for such exactness. Perhaps they weren't even conscious when their throats were slit." He shifted his gaze to a group of oblivators talking to Muggle policemen. "I'll make sure they follow through with the obliviations."
When Ethan nodded, Geoffrey walked away from the pit. Ethan turned back towards the crater, which had probably been magically created as there weren't any shovel markings in the earth. It was also perfectly circular, at least from the looks of things.
Ethan allowed his eyes to rove over the bodies again. The women were all in their 20s and 30s. He guessed the man was probably in his mid to late 20s. It was while Ethan studied the man that he noticed a marking on the the man's open palm: a pentagram.
Command Appearance
Author: Saffron
Date: 05-31-07 20:42
Saffron reaches the gates leading into Hogsmeade to find Sasafrass waiting there, Jordan balanced on her hip. "You were summoned too?" she asks Sassy.
"I was and with the command to meet in Hogsmeade I thought you might be as well so Jordie and I thought we'd wait for you."
"What do you think Da wants?"
"Don't know but do you think I should drop Jordan at Blossom's?"
"Is Da expecting you to bring him?"
"No idea. All I got was a rather tersely worded message sent by owl, telling me to meet him in Hogsmeade at The Three Broomsticks at noon."
"That's exactly what I got. It's times like this I was better at seeing into my own future. At least then maybe we'd have an idea of what to expect."
"Does Sage know you're meeting Da?" Sassy asks, shifting Jordan to her other hip without breaking her stride.
"No, and depending on what's said today I may wait to say anything. He's still got some OWLs to take."
"Understable. The kid's got enough pressure and stress as it is without Da adding to the mix. Oh, you don't suppose Da sent him a message as well?"
"No, I don't think so. Sage would probably have told me and since Da knows Sage isn't available to meet him in Hogsmeade today, he'd have had give Sage some details. Da would have to know Sage might say something to me, or even write you, and that would take away the need for this command appearance by us."
Sassy decides to drop Jordie off at the day care afterall, Da in a pub and a one year old child present not being the best combination. Backtracking to The Three Broomsticks, the sisters enter, both steeling themselves for whatever Lohegrin Porter has in store with this meeting.
Studying...Kind Of
Author: Skyler
Date: 06-01-07 03:58
Skyler didn't have to take the Care Magical Creatures test since she didn't take that class this year. She slept in late and wrote Deely again, wondering how the search was coming. Sky sat around the common room and wrote some more before deciding to have lunch. She thought of her mother and wonder what she would say if she knew about the seach for her father. Sky began feeling sick just thinking about it. She felt as if she was betraying her mother but Sky knew she needed family. She needed someone.
Sky went to lay down for a while and ended up falling asleep. When she finally woke up she went to the library knowing she had to study for her next day's test. She grabbed her bookbag and headed down to the library for a study session alone, however when she stepped in the alone part was out. As to be expected the library was full of people already studying. She saw a guy in the back alone and walked over and took a seat across from him.
"Hi" she mumbled. She wasn't going to be rude but definitely not too friendly, just tolerable.
"Hey," he said back. She looked up at him and his face was familiar but she couldn't say why. She knew she had seen him before but there was a certain reason why he stuck in her head. For a moment she just stared unable to figure it out, until she came to her sense and realized she was staring intently at him. Skyler took out her books and parchment then looked at him again.
"I'm sorry. What's your name?" he asked. She looked at him moment.
"Skyler. People call me Sky," she answered looking down at the blank piece of parchment before her.
"What's yours?" she asked back. Sky wondered why she was being so nice to him and looked back up. At least he's cute and nice. Well so far, she thought.
In The Library
Author: Jet
Date: 06-01-07 09:52
After getting more potion from Madam Pomfrey for his headache, Jet had gone back to his room and taken that nap. Thankfully, it was dream free and when he got up again for lunch, the headache was still there but not as bad. After eating, Jet had followed a mass of others to the library, snagging a back table but wishing he'd been able to get a study carrel.
Transfiguration text open and notes spread around him, Jet was buried deep into his studying, paying little attention to anything else. He'd not even noticed someone coming and sitting down opposite him until she spoke.
Jet had looked up then to return the hello she'd given. Eyes dropping back to the Transfiguration notes, Jet could feel her own still on him. All school year that's been something Jet has had to get used to - people staring at him. Thinking perhaps she'd stop if he spoke again, Jet asked her name.
"Skyler. People call me Sky," after a moment's hestitation she then asked his, "What's yours?"
Jet quirks his lips into a half smile, uncertain whether she doesn't really know but recognized his face for some reason, hence the staring, or if she's being coy and only pretending to need to ask. The shrug he gives is strictly a mental one. To Sky he says, "Jet. Jet Obsidian."
She looks blank for a whole second, perhaps two, then replies, "You're the one who was gone for a few years then reappeared."
"That's me."
Sky looks quickly down at her books. Jet quirks his lips again then looks back down at his own and begins studying once again.