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Waiting And After
Author: Julian Valentine
Date: 12-30-06 09:31
When news that the Hogsmeade branch of Gringotts was being robbed, Julian had dropped everything. Leaving Edgar to run the bookshop, Julian sprinted down High Street where a few people were already gathering, trying to see inside the bank without getting spells shot at them from inside. Law enforcement in the form of Hit Wizards and Aurors were soon there, pushing back the growing crowd.
Julian allowed himself to be pushed back, finding it tedious that some argued about having to stand behind the established perimeter. As it turned out the most vocal didn't even have anyone inside the bank. They simply didn't want to give up "the best seats" to watch events unfold.
At some point, Julian's not exactly sure when, Briar slipped in beside him to let him know she had gotten Charlotte and would keep her until Lysander himself came for her. Julian had mutely nodded though he did have the passing thought it was too bad Grace was with her cousin Duncan today because Grace loves to have visits with Charlotte. The next thought Julian had had and one he said just barely loudly enough for Briar to here before she slipped back away was, "Thank Merlin Lysander took care of the paperwork to ensure Charlotte's custody does not go to that woman should something happen to him."
Hours went by with Lysander's father joining Julian, explaining that Lysander's mother was with Charlotte at Briar's house. Also during that time Edgar had found Julian to let him know he'd closed the shop and put the money in the office vault. Edgar had then joined the vigil, leaving once to get Julian and Mr. Stratford some much needed tea. Julian made a mental reminder to properly thank Edgar once this was all over.
When at last the hostages were released, a tired looking Lysander came out. Mr. Stratford and Julian were shocked to see that Lysander had been beaten. One of the Healers who'd been on standby came over and tended to Lysander. The man wanted to get Lysander to St. Mungo's right away but Lysander first insisted on seeing his daughter.
With Mr. Stratford on one side and Julian on the other, Edgar running ahead to get the gate at Briar's and then the front door. Only after Lysander had sat and cuddled with a sleeping Charlotte did he finally allow Julian and his father to get him to St. Mungo's to be more thoroughly checked out.
Having Fun (Jack Emerson)
Author: Kody
Date: 12-30-06 10:45
Jack's a little disappointed he didn't play in the top three for Group B of the Astronomy Event. If not for having such a good time here at Beauxbatons, he'd probably be more bothered by it. As it is, Jack's simply enjoying meeting students from all over the world and seeing what another school of magic is like to be overly put out that he didn't garner points for Hogwarts and his house.
Right now, Jack's with some of the others his age. After the awards for Group B were presented, Jack had chosen not to remain to watch the rest of the competition. It's not that he's not interested. It's just that Aimée Martel of Beauxbatons offered to show a few of them around. Jack, like everyone from all the visiting schools had had the official tour. The appeal of Aimée's invitation is the unofficialness of it. That and skulking around a foreign school after dark with a handful of others, none of them speaking the others' languages all that well.
Stefan Havel, representing Durmstrang in tomorrow's History Quiz Showdown, speaks in broken, halting English trying to describe what his own school is like. With Durmstrang alumnus Viktor Krum on the Hogwarts staff, Jack knows some about that school from having asked Coach Krum. Hearing it from a former student who's now an adult is very different from hearing about Durmstrang from someone his own age who's currently enrolled there. Jack still finds it difficult to believe that the rumor regarding Muggle born students and Durmstrang is true. None are ever invited to attend that school.
Catalina Vargas from La Escuela de Hechiceria passes Jack some sort of sweet made from goat's milk. At least that's what he thinks it is. Catalina knew enough French to tell it to Hannibal Kituba of Okapi École de Sorcellerie, who in turn told Jack in his limited English. Whatever it's made from, Jack's decided he likes it. After they're done comparing schools and classes, Jack's got to remember to ask Hannibal to ask Catalina to send him some of the candy once they're all back home again.
Scattergories
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 12-30-06 14:43
With the WWN on, currently giving an update on the Hogsmeade bank robbery situation, something that Ron most especially is keenly interested in because of Bill, Harry picks up the large dice and prepares to throw.
When first learning of what was taking place in Hogsmeade, Harry had suggested they call off going to the movies. Ron had agreed but insisted that Hermione, Janine, and Harry come to his flat to at least be social. Ron had also asked Harry to bring along a new game Harry had gotten just the other day. It's the Muggle game called Scattergories but for each item that clearly is something Janine and Ron wouldn't get, Harry's gone through and made up new items or altered the existing one, such as TV program is now WWN program.
As it turned out, making the changes also helped Ginny and her date tonight Kelvin. Upon remembering that Ginny's oldest brother's name is Bill and that a Bill Weasley was one of the Hogsmeade Gringotts hostages, Kelvin had let Ginny know it was okay for her to break the date. When the bank situation wasn't resolved by the time they would have been going out, Kelvin showed up with a sandwich platter from Delia's Deli and plenty of butterbeer.
Harry lets the dice go only to get poked in the side by Janine. "I could have done without having the letter C again Harry," she good naturedly ribs.
"We're on list 5, right?" Ginny asks.
"Right," Hermione affirms.
Ron reaches for the timer. "Everyone ready?"
They'd quickly learned the battery operated timer that comes with the game gets all wonky when used several times in a row. Hermione's sure it has something to do with the flat being a magical household. As a result the timer they're using is a magical hourglass that they could set the time they needed and only that amount of sand is used up. When that sand runs out the hourglass makes a little bell-like sound.
Ron starts the sand flowing. The room goes quiet except for the scratch of pencils on pads as they each scramble to come up with original answers starting with C for list 5, a new sense of enjoyment evident as they do so thanks to the knowledge that the hostage drama has ended and Bill is relatively fine.
Group E of Astronomy
Author: Jared
Date: 12-30-06 17:56
The judge for Group C, Dervila O'Toole, announces the winners for that group just after Group D ends its session and Group E participants gather in a bunch waiting for their Astronomy Event session to begin. For Beauxbatons Academy of Magic it's Alexandrine Pétain in third place. Jared joins the applause as the a girl he thinks is very attractive though slightly young looking comes up to receive her award. Those there in support of the host school applaud even louder when the other Beauxbatons Group C student, Antoinette Levitte, takes second. First goes to Xavier Delgado from La Escuela de Hechiceria.
As soon as the applause has totally died down and a few photos have been taken the Group E judge Eugen Kurtz introduces himself then one by one calls out the names of the fourteen Group E participants as he passes out the boards that will be filled in star charts in just over a half hours time. When the equipment has been passed out and instructions gone over, Judge Kurtz loudly says, "You may begin," as the hourglass is turned over.
As he works Jared finds out something he never really knew. Slytherin Iris Audley is actually nice. As a Gryffindor Jared had found it easy to peg Iris as a typical Slytherin. This view point has been made all the easier with the other fifth year Slytherins being people like Mary Black and her cronie Crispin Cooke.
It then occurs to Jared that his all encompassing Slytherins are bad viewpoint has slowly changed over the past couple of years. A big part of that has been his own sister having friends some of whom ended up being sorted into Slytherin. Even Emerald's own sister Olive is a Slytherin. Jared knows first hand that Olive isn't evil or bad, she's just very determined and can be extremely driven when she makes her mind up to do something.
By the time the half hour Astronomy session ends, Jared has made a vow to get to know Iris better and to try and be more open minded about pigeon holing Slytherins before he knows them better.
(Caden) Chosen
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 12-31-06 07:59
One of the men who'd witnessed Caden's duel with Nebbish came forward. "Nebbish challenged this wizard to a duel. Now Nebbish is dead."
The man no longer wearing a ski mask looked from the speaker to the body on the floor to Caden, who remained in a fighting stance should the newcomers want to kill him, which, he suspected, they did.
Only to his surprise did something entirely different occur.
"Then it's only right that he join our party," the new arrival said, "and that he lead us. He has the mark."
All eyes settled on Caden's hand, where the burn mark from the pentacle emblem on the door knob glowed pink against his white skin.
Caden's jaw dropped open. "W-what?"
"Only those worthy of being strong leaders get the mark when they first touch that door," the man explained. "You've been chosen." Then he turned to his comrades. "Boys, show our new friend what we brought for him."
The other men in ski masks stepped forward with several sacks that jingled when they moved. They set the sacks on the long wooden table and removed their own ski masks from their faces.
Caden studied each face quickly, but didn't recognize a single one. "What's this?" he asked, indicating with his free hand to the sacks on the table.
"Loot straight from several vaults at Gringotts Bank." The man who'd lead the bank robbery held out his hand. "My name is Gudgeon. This is Hamm, Priller and Tapling," he introduced, pointing to the three wizards who'd accompanied him to Gringotts.
Caden looked at the unopened sacks and then to Gudgeon. "Is this what you do for a living? Mug innocent people and rob banks? How on earth did you break into vaults at Gringotts anyway?"
Gudgeon grinned. "The breaking in was the easy part. It was the breaking out that was the challenge, but that's to Tapling and his Muggle uncle, we managed to pull it off with a bang, didn't we boys?" They laughed loudly.
"What do you do with what you steal?" Caden asked Gudgeon.
Gudgeon shrugged. "We keep some of it. We sell some of it. Whatever strikes our fancy. That's the benefit of doing what we do. We have no rules to follow. No strict schedules. We do what we want, when we want... if that's all right with you, Boss."
Caden studied Gudgeon for a long moment and then dropped his gaze to the body on the floor. Nebbish's right hand was curled open and on it, Caden could see the same mark he had on his own right hand: the pentacle burned into his flesh.
Caden looked up sharply at Gudgeon. "Where do you keep your loot?"
"Allow me to show you," Gudgeon replied. He gestured for Caden to follow him to a room adjoining the one they were in. It was filled with riches, from golden galleons to jewelry that glimmered in the torchlight. Caden's eyes zeroed in on the jewelry that had belonged to Urania. He snatched them up and stuffed them into his pocket.
"You like them?" Gudgeon asked.
"They belong to me," Caden replied.
"Of course. It all does," Gudgeon said. "What would you like us to do for you..."
"Eastwick."
"Eastwick. What would you like to do for you?"
Caden stepped out of the storeroom and said, "I want to meet everyone who serves me."
Time Flies (Daria)
Author: Blossom
Date: 12-31-06 10:32
Watching as Group E finishes its Astronomy Event session Daria stifles a yawn of tiredness. Though each of the five 30 minute sessions that have gone on and the time in between have seem to go by slowly, Daria's not been the slightest bit bored. A little cold perhaps but not bored.
Daria is sure that though the time for her, and maybe for other spectators as well, has seemed to be longer than half hour sessions, she's sure that for the participants in each of the groups to have gone so far would swear the time flew by. Daria is about to find out for herself if her assessment of the relativeness of time for the spectators versus the participants is true.
Beside her Jane Hillier shifts in preparation of rising. Jane is the other Hogwarts entrant for the group Daria is in, Group F. Before their group gets started they first have to wait for the placement announcements for Group D.
The judge whose name sounds very Greek to Daria, Ophelos Galanopoulos, tells those assembled in the four language announcement method used all evening, "In third place, representing Okapi École de Sorcellerie, is Nadira Hassan. Achieving second place is Marisol Guzman of La Escuela de Hechiceria. Earning first place is Griet Vanderbilt from
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
After the awards have been handed out, pictures made, applaused died down, and congratulations over, Group F is called forward. In addition to Jane and Daria there are Luc Falcone and Christophe Deauville of Beauxbatons, Beta Bulgakov and Wulfgar Wurfel from Durmstrang, Rogelio Suarez and Enrique Santos from La Escuela de Hechiceria, Peter Pweto and Jelani Bissett of Okapi École de Sorcellerie, Carrie Southam and Roxanna Taylor from Sydney's, and Amelia Nicolson and Virginia Neal from Watling's.
Daria is glad to see a few of the others' faces echo the nervousness she suddenly feels. She's not sure why she'd feel this way now when she'd felt the least bit nervous while waiting and since this event isn't much different from the Astronomy OWL other than the time being shorter. The Group F judge, with the wonderfully Italian sounding name of Fabrizio Lancione, gives the indication to start.
Sure enough the time does fly. To Daria it seems as though only a couple of minutes have passed when she looks up to see they have about fifteen minutes left. The rush of adreneline to hurry and get as much done and done correctly before those fifteen minutes run out pushes away the hint of tiredness that had had Daria yawning just a short while ago.
Taking a turn to peer through the telescope she's sharing with Jane, Daria fixes in her mind what needs to be put on her star chart next then starts making the appropriate marks to the chart. Before she knows it, Judge Lancione is calling time and Daria is handing her star chart in.
(Siegfried) Charting the Night Sky
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 12-31-06 11:21
Siegfried and Fionna went to their telescope as soon as the sixth group cleared out of the testing area. Although the judge for the fifth group called out the winners from that group's session, Siegfried didn't hear a word. He was too busy reviewing in his mind a map of the night sky and worrying about being a poor representation for Hogwarts.
Fionna, at least, sounded pleased to hear that Jared Wynbourne had place first in that round. He might be a Gryffindor, but at least that was another five points for Hogwarts. The other winners in that round were Henri Grenier of Beauxbatons and Louisa Jones of Watling's.
The final judge was Janet Smith. She handed out blank star charts and made sure everyone had at least two quills, should one break in the middle of the competition. Siegfried took his quill and wrote his name across the top of his star chart.
Not soon thereafter, Judge Smith turned over the hourglass and the half-hour testing session began. Siegfried and Fionna moved to the telescope at the same time and bumped heads.
"Sorry!" Siegfried mumbled quietly. He let her get the first look through the telescope and then had a look himself.
It was a very good thing that the sky was clear and that there wasn't a single obstruction in sight to mar the perfect view. He worked swiftly but carefully, remembering that he didn't always have the best penmanship and that it was imperative he write as clearly as possible. It was hard doing that when one was in the middle of a timed competition, though.
When Judge Smith called time, Siegfried couldn't believe it. He'd filled his chart full but there was plenty more to add. Just where had the time gone?
Judge Smith collected the star charts and disappeared in the tower to mark them, while the previous judge came out to announce the winners from round six. Siegfried kept his fingers crossed that he'd done well enough to make it into the top three spots and eagerly awaited the results.