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That Hurts!
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 06-24-08 09:16
Johanna, Gus and Felicia were having lunch together when Colin Hawke, the boy Johanna met the other day and which was home schooled, joined them.
The atmosphere on Happy Haven wasn’t so depressive anymore. It seemed that, like Johanna, many of the students have accepted what was going on and knew there was nothing they could do about it.
Johanna presented Colin to her friends. Then she asked him:
“So Colin, have you met new people since we last spoke?”
“Oh yes!”, he replied excited: “I’ve been talking to a lot students. I’ve also met some who, like me, are going to the 4th year. It’s going to be great having classes with other persons!”
“So you spent all these school years at home?” asked Gus.
Colin nodded with his head
“It must have been really boring.”
“Yeah… in a certain way. The only contact I’ve had with the wizarding world himself was when I went to the Diagon Ally.”
“Only that?”
“Well… there was a time when I went to a quidditch match. I’ve never forget it. What a game! It was one of the lasts games of Isolde Farnon. She was a really good chaser.”
“You know, Isolde’s cousin was with us in Hogwarts. His name is Mark and … OW! That hurts!"
Johanna has stepped Felicia’s foot under the table. Then she made her sign to look at Gus.
His face showed sadness. Gus had been really close to Mark when the school year started. Johanna remembered when they messed around with the Nons, not only those from their house but also others, like the Hufflepuff girl, Kate Dewhurst.
Then Gus changed his blood status and Mark cut with all the relationship they had.
Like Johanna’s father said: the spell turned against the wizard.
Unaware of all these Colin continued:
“Really? You’re kidding! Didn’t you ask him to get you an autograph from Isolde? If I were you, I’ll do my best to be his friend. Cousin of a great quiddicth player! Who knows when he might present us to her?”
Without saying a word Gus stood up and left the dinning hall.
“What happened to him? He didn’t finish his meal.”
Felicia was about to explain when Colin turned around and started waving to a girl who was nearby. She smiled at him.
“Beautiful isn’t she? Her name is Arista Lampwick. She’s going to the 4th year too. “
And without any more explanations he left the table and joined her.
After he left Felicia exclaimed with sarcasm:
“So sweet! He’s in love!”
“Oh please, he’s just fascinated. That’s all.”
Felicia changed her tone. She sounded worried now:
“Do you think Gus is ok? Let’s find out where he is.”
“No Felicia. Let him be alone for a while. Let’s instead finished our lunch calmly and them yes, we’ll go find him and cheer him up.”
Jimi Meet Don
Author: Don Thomas
Date: 06-24-08 11:45
"Oh, mummy," a small girl practically yelled beside Don. "I want that cat."
"You can get whatever you want dear," a soft and gentle response from a feminine voice flitted through the air. "It's your decision."
This annoyed Don. Not as much as her previous playdate with Stephen Hunt or the fact that she couldn't go where she wanted to to buy an animal, but it still annoyed her. Then again, it wasn't hard to annoy Don today.
Don leaned against a tower of animal cages in the Magical Menagerie. Her thoughts drifted for a brief moment to Canada, her home. What would she be doing right now? Nate and her would probably be at the Muggle movie theatre watching that new Will Smith flick. Nate loved Will Smith. He claimed that he was 'Like Tupac (whom Nate and Don personally thought was a wizard and still alive) only with less lyrics and better puns.' Then the two would go into a medley of Don beatboxing to Nate's singing Will Smith's hit 'Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It'.
Good times. Good times.
It took Don a few minutes to actually hear the man yelling at her. "Off of the cages!"
Don moved away from the cages to once again stand next to Stephen Hunt. Yes, it was another playdate. This time, Stephen had come over her place. Since there was nothing better to do, they'd decided to shop for school supplies. So far, they'd been to get robes, books, inks and quills, and food at McMerlin's. Don had even bought a new faux-leather bound bookbag to put all her school necessities into. But now she needed a pet. She tried to focus.
Originally, Don had wanted to visit a Muggle pound and take an animal off of death row. Of course, her mother had said no. Don was, yet again, under the curse of parental force. No matter how good her intentions had been, her mother still viewed it as a risk.
"So, what happened to your pet again?" Don looked at Stephen.
"I gave it away before I left Canada. My mom didn't want to move with it. She said it was a hassle."
"Right," Stephen Hunt said.
They walked past some cages. Don spotted a small monkey staring at her with child-like innocence in it's eyes. She smiled somewhat at it before walking away. When Stephen walked past it, the monkey began to scream at him. Don went back to the monkey to see it calm down. It reached a power towards Don as a store clerk walked up behind her.
"That's a West Nigerian Spider Monkey. His age is around 3 months. It's said that they pick their owner based on how they act around them. Honestly, this is the first time he's been this calm."
Don tilted her head to the side. "Does he have a name?"
"We tried to name him, but he doesn't like any of the names we give him."
A list of names formed in Don's head. Otto, Nick, Steven, Gene, John, Ringo, but only one name always stayed on top of the others. Jimi. "What about Jimi?"
The monkey, whom had looked away for a moment, suddenly looked back at Don.
"Jimi," she said again. The monkey came nearer. The clerk opened the door of the cage. With suppressed excitement, the monkey jumped on to Don's shoulders and began rubbing his fur against her. Don giggled as she put him in her hands, as he was small enough to fit in the palm of just one of them, and let him play with her fingers. "Looks like I'm getting the monkey."
To Be A Little Bird
Author: Coco Nutt
Date: 06-24-08 17:38
Standing near one section of the wall that offers a glimpse of the top of leafy green trees, Coco's thoughts stray yet again to how easy it would be to change into a bird and fly away. With Pea safely with Etta Wynbourne - something the younger girl had suggested on the Hogsmeade train platform when they heard Snider announcing that even Nons who lived in Hogsmeade had to board the train - Coco could change without having to worry about her little dog. She could figure out where Happy Haven is then make for her winged horse, still stabled at Hogwarts (or so she hopes). She'd get Hazel, come back for Frizt and together they could get safely to the Muggle world. They could also leak information about Happy Haven.
"Thinking about Pea, Hazel, and leaving?
Coco looks to her side where Fritz now stands. Coco starts to slip back to her poor diction and slang few from Hogwarts ever understood but catches herself, "Yeah. I keep reaching into my pocket, expecting Pea to be there. And yeah, I was thinking about Hazel and me being a bird."
"You should go and don't come back."
"If I went, I would come back so you could go too."
"Too risky."
"I could get some Threstrals to come too. Help even more."
"Too dangerous."
"But what if Carrow harmed, even killed, because of what I did? What if she acted before I could get back for you?"
Coco goes silent, as does Fritz. They've had similar conversations before, ones that only had them wondering if Carrow would have their families harmed or killed if they were to escape. Their families being Muggle makes something like that very easy for someone like Carrow and those like her.
After several minutes spent standing there, neither saying a word, Fritz cups Coco's elbow and leads her away from the wall to go sit in the shade of one of the buildings, talking of things other than escape.
(Quin) Safe Passage to Freedom
Author: Illyria
Date: 06-24-08 18:29
In the early morning hours of the day, Quin stood on a private dock at the Port of Dover and desperately haggled with the owner of a fishing boat for safe passage from England to France. Although he'd not been raised or cultured in Muggle ways, several months on the run had forced him to somewhat adapt to the lifestyle, even if he lived more like a homeless person. He knew what was most needed to convince the captain of the trip, but unfortunately, he didn't have any Muggle currency.
Quin pulled a small, worn leather pouch from his pocket and emptied it into the palm of his hand. Gold and silver gleamed in the dim lamplight of the dock. "It's real," Quin told the captain. He actually didn't know if galleons and sickles were made of real gold and silver or if they were only described as such because of their color. Wizarding currency might not mean anything to Muggles, but gold and silver did.
The captain wasn't an unreasonable man, and he could tell that there was a sense of urgency and desperation in Quin's voice and entire appearance. He could hear the gentle sounds of a baby's cry in the background, which only aided to soften his heart.
"Fine. I'll take the tokens and let you and your people ride with me across the Channel," the captain said gruffly.
Quin's shoulders sagged in relief. He turned and gently called over his shoulder for Arsinoe. She emerged from behind a wooden column, bearing a small bundle in her arms. The baby sucked on its mother's finger, though it remained restless and unhappy.
"Watch your step," the captain said, a little more kindly to Arsinoe than he'd been with Quin. He helped her onto the boat and then held out his hand to Quin for the coins. Quin dumped them back into the sack and pressed it into the older man's palm.
"Thank you," he breathed. "You have no idea how much you've helped us."
The man wasn't one for thank yous and merely nodded to the boat and said, "Get in."
Quin climbed aboard and sat down next to his wife. He kissed her forehead and then looked into the face of his baby girl, Alexandra Quinlynn Crumm. She'd been born two weeks ago, halfway between Hampshire and Kent, in a rural area. Although frightening for both new parents, the birth had gone without complications. Mother and baby were fine, though somewhat malnurished. Quin was very confident that everything would change as soon as they docked in Calais. To him, France was freedom. France was a new life.
Change of Plans
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 06-25-08 18:56
Griff enters Diagon Alley through the brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron. He's come to buy cat food for Seeayetee, to get some deli meat from Delia's Deli, and to get some of Alun's favorite flavor of ice cream from Florean Fortescues. Griff's been worried about Alun the past few weeks. One day the older man just shut down, saying he could feel something was wrong with Marwain. Since that day, Alun has seemed just a shell of himself.
Getting the man his favorite ice cream won't do much to help get Alun out of the depression he's in but Griff figures that the more small, positive things he can do, the more likely Alun is to realize that there is still hope, that he has others who care about him, that he has a great grandson who adores him.
All these things go out of Griff's head when he sees a familiar figure coming out of The Health Nut. Jacob LaBranche hasn't seen Griff, having immediately turned left when coming out of the fitness club.
Keeping close to the shop fronts and doing his best to keep people between Jacob and him, Griff follows. He's determined to get Jacob where he can arrest him. Until Jacob is either behind bars for good, or dead, Griff will always feel the threat that Jacob poses to Tristan, Alun, Ruth and, when they are once more free, Carys and Marwain.
Let the Rain Fall Down
Author: Griet
Date: 06-26-08 18:23
Griet trudged outside from her dormitory and paused to look up at the threatening clouds that hung over Happy Haven School For Nons' campus. It seemed as if someone had charmed the cloud to dampen the mood of the students stuck at the community. Outside the perimeter of the school, Griet saw nothing but blue, cloudless sky and a shining sun. She debated turning around and going back inside, but she realized she actually preferred getting rained on than going back into the depressing building. She picked up her feet and went to a small patch of grass directly under the open sky and plopped down Indian-style.
Griet missed her family terribly, even the parents who had seemingly abandoned her at Professor Snider's urgings. She missed Cornelia the most and wondered how her family had reacted to Cornelia and Aleydis' news that Griet's train car had been left behind during the route home to King's Cross Station. Were they sad? Or was it just as well, since Griet was nothing but a non now? At least Griet wasn't entirely alone at Happy Haven. Sadie and Ramona, her cousins, were there too.
When the first drops of rain started to fall from the ominous clouds overhead, Griet stretched out her legs before her, leaned back on her arms, and tilted her head upwards. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, collecting rain drops and simply enjoying the feel of them against her face.
She sat alone, not at all minding the solitude. Griet had grown used to being on her own since she became a werewolf, and at Happy Haven, like she'd been at Hogwarts, Griet was unique in her situation. Her first transformation at the community had been even more awful than any she had experienced at Hogwarts under Professor Snider's rule. She'd been locked in a tiny cage on the grounds and like before, given no Wolfsbane Potion to help her get through the night. The students inside the dormitories had heard her howls all night long.
The rain came faster and harder now, soaking Griet's hair and clothes. She didn't mind, though, and fell back onto the grass, letting the big drops pummel her body. She wanted to fall asleep under the rain and dream herself away to someplace nice.
Worries
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 06-27-08 12:39
For not the first time since arriving at Happy Haven, Fritz wonders what his parents must be thinking. Any contact between them and their only child has long been severed, thanks to the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts' Headmistress Harriet Snider. Still, Fritz well-imagines that his parents arrived at King's Cross on the evening of the fourth of July to pick up Fritz. In fact, while on the train himself, Fritz imagined the happy reunion at the station. It obviously wasn't meant to be.
Fritz can only hope that his parents, being Muggles and living in the Muggle world, are safe from all the persecution Muggle-borns, half-bloods and half-breeds faced. He knows that pureblood wizards probably rank Muggles even lower on the food chain than individuals like himself, who are solely of Muggle ancestry but are, at least, wizards themselves. It's just that with them living in the Muggle world, Fritz isn't too worried that they've been forceably relocated. Maybe he's just cautiously optimistic, though.
He does somewhat fear that they've tried looking for him. He knows that they can't see where the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron is in London, but they've been there several times with him and have a general idea of where to go. What if they accidentally found the pub? What if they were rounded up and hauled off to some community, or worse?
Fritz tries not to think about the grim possibilities, but with nothing but time on his hands, it's often hard not to ponder those things.
He and Coco go to the dining hall. It's almost impossible to believe that the food there is worse than what they got at Hogwarts the past year. If Fritz wasn't so damn hungry everytime he went to the dining hall, he probably wouldn't eat a thing. Some students are eating less than usual and look thinner for it.
"Do you think we will have all the same courses we had before?" Fritz asks Coco between unappetizing bites of mystery meat.
"I don't know," Coco replies, with a sad shrug of her shoulders. "I can't help but wonder why anyone would want to waste time and resources on wizards like us. We aren't meant to be productive members of society."
"Not anymore," Fritz said quietly, with a bit of regret evident in his tone.
Since starting at Hogwarts, he's dreamed of becoming a great Potions master one day. Now he thinks he'll never get that chance.
Why The Wait?
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 06-27-08 13:43
Griff makes an impatient sound as he gets up to locate one of the law enforcement people he's been dealing with for a few hours now. "May I go soon?"
Officer Lewiston shrugs, "I'm sorry but I'm not sure. We do have confirmation from the Fauklands that LaBranche is wanted for multiple homicide, among other things."
"Then what's the hold up? Why am I being made to stay?"
Lewiston shakes her head. "I don't know why other than the request to have you wait come from higher up. I'm getting some tea, would you like a cuppa?"
"No, but thank you," Griff replies, trying not to sound as though he blames her personally for the long wait.
Sitting back down, Griff leans back so that his head is resting against the wall, folds his arms, and closes his eyes. After what turned out to be a battle with Jacob and then all this time at the Ministry giving his report, answering questions and then just sitting and waiting have made for a tiring day.
Griff had followed Jacob to an empty building in Knockturn Alley. An extremely faded and weathered sign on the building, which also has a hard to read #16 just over the front door, indicates that the ground floor used to be an herb shop. Jacob had paused near the doorway, as if checking for broken spells on the door, then let himself in. Griff had darted up to the building and through one grimy window could see Jacob walking across the shop to a staircase along the back wall.
Griff took his time at the door, making sure Jacob hadn't cast any spells on it once he'd gone inside. Once he was safely through, Griff slowly made his way to the stairs, avoiding debris and squeaky floorboards as best he could. Going up the stairs proved even more of a challenge. Half the boards were rotting and the railing was loose and creaky.
Reaching the landing, Griff cautiously peered into the gloom to find it partitioned off with a hallway running to two doors. Griff had no time to consider anything else when a bolt of light from a wand shot out from one of the doorways. The door must not have been fully closed but in the gloominess of the hallway and the way shadows fell, Griff hadn't been able to tell it had been partially open.
Jacob's voice called from just inside that door, "So bloody persistent, nephew."
"Why didn't you leave? You knew I'd find you if you stayed around."
"Who's the child? And the old man?"
"Why do you care?"
"I know the old man's not family. Is the child? Holding out on me, Griffin?"
"Friends. Nothing more. An old man and his great grandson."
"Looked cozier than that."
"Looks can be deceiving."
The entire time this exchange of words was taking place, the two men were also hurling spells at each other. Jacob could have disapparated at any time but he seemed intent on continuing with trying to get Griff to admit a blood connection to the child.
Griff isn't sure how long the dueling went on, both the men shielding enough that neither was doing any harm to the other. Jacob was trying to get Griff riled enough to make a mistake. It was he, though, who ended up making the error. Jacob, sneering about a potion he knew that took blood of a child about the age he guessed that boy he'd seen with Griff to be, had inadvertently stepped a fraction of an inch into the hallway. It was just enough for Griff to hit with him a spell. Before Jacob could recover, Griff had Jacob's wand sailing through the air towards him and another spell cast to bind Jacob.
After that it was just a matter of a side along apparation to the Ministry, Jacob protesting the entire time. Jacob had been put in a holding cell and Griff is sure that the man had been questioned just as thoroughly as Griff had been. Now that the confirmation on the warrent for Jacob has been made, Griff cannot imagine why someone higher up in the department has requested Griff not be allowed to leave yet.
Deciding he wants some tea afterall, Griff gets up again and goes in seach of Officer Lewiston.
All Goblins Should Be Rounded Up (Euphemia Smythe-Jones)
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 06-27-08 17:29
Euphemia was sitting at her desk reading over a proposed budget for the Department of Mysteries while also drinking tea and eating scones with clotted cream when she was informed that a prisoner just brought in would like to speak with her. Such requests are not all that unusual. Some of these low lives get arrested and think that personal appeals to the Minister of Magic will solve all their problems.
She was about to say that she has no time to see a prisoner when her secretary adds, "His name is Jacob LaBranche. His nephew of all people is the one who arrested him. Griffin Price."
This got Euphemia's attention. "Send word that I'll see LaBranche and that if Price is still here, he's to stay until I've seen LaBranche."
When Euphemia said this she was thinking she'd go see LaBranche after she'd finished her tea and scones. Her secretary handing her that day's Daily Prophet promptly changed Euphemia's plans.
Speaking aloud though her words are not necessarily aimed at her secretary, Euphemia hisses, "Why am I learning of this from the paper?"
The secretary, not having a ready response, backed up to the door where she silently waits in case the Minister has more instructions for her.
Euphemia read over the article that garnered the day's headline. According to the article, Goblins have announced that both the Diagon Alley branch and the Hogsmeade branch of Gringotts will close in two weeks. Bank patrons need to make alternate arrangements for items held in vaults. Anyone unable to do so in the two week time period will need to contact the Paris branch to take possession of their belongings.
Clutching the paper in one fisted hand, her face full of rage, Euphemia stalked past her secretary. "I'm to Gringotts, Diagon Alley."
Euphemia spent the new few hours in a heat argument with what she considers to be a bloody fecking beast, the Goblin in charge of the Diagon Alley branch of Gringotts. When she returned to the Ministry, Euphemia was wishing she could have killed that animal on the spot without having repurcussions from the act. She was also seriously thinking of making a law that makes Goblins some sort of beasts of service, sort of like House Elves.
Already in a dark mood, a short time after returning from Gringotts, Euphemia went to see Jacob LaBranche. In under a minute LaBranche had Euphemia's temper up even more.
"Took you long enough," LaBranche had snapped.
"As Minister of Magic I am a very busy person. What do you want?"
"What do you think? Have the charges dropped and have me released."
"You are wanted for a number of murders."
"You drank a potion made from one that's not on the Wizarding books."
"It is not wise to threaten me, Jacob."
"Not a threat. A fact."
With no one watching or listening in, Euphemia didn't hesitate to hit LaBranche to use a spell that robbed LaBranche of his voice then hitting him multiple times with the Cruciatus Curse. Before leaving the room, Euphemia said with a wicked smile, "Your voice will return in two or three weeks. By that time you will be at Azkaban. You can try your threats then but who's going to believe you?"
Slightly mollified now that she'd been able to work off some of her anger, Euphemia went to speak with Griffin Price about his uncle and the jail term that man is certain to receive.