Nice puppy... on Care of Magical Creatures

Professor Kijewski

June 30, 2011 9:22 PM

Beginner's Lesson 1 by Professor Kijewski

Kiva remembered how much she had enjoyed teaching, but out of all the years that she had taught, the first and second years usually held a special spot for her. This was mainly because they were still young and opened to the idea of Care of Magical Creatures. The older students had already at this point in their educational careers decided on their thoughts and opinions of this class. No matter what Kiva did from their fourth year or on, their minds were formed. It was a bit sad, but she had accepted it a long time ago. But with the first and second years (and maybe even the third years), Kiva still had time to convince them that these creatures could actually be fun and amazing. Sure they had to first learn of the docile creatures before they can learn of the large terrifying ones, but she didn’t find that to be so bad. Sometimes. Well, she’s definitely learned her lesson from past experience. No boring creatures allowed.

She smiled at her students as they made their way down to her clearing. “Hello everyone! Good to see you all, I hope your week is going well.” Kiva greeted. Behind her on the table were two crates, each covered by different blankets. The beginners were a little difficult to select proper animals. She never knew if third years should still be with the beginners or with the intermediates. It was a rough age to be at and really the maturity level varied so greatly between each of them. For now, she’d keep them at the beginner level, but it was possible that in future years (if she was still around since this was only a temporary thing currently) she might decide it was better to move them into intermediate level.

“Today we will be having a practical day instead of just lecture.” Her last time teaching, Kiva had just sort of thrown them into studying the creatures, but this time around, she was having them do research on creatures and then supply the creatures if possible. These two they had already done some reading on, but Kiva wanted them to see them up front so that they can understand that not all magical creatures were totally noticeable.

With a wave of her wand, the blankets were lifted from the crates to reveal a crup in one crate and a kneazle in the other. Neither animal looked at one another, but that was because they were raised together and didn’t give an inkling for each other. Fighting would not occur. “In front of you, you will a crup and a kneazle. These two creatures resemble non-magical creatures so much that often muggles mistake them for non-magical creatures.” Kiva explained to them, releasing the crup first and holding him gently to show him off to the students.

“Crups, like Noedi here, look just like Jack Russell terriers except for one minor little thing…” Kiva turned him so that the students could see his tail. “He has a fork tail. Once witches and wizards obtain a Crup for pets, they must remove the fork tail. This is to protect the Crup as much as it is to protect the secrecy of our society.” Kiva advised them. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt them. Now, a very important fact about Crups is that they hate Muggles. They will attack if they are near any. So, if you ever plan on having one for your pet, you cannot live near muggles.” She wanted to make that very clear to them. Her first spell with a Crup and a student ended terribly, she was not going to let that happen again. “Other than that, Crups are loyal to their owners and eat pretty much anything you give to them.”

Next, she pulled out the kneazle and held it. “Cinder is a pure kneazle, so the variations to a cat are more noticeable, but mixed kneazles are able to blend in perfectly.” Kiva pointed out the ears, “Kneazles have larger ears than normal cats – think of bobcats- spotted fur much like leopards, and tails that look like lion tails.” It was very much like a kneazle might have been creature from mating those three cats together. “But aside from their physical appearance, kneazles are incredible creatures. They are extremely intelligent and can detect suspicious persons. If they do detect someone who is insalubrious, kneazles will react poorly to them. If you see a kneazle reacting, trust them. Also like a crup, if a kneazle takes a liking to a witch or wizard, they are loyal and make excellent pets.”

Now that she had completed the lecture portion of the class, it was time for the students to have some fun. “Okay, everyone now that you know how amazing these creatures are, have some fun with them. They are young and enjoy playing with people. Their crates have toys in them that they favor, so go ahead and grab them.” Before releasing them completely though, Kiva added, “Do not harm these creatures. If any of you poke, pull, or injury them, you will fail this class.” She didn’t think any of them would, but she wanted them to know that she would not stand for cruelty.

OOC: Site rules apply. Please provide at least 200 word posts. Remember that the more detailed and lengthy posts get more posts. Be creative and have fun with the creatures! If you need Kiva, just tag her in the subject line.

Subthreads:

Any rules against Crup-Abductions? by David Kim [Aladren] with Jenny Owens, David Kim, Michael Grosvenor

Awww, look at the kitty by Katrina (Kitty) McLevy - Aladren with Arthur Carey, Aladren, Kitty

Waiting my turn by Derry Four, Teppenpaw with Jhonice Trevear - Pecari

Contemplating the future by Arnold Carey, Aladren with Fae Sinclair, Fae

Not so sure about this by Paul Bennett, Crotalus with Sullivan Quincy, Pecari, Paul, Sully

Photography Subject - Kneazle by Alice Adair, Crotalus with Leon Loffredo, Pecari

Nice puppy... by Eliza Bennett, Crotalus with James Owen, Eliza

Not the puppy I wanted. by Cherry Bosko with Linus Macaulay

Hey, Cat. by David Wilkes, Aladren with Jordan Adair, Crotalus

Observing by Nora Dobson, Aladren with Russell Layne, Aladren

0 Professor Kijewski Beginner's Lesson 1 0 Professor Kijewski 1 5

David Kim [Aladren]

July 02, 2011 1:49 PM

Any rules against Crup-Abductions? by David Kim [Aladren]

David Kim twisted through the halls, once again avoiding the crutch of his school map and fighting back a wave of excitement that buzzed along his spine. Care of Magical Creatures-- when he had first seen the title of this class, he had known that it was of the utmost importance to keep it from his mother. She had forbidden any and all contact with any kind of animal all during David's childhood. No pets, no visits to the zoo, no strolls through the park; nature was too dangerous and any kind of outdoor excursion was kept exclusive to the concrete ground and stone buildings. But David had had an entire library at his disposal, shelves covered with encyclopedias dedicated to the Animal Kingdom, and when he was older, he had had his computer with its instant access to the hundreds of zoo cams, documentaries, and National Geographic specials that showcased every animal he could think of to his heart's content.

The closest he had ever got to actually touching an animal had been a touch-tank at the New England Aquarium. While his mother had been busy with talking to one of the other donors to the aquarium during a charity gala hosted there, David had snuck over to a tank hosting sea anemones. The water had been freezing and the anemone slimy, but a great feeling had overwhelmed him. He had begged his mother-- something he never did-- for weeks afterward for an aquarium of his own, providing her with research demonstrating the relaxing and soothing effects fish and sea life had on people and their environment. He had even asked his doctor to suggest it to his mother, but neither adult had complied, and in the end, he had received a collection of BBC documentaries on DVD for his birthday instead of the aquarium he had so wished for.

He knew very well that if he had failed to get permission for an aquarium, there was no way he would ever be allowed to get a more hands-on sort of pet, one of the furry kinds that ran on four legs and slept at the edge of your bed. And so, he had given up on the idea, putting it aside for some later date when he might be the one in charge of making decisions. But his letter from Sonora changed all that. They had a class dedicated entirely to animals. Who cared if they were magical ones?

David entered the Gardens, delicate features already flushed, and immediately bounded toward the clearing where the CoMC professor waited. His gaze quickly focused on the two crates behind her and only dimmed heard Professor K's welcome.

He stared hungrily at the Crup, for once not caring about the mentioning of an anti-Muggle trait specific to the breed. He very much wanted to come closer, to pick up the little thing and find out whether its fur really was as soft as it looked. He was distracted momentarily by the introduction of the kneazle, with its bushy tail and overly large ears. But once the lesson was released to proper interactions, David made a bee-line for Noedi's crate. A few other students were already gathered around the Crup, its playfulness plainly engaged by the attention and cooing calls.

David lingered on the outskirts, a touch of frustration pulling at him. An opening in the circle appeared, and he slunk through, throwing down his cloak with none of his usual tidyness and then settling down cross-legged over it. In one hand he brandished a red rubbery bone that squeaked enticingly when squeezed. David obliged immediately, hoping the high-pitched sound would draw the Crup's attention. But Noedi was firmly ignoring it and David apparently, and after a few more minutes of unsuccessful attempts, he decided to give it a rest.

He propped his temple against his open palm, his knee acting as a rest for his elbow, and closed his eyes briefly. He was being over-eager, he realized, and probably looked more than a little foolish for it. His typical frown was reforming over his lips, the momentary excitement this class had given him fading into his more usual demeanor of aloofness. He was being silly and childish, and he--

Something wet pressed against his free hand.

David's eyes flew open. Noedi had pressed his nose against David's palm and now sat expectantly, forked-tail wagging vigorously. David stared down at the Crup, disbelievingly and then with blatant pleasure. "There's a good boy," he whispered, offerring the red bone as a reward for the visit. Noedi took the bone happily and then stepped forward, trying but failing to climb into David's lap. With slightly trembling fingers, David wrapped his hands around the Crup's belly and lifted him onto his lap.

He began petting the soft, white fur by reflex, and upon the first touch, felt more of that deep-setted peace he had felt at the aquarium. Surely he could convince his mother it would be okay to have some kind of pet; didn't the school allow specific kinds? He could always just get one and find someone who would pet-sit during the summer; his mother would never have to know! David continued the steady petting, blissfully planning how he might procure a pet of his own, until a separate pair of hands reached down into his lap and seized Noedi from him.

The calm left him in a flash. David rushed to his feet, almost tripping over his legs in his haste. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed at the interloper, only barely managing to not snatch the Crup back.

0 David Kim [Aladren] Any rules against Crup-Abductions? 0 David Kim [Aladren] 0 5

Katrina (Kitty) McLevy - Aladren

July 03, 2011 1:11 AM

Awww, look at the kitty by Katrina (Kitty) McLevy - Aladren

Humming happily Kitty brushed her long ebony curls before putting them into two low tails. She dressed in a navy blue sundress, remembering that they would be going outside today for Care of Magical Creatures class. Just the title of the class had sent delicious shivers of expectation down her spine. Would they see a dragon? Or perhaps some baby unicorns? The options were limitless and Kitty couldn’t wait for class to start.

Once she was ready, Kitty skipped down stairs, her ebony locks bouncing with each step. Sky blue eyes spotted David leaving and the small girl grinned as she followed, careful to stay back far enough not to be a bother. The normally friendly girl had learned long ago that it was a mistake to go up to the people she depended on to help guide her because they might get annoyed and tell her to go away. No, for the ones she used as guides Kitty just followed quietly and made sure not to make too much of a nuisance of herself. Whenever possible she also tried to befriend the best guides, then they didn’t mind her walking with them to classes.

Surprise colored Kitty’s features when David took off running but she grinned anyway. The clearing was in sight so she didn’t feel the need to run after him, instead she looked closer at the clearing, the teacher, and the other students. Aww, no dragons. Or unicorns. I wonder what magical creatures are in the crates? Once she reached the clearing Kitty listened to the lesson, and couldn’t help but feel mildly disappointed. Yes, they were magic creatures, but they were still very similar to regular pets.

Pets were one of the few things that had been denied Kitty in her young life. Her father was terribly allergic to anything that went on for legs, and her mom laid down the law on anything that had scales. Which made the whole pet thing a no go, no matter how hard Kitty begged. Noedi the Crups was cute. But Kitty made a bee line for Cinder. A large smile lit her face as she reached out to gently stroke the large ears. “So cute! He looks just like a little lion, well sort of.” She chirped to the person standing next to her.

0 Katrina (Kitty) McLevy - Aladren Awww, look at the kitty 0 Katrina (Kitty) McLevy - Aladren 0 5

Arthur Carey, Aladren

July 03, 2011 8:01 PM

My vision is good enough to do so by Arthur Carey, Aladren

Arthur had only been at Sonora for a year, and as such had not developed particularly strong attachments to most of the people there. He liked Professor Fawcett and Medic Rocamboli better than most, and would have been upset to find them gone, but as a rule, though he was sure they were pleasant people who meant him no harm, he had not yet come to see the majority of the staff as anything other than a necessity, and he did not entirely trust them. Mother said he was slow to warm up to people; he supposed she was right.

Normally, this was seen by others, and sometimes even by him, as a bad thing, an inconvenience, but it did have its uses. He had not felt any special connection to the old Care of Magical Creatures teacher, so he wasn’t disturbed by Professor Kijewski’s presence or Professor Cohen’s absence. He thought it was a much more efficient approach to things than the alternative, which was having feelings about the matter before he had time to study it.

So far, Professor Kijewski was doing well in his estimation. They were studying things before they had them thrown at them, and she’d just successfully used a word that Arthur didn’t know. He could guess, from context, that it referred to people of bad character, and the ‘in’ at the front helped with that, but it wasn’t a word he’d recognize right away. She got credit for that; many adults he met didn’t.

He wasn’t sure, though, what he thought of having animals that ‘reacted poorly’ to people who were insalubrious. What if someone here was…whatever the exact connotation of that was? Then they would be outed to the entire group. That would be…Well, actually, that would be very useful, and he was going to have to acquire one of these mixed breeds which could pass for normal cats but possessed that trait someday to use on new acquaintances, but still. Plus, parents might get offended. Perhaps Professor Kijewski had some kind of power over someone higher up that made her not worry about that.

Before anything, though, he had to see how…Cinder reacted to him. Arthur noticed, in a slightly detached way, that he was worried about that a little. He didn’t think he was a bad person, but did think of himself as cynical. Some people said that was bad. So…

Well, he couldn’t fail a lesson, and ‘reacting poorly’ might just mean that it didn’t want to be touched by him. He was all right with that, since he didn’t particularly want to touch it, either. He walked in that direction.

He looked down at the small girl – the girl from Quidditch, he was mildly surprised to note. “I don't see the resemblance," he said.

A memory came back to him: Great-Aunt Eulalie, or maybe it was Great-Aunt Eugenie, since they were identical, but he thought Eulalie was the cat person, with one. It must not have been very long before she died, because he had been small when she did, and unless he was constructing a memory from photographs - a possibility; he remembered, now, photos in Grandfather's house, he thought she had called the thing 'Ladybird' - he had to have seen this by age four or so.

"Things tend to look like themselves to me," he added. "I'm Arthur, if you don't recall." He did not, when he thought of it in such terms, give the average person much credit for paying attention to his or her surroundings.

0 Arthur Carey, Aladren My vision is good enough to do so 0 Arthur Carey, Aladren 0 5

Derry Four, Teppenpaw

July 04, 2011 1:05 PM

Waiting my turn by Derry Four, Teppenpaw

Derry liked Creatures, and he was a little sad that Professor Cohen wasn't teaching it anymore, but the new Professor was just as good and Derry already liked her a lot. He headed out to the area of the Labyrinth where the class was taught, not getting even a little lost now that he'd taken this same hike regularly for a whole year.

They'd been studying a few creatures through books and stories already, but when he saw the two crates up front today, he grinned and bounded happily to one of the closer stumps so he could see everything going on. He was a little nearsighted, so he even put on his glasses so he didn't miss any details.

When the boxes were opened and revealed to be a crup and a kneazle, Derry grinned, but when they were allowed to go up and play with them, he stayed where he was, so that the other kids could have a chance to interact with them. Duez had being critter-sitting for a crup for a couple of weeks this past summer, so Derry had had plenty of time to play with that one.

He'd seen kneazles before, too, though not as recently. One of the first critters Duez took care of at the mountain had been a mixed-blood kneazle. Cinder looked a little different than that one had. More spotty, and the tail was funky. Derry wandered in that direction, since he hadn't seen a full-blood one up close and personal yet, but he still figured he had a leg up on the muggleborns and half-bloods, and even the purebloods who didn't have a cousin who ran a Magical Creature Respite Care And Pet-Sitting service next door to their home. The other kids could play with Cinder first.

1 Derry Four, Teppenpaw Waiting my turn 189 Derry Four, Teppenpaw 0 5

Jhonice Trevear - Pecari

July 04, 2011 1:31 PM

Watching and waiting... by Jhonice Trevear - Pecari

She had done it. She never expected it to happen so soon, but there it was. Week one of Care of Magical Creatures, she had finally isolated and pinned down Derwent Pierce IV! She had been watching him, along with the others, the entire week just waiting for the time to be right. Now here he was, all alone, it was her chance! She couldn't mess this up, she had been practicing since she'd gotten her acceptance letter. Okay, breathe. Now, proceed with the plan.

Jhonice pulled out her notebook and pretended to listen to the professor while edging closer and closer to Derwent Pierce IV. Growing up in Aladren, she had seen plenty of crups before and even a few kneazles. They weren't what she was taking notes on though. She scribbled madly when he put on his glasses. Numerals could have imperfect vision? Was he short or long sighted? He was waiting as well, allowing the other students to play with the animals first. She scribbled some more; kind, compassionate, cute. Then stopped herself. Just the facts, not silly opinions. She scribbled out 'cute', half wondering where that had come from in the first place.

Her curiosity was getting the better of her, but she managed somehow to keep her distance. You couldn't just run up to a Numeral after all and say 'Hi, tell me all your deepest, darkest secrets.' Heck he was probably always getting swarmed by crazy people trying to leech off of his position. That must be why he's holding himself aloof. She wondered if he had special privileges with the professors so they would help keep his crazy fans away. She would have to help with that if she saw any of them getting to close. Although, she might be able to do that better if she was closer. First though, she'd have to show him that she wasn't one of those crazy people. She scanned down through her journal pages of him, and his family to see what information might best help her convince him.

2 Jhonice Trevear - Pecari Watching and waiting... 209 Jhonice Trevear - Pecari 0 5

Arnold Carey, Aladren

July 04, 2011 5:23 PM

Contemplating the future by Arnold Carey, Aladren

Professor Cohen, at least in Arnold's opinion, whatever that counted for, had been all right. Classes had been pretty low-stress and not boring, and he had, accordingly, done well in them without going through too many of the grueling study sessions he needed for some classes and which made him understand why Arthur had some of his headaches, if not why his brother hadn't already sworn off reading for the rest of his life unless it was a matter of life and death. Art might feel that way about classes, that they were life and death, but he knew Arnold would read him the lessons if it came to that, didn't he? He'd been persuaded to read to him from things that didn't matter for anything when he was sick before, after all.

Professor Cohen had left over the summer, but the new lady was all right, too. They read a lot - Father, writing to Arthur because was Arthur was the one who thought to ask certain kinds of questions, had said he'd found out that she'd been the Head of Aladren like ten years ago or something - but Professor Kijewski seemed like she, too, was sort of relaxed and okay with things and herself, making him wonder if it was something that went with the subject. The notion wasn't enough for him to think he was going to want to make a career out of magical creatures in a hands on way, he had a feeling that Arthur announcing he was going to be a Potions professor or a Classics tutor would go over much better with even their parents than him announcing he was going to teach CoMC, and he didn't think he'd be a good teacher anyway, but it was interesting to consider.

He didn't consider it long, though, because that made him think about what he was going to do when he grew up, and he had been unable to answer that question for as long as he could remember. The best plan he could come up with was going to college to give himself more time to think, because he just couldn't think of anything right now.

He'd thought of asking Arthur about it, if he was already sure about things, but for some reason, even though people had asked Arnold what he'd like to do someday all the time since he was six or seven, no one ever asked Arthur that, and he didn't know what kind of reaction he would get if he tried. He had asked Jay, but his cousin's response had started out in a mumble and then switched to a joke. The only other people he really had on hand were Terry and Diana, who knew what they were going to do, and Henry and Brandon, and one of them didn't know while the other was too little still to bother asking. Until something changed, then, he was on his own when it came to finding answers for people who thought he should have his whole life planned out before his thirteenth birthday.

Maybe they'll be happy if I decide whether or not I want a crup or a kneazle someday today, he thought as Professor Kijewski showed off the day's creatures. They were pretty cool, he guessed. The crowd was pretty big to get to play with them, though, since the third years were here, too, so Arnold decided to hold back and let it thin out a little. He might not have another time, but he hadn't quite finished his Transfiguration problems last night, and was wondering if he could get away with scribbling a few answers while he waited if he was in the general vicinity of the animals....

0 Arnold Carey, Aladren Contemplating the future 181 Arnold Carey, Aladren 0 5

Paul Bennett, Crotalus

July 04, 2011 6:24 PM

Not so sure about this by Paul Bennett, Crotalus

Care of Magical Creatures might not have been a subject Paul expected to use very much in the outside world - the closest he could come to a Bennett who dealt with magical creatures was a second cousin who was allegedly in the illegal venoms market, since it was lucrative and just went with passing for a proper pureblood family, but no one could prove his involvement - but the location of Sonora, combined with the reputation of the Labyrinth Gardens, made him think it might be one he needed quite a lot while he was here, and since that was going to be most of seven years, more than half as long as he'd been alive so far, he went into every lesson, however mundane it seemed, prepared to pay close attention. That, as an indoorsman born and bred, he was also interested in the class for the novelty was something he saw as a convenient perk.

He wasn't sure yet if he should see his sister's presence in this class as the same thing. On one hand, she could help him out better if he got stuck on something tailored toward the class' older members if she was one of those older students and wasn't learning new things she had dumped the older things to make room for. On the other, to listen to her tell the story, she was locked in the center of a vast, intricate network of rivalries and intrigues that spanned three years of students on a good day and occasionally ensnared, to a lesser extent, their senior prefects and Head of House. Even making allowances for the possibility that Eliza was lying or exaggerating, and that he was a little too paranoid and obsessive...Well, he'd keep sitting on the other side of the clearing for a little while longer, anyway.

So far, this strategy had worked pretty well for him. Unfortunately, today, it didn't look like it was going to work. Total disorder was going to be the way of the day in no time, he knew it. People were going to be like the pictures in Grandfather's living room, running around and throwing sticks. Admittedly, more of his problem was with running around throwing things than not having trouble, since it would be too mixed up for much that happened to matter, but that wasn't the point.

In the meantime, he stood back a little, watching a classmate he thought from Potions was called McLevy but thought of as Disturbingly Manic Girl and a second year, also deduced from roll calls to be a Carey, interact with the kneazle with a slightly dubious expression. "What do you think 'reacts poorly' means, anyway?" he asked the person standing near him. He didn't attempt to restate what sort of person it would react poorly to, because he doubted he could pronounce it.

0 Paul Bennett, Crotalus Not so sure about this 201 Paul Bennett, Crotalus 0 5

Sullivan Quincy, Pecari

July 04, 2011 7:48 PM

Likewise (wotw) by Sullivan Quincy, Pecari

Sullivan Quincy had never really had much to do with normal animals, and his experience with the magical sort was confined to what he'd picked up since September first. He could say that he liked the teacher, though, and the subject was neither boring or horribly difficult. So, his lack of animal experience wasn't doing anything worse for him than his lack of magical experience was doing in his other classes. He still felt like he was caught in some kind of catch-up loop that he was never really going to escape, but he was starting to consider that normal here at Sonora. He wasn't going to get mardy about it.

(Not that he hadn't considered it, but he didn't see what it would gain him. Neither his background nor the magical kids' histories would change and become more equitable no matter how much he pouted.)

Instead, he show up at the clearing with his homework done and the recommended reading read, and hoped that would be enough to keep him up with his classmates. As it turned out today, it was. The revealed animals in the crates turned out to be a crup and a kneazle, both of which they'd already started discussing, so he knew what they were, and he'd read enough that nothing Professor Kijewski said was terribly surprising. He couldn't have repeated all of it himself, of course; his memory was lousy and reading retention was worse; but he felt a familiarity with the two creatures that he wouldn't have otherwise had. That also reduced the anxiety he felt toward approaching the two live creatures - if either animal had a horrible tendency to eat magical children, the reading assignment probably would have mentioned it and that was the sort of thing he remembered - but there were enough other people trying to do that, that Sullivan was perfectly happy to let them have their go first and if he ran out of time before he got to pet the dog that would maul his mom or sister or the cat that was some kind of feline evil detector (and exactly how fine-tuned their definition of 'bad' was had been left unsatisfactorily vague by the textbook), he was fine with that.

He glanced over at one of his classmates as he seemed to wonder about another factoid the book had been unclear about. 'Reacts poorly' could have an even wider range of definitions than 'bad'. "Uh," the blond Pecari boy hesitated, wondering how specifically his classmate wanted him to venture a guess. "Probably scratching at the very least," he decided to offer in answer. "And hissing. Cats hiss when they don't like folks." Or so said the television shows and movies that he'd seen where cats had an opinion about people.

Since he made a guess at the other boy's question, it seemed only fair to expect the same in return, "How bad do you think you have to be to be considered 'bad' by a kneazle? Is it going to go after I-hid-my-sister's-doll-behind-the-couch bad, or just I'm-a-convicted-murderer bad?" He didn't really think his abuses of Karen's doll would trigger the kneazle to come after him, but he was maybe a tiny bit worried and he wouldn't mind hearing from somebody else that such actions would not result in a bleeding arm if he tried to pet the cat.

"I'm Sully, by the way. Sullivan Quincy."

0 Sullivan Quincy, Pecari Likewise (wotw) 0 Sullivan Quincy, Pecari 0 5

Paul

July 04, 2011 8:47 PM

That's because we're smart by Paul

Scratching. His companion did not speak of anything with conviction, but he definitely mentioned scratching. Paul considered this.

A creature which lived in a box and was currently outside might scratch him. It might have diseases under its claws. He’d never personally known anyone who’d become ill that way, and he had a few cousins who owned cats, but that was one reason Mother would tolerate such things around the house. And while he didn’t think he was a very bad person, nor did he think he was an especially good one. Yes, he was much better off back here.

When asked how bad you had to be to draw the kneazle’s ire, he looked at the Carey for a second. It was not attacking him, but then, every family had to turn out a few people who weren’t potential axe murderers, didn’t it? There was evidence to support the idea, too. Uncle Vic’s fiancée must have been okay before her brain got erased, for Uncle Vic to like her. Paul could remember him a little from before he’d gone crazy, and he hadn’t seemed like the kind of person who’d go in for crazies. He’d talked like a politician on the wireless at home. Stealing a sister’s doll, though, was a complicated thing, at least if she hadn’t annoyed you first. If she’d annoyed you first, it was just justice.

“I think murderers are out,” he said thoughtfully. “But dolls…It might look at you funny, depending on the circumstances, but I think you’d be okay. Professor can’t think everyone in here is that un-insalubi…whatever. We’d have to see my sister’s roommate go near it to be sure, though.” That would tell them a lot, since it sounded like most of what That Female had done to Lize was about on doll-snatching levels, and he was relatively sure, his sister’s convictions of the depths of her worthlessness and amorality aside, that That Female most likely was not actually a murderer yet. Hopefully.

The other guy introduced himself. Paul nodded, committing it to memory. “Paul Bennett,” he said in return, offering his hand. “Nice meeting you.”

0 Paul That's because we're smart 0 Paul 0 5

Jenny Owens

July 05, 2011 5:11 PM

I think Health and Safety has a problem with it... by Jenny Owens

Jenny was late. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a messy bun and she hadn't had breakfast yet, but classes had started. She had barely picked at her meal the night before and her stomach was screaming at her to slow down and not burn any more calories, but she was late for her first lesson. What a start.

She had woken up before everyone else in her dorm room, slipped out with an easel and lost herself in drawing the maze in as many different ways as possible. Yes, that was right - this had happened because of her strange obsession with all things muggle, including and especially art.

Care of Magical Creatures was held outside (on the outskirts of the very maze that she had been painting) and, once she realised the time, she had decided to take a quick shortcut through the contraption to get to there. Mistake No.2. She had been rushing around for twenty minutes without finding another exit and she was pretty sure that there was mud and twigs all over her. This could, of course, be her being paranoid - she was good at that.

Pausing her frantic search for a minute, she listened. She could hear a voice on the other side explaining something to do with Crup's. This was good, as Jenny had used to have a pet Crup and already knew a lot about them. Her father had sold her - she was called Black, due to her being black and a young Jenny having little imagination - when Jenny had turned up one day with her training wand broken. But the class being on an animal she knew simplified things a little - she would not be missing out on anything.

Once the teacher had stopped talking, and loud chatter had sprung up from the students, Jenny prayed and pushed her way through a small gap she had spotted in the hedge. It was not meant for human passage way, she guessed, as it was small and thin and she barely made it through even with a little magical help. Straightening up with her face burning she looked around, hoping that no one had seen her. She brushed a little imaginary dust off of her red robe and looked around again, more carefully this time.

There was no one she knew, and she was a little confused by the class system. Were there more than one age group having the same lesson? She had not realised that would happen - perhaps she had not been informed, perhaps she had forgotten or perhaps her parents had neglected it to her (they sometime gave her 'tests' designed to make life harder than necessary). What she did notice, however, was a young boy sitting no too far from her stroking a white Crup.

It annoyed her for some reason, though she did not know why immediately. They looked like they were getting on - the boy was not mistreating the animal. But then she understood - a girl, talking animatedly to a group of friends, was edging steadily nearer to the pair and the creature's forked, dangerous tail was getting closer and closer to her unprotected calves.

Without thinking about it, Jenny ducked down and yanked the dog like animal into her arms. The girl whos legs she had rescued did not seem to notice, but the boy whos pet she had stolen did.

'What do you think you're doing?' He hissed at her and the venom in his voice forced her back a step in shock.

'I-I'm sorry,' she stammered nervously. Then her family pride kicked in and she squared up to him, though he was several inches taller than her, 'It's just that you seemed a bit too preocupied with petting her to notice that she was nearly slicing up that girl with her tail.' Okay, so perhaps she was exaggerating a bit, but who did he think he was - talking to her like that when he didn't have a clue what was going on?

'I'm Jennifer Maria Doradoso-Owens,' she introduced herself grandly, forgetting that she was going by Jenny Owens at this place, 'First year Crotalus. And you are?'

0 Jenny Owens I think Health and Safety has a problem with it... 0 Jenny Owens 0 5

Kitty

July 05, 2011 10:41 PM

Well that’s good by Kitty

“Things tend to look like themselves to me. I’m Arthur, if you don’t recall.” Arthur said as he approached Cinder. Kitty looked up with a grin, her fingers still itching lightly behind the large ears of the feline. The feel of the soft fur delighted the small girl and she gave a soft sigh of pleasure.

“Well, the little poof at the end of her tail reminded me of a lion, but her big ears look more like a kit fox to me. Either way she’s super cute. You’re Arnold’s brother right. I think it’s cool that you both get to play on the same Quidditch team and all.” She paused to take a breath and because she still didn’t quite grasp how the whole multiple families in different states thing worked before continuing. “You’re related to Edmond too right?” Kitty figured that related worked better than trying to define it any clearer.

Kitty gave a pleased smile. People were one of her passions, and she loved to know everything about them. She enjoyed talking to Arnold, and hoped that his brother would be just as interesting. “So, do you guys have any magical pets at home?” Now that the idea had been given to the small girl she wondered what other magical pets there might be. Were there magic gerbils? If there were how so? Maybe they could fly. A small giggle escaped the tiny girl as she imagined trying to catch an escaped flying gerbil.

0 Kitty Well that’s good 0 Kitty 0 5

Alice Adair, Crotalus

July 06, 2011 7:04 PM

Photography Subject - Kneazle by Alice Adair, Crotalus

Care of Magical Creatures was by definition a class that Alice did not enjoy. Learning about animals was not the same as learning in other class. In other classes, the formula was simple. No matter how many times a spell or potion was made, the end result should always be the same. With animals, this formula was not so simple. The type of animal had to be considered. The personality of the animal had to be taken into account. And what if the animal got sick or needed something extra? Worst of all, animals could die.

The entire thought was enough to make her want to cry, but as a rule, Alice did not show emotions. She was scared at the very thought. To show emotion was to give a part of herself that she was not ready to give. It would mean a sense of visibility that she couldn’t handle. Her entire goal was to be invisible. It was this goal that led her to stand in the back of the class, behind the other students, who were probably excited to see what was in the crates. She was too, but she didn’t want to fight against the crowd to get a look. Instead, as the professor talked, she slowly made her way along the sidelines to be able to see until she was settled in a spot with a decent view.

When the sheets were lifted, Alice was surprised to see that underneath were a crup and a kneazle. Growing up in the wizarding world, the animals were known so on an educational level, they really weren’t that interesting to her. However, on the level that she had always wanted a kneazle or even just a cat, the experience was rather enthralling. Unfortunately, her parents wouldn’t let them have any pets. Her mother thought they were far too messy. They had never even been allowed to have a hamster. She supposed her mother had a point, but it was disappointing all the same. Instead, the stuffed cat she had at home would have to suffice.

Excitement bounded through her when they were told that they were able to play with the animals. The only problem was competing with the rest of the class to do so. Not to mention, the likelihood that she would probably have to share time with at least one other person. Sigh. But patiently she waited her turn. Just when it seemed it would never come, she got to play with the kneazle. She grabbed one of the toy balls. She puckered her lips and made a kissing sound at the animal while jingling the ball. Rolling the ball, the kneazle batted it a bit before sitting back and licking her paw. She looked at Alice intently.

Taking her camera, she took a couple pictures (no flash so as not to startle the creature) when an offending hand entered the frame. Her brown eyes starred at the person that had come between her and her subject. She was about to say something when she decided that she would get much more natural shots with the kneazle interacting with someone. She began to take a few more shots. This was great! She was so focused on her work that she didn’t hear someone talking to her immediately. “Excuse me?” She asked in her mousey voice. She hoped that whoever it was didn’t think her rude. “I didn’t catch what you said.”

0 Alice Adair, Crotalus Photography Subject - Kneazle 0 Alice Adair, Crotalus 0 5

Arthur

July 06, 2011 9:15 PM

I am glad of it by Arthur

Arnold’s brother. Arthur’s expression changed very little, but those who knew him well would have recognized surprise in it. Being Arnold’s brother was definitely not the most distinctive thing about him even in a school where he was one of two sets of twins, so her classification of him meant she knew Arnold. His brother seemed to get along with people quite well, especially girls for some reason, so that wouldn’t have been so remarkable if Arnold had told him about it.

“Yes,” he said when she wound down for two seconds. “I – suppose it is enjoyable.” It was perhaps a little too much time together, with all their classs happening at the same times and them sharing a dorm room, but it was better than having Arnold as an opponent would have been. He and Arnie looked out for each other; it was the way it had always been. For it to be different would have been…awkward. Unpleasant, even, and he, in what he suspected was an expression of normalcy, disliked unpleasantness. It was better that he and his more competitive sibling remained on good terms with each other.

He nodded, too, to the allegation that he was related to Edmond, though he did not do so enthusiastically. The Georgia branch was in trouble right now. “His great-grandfather and my great-great-grandfather were first cousins,” he said. With Edmund, Edmond’s half-uncle, all but disowned and living in Mexico with only two children, both girls and one of them married somewhere in Germany, that line was, for all intents and purposes, a generation behind his, despite Edmond’s sisters both being quite old enough to have children of their own. That was part of why they were the embarrassments of the family, though he’d heard someone say once that Morgaine was training to be the family Healer because she couldn’t have babies. That was embarrassing, too, a failure for the family, but not as shameful as her sister’s reasons.

He shook his head, though, when asked about ‘magical pets.’ “We don’t have pets,” he said. “One of my great aunts kept kneazles, though, and it's possible Grandfather still keeps one of them.” He saw nothing else to say, but had been taught it was proper to ask a question in return, so he said, “Do you have animals?”

0 Arthur I am glad of it 0 Arthur 0 5

Kitty

July 06, 2011 10:50 PM

Me too by Kitty

Kitty gave a wistful smile when Arthur agreed that it was enjoyable having his brother in the same house. “I have three brothers, they’re all older, but none of them were magic. I didn’t think I’d miss them you know? But I really do. I wish they were here too.” She said with a hint of sadness in her voice. She’d never been away from her family for any real length of time before, and she was starting to miss them.

A frown pulled at Kitty’s lips as she listened to how Arthur was related to Edmund. It sounded complicated, and she knew that in the normal world such connections would have been lost long ago and the familys would have gone their own way without attempting to maintain ties. Then she remembered that the people Arthur was talking about might still be alive, which still kinda creeped the young girl out. People weren’t meant to live for a couple hundred years.

“No, we aren’t allowed to have pets because Dad is allergic to anything with fur, and Mom flat out refused when I asked to get a snake.” Kitty said with a little pout. She didn’t see why she couldn’t have a snake, or maybe a turtle, Mom wouldn’t even let her have a fish! And that was totally unfair in Kitty’s eyes. There wasn’t anything scary about fish, but Mom said that she would end up having to take care of it and she simply didn’t have the time. "Why don't you guys have any pets?" she asked curiously as she shifted a bit so that Arthur could pet Cinder if he wanted to.

0 Kitty Me too 0 Kitty 0 5

Arthur

July 06, 2011 11:26 PM

That's kind of you by Arthur

The look Arthur gave Kitty when she admitted to having non-magical siblings was nearly perfectly blank. Unless a family had somehow managed to produce three Squibs and a witch – which, though incredibly rare even compared to the likelihood of having one Squib child, did happen sometimes; he thought the record was seven in a row – she was Muggleborn. And she knew Arnold. Well, it did explain, among other things, why his brother hadn’t bothered to tell him about his new acquaintance. She was not someone who would go in a letter home.

“I have a younger brother as well,” he said, for lack of anything else. “Anthony the Eighth. Arnold and I were disturbed by his absence when we first came here. You’ll get used to it.”

Well, Arnold had thought it was weird for Anthony not to be around, and had eventually gotten used to it. Arthur hadn’t really minded his little brother’s absence. He liked Anthony fairly well, and had felt a few wisps of what he supposed was missing someone in a way he’d chalked up to a reaction to it being expected, but whether the eighth of the Anthonies was in one place or another, and whether Arthur happened to be in that same place or not, was not really something that interested him. Someday, Anthony would be one of the most important people in his life, but that wouldn’t be for some time.

Arthur didn’t understand why Kitty pouted when mentioning that she was not permitted a snake. Was she a Parselmouth? He couldn’t think of another reason why someone would want one, considering their associations with dark magic, but he couldn’t imagine that a Muggleborn would know what one was, or that even a Muggleborn wouldn’t have learned already not to mention that kind of thing to a perfect stranger. If a liaison had identified the gift, he or she would have almost certainly explained the need to hide it. To do otherwise would be irresponsible.

“I don’t know,” he admitted when asked why they didn’t have pets. “I don’t think Father has any…health problems, though, or that Mother’s afraid of anything.” He was assuming she was using ‘dad’ and ‘mom’ to mean ‘father’ and ‘mother’ the way some people here and occasionally his cousins did, though he still had no idea where they got that first one. “We just don’t.”

He realized she intended for him to interact with the kneazle. Arthur bent toward it slightly and petted its side, well away from its head so he could jerk his hand back quickly if it turned on him, for a second or two, then moved back. It seemed, he thought dryly, he was not beyond redemption anyway.

“It seems we’re both salubrious,” he remarked. “Do you think we should permit others to play with it now?”

0 Arthur That's kind of you 0 Arthur 0 5

Kitty

July 07, 2011 11:30 PM

I often am…when I’m not being curious by Kitty

Kitty offered a smile when Arthur admitted that he had a younger brother that he’d missed as well. She was sure it would get easer as time went on and she got busy with classes and trying to learn everything about the new world she’d found herself in. The magical families where something that interested her greatly, and she couldn’t help but want to know every difference between living in a normal family and living in a magical one. “Well, I guess it would be easier for you anyway, seems you still had Arnold with you and all.” Kitty decided as she watched him. One of the things Kitty noticed was that the magic kids seemed to not believe in facial expressions, and she had to watch carefully to try and catch any flickers of emotion they let slip though.

A small giggle escaped Kitty at the sight of Arthur’s rather slight interaction with Cinder. “It seems we’re both salubrious. Do you think we should permit others to play with it now?” Arthur said. Giving the kneazle one last scratch behind the ears Kitty took a few steps away making room for any other students who might want to play with the cat like creature. It hadn’t even occurred to Kitty to worry about the kneazle reacting poorly to her.

Kitty’s curiosity struck again, once more fixating on the supposed longevity of wizards. “So how many of the eight Anthony’s are still alive? I bet you’re…” Kitty paused trying to think what to call the old guy who bossed them all around and told them who to marry would be called. “Um…your head of the family? I bet he’s an Anthony.”

0 Kitty I often am…when I’m not being curious 0 Kitty 0 5

Arthur

July 08, 2011 1:45 AM

Curiosity and cats are said to go poorly together by Arthur

Arthur made a sound that might have meant anything when Kitty proposed that Arnold’s presence had made transitioning to living at school easier for him. “Believe me,” he said. “Getting used to sharing a room was far more difficult than adjusting to Anthony not being underfoot. Being twins doesn’t make us that much alike, you know.”

Mother had always claimed one of the reasons why Arnold and Arthur didn’t get along as often as they did get along was because they were too much alike, but really, Arthur didn’t see it. He was sensible and controlled and interested in important things, and he tried to behave with a little dignity as much as he could, despite knowing that the adults mocked him for it, in preparation for when he was an adult. Arnold was…none of those things, really, though he seemed to get along with people – especially girls, for some reason; Arthur found that fascinating – better for it.

It didn’t really matter, though. It was like the Fourth said. Everyone had a purpose, everyone had a use the family could put them to. There were situations Arnold would be best suited to, and there were situations Arthur would be best suited to. That was how it went. It was just the game. They’d all be moved around however it suited someone higher up, until they were perhaps the ones in power and were then either so entrenched in everyone else’s schemes that it didn’t matter or they were the ones pushing everyone else around. Except, if all his listening to family meetings had taught him anything, that most people never got into power anyway. Most of them were just stuck being moved around forever.

“Anthony the Fourth is head of the South Carolina Careys,” he said when she bet that someone of that name was in charge. “Four of the Anthonies are alive. The Fourth, the Sixth, the Seventh – my father – and the Eighth, my brother. Arnold would have been the Eighth, but twins are removed from the line of major inheritance because of what happened the last time a pair was born into it, so my existence kept Arnold from being Father’s heir.” He said this more matter-of-factly than anything, though he felt a faint trace of guilt. As though it were his fault for contriving to be born somehow, when he was pretty sure he hadn’t done so. “The Fifth died several years ago,” he added, to explain why he’d skipped that Anthony. “Who is the head of your family?”

0 Arthur Curiosity and cats are said to go poorly together 0 Arthur 0 5

Kitty

July 09, 2011 12:55 AM

So they say, but satisfaction brought her back by Kitty

Kitty nodded in agreement. Because she was the only girl, she’d never had to share a room before. But it was kind of neat to be in the same room with other girls. They didn’t really like her over excitable nature, but she didn’t let that get to her. Kitty had known when she found out that Aladren was for the smart kids that they probably would get annoyed with her.

A frown pulled at Kitty’s lips when Arthur said it was his fault that Arnold wasn’t the next in line for power. She easily figured out that Arthur was probably the second born twin, to have gotten that idea, but it didn’t make sense to her. “Twins are created in the same instant when the egg splits. Birth order doesn’t really affect that, just because he happened to be in front doesn’t mean he existed first. So it would be equally fair to say that Arnold’s existence kept you from being the heir. Or, well it’s really the fault of who ever those other twins where that messed everything up for you two.” Kitty reasoned. She always thought it was silly how twins put so much emphasis on who was born first when they were exactly the same age and it was merely chance which one came out first.

“Hmmm, the head of my family? Well it isn’t any of our grandparents. Dad’s parents live in Oklahoma and we only visit once every few years or so. And even though Mom’s parents live in Nevada, they’re still pretty far away. We only see them at Easter. And for all that Dad looks like a giant grizzly bear he’s really just a big teddy bear. A total push over if you know what I mean. So I guess it would be Mom. Even though she’s little like me she’s totally the boss of the house. Dad isn’t even allowed to use the check book.” She said with a smile. It was so funny, watching her tiny mother boss her 6’ 11 Dad around. He took it all in good fun, but it was clear to anyone who watched the two that Anita was the apple of his eye. And he would move heaven and earth to please her.

0 Kitty So they say, but satisfaction brought her back 0 Kitty 0 5

Arthur

July 09, 2011 3:02 PM

Where on Earth did you see <i>that</i>? by Arthur

If Kitty had been talking to Arnold, Arthur thought, when she began going on about the mechanics of conception, the reaction would have been very amusing indeed. His brother was easily flustered and embarrassed by that sort of thing.

Arthur didn’t hold that against him. It really wasn’t something that was fit for discussion. It went in the book, you read about it, and that was that. There was no need for discussion. He didn’t, however, think his own lack of squeamishness – well, all right, ability to hide his squeamishness, just as he did when he heard people talking about money, or when they had to go to a funeral and see a dead body; all of those things bothered him, but he could hide it – was the worse option. Especially since other people sometimes had no issues at all.

“You’re talking about identical twins,” he corrected her. “Like the last set, actually.” He had always wondered what in Merlin’s name had possessed his great-great-great-grandfather, having picked his great-great-grandfather at random to name after himself, to name the other twin Thomas, of all things, if what Arthur had read about how it actually meant ‘twin’ was true. How could the Third have essentially defined one of his sons as nothing but the twin of the other and not expected problems? “Arnold and I, as I assume you’ve noticed, are not identical. No splitting involved.” He was just squeamish enough to not explain the mechanics of that; it was his mother involved. “Though if there were a spell to determine which child came first in any respect, I’m very sure my great-great-great-grandfather would have discovered it, so we have to make do with what we can.”

Arthur’s expression remained mostly neutral, but he looked at her a little too long and too intently when she had to work out who the head of her family was. Well, really more because of her reasoning, since he knew there were unimportant families who didn’t bother with a formal leader. What she was describing was more or less control by strength, though the tiny woman overruling a big man would make more sense if they were magical…The whole practice would, he supposed, lend itself to a certain kind of leadership, but it just sounded barbaric.

Possibly, though, still better than his system, where skill only came into play if the person in the right place of birth order was so incompetent, however rare, given the intensive training of heirs, that might be, that his brothers, sisters, or cousins either killed him or took control over him and used him as a puppet. And that thought was the really disturbing one.

“Is that common, where you come from?” he asked. “For families to structure themselves so?”

0 Arthur Where on Earth did you see <i>that</i>? 0 Arthur 0 5

Sully

July 10, 2011 10:51 AM

Or at least not completely lacking in sense by Sully

Sully followed Paul's look toward the boy currently holding the kneazle and felt like there was something significant in that particular glance. He made a note of the other boy even thought the insol-something-iness detector didn't seem to be detecting anything. They didn't know how finely tuned the cat was for that sort of thing, after all.

On that note, though, Paul thought murderers wouldn't escape the cat's notice (which was also Sully's opinion on the matter) but the doll thing was questionable but probably safe (which was also Sully's hope on the matter). So while his worry about the cat jumping out of the care of the boy and girl currently playing with it and jumping at Sully with its claws extended was greatly reduced . . . Sully was now looking around at their classmates, wondering which one of them was Paul's sister's roommate in uneasy wariness.

Since he didn't spot anyone who looked like Karen, though, he had no idea which one she might be.

When Paul introduced himself and stuck out a hand, Sully regarded it in confusion for half a second before he realized what was expected of him and he shook it, feeling oddly grown up now that he'd had his first handshake.

"So you have a sister here?" he guessed, since her roommate seemed to have the potential to meet a kneazle. "My sister didn't have magic, so she's still at home going to middle school. I think I lucked out there." He honestly wasn't sure which was more lucky, though; not being in the same school as Karen this year, or not going to middle school. Avoiding both was super fantastic. He didn't bother mentioning he was the abnormality of his family, not Karen. He thought the braces on his teeth made his muggle-born status obvious enough.

0 Sully Or at least not completely lacking in sense 0 Sully 0 5

Kitty

July 10, 2011 10:58 PM

It’s the second half of that little saying by Kitty

“Well the point still stands, the two of you existed pretty much at the same time, so I don’t think that either of you is better or more important than the other.” Kitty replied after Arthur told her they were fraternal twins instead of identical. Although the thought of one child being better or somehow more important was a foreign one to Kitty she could tell that it was something that mattered in the big magic families. How sad, to feel like you are not as good or as valuable to your parents as your sibling. I would hate living like that Kitty thought.

“Well, now in days most families don’t really sweat that sort of thing you know? I mean yeah back in the olden times when there were like noble families it mattered who was top dog, and who was born first because of inheritance and stuff like that. I guess the really rich families might still sort of worry about it, but most people don’t anymore.” Kitty said with a laugh. She was quickly figuring out that the magic families were downright medieval in their thinking.

Really, how many Anthony’s did one family need anyway? Being named after someone else seemed almost sad to the small girl. How could a person ever truly be themselves if they didn’t have their own name? It seemed like there would be a lot of expectations to live up to if you were the eighth Anthony. That was seven other people, with all their accomplishments both good and bad hanging over your head all the time. Could someone ever truly break away and be who they really were meant to be if they didn’t have their own name? Kitty didn’t know, but it was an interesting question.

0 Kitty It’s the second half of that little saying 0 Kitty 0 5

Kitty

July 10, 2011 11:01 PM

It’s the second half of that little saying by Kitty

0 Kitty It’s the second half of that little saying 0 Kitty 0 5

Leon Loffredo, Pecari

July 11, 2011 1:58 PM

Taking a shot at it by Leon Loffredo, Pecari

Leon found himself fighting sleep and struggling to pay attention in Care of Magical Creatures. It wasn’t that he found the class boring, but that all of the excitement of settling in somewhere new and so far from home kept him awake at night. He was actually quite interested in this class because of his love of animals, and he didn’t know what to expect since anything magical was pretty new to him.

When the sheets were lifted Leon immediately wanted to play with the kneazle. He always took a liking to cats above any other animal and often had many kittens running around his farm back home. His favorite animal was a Lion, so the lion-like tail of the kneazle was intriguing. The one thing that kept him from jumping out of his seat to join in with the class when they were allowed to start playing with the creatures was the fact that he was shy. He hadn’t really spoken to anyone since his arrival at school and spent most of his time outside of class by himself in the Labyrinth Gardens.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like people, but he was just afraid of saying something stupid or having other kids laugh at him. That’s why he spent most of his time back home working on the farm and tending to the animals. He decided, however, that it was time to start being more courageous and meet new people. He waited until most of his classmates took their turn playing with the animals and then scanned the room in search of the appropriate group to join. He noticed a girl who was probably a little older than him standing by herself in front of the kneazle with a camera and decided to approach with caution, for he didn’t want to mess up her picture.

He reached his hand out to pet the kneazle, and since the girl continued to take pictures, he assumed he hadn’t messed up her shots. In the attempt to strike up a conversation, Leon asked the girl “They really are something aren’t they?” When she asked him to repeat himself he stammered “I was just um saying that they really are something else. I have never seen anything like them before. My name is Leon, by the way. Leon Loffredo. Do you take pictures often?”

0 Leon Loffredo, Pecari Taking a shot at it 0 Leon Loffredo, Pecari 0 5

David Kim

July 11, 2011 7:35 PM

Boo on them. by David Kim

David forced himself to take a breath, deliberately unclenching each of the fingers that had wound tightly into fists the moment the Crup had been taken from him. He tried to root for the peaceful ambivalance that had surrounded him shortly before, but the feeling had left him entirely. He felt much like when he was deeply immersed in a book, the written world more real than his own, and then yanked from the page by a loud noise or an inquiring teacher. It made him feel violent, the interruption keenly personal.

He struggled to clamp down on his temper, knowing that if he lashed out at his blonde classmate, he'd only lose points and face probable punishment, both of which would result in less time around the Crup. "You should be," he retorted sharply, barely paying mind to the addition of 'slicing up that girl with her tail.' "Try using your words next time, yeah?"

He lost some of his desire to keep his temper in check at the introduction. Another one of them. He knew enough about Sonora by now to recognize that the worst of the Purebloods took up house in Crotalus, although Aladren seemed to get the crazy leftovers from that bunch. "Good for you. I'm sure you're in the best of company there," he bit out, his voice low and strained. "David Kim, first year Aladren. Now that we're done with the pleasantries, how about you put Noedi down? He doesn't seem to like you very much; must be the mouthful of a name."

On the contrary, Noedi seemed rather partial to his new holder, a fact that left David seething even further. His lips turned unhappily, and frustrated, he crammed his hands into his pockets and looked deliberately away, dark eyes focused on a distant part of the Gardens and most definitely not on the blonde girl and the cuddling Crup in her arms.

0 David Kim Boo on them. 0 David Kim 0 5

Jenny Owens

July 12, 2011 9:26 AM

Yeah, well, they're kind of necessary at times by Jenny Owens

Jenny was truly sorry that she had upset the Aladren boy, especially seeing as he was so angry over the situation. She kept her eyes loosely trained on his clenched fists as she tried to inch unobtrusively further away. From what she knew of people - which wasn't much as she had been kept in the seclusion of their country home all her life - when men got angry it was best to be out of reach of their arms.

But she had more important things to worry about, she realised. She had accidentally let slip her surname. Her anonmity at the school had been her main reason for joining - after eleven years of being judged on her surname all she really wanted was to seem normal. That was proving harder than she had anticipated - firstly she was in Crotalus, which was chock a block full of purebloods who could recognise her; secondly she was a Doradoso - and her background worked against her. For example even now, feeling ashamed and guilty at her too hasty actions, she felt an aversion to the boy who was obviously a Mugglborn. She knew that there was nothing wrong with them, per se, but she had simply never met any.

The Crup, sensing her distress, pushed it's face into her jaw and she felt its small wet nose burrow into the tender spot where her neck stretched up to her face. Her arms tightened around the small body reflexively, protectively; unfairly, she realised.

She did not know the boy - other than his name being David, him being in Aladren, his status as a Muggleborn and his obvious upset. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and reluctantly loosed her hold on the beautiful creature and whispered in her soft ear to go back to the boy. She was almost certain that he wouldn't do any damage to him - he had seemed very peaceful when he had held her previously - and he had had the animal - Noedi - first.

Turning away, cursing her blonde hair, pale skin, and therefore the easy colouring that came to it, a last thought struck her. It was not just the Purebloods in Crotalus who could be prejudiced and unfair, apparently - an Aladrenian Muggleborn could be just as bad, 'I can't pick my name; nor the family I'm born to.' She told her back of his head, aware that her voice had slipped into the lilting cadence of her hometown rather than the forced neutriality that she normally kept it at, 'And if I were you, I wouldn't encourage segregation of the classes.' She thought it was a fair point - how could Equalists fight against prejudice when the Muggleborns were as against Purebloods as the Traditionalist Purebloods were to the newest members of the magical clan?

If David Kim ever wanted to be accepted into wizarding society as an equal, he would have to hold his anger in check and abstain from judging people he didn't know.

0 Jenny Owens Yeah, well, they're kind of necessary at times 0 Jenny Owens 0 5

David Kim

July 12, 2011 7:58 PM

WotW: But what if the Crup wants to stay with me? by David Kim

Noedi, once freed, chose instead to head back toward the larger cluster of students and away from his sneakered feet. David felt the rejection dearly, a greediness threatening to overtake him enough to force an outright lunge for the Crup's trotting form from across the grass. Instead, he focused on stilling his hands and loosening the taut fingers. Deliberately, he began to straighten his collar, the stiff material comforting beneath his skin. Slowly, ever so slowly, the angry tension began to dissipate.

His neck snapped forward jerkily. Segregation of the classes? "It's not segregation if it's willfully chosen," he pointed out, his voice lacking his earlier anger but nevertheless thick with feeling. "I didn't even know there was a word for people like you and people like me until I got to this school. I'm not the one imposing labels-- Muggleborn was thrown at me before I'd spent my first night here."

And the only people that David had ever known who liked to spout off unsolicited names were the ones who thought themselves better than the rest. The ones who thought themselves stronger, faster, smarter-- and David had been on the receiving end of their attentions far too long to not put up a fight here. He wasn't going to be stepped on anymore. He wasn't some pathetic weakling, stunted by too feminine features and a physique which, when most kindly described, only deserved 'delicate' as its modifier. David Kim was a wizard and that made him equal to any of these Purebloods, no matter how long a family name they might throw at him.

"And so what if I'm Muggleborn-- there's nothing about your blood or your family or your quagmire of a name that makes you better than me." David's dark eyes warmed with his words, the knot of frustration that had bothered and struck at him since his arrival at Sonora finally giving way to actual vocalization. He wasn't talking just to Jennifer Maria Doradoso-Owens anymore, he was talking to every bully, every kid who had punched him during lunch or thrown his homework into the toilet-- every person who had thought him smaller and weaker and somehow, lesser than them-- he could hear their voices, the ridicule and sickening pity that had followed him for what felt like all his life.

David had sworn to himself; it would be different here. He would make sure of it. He was no victim, not any longer. "I'm just as good as any of you," he promised. "And I don't need a some lauded name to prove it."

0 David Kim WotW: But what if the Crup wants to stay with me? 0 David Kim 0 5

Fae Sinclair

July 12, 2011 9:27 PM

Is it a good one for you? by Fae Sinclair

Of all the classes at Sonora, Fae felt she disliked Care of Magical Creatures the most. Not because she didn’t like animals. The truth was, she’d love a fluffy kitten someday. Something to snuggle with at night or on days when Fae was feeling extremely lonely. It was a terribly selfish reason for a pet, but Fae couldn’t help but yearn for one just the same. No, the animals definitely were not why she disliked this class (although, she would never deny that some creatures really were creepy and terrifying). She disliked this class because it was outdoors and could potentially be completely chaotic that could lead to her getting lost outside or something dangerous attacking her.

Honestly, if this class was indoors, she probably wouldn’t dislike it so much.

But that would never be the case. For some reason, this class would always be performed outside. And Fae would have to suffer through it and hope against all hope that nothing terrible happened while she was attending the lessons.

After the misshape that occurred in Potions (ie: wearing an outfit that was unfit for the lesson), Fae kept her outfits to a basic ballet flats at all times. She would wear her better clothes on the weekend when she didn’t have to wear her robes over them anyway. It made much better sense and then she wouldn’t have to worry about a heel getting stuck somewhere that it shouldn’t.

Fae pulled her hair back and out of her face as she walked down to the clearing where the class was held with the rest of her classmates. She didn’t have feelings one way or another towards the professors. They seemed to come and go a lot. Although, her mother had written to her when Fae had explained the changes and said the Kijewski had taught in the past, so Fae wasn’t nervous about her teaching capabilities, as she had been with Crosby. Of course, since all they have been doing is lectures, Fae wasn’t sure she was enjoying her too much.

However, at the sight of the crates, it was obvious that today would be a practical day. Fae was okay with that since the crates were small and the animals weren’t digging themselves out of the ground to perform a creepy dance. Still, Fae hung back, nervous of the possibilities of what was under the sheets.

And then they were lifted.

A crup and a kneazle. Not scary at all. Okay. Fae could do this lesson just fine. She watched as the other students moved forward to play with the creatures. Fae did not want to overwhelm or over-stimulate the animals, so she stayed back to wait for a better opportunity to see them. Standing where she was, she noticed Arnold. It had been awhile since she was able to speak with him. She moved closer to him and gave him a smile and a wave to get his attention, “Hi Arnold. Do you not like the creatures today? They’re less disturbing than the Mooncalves.”

6 Fae Sinclair Is it a good one for you? 194 Fae Sinclair 0 5

Jenny Owens

July 13, 2011 6:04 AM

Then you go for it! by Jenny Owens

David had obviously misunderstood what Jenny was trying to say, and he very obviously felt very passionate about the subject of being singled out or some people being above others.

'Look,' Jenny tried for calm, but her anger was flowing up in retaliation to his, 'I'm not talking about myself. I would never treat Muggleborn's any different to anyone else - I don't believe in all that jargon - but I'm just trying to warn you that there are a lot of people here that would - and do! And you need to be careful - everyone does, not just you.' She hoped he understood, but didn't really care anymore. She had done her best.

Turning away, Jenny weaved her way through the crowds silently. She was disappointed to apparently have made a...not enemy, but someone who she was definitely not on good terms with. She had hoped - naively - that life would be easy here.

Picking up a different Crup, brown with black ears and huge eyes, she slunk into the edge of the large crowd and began petting it sadly. She felt guilty for all the atrocities that her people - the Purebloods - had done. It was silly, she knew, as she herself had never dreamt of laying a magical curse or a physical fingr on anyone, but she felt responsible by associaton.

'What am I going to do, eh?' She asked the Crup, which looked up at her with intelligent eyes and licked her hand.

0 Jenny Owens Then you go for it! 0 Jenny Owens 0 5

Paul

July 13, 2011 5:16 PM

Anything's better than nothing by Paul

Paul nodded his confirmation that he had a sister. “My sister Eliza is in third year,” he said. “I think she’d normally be with the intermediates, but…” He shrugged. “New teacher, I guess.” Not that he knew much about how things worked at schools, but tutors could be pretty different from each other. He didn’t like it when they changed things up on him without warning. He could handle it, but he didn’t like it. Life was so much more comfortable when there were routines.

It turned out that Sully was okay with admitting to either being Muggleborn or having Squibs in the family, but since he was not Paul’s roommate and a little while of observing his classmates made him think more were not like the sort of people Eliza described to him than were, he decided not to comment on that. It was none of his business, so long as he could stay out of trouble and they were all right with it all.

Still, though, he was curious. “Middle school?” he asked. “What does that mean, exactly? What’s the school in the middle of?”

The answer, he was willing to guess, was perfectly intuitive, and he was going to feel like an idiot for not figuring it out as soon as Sully gave him an answer. Right now, though, he really couldn’t think of it. His mind was a blank on the subject, though he felt like the answer might be floating right around the edges. Just where he couldn’t get to it and not have to ask dumb questions.

Still, he was a little curious about Muggles, especially since meeting Linus. He wasn’t going to say he was in favor or not, since he didn’t know anything about them, but it was interesting to him that they looked very like everyone else. Mother had always pushed the theory that they were visibly inferior, so contradicting evidence made him wonder, though his guess was that Father was right and Mother was just very touchy because, after marrying into his family, she’d found out that Great-Grandfather wasn’t really what one of the old families would consider pureblood anyway.

It was why Paul wasn’t going to get very emotional about the subject of blood, anyway. He was in no position, since Father had that conversation with him and Eliza, to throw rocks at anyone else. They might arrange to drop a mountain on his glass house if he did.

0 Paul Anything's better than nothing 0 Paul 0 5

Arnold

July 13, 2011 5:18 PM

The immediate future doesn't look too bad by Arnold

Arnold looked away from his thoughts on homework, surprised and a little guilty, when he heard his name, but smiled when he realized who’d said it. Maybe Fae had somehow, mother-like, read what he was thinking all over his face, but he didn’t’ think she was going to try to get him in trouble or anything like that.

He thought of trying to make a joking reply, to make her laugh or maybe even impress her a little with his wit – that seemed like a good idea, somehow, impressing her – but he didn’t, because it seemed a lot more likely that he would just make himself sound really stupid instead. Sounding like a moron was something he usually tried to avoid, tried to avoid a whole lot, though he knew he didn’t always succeed in avoiding it. It was sort of the opposite of how people always eventually noticed that Arthur was super smart and a little weird. Dissembling could only work so far and so long.

Still, though. If he had to list the people at Sonora he would least like to look like an idiot in front of, Fae Sinclair was pretty high on the list, so he was going to try really hard not to stray into sounding dumb.

“Guess not,” he said, replacing the line about how he didn’t know about the crup. “But the crowd around the mooncalves wasn’t as….” He nodded toward the masses. “Crowded? I thought I’d let them start. My grandfather still keeps one of my great aunt’s kneazles, I know about them.” It didn’t like him or Grandmother, either, though it and Arnold got along okay. He’d always wondered how it and Arthur would get on, but his twin spent as little time as possible around Grandfather, never mind Grandfather’s pets.

He looked for Arthur, wondering if his brother was getting along with the examples here, and felt a sense of foreboding that made him wonder for a minute if he had the Sight when he realized who Arthur was talking to. “That’s not – “ he started to mutter under his breath, then shook his head. “And it looks like they have interesting company anyway.” He smiled at her. “What about you? What do you think of them?”

0 Arnold The immediate future doesn't look too bad 181 Arnold 0 5

Arthur

July 13, 2011 5:20 PM

Necromancy is not good by Arthur

Arthur closed his eyes, a rejection of stupidity in his surroundings, when the girl persisted in her point of view. “No one ever said one of us was better than the other,” he said patiently. “Inheritance really doesn’t have a lot to do with that.” He bit his tongue just short of pointing out that he was universally acknowledged as the most intelligent, despite sometimes not doing as well socially as the other two. “But there can only be one heir, so there has to be some way of determining who that is, and twins can argue about who was born first. It does not, though, take a genius to tell the difference between us and Anthony, so by the family’s reasoning, it’s better that it’s him.”

He was usually not very good at facial expressions, but had one as he looked at Kitty after she started talking about families in general, and it was one of pure bewilderment. This was beyond being barbaric, this was getting into…anarchy, as well as not making sense. Not that anarchy did make sense, since any time he’d ever read about in history when law and order collapsed, people had proven they were basically horrible, but…this was the same, but worse. This was affecting his coherency, and that was a rare concept.

“I do not know,” he said in response to her ‘you knows,’ sounding slightly irritated by that, “as I have never had the misfortune to meet people so disorganized before. Inheritance is still a concern for us. And I don’t even want to think about what would happen if the people I have met compared their head of family to a dog.” Actually, now that he thought about it, he really didn’t want to think about what would happen to the idiot who did so, especially in his family. He expected the person who did it to Thomas would very soon either have a terrible accident or find new purpose in life as a transfigured knickknack on the old man’s desk, and the Fourth….Well.

“I’ve heard of unimportant families with a weak hierarchy, but I really don’t understand it. How does anything get decided? How do you function together?”

The family, after all, had collective interests. Individual preferences and skills were factored into how an individual was used, but ultimately, the family came first. Somehow or another, it always did. If it didn’t, you were cut off, simple as that. But someone had to be in control. It might not be the person who looked like he was in control, but someone had to be in control. If no one was, anarchy would follow immediately. Therefore, someone had to stay in control.

0 Arthur Necromancy is not good 0 Arthur 0 5

Eliza Bennett, Crotalus

July 13, 2011 5:22 PM

Nice puppy... by Eliza Bennett, Crotalus

Care of Magical Creatures wasn’t one of Eliza’s favorite lessons because of the problem of how loosely structured it was a lot of the time and the danger to her wardrobe, but she showed up at every class promptly, her hair and nails and dress and robes all immaculate regardless of what they’d look like at the end of the period and her smile for the professor firmly in place.

All of these things, along with maintaining a pleasant expression during the lesson, were more important in Care of Magical Creatures right now than they usually were, because the professor was still new. New to Eliza, anyway; she’d heard that Professor Kijewski actually predated her at Sonora by a really long time, but she had left or something for years, most of which had happened before Eliza started school. Because of that, the teacher’s previous residency didn’t matter. Impressing her was just as if she’d just walked in off the street and hadn’t been in a school since she was seventeen. And Eliza needed to impress her. Another adult on her side was a good thing.

So, even though cats were more her thing insofar as animals at all were, Eliza went toward the crup once it opened up. That would help with the image of Crotalus girls and their prissiness and affinity for cats. She was hoping That Female would get herself scratched to pieces by the kneazle – would its claws count as magical damage, and scar permanently? Life would be so much easier if That was disfigured and looked on the outside like she did on the inside – but she couldn’t shove That Female in its direction without drawing attention, so she just had to worry about her own image first.

“Hello,” she said to Noedi in the high voice she’d heard relatives use on babies and pets before. “Hello there. I’m Eliza. I’m going to pet you now, okay?” She did so, and did not get a negative response. “You’re a nice thingy, aren’t you? Nice puppy. You like Eliza, yes you do, you want to be nice to me….”

0 Eliza Bennett, Crotalus Nice puppy... 174 Eliza Bennett, Crotalus 0 5

Kitty

July 13, 2011 8:27 PM

No necromancy needed…9 lives! by Kitty

A giggle escaped the tiny girl at the baffled look on Arthur’s face. Then it was her turn to look confused. “Well it’s not all that hard. We don’t have bunches of people like you guys do. So keeping order in a group of five really isn’t that tricky. At least Mom does a pretty darn good job of it. And seems there isn’t much in the way of inheritance, really who would want to inherit a minivan anyway? It isn’t a big deal. The kids go to school, Mom and Dad go to work, we all come home eat dinner, talk and go to bed. It’s not that hard to keep straight. You know, in the regular world most families only have like two kids, sometimes even just one. It seems like in the magic world they have a lot more kids, so that might be why its harder to keep everything in order for you guys?” The small lit at the end of her words made it more of a question.

Kitty couldn’t really understand why any family would need a designated leader any way. They weren’t wolves that needed a pecking order, although sometimes it seemed that way between her and her brother Zack. Things always ran pretty smoothly in their household, and her parents almost never fought. Unlike her best friend Kelly, who’s parents fought all the time because both of them wanted to be in charge. They ended up getting divorced. “Sometimes a family doesn’t even have both parents, what with like half of marriages ending in divorce. It can get really complicated when families re-marry and then there are step children, and half children, and whatever. So I can see how a family like that might need someone to keep everything together. But ours is pretty solid.” Kitty said with a nod of her head, dark curls bouncing.

0 Kitty No necromancy needed…9 lives! 0 Kitty 0 5

Cherry Bosko

July 13, 2011 10:01 PM

Not the puppy I wanted. by Cherry Bosko

Cherry Bosko had always wanted a puppy. Specifically, she wanted an Italian Bichon, which was a cross between an Italian Greyhound and a Bichon Frise. A small, energetic dog with long legs and fluffy coat.

Cherry wanted. Mom denied.

Mom thought Cherry wouldn't like walking the dog all the time and wouldn't remember to feed the dog and would be totally grossed out by picking up after the dog. Mom also thought that this mixed breed dog was rather rare and therefore rather expensive. Even Cherry had to admit that Mom had some good points, but the best point of all against dog ownership was that Cherry was at Sonora and dogs were not on the permitted pet list. But apparently, dogs were on the Care of Magical Creatures curriculum. Why crups made that list but not the more important pets one, Cherry had no idea, but there they'd been in the assigned textbook reading and so she had read about them. Crups were different than dogs, but not all that different other than the muggle-hating. There weren't any Italian Frise versions though.

Cherry arrived to this particular CoMC lesson in a clump of other first years coming from Cascade Hall. It was a good day to be outside and Cherry wished they were headed to more flying lessons instead of the class. She'd had a slow start in her first flying class, but she was eager to get back on the school broom some former student had labeled The Enterprise--the significance of which was not entirely lost on Cherry, even if it was a near thing. She'd seen a Star Trek lunchbox or two.

Cherry ended up more or less in the middle of the clump of students and couldn't see much of the crup or kneazle while Professor Kijewski was talking. Cherry was shorter than the other kids, but she wasn't taller either, so mostly she saw a lot of heads and when she tried to look between them she saw more heads. If she hadn't been in the middle, she might have arced to the side for a better view, but as it was she was stuck. It didn't matter. She'd seen a crup before and a kneazle too. Besides, when it was over Cherry joined the other kids in waiting for a turn to pet and play with the creatures.

"I wanted a dog," Cherry commented to her neighbor. "Mom wouldn't let me get one. She thought they were too much work."

0 Cherry Bosko Not the puppy I wanted. 0 Cherry Bosko 0 5

Fae

July 14, 2011 6:34 PM

Well, that's a positive thing by Fae

Fae was not quite sure what to consider Arnold. She had met him during one of their earlier Care of Magical Creature lessons and had somehow gotten him to promise to help her out whenever they were outside or around dangerous things that could potentially injure Fae. Although, she had yet to actually hold him to that promise.

There were plenty of time since that first encounter where Fae could have used Arnold’s assistance. Like the bonfire last year. She had ended up with Arthur instead. Not that she was bothered by that. Arthur was peculiar but not in any way that worried Fae. She could be just as odd. Besides, Arthur reminded Fae of Alice and Alice was someone with whom Fae did consider a friend.

Arnold was different though. She had never just ‘hung out’ with him unless you counted her party and that was something she wished to forget. So, he was placed in acquaintance until she knew for sure he considered her a friend as well.

She refrained from shuddering at the idea of the mooncalves. They were just disturbing on many levels.

She refrained from shuddering at the idea of the mooncalves. They were just disturbing on many levels. “That’s true. I don’t think anyone wanted to play with the Mooncalves like they do with these two.” Fae commented, looking into the crowd to sneak a look at the creatures. She looked at Arnold when he muttered something, and then looked over where Arthur was. “Oh, he’s with Kitty.” Odd pairing. But then, Kitty was as strange as Arthur was but in a completely different way.

“I know of crups, I have relatives that own a few to keep Muggles at bay or something.” She shrugged. She never really understood the necessity of it considering her relatives were never anywhere where Muggles would be as it was. “I think having a kneazle would be nice, but that’s probably because I’d always wanted a cat. Mother and Father are less agreeable to that though. They dislike disorder and they feel animals would bring that.”

Fae pouted for a moment as she thought about it. There was a possibility that her parents would allow her a cat if she proves that she’s been doing a good job while here at Sonora. Thus far, nothing embarrassing. No one has to mention her smashing into a statue and scratching up her arms and no one had to tell them how she face planted into a pus filled foul smelling plant. All in all, she’s done very well. "Do you have animals?" Fae asked curiously.

0 Fae Well, that's a positive thing 0 Fae 0 5

Linus Macaulay

July 15, 2011 12:38 PM

Take what you can get by Linus Macaulay

It was difficult to know what to make of this class just from the subject title alone. Linus didn't even know anything about magical creatures - unless dragons were counted, because he'd discovered in his short time at Sonora that dragons were real, but he doubted they would be studying them in a first year class - aside from what he'd read in his textbook. It hadn't been one that he'd read in detail, but it was well illustrated, so he'd seen glimpses of the sort of thing they might study in class. Though, as he hadn't read about them in any detail, he didn't have any idea what they would be like. Besides, the class title indicated that they wouldn't just be taught about the animals generally, but more specifically how to care for them. Linus didn't think he was all that interested in caring for animals, magical or otherwise. He'd shared a couple of hamsters with his siblings, but there had always been arguments about whose turn it was to clean out the cage, and inevitable tears and distress when the poor thing died before its time. In short, he didn't see the point of domesticated animals. If the animals weren't domestictaed, then why should they need to care for them? Consequently, Linus was finding it difficult to summon up excitement for this class.

Nevertheless, he attended on time with the rest of his yeargroup, and was even pleasantly surprised upon discovering in their first class that these lessons would be taught outside. He didn't consider himself to be particularly outdoorsy, or indoorsy for that matter, but it was exhilerating to have a change in scenery every once in a while; learnin from textbooks in a classroom could become dull with repetition, regardless of his interest in the topic. As for today's class, his interest was limited, as they seemed to be studying what was essentially a dog. Dogs didn't need to be studied - Linus saw them all the time. people were always out walking dogs. Okay, so this one had a forked tail and didn't like Muggles, but Linus had seen plenty of dogs who didn't like Muggles, and that didn't make them magic dogs. It just made them vicious.

As other students began to pet the creature, one of Linus' yearmates spoke to him. He recognized the girl, Cherry - Cherry - from the Opening Feast. He struggled to remember he real name, but all he could think of was her ridiculous shortened name that was, in all fact, a piece of fruit. "I think all pets are too much work," Linus commented idly, "but especially dogs. You have to feed them, bathe them, clean up after them, walk them, train them - and most people can't even manage to do all that. Why would you even want a dog, anyway?" The notion baffled him.

0 Linus Macaulay Take what you can get 205 Linus Macaulay 0 5

Michael Grosvenor

July 18, 2011 4:16 AM

(Tag David!) Back to you... by Michael Grosvenor

Michael was intrigued by the idea of Care of Magical Creatures. Although most of his classes so far had been practical, this one seemed likely to be so in a different way. Caring for animals was different to waving a wand around. He already had a dog, so he knew what kind of care that needed, and that his own retriever was quite low maintenance compared to certain other kinds of dog that needed their coats clipping. However, he wasn’t sure that was going to give him much of a headstart in this class, as imagined the care and the animals they’d be required to learn about would be a bit more complicated than that.

He was, therefore, somewhat surprised by the content of their first lesson. Firstly, that wizards had their own versions of cats and dogs seemed strange to him (though by now, he reasoned, wizards having their own version of anything and everything shouldn’t come as a shock). Secondly, they were just getting to spend a lesson playing. Although he would never admit it out loud he would have rather had an assignment to do. This was not out of any Aladren-geek-type desire for learning – the potion had definitely made the right decision in keeping him out of that house – but because he didn’t really want to play with either creature. He was definitely more of a dog person anyway, which made him less interested in the Kneazle as a rule. Add to which its uncanny ability to tell people who were being untrustworthy. He wasn’t sure how bad you had to be but as someone trying to keep a fairly big secret from his classmates, he didn’t really fancy running the gauntlet. Which meant the Crup. Which was his natural preference anyway, being dog-like, but the bit about Muggles put him off. He guessed it didn’t treat Muggleborns differently otherwise their Professor wouldn’t have brought it to class (unless she was one of those really racist old witches) but the thought that it would attack his family made Noedi significantly less appealing. And dogs could tell when you didn’t like them and tended to not like you back, which meant that the two of them wouldn’t be off to a great start.

Michael went and picked a ball up from the Crup’s cage, deciding to play a bit to show willing but not to be too keen to get in there first or too bothered when someone decided his turn was over. He watched as one of his classmates happily cuddled the Crup. The boy, David he thought, from hearing registers being called, was obviously enjoying himself. He recognised that feeling. Having a dog to pet was one of the happiest feelings Michael knew. He scowled as some girl came and pulled the Crup out of David’s arms. The two seemed to argue for a bit, though Michael was too far away to hear the details, before the girl put the Crup down. The little creature, obviously not enjoying the fight, trotted over towards Michael. Reflexively, he held out his hand for it to sniff, patting it once they had made this introduction, and then remembering, with a twinge of guilt, that he was befriending something that would maul his family. He glanced around to see if he could foist the Crup off on anyone else and noticed that the girl who had been with David seemed to have stalked off in a huff.

“Hey Noedi,” he said, wiggling the ball he’d picked up in front of the Crup’s eyes to get his attention. The creature’s eyes followed the toy eagerly, “Fetch!” he called, throwing the ball so that it gently rolled over to where David was sitting. The Crup eagerly chased it, taking him back to Michael’s classmate. Of course, the game being fetch, he immediately wanted to pick the toy up and return it to the person that had thrown it. Unfortunately for him, or fortunately for Michael’s little scheme, the ball was too big for him to get his mouth around. Not that this stopped him trying, of course, but every time he went for the ball, he only managed to nudge it. Dodging around the other side to see whether that would help, the same thing happened again.

“It looks like he likes the concept of fetch,” Michael called out to David. “But maybe he’d get on better with something smaller...” he glanced pointedly at the little red bone David was holding.

13 Michael Grosvenor (Tag David!) Back to you... 199 Michael Grosvenor 0 5

Arnold

July 20, 2011 12:18 AM

How's yours looking? by Arnold

“He is,” Arnold said glumly when Fae noted that Arthur was with Kitty. “I really hope they’re talking about the weather.”

Arthur was hard to embarrass or offend, at least where it showed. He would flush a little, most of the time, but for the main part looked at things normal people were embarrassed or offended by with an expression behind the red like he was looking at a slightly dull book, and if someone started talking about it to show off and make everyone else uncomfortable, Arthur would just speak in clinical terms on the subject, detached as a Healer who’d spent too much time with the scholars, sounding more like a textbook than a person. He was flustered, sure, but getting a real rise out of him took a lot. That was why most people didn’t bother to try anymore, and why Arnold had no idea how his brother would react to the girl who’d been put on the planet to offend everyone she came into contact with.

“I hope she hasn’t bothered you, Miss Fae,” he added. “I’m not sure if it’ll do any good, but I can try to tell her about not offending people again if she’s – “ he realized he was going to repeat a word, it was going to sound clumsy – “offended you.”

Fae had relatives with crups, but she wanted a kneazle or a cat, but her parents hated the disorder. He expected that line would be the first thing that popped into his head if there was a question on his CATS about crups or kneazles, even if he couldn’t remember anything the examiners were actually interested in. That was how it went a lot of the time. He thought, after listening to his brother talk sometimes, that he and Arthur didn’t really remember things differently, as some people thought they did, he just didn’t remember as much as Arthur did. He shook his head when asked if they had any animals.

“Not that I can remember,” he said. “Except the owls. I think everyone talked about getting Arthur a cat – one time, but that never happened. Maybe if Anthony wanted something….” Anthony was the youngest and mildest of them, and was in a way more trusted, as strange as that seemed. Arthur told him he wasn’t crazy, though, that it was real and he’d seen it, too, so he was sure of it now. They said pets were good for stress, too, and Anthony had a lot of that, especially since they had really begun training him as the next heir last year. Arthur could have managed it all easily except for the five or six languages they were making Anthony study, but Anthony struggled with it sometimes. He was a quick study, and liked to learn, but he also, very sensibly to Arnold’s mind, also liked to go outside every once and a while, or go play with Henry, or even indulge that odd habit he had of building strange structures with little toy logs all over his rooms.

He smiled, though, not lingering on Anthony. “I think no one’s ever had anything because Father and Grandfather were both the eldest of families of five, and Father’s brother has six, and Mother's just gotten used to it." At least, if his mother had brothers and sisters, he'd never heard about it. "They don’t really think of only having three of us.”

He felt they might have exhausted that topic a little, so he hurriedly thought up another. "Did you, ah, do anything fun this summer?"

0 Arnold How's yours looking? 181 Arnold 0 5

Arthur

July 20, 2011 12:21 AM

Very clever by Arthur

Arthur enjoyed learning, and considered few things in life better than a good teacher. He did not, however, appreciate feeling as though anyone remotely near his own age were lecturing him. He had to bite his tongue to keep from cutting her down over that alone.

“My parents have three children, thank you,” he said. “Our Aunt Emma only has two.” He neglected to mention Uncle Donnie. That was just, according to things he’d overheard Mother saying, Aunt Gigi’s stupidity. “Of course larger families were the norm historically, for a variety of reasons, but that’s no longer necessary. Most families settle for an heir and a spare, maybe a daughter or two for making secondary alliances. Dowries are quite expensive.”

At least, if what he’d heard about how the family was trying to provide for his cousins was true, they were. His uncle and aunt were not destitute by any standards, he was sure of that, but they were worried about how they were going to have anything for Diana and Cecilia. And since he assumed that, it being to the benefit of the Careys as a whole when a girl married well, the family as an entity provided assistance in that way to parent sets who needed it, that made the business sound more costly than he’d ever imagined.

“But that’s beside the point. Your family – eventually, you’ll grow up. Is that what you people do, disown everyone as soon as you’re adults? Cut you off at seventeen, and then you have to start over with nothing but who you marry?” He was a little horrified by the very idea. There were downsides to the structure of the family, the hierarchy, the degrees of deference and obedience, but he knew that if he needed it, really needed it, the family was there, willing to provide what was necessary. That was what it was to be a Carey. You looked out for each other as long as humanly possible. “Or does everyone leave their family as soon as they grow up? Not that that’s any less barbaric. What do older people do, without families?”

0 Arthur Very clever 0 Arthur 0 5

James Owen

July 20, 2011 8:27 AM

Soft puppy by James Owen

Jmes didn't have much love for Care of magical creatures classes. He liked animals, but he didn't really want to study them, and he had lots of animals at home, anyway. They weren't as interesting as those the professors could produce from time to time, and James did enjoy those classes, but again there was homework and assignment and research about the animals, which the Aladren could happily live without. Today's class wasn't all that exciting, it turned out, because crups and kneazles were boring animals in the grand scheme of things. His family had given shelted to plenty of dogs and cats in James' lifetime, including a couple of crups and the occasional kneazle. He didn't need to study the creatures; he'd lived with them.

As the option wasn't available to just skip the class, James took the most out of it that he could - he was outside for a class and could throw off the uniform robes that had a habit of getting in his way. Admittedly the heavily-worn brown trousers and slightly-too-small green t-shirt he wore beneath were then concealed, but this didn't concern the third year while he was outdoors anyway. He thought he might even enjoy playing with the crup if it was friendly. He joined his classmates in wandering towards the creature, and met up with the puppy as it met up with Eliza Bennett, who was cooing to it like a songbird.

"Why are you talking like that?" James was lauging as he asked. Girls were so funny when they got near cute animals. He reached towards the creature and ruffled the crup's head between its ears.

0 James Owen Soft puppy 168 James Owen 0 5

David Kim

July 20, 2011 2:08 PM

I always lost in tag. by David Kim

It all sounded like double-speak to David. Like when people prefaced a statement with "With all due respect. . ." or "Now I'm not racist, but. . ."-- it was all about appearing tolerant and polite. Nobody wanted to look like the extreme caricatures that tended to speak the loudest in those social groups who believed in exclusion and purity; but the feeling behind the politely phrased words neverthless led the same thing. It didn't matter how you dressed it up, prejudice was still prejudice, and Jennifer with the many names was no different.

". . . and you need to be careful-- everyone does, not just you."

"Your advice is unncessary," David bit out, not caring that he was now speaking to a retreating back. He watched the swish of her blond hair, his chest tightening. "You're fooling no one."

The anger felt solid in his stomach, and David knew that his cheeks were flushed. It wasn't his intention to strike out so-- he liked to think that he at least gave some kind of pause before lashing out-- but the interruption had been so violent for him. And then to find that it was some self-entitled Pureblood; he grimaced and threw himself gracelessly back onto the grass, pulling at his collar and yanking a button loose. A press of hard rubber dug into his ankle; he lifted a foot and pulled out the red bone that he had used to originally entice Noedi to his side. His finger closed over the rubber delicately, and some of the anger receded.

He glanced at his messenger bag, discarded in his earlier wake, and considered the parchment that required some form of note-taking to be had. He supposed he might as well do that latter part of the assignment, now that his time was the Crup had so obviously ended. He bent to drag the bag over to him when a large red ball struck the flat of his sneakers and then rolled back, coming to a stop. Not far behind the ball came Noedi, tongue lolling; the Crup tried, unsuccessfully, to wrap his smaller jaw around the large ball. Hesitantly, David raised his left hand, stretching out his fingers to touch again the Crup's soft fur.

“It looks like he likes the concept of fetch, but maybe he’d get on better with something smaller...”

David did as suggested and held out the red bone. Noedi made immediate use of it, grasping one end in his mouth and tugging it free. The Crup trotted back over to the classmate who had spoken, and David lifted his chin, one hand held to shade his eyes.

"Michael, right?" He beckoned with his other hand, gesturing toward the open grass before him. While his tone wasn't out-right friendly, it was nevertheless absent of his earlier irritation. "Bring Noedi back round for a bit, yeah?"

0 David Kim I always lost in tag. 0 David Kim 0 5

Michael

July 20, 2011 4:03 PM

I never even got to join in by Michael

“Good boy,” Michael laughed, holding out his hand for the toy. He had really meant for David to throw the bone but he figured just engaging the crup in playing with it worked too. He was slightly surprised when Noedi took the toy and came running over to him with it, seeing as it hadn't been what he'd thrown and he would have expected a normal dog to just get distracted by the new thing it could play with. He guessed this wasn't a normal dog. Plus, Noedi was still a puppy and logic didn't tend to feature too highly in their thought processes. He guessed he was just super-glad-excited to be able to bring something back to Michael.

“Yeah,” he nodded, when David checked his name, “And you're David, right?” It was interesting that they'd got to the point of telling people their own names rather than introducing themselves already.

“Come on Noedi,” he called, wiggling the rubber bone just out of reach by the crup's nose and walking over to where David sat. He was curious about what had happened with the girl but he didn't really think he could ask. And he figured bringing Noedi back effectively said he felt bad about David having him taken away, so he didn't need to say that.

“Here you go,” he said simply, passing the squeaky bone back to David. “You certainly picked a good one,” he grinned as the crup's eyes stared fixedly at the toy and he crouched in readiness to jump at it the moment it was offered. Having been led along by Michael without being rewarded, he seemed to feel hard done by and let out a little yap to let them know it was time to get on with the game.

13 Michael I never even got to join in 199 Michael 0 5

Kitty

July 20, 2011 10:22 PM

Sadly I’m about down to 4 or so by Kitty

People, in Kitty’s mind were a lot like Rubik Cubes. Each question asked was like another turn of the squares. And Kitty couldn’t help but want to solve each new puzzle she stumbled upon. And now, she’d been given an entire world full of new people to work out. Every question answered seemed to spark all new questions that needed to be explored, tested, and understood. Even with seven years Kitty knew that she wouldn’t be able to completely satisfy her need to know.

Dowries. She remembered reading a book that talked briefly about them once, but Kitty was pretty sure that magic families did not trade off their girl children for live stock, and other such things. The thought made her giggle a bit though. One dragon, two unicorns and a gryphon for your daughter’s hand in marriage. “Wow, you guys really have dowries? It is just money or other stuff?” She asked curiously.

“I don’t think anyone today disowns people. Maybe if the family is really rich they won’t be in the will, but well if family doesn’t get along when the kid is old enough they just leave and don’t talk any more. It’s not really a formal kinda thing. And well, yeah. Though in the regular world people aren’t really adults until they’re 18. Then they can move out and do whatever. Most parents pay for collage though. But pretty much when the kid feels ready they move out, get a job, and start their lives. They don’t have to be married that usually comes later any way.” Kitty said, finding it kind of fun explaining all the things that had seemed so normal before coming here.

“Old people? Well, my grandparents have their own homes. They’re doing alright.” Kitty said. “We usually go on a road trip every summer and visit them. It would be nice if they lived closer though, it takes forever to drive to Oklahoma from Nevada.” Kitty said thoughtfully.

0 Kitty Sadly I’m about down to 4 or so 0 Kitty 0 5

Arthur

July 22, 2011 9:56 PM

I'm not surprised by Arthur

“Property is sometimes used as well,” Arthur said, more by default than by design. Part of his brain had just shut down. It contained a considerable portion of his filter. “Land. Perhaps house-elves. I don’t know. I wouldn’t think that was common.”

They got attached, after all. A person moving into a new house might take a favorite along to help establish the household, though having favorites wasn’t really encouraged after a certain age….

He was so troubled, he was stalling by thinking of irrelevancies. He closed his eyes for a second, forcing himself to think straight. That was the best way. Not to turn aside, not to be distracted: to confront the problem and then solve it. To do otherwise was foolish.

Though it wasn’t unheard of for multiple generations to live together – he thought George’s entire line still lived, along with George and Hope, at Thornton with Thomas and Eliza and Matilda, after all – it was generally the case among his people, as it was among Miss McLevy’s, to set up independent households after marriage. That was done, that was accepted. But they were still acknowledged as inferior to the households of the senior members! That was order, that was logic, that was done. That was how they functioned.

Then, she said something that made him start remembering things he didn’t want to. His jaw clenched with the effort of not shouting at her that he was not a freak. There was nothing wrong with him, with his family, with any of it. That if anyone here was irregular, it was her, so stupid she was asking questions like this. But he didn’t.

“I see,” he said. “So you are so insignificant that your family doesn’t even have goals which require more than one competent adult to accomplish. You don’t have any connections, and you don’t even have anything to make some with. I wouldn’t ally with you, either, if you haven’t even got the sense to stay in one place and stick together and use each other until you’re established. If that’s your regular world, I’m perfectly happy staying in mine, thank you.”

He cut himself off sharply, realizing how far he’d gone. How he’d lost his temper. He could not do that. He could say too much, give away something he wasn’t supposed to know. He had. To keep. His head on. He started to turn, stopped again, unsure what to do.

0 Arthur I'm not surprised 0 Arthur 0 5

Eliza

July 22, 2011 11:36 PM

Is it actually a puppy? by Eliza

Eliza smiled automatically at James Owen, moving her hand aside so he could pet the crup. They had met last year, and while there had been some initial misunderstandings, he had proved he could be a reasonable person and they had gotten it settled. She wasn’t sure she considered him an ally yet, but he wasn’t an enemy, so that was better than nothing, and left room for developing things.

“I want it to not bite me,” she replied through the smile, looking back at the crup. He was touching it much more naturally than she had. She had been only just barely stroking it, being careful of her hands, not sure whether or not to trust it. Was he used to them, or not cautious, or just really sure of himself? They all meant different things. “So I thought maybe if I talked to it like a baby, maybe it would think oh, she’s nice, I shouldn’t bite her.”

She laughed, then, realizing how silly she sounded. “I really haven’t spent much time around animals before, except in classes,” she excused herself. “A few cats, and not really long. I thought I would have gotten used to them, here at school so much, in all these classes, but I guess I never really have.” She was, now that she’d thought of it, going to have to think about that more. They had to touch things in here all the time, or at least be near them. She should have totally adjusted by now, shouldn’t she? “Do you have any at home?” she asked, since it wasn’t polite to let the topic dwell on her.

0 Eliza Is it actually a puppy? 0 Eliza 0 5

Kitty

July 23, 2011 11:59 PM

You could pretend to be by Kitty

Well, land makes sense. Wow, I didn’t realize that families had elves too, I thought it was just schools and stuff Kitty thought, smiling a she added this new bit of information into her collection of how things are different. In this case though, it was probably similar to rich people having servants and cooks and such. So it wasn’t that big of a difference.

A look of anger crossed Arthur's face and his next words were spoken sharply. The happy smile that almost always adorned the small girl’s face faded into a small frown as she listened to his words. Just as he started to turn and walk away Kitty reached out and lightly touched his arm. “I’m sorry okay? I didn’t mean to be rude but I don’t understand why you guys get so mad about this.” Kitty said as she took her hand away and held it out wide enclosing their surroundings. “This isn’t regular, or normal, or average. Why don’t you see that it is extraordinary? And even if I live to be three hundred it will always be better than normal. The normal world is boring, but this…this is the world of magic, and even if it can be scary at times it can never be called just normal. It will always be more than that. You and I will always be more than just normal.” She finished, feeling quite sure of this fact and a little angry too. Not at Arthur, or at Arnold before him who showed Kitty their wish to be normal, but at who ever convinced the twins that normal is what they should aspire to being. She shouldn’t have to tell either of them they were not normal, they were better than that. It bothered her that they didn’t see it, didn’t see that they were magical, and thus forever more than mere normal.

“There’s a reason most people who aren’t rich don’t have grand goals that require years of planning. Regular people just don’t live as long. They’re lucky if they see 75, so at any one time there’s only bound to be three generations or so alive. One too young to be of any use, one too old to be of any use. So we have to live generation by generation.” Suddenly the small girl looked stricken as a truth she should have seen during her conversation with Arnold blazed like a tiny burning sun in her chest. “I’m not normal…I never was. I will outlive my brothers, my parents, my friends. Their children will grow old and die before I do.” She whispered softly as the bitter truth sank in. She would see everyone she knew and loved die, people who weren’t even born yet would not live as long as she had the potential to.

Kitty took a step back looking small and lost for a moment as she thought over the truth of her words. “You’re right, I’m the only magical one so I guess that makes me the matriarch of the McLevy’s I doubt I would make a particularly useful ally.” She said, attempting to joke about it, though the words fell a little flat as she tried not to cry. They weren’t going to all be gone tomorrow, she still had years left with them, decades even, but somehow it just didn’t seem long enough. “You’re families lives can be counted by centuries, mine by mere decades. So what’s the point of being established when they just die?” Kitty said harshly, suddenly angry that this boy wasn’t the only special one in his family, that he would have his brother for as long as they both lived, and wouldn’t have to watch him die of old age.

0 Kitty You could pretend to be 0 Kitty 0 5

Fae

July 24, 2011 3:51 PM

At the moment, pretty good. by Fae

Fae gave Arnold an odd look when he made his comment. Why did he hope for such a bland conversation? Fae wondered if Arthur was in a terrible mood and Arnold was worried about him saying something peculiar around Kitty. That could be the reason for Arnold’s comment. Except it wasn’t. Apparently Arnold was more worried about what Kitty might do than his twin. That was strange. Of course, they were both in Aladren so Fae could only believe that something had happened between Arnold and Kitty to make him worry about her interactions with others.

“Ah, no, she’s hasn’t offended me in anyway.” Fae assured him. “Actually, back when term first started I went into the gardens to …” Fae wasn’t sure how to explain the reasons for her adventure in the Labyrinth. “Prove that I could do it by myself, I guess. Anyway, I ended up getting lost in it and scared. I ran into a statue and hurt myself. Kitty happened to be there and helped me.” Fae shrugged feeling a little embarrassed. “She’s a little odd and doesn’t understand how the Magical World runs, but I suppose that’s to be expected with a Muggleborn.” Fae knew that if she was forced into the Muggle world, she would have no idea what to do or what anything meant. She could understand why Kitty felt that this world was above normal and that magic made them special, but she failed to understand that for families like Fae’s where magic had always been there, this was just life. Nothing extraordinary. Or, at least, Fae didn’t see it.

She never even considered owls for pets. Probably because they were just there and often were used as helpers to their owners. A pet to Fae was something she could cuddle with and possibly play with. Owls just didn’t come into the equation for her. “Arthur might do well with an animal.” Fae said quietly before glancing back and him and Kitty to find them looking rather intense. Kitty, to Fae, seemed like this naïve but loyal little person who sort of reminded her of a loyal pet and to see Arthur and her full of tension didn’t fit right. “Or not.”

She smiled a little helplessly to Arnold, unsure as to what might be going on, but instead of commenting on it, she moved forward in the conversation. “I did what my parents think is fun.” She told him. “They took me to a few formals that our extended families like to have. Met new people and I was able to see the Scotland family home. It’s quite lavish.” When the adults were talking, Fae would sneak off to have a look at it. She couldn’t believe her Great Grandfather grew up there. It was just too beautiful for such a sour man. “And Alice came to stay with me for a week. It was nice to have her. As weird as it sounds, having her around made it feel normal.”

It took the summer for Fae to realize how lonely she was at home and how much she relied on her roommate and others like Arnold or even Topher. “How about you? Was your summer pleasant?”

0 Fae At the moment, pretty good. 0 Fae 0 5

David Wilkes, Aladren

July 25, 2011 8:18 PM

Hey, Cat. by David Wilkes, Aladren

David wasn’t too sure what to think about the third years being lumped in with the beginners in the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher’s class. On one hand, there was a certain safe familiarity to being in the beginner’s class, a sense that, since it was just beginners, they were safer than they would be once they got old enough to be called Intermediates, so this still-strange new world wouldn’t completely overwhelm him. On the other hand, he’d been looking forward, if half-fearfully, to being considered a little better than a beginner. He could make his wand do what he wanted it to all the time, now, hadn’t seriously flubbed a potion in over a year, and was even getting the hang, if he did say so himself, of some of the strange social mechanisms of the Wizarding World. It would be nice, on a level not concerned with the security that made that level okay with being a beginner, to have it officially acknowledged that he’d moved beyond needing his hand held at every second.

Still, his mom had told him to be good and do what the teacher said when he was a little kid, and he guessed the same rule applied now, even if she didn’t say it out loud anymore. Certainly it worked on a practical level. And he guessed a cat that could go ballistic on anyone it thought wasn’t of sufficient moral character (he’d read ahead in the textbook, and so knew more of what was meant by ‘poor’ reactions) was a little risky. It wasn’t like there was, as far as he knew, a test of ethics and psychiatric health administered before students came to school, and while he was almost paranoid enough to think it might have something to do with the Sorting potion, he then had to remember all the history of the wizards he’d read in the past two years. There were a lot of complete nutjobs in the magic world, and they had all gone to schools. So it was possible someone in the clearing would be outed as a budding sociopath. He did have his theories about some of his teammates.

Arthur Carey and Katrina McLevy, though, approached and retreated from the kneazle without sustaining visible damage, and looking for Preston, Russell, and Arnold didn’t give him evidence one way or the other about the sanity and standards of the Aladren Quidditch team, since he hadn’t seen them over there. He guessed he was just going to have to test that himself.

“Hey, Cat,” he said, the way most people he knew at home talked to semi-familiar house cats, reaching down to scratch the ears. It seemed to have no objection to him, moving its head to be petted in a spot it liked better. “Hey, Cat, how’s it going? Good day to be a cat, I reckon, with all of these people around. Unless you don’t like people, but you seem to be getting along so far.”

One of the other people stepped a little closer than David generally liked to be to people, so he gave Cinder a last rub and then stepped away. “Go ahead,” he said.

16 David Wilkes, Aladren Hey, Cat. 169 David Wilkes, Aladren 0 5

Arnold

July 26, 2011 8:53 PM

Excellent! by Arnold

“I suppose it is,” Arnold agreed when Fae said much of Kitty’s oddity was likely to be expected. “I think she’s just trying to learn, she doesn’t seem unfriendly, but…it would be easy to take some of what she says the wrong way?” Articulating this kind of thing wasn’t really Arnold’s area of expertise. Not much, he thought, was.

“I’m glad she was there to help you, though. Sorry I…wasn’t.”

He did not have to feel guilty about that. He did not. He’d said he’d look out for her outside, but he couldn’t very well help it if he didn’t know she was going outside, could he? And Fae had said the point had been to see if she could go out on her own, so his assistance might not have even been wanted.

But still. He felt…bad about it. He had to stop doing that.

He looked with her back toward their mutual acquaintances when she speculated about whether Arthur would do well with a cat and wondered what was being discussed over there for a second before deciding he really didn’t want to know. If he did, he could most likely get the gist of it from one or the other of them later. Kitty was talkative, and he usually knew how to make Arthur talk. He hoped they didn’t end up with a lasting problem, though, for the Quidditch team’s sake.

“That’s good,” he said about Alice’s visit going well. He didn’t know Alice Adair well, just that she was Fae’s roommate, was the girl with the camera, and that Arthur thought a lot of her, but it was still good.

“We had our family reunion,” was all he could really think to say about his summer. “It’s only once every five years. It wasn’t too bad. We lost the first Quidditch game against the Virginia cousins because I got hit by two hexes at once when we were racing for the Snitch, but then we won the rematch.” Of course, she wouldn’t be very interested in that, though. “And one of our cousins from Louisiana nearly died, but Arthur saved her. I guess it had to be good one time that he never sleeps.” Technically an exaggeration, but Arthur hadn’t slept well for as long as Arnold could remember. All he ever got in trouble for was being up too late, reading.

0 Arnold Excellent! 181 Arnold 0 5

Arthur

July 26, 2011 9:01 PM

Honesty is the best policy by Arthur

He barely noticed her touching him, though his arm pulled itself away by instinct even as she withdrew. It wasn’t really her; he didn’t even like being touched by close family. He could tolerate it with his mother or Arnold, but didn’t like it even then, and was only slightly less uncomfortable with his father and younger brother and cousins than he was with the general population. He’d learned to mask it, but it was always there, and right now, with sharp needles of pain moving between the lowest joints of the fingers of his left hand back through his wrist and his head beginning to give a few erratic warning thuds, he wasn’t bothering with the mask. He was too busy noticing how his world was being shaken up.

Mother had told him just to be polite to everyone unless he wanted the rough side of her temper, which he most certainly did not, and his father had never said anything on the topic, but the rest of the family had cheerfully taken up the task of telling Arthur about the perils of associating with Muggleborns before he left home. Chief among these would be their efforts to portray Muggles as the equals of everyone else, or else to pass themselves off as equal by renouncing their ancestry. He could, therefore, have responded to that without much emotion, since he was accustomed to that idea.

This was not something he had ever heard of. There were horror stories about how Muggleborns could force or trick their way into families and then two generations later there were homicidal Squibs, and there were histories of demonstrations and long political battles and vote-splitting and how internal issues and goals of the families had affected everything along with the occasional riot, but…she was arguing in favor of Muggle inferiority?

He got the feeling one of them was missing something. Maybe that both of them were. He wasn’t sure of anything at this point.

He wasn’t sure, though, how to voice this. You realize you’re articulating the philosophy of those who’d like to kill your entire family, or at least reduce them to something less than house-elves was not a very politic thing to say. He wasn’t really old enough, he knew, to grasp all the finer points of this kind of thing, but he was still pretty sure of that, just as he was sure that this would all go away in a few hours, as most things that troubled him did, since it was just bizarre rather than upsetting on its own and he wouldn’t have been troubled if not for his uneasy over his unseemly display of emotion, but for now, it was….

She went on, and he was startled by the mere idea of dying at seventy-five. Grandfather was close to that, and he still had dark hair. Not completely dark, of course, but more dark than gray. He seemed somewhat self-conscious about that. Thomas had married for the third time when he was not much younger than that, to a witch in her forties, and he knew their son had at least grandchildren.

Dear Merlin, their lives were hopeless. Mother had said that the worst stories, about how Muggles didn’t have a complex society at all, were just stories, but he couldn’t help but wonder now if it might be true. Not everyone lived very long – in addition to the dangers of magic and the way Georgia leaders never lasted more than a few decades, there were things like Aunt Lindy, and the way the Fourth had lost a son and a father to heart trouble while they were both far younger than he was now – but they were part of a structure that did, and knew they could potentially live long enough to accomplish something. If she was being honest, then…you lived a little while, then you died, and it didn’t matter.

Be reasonable, he told himself. Think. It doesn’t matter that they don’t matter, not when I am not going to die before I have gray hair, so why is this so disturbing? It isn’t practical.

Arthur had never been quite as good as he thought he was at introspection and divining his own motives.

“Technically, I expect not,” he said automatically, falling into the formal style of his textbooks as he didn’t quite get her attempt at a joke. “There’s no one for you to be matriarch of, and…” He trailed off, shaking his head. An eleven year old matriarch of herself. Amazing. The things she could think were fascinating. He wished he could study it, but supposed he’d ruined his chance of that with his outburst.

He didn’t know what to do with her exclamation, though. “Everyone has a purpose,” he said automatically, reciting one of the family mottos. “Everyone has a place, and everyone has a purpose. I don’t think many people live as long as they can, but they…serve a purpose.” That was why there was a head of the family, to help determine your purpose and make sure you fulfilled it. Even if you didn’t want to. He shook his head again and half reached out, then put his hand down again. “But it’s…sad. For you. That’s unfortunate.”

0 Arthur Honesty is the best policy 0 Arthur 0 5

Kitty

July 26, 2011 10:33 PM

Then why is my honesty so annoying? by Kitty

“But it’s…sad. For you. That’s unfortunate.” Arthur agreed as he started to reach out, before his hand fell once more. A small shrug of narrow shoulders was Kitty’s answer as she stood still for once. Her large blue eyes were overly wide in an attempt to keep the tears gathering in them from falling.

“Yeah…I guess that’s one way to put it.” She said softly with a small watery smile. “But, it’s not like they’re gunna die tomorrow right? And…and seventy five years is a really long time.” She didn’t sound very convinced in her own words. “I’ll just have to find my own purpose.” Kitty agreed. This thought pleased the small girl and helped drive away her melancholy.

Her earlier anger at Arthur was gone as quickly as it arrived and Kitty’s excitable nature reasserted itself “I’ll get to forge my own path!” she said with a grin. That was the better choice anyway, in the small girl’s mind. Seems everything else was old fashioned and girls got dowries it probably meant that they were still mostly housewives. That didn’t sound very fun, so this way she got to make a name for herself and do something exciting instead. “Um, what sorts of jobs are there in the magic world?” She’d been so interested in all the other magic stuff that concerned her that Kitty hadn’t really thought much about the future. Now that she was a witch, there were probably all sorts of new jobs to consider.

0 Kitty Then why is my honesty so annoying? 0 Kitty 0 5

Nora Dobson, Aladren

July 28, 2011 7:42 AM

Observing by Nora Dobson, Aladren

Nora had never been all that interested in animals. It wasn't as if she disliked them, they just weren't that interesting to from a studying perspective. They operated by basic instinct, not with any real thought pattern the way humans did. Humans were distinct,complex. Some of them, anyway. To Nora, some seemed rather silly, but that had to be a cover. There had to be some reason why they were interested in what they were interested in, why they did the things that they did.

At least that was what Nora wanted to believe. She didn't want to believe that some people were just not interesting. Of course, that didn't mean there weren't some that interested her far more than others. Sally interested her more than Kitty for example. The former seemed like a person capable of intelligent conversation, the latter appeared to have the attention span of a gnat.

Which, come to think of it, was an animal-like quality. Or at least comparison. Sometimes, people had animal-like qualities. Or at least ones people attributed to animals. Kitty was like a gnat, Adam was like a turtle due to his shyness, Uncle Oliver was like a peacock, with his strutting. These traits were often shown if one became an animagi.

Nora stood towards the back of the group listening to Professor Kijewski discuss Crups and kneazles. While animals held very little interest for her, Nora still wanted good grades. Besides, it was at least an academic subject, not a waste of time like flying. And at least Crups and kneazles were not necessarily dangerous. Unless you were a muggle, which crups did not like, or evil, which kneazles did not like.

Actually as far as animals went, kneazles were interesting because of their being like evil-detectors. That could be used to Nora's advantage. If any of her classmates were evil, the kneazle would react accordingly. Anyone they reacted poorly to was a more than fit person to study. Not to befriend, but to observe.

Besides, any class was an opportunity for study of not just the lesson but the behavior of her classmates. How they interacted with each other. How they behaved. Who got on and who didn't. Differences between people in various houses.

Nora found a log and took out some parchment, ready to settle back and observe others. It wasn't long before someone sat down next to her and she shoved her notes back into her bag.

11 Nora Dobson, Aladren Observing 197 Nora Dobson, Aladren 0 5

James

July 28, 2011 9:52 AM

Not sure - you started it. by James

Eliza's answer didn't really resemble logic. He thought if he were a bad-tempered crup, he would be more likely to bite someone if they were crooning at him in a crazy, high-pitched voice that sounded to him a lot like baby talk. This crup obviously wasn't the bad tempered kind, though - you could tell that just by looking at it - so it really didn't matter how Eliza talked to it. She wasn't alone, though - James was sure the females in his family all talked to the animals in high-pitched voices. It was nonsensical and it irked him, but if it made the girls feel better, then whatever, they could talk like morons. "I'm pretty sure this one's friendly," he assured her.

Eliza then elaborated that she hadn't had much contact with animals, which James supposed explained her bizarre behaviour (but not that of his sisters). He didn't know whether this was traditional of families like Eliza's, to not have animals around. It certainly wasn't traditional for his family - the opposite was true, in fact. "We have hundreds at home," James exaggerated. "Five cats and three dogs at the moment," he said more accurately, "and a load of chickens. We've had crups and kneazles before, and Jade has a guinea pig." It didn't occur to him to give any further label to Jade - in fact if he'd really given any thought to it then he probably wouldn't have mentioned Jade at all. She'd be starting Sonora next year, and he didn't exactly want people to associate her with him if he could help it.

James sat down to better reach the crup, which rolled easily as the third year gently pushed the creature over onto its back. "You're pathetic," he told it, grinning. He liked looking at animals when their heads were upset side, particularly dogs - it made their eyes look comically insane. "Do you like animals then?" he asked Eliza. She said she hadn't been around them much, but she'd been petting the crup, so he figured she couldn't be oposed to them.

0 James Not sure - you started it. 0 James 0 5

Russell Layne, Aladren

July 28, 2011 4:10 PM

Introducing. by Russell Layne, Aladren

In his first year, it hadn’t really bothered Russell that he had few strong feelings about any of his classes. He had assumed that was normal, since he was only a first year and was still getting used to the school and all it had to offer. It would have been silly to jump in with both feet without considering things at greater length, based on his first impressions of teachers and courses and things.

Now, in his second year, when nothing much had changed except the identity of his Care of Magical Creatures teacher and her disposition wasn’t enough to make him rethink the course any, it was starting to seem a little peculiar to him. He’d had a whole year and more to learn how things were here, and who the different teachers were, and what he could expect out of a class, so shouldn’t he be developing preferences? Preferences were important, since they in part decided what he’d study later, and therefore what he’d do with his life. Dad was going to be around a long time after he graduated Sonora, and running the counter at the antiques shop or his grandfather’s bookshop didn’t seem to him like the best way to spend all that time before he was expected to run the business himself, if he ever did. It was expected that he would, but he knew that if he really wanted to spend his life studying obscure rituals in the Himalayas, his parents would be okay with handing it down to one of his cousins instead.

He didn’t think he was going to end up in the Himalayas, though, or that his work was going to involve Care of Magical Creatures very much, but he didn’t mind the class. He thought it wasn’t his favorite, but he didn’t dislike it. Shouldn’t he dislike something?

Today’s subject was kneazles and crups. He’d had a crup, when he was little, and Great-Uncle Phillip had an old kneazle, though he didn’t take it to the apothecary for reasons ranging from the mess it might make to the way it might attack customers it didn’t like. Uncle Phillip spoke often of how he thought some things ought to be more tightly regulated, and knowing that he had just sold wormwood to someone unsavory would bother him a lot.

He paid attention to the kneazle since the crup reminded him a bit too much of Jake, then retreated, sitting down near another Aladren, one looking over notes. To his surprise, his arrival prompted her to shove her notes back into her bag. Maybe she’d thought he was the professor. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t meant to interrupt you.” He realized he couldn’t really place her, had used her robes to know her House, and concluded she must be one of the first years. “I’m Russell Layne,” he added, since it was good to know people in the House and he’d appreciated any signs of welcome he’d gotten in his first few months there. Independence wasn’t a trait he disapproved of, obviously, but it didn’t always make for the friendliest of people. “Second year.” If that was somewhat less impressive, he couldn’t help it. It was a little odd to be a class where being a third year was an option, really. He didn’t think they ever had when he was a first year, though thankfully the third years didn’t seem too interested in any of them in the lower years, at least in a negative way. Older students were fine with him as long they were amicable or just disinterested.

16 Russell Layne, Aladren Introducing. 183 Russell Layne, Aladren 0 5

Eliza

July 29, 2011 5:46 PM

But you're an Aladren by Eliza

Eliza still felt a little uncertain even after James’ recommendation of the crup in front of them, but she smiled anyway. “That’s good,” she said. “Thanks for telling me. I thought it didn’t look too…vicious right now, but I wasn’t totally sure.” It did make her feel a little better, and it never hurt to make people feel like they had really done something good. At least Father said it didn’t, and she was prepared to take his word for it.

Her eyebrows lifted slightly when she heard that he had hundreds of animals at home, but this was quickly clarified with more specific numbers, except for the chickens. For all she knew, he really did have hundreds of chickens, if his family…did whatever people did for chicken to end up on the table periodically. Agriculture was not a subject her father or mother or great-grandfather had yet deemed it essential for her to study.

“I suppose you are used to them, then,” she said, sounding more impressed than anything. Just taking care of children, she could clearly see at home, took a lot of effort, so she could only imagine it took that much more with things that couldn’t talk and tell you what was wrong with them. Even Richard, the baby, was big enough now to give a general idea of what his problem was when he had one. Unless she was seriously missing the mark about animals, though, she didn’t think many of the ones you were allowed to have in a house ever learned even basic speech.

She didn’t know who Jade was, either, but decided it was safe to assume she was someone in his family. Generally, people didn’t live with people who weren’t family, and he had been listing animals which were at his home. She watched as he rolled the crup over and petted it that way, and momentarily stiffened with offense at the comment about being pathetic before she realized he was talking to the creature, not her. Still, why was he calling it pathetic? She had thought he liked it and was partial to animals in general.

“They seem all right in this class usually,” she said when he asked her if she liked animals. “I think I might like a cat someday, when I’m not living with Mother.” There were any number of things Eliza expected she’d do as an adult just because her mother wouldn’t like them. She didn’t think she would break any of the major strictures, she wasn’t that perpetually irritated with Nicole, but there would be some deviations from her mother’s patterns and preferences. She half blamed being one of Mother’s children instead of one of Father’s for why Gemma was sometimes decidedly odd, when she wasn’t just being an infuriating little kid who got into Eliza’s good clothes and shoes and make-up and had completely ruined at least one example of all three before now and would undoubtedly do so again before she grew up. “Do you think you’ll want to work with creatures somehow after school?”

0 Eliza But you're an Aladren 0 Eliza 0 5

Arthur

July 29, 2011 7:05 PM

It's possible I misrepresented the truth in my last title by Arthur

For a moment, with a surge of an emotion Arthur thought must be complete horror, he thought she was going to start crying. That would do it. He had never been able to figure out what to do with people who cried, and that was when he wasn’t the person who’d inspired the thought that made them want to do that.

“It…is probably unlikely,” he said when she suggested that her parents were not likely to fall over dead tomorrow. It was entirely possible, but if she thought it was unlikely, then it was most likely the case that they didn’t have an unusual number of outstanding health issues that might result in that, or that the crime rate among her people was so high that it was a likely source of early death. Anyone could just fall over dead for no reason, he supposed, but it wasn’t likely, and mentioning it seemed likely to make her cry again, which was sort of not what he wanted to do at the moment. It wasn’t diplomatic to point that sort of thing out.

Suddenly, she was smiling again. He was thrown, but smiled as well, hoping to encourage her to continue in her present behavior instead of going back to that of five seconds ago. “Well, witches typically don’t work after they marry – “ at least witches in his circles didn’t, he wasn’t sure about anyone else, though he thought working might be more common there – “but there are many occupations. Healing, mediwizardry for those who don’t want to put in that much work, international affairs, financing, tutoring, sewing, most clothing shops are run by witches, I think, wireless announcers and actors and singers, Quidditch players…I hope to go into research. There’s so many things we don’t know about magic, about the limits of the possible…” His expression had relaxed as he focused on his topic, and he smiled briefly and genuinely at the mention of what he hoped to do someday.

“I think people generally have jobs through government offices, or else they become assistants or apprentices to those who own shops and hope to be left the business, though that doesn’t work in shops which have been handed down through families. Most apothecaries are family-owned. Lawyers sometimes seem to be more individual…” He trailed off a little hopelessly. “What are you interested in?” he asked, not sure if that would help at all. Working public, as his grandfather called it, was not something that he knew much about. It was done, but it wasn’t discussed. His uncle worked, he knew, but his best efforts had failed to let him know what it was that Uncle Donnie did, because while he had never really had time to go through all of his uncle’s things at his uncle’s house, he was beginning to think it really wasn’t written down anywhere, and Merlin knew no one was ever going to say.

0 Arthur It's possible I misrepresented the truth in my last title 0 Arthur 0 5

Kitty

July 30, 2011 1:21 AM

Maybe just a smidge by Kitty

The sight of an actual smile on Arthur’s face when he talked about research made Kitty almost giddy with delight. For reasons she hadn’t yet figured out magic kids didn’t express themselves well. A small smile from Arthur felt like a large victory to the young girl. “Really? What fields of research are there in the magic world?”

Research was something that Kitty might be interested in when she was a lot older. It defined one of the main things that drove most of Kitty’s actions. The almost desperate need to know why, why, why. And magic opened up a whole new world of whys. So many things needed to be explored from why wands worked, to how they were made. Why did positions work, and how were some animals magic while others weren’t. What caused magic in the first place, when did it first appear? How did it evolve and what path did it take. The questions were endless, but exiting all the same.

“While I’m young I want to do something fun. Maybe play Quidditch, I was wondering if anyone does stunt flying. Maybe I can create that, if there isn’t and have shows. Or maybe do documentaries for magical animals. Or explore strange new lands and find things that haven’t been seen before.” Kitty said in a rush as more and more ideas flooded her mind and fought to get out. “After I’ve experienced some of the world I’ll settle down and get married, but not until I’m way older. I don’t want to miss anything you know?” She added with a smile. Marriage wasn’t something on Kitty's radar at the moment, it was hardly even an abstract concept to her. While other young girls dreamed about their wedding days, Kitty dreamed of exploring caves, of sky diving, or maybe discovering some elusive new species.

0 Kitty Maybe just a smidge 0 Kitty 0 5

Arthur

July 30, 2011 4:27 PM

Sometimes I do that by Arthur

Arthur blinked, a little startled, when Kitty actually expressed interest in magical research. He bored Arnold nearly to death when he discussed this sort of thing.

But then, Arnold was normal, not just learning what the world was. That could explain it. It certainly explained it much better than the idea of there being some sort of similarity between himself and this strange person. A slightly overwhelming, almost exhausting to watch, level of energy seemed to be an integral part of her, and he didn’t think he could even manage to fake that. Not very convincingly, anyway, and not for very long at all.

“Many things,” he said. “Potions, magical theory, spells, other forms of magic, there’s no end to it, really. No one knows how much we could do that we don’t, just because we don’t know it’s possible yet…”

That was something that frustrated him as much as it intrigued him. As far as he could tell, what he was learning as a second year was not that much different, except for Care of Magical Creatures, from what his parents had learned, and that had been a long time ago. Shouldn’t things have happened in such a long time? Shouldn’t they have found something new even for beginners?

She brought him back to reality with her speculations about what amusing things she wanted to do while she was young, though he wasn’t sure how she was defining the key words. “I…don’t exactly,” he said. “We typically marry when we’re told to do so. I don’t think it will keep me from experiencing life.” He would marry because it was what was expected, and sometimes what was really necessary, just as his parents had his brother Anthony because they were asked to by the family after having twins, and Anthony’s existence hadn’t kept Arthur from coming to school. Why would having another person added to his environment be any different? There was no logical reason he could think of that it should be so, so it likely wouldn’t. “I believe some people do perform stunts on brooms, thought,” he added. “What do, er – “ he could not just ask that, there had to be some standards. “What kinds of things did you think of doing before?” he asked instead.

0 Arthur Sometimes I do that 0 Arthur 0 5

Fae

July 31, 2011 9:03 PM

But, it's also not something I like to think about. by Fae

Fae giggled and then tried to hide it behind a hand. She hadn’t meant to laugh. It just sort of escaped without her realizing it was happening. She couldn’t help it though; Arnold’s comment on Kitty just seemed so odd. Kitty was the friendliest person Fae had ever met. To friendly, really. That might get the girl in weird situations if she wasn’t careful. “Sorry.” Fae apologized, looking slightly embarrassed by her behavior. “We didn’t really talk about anything that she could twist in a negative way.” Fae said, looking thoughtful, trying to remember their conversation from the garden.

“She couldn’t grasp how we work, you know?” Fae said, looking at Arnold through burrowed blonde brows, finding it difficult to explain their conversation. “She has a weird look on this world. Like, she’s in a bubble. I tried to explain it to her, but I still think she’s in her bubble.” Fae looked at the girl again and then back at Arnold with a small smile. “She is quite exhausting though.” That was an understatement, but Fae couldn’t say that she didn’t enjoy the time she spent with the girl. She certainly was different.

“Oh, it’s alright, Arnold.” Fae reassured him, lightly putting a hand on his arm to make sure he knew that he was not at fault for her clumsiness. “I didn’t want to always bother you with my …fear.” Was it okay to call it a fear? Or did that make her look weak? Was she allowed to look weak? Too many uncertainties.

Removing her hand, Fae rolled up her sleeves. “They seem to be healing alright.” Fae commented, the long scratches visible now. “I have ointment, so they seem to be healing nicely. Anyway, I survived, which I suppose is a good thing, but I will not going into the gardens ever again without you. It was much too much for me.” Fae explained to him, rolling her sleeves back down again. She wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but by now he ought to be used to it.

Fae was rather impressed that they had a reunion that was large enough to hold Quidditch match against the branches. If Fae knew her extended family the way the Careys did, there might be enough Sinclairs to have such matches, but she only knew Great Grandfather’s descendants and there didn’t seem to be enough boys for that to happen.

“Wait, I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” Fae asked, trying to wrap her head around what he had just told her. “You have a cousin who nearly died but Arthur saved her? How did it happen and what did Arthur do? Is your cousin alright? Is Arthur alright?” Fae had to take a breath before she ended up suffocating Arnold in questions. She had never heard of anyone nearly dying or knew anyone who was a Hero for having saved a life.

0 Fae But, it's also not something I like to think about. 0 Fae 0 5

Nora

August 01, 2011 5:14 AM

Nice to meet you. by Nora

"It's all right." Nora replied at the boy's apology. She hoped that it would at least look like she was just doing something that had little to do with Care of Magical Creatures which she supposed was true anyway. Nora, however, hoped that he would simply think she was doing homework for another class rather than taking notes about her classmates' behavior. Her mother had told her that was not polite.

Besides, if people knew someone was observing them, they might not act naturally and that was detrimental too. And Nora didn't really want to come off nasty or rude. Granted, there were some people whose opinions that she was probably not going to care about but it would be nice to have some friends.

"It's nice to meet you, Russell." Nora replied. What did she know about the Layne family? She thought Adam had gone to school with one though, whom he'd never said anything about but then Nora's second cousin didn't talk very much and most of what he said about former classmates was coated in anger and bitterness and an occasional word or so that was not fit to repeat. Nora had to wonder what this place had done to him. Or Kaylie or Nina for that matter.

Seven years here and she was sure to find out. Or not, as there could be radical differences in environmental factors. Different students, different professors, different Heads. Back when Adam and Kaylie were here, Aladren hadn't been the bloodthirsty Quidditch team, for example. Nora supposed that if she wanted to know the differences, she could always just ask them.

She introduced herself, smiling. "I'm Nora Dobson, a first year." She didn't think it was necessary to give Russell her family branch when he was not one of the pureblood elite and less likely to care about such things. And that was fine by Nora. All that mattered was that Russell was somewhat pleasant and interesting. Either a good person to study or a good one to converse with on interesting topics.

That he was an Aladren was a good sign. "So, what can you tell me about Sonora?" The first year asked. It was as good a place to start as any, especially if Nora wanted to know stuff about the differences relating to what people were in different houses or who to avoid (or more likely, study.)

11 Nora Nice to meet you. 197 Nora 0 5

Kitty

August 01, 2011 4:03 PM

Yeah me too every now and then by Kitty

A laugh burst from Kitty when Arthur said marriage wouldn’t inconvenience him “Well yeah, it’s not so bad on the boy part of the equation, but I’ll be the one having the babies! I want to live and do stuff first, before I’m responsible for kids and all that.” Kitty said with a nod. Having children was most defiantly on the agenda, even if she didn’t think much about getting married. She really wanted to be a mother. Just…not any time soon. “I don’t think I’d like having my husband picked out. What if you don’t like them? Or what if you have nothing in common?”

The whole idea was a strange one to Kitty, even though it had been common practice even among normal people a few hundred years ago. It was just too much of a gamble, especially if it was someone she never met before. “I mean, what would you do if you found out you had to marry me?” Kitty asked to make her point. She knew from years of experience that the idea of being stuck with Kitty for life would be enough to make someone cry.

“Hm, well I was leaning towards Marine Biology. Or exploration…going to far of lands and finding things that haven’t been seen before. Maybe work in a Zoo. I’d love to work with the big cats. That would be so much fun! After I settle down and get married I’d probably want to do research, but I haven’t decided in what yet. I want to learn things no one else knows yet.” Kitty said, her eyes distant as the whole world was laid before her, open to what ever she might wish to do.

0 Kitty Yeah me too every now and then 0 Kitty 0 5

James

August 03, 2011 11:16 AM

I'm not omniscient by James

"You look like a cat person," James commented. He more meant that she seemed the sort of person who would be more drawn to cats - quieter, more content to be sitting relaxed than running around madly - than dogs, but his way fo expressing this was quicker. He didn't even really address the comment to Eliza as such, occupied as he was by playing with the crup, but it was obvious he was talking to her, considering there was no-one else to whom he would be replying. He ignored her reference to her mom as 'Mother' - it was just one of those snobby class things he tried to ignore wherever possible.

"Do you think you’ll want to work with creatures somehow after school?" Eliza asked.

"No, I don't think so," James asked, leaving the crup a moment and sitting back, leaning on his hands behind him. "I might have pets eventually, but I want to work in an office somewhere," he said. He didn't mind doing what just now - accountant, lawyer and businessman all had their allures - but he just wanted four walls that created his own space, a boss to impress, clients to direct, and to wear a suit. He didn't even want to run anything for himself - he wanted to be Joe Slightly-Above-Average, the proof that hard work could pay off.

"Are you planning on working?" James asked Eliza. He was curious - he didn't know what these well-to-do women did after school. He knews that the men invariably ended up being politicians or each others' attorneys, but he'd never heard of a woman doing the same. He did know that those type of girls didn't play Quidditch, and Eliza didn't play Quidditch, but that wasn't an indicator of much, really - James himself didn't play Quidditch either, and it had nothing at all to do with appearances.

0 James I'm not omniscient 0 James 0 5

Russell

August 03, 2011 2:31 PM

You, too. by Russell

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Russell said when the girl recited the stock phrase. He didn’t know if she meant it or not, but until she gave him some clearer cues about his existence and acquaintance with her being highly distasteful, he would assume she was at least not totally opposed to meeting him, anyway.

Her introducing herself was something he listed under evidence that she wasn’t totally opposed. Nora Dobson. That was a good name. He liked the sound of it. And he’d been right about her being a first year, that was good, he was doing okay at remembering who people were….

And she wanted to know about Sonora. “It’s all right,” he said with a shrug, then smiled and added, “you got lucky and got into the best House.”

Russell didn’t think Sonora really had a problem with House rivalry, since he got along with people in all four and had seen other people have inter-House friendships as well, but there was nothing wrong with being a little proud of the one he belonged to. He liked people in other Houses, and could see good things in their House qualities, but he thought the happiest place for him to have landed was the one he’d actually landed in.

“For me, it’s mostly…I go to my classes, I go to Quidditch practice, and then I do my homework by the classics section in the library and go to bed.” Library positions were important, he had discovered over the past year. Aladrens in particular were apt to pick a table and stay there, so there were certain times when it was useless to look for certain people anywhere else. “And occasionally remember to eat,” he added, completely deadpan. “Is there anything specific that you want to know about?”

16 Russell You, too. 183 Russell 0 5

Eliza

August 04, 2011 11:37 AM

Fair enough by Eliza

Eliza wasn’t sure what was meant by a cat person, and James’ focus was enough on the crup that she thought she could project almost any emotion she chose to onto the bit of his attention directed toward her, but she decided not to take it as an insult. Unless she could tell something was, beyond any shadow of a doubt, meant to be belittling and was serious enough that she absolutely could not just ignore it, she couldn’t go around making more enemies. It was horrible for business, as Father would say if it were something he dealt with instead of one of her less serious concerns in life.

She nodded when James said he’d like to work in an office. “My uncles have offices,” she said, which was about the extent of her knowledge on that subject. Uncle Matthias ran something in business, she wasn’t too sure what, mostly under Father’s direction, and Uncle Roger was away from his estate more often than not, though she personally thought that could be feelings about Aunt Helena and her cousins as much as anything else. Uncle Victor didn’t have an office, not anymore, but they didn’t talk about Uncle Victor. “Uncle Matthias’ is very nice.”

Did Father have one, she wondered? She knew he had one at home, but that wasn’t the same thing. As vague as she was about the world of work, she knew that much. Father traveled sometimes, and this was where some money came from, but most of his role seemed to be making the rest of the family make money. Maybe she could ask Paul, Father might have told him sometime, though she doubted it. There weren’t too many things Paul got to know about that Father didn’t tell Eliza about, too.

Though there were some differences. “I doubt it,” she said honestly when James asked if she was going to work. “My father thinks me being the firstborn is more important than me being a girl, but I don’t even think he would allow me to work in public. My mother….” Dear Merlin, Mother would never speak her name again. She was worse than the real Bennetts about wanting to seem above her station, as though she were in one of those families where that really would never even be thought of. She shook her head a little, dismissing the thought of Mother. She usually preferred, for one reason or another, not to think too much about her mother.

“I might go to college, if they don’t think I’m grown up enough to be married after seventh year – “ or if there was just no one available to marry her, which seemed more likely than them taking a chance on someone waiting on the likes of her for four more years – “but after that….” She shrugged philosophically. “Mother and my aunts make it seem like a real job just looking after kids and planning all the parties you need to support your husband’s job.”

0 Eliza Fair enough 0 Eliza 0 5

Arnold

August 04, 2011 11:40 AM

It can be scary to consider by Arnold

“That’s a good way to describe it,” Arnold agreed about Kitty being in a bubble, with a quick smile to let her know he wasn’t bothered by her giggling. “Yeah, the questions can be a little…overwhelming, something.” Though it would be better if she could just ask questions and not try to present her opinions on the matter while she still didn’t have a clue what was going on.

Though, looking over there again, it occurred to Arnold that right now, he didn’t have a clue what was going on, either. A moment ago, he could have sworn things were going sour between her and Arthur very quickly, but now she seemed bouncy again and Arthur was actually smiling. Sure, Arthur could put on when he needed to, but why would he, for someone who had seemed to be getting on his nerves? He didn’t have any good reason to suck up to Kitty McLevy, so why was he smiling? Arthur was so unfamiliar with the world of natural facial expressions that, when he wasn’t putting on and really was showing emotion, they never quite looked right on his face.

“And now they get along,” he commented, more to himself than Fae, though she was there and undoubtedly heard. “Sometimes I don’t know which one of them I get less.”

Any lingering thought of that, though, was dismissed by Fae touching his arm. He could tell he was a bit redder than he had been a moment ago and tried to imitate his brother’s ability to act as though nothing out of the ordinary were happening, hoping to pass that off as the weather or something. It could be warm in fall. “It’s all right,” he said, hoping this was the correct response to her deeming something too much for her. “But you’re right, those don’t look very bad.” He had grown up being…him, with Arthur for a twin brother and a mediwitch for a mother, so he thought he was decently qualified to notice that kind of thing. “But any time you want to go out, that’s…fine, you know.”

He was a little surprised, at first, by the barrage of questions about the mess with Arthur and Alexandra, but then thought about it and realized how dramatic that statement must have sounded. “Sure, they’re fine,” he said. Arthur had gotten a migraine from it, but that wasn’t unusual. Mother predicted they’d get worse for a few years, then start getting milder and less frequent, the way Father’s had. “I think Arthur’s kind of embarrassed by it all, but Alexandra couldn’t stop telling everyone the whole story.”

He decided to go with a somewhat more condensed version than she had over the remainder of that week. “Someone had left one of the big windows open at night, no one knows how that happened, the elves in that section swore they’d closed everything, and she was sleepwalking or something and ended up nearly falling out of it. Arthur was having to share a room with me and our brother, so he was walking in the halls when he couldn’t sleep, and he passed through there and saw that and grabbed her and then she started screaming the house down and woke everyone up.” At first, it had just been the people in the vicinity, but it hadn’t been long before the news had spread and half the family had turned up, all tripping over each other while half-awake and generally being in the way. “Then she followed him around for the rest of the week. He didn’t know what to do.” He couldn’t help but sound slightly amused as he said that part. Girls might have been the one topic Arthur knew even less about than Arnold did. He thought Arthur might have been ready to push her out a window himself by the time they all went home.

“She’s Louisiana branch, though, so we might not see her again for five years,” he added. “I think everyone will have forgotten about it by then. One of the other branches will do something and they’ll talk about that all week instead of us.” His branch tried not to be talked about too much. The Georgia and North Carolina branches did a perfectly adequate job of supplying the family with its fair share of embarrassments, there was no reason for South Carolina to get involved. That was what the Fourth said, anyway, despite his friendship with his first cousin Edwin, the oldest of the Georgia Careys and, because of one of the minor scandals, great-grandfather of all the North Carolina Careys. Edwin was maybe an exception to the rule about how those branches’ members ended, because while Arnold wasn’t sure about it, he looked even older than Thomas and the Fourth did.

0 Arnold It can be scary to consider 181 Arnold 0 5

Arthur

August 04, 2011 11:43 AM

It's a bad habit by Arthur

Arthur supposed he could see why children could inconvenience a mother who was fond of them, or who couldn’t afford a staff to look after them. His mother seemed to just want to take a direct role with him and his brothers, since he was sure she could have not done if she’d wanted and had heard people saying it was strange that she did, and Aunt Gigi always talked about what she’d give for the money to hire two nannies to look after hers for her so they didn’t run her crazy. He nodded and said, “That’s a legitimate point.”

He was a little more perplexed, though, by her thoughts on marriage. His parents had married each other because they wanted to for some reason, but Father had been married to someone the family chose first, and both his aunts and his uncle had barely known their spouses when they got married. The thought of him marrying her, though, made him laugh, a short, sharp sound of surprise.

“If the family told me to,” he said, trying not to laugh any more but having trouble keeping some of his amusement off his face, “I would. And then I’d find some position in an embassy in Japan.” He had no particular affinity for Japan, had never even tried to read Japanese before, but that was just the furthest away place he could think of off the top of his head. “I’ve only read general summaries, but they have some interesting magical traditions there. I think it’s because the culture was isolated for so long, even after Apparition was discovered. They weren’t affected by the crossover that you see even between Chinese and western magic.”

That bit of information, he blamed on Preston. He was familiar with the basics of magical theory, but had felt the need to learn even more about it because of his roommate and Sara Raines and whatever all that was about. He supposed he was feeling slightly competitive, though that was an unfamiliar thing still. He just didn’t want Preston to know things that he didn’t.

Besides, it was interesting.

So were things no one knew yet. He looked at her closely, but she was staring off into space. “That is my goal as well,” he said finally, his hands in his pockets. “Though I’m more interested in the limits of magic than in magical creatures.”

0 Arthur It's a bad habit 0 Arthur 0 5

Cherry Bosko

August 04, 2011 10:01 PM

I will by Cherry Bosko

Cherry resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at Linus Lines up the Ladies, her fellow Crotalus. She'd had limited encounters with him since the opening feast and standing next to him in line... well, she thought maybe he'd loosened up a bit now that it wasn't the first night. But no. He still seemed to be a bit of a party pooper.

"You sound like my mom," she accused him, making a face. She wouldn't have said that at the Opening Feast because it was her first day then, too. But Cherry was a little more comfortable now than before and it just sort of slipped out.

"Dogs can be fun," she told Linus as they moved forward a space or two in the line. "They play fetch and they're almost always happy. Look at him," Cherry motioned to the Crup whose tail wagged wildly, as though he couldn't contain his excitement at so much attention, "you can't help but smile, right?"

Cherry looked to see if Linus was affected by the crup's charms. She doubted it, or at least, she doubted he would show it if he was.

0 Cherry Bosko I will 0 Cherry Bosko 0 5

Jordan Adair, Crotalus

August 05, 2011 1:07 PM

Does he talk back? by Jordan Adair, Crotalus

Being in the Beginner’s class normally wouldn’t have bothered Jordan. She liked the fact that she was older than the rest of the students and that the material was somewhat easier. She knew next year when she was in all of the Intermediate classes, it was going to be much harder and that she would really have to work in order to maintain any form of decent grade. The sour note was having her younger sister, Alice, in the class. She loved her sister. She really did, but there was just something annoying about having your younger sibling upstage you in a class that you should have been better at. At home, it should have been that their parents thought Alice should look up to Jordan, want to be more like Jordan, but it was just the opposite. They wanted her to be more like Alice. Alice was such a good girl, such a respectable girl, such an intelligent girl. Was there anything that Alice ever did wrong?

Upon seeing Alice, Jordan drifted a bit further away. Whatever they were learning today, she didn’t need to end up partnered to the other Crotalus. If she were, all she would hear about were the endless facts about whatever they were learning. Why couldn’t Alice just enjoy whatever it is that they would be learning about instead of having to divulge into everything that made it boring? Especially in this class. Care of Magical Creatures was one of Jordan’s better classes, because animals tended to be adorable and anything adorable caught her interest. However, that didn’t mean she needed to know about their nervous or digestive systems or anything like that. It was just gross to hear about. Like last term, the professor had a lesson on mooncalves, which had been really weird and sort of interesting, but then Alice had ended up telling her a whole bunch of stuff about them that she didn’t care or even want to know that was just downright odd. After that, she couldn’t remember any relevant information about them.

When Professor Kijewski removed the towels, Jordan was extremely glad that she had decided to move further away from her sister. She definitely didn’t care about hearing about all the useless facts about the cat and dog that she was seeing. All she cared about was that they were cute, playful, and named Noedi and Cinder. Hmm, which one should she look at first? Oh, it was such a hard choice! Dog or cat? She really had no reason to pick one over the other. She wasn’t muggleborn and therefore, had no close associations to muggles. And she didn’t live in a muggle territory, so she had no reason to care that crups hated muggles. Though, she supposed someone that was muggleborn or half could take offense to such a thing. Though, she supposed that being able to tell the character of a person was useful despite blood heritage. She wondered what the cat would think of her, which was the deciding factor.

Unfortunately, someone was already looking at the kneazle. She moved closer trying to look at the cat, inching closer to the boy in the process. Not realizing how close she had been, she jumped a little when he moved away. “No it’s okay,” Jordan said with a wave of her hand, indicating that he should continue, “I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I can wait my turn. I was trying to get a better look while I waited. My parents won’t let me have a pet so being able to look at these animals is fun, isn’t it? I wonder if they really are a good judge of character. Cinder sure seemed to like you.” She smiled at the boy. “You’re David, right?” She thought she had the name right from other classes. “I’m Jordan.”

0 Jordan Adair, Crotalus Does he talk back? 0 Jordan Adair, Crotalus 0 5

Kitty

August 06, 2011 3:20 AM

We should diligently work on that by Kitty

The sound of the short sharp laugh made Kitty want to cheer out loud, but she confided it to her mind and just smiled even wider. Kitty was used to making people laugh, but getting someone like Arthur to laugh was a true achievement. She was surprised when Arthur admitted that if his family wanted him to, he would marry her. That just didn’t make any sense at all, they weren’t the most compatible people ever, and it would probably be really hard to find happiness together. Kitty knew that whoever she did decide to marry would have to have a rather strong sense of humor, and be laid back. “So you have to marry, even if you don’t like them? What about true love?” Kitty asked. At heart she was a compete romantic and couldn’t understand marrying someone you didn’t know let alone didn’t love.

Kitty’s curiosity was peaked, there simply weren’t enough hours in the day for the young girl to attempt to devour every scrap of knowledge to be had of this new world. “So different countries have different forms of magic? What is the crossover between Chinese and western magic? How are they different?” Kitty asked excitedly, she was still focusing mostly on magic used here. The idea that magic differed by country just opened up an entire new realm of questions. Were there parallels in the different forms of magic? Were there laws that had to be observed such as the law of gravity in her own world? Laws that transcended culture and had to be observed by all. She tucked the thoughts away to be explored at a later date. It really as a good thing that her dorm was in the library, she could go and read whenever she wanted.

Kitty nodded as well when Arthur said he was interested in the limits of magic. “I want to know where magic comes from on a biological level. Is it energy? Could you imagine seeing a CAT scan of someone who’s doing a spell. I bet that parts of the brain normally dormant are active. Why do some people have magic and others don’t. Is it carried in the DNA? If so, where? I want to know what exactly the wand does for our magic. Why does it work? What exchange happens for our magic to work with a wand but not so well without. There’s just so much to try and figure out just on the biological level.” Kitty chirped. While other children watched cartoons, Kitty’s childhood had been supplemented by an endless series of national geographic shows, and the multiple discovery channels they had. Kitty was a walking encyclopedia of completely random information that she was forever trying to put into some kind of order in her mind.

0 Kitty We should diligently work on that 0 Kitty 0 5

James

August 07, 2011 3:05 PM

But I am pretty smart by James

James wasn't surprised when Eliza didn't indicate an expectation to work. james thought he would be bored if he did nothing after school. he could entertain himself adequately for short periods of time, but he inevitably got bored during the holidays. He would certainly need a job once he'd finished with education, whenever that might be. He would go to college if he could afford it, and Eliza might go to college if she wasn't married as soon as she finished school. He supposed they still had time to sort out those details; four years' worth.

"My mother works very hard," James agreed. "She does a little freelance artwork when she has time, but mostly she looks after us and the animals and the house. She has a lot of mending to do when we break things, because we can't really aff- I mean, um, because she doesn't like to replace them," he quickly amended, his ears turning pink. He had dealt with the fact that his family didn't have a great deal of money, and most of the time it didn't bother him, unless it was pointed out, either by others or by himself accidentally. There was a difference between it being implied and being expressed openly. He did think, however, that his mother would have less work to do if they could buy new things when old things broke, or if she had house elves or hired help. Therefore the women that did have this extra help and still didn't work were probably lazy in comparison.

"Is there much to organizing parties, then?" James asked, curious about what could fill these ladies' time aside from gossip and grooming (though as far as he understood - which wasn't far at all - even girls his age could do these for hours). "I'd have thought it would be easy - just send out some invites, order extra food, and maybe get some help in cleaning up afterwards. I could do that much in a couple of hours."

0 James But I am pretty smart 0 James 0 5

Linus

August 07, 2011 3:17 PM

As will I by Linus

Linus was not in the least offended that he apparently sounded like Cherry's mother (unless the nickname had been her idea); being likened to an adult was actually a compliment for the eleven-year-old, who liked to believe he was mature for his years. "I don't deny that dogs can be fun," he replied to her comment levelly. "I just claimed they are a lot of work for relatively little compensation. You can have fun lots of ways that require no work at all." He thought his argument was reasonable and well formed, not to mention delivered with adequate elegance.

He could, in opposition to Cherry's assertions, help smiling when he looked at the crup. It looked friendly, but sometimes dogs looked friendly when they weren't. "I don't see the appeal," he told her. "It's not ugly to look at, but it's hardly exquisite. Anyway, dogs drool and shed on the furniture and eat a lot and need walking and playing with, then there are vets bills, and cleaning up after it," he reeled off ad verbatim his mother's reply to Daphne, who sometimes thought it was the most important thing in the world to have a dog. She naturally would have changed her mind by the following week.

"I just don't understand why people would want pets," he said bluntly. "Cats are cleaner and need less work, but then they don't really do anything, do they? You might as well get a hamster." Then you could keep it in a cage and at least know where it was all the time, unless your little brother left the hatch open and had you all crawling on your hands and knees peering under all the furniture. "I had a hamster once," he told Cherry, so she would know how he'd become such an expert on pets. "They're fairly pointless. Sometimes they'd rather bite you than stroke you, so all they do is run in a wheel, eat, sleep, and make the cage smell bad."

0 Linus As will I 0 Linus 0 5

Fae

August 07, 2011 8:23 PM

A lot of things are scary to me. by Fae

“Yes, they can definitely be overwhelming.” Fae agreed. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more she realized how much Kitty’s behaviors mimicked those of her younger cousins. Sasha was the next in line to come to Sonora, but he was only six and over the summer when she had seen the family, Sasha and his little brother had bombarded Fae and her siblings with questions. They mainly bothered Jaiden about it because they seemed to love him, but because Fae was the younger one and still new to school, they bothered her from time to time too. The feeling had been overwhelming, so she knew what Arnold was talking about. “Arnold, can I ask what Kitty said to make you worry?” Fae looked curiously at Arnold. She couldn’t imagine anyone working him up.

“It seems that they do.” Fae agreed, looking over to Arnold and Kitty again. They were both odd, so she doubted she’d figure them out any better than she could figure out her roommate.

Ignoring the coloring of Arnold’s face out of fear of having upset him for touching him, she instead focused on his comment. Grinning, Fae was happy that he was okay with the current situation. “Good. I’ll come find you or owl you if I decide to be adventurous again.”

Fae listened intently as Arnold told her of the story between Arthur and their cousin. It wasn’t as dramatic as she had originally thought, but it was still a really great story to tell. Fae sort of wished she had a fun story to tell people. Not so much with her being involved, but just to tell a tale of someone in her family doing something heroic. It would be a completely fun thing to retell.

Listening to Arnold though, made her realize how large and important his family was in America. Fae’s family was branched by country and was still far too new in America to have branches throughout the states. Actually, they probably weren’t likely to have branches throughout the states until long after she had left this world. There just weren’t enough of them. Of course, this was only Great Grandfather’s branch of the family that she was thinking of. She didn’t know anything about his siblings to know where they were all placed. As far as she was aware, they were still in Europe.

“I can understand why Arthur’s a little embarrassed. I’m sure I wouldn’t want to be spoken about, even if it was for rescuing someone.” Fae commented, smiling. “That’s still really remarkable about what Arthur did. He’s not the sort who would brag, but he should still feel very proud of himself.” Fae wasn’t sure if her family had reunions. They usually got together for family ‘parties’ at least once a year. But then, maybe it wasn’t a reunion unless Great Grandfather’s siblings and their families came. That rarely ever happened.

“You have a very large family.” Fae commented lightly. “How can you remember all of them? I think I’d just be exhausted trying to remember each of them.”

0 Fae A lot of things are scary to me. 0 Fae 0 5

Arthur

August 07, 2011 9:56 PM

Diligence is a commendable quality, properly used by Arthur

Arthur was on a little surer footing with her talk of true love. That was what happened in stories. He hesitated for a moment, trying to think of how to phrase his answer. “Of course the family doesn’t want anyone to be truly unhappy,” he said finally, carefully, “but it’s not proper to complain if it’s not so bad you can’t stand it. Romantic affection – “ he couldn’t bring himself to use her wording, he really couldn’t – “happens sometimes, but it isn’t really necessary as long as you don’t hate each other.”

He felt slightly on the defensive. “Things can work out, if you make them,” he added. “My great-great-grandparents’ marriage was arranged when they were – “ he loathed the word ‘teenager’ and refused to use it if it was at all avoidable – “fifteen and seventeen, and they’re very fond of each other. My grandparents get along well. I think Father was even friends with his first wife.” Though that was more speculation than a solid point. He knew Father and Mother had both known Olivia before she married Father, Mother had even attended their wedding, but she wasn’t a topic they discussed very often. He only knew she existed because of the way his grandmother liked to compare her to Mother, with Mother’s assurances that Grandmother had disliked Olivia when she was still alive, too, and because of Mother’s habit of sometimes going through old photo albums with them.

His father’s first wife had been of average height, but thin and small-boned so she looked tiny, and almost see-through pale except for the reddest hair Arthur had ever seen. She had taken more care with her clothes than Mother usually did – in the pictures, and in her habit of keeping copies of party invitations and writing what she’d worn on them in a medium-sized, loopy, careful hand. She must have been reasonably intelligent, to be friends with his parents before one of them married her. She had liked horses. There was nothing useful about any of this information, but Arthur enjoyed trying to figure things out about people just by looking at their photographs and perhaps having some very rudimentary background information. It was like solving puzzles.

Sometimes, though, it didn’t work. Kitty’s dark hair and blue eyes could have caused her to pass as a member of a few families at first glance, but the illusion couldn’t last long once she was seen in person. It was good to be reminded that just because something looked obvious and straightforward didn’t mean it necessarily was.

He was made slightly uncomfortable by her prying about the things he’d alluded to, but he couldn’t really blame her. He would have been as curious. The trick was always to seem like a bottomless fount of knowledge without having to really be, since he hadn’t had enough time in life to really learn in detail everything he could sound like he knew a lot about, but it didn’t work against someone who really wanted to know. It worked best for intimidating people into leaving him alone.

“Not exactly different countries,” he said. “Latin-based magic – what we usually learn here – is very widespread. I’m afraid I don’t know more than the basics about all this, just that other things exist.” He grimaced. “I’ve only been reading since…four, I think. They wouldn’t teach me before, and Mother says I picked up on a few words I saw, but I didn’t get to see maybe.” Silly of them. He was sure he could have learned at least the basics at three, and been a year further ahead now. “My tutors always called me down for being too impatient, and I suppose they’re right. It’s frustrating having to learn all the old knowledge first, but it is necessary.”

And there was so much he didn’t know. As she illustrated with her talk about a ‘cat scan.’ He couldn’t think of how a feline or an exam could have anything to do with the brain. “Wands act as amplifiers,” he said. “Though I think that's...really basic. They somehow interact with the wizard, learn with them, so they learn together, so I suppose magic categories you don’t work with often would be more difficult…” He had the feeling of hovering on edge, the familiar rush of thinking along a new line as he moved down it. “That’s interesting. I need to write that down….” He patted his pockets vaguely, then gave it up for the moment. “But magic is in the blood, of course.” Sometimes children were born who…weren’t right, but that was never discussed, and besides, it was very rare. “In the families. I don’t know how Muggleborns happen, though.”

At last, though, curiosity overcame him. “Are Muggle cats able to tell something about the brain?” he asked curiously. “Is it a form of magic they have?” Surely the Muggle world could not be completely devoid of magic. Surely not. How could it function without, even if some were not fully aware of it?

0 Arthur Diligence is a commendable quality, properly used 0 Arthur 0 5

Eliza

August 07, 2011 11:12 PM

Just not about crup physiology? by Eliza

Eliza managed not to react too much when James almost said his mother couldn’t afford to replace broken things – she thought she did, anyway; at least she didn’t cut her eyes away sharply, or start fidgeting with things – but she was sure she, too, looked a little uncomfortable. There were things people could talk about and things people could not, and talking about money was…was…Well, it wasn’t as rude or shocking as some things, but it was still impolite. It wasn’t really done. She was grateful that he’d thought to catch himself and say something more proper instead of that.

His ignorance of how parties worked, though, startled her enough to take her mind off of it. She knew she didn’t know everything yet, it would be another year at least before Mother really let her start helping over the summers and winters even though she was fourteen now, but she knew enough to know it wasn’t quick.

“It can take hours just to decide the date,” she said. “Especially at Christmas, because there’s so much competition, so if you have yours on the same night as someone else, they might get offended….And deciding guest lists is even worse. I think it’s very stressful.” She’d seen Mother get so nervous that she had to take a potion and go to bed over it, but that was definitely not the sort of thing a person talked about. Others might gossip about it, speculate, but her own daughter shouldn’t say it. “And you have to consider that while choosing the food. For really big parties, you might have to redo part of the house, but you’re always going to have to have everything cleaned and reorganized. Debating your clothes with a seamstress takes forever, too, and then there’s all the fittings, they usually drag it out so they can get paid for each, I don’t know how the people who always have really elaborate clothes can even do it.” She could no more than look at a social page in Illinois without turning green from envy of Catherine Gardiner for that reason. How was it fair for one woman to be the heir to so much money that it could be sort of talked about?

“Just setting up the rooms, too, takes effort. There’s help, but they have to be supervised. No one’s going to think the help messed up if something isn’t right, they’re going to think you did it wrong.” She felt a little horror at the thought, imagining herself in the shoes of a hostess who had that happen to her. “And with…costs and everything…it can take ages to get a party completely planned and ready to happen. Some have to be, because you have to get all your confirmations months ahead, because if you wait, then everyone except maybe your best friends will go to other parties instead of yours.” And her mother didn’t have close friends, which meant a party of hers that wasn’t prepared for would just fail, though that might not be as bad as one where only a few people who already liked you a lot showed up. That would be like tipping a bad waitress with a knut instead of just leaving nothing.

“It’s all really complicated. Mother never enjoys them after she plans them. I don’t know if anyone does. I’m…going to start helping next year, so I have no idea how that’s going to go.” She hoped it made it easier on both of them and she was a natural and really enjoyed it and could do it well, but she had to be practical and admit she was more likely to make loads of beginner’s mistakes.

“How many siblings do you have?” she asked, curious that taking care of them took up a large part of Mrs. Owen’s time. Mother always complained about having five, about how it wasn’t decent, but it seemed to be family tradition, so that someone worthy would rise up out of all their contending with each other to be the next person who was really in charge and the others got experience to help with their lives. His family didn’t sound much like hers, though.

0 Eliza Just not about crup physiology? 0 Eliza 0 5

Kitty

August 07, 2011 11:17 PM

Improperly used it becomes obsession by Kitty

As long as you don’t hate each other? Wow, even normal people who are totally free to pick who they want still end up hating each other. I can’t imagine what it would be like to marry a stranger and have it work out. “Are there a lot of divorces then when the marriages don’t work out?” Kitty asked, though she was half tempted to substitute the word murder for divorce. If some stranger suddenly found themselves married to her things would not end well. Being the meek submissive wife wasn’t something Kitty had in her, and if her would be husband attempted to put her in her place…well, it wouldn’t be a pretty situation.

“Wow, that’s pretty young. Wouldn’t it be better to wait until they’re grown up? I mean a fifteen year old doesn’t even know who they are yet, how are they suppose to suddenly be able to work together in a marriage?” Kitty wondered, being a teenager was bad enough, she hated to think what it would be like if marriage was thrown on top of all the craziness.

Kitty’s mind was like a sponge, carefully soaking up every drop of information Arthur parted with. Latin-based magic, how many other forms of magic were there? What parallels could be found in each, and what differences? Could the different brands of magic be crossed? Could new forms be created by doing so? Too many questions, not enough answers. But, that’s why there was a library, and when that failed, experimentation. The library would be a starting point though.

How old was I when I learned how to read? Kitty wondered when Arthur told her he was four. One of her earliest memories was of being tucked in Jason’s lap, he would have been eleven or twelve at the time, maybe a bit older or younger, she couldn’t quite recall. The sound of his calm quiet tone as he read White Fang patiently to the small girl, carefully reading line after line, as she chimed in when a familiar word arouse. The memory brought a small sad smile to her lips, suddenly she missed her brothers fiercely and again wondered why she was magic and they weren’t. What is magic anyway? Maybe everyone is born with the ability, but only some people can access it? Perhaps there’s a way to trigger it in people who don’t have it. The idea was an interesting one, one she’d have to look into further at some point.

Kitty blinked for a minute when Arthur asked about cats. “Huh?...Oh! No not cats the animals. It’s an acronym C.A.T, I’m not sure what it stands for, but it’s a device that scans a person’s brain. Um…you lay down on a table and there’s a machine that just takes pictures, only not like photos, but it scans the inside of your head and records the energy patterns there. It would be interesting to take a scan before someone cast a spell, during, then after to see what sort of changes go on in the active or inactive areas of the brain while using magic.” Kitty said thoughtfully.

0 Kitty Improperly used it becomes obsession 0 Kitty 0 5

David

August 08, 2011 11:11 PM

He doesn't seem to want to for me, no. by David

“You are,” David agreed when Jordan Adair said she was Jordan. Her feeling the need to point this out seemed borderline strange to him, since he was pretty sure everyone knew who she was. She and Eliza Bennett were kind of like the Annabeths of his year: pretty and, though friendlier-seeming than the average member of their species was reputed by media to be, still as untouchable as really expensive porcelain dolls and with this air of being kind of in charge of things, though with the obvious differences of being witches and dark-haired and neither one of them being his older sister. The weird thing was that she knew his name. He had not previously been aware that his existence was something such beings would note if they didn’t happen to be his sisters and so forced to do so by parental units, and was startled to have the idea introduced to him by her confirming it, however tentatively.

Then he realized what he’d said and tried hurriedly to cover for it. “I mean, yeah, I am,” he said. “David. Just like the headmaster. In that way, anyway.” Somehow, it was both weird and not weird to think of the headmaster having a first name. He was pretty sure that was weird in and of itself. He did, though, think being named David was probably all he had in common with the Power That Was at Sonora. He thought he’d be the kind of wizard who had lots of interesting experiences while relatively young, all in parts distant so he could have a mysterious past when he turned up in history as the equivalent of Obi-Wan or Merlin or someone like that, advising the dumber-than-rocks main character. Except the part where he got killed or kidnapped by the Nimue figure or something like that. He figured it was just good business sense to learn from the mistakes of history about that kind of thing and not get killed or kidnapped.

“I’m sure Cinder will like you, too,” he added, remembering what she’d said about the kneazle seeming to like him. So that meant…he wasn’t an unsavory character. Now Jordan knew that. Well, that was good, wasn’t it? Unless she was the femme fatale, Morgan le Fay type who’d use it against him, but somehow, he saw Eliza more than way than Jordan. Maybe it was just all the sharp edges in the name Eliza, or something about the set of her face, or maybe way she was maybe thirteen, no older than fourteen, and was already allegedly gathering minions, he didn’t know.

He remembered what she’d said about wondering if it was true that they could detect character and suddenly began to wonder if that had been a backhanded comment. Girls. There was never any telling what they were thinking, ever. “And I guess K knows her stuff about them, or else they wouldn’t be paying her for this,” he added, to make it clear he wasn’t being backhanded.

16 David He doesn't seem to want to for me, no. 169 David 0 5

Nora

August 09, 2011 6:07 AM

Questions by Nora

Aha! An opening! Nora smiled. "And what makes it the best House?" The first year asked. This would help her in knowing the differences between the four Houses. It would also say something about what Russell was like. Hopefully, he had good legitimate reason for what made Aladren better and it wasn't something like it was because that was the house he happened to be in. Because that would only make Nora further ask why.

Perhaps Russell just valued intelligence which was just fine with Nora. She valued it as well. And no matter what anyone said about any house, she thought she would enjoy Aladren most. It just fit her the best. Nora enjoyed intellectual pursuits and she would probably get along best with others who did as well. She could have the most interesting conversations with them.

Nora considered what Russell said. It didn't sound as his time at Sonora was particularly interesting. That was unfortunate for him. It didn't mean he was a boring person, it made it sound as if Sonora was a less interesting place than Nora had expected. Maybe his classmates were a dull group. Of course, she'd met Arthur Carey who was plenty interesting and there was another Carey, and Hope...

"I guess what I want to know about is what the different houses are like. What sort of people are in them. I mean, my cousins go here or have gone here but all I know is what they've said and what the brochures say." Nora replied. "I sort of want to get different perspectives, you know?"

She went on. "And I suppose it would be helpful to know stuff about the professors and classes and other students as well. Whom I should watch out for and whatnot." Not that Nora would watch out for them. More like watching them to see what made them tick. From afar of course because to put oneself deliberately in the way of harm was foolish. "My cousin, Hope never really has much to say about such things. She believes everyone is good and nice." Except for Grandfather, of course. Everyone knew he was evil.

11 Nora Questions 197 Nora 0 5

Russell

August 09, 2011 3:02 PM

Answers. by Russell

Russell guessed he should have remembered that not all of the Aladrens had much of a sense of humor before making that comment about the House’s superiority, but since there wasn’t much of a way to retract the comment without sounding like a bigger idiot, he just went along with it. He thought he might have developed just moving along with things without much useless protesting to something of a minor talent.

“All the Houses have their good things,” he said, because this was true. Diplomacy, groundedness, and flexibility were all good things, all good traits to have – all traits he liked to think he had to some degree, even. “Aladrens, though…we get things done. I guess it’s the problem-solver part coming out.” And being the smart House no doubt helped, though it was impolite to speak openly of the fact that they were the only House which specifically listed intelligence as a defining characteristic. Besides, there were clever, high-achieving people in other Houses, and it wasn’t good thinking to assume anyone outside of Aladren wasn’t like that.

He nodded when she made clearer what she wanted to know about. “I’ve met Hope,” he said. “She mentioned having a lot of family. She’s cool. I don’t think there’s really any professors to look out for, though. Just do your lessons and follow the rules and be polite, act like you like them, you know, without sucking up, and you usually won’t have any problems. All of them teach practically the whole school, so unless you’re especially quick or especially slow or make a…nuisance of yourself, they’re not going to notice you too much.”

He realized that sounded kind of bad. “Not that they won’t help if you ask them,” he said. “You’ve heard what Fawcett says about coming to him if you have trouble in class? I think he means it. And I’ve heard Professor Crosby and Coach Pierce take personal problems, though I think the coach aims that mostly at the Crotali. They just don’t usually approach you first. Maybe if it was really bad.” He honestly didn’t know; problems of a personal nature weren’t something Russell really had ever had a problem with, besides homesickness in those first weeks away from his parents, and no self-respecting guy was going to go crying to Fawcett or Crosby because of that. They might be fully sympathetic and helpful, but there’d be hell to pay if the other guys ever found out about it. He could just imagine Arthur’s look of contempt for anyone who couldn’t handle his own problems without running to a mother figure for comfort and advice.

“Other students…usually everyone gets along, really. If you don’t like someone, you just stay away from them. You hear of things getting nasty in Crotalus, sometimes, but…” He shrugged. “We all have to live together. I think everyone just accepts it’s easier not to have fights and stuff all the time. It’s not like you can ever really get away from anyone until June, and then you have to come back to them in September. Some people get a little crazy about Quidditch, but that’s just on the Pitch.” At least, as far as he knew, it was just on the Pitch. He’d never seen people getting aggressive about it in the Hall or the corridors or anything.

“The Houses….” He hesitated, since most of what he knew about that subject was stuff he’d put together on his own. Plus, as with the other students, he didn’t feel really comfortable just speculating about this stuff. It wasn’t his place to call judgment on Houses or skins he’d never walked in. “I don’t really know about them. Most of the Crotali aren’t what I’d call down-to-earth, but that’s just me.” Maybe he didn’t understand what was meant by the expression. Sometimes things didn’t mean what he thought they meant. Sometimes. “I don’t think anyone’s a perfect fit for their House. I guess that’s good. How would we live with each other if we were all exactly like?”

He said that lightly, but it was what he had always been told. His mother held that people who were too much alike were the least likely in the world to be able to stand each other and work together well enough to get anything done, and he thought Aladren was a good illustration of that idea. They had as House traits independence and strong will. If everyone had those to the same degree and of the exact same nature…Well, he thought the Aladren Quidditch team would just be the first casualty. If everyone were too independent to accept guidance from the professors, he didn’t know what would happen. He was independent in the sense of not really needing a lot of people around to be happy, not in the sense of defying authority, and he didn’t feel strong will was a House trait he had very strongly at all.

16 Russell Answers. 183 Russell 0 5

Arthur

August 12, 2011 1:35 AM

Or just forwards an unworthy goal by Arthur

Arthur flushed when she asked about divorces. Really, there were things you talked about openly, and things you did not! Was she trying to put him off balance? “No,” he said stiffly. “No, that’s rare. It isn’t seemly.” Plus, while he didn’t think wives and husbands were often part of the family the way the rest of them were, they couldn’t divorce people and then have them wandering around in the world, telling whomever they wanted the family secrets. The way divorce wasn’t common at all made him think that his family wasn’t alone in championing that view. “You just…avoid each other, if you have to.”

His look was more blank, though, about her criticism of the Fourth and Belinda. “Well, they were two years older when they actually married,” he said patiently. “So they were both legal adults. And of course at first my – “ there were only so many ‘greats’ he could say in a row before it started to sound silly – “Anthony the Third and Hermia were still alive, then, and they guided them.” Well, Hermia had, anyway. People who’d known her spoke of his great-great-great-grandmother with something like the reverence they all showed Great-Great-Grandmother, but he didn’t think the Fourth had been very fond of his own father.

That happened, sometimes. His father was not very fond of his grandfather, either. Arthur thought he and his brothers were lucky to be fond of their father. Perhaps Grandfather was right and he was weak, unfit to be the heir, but Arthur would still wager on his intelligence against Uncle Donnie’s, and he was…He liked Father, anyway.

“But they knew exactly who they were,” he said firmly. “They were Anthony Carey the Fourth and Belinda Hamilton, and they were doing what was best for their families.”

He listened with poorly concealed interest to her story about what a ‘cat scan’ was. “I see,” he said finally. “That sounds similar to Legilimency.” He remembered how disconcerting it had been to realize someone was poking around in his thoughts with no more difficulty than she could walk down a hall. He wondered if he had the talent to learn it himself someday. It seemed like a useful thing, as long as no one knew. “Except they don’t take pictures. Is that why it’s done? For study?” It sounded like easy blackmail to him, but using the machine meant kidnapping first….

0 Arthur Or just forwards an unworthy goal 0 Arthur 0 5

Arnold

August 12, 2011 1:37 AM

Don't worry, I'll protect you by Arnold

Arnold shrugged when Fae asked what Kitty had said that he’d been worried about. “She doesn’t…understand about families,” he said. “She was asking me how things are, so I told her, and she started talking about how it should be different.” He wished he could remember the exact words of the conversation better, but he couldn’t. “She doesn’t like how the families are organized – you know, one person in charge….” Fae had a great-grandfather, he knew. Arthur had regaled him with every single boring fact of the families of half the people in their year. “I was just shocked, but some people could…get annoyed, with people saying that’s not how things should be. Anyone like my grandfather.”

He supposed that was the peril of a numeral. When you were Somebody the Fifteenth, it was hard to take a good view of the idea of system reforms which would make that unimportant. If everyone could just go off and do whatever they wanted – something he was sure Arthur, at least, was going to do anyway, but he expected Jay and Henry, at least, to stay in line – without the family structure in place, then his brother being Anthony VIII would mean absolutely nothing. It would just be a name.

He smiled at the idea of Fae being adventurous, wandering across the great unknown lands of the Gardens. Which might be possible. There was a lot of a lot out there. It seemed possible to him that even in a hundred and fifty-odd years, there might be parts no one had ever set foot in before. The only thing worse than thinking something could never happen was assuming too confidently that it never had. “Any time,” he assured her, once again wondering how this had come to be.

He also wondered why he was mildly perturbed by her apparent admiration for Arthur, but since there didn’t seem to be a logical reason, he dismissed it. “That’s what Father said,” he said. “Arthur just said they could all be proud of him when he published his second book.” That was Arthur, always being ambitious; he couldn’t think of anyone in the family who’d ever succeeded in publishing one book. They were all, for the most part, decently educated, even the girls, the family would provide for that even if an individual set of parents couldn’t, but proper scholars didn’t happen often. Merlin knew Arnold would never be one.

Which didn’t mean, as Fae made him think, it hadn’t happened. “I’ve never tried,” he said. “I know the names from the family trees, but I don’t know who more than a handful of the adults are.” He grinned, then, and lowered his voice as though he were sharing a secret with her. “I don’t really think anyone does,” he admitted. “Everything’s really planned at the Reunions, so you sort of get to know the people you’re sorted with, the ones your age, but other than that…” Arnold shrugged. “You do the best you can.”

0 Arnold Don't worry, I'll protect you 181 Arnold 0 5

Kitty

August 12, 2011 12:49 PM

Well that too by Kitty

A small pout showed on Kitty’s lips when she saw Arthur stiffen up again. Another taboo subject? How does anyone ever learn anything if no one wants to talk about it? Surprise reflected in her blue eyes at his explanation, How in the world do they not get divorces? The practice had become so common in her world that Kitty knew people who’s parents had been married and divorced three or four times.

“Maybe that’s better…In my world people get married and divorced all the time. It really is a mess. In my old school it was almost odd to be in a family that hadn’t gone though a divorce. Luckily mom and dad totally get along and love each other so I doubt that will ever happen to my family, but still it happens a lot to other people. Maybe it would be better if they weren’t aloud to, or if it was still looked down upon and people just had to at least try to work things out. I don’t know, sometimes it’s really bad and can’t be worked out, but it seems like people don’t really try any more.” Kitty said, her voice taking on a more serious tone as she tried to figure out which world was better off in the realm of marriage.

On the one hand her world people got to marry because they loved each other and didn’t have to get married to strangers. Or at least that was how it was suppose to work. Getting married due to pregnancy and what not also happened but those almost never worked out any way. In the magic world there was still a taboo attached to being divorced, something that had been true in her world at one point but was no longer the case. Sighing, Kitty decided maybe that was a question she’d have to be more mature to try and figure out, it wasn’t like science or math, or even magic. There wasn’t a formula that could be done, and there were no right answers to be found. It was just too vague and wishy washy for Kitty’s fact driven mind to get a proper handle on.

“Hm, well I guess it was used to map out the different areas of the brain first. But now it’s mostly used for medicine. If you have like a tumor or something they can do a C.A.T scan and see it. It can also be used to see if someone is brain dead or not, if they’re in a coma. For study they’re useful to see what areas of the brain control what. Like where the memory is stored, or what area controls our ability to speak. That sort of thing. If someone has head trauma they can do a scan to see where the damage is and how bad it is. What’s Leqilimency?” She wondered. Kitty knew that there were different machines that did different scans but didn’t know exactly which were which so she just sort of lumped it all in to C.A.T scan.

0 Kitty Well that too 0 Kitty 0 5

Arthur

August 17, 2011 11:09 AM

There's usually one more thing by Arthur

Arthur had always prided himself on being better informed than most people thought any twelve year old had any right to be. He went out of his way to listen and learn where others did not, where he was at least implicitly forbidden to do so, so he would know what the adults did and so not be taken advantage of or fooled. When that happened and he realized it had, it made him furious, enough so that he frightened himself a little. Not that most emotions, generally speaking, didn’t make him do that.

Some weren’t too bad – some could even be pleasant – but Arthur preferred being distanced from his feelings. Emotions were messy. They made you fail to think through your actions, and at best that led to being undignified. For a twelve year old whose mother thought he was made of spun glass, dignity seemed like a very important thing, the only way to get any respect or hold on to any self-respect.

Now, he was experiencing surprise, and to a greater extent than was remotely pleasant. It seemed he didn’t know anything about how a rather large thing. Admittedly, it was likely he’d live his entire life without seeing a Muggle up close, never mind speaking to one, but still. They existed, and they did things that were alien. Things that would have been considered utterly mortifying for a Carey, like having a divorce in the family, and would have if at all possible led to at least pretending someone was dead if not making them that way for real, were things they could discuss openly!

All this emotional stuff relating to marriage, though, he put aside firmly. That was not something he felt comfortable talking about anymore, and it wasn’t likely to be relevant, either. Mother seemed to want him and his brothers to please themselves in marrying as Father had with her the second time around, but Arthur doubted that would happen, especially for him and Arnold. They didn’t have the protection of being heirs, and while he knew he might do something the family couldn’t stand for someday, he felt confident that not being able to live without a specific girl wouldn’t be it.

“I can’t really speculate,” he said instead.

So this mind-scanning was a medical process. It seemed crude, but then, what did he really know about mind magic except the little bit of Occlumency Father had tried to teach him without telling him what it was he was being taught?

“Legilimency is one of the mental magics,” he said, summing up what he did know. “And not many people ever learn it. It’s advanced magic. You can use it to tell if – “ learn to lie better, kiddo, he remembered – “someone is lying, I know. Unless they know how to block it. But they’re both very rare talents, as I understand it. I only know the word because I like reading dictionaries.” He did not speak as though he considered this in any way unusual. Nor did he mention that he’d first heard the word from Uncle Donnie, while he was eavesdropping on a conversation between his father and uncle.

To change the subject, and noticing the class was near to its end, he said abruptly, “This conversation had been interesting. Perhaps we will talk again another time."

He knew he was walking a fine line there, but he thought he could keep anything from going wrong. He wasn’t Gwenhwyfar. He wasn’t going to lose his head, or even be indiscreet about this study. The family would never know.

0 Arthur There's usually one more thing 0 Arthur 0 5

Nora

August 17, 2011 12:53 PM

Can't think of a title by Nora

The first year nodded, pleased with Russell's legitimate answer to her question of what made Aladren the best house. Nora could see a point to what he said and she was glad that the older boy was able to back up his statement with reasoning and it wasn't something like that Aladrens were cooler or something vague like that.

Granted, his statement about Hope was, well pretty much that, but Nora decided against delving into that since it was more of a statement of how Russell generally felt about Nora's cousin than it was a generalization about a group of people. Though admittedly she was a bit curious about exactly what Russell liked about Hope. Not there was nothing to like, Nora merely liked specifics, but she didn't want to necessarily want to put the second year on the spot, at least not about that. "Yes, she's nice."

It was true. Hope was chronically nice and innocent. It wasn't a bad thing, but to Nora it seemed like the Teppenpaw didn't quite live in reality. Oh, Hope knew what was real and what wasn't and functioned really well, not like Grandmother Rosemary but she just saw nearly everyone as good and had little acknowledgement of ugly nasty things, believing they couldn't touch her. Nora was sure she'd lose that innocence some way, but the Aladren wasn't going to spoil it for her, in fact, Nora felt slightly protective of Hope, just like she did Portia.

Nora listened to what Russell had to say about the professors. She didn't really expect to have trouble with anything and if she did, she would take care of it on her own without getting the professors involved. Even if that problem was solved by the silencing spell or turning someone into something unpleasant. Nor did the Aladren think she would have personal problems.

And she certainly didn't plan to be exceptionally bad at anything. That would not happen. It just wouldn't . Nora would go for the opposite. Being one of the best in her class.

"What would you call down-to-earth? I've had a few cousins who were Crotali." Nora asked, genuinely curious. "And what kind of nasty stuff?" She wasn't that close to Autumn and Adam had a general negative opinion of nearly everyone.

She thought about his statement. "Well, I suppose it depends on the trait. People tend to bond over things they have in common." Nora knew she'd rather hang out with someone she could have an intelligent conversation with then someone who wanted to go play Quidditch or get up close and personal with dangerous creatures. "On the other hand, two people with type A personalities is not a good combination, for example."

11 Nora Can't think of a title 197 Nora 0 5

Kitty

August 19, 2011 10:44 PM

Ta Ta for now by Kitty

Kitty gave Arthur a surprisingly happy smile for all that he was dismissing her. He’d given her a lot more time and information than Arnold had, and Arthur was not stingy with the information he was willing to share even though some of the topics covered clearly made the older boy uncomfortable. “I hope so. Thanks for talking to me Arthur!” Kitty exclaimed happily as she turned and snagged her forgotten bag off the ground before sitting down in the grass a few feet away.

Slender hands quickly dug though the forest green backpack and snagged a small diary. The cover showed a tiny black kitten sleeping next to a large husky dog, it was super cute and had been bought fresh for school. She had four other fresh books stashed in her room for when this one was full. Smiling contently Kitty began to write in her quick feminine script. First the date then next to that AC2.

Anita McLevy had been able to drill one rule into her curious, stubborn daughter’s head. And that rule was absolutely no note taking while having conversations with other people. Because of this Kitty had to develop a very good memory so she could write down all the information she wanted to keep from such conversations after they were finished.

Arthur had given Kitty a lot of food for thought, and a number of different things that needed further exploration. Usually she would have waited longer before writing, but she had so many thoughts in her head that she didn’t want to lose any.

Legilimency – mental magics/lie detector/can be blocked?
Marriage – Normal or magic better?
Magic – Latin based/other types? (Could be crossed to form new breeds of magic?)

Humming happily under her breath, Kitty continued writing out her list of thoughts, ideas, questions, and areas that required further research. Her thoughts were sprawled out on the page, some scratched out, others redirected via arrows and different symbols that meant something only to her. Writing out her thoughts always helped the small muggleborn make connections she hadn’t seen during the conversation, while getting her thoughts in order for further research. Maybe I’ll be a writer when I grow up, and write research books. Kitty thought. Writing was very soothing to her and she loved the feeling she got when one of her diaries was full and it was time to start a fresh one.

0 Kitty Ta Ta for now 0 Kitty 0 5