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(Alanna) Lucky
Author: Beck
Date: 03-29-20 08:31
Although initially disappointed not to get the opportunity to travel to South America for the opening of the Quidditch World Cup, Alanna was now glad that she and Jared hadn't gotten tickets. They'd listened to the coverage of the disastrous opening ceremony on the WWN, had read more about it in The Daily Prophet over breakfast this morning, and had heard about it first hand from Etta, who'd been there.
After everything she'd been through and all the progress she'd made, Alanna felt that having been present during the chaos would have caused her a setback. Although the official word was Death Eaters or other dark wizards had not been involved in the pandemonium in Patagonia, conspiracy theorists stated otherwise. Either way, it would have been traumatic to experience.
At least things seemed to be more or less business as usual today. Despite proceeding with caution, Alanna and Jared had the wireless on again to listen to coverage of the first round Quidditch match between Norway and Ivory Coast.
They were still in Jared's flat, but an offer had been made on the lovely house in Hogsmeade. Connie Copperpot was hopeful in getting all the closing documents signed and submitted before Easter, so that Jared and Alanna could be in their new home in time for the holiday, but if the process wasn't that speedy, then they'd certainly be in before the end of April.
In the meantime, they packed boxes in anticipation of the big move. Jared's flat was mostly packed up except for the things they still used on a daily basis. Alanna still had more packing to do at home, but she didn't feel as rushed since it wasn't like she had a lease expiring soon. Anyway, in between staying with Jared and helping him pack, she was also working.
Philip Blakely from Blakely and Winfred, Wizarding Attorneys at Law had gone into early retirement at the end of March due to a diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease. A few weeks prior to leaving, he and Wendell Winfred had rehired Alanna with the knowledge that Blakely would be retiring soon. Although Alanna was not hired as his direct replacement, they already knew her work and thought that she might make an excellent partner one day. And so in addition to getting back into the swings of her old job duties, they showed her the ropes of what it meant to be a managing partner too.
Now that Blakely was gone, the official name of the law firm was Winfred Wizarding Attorneys at Law, though it wasn't hard for Alanna to imagine the sign one day saying Winfred and Beck, Wizarding Attorneys at Law. She wasn't going to count her chickens before the hatched, though.
She leaned into Jared as they sat together on the couch and marveled at how much her life had turned itself around. She was alive, she was getting married to Jared all over again, and her career was back on track. What a lucky girl she was!
Mrs. Schnackenpfefferhausen
Author: Coco Nutt
Date: 03-29-20 19:16
The officiate proclaims, "I now pronounce you husband and wife!"
Fritz and Coco kiss then turn to face the small gathering of family and friends. They walk hand in hand down the aisle to the spot they'd decided would be where as a married couple they greet their guests and funnel them over to the area where the refreshments and dance floor for the reception is located. Coming behind them down the aisle are Otto, who served as best man, and Gertrude, Coco's longtime friend from early on at Hogwarts and Otto's significant other, who stood as Coco's attendant. Skye Hewson, doing double duty as flower girl and ring bearer trails them. Next are Papa Wal and Mitzi Bolt and Mitzi and Franz Schnackenpfefferhausen along with Fritz's grandmother Minna. Deandra and Harlan Hewson sat with the family as did Roman, who had thought himself too old to be ring bearer but was happy to escort guests to seats. With him are Chadwick Yeates and a few others of the Yeates and Hewson families, including great aunt Lucille.
While the newlyweds greet their guests and thank them for coming, the Mitzis being the Mitzis rush to check the food even though Fritz and Coco have everything set up as a self serve buffet. Otto and Gertrude see to passing champagne around to any who want it.
Yesterday when Fritz had suggested in the midst of yesterday's opening ceremonies bedlam, "If we survive this, we should get married this weekend," Coco had dropped her more posh manner of speaking to cheekily reply, "Lor' luv a duck! Terrific. Know what I mean?"
When they left Argentina it was with an assortment of scrapes, cuts, and bruises but nothing serious. Despite the much later hour they immediately set to work to pull off a wedding for the next afternoon. Each with a foot firmly planted in the Muggle World, they are better able to appreciate having magic aid them in their endeavor. There's also the fact that they've been planning a wedding for ages. Coco's changed the date on her save the cards a number of times and now she won't even need them.
First thing Sunday morning Fritz saw to finding an officiate who'd do a last minute wedding and Coco, using a variety of methods issued invitations to a late afternoon/early evening barbeque, not mentioning the true purpose of the gathering. They figured that after stringing things out for as long as they have few would believe a wedding would be taking place. They'd had to rush to the Ministry for a rush on a license. They'd used more magic than they normally would have to prepare food and they also ordered some from the Crown & Cauldron when getting flowers and a cake and an assortment of other sweets in Hogsmeade. Coco doubts that if doing this entirely Muggle they would have had the variety and amount of food nor would they have a lovely decorated cake of three small tiers along with different flavors of petit fours.
When family members had arrived at the earlier time Fritz and Coco had given then and were told what was going on, they pitched in to help though at a slower Muggle pace because only Gertrude is Wizarding. By the time the other guests began arriving, pretty much everything was in place. With such short notice there is no band or DJ but they have a wireless tuned to a station with lively dance music.
With everyone expecting a somewhat informal barbecue Coco, in the wedding dress she'd long had, tells Fritz in his suit, "I feel overdressed."
He laughs in agreement, pulling her after the last of the guest through their small receiving line, to the dance floor. "I'm starving but how about a dance first, Mrs. Schnackenpfefferhausen?"
Going in Circles
Author: Finley
Date: 03-31-20 18:51
Inn on the Marsh was a Muggle pub and inn on High Street in Moreton-in-Marsh. After wandering around town together, in both wizarding and Muggle parts of the village, Finley, Eirene, and Leroy ended up at inn, which had outdoor seating in addition to indoor. It being a nice day, and not having grown tired of being out and about, the three settled onto a round picnic bench under a large, blue umbrella.
After months of giving Finley the cold shoulder after she turned down his kiss on New Year's Eve, Leroy seemed to have gotten over it. She'd written to him prior to leaving Hogwarts, asking if they wanted to hang out while she was home for Easter, and was pleasantly surprised when he wrote back and indicated that he was looking forward to her visit.
And just like that, things seemed to be back to normal. It was surprisingly easy falling back into their old friendship, as if the almost-kiss never happened.
Not sooner did Eirene open her menu that she complained for the umpteenth time, "What kind of guy dumps a girl just days before Valentine's?"
Leroy kindly remained silent as he concentrated on his own menu, but Finley couldn't help but remark, "Really, Eirene? This again?"
Eirene sighed dramatically and asked, "Would you get over it quickly if it happened to you?"
Finley had heightened awareness with Leroy sitting right next to her, but she was frank all the same. "I'm sure I'd be upset, but it's been two months. Anyway, I think you have bigger things to worry about."
Ever since they were both interrogated by Eunice Smirt and law enforcement, Finley and Eirene were on thin ice at Hogwarts. They were watched closely, their mail was intercepted, and things really went off the rails when that supposed Dark Mark appeared in the girl's bathroom. Smirt had personally come to Finley's dormitory room and asked her to empty every last item out of her trunk and to pull back the covers and mattress on her bed. Allegedly, she'd done the same to Eirene.
Finley jumped when the waitress came over to take their drink orders. She wouldn't put it past the Smirts to spy on them while they weren't at school. After all, this would be the perfect time to rendezvous with Death Eaters, if Finley and Eirene were in to that kind of thing.
Eirene waited for the waitress to completely retreat into the inn before rolling her eyes really big and stating, "I'm not worried about getting falsely accused for being something I'm not."
"For all your brains, you can be really stupid sometimes," Finley retorted.
"Okay, stop," Leroy interjected, laying down his menu on the worn table. "You two keep going in circles. Eirene, it really sucks that Phoebus dumped you right before Valentine's Day and the big dance. It truly does. Nobody likes to get their heart broken. I'm sorry that it happened, but it did and it's time to move on."
He turned his attention to Finley and said, "You need to stop harping about the seriousness of your and Eirene's situation. Yes, you're being wrongly accused of being evil." He said the word as if he were an evil mastermind himself. "It's wrong and the people heading up this investigation sound really incompetent. Feel the way you do if you want, but don't expect Eirene to follow suit if her priorities are different."
"Always the peacemaker," Finley muttered.
Eirene beamed and said, "Thank you, Leroy! You're very wise, you know."
Leroy turned a little pink and said, "I wouldn't say that, but what would you say to splitting a basket of chips?" He pointed to a picture in the menu of a giant basket of seasoned potato wedges.
"Oh, that looks good to me. Finley?" Eirene asked.
Finley nodded. "Sure. Looks good."
They quickly figured out the rest of their order, which they presented to the waitress when she appeared with their drinks. There was no more talk of Phoebus or Hogwarts, which made for a peaceful meal.
Ancient Tome
Author: Julian Valentine
Date: 03-31-20 20:39
Julian taps a ancient looking tome. "Sorry it took to long to find. Turns out there are only two known legible copies. There is a third but few pages are readable and no amount of spells or potions have rendered the others legible again."
Iola asks, "You're sure it's the one?"
"Based on the information you gave, yes."
When Julian puts the book down Caerwyn reaches out to turn it towards him, carefully opening it to a random page. "The parchment is brittle. Is it safe to thumb through looking for what we want?"
"They are extremely brittle but the owner has treated each page with a special preservative potion. Unless someone is careless, the pages should be safe to turn." Julian looks to Iola. "Do you know approximately where in the book we want or a title or anything?"
"The information I have is a little fuzzy on that but indicates looking for variations of conpedio, impedio, and inpedio. Latin words all related to shackle, fetter, hinder, obstruct, and so forth."
From across the room Grace says, "So like Impedimenta stops something or slows it down. I guess that one is based on the word impedio."
Iola nods at her. "Yes, exactly. The spell we're wanting is stopping Caerwyn's metamorphmagic ability. Once we know the exact spell we should be able to undo it. If we're lucky, the reversal spell will be paired with the one we're after."
Still being careful with turning pages, Caerwyn looks towards the front of the book. "Since I've got the book in front of me, I'll start looking. Too bad there isn't a table of contents listing every spell."
"There's no index either." Julian gives them all a lopsided smile. "I checked already. Caerwyn, when you get tired of looking, I'll take over. Grace, turn the radio back on and we'll listen to the rest of the Ivory Coast-Norway match."
Accepting a butterbeer that he keeps well away from the old book, Caerwyn half listens to the match, the conversation of the others, and the sounds the twins are making playing, while searching for the spell that might be binding his metamorphmagic ability, if he even has such a power that is. If not, what other reason could there be for the mark Iola says isn't a birthmark after all?
Happy
Author: Philippa Hainault
Date: 04-01-20 23:53
"I need to tell you something..."
"What is it?"
Philippa told her brother about her encounter with their grandfather. She had considered to keep it for herself, but it was impossible to hide things from Richard. There were no secrets between the two. She waited for the holidays to tell him, and she finally got a chance to catch him alone. They had been playing hide and seek with Isabella. Richard was the one doing the seek, but Philippa did not hide. They let Isabella hide and while she was away they were able to talk.
"An unbreakable vow! Aren't you afraid?"
"No. He promised it would not jeopardize my security. And it's been a while and he hasn't contacted me again."
"Maybe he will forget about it."
"Maybe..."
Philippa was expecting her grandfather to contact her at anytime to collect his part of the bargain. He had most certainly abide with his own part because when she came home for the holidays she found her grandfather Maximilian and her aunt much more relaxed compared with the tension at Christmas. Durmstrang had not been mentioned again. Richard was going to Hogwarts!
The letter had arrived when he turned eleven, and he was already desperate to get a wand. But he hasn't received one yet. His birthday gift had been a watch that had belonged to their father, and that he had never taken off since that day. Richard told Philippa there was another item that had belonged to their father, far more personal, which was a golden chain, that he used all the time, and had died with it. The chain was actually represented in his tomb effigy. But Maximilian and Margaret did not contact Ferdinand asking for it. They thought that after the Durmstrang situation it was better to lay low. Philippa knew Richard was a bit sad he did not get the golden chain. It had belonged to Maximilian, and his father, and all Hainaults since they existed. It was Richard's by right. He was afraid their brother Mark might get it instead, when he turned eleven.
"You shouldn't have done it. It can be dangerous."
"He is our grandfather, he is not going to harm me. And I don't regret it."
Philippa wanted Richard at Hogwarts. He wouldn't last a term at Durmstrang.
"Thank you. I guess I am going to Hogwarts after all," Richard smiled.
Philippa smiled back at her brother, happy because he was happy. She adored her brother and she would die for him if needed.
"Now you need to find Isabella," she reminded him.
"Oh let her be hidden for a few more moments...it's so peaceful without her."
They both laughed and wondered how long Isabella would keep hidden before she realized no one was looking for her.
Many Gatherings
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 04-02-20 18:00
Easter Sunday was expected to be a busy one for Ethan. Although some of the family was currently on a European river cruise, the rest of the Towneleys gathered at Ethan's parents' house for brunch. Of course, Briar and Grace were there too, which made Lilly especially happy, since none of her cousins were there and there was another young person around, not just a bunch of grown-ups.
After Easter with the Towneleys, it was off to see Lilly's mother's side of the family––namely just Aveline and Maverick––for a late, albeit light lunch.
Soon, there would be a new cousin for Lilly, but the baby's gender wasn't yet known. The nursery was decorated in neutral yellow, and the parents-to-be had gone all out with the furnishings and accessories. Aveline and Maverick weren't terribly young anymore, so it was quite likely that this child would be their only one and therefore very spoiled.
Lilly wanted to show Grace the backyard, which had a few eggs hidden here and there for the two to find, but also had a lovely garden with an enclosure full of Greek tortoises. They went off while the adults sat at the patio table and watched while they talked.
"One-point-five gatherings down and one more to go, is that right?" Maverick asked Ethan.
Ethan nodded. "Grace's father's family is hosting Easter dinner. I think the girls will be glad to have some other kids around. They've been with stuffy adults all day."
"Speak for yourself!" Briar teased.
"Watch out, Ethan, or she might just call the wedding off!" Aveline exclaimed as she gently massaged her bulging belly. "Speaking of, did you settle on a date?"
"A general idea, yes," Ethan said, "but a specific date, no."
Briar explained, "We want it to be when Grace is out of school, so we're looking at this summer or maybe next Christmas break, but we're still sorting out the venue."
"We're trying not to be too loud about it, because I don't want someone like Rita Skeeter showing up to report on the union between two servants of the Dark Lord," Ethan said, using air quotes for the last bit of his sentence.
Aveline rolled her eyes. "And just think, if she sees us there, she'll say we've done our Dark Lord's bidding by getting married and reproducing!"
"What makes you think you're getting an invitation?" Ethan joked.
Briar slapped him lightly on the arm and then turned to Aveline and asked deadpan, "If a girl, will you name your baby Bellatrix?"
Aveline, equally serious replied, "I was thinking Alecto, actually."
Ethan chuckled. "Better not joke too loudly. I half expect Eunice and Eugene Smirt to pop out of the bushes and shout, 'Gotcha!'"
Maverick, having heard a little bit about the Smirts at recent Project 25 gatherings, turned to Aveline and explained about the two consultants who seemed to be looking for something that probably wasn't even there. He pictured them nevertheless compiling a lot of information and submitting a large tome to the Hogwarts Board of Governors at the end of the school year. He really hoped that Ethan wouldn't be affected by whatever they wrote.
Aveline frowned and said, "They sound really disruptive."
Ethan nodded. "Their presence is a total nuisance, but what can we do? All I can say is I really hope I don't have to deal with them again next year."
Easter Gathering
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 04-02-20 19:38
The extended Weasley family gathered for Easter at The Burrow as well as the triangle of space created between Arthur's and Molly's, Fred's and Blossom', and George's and Majandra's. Some have come and gone through the day to spend time with in-laws or close friends but with so many here it's been hopping for hours. When Harry said the hopping pun aloud, Ginny punched him in the arm with a knuckle.
At the moment he's sitting in a lawn chair. Around him are Hermione, Ron, and Ginny who Harry is sitting opposite from, well out of arm's reach. Too bad she's still go her wand.
Arthur, in swimsuit and with a towel over his arm, stops on his way to join some of the others enjoying the twins' shared pool. "Harry, did you catch up with Minerva or Filius?"
"Yes, both of them. They said pretty much the identical thing. Nice. Good student. Popular. That sort of thing but no distinct, specific memories."
Ginny tells him, "Sirius and Lupin had almost identical comments about Anne and equally vague specific memories."
"Interesting. This is sounding more like a mystery to puzzle out." He smiles. Rather than linger he moves along at the urging of some of the grandchildren for him to hurry up and join them.
As he raises his bottle of butterbeer to his lips Harry notices Hermione and Ron are staring oddly at him. "What? Have I a strange bug on my head?"
"Anne who?" Ron asks.
"Anne Potter Fairchild."
"Why are you talking with people about her?" Hermione asks.
Harry's face scrunches. "I never told you? Huh. I thought I had."
Ginny says, "It's been a hectic week. I can see how you might have forgotten you hadn't said anything."
"Excellent point; plus, every time we've been around anyone we're bombarded with questions about the opening ceremonies and about that first match." Harry finally takes that drink of butterbeer then tells them, "Anne may not have been my father's sister."
He and Ginny fill Ron and Hermione but before they have a chance to truly dig in the scant details and dissect them, Molly announces, "All right, everyone. With a bit of help we can tuck into dinner soon."
As they all rise to do Molly's bidding Harry suggests, "How about coming over to our place later tonight? We can better talk about this then."
Games
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 04-03-20 18:41
After a day of gorging on various Easter foods and sweets, the Stratfords lounged around and waited for their beds to call them. Noah had somehow convinced Sophia and Charlotte to kill time until then by playing a strategic board game together. Neither girl liked those sort of games normally but they also had that bored bored bored feeling that sometimes caused one to do something one ordinarily wouldn't.
As it turned out, both Sophia and Charlotte played better than Noah. Where he was cautious and contemplative, they played bold and aggressive, which seemed to pay off at least in their current game.
Sophia, after capturing land belonging to Noah, posed the question, "Do you think that there will still be law enforcement and those Smirt people when we return to Hogwarts next school year?"
Charlotte shrugged. "I can see that carrying on next year, if only because of the fuss made about that Dark Mark carving. Besides, I think with You-Know-Who still out there and having recently recruited Hogwarts students, the perceived threat is still real, even if he isn't actively recruiting students right now."
"How do you know he's not?" Sophia asked.
Charlotte pulled a face. "Obviously, I don't. I'm just saying, we don't really know what's going on. Personally, I think it's getting more and more blown out of proportion."
"So you think that carving wasn't really a Dark Mark?" Sophia asked.
"I didn't see it," Charlotte said, "so I really have no idea. I just think there's an overabundance of caution that is causing some adults to make a bigger deal out of things than is strictly necessary. I mean, when you think about it, has anything truly bad and crazy really happened at Hogwarts since term began?"
Sophia mulled silently over the question. Noah spoke up at last and said, "I think you're right, Charlotte. There's no harm and being vigilant, but things have really gotten out of hand. I, for one, am hoping that we get a little normalcy next school year."
"You're just saying that because next year is your OWL year," Charlotte replied with a smile.
"Hey, I want to play too!" Dylan came into the room, followed by August, who started reaching for game pieces as soon as he reached the table where the board was set up.
"You are too little to play this game," Charlotte said, as she gently pushed August's hands away.
He immediately threw back his head and let out a terrible scream, which summoned his mother and father. Astrid swept him up and said, "Let the big kids play their game, August."
"How about we set up a different game," Lysander suggested. "We can play together and leave the teenagers to theirs. How does that sound?"
It didn't sound good at all to August, but Dylan was agreeable to it. He started to follow Astrid carrying the wailing August to another room but paused in the doorway to listen when Lysander asked the older children, "What were you lot talking about just now?"
There was a collective pause even though they hadn't talked about anything inappropriate. Still, they didn't want to admit to him that they were talking about Death Eaters recruiting Hogwarts students.
"We were actually talking about the OWL exams," Noah said, which was true, as it had been the last thing discussed before Dylan and August walked into the room.
Lysander chuckled. "Why are you thinking about exams you aren't even taking this year during your break from school?" He shook his head and grinned. "You're such a Ravenclaw."
Noah smiled and said, "I guess so."
Giving the three another look, Lysander said, "Well, I'll leave you to it. Let me get this game started with the boys." He turned, saw Dylan watching, and asked, "Ready to play?"
Dylan bobbed his head up and down vigorously and exclaimed, "I'm ready to win!", which caused the whole room to burst out into laughter.
The Potters' Kitchen
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 04-03-20 21:40
All five children passed out after a long, busy day, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Harry take seats around the Potters' kitchen table. Before the coffee is even poured Hermione says, "Depending on what spells were cast, Anne's death would have lifted them."
Confused Ron asks, "Depending on what spells? Wouldn't any she cast lifted years ago? Oh, and wouldn't that mean Anne didn't cast the memory spells?"
Ginny gives her brother a pitying look. "Did you ever pay attention in school or to things around you? Some spells do last."
"Permanent Sticking Charm," Harry says, causing all four of them to remember the horrible portrait of Walburga Black at 12 Grimmauld Place that could not be removed from the wall no matter what was used on it.
"Some curses," Ron concedes, thinking how some curses are still on objects decades or even centuries after the curse was cast.
Harry throws another thought into the mix. "Why purpose did Anne have for modifying so many memories to make all these people think she was a Potter?"
"The immediate response to that is to have access to the Potter fortune but there's no evidence she ever did." Hermione accepts a slice of the pie they'd brought from the Burrow.
Putting a slice of pie onto her own plate Ginny says, "If she was the one fudging with people's memories and if what she used is the sort to lift if she died, then we would have to conclude she's still alive somewhere. If that's the case, was it all associated with Adriana eventually showing up and making contact?"
"If it wasn't Anne, then who and why?" Harry adds.
Ron rubs a temple. "We're all going to get long-term headaches trying to work all this out. Harry, your aunt is certain she was told James was an only child?"
From the kitchen doorway a small voice says, "Jamie not an only. He got me an A-bus."
"What are you doing awake, poppet?" Ginny asks Lily.
"My eyes open all by theyselves. Can I have water?" By this time she's reached the table.
Harry scoops her up and moves to the cabinet to get a cup. "I'll get you some water, love." To Ron he says, "To answer your question, Aunt Petunia is positive."
The four adults continue brainstorming, Lily sitting in Harry's lap to drink her water. She falls asleep again so quickly Ron jokes about needing whatever it is Harry put in her drink for those times Hugo and Rose don't want to go to bed.