|
|
Theory of Charms
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 07-24-15 14:26
Ethan sat at the front of the Great Hall and watched as the fifth year O.W.L. and seventh year N.E.W.T. students wrote their Theory of Charms exams. Prior to the start of the exam, he handed out test booklets and anti-cheating quills, went over the Ministry of Magic approved testing guidelines, and then flipped over the large hourglass on the table next to him to start the exams.
The next half hour or so passed uneventfully. The students worked through each test question, which could be anything from short answer to essay, multiple choice, or true or false. The only sounds were quills scratching on parchment, the turning of pages, and the occasional shift of a chair, cough, or sneeze.
Right around the time Ethan got up to write down the time remaining on the chalkboard behind him, he heard a new sound: the rustle of feathers. He glanced around, as did some of the students not so deep in concentration, and saw a small tawny owl emerge from the rafters. It clutched a small scroll in its talons.
Ethan's first reaction was surprise because in all the years he had proctored an exam, he had never gotten post in the middle of test time, and neither had any student. His second reaction upon noting the owl was heading straight for him was dread. He always thought back to the delivery of Hattie Harsnip's head. This owl carried no bloody basket, but that didn't mean the scroll in its talons wasn't dangerous.
The tawny owl dipped low and then dropped the scroll on the table next to the hourglass. Then, it circled back around, ascended back into the rafters, and exited the Great Hall for the Owlery.
The students, meanwhile, went back to their scribbling, at least for the most part. There were a few who glanced between the professor standing at the front of the room and the tiny scroll left on the table. Ethan hesitated and then picked up the rolled up bit of parchment.
He felt relief wash over him when he saw that it was a message from Jaiden Peters in the Auror Office, but it was short-lived. She wrote only,
Dead Death Eater dumped in the Atrium during the morning rush. Dumpee was Dorian Somerset, but he escaped. Thought you'd want to know.
Ethan rolled the scroll back up and set it down on the table next to the hourglass. He knew that there would be more news about the identity of the deceased and how his adoptive father was discovered and how he'd made his escape. Any inquiries would have to wait, though. For now he had a job to do.
(Jonathan) Guilt
Author: Chance Morgan Lovell
Date: 07-25-15 11:41
Jonathan lay in the bed in the motel and traced circles on her chest and side.
"You are beautiful." Jonathan said in a hushed voice as he leaned down and kissed her sweet lips.
Katherine smiled at him and then returned his kiss. "I bet you say that to all the girls…"
"There is no other girls."
"What about your fiancé?" Katherine asked. "She counts."
"Uh, yeah. Well…." Jonathan stammered wishing that he had not said anything at all now.
"We really should get back to work." She said. "But I just love the feel of your hands tracing all the curves of my body."
Jonathan smirked and he got up out of the bed and began dressing. He was suddenly feeling guilty over having this affair with Katherine when he had Chance waiting at home for him. If Chance were to find out she would never forgive him and he knew it; and with all she has been through recently he would not blame her.
When the two had said their good byes Jonathan left and said he would return to the office by four and they could work on their assignment. For now he was going to go home and see Chance.
Jonathan arrived home and he kissed Chance and held her pressing her body against his. "I love you." She whispered in his ear.
"I love you too."
"So what are you doing home so early?"
"I just thought I would come and see you for a little bit because I have to work late tonight. I am on that assignment with Katherine right now."
"Oh, yeah. Well with all these late nights you've been putting in you'd think you were having an affair."
Jonathan laughed off her statement, "I would never do that to you." He said sweeping her off her feet and carrying her upstairs to their bedroom.
Waiting In The Commons (Gus)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 07-25-15 14:31
This morning on the written portion of the Charms NEWT Gus had had three questions he wasn't sure about. Questions he's still not sure about because hasn't not had much chance to look up the information or discuss them with anyone. After the written portion had been lunch and while there was some talk about what was what most of the discussion buzzing about among the 7th, and the 5th years, was what to expect for the practical portion. The only 7th years who seemed not to be talking about it were those who weren't taking Charms.
Waiting outside the Great Hall for the practical there was some talking, in very low voices. Somehow, Gus never got around to asking Caerwyn or Ramona their thoughts on those three questions from the written exam. Then, before it seemed possible, Professor Somerset was calling him into the Great Hall.
Gus was sent to the table where Professor Stow, a pleasant smile on her face. She had Gus start off with a shield charm, which also falls into the Defense Against the Dark Arts category but is a charm nonetheless. Professor Stow had a bit of fun testing his shield by bouncing a rubber ball off it and tossing grapes at him.
Next was the learned long ago Wingardium Leviosa. A simple enough charm as it's learned first year but made more difficult when having to use it to lift something big and bulky. Professor Stow then had another bit of fun by placing a piece of rubber hose on the table and saying, "An elephant, please."
Gus's heart skipped a beat. He's sure of it. Is part of the Transfiguration practical being mixed in with the Charms practical and no one said?
Professor Stow waited a beat then smiled broadly, even giving a light laugh. "Wrong exam, isn't it?" she said with a wink. "In all seriousness, please make this piece of hose too heavy for me to lift but not so heavy that it breaks the table."
Gus was able to execute her request, both wanting to laugh along with her attempt at levity and be angry that she effectively pranked him. The next few minutes were spent with Professor Stow taking Gus back and forth between charms learned early on and those learned more recently. By the time she's thanked him and excused him, Gus is in better humor, understanding now that Professor Stow was merely trying to get him to relax.
Now, sitting in the commons, waiting for Ramona and Caerwyn, he munches on a much needed snack while thumbing through a Transfiguration NEWT study guide. Gus will be attending St. Emrys in the fall but is torn between a couple of different career paths. At least where he'll live is certain. Initially he thought he'd either live at home and Floo or apparate to St. Emrys or live in a university residence hall. He'd been in the middle of looking over residence hall information in preparation when Caerwyn suggested they live in the cabin Caerwyn inherited. Gus can Floo or apparate from there as well as he could from home and the cabin offers freedom he'd not have at his parents' or in a residence hall.
Seeing Ramona coming into the commons, Gus rises to go greet her and to offer to get her a drink and a snack.
News
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 07-25-15 19:34
Since Casper Baatz had brought him a somewhat recent photo of his sister Danielle, a serial killer, and her friend Maartje Driessen, Ron and others on the international task force have been looking into Driessen as possibly being Danielle's partner in crime or someone with enough knowledge of Danielle's crimes to be able to commit copycat killings. This has proven to be a difficult task as Driessen has yet to be located, giving the task force the working theory that Driessen is definitely involved somehow.
Ron has spent the morning and part of the afternoon in Schaan, Liechtenstein, chasing down a lead. That lead proved fruitful in that Driessen had recently been there and that several times a year she tends to visit an aged aunt there. Unfortunately, as she'd just been her next visit is most likely weeks, perhaps months away. The aunt had no idea where Driessen was going when her visit ended and the only fixed address she could give Ron was the one the task force team is already monitoring.
Once back in London at the Ministry, Ron wrote out a report of his trip, owling off copies to the various team members for their Ministries' files. He'd just returned from the Ministry owlery when Jaiden Peters stopped him outside his cubicle with an interesting bit of news.
A check of the time let Ron know Hermione would still be at St. Mungo's. He'd signed out of the office and left the Ministry for the hospital via Floo. Hermione was with a patient so Ron had had to wait, choosing to pass the time in the tearoom getting something to drink and a plate of fruit and cheese to tide him over until dinner.
Ron's nearly three-quarters of the way through the fruit and cheese plate and on his second drink when Hermione arrives. He gets up to give her a peck on the lips then holds out a chair for her asking, "Do you want something?"
Helping herself to one of the grapes from his plate she replies with a shake of her head, "I'll just help you finish this. How was your trip?"
"The lead proved to have merit but at the same time was a semi dead-end. I here more about something else though. Or should I say someone else. Leigh Buchanan."
"Has she been found?" Hermione hopefully asks.
"In a manner of speaking. Leigh is dead. Her body was dumped in the Atrium this morning. It's not yet common knowledge but as soon as I found out I wanted to tell you sooner rather than later."
Hermione appears stunned by the news, asking as if for clarity, "Leigh is dead? You're sure it's her?"
Over what little is left of the fruit and cheese plate Ron fills Hermione in on the specifics of what Jaiden had told him.
(Kate) Theory of Transfiguration
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 07-26-15 08:56
Professor Ravenscroft had only just announced that the OWL and NEWT students could begin their Theory of Transfiguration exams. Kate, sandwiched between Angharad and Hugo, turned the page in her exam booklet to tackle the next question.
4. Describe the process of bewitching an object into multiplying repeatedly when touched.
Kate took a moment to organize her thoughts and then wrote about the Doubling Charm, which could be used not only to make an exact replica of a single object, but to also do as the statement above suggested, hence it's other name, the Gemino Curse.
When she felt like she had suitably answered the question, she moved on to the next one, and then the next. Most of the questions she felt she could answer at least halfway decently, but there were a few stumpers. She seemed to be faring much better than Hugo, though.
Having not taken his preparations for the NEWT exams very seriously, Hugo had waited till the very last minute to do any studying. He stayed up all night both the night before last and yesterday, and now he could barely keep his eyes open. Pepper-up potions only did so much to keep him energized, and any power naps he took in between exams and study sessions threatened to turn into several hours' sleep.
Hugo sighed audibly every so often, which proved to be distracting for some. Kate tried to tune him out, and for the most part she managed it, but once in a while, she couldn't help but glance his way. After all, he sat right next to her. He looked pale, with bags under his eyes, which were red from lack fo sleep. His hair was messy, as if he had gone to sleep and never bothered to comb it, but it was really in disarray because he constantly ran his fingers through it.
Kate would say it served him right because she had only been warning him for months that he needed to buckle down and get serious about the NEWTs, but she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. What would he do after graduation if he didn't do well on any of his exams? Would failure ruin his entire future?
Kate put her focus back on her exam. She had her own future to think about, after all.
Transfiguration
Author: Tiberius Nott
Date: 07-26-15 14:44
Tiberius was seated by a worn out desk, trying to ignore the sound of a witch blowing her nose, at the desk next to him. In front of him a bald wizard frantically wrote down his answers of the theory of Transfiguration NEWT. Tiberius had seen him yesterday before they were called into the examination room at the Ministry of Magic to take the Charms NEWT. The wizard had initiated a conversation with Tiberius about how he was not taking the NEWTs because he needed but for a matter of honor. He wanted to test his knowledge in several branches of magic because he made a bet with an old school friend that he still could easily pass the NEWTs, like he had done so many years ago while at Hogwarts.
Tiberius loathed the bald wizard for his relaxed attitude towards the exams. Everyone else was nervous or anxious, some doing some last minute reviews, and the wizard was boasting about his past and possible future accomplishments.
The witch at his side stopped blowing her nose and Tiberius read the next question in front of him. It was about the bird-conjuring charm.
He remembered Elphaba talking about it during a cold January afternoon. It was snowing and she conjured a flock of ravens inside the study room. When the ravens were released their dark heavy figures made a strange contrast with the white snow. He remembered thinking how uncommon it was to conjure ravens. Most people would prefer friendlier birds such as sparrows or swallow birds.
Tiberius started to write everything he could remember about the bird-conjuring charm. Once he was done, he passed on to the next question with reluctance. He had lost all his motivation after the meeting with Judith Foxcastle. Learning that he was nowhere close to regain Titus' guardianship made him want to give up of this idea of retaking his NEWTs exams. In his next meeting with Elphaba he tried to dismiss her services for the second time. And once again she refused. She told him that after months of hard work he should not give up. He might not be doing this for Titus anymore but he should do this for himself. His chances of ever getting Titus back would not change if he took the examinations. In fact, they would increase.
Tiberius was not touched by her speech, and it weren't her words that changed his mind. It has been Elphaba's attitude regarding the magazine article that made him want to retake the NEWTs again. He had showed her the article on the magazine that featured the two of them, trying to make a point that no matter how many Brilliants he would get, his personal life was already tainted because of his past and the bad publicity of some magazines.
Her eyebrows narrowed and she pushed her glasses deeper into her face. Then she marched outside the gates of Endhope Abby and started to charm its surroundings, in search for a possible intruder.
The photograph was hidden behind some bushes on the road. She used a spell to steal his camera and she destroyed it with her wand as well. The man disappeared as fast as could not want to involve himself in a conflict. But Tiberius thought it was more than that: he had taken a good look at Elphaba and maybe he would be able to identify her and use that information on a new article. When he told her so, she didn't seem to mind. Instead she said to Tiberius:
"Maybe we should revise the protection charms and hexes against intruders. When was the last time this big house received proper measures against undesired visitors?"
And for the rest of the day they filled Endhope Abbey and its surroundings with new protection charms, replacing old ones that had lost their strength with time.
The bald wizard broke his anti cheating quill and asked for another one. Tiberius checked the hourglass (a modest copy of the one used at Hogwarts), and started writing faster. He still had several questions to answer and not much time.
The Unexpected
Author: Declan
Date: 07-26-15 15:12
Declan reaches Brews & Stews, hesitating a moment before going inside. He'd received a such an unexpected owl last night had read it four times just to be sure he wasn't imagining the signature.
Melanie Prinsloo had once been a step-cousin. Her mother had been married to Declan's uncle, Tavish Lennox, his mother's brother. The marriage had last just over two years, ending in an acrimonious divorce. Declan and his sister heard from Melanie from time to time over the next year but then nothing. The last any of the Douglasses had heard was that at seventeen Melanie had a massive falling out with both her parents and joined up with a group that while not a cult per se does have some views not shared by the mainstream, such as advocating the age of consent be lowered to thirteen in both sexes and believing that certain dark arts practices should be legal and part of everyday wizarding life.
The owl from Melanie requested Declan meet her at the Hogsmeade Brews & Stews on Tuesday whenever his Hogwarts schedule would allow. That Mel knows Declan is associated with Hogwarts means she's kept up with him over the years even if she only knows because of Rita Skeeter's negatively skewed articles.
While explaining to Zabrynna who Melanie is Declan had dashed off a reply and owled it back. With OWLs and NEWTs taking place this week Declan's only Tuesday class of fifth years is not taking place. He's got Tuesday office hours but with not having a class to teach he's got a chunk of free time in between the morning and the afternoon hours.
Unable to even begin to imagine why Melanie contacted him after all these years Declan takes a deep breath and walks into the restaurant. He looks around but doesn't see anyone that he thinks might be an older version of the Melanie he remembers. Declan takes a spot at a table that will allow him to watch the door while working this way through an order of onion rings. He's about halfway through the onion rings, enjoying the tangy dipping sauce that came with them, when a waifish boy walks up to the table, stops, drops a bag on the floor at his feet, and stares.
"Are you Declan Douglass?" he asks in a trembling voice.
A puzzled frown furrowing his brow Declan nods. "Yes, and you are?"
The waif collapses into a chair as if tired, plops an envelope on the table, and pushes it across to Declan. "My mum said to give you this."
"Your mum?"
"Melanie."
Declan looks up from the envelope to glance around as if expecting to see Melanie lurking somewhere. The waif informs him, "She's not here. Mum pointed you out through the window then left."
"What do you mean she left? Is Melanie coming back?"
The waif's voice trembles more, giving the impression he's on the verge of tears. "I don't think so. She said to read the letter."
Declan hastily pulls open the envelope's flap. The contents are a letter and some official looking documents. He reads the letter then looks over the documents. The missive is short.
Declan,
I have decided that my lifestyle is not condusive to raising a school age child. I am signing over custody of Rand to you in the hope you'll oversee his schooling, preferably at Hogwarts. I've included the necessary documents.
Melanie
Declan reads over the letter again, wishing she'd said more, wishing she'd brought Rand in herself. As if knowing what he's thinking Rand says, "Mum said you couldn't turn her down if she wasn't here to argue with."
Still frowning Declan replies, "Your mum is right."
A tear slips down the boy's cheek. "Mum doesn't want me anymore. You don't want me. Are you going to take me to one of those places for orphans?"
"No, of course not. I don't know if you'll end up staying with me but you'll not go to some children's home."
Declan scans the top document and sees it the one signing over custody of Rand Prinsloo to him. Before he moves on to the next document he examines the waif across from him. Melanie wrote that Rand is school age but he doesn't look more than eight or nine. Maybe she's heard of Hogsmeade Primary Day.
The next document indicates that Rand is indeed school age as in old enough for Hogwarts. It's a birth certificate and according to it Rand turned 11 last month. There's also no father listed.
Noticing that Rand has steadily been eating what's left of the onion rings Declan asks, "Do you want lunch?"
"Yes, please."
Declan considers getting something more from Brews & Stews but decides they'll go to Hogwarts. Rand can eat lunch in the Great Hall and Declan can talk with Minerva McGonagall about getting the boy added to the roster as an incoming first year for the fall. Standing he nods at the bag on the floor, "This all you have?"
"Yes, but there's more in it than it looks."
Declan picks up the bag. "We'll get lunch at Hogwarts. That's the big place up the hill."
"My mum told me about Hogwarts. She said you work there."
"Yes, I teach history."
Once outside the restaurant Rand asks, "What do I call you?"
"Declan will do and later today you'll meet Zabrynna, my girlfriend. I hope you aren't allergic to cats. We have two. Claw and Raven."
"I like cats."
The walk to Hogwarts is filled with moments of silences peppered with Rand asking questions about the school, the cats, and how Declan knows his mother.
Transfiguration Practical
Author: Marzipan
Date: 07-27-15 18:13
Professor Ravenscroft put a hand on Darren Storm's shoulder and gently steered him through the Great Hall doors. The Transfiguration practical OWL & NEWT exams were nearly over, with only a handful of seventh year students remaining. The gathered few wore mixed expressions on their faces. They looked nervous, eager to get on with it, and tired. Professor Ravenscroft even heard a stomach growl.
She was feeling a bit peckish herself. The day had been a long one. Carter had gotten her up early, unable to sleep and full of energy despite the fact the sun hadn't even risen yet. Then, Professor Ravenscroft had spent the morning in the Great Hall administering the Theory of Transfiguration exams. Lunch followed, and though she wished she could have squeezed in a nap, she met with a student requiring assistance on an assignment instead. Professor Ravenscroft had spent the past few hours in the entrance hall, guiding students into the Great Hall for their practicals.
She got the signal to send in another student and turned to Gus van Tassel, who took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come, and then crossed over the threshold. Professor Ravenscroft closed the door behind him and thought about what a whirlwind year it had been. Redberga had died. Elfreda had sued. And somehow the school year had already come and gone.
"Caerwyn," she said, indicating for the Hufflepuff seventh year to enter the Great Hall.
Her thoughts turned to the summer. The trip to Australia last year had been very therapeutic. She wanted to go back. It was, after all, the country where she grew up. Weston had agreed to go again but suggested they throw in a sidetrip to New Zealand as well, since he wished to see something new too. Although not all details were planned just yet, they intended on spending around a week in each country.
Professor Ravenscroft tapped Ash Westwick on the shoulder and said, "You're up."
The very reserved Slytherin stepped into the Great Hall, leaving only Demetrius Whitmore in the entrance hall.
He smiled at her weakly and said, "And then there was one."
"The best for last, perhaps?" she offered with a grin.
A few minutes later Demetrius went into the Great Hall to take his Transfiguration practical, which concluded Marzi's role as monitor. She had the strong urge to take a siesta but decided to relax in her quarters for a little while, then take dinner, and then sleep if her family would allow it.