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Arriving for Parents' Weekend
Author: Orion Howell
Date: 04-17-14 08:09
Orion looked over at Jefferson as the two walked up the path to Hogwarts. He'd met the other man in the village when he'd apparated in. The two had discussed recent days, Orion mentioning his concerns over what Dexter's letter could mean, and Jefferson sharing the revelations that Melinda's boss wanted to pay for her to finish her law degree.
"I'm not really happy that she wanted to discuss it as a family and not include Lawson or Remedy though," Jeff said. "I mean, yeah, Laws is Laws, but she is my sister and she does live with us, so this could affect her as well. But Rem's the real issue. Just because she's off at Hogwarts doesn't mean she's not still the most important thing in my life."
"Yeah, when you've got kids to consider, even if they are at Hogwarts, their opinions still matter. I might be new to this whole parenting thing, but even I've figured that out," Orion said as they stepped through the gates.
"Exactly!," Jeff agreed. "And Lawson really didn't help matters."
"What do you mean?"
"When I told her about it, her first question was if I'm sure Melinda's not sleeping with her boss."
"Well, she might have a point, that's a pretty large offer and to come out of nowhere with no strings," Orion mused.
"Yes, I had to admit that she raised a valid point," Jeff said, making a face. "I thought, at first, that it might be sour grapes cause Mel didn't want to involve her in the decision, but I have been working a lot. And we really didn't know each other that long before we moved in together."
Orion shook his head just as a blonde blur in black robes with blue trim raced down from the main gate. "Daddy!" Remedy yelled as she jumped into her father's arms. Orion just laughed as he spotted Sagitta following more sedately. He held out his arms and the petite, red-haired Slytherin stepped into them. "Hi, Uncle Orion."
"Hullo, Lovely," he said with a grin. "Have you two come to show us about?"
Family Day
Author: Amanda Reynolds
Date: 04-17-14 14:29
Amanda sat staring at Rosie as she looked down at her hand and the ring that was on it. It had made her a little more impulsive but not in excess she didn't think. It was not like she blurted out the fact that she was in love with her best friend, Elliot, and had been for as long as she could remember. It wasn't like she had done anything like that.
"You should take that off." Elliot said effectively pulling Amanda out of her thoughts.
"Huh? Oh, the ring. I don't think it is doing anything to me…I haven't not noticed anything different."
"You really should take it off." Rosie interjected. "Really my Aunt knows what she is talking about. Please Amanda."
"Alright, alright." She said and gave up wearing the ring. "How about if I put it on my chain." She said and wear it like that so it doesn't get lost."
"I don't know Amanda…it could still affect you because it is touching you." Cate said and Rosie and the other agreed with her. "You saw how it affected me with Preston." Cate blushed as she gave Preston a sidelong glance.
"Fine I will take it up to the dorms in a few minutes." Amanda said and slipped the ring into her pocket.
******
"Amanda darling." Her mother called to her from the entrance of the Common Common Room.
Amanda smiled and got up and walked over to her parents and hugged both of them. She then looked to her twin brothers James and Bryan and hugged them. Amanda was pretty easy going and she got along with most people and that included her brothers.
"How are you doing?" Her father asked.
"I'm doing well." She said with a smile at her father.
"That is a very pretty ring." Her mother said, as she looked the chain hanging around her daughter's neck.
"Oh, that. Thanks. I found it and no one claimed it." She said adding in a little bit of a lie, which was way out of character for her.
"Oh, well that is nice." Her mother replied sounding a little unsure if what her daughter, who was not known to lie, was telling the truth or not; but she did not question her daughter farther.
Amanda led her family over to a couch with chairs and pillows to sit on and they all sat down and spent time with each other.
Birthday Party
Author: Saffron
Date: 04-17-14 18:54
Marion's birthday had been Tuesday so Saffron has a cake and other refreshments in the Arithmancy & Divination classroom. As she's Marion's godmother, there is also a gift. Gifts, rather, as there are some from other family members, including one Niccola picked out herself. The birthday girl had received a few presents on Tuesday but she was fine with not getting gifts from everyone she expects them from, knowing that Parents Weekend was upcoming.
Assistant Head of Hufflepuff House AJ Hodfuffer is covering this morning's apparition lesson, allowing Aaron to be here for the time being. He'll go to the Muggle Studies classroom a little later to make himself available for any parents who wish to speak with him. Saffron will be here in her own classroom throughout the day though she'll take breaks from time to time.
Marion is eager to get to her stack of gifts but Margeaux, her mother, suggests going on and cutting the cake in case any visitors arrive to speak with Saffron. That way they can partake of the refreshments as well. As they aren't the gift recipient several of the other kids are all for getting the cake, ice cream, and other sweets now. Soon, everyone has either chocolate or white cake, some with both, and Aaron is doling out ice cream for those who want it.
With the Sacheverille-Miller family, DeMarcos, Finches, Applewhites, Hylands, Blackwells, and Balfours the room is lively. The adults are congregated around three of the tables generally in use by Arithmancy & Divination students. The children are scattered about the room at some of the other tables, Niccola sitting with Estella Finch and Ingrid Hyland while Brandon is with other boys. Bran, Theo, Rex, Adiran, Kurt, and Douglas are being very tolerant and patient with the two and a half year old.
Saffron looks from child to child, wondering who might be one of her students. Katheryn, Hope, and Callie already are while Marion chose not to have Aunt Saffron as a professor. Lilith and Savannah will be third years in the fall so she may see one or both of them in Arithmancy & Divination then. Bran and Kurt are first years so have time yet to decide what extra two classes to take third, fourth, and fifth years and whether to continue those classes as sixth and seventh years. Ingrid Hyland and Rex Applewhite start Hogwarts in September with Theo, Douglas, and Adiran not all that far behind. CJ and Clark DeMarco have a little while yet, CJ not quite 7 and Clark recently turned 5. Niccola also turned five back in November and Brandon's third birthday will be here all too soon in Saffron's opinion.
Marion's given leave to start on her gifts. Soon, the room is full of people eating, drinking, talking, and giving oohs and ahs of appreciation as each present is opened. Saffron's attention is also taken up with Vinny Xardel's family. She invites them to her office, which is just off the classroom, but they're happy speaking with her over by her classroom desk, enjoying a helping of the cake and ice cream and oohing along with the others as Marion continues opening gifts.
(Bowen) Fancy School
Author: Nathaniel Ross
Date: 04-18-14 14:06
"So what sports do you play here? Cricket? Lacrosse? Polo? I thought I saw a stable back there. There's obviously no football pitch, but I wasn't expecting to be one in this fancy school."
Mr. Goodnight looked around the castle with disdain. Elsie, his wife, walked right beside him, with apprehension. Bowen was a couple of steps ahead, guiding his parents through the school. This was the Goodnights first visit to Hogwarts and so far it hasn't been that great. Bo's father kept making comments about the sumptuous lifestyle the students must be having at this school, and he asked his son if he too was turning into one of those sobs he hated so much. His mother kept quiet, her eyes open wide as she observed the moving portraits, perhaps afraid that one of them might attack at any moment.
"Well, we play a lot of sports in the Fitness & Athletics class, but the most popular one is Quidditch."
And before his father could ask what was that about, Bowen explained it to him, in the best way he could. But this only confused Mr. Goodnight even more. Since he couldn't find a way to criticize Quidditch he decided to pick on the Fitness & Athletics class.
"What kind of name is that? Shouldn't it be called Physical Education, like any normal school?"
Bowen shrugged his shoulders, not answering to his father. He knew that he was just acting like this because he felt intimidated. Both his parents were Muggles and their clothes seemed to stand out a little bit in the sea of people. They din't knew much about the wizarding world and they probably felt overwhelmed with all the new information they were assimilating. Bo had felt that way too, in the past, but he had Mrs. Ross to explain things to him. Being a Muggleborn, meant that at times he too didn't know all the information their parents wanted to know.
For example, he wasn't able to explain very well the reason why parts of the school had been closed. Something about a nearby establishment being attacked the past Thursday, by some kind of gang whose elements were called Death Eaters. Pelinore had tried to clarify things with Bo, showing the seriousness of the attack and its meaning, but he didn't really get it. Sadly, in the Muggle world, there were people who attacked shops and other establishments quite often. So Bowen wasn't really seeing how huge this attack had been. He actually thought Death Eaters was a silly name. Pelinore had been horrified by this and he said that Bowen would be a victim of their predilection because he was a Muggle born. Bo didn't think much of it.
There was a moment when Bowen's father went to the bathroom and he was able to be alone with his mother. Mrs. Goodnight asked her son to be patient with her husband.
"He is proud of you. Happy that you had the chance to live and study in a place like this. But it's hard for him not to be able to tell everyone back home about it. They would not understand it. He too, is still adjusting to all this. So am I."
"I understand." A loud family appeared and they squeezed into the wall, to let them pass. Then Bowen asked: "How has Daisy been?"
Daisy Averill was, and still is, very dear to him. She had seen Bowen doing magic, before he even knew he was a wizard. However, he was forced to shove her away because he could not reveal his true nature to her. Bowen had hurt Daisy and when he went home for Christmas he had seen her in mass and a couple of times in the street. But she always turned her face away, having no intentions to talk to him. Her brother, Stuart, on the other hand, was the same as always and he and Bowen had hanged out a lot. Stuart didn't even ask him many questions about his new school. He was more interested in playing football and having snowball fights.
"She's doing well. I saw her the other day. She was excited about a school trip. They are visiting a museum, I think."
She didn't say anything else because his father returned from the bathroom. They moved along the corridor and for the first time since he heard the news about those Death Eaters, Bowen felt a little bit worried about their existence. They attacked an establishment the other day. What would stop them from doing the same thing to a museum and hurt or kill Daisy?
Different
Author: Harriet
Date: 04-18-14 15:17
Harriet Allen knew she was different from all the other girls under the nuns' guard. Because, unlike them, she had a family. Her uncle came to see her a couple of times per year. The visits, under the attentive eye of Sister Hildegarde, were short and insipid, without the warmth of a true family reunion. But it was family, after all. Most girls did not even know who their parents were. They did not have an identity, unlike Harriet. Even if she didn't knew that much of her dead parents, they had names and they had faces, even if she didn't see any pictures of them.
Life was not very exciting at the St. Clare's Home for Girls, located at the isolated village of Greysteel, Ireland. The tours to Sister Hildegarde's office, where her encounters with her uncle took place, made Harriet's day. Harriet tried not to be hasty as she climbed the cranky wooden steps to the good sister's office on that cold February. She knocked lightly on the door and she was given permission to enter.
"Hello Harriet," her uncle greeted.
It was warm inside the division - Sister Hildegarde had turn on the heater. At her desk there was an untouched tray with tea and cookies. Her uncle seemed immune to the nun's hospitality treats.
"Hello," the girl replied back.
The man that was her uncle, used his eyes to inspect her. Harriet was tall for her age, with long legs and a slim constitution. She didn't have a pretty face but her brown eyes were gentle. Her hair fell loose over her shoulders - it was impossible to keep it braided matter Sister Beatrice's efforts.
"You have grown a lot since the last time I saw you."
He always said that. It was his way to start a conversation. The speech lacked emotion and he might as well be talking about the weather outside. But he was family and Harriet forgave him. Most of the other girls had never been into Sister Hildegarde's office at all.
"I turned eleven in November."
"Eleven already?"
He turned to the nun and they exchanged a look with each other.
"Yes, indeed," Sister Hildegarde confirmed. She opened the top drawer of her heavy wooden desk and handed to Harriet's uncle a letter. The girl noticed there was no stamp in it.
Phillip Allen did not open the letter. Instead he put it inside the inner pocket of his jacket.
"Thank you Sister Hildegarde."
The nun nodded, glad to have been useful. However he mouth twitched when she was asked to leave the room, so Mr. Allen could have a word with his niece. She slowly abandoned her office, but Harriet got the feeling she had placed herself outside the door in order to eavesdrop them. Everyone knew how hard it was to keep secrets under the nun's nose. St. Clare's was her kingdom and she made sure she knew everything related to it.
Harriet's uncle looked at the door as if sharing her niece's thoughts but he didn't seem to mind being spied.
"Coming September you are going to leave St. Clare's and go to a special boarding school."
The girl's heart skipped a beat. She always assumed she should spend her life at Greysteel until adulthood. The idea of going to another school outside the village, excited her. Sadly, the moment of joy did not last. He had applied the term 'special' when referring to the school. That frightened her. Did her uncle found out about what she could do and he wanted to send her to a place in the hopes to fix her?
Harriet Allen knew she was different from all the other girls under the nuns' guard. Because ,unlike them, she could do magic.
Invitation
Author: Finley
Date: 04-18-14 17:09
The notion of Parents' Weekend affected different emotions in Finley. On the one hand, she didn't feel terribly bothered by it since she had never had a family or dear friends, save for Leroy, who couldn't visit her or even know about Hogwarts anyway. On the other hand, not having anyone visit while witnessing joyful (and sometimes not-so-joyful reunions) from the family and friends of others reminded Finley that she was all alone.
Or mostly alone. Phoebus insisted she go around with his family, who Finley had briefly met at Homecoming in the fall. He looked like both of his parents, who looked oddly alike themselves. Still being rather new to the wizarding world, Finley had no knowledge of the intermarrying of wizard folk, especially among the older, more established family lines. As it turned out, the Yewbeams actually were related, but only distantly.
Phoebus had a younger sister named Cynthia. Cynthia looked just like her parents and brother, with the same yellow hair and blue eyes. She was a bit of a tomboy and itched to stray from her family to explore the castle. Her mother kept a firm grip on the girl's shoulder to keep her from wandering, something she shouldn't do even in the best of times.
Finley understood that something terrible had happened in the village on Valentine's evening, which was why all the teachers and other adults in the castle were on high alert. A bad witch, one of the so-called Death Eaters Phoebus had told her about, had led some sort of attack on a busy restaurant, killing and injuring many. Someone said that bad witch had been a teacher at Hogwarts and that she had killed another teacher right there in the castle.
Whether it was the right feeling to have or not, Finley felt far removed from that bad witch and whatever she had done at Hogwarts and in Hogsmeade only the night before last. That there was the potential for danger at the school, Finley understood and took very seriously, but she felt very safe in the castle. Hogwarts was her home and a place she loved very much. Very little could tarnish it in her mind.
"Maybe you would like to visit us for Easter?" Mrs. Yewbeam asked Finley, after they entered the Commons and found empty seats all together at the bar.
"I would like that," Finley started, but then she thought about Leroy and said, "but I do want to see my friend from the orphanage."
"Bring him along," Mrs. Yewbeam suggested. "I hate the thought of any child being alone for the holidays."
"Mum, he's a Muggle and doesn't know anything about the us," Phoebus explained. "He thinks Finley is at a Muggle boarding school. He doesn't know she's a witch."
"Well, that changes things then, doesn't it?" Mrs. Yewbeam said. "Well then, you go see your friend and maybe one day we'll come for a visit and take you, and your friend if you wish, out for ice cream. How does that sound?"
Finley smiled. "That sounds good, actually."
An outing, even with wizards pretending to be Muggles, would be a good thing for Leroy. It would be a good thing for her too.
(Aleydis) Unease
Author: Griet
Date: 04-18-14 18:20
Valentina was the name Aleydis had given to the pygmy puff Basil had sent her for Valentine's Day. It sat on her shoulder now and squeaked every once in a while, seemingly content despite the surge in activity in its surroundings and the overall feeling of tension among so many due to the terrible events from two nights ago.
Aleydis herself had gotten a great shock by the news. Her mother had written the very next morning to assure her, Beatrix, and Franciscus that everyone in their family and extended family was fine. None had been present at Madam Puddifoot's or had even been in Hogsmeade at the time of the attack.
Griet had also written to let her family know she was okay. She and Tucker had gone to a dance club and heard of the attack when the music suddenly stopped and the DJ announced it to the club-goers. Cornelia had written to say she was on the case and would 'catch those bastards', even though hunting Death Eaters was completely out of her jurisdiction. The Vanderbilt parents were beside themselves with worry over the possibility that Cornelia might really try to capture murderers instead of the petty criminals she usually rounded up for her company.
Even now they were talking about it instead of asking their children how they were doing or visiting with their professors.
"She's going to get herself killed!" Mrs. Vanderbilt exclaimed. "Hasn't she put us through enough?"
Aleydis looked over at Basil, who had come along with the Vanderbilts to see his girlfriend, and shot him a small smile. Not that Cornelia hadn't acted on crazy thoughts in the past, but she sometimes tended to be all talk. Aleydis couldn't see her truly risking her life to catch the bad guys, not unless she became a real auror, and so far there was no indication that Cornelia was leaning in that direction. The only direction there was some evidence she might be heading toward was a more serious relationship with Cassander. They seemed like the perfect couple.
"Mum, I really don't think you need to worry about Cornelia," Beatrix spoke up. "She's not stupid."
"She's also more sensible than she's ever been," Aleydis added.
"Face it. Your second oldest has matured into a fine, young woman," Beatrix finished.
Her mother looked at her with a look that was a mixture of seriousness and amusement. "When did you turn into such a jokester?"
"When she started liking that boy," Franciscus piped in.
"What boy?" Mr. Vanderbilt asked. "That Death Eater's son?"
"Former Death Eater," Beatrix stressed, "and I don't know what you mean, Francis."
"Don't call me Francis."
"Then don't make up stories about me."
"I'm not making up what is obvious to everybody."
"I don't know if I agree with you liking this boy, Beatrix," said her father.
"I don't know why you are denying it," Franciscus said.
"I'm not denying it," Beatrix replied.
"Ha! You admit it."
"Shut up."
"Well, does he like you?" Mrs. Vanderbilt prodded.
Beatrix finally looked at Aleydis and wordlessly communicated a plea for her to change the topic. Aleydis cleared her throat and said, "There's talk we won't get to go to Hogsmeade next weekend because of what happened. Do you really think they will cancel the Hogsmeade trip? I would hate to not get the chance to go, but then again, I am a bit frightened about what happened…" She trailed off, seeing if her family would leave Beatrix be and pick up the new topic of conversation.
"Well, I'm sure there will be extra security in the village," Basil began when nobody else said anything right away. "The teachers already have shifts patrolling, and you know law enforcement will be out in full force keeping an eye on things. That is, if the whole trip isn't cancelled."
That got Franciscus complaining about how he was nearly out of his stash of sweets. Aleydis reminded him he could place an owl order if they couldn't go into the village, but she knew ordering from a catalog wasn't the same as going into the store and spending a whole day away from school. She was a little worried about another attack on Hogsmeade, though. Would the former Professor Fairchild want to harm students? It was a scary thought!