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Future Politician?
Author: Charlie Weasley
Date: 09-11-17 18:48
Finding the Astronomy textbook before his father Schuyler announces, "Got it."
Charlie nods saying as he looks down at a list, "What's next? Charms. The Standard Book of Spells by Miranda Goshawk."
Schuyler heads in the direction indicated by Charlie. "Speaking of Miranda, why is she still mad at me?"
"Miranda's not mad at you, Schuy, so much as she's upset you're off to Hogwarts soon and she's not."
"I don't get why that would make her mad. It's just more school AND we have to stay there all the time. What's so great about that?"
"Larkin will be there. Seth and Gideon too and now you."
"She'll still have Artie and Ava, Victoire, Louis, "
Charlie puts a hand up in a stop gesture. "You don't have to name everyone."
Having located the Charms text while this discussion took place they move on to find the required Defense Against the Dark Arts book, Schuyler wanting to know, "Why do I have to stay at Hogwarts when home is just right there?"
Charlie shakes his head once. "That's just how it is."
"But why?"
"There is a rule, not a Hogwarts rule but a Ministry of Magic rule, about where underage magic can be done. As Hogwarts is a school, underage magic is allowed there. If students went home at the end of the school day, they couldn't practice what they're learning."
"Someone should change the rule then."
"It's also about safety. What if you were home alone and tried a spell you'd just learned but did it wrong and something bad happened?"
Going quiet Schuyler thinks about this but rather than respond he slightly changes tack. "All schools of magic make students live there during term?"
Charlie is the one going quiet now. When Schuyler prompts him for an answer he pretends he got distracted searching for the next textbook on the list. "Oh, uh, well, no. Laws where those schools are might be different though."
"So the one here could be change and we could be like those schools," the eleven year old states.
"Thinking of going into politics, are you?"
"What?"
"Are you going to get a job that allows you to be the one who tries to change the rule?"
Handing his father the textbook they'd been looking for, Schuyler mulls this over before saying, "No, because I'd be grown and not in school so wouldn't need the rule changed. What's the next book?"
Shopping (Finches & Hylands)
Author: Saffron
Date: 09-13-17 18:48
Bryn Finch tilts her head first to one side then to the other. "I don't know. Slowly turn."
Katheryn complies, liking the dress robes far more than her mother seems to. When Bryn asks, "How do they feel across the shoulders?" Katheryn extends her arms and crosses them, causing the fabric to go taut.
Katheryn waggles her arms about saying, "Feels fine, Mum."
"Are you sure? Looks tight."
The sales assistant observing this rushes to assure, "There's room in the seams if any letting out is needed."
Bryn makes a face. "I'm just not sure."
"I like this one more than the other two, Mum."
"The dark periwinkle looks so much nicer on you though."
"You think?"
The sales assistant nods. "The loveliest on you of the three, miss."
Theo, sitting on a love seat and to this point silent, engrossed in the pictures of a book, looks up to say, "What Mummy said."
Katheryn shrugs. "That's it then. Theo has spoken. The periwinkle it is."
She goes to change just as Estella enters with the Hyland cousins and Aunt Dagmar. "Told you I saw them, Mum."
Hellos are exchanged then Dagmar Hyland says, "Ingrid, as long as we're here, see if you like any of the dress robes." As an aside to her sister-in-law she adds, "She's grown enough since Christmas we've let out the hem of her others robes as much as we can."
Ingrid, with Estella, starts looking through the racks. Katheryn emerges from the dressing room carrying the three sets of dress robes she'd tried on. She hands the deep periwinkle to the sales assistant as Hope looks over the other two, admiring the robes of dark rose, taking the set to try on for herself.
Bored, Bran and Douglas move to join Theo on the love seat. Though a few months older than Douglas, Theo is years behind his cousin mentally. He informs the newcomers, "I can read this."
Douglas settles back on the loveseat. "Let's hear it then."
Theo turns to the beginning of his book and slowly, painstakingly reads to Douglas and Bran. When he finishes with a flourish, they applaud. "That deserves a reward, Theo," Bran states, jumping to his feet. "Mum, Douglas and me "
"Douglas and I," Dagmar corrects.
Bran rolls his eyes. "Douglas and I are going to take Theo to get a sweet, all right?"
Dagmar looks to Bryn who nods. "Yes, all right, but not too much. You still have money?"
"Yeah, some."
Despite his response Bryn offers them some galleons, Bran and Douglas making sure to say, "Thanks, Aunt Bryn."
The boys are gone at least a half hour. They return to find the their sisters and mothers still looking at clothes. Douglas and Bran roll eyes, retaking their seats along Theo, methodically eating salt water taffy from one of the bags they carry.
Fabric Swatches
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 09-14-17 18:36
Georgia holds up a swatch of pale pink fabric. "This one?"
Libby makes a face. "Yuck."
"But you like pink."
"Not barely there, almost white pink."
Georgia gives an exasperated sigh and resumes thumbing through the fabric swatches. Libby turns away to walk over to where Edwina is intently studying a lacy mid-length creamy ecru wedding robe.
"Too puffy for me," Libby says.
"Me too but otherwise I like it. I think, though, when I get married I want a Muggle style wedding dress instead of Wizarding wedding robes."
"I'll have to see what's out there when I get married. Maybe I'll just do a cocktail dress or robes instead of going so dressy."
Edwina glances to where Georgia is making a face at a loud floral print. She wonders if Georgia is thinking the same as she is: who would want that pattern for a dress or any outfit for that matter. A pillow maybe. Definitely not for a bridemaid's outfit.
"Why are we looking at fabric swatches when they don't even have a date set yet?"
Libby, having moved slightly to look over a display of shoes, gives a one shouldered shrug. "They have dates narrowed down but the closest would be just after New Year's before term for us starts again. Mum says the more planning in advance the better."
"Speaking of, where did Aunt Connie go? She was here not even ten minutes ago."
"I think to show a house. Oi! Cheeky Monkey, Mum went to show a house, right?"
Georgia distractedly answers, "Yes, we're to meet her for lunch at the deli. What do you think of this?"
The fabric swatch is a deep green with little silver flowers.
"Oooh, very Slytherin. I like."
"For a party dress or dress robes I was thinking. Not for the bridemaids. Edwina, you've not given your opinion on anything."
"I didn't know I'm supposed to."
"You're to be a bridesmaid aren't you?"
"Right, yes. I mean I thought you were trying to please Libby and any others of us would go with whatever she wanted."
Georgia laughs so hard she starts coughing. Libby glares at her sister. When Georgia catches her breath she says, "It would be nice if Libby likes whatever gets picked but, no, she's not the only opinion that counts."
"In that case, I really liked that burnt orange one you first showed us."
Libby does her one shouldered shrug again. "Yeah, that one was all right. I do want something from that green with silver so we have to be sure to bring Mum back here after lunch."
The time until then passes fairly quickly with Edwina, now knowing she can voice her thoughts on fabric swatches, showing much more interest than before.
Vault 314
Author: Mildred
Date: 09-17-17 02:38
Mildred was on her own at Diagon Alley. She was going to buy some school supplies for her very last year at Hogwarts. But before doing so, she was going to Gringotts, to check her mother's vault.
She turned seventeen last February, which meant she was no longer a minor. While still at school she had received a letter from her family lawyer, which announced that her mother's vault at Gringotts had passed directly to herself. The letter came with a small golden key.
Mildred couldn't be sure about what the vault's content. At first, she considered going to Gringotts with her father, but Alexander seemed to have vanished. After his distant letters, the contact between the two had stopped. Young Mildred would have been devastated, but these days she stopped caring. Her father was gone, and so was her mother, and the only family member she could count with was her grandmother. But Mildred didn't want her in the vault as well. And so, she decided to come to the bank on her own.
Her steps made a loud sound as she crossed the marbled floored hall and stopped at a counter, where a free goblin waited for a new costumer. Mildred expressed her wishes to visit vault 314. After the goblin confirmed her identity and that she was now the new owner of the vault, he escorted Mildred inside. They hopped on a cart, and a few minutes later they were in front of Sarah Campbell's vault. The goblin gave Mildred some privacy as she inserted the key in the locker, opened the door and entered.
The vault had the dimension of a medium sized living room. Most of the vault's content was money. Before she turned seventeen and with her father in prison, it had been Mildred's grandmother who controlled the vault's content. Mildred knew part of the money was spent to buy her Hogwarts school supplies, her Quidditch equipment, and an allowance that allowed her to buy sweets and other goods from Hogsmeade. Her eyes swept the area and she concluded she was now the owner of a small fortune.
However, there was something besides money in the vault. At a corner rested a large trunk. The letters S.H. were engraved on it. Mildred knew it was her mother's maiden name, Sarah Howard. Maybe this was the trunk she brought with her to Hogwarts, many years ago. She approached the dusty trunk and tried to open it. It was locked. She tried to open it with her wand but she wasn't successful. Then she tried the Gringotts vault key, but it didn't work as well. She knew the trunk was important, and for that reason she wasn't being able to open it.
She called the goblin and told him:
"I am going to take that trunk."
The goblin nodded and he watched as Mildred levitated it and placed it on the cart. She also took some money to buy her school supplies.
As the cart moved back to surface, Mildred decided to rush her shopping so she could go home and try to open her mother's trunk at any cost. She was also going to inquiry her grandmother about it. Maybe she had the key herself.
Last Day of Summer
Author: Jolyon
Date: 09-19-17 09:59
The windows in the stables were all thrown open to let in the fresh air. The magical creatures stabled within the building sniffed contentedly at the occasional breeze that passed over them. Jolyon busied himself with not only caring for the various creatures housed in the stables and in fenced areas nearby, but also conducted some last minute preparations for the new school year.
Tomorrow was September 1st. Students old and new would board the Hogwarts Express and travel from London to Hogsmeade. Jolyon's twins would be among them. As a prefect for Gryffindor House, Arielle would first have a meeting on the train with the other prefects and new Head Boy and Head Girl. Asher technically didn't need to ride the train, but it was Jolyon's understanding that he fully intended on it.
Asher and Malden had hung out a lot together over the summer, usually independently of Arielle and Malden, who had seen each other often as well. Jolyon was glad to see that Asher and Malden appeared to have patched things up, and that there seemed to be no more hard feelings over the fact that Malden divided his time with the twins.
Asher and Arielle were currently in Diagon Alley. Their mother had originally wanted to go school supply shopping with them, but they had insisted they were quite old enough to do so alone. Besides, Merrie was often very tired because of her pregnancy. As a bargaining tool, Arielle had promised to bring back something sweet to assuage her mother's cravings, which usually involved something chocolatey or cream-filled.
The twins rarely agreed on anything, but when they were alone without schoolmates or relatives to influence or distract them, they cooperated better. They worked systematically through their supply lists.
already, they had gotten things like quills and parchment, glass vials for Potions class, and clothing items that needed replacing for their standard uniforms. The only major supply that remained was their school books, which they'd decided to save for last. Even with featherweight and shrinking charms, it was a lot to carry.
Now was as good a time as any for a snack break. Asher and Arielle decided to go to Hobb & Whistle for tea and biscuits. They got a small table and threw their shopping bags down at their feet. A little while later Asher drank Earl Grey and Arielle had a cup of marzipan rooibos tea. They shared a plate of buttery biscuits.
"So," Arielle ventured after some companionable silence, "are you going to tell me what you and Malden have been up to all summer?"
Asher raised a dark eyebrow. "Why do you think we're up to something?"
"You two just seem awfully secretive lately," Arielle answered. "Sometimes I think you haven't really made up, but that you've reached an agreement based on some common interest."
Asher didn't immediately answer. The bad thing about his sister dating Malden was that she would notice certain behaviors more than she would if it was just her brother, with whom she doesn't have the greatest of relationships. It would be a very bad thing if Arielle figured out what they were up to.
"We're just friends," Asher finally replied. "It's not like before for obvious reasons, but we're working it out."
Arielle didn't believe him, but she knew that Asher wouldn't bend and that if she continued to pry, the decent day they'd been having together would shatter. She let it go and said, "Back to school tomorrow. Excited?"
Asher quirked both eyebrows this time. "It's our first NEWT year, so no, can't say that I am."
"But there will be Quidditch again," Arielle reminded him.
"True," Asher said. "Will you tryout?"
"Dunno," Arielle replied. "I've never played on the team. I'm guessing you're going for Beater again?"
"Probably."
The two drank their tea, ate their biscuits, and talked a bit more about what the new school year would bring. Eventually, they set out to complete their shopping.
[Harley & Dave] Bronzefield Prison
Author: S Snape
Date: 09-19-17 19:24
Shuffling in line behind others waiting to visit someone incarcerated in Bronzefield Prison, Harley quietly sighs. Dave and she thought they were done with this mess but Mum's lawyer finally got a judge to agree that they had to see her at least one time before returning to school. Mum is still convinced Dad and Gran are why Dave an Harley haven't been visiting her.
Once inside the large room filled with tables bolted in place with chairs also bolted in place Gran stays near the wall by the door to give Harley and Dave a few minutes with their mother. It's not what she wants but Kevin and Carol decided that Janie would be more likely to insist Carol was still exerting some sort of influence on the kids if she sat at the table with them when they tell Janie they truly do not want to have do another prison visit.
Janie arrives fairly quickly, eager to ensure that both children came. If only one had Kevin would be getting an ugly notice from her lawyer. Spotting her son and daughter at one of the tables she rapidly weaves her way around other tables and people, though not too rapidly so as not to call attention from one of the guards, cheerily greeting them. "Harley! Davidson! You came!"
Dave grumpily grumbles, "As if we had a choice."
Janie's eyes widen as if in surprise. "You didn't want to see me?"
Harley gives her a you've-got-to-be-bloody-joking look. "You tried to kill us, Mum."
"As you are clearly fine I cannot believe you are still holding that against me."
"Do you listen to yourself, Janie?" Dave gives her such a massive eye roll he thinks he pulled a muscle.
"Janie? Oh, are you calling her Mum now?" Despite also trying to murder Kevin, Janie is certain he divorced her because he was poached from her by her own mother, Carol.
Harley makes an odd, back of her throat noise. "She's always been Gran to us."
"I am sensing some hostility from you both."
"Ya think?"
"I am your mother, Davidson. You should be happy to come see me every visiting day. You should be concerned for my welfare while forced to live in this horrid place. What do I get instead? Sarcasm, insolence, disrespect."
As another massive eye roll has him thinking he pulled something else and he really should stop doing such big eye rolls Dave gestures to his sister. "As Harley has already pointed out, you tried to kill us. Why would you think we'd ever want anything more to do with you again?"
"Because Janie is delusional," Harley tells him.
Eyes narrow and faced flushed more of a cherry rather than a scarlet Janie slams both hands onto the table with enough force one of the guards starts edging their way and Carol takes a few steps away from the wall she'd been leaning against. She settles back in her chair, trying to show the guard all is well even as she huffs, "I am not delusional."
Harley tries to push her seat back, forgetting as she always does that it's affixed to the floor. Awkwardly jerking out of the chair she says in a low, firm tone, "There's something not right about you, Janie. I do not want to ever visit here again. I don't want you writing me. I am done with you."
Janie sputters as Harley away to join Carol. Dave jumps to his feet to follow, saying before he goes, "You're a nutter, Janie." He takes a step then turns to tell her, "Oh, yeah, what Harley said."
Enraged, Janie can do nothing but watch them go. She's not risking time in solitary by making a scene over such bratty children. They were never like that when she was raising them. She'll have to give her lawyer an earful about the unsuitable environment Kevin and that woman are raising her children in.
Her guests gone Janie exits the visitation room where a guard escorts her back to her cell where she promptly starts a letter to her solicitor.