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Explaining Quidditch To Mason
Author: Pyrrhus 
Date:   06-15-09 20:58

Although Mason Jeffers has traveled by Floo a couple of times now, he's still undertandably hesitant when it comes to stepping into magical green flames; however, like the typical 11-year old boy that he is, Mason's is not about to let on just how frightened of it all he really is. Last night Mason arrived at Pyrrhus's and Isolde's to spend the night and then to spend the day today with Py. With the half-brother he only recently learned of watching, Mason takes a handful of the Floo powder, throws it into the fireplace then as instructed a few seconds earlier, clearly and loudly calls out, "Humbatas Stadium!"

Stumbling out of another fireplace, Mason keeps his footing but only just. As Py steps out of the same fireplace, right behind Mason he says, "I don't want to forget to get more Floo powder today."

"Is there like a Floo poswer store?"

"I think there's a kiosk along Diagon Alley that sells only Floo powder but it can be found at a number of shops."

"What are the coins again that you lot use?"

"Not you lot. You're a Wizard, Mason. You're one of us."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

"You're still not entirely convinced of all this, are you?"

Mason shrugs. "Dad can be a prankster."

"You've traveled through fireplaces. You saw us fire talking this morning before breakfast. Isolde and I used magic to make supper last night."

"Hypnotic suggestion."

"Maybe you'll change your mind once you've seen Quidditch."

"What is that anyway? Like a magic version of footie?"

"Not exactly," Py reponds.

Walking side by side through the stadium, Py explains Quidditch as he leads Mason to the Humbatas dressing room.

"Two teams. Seven members per team on the pitch. Although there is a push being made to allow substitutions during a match, as yet that's not allowed. I've heard some schools might start allowing it, but I've not heard of any official announcement anywhere.

One person is Keeper. Think of the Keeper like a goalie.

Two people are Beaters. They wield bats. I'm trying to think of the analogous,"

"The what?"

"Analogous. Equivalent. I can't really think of a football position that's like a Beater. Beaters are offensive and defensive. They never handle the main balls, which I'll get to in a minute. They have their own balls,"

"Balls?"

"Yes, balls. Beaters have two balls to work with, which are called Bludgers. They're often black, though not always. Beaters use their bats to hit the Bludgers at members of the opposing team. They also try to intercept Bludgers that have been hit at their own team members.

Three members per match are what are called Chasers. The Chasers use a ball, generally red, called a Quaffle. Chasers try to get the Quaffle through one of the hoops, with each goal worth ten points."

"Hoops? Like basketball?"

"No, not like basketball," Py replies, glad for once he's familiar with the Muggle world to know various sports enough to know what Mason is talking about. "No nets for one. Hoops are vertical, not horizontal. Oh, and there are three at each end of the pitch.

Now, back to Keeper for a second. A Keeper can handle the Quaffle, which means if a Keeper can grab a Quaffle during a goal attempt rather than block with some part of the body, then that's what the Keeper will do."

"That's six people. What about the seventh team member?"

"The Seeker."

"Seeker?"

"The Seeker doesn't have any interaction, on purpose anyway, with the Chasers or Keeper. Opposing Beaters will do their best to stop a Seeker. The Seeker goes after a ball called the Snitch."

"Hold on. There's a fourth ball in this game?"

"Yes, and it's a very special ball. I think maybe I'll let you see that for yourself. Snitches tend to be white with gold though sometimes they're all gold in color. Getting the Snitch is worth 150 points and getting it ends the game."

"Can a team win without getting the Snitch?"

"Sure, though it means having to make a lot of goals. It does happen though. In fact, there was a World Cup match the summer between my second and third years at Hogwarts in which that happened. Viktor Krum, whom you'll meet today, caught the Snitch even though the other team was far enough ahead in goals to win. That slip-up aside though, Viktor Krum is one of the best and greatest Seekers to ever play the game. He was professional while still in school."

By this time Py is leading Mason to the stairs of the stands where Mason will have the best view for the scrimmage match the Humbatas are playing this morning. At the base of the stairs Mason asks, "So what's with the broom?"

"You'll see," Py says with a mysterious smile.

Looking dubiously at the stairs, craning his head back to see where they go, Mason next asks, "These stairs only go up to the very top? Bit odd, isn't it? Won't get a nosebleed, will I?"

"Just go up. I promise you'll have a great view."

Mason once again looks skeptical. He takes the first stair, stops, then asks, "What's the broom for? Do you sweep the Quaf along the ground or something?"

"Quaffle, and or something. You'll see soon enough. Go on."

When Mason emerges from the staircase he stands gob-smacked. The ground of the pitch is far below but whizzing around at his level are several people, both men and women. Py zips up, whooshing to a stop, and hovers not even two meters from Mason. He grins at his younger brother. "Quidditch is played on brooms. Still think hypnosis is involved and magic isn't real?"

Different Assignment
Author: Bill Weasley 
Date:   06-16-09 17:41

Mrs. Davies had only started working for the Gringotts location in Hogsmeade since its reopening, though she already knew many people in the village from having a home in the West Lane. Many years ago, she'd worked at the main branch in Diagon Alley and had taken early retirement to raise children and later grandchildren. Feeling nostalgic for her old life as a career woman, Mrs. Davies resumed her old position in the banking industry, only closer to home.

Bill was glad to have her aboard and lent her use of his office when he left her in charge of the building or whenever she needed it to help a customer, if he wasn't already using it himself for the same purpose. They got along very well, though Mrs. Davies was quite set in her ways as the older generation tended to be and did not always agree with the modern way of handling certain tasks. Nonetheless, she made a good employee.

As it were, Bill had left Mrs. Davies in charge today to carry out a task assigned to him as part of his efforts to aid Acting-Minister Shacklebolt in anyway necessary. Property recently identified as belonging to previous Minister Euphemia Smythe-Jones had been discovered in Southwark, sandwiched between Muggle warehouses. Anti-Muggle spells shielded it from their view and accidental intrusion, and other, more dangerous spells kept unwanted wizards out too. After a hit wizard was electrocuted and very nearly killed on the spot, experienced curse breakers like Bill were called in to remove the curses so that authorities could do a sweep of the premises and confiscate anything that might point to the whereabouts of the very many wizards still unaccounted for.

Bill found himself meeting with a few other curse breakers from Gringotts as well as individuals from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who also specialized in curse removal. It took a great amount of effort to detect every spell involved in the intricate magical security system and a good deal more to break each one down. When at last the premises, a warehouse of sorts itself, was finally safe to enter, Bill found himself knee-deep in what could only be described as treasure.

Gold place settings. Jewelry. Fur coats. Richly brocaded fabrics. Bejewled daggers and swords. Valuable illuminiated manuscripts, thought to be lost or previously unheard of. Trinkets and baubles of all shapes, sizes and styles. And coins. Lots and lots of coins.

No one knew what to make of the find at first.

"Why would she put this stuff here?" one of the Ministry authorities asked. "Why not in her Gringotts vault?"

"You can't say this place wasn't secure," someone else joked.

Bill thought the first thing that came to mind. "Maybe this stuff is stolen, or maybe it's bribes she took."

"We can definitely check for previous ownership and review any theft reports. We all know that some homes were looted. As for bribes, someone may have to come forward to prove that was the case."

"Just thinking outloud," Bill murmured. He wasn't entirely sure what they would find there today but he definitely wasn't expecting a room full of treasure!

Settling In
Author: Majandra 
Date:   06-16-09 18:47

"You've made quite the change in here."

At the sound of Severus Snape's distinctive voice Majandra straightens from where she's cleaning out the desk she'll be using. "I've tried to."

"Windows?"

"George helped me put them in, with Professor Dumbledore's approval of course."

The classroom, office, and adjoining room Maj is going to use as a nursery for when she has Georgie with her at work - Miranda too if needed - are located in the castle dungeon and none have even a tiny cell-like window to let in natural light. Severus walks over to inspect one of the windows, which is much like the ones in use at the Ministry of Magic.

"Is that an actual lake somewhere or just an image you conjurred?" he asks, studying the view from each of the windows along one wall.

"An actual lake. Lake Bala in Wales. If you'd come in even ten minutes earlier, you would have had a grand view the Swiss Alps."

"You don't think the students will be overly distracted?"

"No more so than when in a regular classrooms with a real view," she replies with a slight shrug.

Severus turns and moves to look at the teacher's manual edition of the textbooks Maj selected. "Excellent choice."

"I looked at so many different textbooks and kept coming back to this one," Maj says of the Foundations In Potion Making by Olivia Brewer. "I think each volume builds nicely on the previous one and they're written with students the ages of the first through fourth years in mind without talking down to them. I've made a good start on lesson plans, have a syllabus written for each year, and have even working on other handouts. Now, if I could just get over how nervous."

"You'll do well. I wouldn't have suggested you to Professor Dumbledore if I didn't think you incapable."

Maj smiles at the person she often thinks of as her Potions mentor. "I know and thank you for having confidence in me."

Severus holds up a key ring. "Here are the promised keys." He goes through them, "Storeroom, classroom, office, adjacent room."

"Thank you!"

"If you've a moment, we should go over the stores together and get an order made."

"Yes, certainly. Let me grab that checklist you gave me the other day."

A few minutes later, Severus and Maj were deep into taking stock of the Potions ingredients stores, debating what to order and how much of each item.

Moving on with Life
Author: Carys 
Date:   06-17-09 18:49

Llandaff Cemetery in Cardiff consisted mostly of Muggle plots, though an entire section was devoted to wizards. The cemetery's caretaker came from wizarding stock and used subtle charms to steer prospective Muggle buyers from the smaller wizarding section.

It was at Llandaff Cemetery that the family had first buried Gaenor Hanham and then her son, Owain Hanham-Beauvais. After the mostly decomposed remains of Mairwen had been identified by forensic healers, she'd joined her daughter and grandson in the family plot.

Alun, Carys and Tristan came by the cemetery to place flowers before the tombstones of their loved ones, and to reminisce for a little while. Although there was a sadness in their hearts, they did not appear as melancholy as they often had during their visits there. They may not ever find closure from the ordeals and losses they'd suffered in recent times, but they had done a lot of healing in the interim.

Alun still missed his wife dearly, but he was no longer bereaved by her absence. He took a keen interest in caring for his grandson while encouraging Carys to go back to school and make a good life for herself and her son. Carys didn't want to leave her grandfather, or even Griffin, with all the responsibility that came with rearing a child. She felt that if she had to spend her time away from Tristan doing something, then it might be better spent earning money for the family.

Carys really didn't want to go back to McMerlin's, though she'd casually looked for employment elsewhere. She spent much of her time with her son, enjoying every moment and trying not to mourn their lost time together. She very rarely thought about what she'd endured at Goen Bren at the hands of the warden, though when she did, she felt a strange detachment, as if it had all merely been a bad dream. Carys knew that she should consider seeking the advice of a psychiatric healer, but in her own way she felt fine.

At her grandfather's urging, Carys signed up to continue the WED program––Wizarding Education Diploma––at St. Emrys in the fall, and to continue with her French-language classes. She made a goal to finish the program this time, so that she could eventually enroll in university-level coursework.

At the beginning of the month, Carys, Griffin and Tristan had attended Emrys Fest. They'd packed a picnic basket and settled on the lawn away from the crowd, where it was least likely to get rambunctious. They'd all had a wonderful time, especially Carys. It was nice having a family outing together, with just the three of them. It made them feel like a real family.

The relationship between Carys and Griffin had always had its ups and downs, just like all family members had with one another, but Carys appreciated Griffin much more now than she did when they were actually together. She'd matured since then, and had gotten over her wild ways. To some degree, what they had now was more than they'd ever had. Theirs was a real friendship, and Carys found that she liked it very much.

Sometimes, when her imagination ran away from from her, she thought about what it would like to be more than just friends. She was a different person now, and he'd probably changed in his own way too. Would things be better the second time around?

She didn't allow herself to dwell on the thought too much, since she wasn't sure she was ready for more just yet. Still, the thought slipped into her mind from time to time, as unwanted thoughts often did!

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