|
|
Ridiculous
Author: Severus Snape
Date: 07-28-07 10:45
Professor Snider's announcement had come as a great surprise to everyone including Snape. He'd had reservations about the new Headmistress upon learning of her arrival some weeks ago, but his initial concerns had merely been a matter of trust and confidence. Dumbledore had supported Severus for twenty years, even with his questionable past. Would Snider back Severus too?
He'd quickly come to learn that she had only one agenda, one that suited herself and ultimately the Ministry of Magic. Snape had been stripped of his classroom and his office and now knew that the other Potions teacher, Augusta Spudmore, would take over those chambers. He was surprised that he hadn't lost his living quarters, too.
"This is absolutely ridiculous," Professor McGonagall finally said, when she'd gotten over the shock of losing both her position as Deputy-Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House. "Something must be done to stop this madness, Severus."
"Without Dumbledore, I'm afraid we can't do anything except petition to the Board of Directors," Severus said. "The Ministry of Magic is 100% behind these changes, if my hunch is anything to rely on."
"What of the children, Severus?" Minerva exclaimed worriedly. "We must protect them from the discrimination they're to face under this new regime."
"We must do what we can without finding ourselves on the street and fully unable to keep an eye on them," Severus cautioned. "Better to not push the limits of Professor Snider and her new entourage if we want to see to the welfare of the students she deems unfavorable."
He figured Snider had done her homework and knew that Snape was only a half-blood too and probably aptly suited to teach other half-bloods.
Hopefully Dumbledore would return and the new tyranny would end as abrupty as it had started, but if he didn't, what would happen next? Would Hogwarts one day be a place for purebloods only? Was that what Snider was ultimately planning?
Needing to decide on a date to open store
Author: Alice Cullen
Date: 07-28-07 13:56
I stood in the middle of my store looking at everything. Jasper had finally finished the glass wall. And though we had yet to get a café built into the store, my store was looking pretty good. I smiled. The shelves were filled to the brim and I had hired some help. My new help was a bit of an odd witch but she would do. She knew all kinds of Divination things. And she knew how to cook. She would be a great help. Plus she was close to my age. Well, a little older. But the older witches were the best. They could teach you things. Plus, Jasper liked her. I had even invested in a black kitten who sat and purred on the window shelf. What was a divination shop without a black cat?
Now, all I needed to do was get that café built onto my shop and I would be all set. Unfortunately for me, the café would have to wait. Jasper was a fine builder. But he couldn’t build a café all by himself and we were going to need to pay some one to help him. So, the deal we had strike between us was, that if I made a certain amount of money in the month, then we would go ahead with the addition. Sure I could afford to build it now if I wanted. But I wanted to try and work for it. If I didn’t make the money in the month then we would consider the idea of using my inheritance money. I did inherit a fairly large sum of money. But I didn’t like to flaunt it.
The only problem now was, that I needed to decide when to open my store up. I wished I knew when Hogwarts was going to have their first trip to Hogesmeade. But I doubted that anyone knew that. I had been thinking so hard that I didn’t notice when Jasper came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
“Stop thinking so hard.” He whispered in my ear and kissed my neck.
“I can't help it. Running a store is going to be harder then I thought. Do you think I am insane for trying this?” I asked waving my hand around the store. Jasper just shook his head as he moved in front of me and leaned into me.
“I think, you should do whatever you want to do. But I also think that we need to open the store up soon, Alice. We cant make money with closed doors.”
“If only I could figure out when Hogwarts was going to have their first trip to Hogesmeade. I expect it to be soon.”
“Why wait for that?” Jasper asked.
“I don’t know.” I answered.
“Well we better hurry up an decide on a date to open the store.” He said softly.
“Okay.” I answered and smiled up at him. We were both alone and in the store and he was so close to me. I knew that the date would be decided later.
Supper
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 07-28-07 16:47
"Something smells good," Hermione comments, walking up behind Ron to wrap her arms around his waste and to peer around him.
"Cheesy potato soup. I hope that's all right. There's some crusty, buttery bread too."
"Soup sounds great," Hermione assures, tightening her arms to give a hug before sitting down at the kitchen table.
Ginny walks in, asking, "You ever think Ron would cook as much as he does?"
Hermione shakes her head. "Honestly, no."
"He's not half bad. I've not keeled over yet from eating anything he's made."
Ron, ladle in hand, spins around, "Hey, I'm standing right here."
Ginny laughs, "And your point is?"
"My point is, don't you have a date or somewhere else to be?"
"You know I told Michael Corner thanks but no on another date invitation. You're stuck with me," Ginny smiles sweetly.
Ron's upper lip turns up at Ginny. Once he's done making a face at her, he says to Hermione, "Sorry. I thought we'd be alone tonight."
Hermione shrugs, "It's all right, Ron. It's not as though Ginny's a pest."
Her face lights up with a smile. Ron involuntarily smiles back. Ginny rolls her eyes and laughs. "You aren't really stuck with me. I was being a pest, Hermione. Mum asked me over. Ordered more like. Said I've not been to supper in ages and if I wasn't going out tonight I'd best show up. I just came in to say hello to Hermione before popping out."
Ron makes another face at his sister before saying, "I just realized, it's September 1st. You think we could sneak in at Hogwarts and load up on all those scrumptious Start of Term Feast goodies."
Hermione melts Ron's heart again by replying, "I think we have a grand feast right here. Is that a cake?"
"What?" Ron looks to the cabinet. "Yeah. Nearly forgot I made one."
"You made a cake?" Ginny asks, wide eyed.
"Yeah, erm, Briar showed me. Was going to ask Mum but she would have made a fuss I think."
"Definately a feast then," Hermione states.
Ginny laughs again. "I'm off. Save me a piece of cake if it's any good."
"Of course it's good," Ron protests.
To prove his point, Ron moves quickly before Ginny can react, dipping a finger in the icing and smearing it on her lips.
She smacks, "Yum. Frosting is really good. Doesn't mean the cake is." She backs away, laughing more. "Bye, Hermoine. I'll be sure to get home late," Ginny winks before ducking entirely out of the kitchen.
There's a distinct POP. Ron grins and waggles his eyebrows. "Alone at last! What shall we do with our time?"
Hermione's the one laughing now. "I say feed me and then we'll see."
Muggle-born
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 07-28-07 17:33
Ever since Professor Snider's announcement, Fritz feels more scared than ever in his life. It's very obvious that students like him, who are Muggle-born or anything else but pureblood, are being cast aside like second-class citizens. Fritz thinks that what Professor Snider just announced is only the beginning of what's to come, but at least he can take comfort in the fact that the professors he already knows will continue to teach him and the other students like him. He isn't sure if the new teachers share Professor Snider's mindset or not but he imagines that it's certainly possible, though most of them look as shocked by the news as the old Hogwarts professors.
He puts his arm around Coco. "I'm going to write home as soon as the feast is over," he tells her. "Maybe if enough parents complain, something will change."
"What if your parents pull you out?" Coco asks.
It's the first time Fritz has even thought about the possibility. He can't imagine leaving Hogwarts, and honestly doesn't want to, despite the changes. He has always loved it at Hogwarts and couldn't imagine transfering to another school or going back to a Muggle one.
"I don't want to leave," he finally answers, "but I think it won't be easy for us if we stay."
He looks up at Professor Snider, who looks so smug and secure in Dumbledore's chair. The other professors recently arrived at Hogwarts block the view of Snape, McGonagall and the others. Only Hagrid is easily seen because of his bulk.
"The new herbology teacher," Fritz says, shifting his gaze a few chairs down from Professor Snider, "didn't he play Quidditch here with us a few years ago?"
"Yes, I recognized his name when Professor Snider mentioned it," Coco replies. "Lawrence Masterson."
"Strange, isn't it? Having an old classmate as your teacher."
"He's not going to be our teacher," Coco points out.
"I'm glad for that," Fritz says. "It might be easier for us to pretend that nothing has changed if we keep all the same professors."
Neither he nor Coco really believe it though. Everything is changing this year, and for the worse it seems.
Too horrible to be real
Author: Cailyn Spicer
Date: 07-28-07 19:01
Cailyn was certain that if her mouth could be opened any wider, that it would turn into a canyon. Maybe her mouth could be as wide as the Grand Canyon. She could not believe what she had just heard.
“As of this second, pureblooded students will not be educated alongside half-bloods, Muggle borns, and half-breeds."
In fact, she kept repeating this to herself just to make sure she heard it right. At first, she didn’t understand it. And it wasn’t until about the third time she repeated the words to herself that she fully understood their meaning. And then, the anger came.
How could the Ministry of Magic allow such thing? What right did this Snider lady have to separate a whole school according to blood? Cailyn closed her mouth and shook her head placing her fingers on each side of her head.
She hadn’t wanted to come here in the first place. It was hard enough switching schools. And moving to another country was like moving to another planet. But she never in her wildest dreams imaged that she would be separated according to blood type. She could feel hot, angry tears coming. She wished she had stayed in Washington. She wished she had asked her father to send her to Waltings and she wished she had refused her letter to Hogwarts. Even the Muggle schools would have been better then this.
She felt so sorry for all of the Muggle born and half- breeds as Snider called them. She wondered for a minute what Alex was, as she looked over in his direction. But just as quickly as the thought came to her mind, Cailyn shoved it out of her mind. She sent a death glare over at Harriet Snider. Not caring at all if the woman saw it or not. Without realizing it, Cailyn fingered her wand. She wished she could curse the woman. This whole separation thing, went against everything Cailyn had been raised too. In America this never would have happened.
Her appetite like everyone else’s was shot and she shoved the plate away. She was going to be writing her father a nice long letter and she was going to see about transferring back to Waltings as soon as she could. She made a mental note to talk to the head mistress about transferring back to her old school. She was not going to take part in this. She wanted to turn and run back home. Take the next flight to America. How could this be happening? It was too horrible to be real.
Priorities
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 07-28-07 20:21
"Bollocks. It's all bollocks," Edith snaps, pushing peas around on her plate to the point that they are nicely mushy.
"The new deputy headmaster is a bit of a sex god, don't you think?" I muse.
"Focus, Georgia. Focus," Catherine orders.
Isabella sniffles, "I can't have classes without you three. Quick, Georgie, go tell her you'e adopted. Your real parents are both Wizarding."
Looking away from my rating of the new male professor, I furrow my brow. "Wouldn't it be easier for you to claim being adopted, Izzy wizzy? Then you could have class with all three of us."
Izzy ignores me, moaning, "Who will I be rooming with now?"
Edith offers a tentative smile. "Could be worse, Iz." She tilts her head towards two of the seventh years sitting near enough for us to sometimes overhear. "Apparently Jane will not be able to sit with Doug, her boyfriend, at meals starting tomorrow. She's pureblood, he isn't."
I hear this and swivel my head, mouth gaping open. "That's... that's just a bleeding travesty! A girl should be able to sit with her guy. I'm going to launch a protest."
Catherine grabs me by the arm and pulls me back down to my seat. "Not so fast, Georgie. Don't you think it's more important to protest the blood status segregation?"
"Well, yes, of course. That might take awhile though and I just thought we could convince Hairy Snider up there to make special allowences for girlfriends to sit with their boyfriends."
"You're only saying that," Edith snickers, "because you plan on making Sage Porter your sex god boyfriend and he's a pureblood."
"It doesn't have to be Sage. It's simply that he is a sex god and he is currently available," I patiently explain.
Sniffling, Izzy tells me, "Priorities, Georgia, priorities."
Sighing and speaking slowly, patiently, I inform her, "That's what I'm doing. Prioritizing."
Translations:
bollocks = utter rubbish (really means testicles but who uses it that way I ask you?)
sex god = those of the male persuasion who, with one glance, make you forget your own name
bleeding = used for emphasis, much like bloody
Hairy = appropriate nickname for the overly hirsute headmistress
Bad Dream?
Author: Skyler
Date: 07-28-07 20:45
Skyler sat at her table with Katheryn. She looked at her and knew they would not be bunking together nor sharing the same classes.
"This is bloody stupid!" Katheryn said angrily. Skyler couldn't find the words to sum up how she felt. She would not have classes with Alex either. She wondered how many of the few friends she would loose because of this? She hated the thought of being separated. She wasn't going to sit in front of the table because she was pureblood. She was going to sit in the back where she liked it.
"I can't believe this. I won't go with this!" Skyler said her voice tight with anger.
"Oh, come on. We have to. If the professor aren't doing anything about it, there's a problem. Do you really think Professor Mcgonagall or the rest would just sit there if there was something they could do?" Katheryn said. Skyler knew she was right but she was rebellious by nature and she finally had a worthy cause.
"But this is wrong! I don't care that I'm a pureblood and you're half. You know you are one of the few friends I have and I won't just sit here," Skyler explained. Katheryn sighed.
"Sky, don't do anything yet. Let's at least come up with a plan before you do something stupid," she replied. Sky couldn't argue with her right now. Her thoughts were messed up and angry.
"Fine, Katie, but we better do something fast, because if it were up to me I'd kill every last one of those gits! Starting with that Snider," Sky told her. Katie gave her a half-hearted smile. Her friend's heart was in the right place but she was definiely going about this entirely wrong.
"Let's just eat," Katie said looking at the food.
"I'm not hungry. I want to talk to Alex and Au...I mean Professor Whitmen," she said. Katie nodded and was glad her sister was gone already. She didn't have to deal with this.
"I know, but right now there's nothing we can do," Katie told her friend. Skyler looked at her. She and Katie sat there listening to everything around them. Skyler desperately wanted to go to bed to wake and it was all a bad dream.
About Bloody Time (Basil)
Author: Jared
Date: 07-28-07 21:41
"What are you smirking about?" Ivan Grimsby asks.
"About bloody time someone puts them in their place."
"Them?"
"Those who taint our blood."
Ivan, forkful of shepherd's pie halfway to his mouth, gives a quick nod. "Thought that's what you meant."
"Nothing against Professor Dumbledore, but talk about a blood traitor... This roast is really good. Have you tried some?"
"Not yet. Getting there though. The grilled chicken is tasty. You think any of the professors will quit over this?"
Basil shrugs. "Some won't be any loss. Hagrid's a joke. Miller didn't even know about the Wizarding world until a few years ago. McGonagall is as much a blood traitor as Dumbledore ever was."
"What about the new ones?" Ivan points to the new head table using his fork. "I think they'd all have to be purebloods."
"Yeah, have to be. They wouldn't cull out the undesirables so we can have classes as it should be, purebloods only, then stick us with a professor who isn't just as pure. Some of them don't look so happy about the news. Guess they weren't told when they were hired."
"Wonder who hired them. Snider? I can't hardly look at her. She makes my eyes hurt."
"Good thing she won't actually be teaching any of our classes, eh? Least she's right minded about education even if she is uglier than the blast end of a skrewt. Sort of makes Hagrid look handsome in comparison. Pass the carrots, would you?"
Ivan, still steadily shoveling food into his mouth between talking to Basil, uses one hand to push a serving bowl of carrots towards Basil. Basil, his appetite stoked by this happy turns of events, helps himself to more carrots and hurries to catch up eating as much as Ivan has.