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Office Work
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 07-18-10 16:08
In the few days since the poisoned, cursed memo had arrived, all memos going through the Ministry have been scrutinized. Few outside of law enforcement know of what happened as that might start a panic among the other Ministry personnel when there is nothing yet to suggest that the memo Harry received was randomly sent.
Of those not in law enforcement who did know, some are not with the Ministry but can be trusted. That is, unless anyone with a mile of Harry's managed not to hear the combined raised voices of Molly Weasley and Sirius Black when they showed at within minutes of each other. To put it mildly, neither found Harry's reasons for not sending for them to come to St. Mungo's acceptable.
Ginny had come to visit that day as well. She hadn't yelled like Ron, Molly, and Sirius. She'd been the opposite. Extremely quiet. Exceedingly polite. Harry found it oddly unsettling.
Pinky returns in another few days from Brighton. Harry doubts the bandage will be off his hand by then and isn't looking forward to either telling Pinky the truth and explaining why Harry hadn't let Pinky know something had happened, or coming up with a plausible lie about some minor hand injury. Given he could be wearing the bandage for some time based on what the healers have told him, the lie about a minor injury would only work for a short time. After that, Harry would not only be faced with telling Pinky what really happened, but having lied to him about it.
Harry winces when, due to not paying attention again, he'd automatically reached with his right hand for a thick folder. The second he'd applied enough pressure to lift up the folder, pain lanced through his injured hand. Making a sort of frustrated growling sound at the back of his throat, Harry reachest across the desk with this left hand for the folder, squaring it in front of him before flipping it open.
"Something with the case or is it your hand?"
Harry looks towards the opening of his cubicle. "Hi, Ginny. My hand. I keep forgetting I can't use it like I want to."
"So next time you get a cursed memo, be sure you smooth out the crinkles with your left hand."
The dry comment illicits a chuckle from Harry. "Excellent suggestion, thank you. Dropping by for any particular reason?"
"Dad and I are going to lunch. Mum wanted me to swing 'round and tell you that you are to come to the Burrow tonight for supper. The only way she's taking no for an answer is if Kingsley himself tells her you've got duty this evening."
"I do not want to invoke your mother's wrath twice in one week so I will be there. What time should I come?"
"Six-ish, though you know you are welcome anytime before that."
"I know. Thanks."
"Have you seen Ron yet today?"
"He passed by not a half hour ago, grumbling out having to get some paperwork done by noon even though he'd been out half the morning following a lead on some case."
"Thanks. I'll be at the Burrow for supper as well so see you then."
"See you!"
Harry returns to the file but thanks to Ginny and the mentions of lunch and dinner, now all Harry can think about is eating. Just as well really. He was only going over the file for about the hundredth time simply because until his hand is more mended, he's restricted to office work. Standing then stretching, Harry leaves his cubicle, wondering if Ron was going with Arthur and Ginny to lunch or if he's free to grab something with Harry.
Si Ma Tai
Author: Declan
Date: 07-18-10 19:26
With his love of history, be it Wizarding or Muggle, Declan stands before the arched doors of the Xiannulou, located along the stretch of China's Great Wall known as Si Ma Tai, studying the sculpture of the twin lotus flowers. Xiannulou is also know as the Fairy Tower, the Fairy Maiden Tower, and Angel's Tower. It's an interesting piece of architecture with many considering it to be the most beautiful of the Great Wall's towers and it has a piece of folk tale to go along with it. It is said to be where an antelope dwells who has been reincarnated as an angel who fell in love with a shepherd. Declan has not heard the story phrased much differently so as yet he's not been able to figure out if it was the antelope who fell in love with the shepherd or if the antelope died, was reincarnated as angel and then fell in love with a shepherd. Perhaps something is missing in the translation from the Chinese to English for tourists like the Muggle Studies group.
Declan has been to China a couple of times but each time he was in a strictly Wizarding part. As a historian, standing on a section of the Great Wall, seeing it as a Muggle would, is not only a novelty but wondeful fun. He's very glad he chose to come on the trip after Aaron Miller made a point of inviting the Hogwarts faculty. This trip to the Si Ma Tai section of the Great Wall is alone with the trip. Throw in everything they've seen and done so far and everything still on the itinerary - Declan is very much looking forward to seeing the terra cotta warriors in Xian - and Declan has been in history hog heaven.
After reading some about the Great Wall, Declan thinks Aaron chose correctly in having the group come to this part of it over the other choices of wall sections. One Great Wall specialist, Luo Zhewen, said of Si Ma Tai The Great Wall is the best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai is the best of the Great Wall. With a happy sigh, Declan turns away from the tower's arched doors and moves to take some pictures of the wonderful view. Many Wizarding camera models have an old fashioned look compared to Muggle ones but for this trip, any in the group with cameras have snazzy looking modern Muggle versions. Because of this, Declan has gone snap happy, taking picture after picture after picture, much to the amusement of several others on the trip.
Being here immersed in the history of Muggle China has definitely helped keep Declan's mind off the conversation Professor Dumbledore and he had had with Nolan and Margretta Ravensdale. Professor Dumbledore and he had gone to the Ravensdales last Sunday after breakfast and after seeing off the Hogwarts Express. When they had revealed to the Ravensdales what they knew of Zabrynna's thoughts and feelings, particularly that her parents hate her, Margretta had become agitated and upset. She vehemently denied hating Zabrynna, saying that yes, they were terribly disappointed with what Zabrynna had done and with Zabrynna's insistance on continuing at Hogwarts but they certainly did not hate her. Nolan echoed these sentiments, expressing that they had no idea the tough stance they'd taken with their daughter now had her thinking they hate her.
During the course of the meeting, Margretta at times sounded bitter and defensive while at times she sounded deeply concerned and caring. When the bitter, defensiveness was in evidence, there was little wonder in Declan's mind at how Zabrynna reached the conclusion she did. Margretta Ravensdale was hard and cold in those momemts. If that's the face Zabrynna has repeatedly seen, Declan thinks he would have reached the same conclusion she did.
After what turned out to be a rather lengthy meeting ended, both Professor Dumbledore and Declan felt that it had been overall productive. He supposes only time will tell whether there's truth in that belief or not.
Several of the Muggle Studies students are calling out for Declan to come take some pictures of them. Happy to oblige, he hurries as fast as Great Wall section allows, accepting several cameras from them to take the pictures with, all the while telling them interesting tidbits of trivia about this Si Ma Tai section of the Great Wall and about the Great Wall in general.
Camping Trip (Wenlock Cousins)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 07-19-10 21:38
Alexa Wenlock ties open the tent flap of the girls' tent, shifting slightly to allow Jill to get by. Some are going to sleep in the open but some prefer sleeping inside, plus the tents give them places to change and clean up. This tent and the boys' tent are fairly new, provided by Augustus Hodfuffer's parents (Flossibralin and Anne) and Hydrangea Marchbank's parents (Hank and Fantameria). Alexa had known that Gus and Hydrangea were first cousins, as well as first cousins to Wiggy and Glori (who are brother and sister) but didn't know until this afternoon that Gus's dad and Hydrangea's mum are twins. The land they are camping on belongs to Lardsnelter Hodfuffer who is one of the owners of the Crown & Cauldron in Hogsmeade and whose wife, Bambi Fandango, used to be the Hogwarts librarian. Alexa thinks keep track of all the Hodfuffers is almost as confusing as trying to sort out how she and her cousins are related and which aunt and uncle is really an aunt or an uncle instead of actually being another cousin.
With the tent flaps open now, as well as those over the mesh windows, the girls have a nice cross breeze flowing. By the time they get back from swimming in the nearby pond, the inside should be aired out and pleasant. Grabbing up a thick, fluffy beach towel, Alexa follows Jill and Olive to the pond, the three chattering excitedly about the recently released Emrys Fest line-up.
Almost everyone else is already at the pond. It's a fairly large group, and that's not counting the adults along as chaperones. Not in the large group is Alastor Jenkins. Jasper did what he said he was going to do and spoke to their parents. Alastor got so angry at Jasper right in front of their parents Gillian and Samson that Alastor was ground for the week and maybe longer. Jasper hasn't said much to the rest of them about what's being done about Alastor's problems. Even Eden, who is usually very chatty, hasn't said anything. Alexa and Jill have a bet going on how long Eden's going to be able to keep silent about it.
Marlow MacDougal shares a double wide float with her sister Liannah. She was so excited to be invited today since she's not officially a Hogwarts student yet. She's not the only incoming student who was invited and though Marlow knows her cousins Heather and Eden well, she doesn't know the others her age very well and some she's only just met. Because of today, now she'll know more than her sister and cousins come September 1st, on the ride to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express.
Liannah lazily trails on hand in the water and adjusts her sunglasses with the other. The sun combined with the gentle bobbing of the raft is starting to make her sleepy. When Marlow says something about making new friends today, Liannah drowsily replies, "It's too bad that girl Adina couldn't come today."
"Yeah, but she's in Greece to see her dad."
"Maybe when she's back we can have her and some of the other girls over." Liannah lists aloud girls there today as well other others. "Glori. Beatrix. Hydrangea. Flora. Eilonwy. Linnea - she keeps to herself a lot but maybe she's just shy. Daisy... "
As Liannah continues the list, Marlow wiggles on the float to reposition herself so that her legs from her knees down are hanging in the water, interrupting her sister to worriedly ask, "There's nothing bad in the water, is there?"
"Mr. Hodfuffer said no."
Marlow relaxes with that assurance, enjoying the cold pond water on her sun hot legs as Liannah goes back to listing and planning.
Not far from shore, Daniel and Marjani take on Etta and Deak, each boy with a girl on his shoulders and the girls trying to knock each other off into the water. On the opposite bank, Hadrian's getting ready to cast a line into the water. While there are no creatures such as grindylows, there is a variety of fish. A few of the group have decided to try their hand at fishing with Mr. Hodfuffer - Lardsnelter, commonly known as Lars - promising to help them cook up for supper any keepers they catch.
Hours later, after a dinner that included the freshly caught fish, Bambi Fandango Hodfuffer is teaching those who've never had them how to make s'mores. Those who have had them are steadily working their way through the marshmallow supply, toasting them over the fire then sandwiching them with pieces of chocolate between two digestive biscuits. According to Bambi, something called graham crackers are much better and she says she'll be sure to get some from America for the next camping trip.
This being a camping trip, there are of course stories told around the camp fire to go with the s'mores. By the time everyone crawls into their beds, they are tired from hours of sun and water, capped off by a good meal and exciting stories, though a few of the older kids do manage to stay awake awhile longer to star gaze, seeing how well they can identify what they see now that they aren't in Astronomy class.
Meeting Meadow
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 07-20-10 18:45
Ethan pretended to inspect the wares of a street vendor in Knockturn Alley while really keeping surveillance on the pawn shop where Meadow O'Guinn worked. He picked up a jar of what looked like pickled human fingertips and only half listened to the shady-looking wizard selling it promote the quality of the product.
Ever since he started watching the shop that morning, Meadow hadn't been alone. Either customers had come in buying or selling items of questionable origin and merit, or her manager had come around to study potential acquisitions. Ethan wanted to get her alone and to convince her to invite him up to her flat.
Since he still did occasional consulting work at the Ministry, Ethan utilized every avenue available to him to find a legal way to enter Meadow's flat and retrieve the book. Unfortunately, he couldn't find a legitimate reason to hand her a search warrant, or even a warrant for her arrest. He didn't know for sure if she was practicing the dark arts, and while owning a dark arts book might suggest she did, it didn't prove anything either. Meadow was, as the saying went, innocent until proven guilty.
It therefore seemed that his only way in would be through stealth and deception, things Ethan knew something about thanks to his years as an auror and his own experience as a former agent of the deceased Dark Lord.
He set the jar of fingertips down and absentmindedly told the disappointed vendor, "Another time maybe." The pawn shop had just emptied out, and now Ethan had his chance to exchange first words with his brother's ex-girlfriend.
He strode across the alley and headed through the front door, which had been propped ajar to let in the summer breeze. Even despite the fresh air, the interior of the dim-lit shop smelled musty and old.
Meadow looked up from a beauty magazine she was reading and appraised Ethan approvingly before asking, "Can I help you with something?"
"Yes, I believe you can," Ethan said, smiling wide and heading to her counter. He leaned on it and flashed his thousand-watt smile at her. "I've been watching you from outside, you know."
"Have you now?" Meadow asked, intrigued.
"It's not everyday you see a beautiful woman in Knockturn Alley," Ethan said. "Most of them look like that homeless witch with the big wart on her nose who hangs out by the junction."
Meadow laughed. "What's your name?"
Ethan hesitated. She obviously didn't recognize him as Callum's brother, but would she know his name? He tried to remember what Callum had told him but couldn't recall what had been revealed.
He reached out and took one of her hands. "No need for names, Beautiful. Do you have someplace private we can go?"
Meadow smiled seductively. "I like a mysterious man." And then she yelled over her shoulder, "Frank! I'm going on a break!"
There was a muffled reply from a storeroom, but Meadow didn't wait for her manager to come out and cover the counter. She led Ethan up an interior staircase up to her front door.
Her flat was small and modestly furnished, but it had a very pleasant look to it. Meadow had obviously taken great care to make her space her own. She excused herself to use the powder room, giving Ethan the opportunity he needed to look around for the book.
Along one wall on either side and on top of a fireplace were shelves and shelves of books. Either she was a great reader, or perhaps she was a collector. Most of the books looked old but in fantastic shape. They covered a wide variety of topics too, from the mundane to the most interesting.
Ethan started to finger the wand in his pocket to summon the book to him when he spotted it on the shelf in between a book on Chinese astrology and another on desert plants of Africa. He had just put his hand on it when Meadow emerged from the bathroom.
She walked towards him bewitchingly and ran her hands over his chest and around his neck when she reached him, all the while smiling at him alluringly.
"Now, what did you have in mind?"
It was then that she noticed his hand on the book.
"I was just admiring your collection," Ethan said.
"Thank you," she murmured, turning back to him and pressing herself against him longinly. She trailed kisses along his neck and cheek.
Ethan kept talking. "I've never seen this one before." He pulled the book from the shelf.
Meadow abruptly stopped kissing him and took a small step away so that they were no longer touching, though they were quite close together.
"Do you want to have it?" she asked him. "I don't need it anymore."
Ethan wasn't sure what he expected her to say, but "Do you want to have it?" and "I don't need it anymore." weren't what he was expecting at all.
"What do you mean you don't need it anymore?" he asked her carefully.
"I got what I needed from it. If you don't want to keep it, you can always borrow it. I'm sure we can meet up again sometime," she said, stepping closer to him once more. For a petite witch, she was quite strong, and she pushed him hard against the bookshelf.
Ethan wrapped his available arm around Meadow's waist and turned her abruptly around so that it was her back pressed into the bookshelf and not his.
"Oooh... I like it rough," she purred.
Ethan held up the book. "What did you get out of this?" he asked her.
Meadow's expression changed from one of lust to one of impatience. "What does it matter? I thought you came up here for me," she complained, "not some stupid book."
Ethan stepped away from her. "I'm only curious," he said, trying not to lose her trust.
Meadow studied him for a long moment. Then she said, "I used it for research for a paper I wrote for a class at St. Emrys. It was for an advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts class and the assignment was to do extensive research on a work of dark arts literature."
"Where did you get it?" Ethan asked. "Not the school bookstore, I trust?"
By now, Meadow had given up on seducing Ethan. She put her hands on her hips and said, "It was my father's, okay? I inherited this collection from him. I keep them because they came from him but most of them I don't even care to read."
Ethan had to admit that her story was convincing. He almost felt guilty about considering taking the book away from her, but what if she was just being a very good actress? He had noted the shift in her demeanor when it became obvious to her that his only real interest was the book. Did she suspect him for who he really was? It didn't look like it, but who really knew what Meadow herself?
He smiled and looked bashful. "I'm sorry that I got distracted by this." He held up the book. "Thing is, I'm a bibliophile and this is just the thing I would like to read. I would love to borrow it and return it to you sometime." He stepped towards her and touched her cheek. "And I'd like to see you again."
Meadow didn't react right away, but then she smiled and said, "It'll definitely have to be another time because my break's just about over."
"Count on it, then," Ethan said.
Meadow escorted him back to the shop.
"See you around, stranger."
"See you."
Ethan may have gotten his hands on Blackest Magick, but it seemed like he had a lot more work cut out for him when it came to Meadow O'Guinn!
Back At Work
Author: Jet
Date: 07-20-10 19:31
"Welcome back!"
"Thanks." Jet smiles and nods though inwardly he's still miffed at having been made to take an extended leave. You'd think the powers that be would be happy to have dedicated, hard working staff. But no. The powers that be decided Jet was obsessed with Blood Hound and overtaxing himself. One even used the phrase working yourself into an early grave though really, when you think about it, what is an early grave? Jet knows it's a euphamism for dying young but shouldn't it be working yourself into the grave early instead? Not to be pedantic about it or anything. Not to be obsessive.
"Hallo! You've got color back in your cheeks," a woman comments. Jet feels a twinge of guilt at not being able to pull her name from his memory. Start's with an M. Mary maybe? Mara. That's it. Mara.
"Hi, Mara. Yeah, I've been spending a lot of time outside. Mountain climbing. Hiking. That sort of thing."
"I wouldn't have pegged you as the mountain climbing type. Where did you go?"
"Canadian and US Rockies. Turns out a cousin of my mother's has a place on the US side, near the US-Canadian border."
"Sounds lovely!" Mara glances down at a thick sheef of parchment she's clutching in one hand. "Nearly forgot about this!" she laughs mildly at herself. "I was on my way to talk over some research with Broderick Bode when I saw you come in."
"Don't let me keep you any longer."
Mara hurries off one direction and Jet goes another. Walking into his workspace, Jet goes over and sits on the stool that he put so much wear and tear on that the seat fits his rump perfectly. Sitting down, he stares at the empty space in front of him, tapping his fingers on the table. He's already been told he's not getting Blood Hound back, at least for awhile. That irks Jet to no end. It's his bloody invention afterall!
Feeling quite at a loss as to what he's now supposed to be doing and not having yet been assigned anything, Jet can't stop himself from wondering if the suggestions he sent for improving Blood Hound were ever implemented. After the fifth owl in three days, he was told in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to send another thing regarding Blood Hound. He was reminded of why he was on leave and told to enjoy the fresh air and have a good time.
Fingers drumming out a staccato beat, Jet also wonders what he'll be put to work on now that he's been allowed back to the Department of Mysteries. If he can't have Blood Hound back, though maybe he should just take it and go work on it on his own, then hopefully at least his assignment will be something interesting.
Asian Portkey
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 07-21-10 19:20
Chopsticks were not an eating utensil Ronan had ever learned to use. Unfortunately, there were very few restaurants in Beijing where he could find a fork––or perhaps it was simply that the eateries his group happened to choose for every meal lacked them. At any rate, he quickly discovered that he needed to learn how to use chopsticks, or go without eating very much during the trip.
Ronan hadn't gone on the Muggle Studies trip with the other recently graduated seventh years via airplane, since he'd been due in court on the day of the flight. He hadn't even planned on going, but Illyria had encouraged him to attend. He'd never been to China and didn't know if he would ever get another opportunity to go, besides of which, the trip would cost him very little.
His part in the trial of Marcus Hubbs had been very small. Ronan had been called to the stand following the testimony of Illyria's wayward ex-boyfriend Roland Gray, who had been questioned for several hours. By the time he'd taken the witness stand, he'd been plum exhausted from having sat and listened for so long. Luckily, his own testimony had been brief, and he'd gone home directly afterwards since his presence hadn't been required any longer.
Initially, he'd thought about staying to support Illyria, but during an earlier recess she had told him to go home and prepare to join his classmates in Beijing. He'd been glad for the excuse and had gone home to his empty house in London, sorted through the dirty laundry he'd brought home from Hogwarts and had still not unpacked or washed, and repacked his trunk with clean clothes and the essentials he would need while on holiday abroad.
The very next day, he'd traveled via portkey to a designated location in Beijing, which was not far from the hotel Professor Miller had booked for the school trip.
Since then he had seen and done a lot. He'd also eaten things he'd never heard of before, things both strange and delicious, when he could actually get the chopsticks to work.
China was everything Ronan had imagined and more. He was very glad he'd followed Illyria's encouragement and gone on the trip.