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Out Of The Apartment, For Once
Author: Don Thomas
Date: 05-19-08 11:09
"Excuse me, sir," Don said as she placed her arms on the counter.
The man behind the counter let out a loud and irritated sigh as her took off his reading glasses and pushed The Daily Prophet aside. "What do you want?!"
"Well," Don said in a calm tone. "I'm a customer. In your junk store. The junk store that you own. So, I guess I want a hamburger with fries. Hold the ketchup."
The man let out another sigh. This sigh was angrier and a bit more raspy. "I do not have time for this!! Why aren't you in school?!"
"I just moved here from Canada. The school year there got out in May," Don said as she picked up a rusted trinket and played with it in her hands. "But that's not why I'm here. It's my parents' anniversary and I want to get them something nice, but inexpensive. Got any ideas?"
"Well, I got this used jewelry box today. Your parents might like that." The man set the small wooden box in front of Don. Don inspected the box, finding several water stains and cracks along the top of the box.
"Thanks," Don said as she pushed the box towards the man. "But no thanks."
As the man put the box back, Don took the opportunity to look around the store some. There wasn't much that Madeline would like. There had been a used radio she might have been interested in, but it was too expensive for Don's tastes. The man continued looking around. Don's gaze turned back to him. He was a tall man, around 6'5". His hair was a lovely shade of gray and black, reminding Don of the salt and pepper look. It was gelled and combed to the side. Don had to admit that he did look strapping. It was as Don surveyed his appearance that she noticed something on the shelf behind him. She smiled as she found the money in her pocket.
"How much for the four plates there?"
The man looked up at them. "Fine choice. They're wall decorations you know."
"Thanks for answering my question. How much are they?" The man took down the four plain, white plate wall decorations and put them on the counter.
"8 sickles and 12 knuts each. Which would be 1 galleon, 16 sickles, and 22 knuts altogether."
Don nodded as she placed the correct amount of money in front of the man. He took the money and went through the normal process it took to complete Don's purchase. After placing the four decorations in a bag and handing it to Don, the man returned to reading the Daily Prophet. It was that moment that Don realized she could ask him about Dana Delancy. She had mentioned him as being a Mr. Mason. He had told Dana what had happened with her Aunt Dede.
"Excuse me," Don said politely, or in the politest way she could. The man sighed in a tone that was more irritated than the last one.
"Do you ever leave?!"
"I was just wondering if you knew anything about Dana Delancy's whereabouts."
The man looked at Don for a moment. "The retarded woman from the art store? Not since the art store closed down. Why?"
"I was just wondering," Don said as she took her bag and headed out of the store. Don stared at the art store for a moment before walking towards it. The next step was going home to plan what she and her siblings were going to do for Madeline and Mr. Poplar's anniversary.
Baby Names
Author: Lucius Malfoy
Date: 05-19-08 13:52
Lucius glances at his pocket watch then, with a snap, closes it and returns it to his pocket. At the sound, Cecily turns from the crib she was inspecting. "Do you have to go?"
Lucius would very much like to go but he did promise and this is his child as much as it is Cecily's.
"No, I don't have to go. Feeling a bit peckish and was curious as to how close to luncheon it is."
Cecily giggles happily. "Oh good. I thought you might have remembere a meeting."
"I did promise to spend the day with you, shopping for the baby," Lucius states without a hint of the merriment Cecily is apparently experiencing.
"Draco was so thoughtful to suggest you come along with me today. There it was your birthday and you so generously giving your time to furnish the nursery."
Lucius had been feeling very generous on Friday, so much so that he'd magnanimously given the City of Hope residents a full fifteen extra minutes of break time and an extra serving of porridge at breakfast.
"What do you think of Garnet?" Cecily asks.
"Who is Garnet?"
"As a name for the baby."
"Do you have other choices or is Garnet the only one?"
"Well, if we have a boy, I thought perhaps Lucius after you."
Lucius finds that to be a reasonable suggestion. When Draco was born, Narcissa had wanted to name Draco in the tradition of most of the Blacks. Lucius nods. "A son named for me is a splendid idea."
"Boy's name is settled then. You never said if you like Garnet or not."
"It's a nice enough name but I'd like to mull over others before we decide."
For the next hour, until they go to lunch, Cecily alternates asking Lucius his opinions about baby furniture and listing girls' names. Once at lunch, Cecily concentrates on thinking up even more names for a girl. As annoying as the chit is, Lucius supposes he should pay attention so that when the baby is born, if it is a girl, it doesn't end up being called Agatha or Gertrude or some other name that conjures up an image of an overly wrinkled, spinster aunt.
Potions NEWT Practical
Author: Bailey
Date: 05-20-08 15:01
Not for the first time Bailey contemplates just chucking it all and leaving Hogwarts. Jewel's gone. He's so angry with his parents that leaving school so close to end of term and without completing the NEWTs would be one hell of a way to spite them. Bailey could get an early start on locating Jewel and springing her from wherever it is she's being held. They could go to America together to join up with her mother, step-father, and baby sister.
Professor Bruno Pilliwickle sticks his head around one of the Great Hall doors. "Mr. Gray. Mr. Hillier."
Shoving away from the spot of wall he'd been propping up, Bailey decides what the hell. Might as well go on and take this NEWT.
Entering the Great Hall a couple of steps behind Hank, Bailey's directed by Professor Pilliwickle to Professor Huntingdon and Hank is sent to the table where Professor Brecknock. It seems odd not having Professors Marchbanks and Tofty giving examinations as well. He's been wondering since last Monday if the other two professors aren't giving exams this year because they have both been labeled Nons and carted away or if with fewer students to test, having four professors administering the examinations was considered to be unnecessary, or if there's some other reason or reasons.
Bailey and Professor Brecknock greet each other then the professor reaches under the table. Placing the object on the table in front of Bailey he requests, "Prepare this ingredient as you would for Archibald's Merriment Potion."
Bailey reaches for the flower, a poppy in bloom, and after plucking the petals, he shreds them by hand. Next he takes the flower stalk and cuts it into three pieces of relatively equal length.
Although Professor Brecknock gives Bailey a smile, he says nothing as he writes down something. Again reaching under the table he brings out a tray with five items. "Which would be used in a Shrinking Solution?"
Without hesitation Bailey points, "The rat spleen."
"A memory potion?"
"The Jobberknoll feather."
"For the Draught of Living Death?"
Again pointing without hesitation Bailey replies, "Valerian root."
For the next two or three minutes Professor Brecknock has Bailey doing similar exercises. Clearing the table of all but a cauldron that's been bubbling away the whole time, Professor Brecknock nods at the cauldron while producing more items from under the table. "Based solely on the color of this sleeping draught, complete the potion."
Bailey looks into the cauldron to get a good look at the color then selects ingredients and prepares them to add to the potion. In all, it takes about five minutes to finish the potion as far as the ingredients go. Another ten minutes is spent with a second cauldron, finishing it as well. Then Bailey is free to exit the Great Hall with nothing between now and tomorrow morning to do but either study a little more for Care of Magical Creatures or continue contemplating leaving Hogwarts before term ends.
Waiting for Moonlight
Author: Griet
Date: 05-20-08 19:11
With the days at their longest, Griet didn't have to worry about transforming into a werewolf too early or remaining in her lupine state for very long (in relative terms), but the house elves assigned to escort her to her cell collected her well before sunset and left her in complete solitude, where she grimaced from the aches in her body and wallowed in her own self-pity. Although always at her loneliest during the change, Griet nonetheless hoped that Yaxley wouldn't bring his DADA students by this evening. She had her fingers crossed that the OWLs and NEWTs, which she'd been denied from taking this year, would keep the students, and professor, too occupied for the visit.
Griet supposed in some way, not being allowed to take her OWLs worked out since she'd felt just awful all day and would have probably have had to skip the Potions exam. She laughed aloud, even though she didn't find her situation remotely funny.
"You're losing your mind."
Griet got up quickly from where she sat against the wall and approached the bars of her cell.
"What are you doing here?" She didn't want any visitors, and yet she couldn't help but feel somewhat glad for a familiar, and somewhat friendly, face.
"I noticed you weren't at supper," Gervaise said matter-of-factly, "and thought you might like a bite to eat before, well, you know."
Truth be told, Griet was starving, and she really had a craving for red meat. What Gervaise offered her, a bowl of some sort of stew with lumpy broth and mystery meat, didn't look like it would satisfy her palette, but she graciously took the bowl and spoon and ate as if she hadn't eaten in weeks.
"Please don't get too close," she said, when Gervaise didn't move away from the bars. "I don't get the Wolfsbane Potion anymore––I haven't since Snape left. I'm always afraid that one of these days, I'm going to bust out and bite someone."
"Or worse."
Griet nodded. "Yeah, or worse."
Gervaise waited until Griet finished eating before taking the bowl and spoon and taking a giant step away from her.
"Do you want me to stay?" he asked.
She didn't really know what she wanted at that point. It was nice to have someone around to talk to while suffered. Cornelia and Aleydis had never come to visit with her while she waited to transform. They'd never witnessed what their sister went through. And yet, Griet didn't want anyone to watch her groan and change from a pretty girl into a horrible beast.
"I don't think you want to watch this." Griet shrugged her shoulders. "I won't ask you to leave."
Gervaise nodded and turned. For a moment, Griet thought he would leave, but instead, he went to the wall, turned again and sat down, resting his back against it. He stretched out his legs, crossed one ankle over the other, and put the bowl and spoon on the tile next to him.
Griet sat down too and pressed her face between two bars of her cell.
"Where's your partner in crime?"
"Oberon? Last I saw, he was taking out his frustration on a first year."
Griet frowned and then said, "Well, I hope the first year gives it as good as he's getting."
"She was doing fine, from what I could tell."
One thing was for certain, the hardships the students experienced these days affected them in different ways. Some became withdrawn, while others emerged from their shells. Griet didn't feel particularly changed one way or another, though she supposed others noticed such things in her better than she did herself.
She grunted suddenly, feeling a tug somewhere in the middle of her body that signalled the start of the inevitable. Griet changed a quick glance at Gervaise, and noted that his brow was furrowed in concern, but he didn't move away from the wall or flinch each time she thrashed around on the floor. Her bones cracked as they elongated and changed form. Her clothes tore off her body as it expanded and became covered in dense fur. Her mind was the very last to go.
Griet let out a loud, painful howl, and then sniffed the air hungrily. She spotted Gervaise across the room and growled, snapping her jaws. He remained fixed in his spot, gazing at Griet with sadness and fear in his eyes. She swiped her paw at him, but he was too far away for her to reach. Griet howled and growled, and Gervaise only left when he realized he needed to return to Slytherin House before curfew.
Anniversary
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 05-21-08 18:12
After Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ronan grabbed a sandwich from the Great Hall and went down to the lake to enjoy what he could of his day. The sun shone radiantly against the bluest of skies. Although it was quite warm, it wasn't too warm––it was just right. He stretched out on the green lawn at the edge of the water and ate his sandwich, having no desire whatsoever to review his notes for Potions or Transfiguration, which he would attend in the afternoon. Ronan had done the reading and the rolls and rolls of essays assigned to each class, and knew that even though he'd done all that had been asked of him, his work and honest efforts still wouldn't be good enough in the eyes of either Amycus or Alecto Carrow. So why bother?
Besides, just over two weeks of term remained. Ronan could keep up with his work from now until then or blow off all his classes and the outcome would remain the same––for the most part. Teaches like Professors Isuki and FitzRoy were fair and would give him the marks he justly deserved... unless Snider or Deputy-Headmaster Yaxley had anything to say about it, and they probably did.
Ronan planted one hand behind him and leaned back, while he held what remained of his sandwich in his other hand. His mind wandered from Hogwarts to his family, most notably his half-brother Caden, whose corpse had been discovered in a mass grave one year ago. The tragedy came to mind not because Ronan had a mind for anniversaries––he'd honestly forgotten about it, perhaps because his mind had been so preoccupied elsewhere in recent months––but because of the headline in this morning's Daily Prophet.
Once again, a mass grave had been uncovered, and just like last year, the dead mainly consisted of around two dozen women of varying ages with the blood completely drained from their bodies. The reporter was quick to point out that all of the victims were nons or even muggles––worthless to the world, making the "tragedy" hardly newsworthy at all.
It sickened Ronan to think that a serial killer was on the loose, murdering innocent women in a ritualistic manner every year. It sickened him even more to know that whoever was behind the horrendous deaths currently seemed to be heralded as a scourge against the impure. Killing anyone less than pureblooded didn't even appear to garner a slap on the wrist anymore.
How disgusting.
And frightening.
He sighed and polished off the rest of his sandwich. Still, the desire to prep for his afternoon classes didn't overpower him. Instead, he lay back, laced his fingers together behind his head and shut his eyes, deciding to nap until he needed to get to Potions class.
(Calais, France) With The Lupins
Author: Charlie Weasley
Date: 05-21-08 18:21
Eyes turned to the children playing without a care in the world, Charlie sighs then asks Tonks, "When are you due?"
Flashing a grin that's all too rare these days, Tonks pats her stomach. "September."
"Is Santorini a good place to raise children?"
"It seems to be. We love it there; we do miss England though."
"Miss your old job?"
"More than I thought but I'm happy where I am now."
Remus joins the conversation, "Thinking of moving, Charlie?"
Giving a nod towards Hendrika pushing little Arthur on a swing, Charlie answers, "We need to do something. Soon. I've stayed visible for too long already. Hen's going to go to Blossom's with the boys as usual and I'm going to go to the dragon preserve like normal."
"And then you just don't return home that evening," Remus finishes the thought.
"Where are you going to go?" Tonks ask.
"We aren't sure yet. Bill and Fleur like where they are. Maj and George said if we don't mind Muggle living, there's plenty of room with them. With the kids, we don't want to live on the move like Mum and Dad or Ginny or Ron. I hate the thought of living in exile."
The smile that flashes on Remus's face is a cold, harsh on. "Makes it seem like running away; being ineffective."
"Exactly."
They go quite for a few minutes, watching Hendrika, little Arthur, and Schuyler. Tonks is the one who breaks the silence. "Why go back today? Stay here or come to Santorini with us. Decide there where you want to go until we can get the British Ministry back to what it should be."
"Yeah, we could do that."
"Do what?" Hendrika asks, coming to sit with the adults after depositing Arthur on a blanket with a fistful of small crackers.
"Don't go home. Stay here and decide where we want to live."
"I like that idea. I'm constantly worried that you won't come home one day, that someone from the preserve will let me know the Ministry came and took you away."
"That's settled then." Charlie gets up from the picnic table. "I need to go to Paris. Want to come with, Remus?"
"What's in Paris?"
"We've been slowly stashing clothes and money in a vault there."
"You mind if I go with Charlie, honey?"
"If you promise to pick up some pastries from that little shoppe near the bank, then no, I don't mind," Tonks says with a laugh.
"We should be back within the half hour," Charlie says, giving Hendrika a kiss on the cheek.
"We'll wait lunch for you," Hen replies, affectionately patting Charlie on the arm.
The park being a Wizarding one, the two men step a few feet from the table and diapparate without having to hide what they're doing.
Wrong answer
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 05-22-08 14:13
Johanna, Gus and Felicia decided to spend the afternoon studying for their finals in the library. They haven’t chose that place because of the easy access to the books ( they knew the Pures had the right to the better books) but because of the quiet atmosphere that the house elves demanded on her library.
Neither of them spoke, all concentrated in their studies: Gus with Transfiguration, Felicia with DADA and Johanna with Potions.
A voice sounded on the other side of a bookcase breaking the silence:
“I can get from the Nons everything I want. They know I’m superior to them and so they should obey me.” Silence again.
After a moment the voice continued:
“Don´t you believe me? Then watch!”
Taran Tremaine appeared from behind the bookcase. Beside him was Bianca with an unhappy look on her face.
Taran walked to them. He looked at them one by one and them said:
“Steele! I know you are good at History of Magic… for a Non of course. So, I want you to tell me what exactly happened in 1972 in Scotland. Professor Pilliwickle said we’d find the answer here but sincerely I don’t want to waste my time looking for it when I can order you to tell me the answer. But do it quickly or I’ll curse you! ”
No one spoke for a minute. They were all without words. Then Johanna said:
“Ok Taran…I’ll tell you the answer”. Gus and Felicia open their mouths, flabbergasted. Johanna continued: “In 1972 in Scotland it was made for the first time a golden wand instead of a wood wand.”
“A golden wand? Are you sure I had never heard something like that…”
“If you don’t believe go and check on some book!”
“I do believe… Maybe Pilliwickle said it on class but I didn’t heard! Well, I’m not going to thank you… you should be happy to serve a Pure."
He step aside and leave the library. Bianca ,after a shy look to them, follow Taran.
“I can’t believe you just said to him the answer!” said Gus.
“How could you?” asked Felicia
“Yes I told him the answer but it doesn’t mean that it’s the right answer. In fact I don’t know if there was really a golden wand… It’s a myth like Loch Ness or Atlantis. “
They laugh.
Harkin, the assistant librarian pass threw them ordering silence.
“And what if Taran gets mad at you?”
“Ohh he won’t Felica… I’m sure Professor Pilliwickle would be so incredulous with his answer that he maybe give him extrawork and he wouldn’t risk to ask me again for the answer because he know I might be wrong!”