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Who's Your Daddy?
Author: Ella
Date: 10-11-11 18:48
Ella sat in the hall at St. Mungo's Hospital and cringed every time she heard Delilah scream. The three, Dunstan, Delilah, and Ella had just sat down together for a meal when Delilah had gone into labor. They'd scrambled out of the house in a hurry, leaving their meal untouched on the table.
Since returning home from the Isle of Wight, Ella had felt like the third wheel. With Delilah having been so near to term, Dunstan had showered her with attention, often at the exclusion of his daughter. He'd not meant anything by it, and Ella had known that, but she'd nevertheless felt lonely in her crowded house. Sometimes Ella had even felt like the fourth, unneeded wheel on a tricycle, the unborn baby seemingly getting more affection than she.
She'd only felt fleetingly included during the mad dash to get Delilah to St. Mungo's, but that had ended as soon as they'd reached the private hospital room. Ella didn't doubt that her father would want her present for the birth of her new brother or sister, but she wasn't sure about Delilah.
Dunstan hadn't even noticed when Ella hung back at the door, not that she blamed him. He'd been a bit preoccupied with something much more important.
Ella didn't resent that fact, either. She just sat in the hall and waited for her new sibling to make his or her arrival known to the world.
Suddenly, the door opened and a nurse poked her head out into the hall. "Ella?"
Ella scrambled to her feet. "Is the baby born already?"
Delilah screamed again.
"Come inside, quickly now," the nurse said, gesturing at Ella to enter the room.
Ella hesitated and then crossed the threshold. She immediately moved to Delilah's near side, but stayed out of the way. Her dad travelled between his wife's other side and her feet to check on the baby's progress. Finally, the big moment arrived. Delilah stopped screaming in time for a baby's cry to sound.
Ella watched her father's face with a smile, but her expression faded as she witnessed his own jubilant demeanor dissipate. Dunstan looked surprised, then upset and outraged.
The healer and nurses in the room exchanged silent glances.
For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the baby's cries.
"The baby?" Delilah asked, attempting to sit up in bed.
The healer kept his expression neutral and raised the newborn, allowing Ella her first look. It was a boy, and he looked quite healthy. What was shocking about him was his skin color. It was dark.
Delilah started to reach out her arms to take the baby, but then she noticed Dunstan.
He could only stare at the baby which most certainly wasn't his. He started to leave the room.
"Dunstan, wait!" Delilah called out.
Ella, completely stunned, followed her father out of the room. He sank into the chair she had just vacated and leaned his head against the wall.
"Dad?" Ella asked, sinking into the chair next to his.
"She cheated on me," he murmured, in complete disbelief.
Ella didn't know what to say. She felt sorry for her father, but at the same time she was glad that Delilah had screwed up so massively. With any luck, Dunstan would divorce her immediately.
Long Run Than Usual
Author: Dante Knight
Date: 10-12-11 13:52
Slowing then coming to a stop altogether Dante. He gives his brow a backhand swipe though it does little good because although not as sweaty as his forehead his arms are sticking with perspiration as well. He'd done what has become his usual circuit around the Hogwarts grounds then turned back towards the main gates and continued running. On the edge of Hogsmeade he'd skirted the village taking a right. Dante had made a wide loop, going around the ramshackled building he learned early on is called the Shrieking Shack, angling around the backside of the Hogsmeade Humbatas stadium, continuing on until he came to what would be the far left end of the High Street from the perspective of the school grounds. There, Dante had slowed his pace somewhat jogging down the street, occassionally waving when a now familiar face went by.
Dante's come to a stop near The Three Broomsticks. The thought of a refreshing drink is appealing but as hot and sweaty as he is, he's hesitant to subject The Three Broomsticks's patrons with a malodorous, dripping with sweat body. He makes due with getting a drink across the way near the public convenieces that comprise the ground floor of the building shared by J. Pippin's Potions, taking a long drink before liberally dousing his head with water. From there, Dante jobs along the road back towards Hogwarts. About halfway to the gates he sees someone coming from the school, slowing as they draw near each other.
"Hi, Karma. How are you today?"
"I'm good, and you?"
"Hot and sweaty but soon to be remedied once back in my quarters. I took a longer run than usual after missing one yesterday. I went to Majandra Weasley's pool party and ended up being there most of the day. Everyone seemed to have had a really nice time. You should have come."
"I had plans last night."
"Should have come in the morning or early afternoon then."
"Yes, I suppose I could have done that. I am very sorry I missed out entirely."
Swiping again at his sweaty forehead Dante says with a smile, "I've kept you long enough and I really should go get that shower before someone catches a whiff of me and thinks a troll is lurking about."
"You aren't keeping me from anything important, just a little shopping. And while yes, you definitely need that shower, I assure you that you aren't quite to troll stink levels yet," Karma replies with a throaty chuckle.
Dante gives Karma a grin in return then with a, "See you later," and small wave resumes the jog back to the Hogwarts grounds.
(Franciscus) Shopping for Supplies
Author: Griet
Date: 10-12-11 19:01
Franciscus was the youngest of the Vanderbilt siblings and the only boy in the family. Or at least he had been until Paton Shrewsbury came along. Franciscus didn't mind that Paton's arrival meant that he was no longer the lone male in his generation of Vanderbilts and Mickles. In fact, Franciscus was glad that he wasn't the only one anymore. It was all the better that Paton was his same age.
It was decided that the two boys would do their Hogwarts supply shopping together under the supervision of their mothers. They had met already, first when Uncle Pieter had introduced his son to the rest of his family, and then a few times after that. During that first visit, Paton had seemed a bit shy. It must have been quite overwhelming meeting a slew of heretofore unknown cousins after finally meeting his own father for the very first time. It hadn't taken long for Paton to warm up to Franciscus, however.
Paton saw in Franciscus not only a new family member but also a friend, which Franciscus saw likewise. Although he would already know others at Hogwarts when term began on September 1st, namely his older sisters Cornelia, Aleydis and Beatrix, and his cousins Sadie and Ramona, Franciscus was especially pleased over the fact that he knew another first year.
The boys peered at the school supply lists that had been owled to them earlier in the summer and read off the first items they needed to purchase.
"Three sets of plain work robes," Franciscus narrated, "one plain pointed hat, one pair of protective gloves, and one winter cloak."
"Madam Malkin's is this way," Mrs. Vanderbilt said, pointing off in the distance.
"We may as well stop in the cauldron shop while we're here," Autumn suggested, pointing out Potages on the left side of the alley.
"Or we could visit there last before we leave," Catharina countered.
Franciscus had noticed that his mother didn't like Autumn much, but he didn't quite understand why. Autumn was extremely friendly and kind.
If the younger witch noticed Catharina's veiled hostility, she didn't let on. Instead, she smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "That's quite all right with me."
The four walked up the cobblestoned street. It was a busy day, but not as busy as the very last day of summer hols would be. A lot of students and their families waited until the very last day to do all of their shopping. In fact, Franciscus bet all the galleons he had that Cornelia would be one such shopper.
Soon, the sign for the Madam Malkin's came into view. Franciscus led the way inside and found the clothing store empty, at least for now. The proprietress immediately came out from the back room to assist her new customers.
Last Minute Preparations
Author: Jolyon
Date: 10-14-11 11:53
With only a few days left until the start of the new school year, Jolyon busied himself with preparations. In looking over his lesson plans from the previous year, he'd decided that very little would need changing. He just needed to make sure that he made the proper arrangements to get certain magical creatures to Hogwarts in time for lessons. He kept many on hand, of course, but Jolyon couldn't keep every single creature he lectured on at the school. Nor did he want to, as a few were quite dangerous.
In addition to his role as professor of Care of Magical Creatures, Jolyon had a new job title this school year. With Professor Flitwick no longer at Hogwarts, Jolyon had been elevated from Deputy Head of Ravenclaw House to actual Head of House. He looked forward to the challenge and hoped that he could do as fine a job in the position as Filius himself had done for many, many years.
He entered the Ravenclaw common room and immediately went to the notice board to remove old flyers. They included club meeting notices and personal messages such as a student wishing to trade Chocolate Frog Cards or inquiring after lost items. Once the notice board was clean, Jolyon posted a small rectangle of parchment with his and Illyria's names and titles. Illyria was the new Deputy Head of Ravenclaw.
As if on cue, Illyria stepped into the common room.
"Hi, Jolyon," she greeted, coming up to his side. "I suppose you read my mind. I was thinking about coming up here to make sure everything was ready for when the students arrived."
Jolyon grinned. "Great minds think alike." He looked around the common room.
It was circular in shape with arched windows covered by blue and bronze silk curtains. The carpet was midnight blue, and the domed ceiling was painted with stars. Tables, chairs and bookcases furnished the room.
"We probably should have taken stock at the start of summer," Illyria said.
"I admit I didn't even think about it," Jolyon replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "but it doesn't appear that the chairs need reupholstering or restuffing. It also looks like the house-elves have cleaned in here since term ended."
"Yes," Illyria agreed, "but I think we should inspect the dorimitories, just in case."
They split up, Illyria looking at the girls' rooms, while Jolyon inspected the boys' rooms. They met back in the common room at the foot of Rowena Ravenclaw's statue around twenty minutes later.
"Any problems?" Jolyon asked.
"I think some of the pillows need replacing, but other than that, everything seems perfectly in order."
"I'll ask the house-elves to bring out new pillows from storage or make a request with Dumbledore to order more. I don't imagine that will be an issue," Jolyon said.
"Can you believe term is nearly upon us again?" Illyria asked, as the pair began to head for the common room's exit.
"Yes. The older I get, the quicker time passes. I'm convinced that if I make it to Dumbledore's age, a year will pass in a single blink."
Illyria laughed. "I think that might turn out to be an exaggeration."
"I suppose I can ask Dumbledore when I ask about the pillows," Jolyon replied, grinning.
"Yes, you do that."
The pair laughed some more as they left Ravenclaw Tower, Illyria for the Astronomy Tower and Jolyon for the Hogwarts grounds.
Final Classroom Touches
Author: Karma Davyd
Date: 10-14-11 13:48
The Term was scheduled to begin in a few days, a handful of days and I would be doing what I love doing, sharing history with young minds so willing to learn. I had a fantastic set of lessons planned for the first month of the term, and I hoped that my students would love it. I intended on focusing on the founding of Hogwarts for the first month, and focusing on the four founders of the Castle that students now call home for their education in the Wizarding World.
At the moment, I was going through my classroom, pondering a few moments on how I wanted it set up. Wand flicked to organize the desks across the room with my desk toward the blackboard. I let a light smile play over my lips, I'd pondered separate desks, but I figured the tables would provide a bit more space.
I had a syllabus prepared that gave a brief outline of the entire year ahead of my students covering quite a bit of history starting from the earliest recorded in Ancient Egypt and Greece and moving forward until reaching the year 1700 A.D.
I figured that it would give a good enough branch of history to prepare the students for their upper years when they begin buckling down for O.W.L and N.E.W.T examinations at the end of their fifth and seventh years. A good foundation is essential in education, without it there is no chance of building a good education.
Each table held a different decoration in one of the house's colors. There were even a banner of each house along each wall. In front of my desk, I had replicas of The Sword of Gryffindor, the Sorting Hat, Hufflepuff cup, Slytherin's Locket, and Ravenclaw diadem on pedastles in display cases. Key items in the history of the school and its founding.
Now that my lesson plans were done for the first two months of course work, I needed to get in order my class schedule for the start of Michaelmas Term in October. I doubt I will have trouble getting them to fit around my office hours and course schedule at Hogwarts, because I am in an upper tier program and the hours are a touch more flexible.
At the moment, I took one more look over my classroom, satisfied with the look of it for the beginning of the term, I headed out and down to the Great Hall for a quick spot of lunch before possibly venturing into London for a little bit of a shopping spree.
Last Minute Touch Ups
Author: Lawrence Masterson
Date: 10-14-11 14:41
With the Start of Term just around the corner, Lawrence was not the only staff memeber performing last minute touch ups on their classrooms, course content, and various other things that they were in charge of. Jolyn was promoted as Head of House of Ravenclaw with Professor Flitwick taking a leave from teaching.
He caught up briefly with Marzipan earlier in the afternoon and they'd decided that the greenhouse arrangement from the previous term would work well for them again this term. Lawrence also inquired as to how things were going with the children, and they chatted for a little bit before going to continue tending to touch ups and various other activities that they had planned for the day.
He pondered surprising Ariella at Briar's when he was done, and wisking her off for lunch in Wizarding SoHo but he knew she was pulling a double shift at the bakery today and wouldn't be home until around dinner. So eventually he would head to the village for something to eat, but for now, he needed to tend to the plants in the greenhouse and ensure that he had the display set up for his first classes.
After spending several hours in the greenhouse, and ensuring that everything was in good form for the term, he headed into the Castle. He would be starting courses at St. Emry's in October with Ariella and he needed to go about getting his schedule situated and the like, but that would be easy because he intended on studying Herbology and enhancing his studies.
He headed to his quarters and took a quick shower, before heading down to the Great Hall and grabbing a quick lunch, and owling in reservations for a late dinner at the Imperial Crown & Cauldron for he and Ariella.
Pool Party Slumber Party House Warming Event
Author: Adina Blackwood
Date: 10-14-11 17:09
It was the last weekend in August and the start of term was just around the corner. Mom and I would be heading to spend the night at Aunt Ephona's little flat in Diagon Alley tomorrow night so that I can ride the Hogwarts Express in on the first with Arthur, Kida and Whitney.
Right now, the backyard, complete with a pool was over run with a handful of Hogwarts students that were friends with me, and there were a few of my mom's friends and co-workers here for the house warming get together thingie we were throwing.
"Mom, is there more pop in the pantry?" I asked as Marlow pulled the last can out of the cooler and popped the top.
"I'll grab another case of pop." Mom said as she headed inside, and came out with another case of pop and added it to the cooler. Within minutes the house elf popped in with platters loaded with hamburgers, hot dogs and took care to refill the bowl of crisps and get fresh dip for the bowls that were empty as everyone had been snacking throughout the afternoon.
Orei and her husband had popped by and offered a housewarming gift to Mum and a few others came over and offered housewarming gifts, stayed for a little while and then went on their way. Professor Black even brought his son and daughter over and let them splash and play in the shallow end of the pool while he talked to Mom and dropped off a house warming gift.
Marlow, her sister, Kida and Whitney were spending the night tonight, unfortunately Arthur couldn't because he was a boy and while I was fourteen, it wouldn't do well to have my boyfriend spend the night. So, finally I showed Arthur to the door, gave him a kiss good night and went to join Kida, Marlow, her sister and Whitney in the living room.
We spent the night gossiping about boys, music, and clothes as well as cute boys that we will be glad to see again when the term starts in two short days. "Can't wait to find out who got Head Boy is and if it is someone from Slytherin." Kida said, a smile on her face. They weren't yet fifth years to be prefects or Head Girl...none of them were, but Kida, Whitney and I were only a year away now, maybe we would be prefects next year.
"At last you guys get to go to the village this year." Marlow said pouting lightly. "I've still gotta wait another year before I can go on the Hogsmeade trips."
"It's alright Marlow, just catch me in the great hall and give me your money and I'll grab you what you need when we head into the village." I said with a smile, curling my legs beneath me on the pile of blankets and pillows that were in the middle of the living room and going to be our 'bed' for the night for this sleep over, slumber party type thing.
"And, if Adina can't go get it to one of us before we head to the village and we'll grab your stuff." Kida said, and Whitney nodded.
Mom flicked on the WWN and I couldn't help but squeal as the song on was one from Xavier's side project, Cleaver. "Xavier is so dreamy..." I said, collapsing in a mock swoon into the pillows making everyone giggle like mad.
"You are not just a music junkie, you are a cute boy junkie. What does Arthur think of your maddening obsession with Xavier?" Whitney asked, and instantly all eyes were on me.
"He is fine with it, because I'm not going to meet Xavier and besides he's married now or something, according to the tabloids." I said pushing myself up and settling once more into a comfortable position.