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Change Can Be Good
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 05-24-09 10:42
Professor McGonagall entered the Transfiguration classroom and began to tidy it for the new term, though it wouldn't start for many weeks. Its arrival would signal many changes at Hogwarts––changes that would, for once, be beneficial to all and not to a select few.
Hogwarts letters had already gone out to new students, not only recently turned eleven year olds but any twelve year olds who should have received their Hogwarts letters last year. Letters had also gone out to those students who'd been at Happy Haven or elsewhere, inviting them back to Hogwarts.
Because Happy Haven's curriculum had been severely lacking in all areas, it was decided that students would repeat the school year. Students who would have been seventh years last year and would have just graduated were not required to return to Hogwarts, but they were encouraged to retake seventh year and to prepare for the N.E.W.T. exams, which they'd been denied last year.
Arrangements were also being made for those students who'd learned a little more than a year ago that they couldn't take the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s because they were "nons". Those former seventh years were adults now and had completed their Hogwarts education, but some, if not all, were probably interested in taking the exams, even so long after the fact. The details had not yet been hammered out but would be soon.
Changes were coming to the classes, as well. With the exception of Ancient Runes, Arithmancy & Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, Fitness & Athletics, and Muggle Studies, each course would have two professors––one to teach the younger set of students and the other to teach the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. level students. Professor McGonagall would be teaching the upper level Transfiguration course. A teacher for the lower set had yet to be found.
Professor McGonagall liked the idea of dividing the classes. She, of course, loved teaching students of all ages and skills, but sometimes it was difficult juggling so many classes at once. Now she would be able to devote more time to her remaining classes and students.
She decided she might even revise her lesson plans. With that in mind, she continued to tidy her classroom.
Little League & Uncle Rivalen
Author: Isolde
Date: 05-24-09 11:14
A number of individuals Isolde hadn't seen in quite some time sat in the office of Angelina Johnson at the Ministry of Magic. Some looked just as Isolde remembered, others looked drastically altered. Other faces were new altogether.
Angelina cleared her throat. "I'm glad you all could make it on such short notice. We're here to discuss the future of the Little League. For those of you who were..." Angelina paused, thinking of the most polite way to put it, "...unavailable... last season, the League was cut from ten to three teams. Of the three, the London Lambs coached by Isolde Farnon took the Little League cup."
Angelina smiled at Isolde, and there was a smattering of applause.
Isolde acknowledged everything with a single nod.
"Since things have more or less resumed some form of normalcy," Angelina went on, "it's been decided that we can expand back to the original ten teams. Unfortunately, not everyone who was with us from the start has returned."
A silence fell, as she and the others remembered the fallen.
"I've been selected to carry on in the position of director of the League. That leaves an opening for the reestablished Iverness Imps."
Angelina turned to the three coaches, Isolde, Briony Carnegie, and Edan Collier, who'd been with the League since the very beginning. "Briony has chosen to continue on with the Cardiff Cubs. Edan has decided to stick with the Glasgow Goslings, and Isolde has asked to return to the Plymouth Polliwogs."
She went on to pair the returning coaches who'd either been snatched or gone into hiding last year with their old teams and then had the newly hired assigned to the remaining teams, including her old one, the Iverness Imps.
Discussion on tryouts and the new season's schedule followed, and then the meeting adjourned.
Isolde, glad that things had finally returned to normal, slowly moved into the hall and headed for the lifts, where she was met by her uncle Rivalen. She gave him a hug and asked him what he was doing at the Ministry of Magic.
"I just applied for a job in Muggle Relations."
"You did? What happened to your position at Hogwarts? Were you sacked?"
Rivalen laughed. "Of course not! Professor Dumbledore merely told me he thought I could do better elsewhere and mentioned he knew of an opening here at the Ministry that he thought would suit me perfectly."
"So you were sacked," Isolde stated.
"No, no. I was nothing of the kind! Dumbledore said, and I quote, "I'd rather like to think that I'm guiding your career in a different direction," which means he was looking out for my best interests. He obviously thought I needed more than what I had at Hogwarts. He's probably right anyway. The man in a genius."
"Yes, well. I hope you... get that job."
"I've never not gotten one I've applied for," Rivalen replied confidently. "You leaving?"
"Yes. I'll see you later, Uncle Rivalen."
"Say hello to your parents for me."
"Bye!"
Isolde got off the lift, shaking her head all the way to the fireplace. Her uncle was something else!
(Alanna) Guests
Author: Beck
Date: 05-24-09 11:44
Alanna and Jared arrived at Orei's Hogsmeade home in time for her graduation party. Alanna wore a white sundress with purple, blue and black butterflies on it, and Jared was dressed in jeans and a nice shirt. She carried a gift bag, a house warming present for Orei. Alanna's grandmother had recommended she get Orei something for the kitchen or dining room, so Alanna had picked out some drinking glasses, both short and tall. Jared carried with him two extra large bottles of butterbeer from The Three Broomsticks.
They were greeted at the door by Madeline Miller, who was Orei's roommate. Orei was soon at the door too, accepting the gift and drinks her first guests brought.
"Help yourselves to the refreshments," Orei said, as she moved through the house to put the gift aside and to add the bottles to the drink table. "There's cake and sweets from Briar's Bakery and Honeydukes and even a couple of experiments Maddie and I conjured up," Orei paused, laughing, "and finger foods galore. I hope you didn't eat anything before coming."
"We didn't," Alanna answered for the both of them. Everything looked and smelled good. She didn't even know where to start.
Jared picked up a plate and started loading it up with bite-sized foods like little sausages and cheese puffs. Alanna followed suit and at the same time looked around the house.
When Orei joined them again Alanna asked, "So how do you like living on your own? It must be nice having your very own house!"
First Arrivals
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 05-24-09 12:54
Orei smiled accepting the gift from Alanna, motioning for Jared to set the bottles of Butter Beer on the table with the other bottles and such. "Thank you so very much for the drinkware Alanna, I'll have it put away, make yourselves at home." She brought the box into the kitchen and the house elf quickly made short work of putting them away.
Orei came back into the living room and plucked up a cauldron cake and her own glass of butter beer. "I am liking living on my own so far, it is vastly different than sharing a house with my parents or living within the castle, I actually have to make the decisions on my own."
The four of them would fall into simple conversation. There were others that haven't shown up yet but hopefully would. She closed her eyes a moment, sipping from her pumpkin juice.
"So what are you going to be doing in the fall? Going to St. Emry's or somewhere else?" She asked both Alanna and Jared.
Meeting with Dumbledore
Author: Lawrence Masterson
Date: 05-24-09 13:43
Lawrence came up to the Castle, he missed being in the Castle, he'd loved being here as a student and he'd loved teaching here before he'd been sacked for his relationship with Ariella Beck, whom is now his wife. Moving through the castle he would come to the familiar stairwell that lead up to the headmaster's office, the stairs were down, and he merely climbed up the spiral staircase because he'd had an appointment with the headmaster.
"Greetings Professor Dumbledore. It is good to see you back in your office, you've been missed here." Lawrence said as he settled once more into a seat across from the desk, glad the decor had returned to normal rather than Harriet Snider's thought of decoration.
They spent several moments in conversation, and after catching up on things including what had ended Lawrence's previous tenure at Hogwarts, there was congratulations given on his recent marriage to Ariella Beck, and even faint disappointment that the young girl had not been able to finish her seventh year at Hogwarts.
"I was hoping that you would like to resume your tenure here at Hogwarts, continue teaching Herbology if you've mind to do such. We are splitting several courses so that there are two teachers per course, herbology is one of them. You'll be teaching the O.W.L and N.E.W.T level courses."
Lawrence blinked lightly, a moment of shock would pass before he would answer the Headmaster. "I would very much like to return to Hogwarts as a professor. I thank you very much Professor Dumbledore. Ariella will be allowed to move in with me as well won't she?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed. Your family is allowed to move in with you. Your quarters will be ready within the next day or so and you and Ariella can move in when you wish. The new term will be starting September First."
With a bright smile Lawrence bid goodbye to Dumbledore and left the castle, when he was off grounds and in the Village of Hogsmeade he would apparte home, he had fantastic news for Ariella.
Fog
Author: Declan
Date: 05-24-09 14:38
Standing at the small dining table in his castle flat, Declan wavers between what drink to offer Zabrynna when she arrives. She's not technically old enough for wine but as far as he's concerned, she's extremely mature, very grown up. He'll offer the wine but have butterbeer and some of that Muggle soft drink that's all the rage with her age group these days.
Kissy Isuki comes up beside Declan, offering him a plate with hot canapes. "Try these."
Declan takes the hot, savory two bit morsal and after a moment nods, "Yes, Zabrynna will definately like that one. Have I thanked you two for helping me? Didn't you mention a cookout?
Kissy waves a hand, "Think nothing of it. It's what friends do. We have scads of time to be to the cookout. It's a very casual, show up whenever type thing."
AJ moves through the archway that marks the boundary into the kitchen. He leans again the opening and asks, "Forgive me if this seems like prying, but with Zabrynna not yet being seventeen, I couldn't help but wonder if you two have.., er, how to put it? Um, consumated the relationship?"
Taking a sip from the cup of tea Kissy had brought him with the canapes to try, Declan swallows then replies, "I'm normally very private about that sort of thing but now that you two know how much I love Zabrynna, I want to tell you everything."
Kissy has a strange look on her face and AJ's expression is one of great concern but Declan hardly notices and what he does notice he's so busy with his thoughts of Zabrynna that he doesn't think to question those looks.
"I sometimes can't think about anything but getting Zabrynna into bed but while she has told me she wants to make love, she's also not ready for that step. I'm hugely disappointed as you can imagine but I love Zabrynna so much that I'd wait until I die of old age if she asked me to."
Declan totally misses the huge looks of relief that Kissy and AJ exchange. He's too busy prattling on again about the romantic dinner tonight, whether he should get down on one knee, would spelling Zabrynna's name out in rose petals be too much, and every other Zabrynna related thought that springs forth, Declan verbalizes.
He also misses AJ saying to Kissy, "That was the last of the five. It doesn't seem to be working either." And Kissy's reply of, "One of us will have to go shopping for more or do you think Madam Pomfrey might have some that weren't in the potions stores in the dungeon?"
"Could ask her," AJ is nodding.
"Yes, I'm going to ask Zabrynna to marry me! Have I thanked you two for helping put this together?"
"Yes, love, you did," Kissy smiles.
Declan busies himself with the rose petals, debating on simple block letters or something fancier.
"We do need to tell Professor Dumbledore at some point," AJ's saying.
"Yes! Thanks for reminding me, AJ. When Zabrynna and I are married, she'll live here and not in the dorm. Dumbledore has to give approval on that, I'm sure," Declan grins, looking up from where he's made a fancy script looking Z with the red rose petals.
"When should Zabrynna's parents be told?"
"Zabrynna might want to elope," Declan informs Kissy, "so probably we won't tell her parents until after. Where do you think she'd like to honeymoon? Somewhere with a beach? Hawaii? Tahiti?"
"Either of those would be great," AJ says giving Declan a thumbs up.
Declan, who's been munching on the hot canapes while he works on getting Zabrynna's name just right with the flower petals, looks with chagrin at the now empty plate. "Sorry, but I ate all of them and I really think she would have liked them for the meal."
"We can make more," Kissy assures.
Declan goes silent, staring down at the half formed name in rose petals. He's obvlious to the continued discussion his two friends are having. There's the Z-A-B-R-Y and he's working on the first N.
Brow knitting together, Delcan blinks in puzzlement.
What was he doing?
Oh yes, the name is flower petals.
Why is he making a name out of flower petals?
Declan has the sensation of coming out of a very thick fog.
He blinks again.
Is he making Zabrynna's name out of flower petals?
The hell?
Two voices in the room filter through his thick, fuzzy headedness. Looking over to see Kissy Isuki and AJ Hodfuffer in deep conversation, Declan asks, "What's going on?"
The look at him as if expecting something.
Delcan chews his lower lip for a few seconds then runs fingers through his hair, all the while his eyes on the half formed name before him. At length he asks, "It was a love potion, wasn't it?"
Looking at Houses
Author: Marzipan
Date: 05-25-09 09:38
After a long day of looking at houses in different parts of the country, the Ravenscrofts finally came to Hogsmeade, where at least one home was on the market, and where there were several empty properties upon which someone could build. The happy couple currently lived in Weston's London flat, which was small and cozy but less than what either wanted for the start of their new life together.
"Let's have a drink at The Three Broomsticks before we look at anything else," Marzi suggested, feeling as if she'd been on her feet all day.
"Fine by me," Weston replied with a smile. "I am feeling a bit parched and a chilled butterbeer would definitely hit the spot."
He took Marzi by the hand and led her to the pub. It was her first time in Hogsmeade since returning to Great Britain. It looked just as she remembered, though a couple of stores were closed and at least one looked new (and questionable). What caught her gaze above all else though was Hogwarts castle looming in the distance. She didn't realize until just then how much she'd missed it and how badly she wanted to return to her old job as Herbology teacher.
Weston, following her gaze, gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Why don't we go up later and see if Professor Dumbledore is there. Maybe he'll give you your job back or maybe he'll have some other opportunity for you."
Marzi sighed quietly to herself. "I don't want to take the job away from whoever has it now––assuming, of course, that the person wasn't one of the professors arrested and taken to Azkaban."
"I bet Professor Dumbledore is a very accommodating man. Just go talk to him later."
Marzi offered Weston a small smile and said, "I'll think about it. In the meantime, how about that drink?"
They entered the pub and sat down at a booth near the window. Marzi looked outside at the stores across High Street and at the people walking by while Weston ordered two butterbeers. The drinks came after a short time, and they drank and talked and relaxed after the busy day they'd had.
Not too long into their relaxation did an owl fly in through the open door. It did a quick circuit around the room as it searched for the recipient of the letter it carried in its sharp talons. Spotting her, it swooped down and landed on the table next to Marzi's butterbeer bottle.
"What have you go there?" Marzi asked the owl and simultaneously released the canvas-colored envelope from its claws.
"It's from Hogwarts," she stated, after spying the school's crest on the envelope. She looked across the table at Weston.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Weston asked, smiling. "Open it."
Marzi didn't need to be told twice. She broke through the seal with her finger and pulled out the matching parchment upon which a short note was written. It came from Dumbledore, mentioned a business proposition, and asked that she make an appointment to see him at her convenience.
She showed the letter to Weston. "I wonder if he's at the castle now. He said to make an appointment but perhaps he would be okay with a walk-in."
"As I said earlier, I think you should just go up and see if he's there. We're here now so it's not like it's an out-of-the-way trip."
Marzi thought about it for a moment. "Tell you what. I'll go see if he's there and meet you back here when I'm finished."
Weston grinned. "I'll be waiting."
With a grin of her own, Marzi finished her drink and then set out for the castle.
Reunion
Author: Griet
Date: 05-26-09 17:37
Griet didn't know what to feel when the Vanderbilt home first came into view. She hadn't seen it in well over a year, if not closer to two. It looked just like she remembered, though perhaps a lot had changed on the inside over the course of her absence.
Uncle Dale slowed the car to a stop in front of the house and shut off the engine. Griet sat beside him in the passenger seat. Pearl, Sadie, and Ramona had stayed home, and Gervaise and Oberon had already reunited with their own families.
The Mickles and their guests had recently returned to England and had only that morning informed the Vanderbilts via owl of Griet's well-being. Griet hadn't wanted to contact her parents immediately because they had been the ones to effectively cast her out of the family. She knew they'd only done it because they'd felt obligated to for the well-being of themselves and their other children. Sometimes sacrifices were necessary in life. Nevertheless, Griet couldn't help but feel a definite detachment from her parents.
She did want to see her siblings, however, and especially Cornelia. With them in mind, she'd agreed for Dale to write his sister Catharina and later for him to take her home. Now the moment of truth had arrived.
He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you ready?"
Griet wasn't sure. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," she finally answered. She reluctantly unclasped her seatbelt, opened the car door, and climbed out onto the lawn.
In the moment it took Dale to climb out of the car and join her on the other side, the front door flew open and Cornelia ran out, her curly hair bouncing wildly over her shoulders.
"Griet!" she exclaimed, before lauching herself into her sister's arms.
Griet squeezed her eyes shut, when she felt them begin to fill with tears. Cornelia had grown since the last time Griet had seen her. They were almost the same size now.
Cornelia let go of Griet and studied her properly. She hadn't seen Griet at her worst and was lucky for never having seen her that way. Griet looked more or less as she always had, if not a little bit older.
Griet saw her parents emerged from the house, first her mother and then her father. Aleydis bounded out of the house next and ran around and past her parents to hug Griet. Beatrix and an unsure Franciscus followed. Griet hugged her youngest siblings in turn and then faced her parents.
Dale spoke before either of them could. "Your daughter has been through quite an ordeal. We're all very lucky that she survived and that we still have her in our family."
Something like guilt flickered over Catharina's face, but only for the briefest of moments. She and Johannes were pureblood supporters through and through, but now that it was all right to love their half-breed daughter again, they wished that the recent past had never happened.
Griet wanted things to be normal again too even though she knew that they'd treated her badly and that she shouldn't act as if it had been all right. She looked from her mother to her father and felt the tears she'd done so well at blocking begin to roll down her cheeks.
"Oh, Griet!" Catharina exclaimed, bursting into tears herself. "We're so glad you're home!" She pulled her oldest child into a hug, and Griet didn't resist.
It wasn't long before there was a massive group hug on the lawn.
Dale was the first to spot the approaching owl. It swooped over the car and dropped one thick letter into Griet's ready hands, another thick letter into Cornelia's hands, and a thin letter into the hands of Aleydis and Beatrix. They were all from Hogwarts.
Cornelia ripped into hers first. A silver prefect badge fell onto the grass. She picked up and exclaimed, "I got prefect! Griet! Open yours! It's just as bulky, so I bet you got prefect too!"
Griet dutifully opened her letter and found a silver badge inside hers as well. She'd been named sixth year prefect for Slytherin, which meant that she'd be repeating the sixth year. An accompanying letter explained why. A third letter listed her textbooks and school supplies. Aleydis and Beatrix had similar letters, though Beatrix's was also her official Hogwarts letter, since she was 11 and was now old enough to attend.
The family started to migrate into the house, with all of them asking Griet questions though Griet posed a few of her own. She seized Dale's hand to make sure he joined them––she was eternally grateful for what he'd done for her and her friends.
Dale shot her an encouraging smile and joined them in the house, though he didn't stay long since he wanted to spend more time with his own reunited family.