Limited Edition Harry Potter Canvas Prints and Art

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Canvas Art Print Limited Edition This Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets limited canvas art print is a must have for fans of the magical series. This art print measures 16 x 24 inches and features the classic movie cover art. Made from stretched canvas and highly collectible. $49.99

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FawkesthePhoenix Joined: 31 December 2006 Posts: 3534 Location: No idea, all I know is that there are a LOT of felt-tipped pens...	Posted: Saturday 26 June 2010 03 42 32 pm    Post subject: Re: Some Secrets in topic:Some Secrets Chapter 2: Sometimes I feel like I'm moving at a different speed than the rest of the world, going slow-motion while everyone else speed-walks. Other days it's like I'm the one going faster, but that the ending I'm hurtling towards with so much more speed than anyone else is something terrible that I haven't had the good sense to avoid. Today is one of those days. I'm walking to Potions class, and I'm suffocating. The crowd of students is stifling my breath. Smothering me. I begin to breath faster, then force myself to slow down and inhale deeply. I'm having a panic attack, Madame Pomfrey would have said. She always tells me breathing deeply helps, and it does, a little. But not enough because that's the thing; I can't breathe. I try to make my way nonchalantly through the seemingly crowded hallway, but I don't need to worry. No one cares about my slight hyperventilation, or the panicked look in my eyes. I'm just the loner girl, good for nothing except teasing and exploitation. After a few minutes of plodding through the impossibly large throng of students, I see it-- a bathroom. It might be Moaning Myrtle's, but I don't care. Maybe we can have a good cry together. Either way, it's a place I can be alone, away from this mesh of cluttered activity. I renew my efforts to get through the hallway, and eventually push my way into the bathroom, ignoring the fifth-year walking past it, and not even stopping to mutter an apology as I step on his foot in my hurry. Once inside the cooler, emptier area of the bathroom, I start to calm down. That hallway really wasn't very crowded at all, I realize with chagrin. I was imagining the situation to be worse than it was. How stupid of me, I think to myself, and start gathering up the contents of my bag, which had spilled out over the floor in my frenzy. I'm going to be late for Potions. The classroom is quiet as I sneak in late, and, other than a reprimand from Professor Slughorn about my behavior and timing, the class goes without a hitch. I know that my fellow students will pounce upon my lateness as an excuse for berating me the moment they get the chance, but what else is new? I should be used to this by now. And yet, I still find anxiety creeping into my stomach as I enter the common room that night. Perhaps some things never change. Sitting by the fire with my homework splayed half-finished across my lap, I catch a fluttering by the window in my peripherals, the same as last night. I try to ignore it, mindful of the precarious position of all the various books and papers on my person. But I keep a close watch on it as I struggle through the rest of my assignments, getting up to go to bed only when it fades from sight. I walk into the Girl's Dormitory, only to stop up short when I see that Mia and some of her friends are still up. They scurry out of the way, with barely a glance in my direction as I walk towards my bed. Odd. I discover the cause of their actions as I open my four-poster bed a few moments later. Stenciled across my bedspread in red paint is the word, “loser” in elegant print. Very original. I bundle up the soiled cloth and leave it in a pile on the floor. The house elves will take care of it by morning, and if I'm lucky, maybe Mia will step in the wet paint on her way to the bathroom that night. Herbology the next day would've been a cause for extreme embarrassment, if I hadn't stopped caring about my life in general years ago. The boy who I had almost steamrolled over as I rushed to the bathroom in the midst of the previous day's panic attack, was not, I discovered, a fifth-year who I'd hopefully never encounter again, much less remember. Fate hates me too much for that. No, he's a new student in my year, and had been assigned as my partner. Not that I volunteered or anything. I, being the social pariah I was, had been left partnerless at the beginning of the year when everyone was told to pair up, and had been working either by myself or with the professor all year. It seemed all that was about to change. His name is Jarret, and with his dark hair and intense brown eyes, I might have been lusting after him along with all the other girls (Mia's mouth seemed to be watering). That is, if he had said a word to me the entire period. Or even made eye contact. Now, as I sit alone at the house table during lunch, I wonder if I ought to have made an attempt to make conversation. Or to be friendly at all. But, having been forbidden contact with other people my age after being bitten as a child, I never developed any terribly adept people skills. Besides, what was there to talk about? I don't eat much, and soon I'm sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts, where I'm again sitting next to Jarret. He starts writing the moment the teacher begins lecturing, successfully guilting me into talking careful notes on the various types of jinxes throughout the duration of the class. I'm making my bravest attempt at listening to the teacher, but it's a struggle. I'm so used to looking through a fog that the writing on the board is a mystery. I'm copying the letters down, but I have no idea what the lesson is about. Just as my quill is about to snap from all the pressure I'm putting on it in my concentration, the class miraculously ends. “Remember, essay due next week!” the professor calls out as everyone begins to pack up their things. “Eight inches of parchment, and no writing in all capitals!” A couple boys in the back groan at this pronouncement. I roll my eyes discreetly. I always try to be the first one out of each class, so as to avoid too much interaction with my fellows, but today I drop my bag as I stand up, and so have to pick up the scrambled contents from the floor before I can leave. I try to get everything as quickly as possible, before anyone notices my clumsiness. I can feel my face turn a deep scarlet, and my embarrassment only thickens when Mia notices me scrambling on the floor. “Oh, dear!” she exclaims in mock pity, “Poor Lia has dropped her bag! I'll catch up with you later,” she says to her friends, who cover their smirks with nods of fake understanding. “I ought to help clean up this mess.” I cringe as she walks over. I hate her. I hate her wavy brown hair, so shiny compared to my stringy, mousy brown locks. I hate that her name sounds so much like mine. But most of all, I hate that her courtesy is such a thin pretense; everyone knows that helping me is the very last thing on her mind as she saunters over, but even the teacher doesn't lift a finger. After gathering up a few forgotten papers from one of the desks, the professor bustles out of the classroom, leaving Mia and I alone. Or so I think, until I notice third set of shoes out of the corner of my eye. Jarret was still here. Great. Really fantastic. The good news was that Mia wouldn't dare jinx me with a possible love interest standing nearby, fiddling absently with the shoulder strap on his bag. The bad news was that now I had one more witness to my teasing. “Here, Lia,” Mia offered, “Let me help you clean this up.” She sounded cheerful, but I could tell that she was clenching her teeth. She'd obviously hoped to hiss a few choice words at me and kick my bag so that its contents would be more messily strewn across the floor, but with Jarret present, she now had to feign manners and get creative. I could see her nose wrinkling as she knelt down next to me and slowly poked a bottle of ink back into my bag. She crumpled each paper as she picked it up and shoved it in my direction, all the while spouting an endless stream of sickly sweet chatter, about anything from homework to quidditch. I could see Jarret's ankles out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't dare look up at his face. Why hadn't he left yet? Did he take pleasure at my humiliation? I couldn't understand his motives. At last the floor was free of my clutter, and I scrambled to my feet before Mia could pretend to help me up. She got to her feet more gracefully than I, and was out the door before I had even taken a step. This confused me. She hadn't made a move to insult me. What was up? I take a few steps towards the door, reorganizing the contents of my bag. I come up short when I find an unfamiliar slip of paper. It's folded twice, and I recognize Mia's handwriting instantly as I open it up. [i]Freak,[/i] it reads as an introduction,[i] loser, loner, whatever you are.[/i] How very original. I'm about to throw it into the trash bin, when one of the later sentences catches my eye. [i]You're no better than an animal. My dog has more of a spine than you do. Do you always howl at the moon?[/i] My breath catches in my throat, and the note crinkles as I crumble it into my fist. Does she know? I hadn't said a word. [i]She can't know. [/i]She can't, she can't! [i]She knows.[/i] How can she possibly know?[i] How did she find out?[/i] Both the paper and my bag fall from my hands, and it's all I can do to contain my sobs as I tearfully flee the classroom.
DucksRMagical Joined: 28 December 2006 Posts: 2535 Location: Going through LeakyCon withdrawal	Posted: Wednesday 26 May 2010 10 57 37 am    Post subject: Re: Albus potter and the Path Left Untrodden in topic:Albus potter and the Path Left Untrodden This is the second to last chapter! Chapter 37: The Outcome of the Match Albus managed to sit up right before the hexes started flying. Realizing that he dropped his wand when Lubar and Jarrett hexed him, he groped about for it on the ground. Not finding it, he crawled behind a nearby bush and watched. Jarrett didn't stick around long. He sent one pathetic Stunner at Harry, who easily deflected it, and disappeared on the spot. Harry immediately disarmed Lubar before he could do the same. Once Lubar was defenseless, Albus left the safety of the bush and shakily stood up. He reached the fire and was able to see who the other two wizards next to Harry were. What he saw made him dizzy with shock all over again. The shorter of the two was Matt's dad. He was staring stony faced at Lubar. Albus had never seen anyone glare at anyone else with such hatred and loathing as Matt's dad glared at Lubar. And that included when his Uncle Ron talked about the Malfoys, or his mum when somebody mentioned Vernon and Petunia Dursley. It was the other wizard that nearly caused Albus to pass out in shock. He was none other than Professor Balladanis. What in the name of Merlin was he doing there? It looked like he was actually with Harry and Matt's dad. But why? Didn't Matt's dad hate Balladanis? “Eckerton, what a pleasant surprise,” Lubar smirked. “Lubar, if we weren't in the presence of an Auror and a Presuler I'd rip you limb from limb, Muggle style,” Mr. Eckerton growled. Albus was slightly stunned by Mr. Eckerton's choice of words, but remembering what Matt had told him at the beginning of the year, all surprise left him. “Lucky for me Potter and Balladanis are here, then,” Lubar replied and snatched Washburn's wand off the ground. Harry, Mr. Eckerton, and Balladanis all sent different spells at Lubar at the same time, but it was too late. He was already gone. Mr. Eckerton swore loudly. “Two ain't bad,” Balladanis muttered as he gestured to Washburn and Quinton, the latter of whom was still conscious but not completely aware of his surroundings. “That's the glaring difference between you and I,” Mr. Eckerton muttered as he moved swiftly past Quinton and Washburn to reach Matt. “Dad!” Albus shouted. Harry looked up from Kaden's unconscious form and raced towards Albus. Albus threw his arms around his dad and the two of them hugged each other tightly. “Al, thank Merlin,” Harry said. “Dad, what's Balladanis doing here?” Albus asked immediately, “And Lubar, what's going to happen to him? And Willinson?” “I'll explain it all once we get you back to Hogwarts,” Harry assured him. Balladanis had a firm hold on both Washburn and Quinton and was fiddling with a broken plastic cup. A few seconds later, all three of them disappeared. Harry turned to Mr. Eckerton, who was standing up with Matt in his arms. “Can you take John, too? I'll get Kaden and Al will come with me.” Mr. Eckerton nodded and grabbed hold of John's arm before pulling his own broken plastic cup out of his pocket. They disappeared. Harry pulled Kaden up and took Albus's arm. Albus was still thoroughly confused, but did not have time to ask his dad anymore questions before feeling the familiar jerk behind his naval that signified he was traveling by Portkey. Albus landed with a thud in the middle of the Hospital Wing. The question of how they managed to Portkey inside the Hogwarts grounds was the least pressing question on his mind. Looking around, Albus saw that the others had arrived as well. Mr. Eckerton was laying both Matt and John on the nearest beds while Madam Pomfrey was shouting and gathering potions. “Look at the state of them!” the nurse exclaimed, “Always this lot, too! You're a bad influence on them, Harry, I swear!” Harry looked slightly sheepish as he set Kaden down on the bed next to Matt's and then turned to Albus. “I've got to speak with Professor Kendrick and go to the Ministry-” he began. “But Dad!” Albus interrupted, “What was Balladanis doing there?” “I promise I'll tell you all of that and more,” Harry replied, “But I need to tell everyone you and the others are ok. When I get back, I'm going to need you to tell me everything that happened.” “But-” “No buts!” Madam Pomfrey cut in, “Bed, Albus, bed! You need rest!” Albus, who had barely registered the fact that his head was bleeding and he was still quite dizzy, felt that the last thing he needed was rest. He needed to know what was going on. “I'll explain once you've gotten some sleep,” Harry assured him. Albus muttered under his breath and got into bed. Once Madam Pomfrey had given him a Sleeping Draught, Harry left, leaving Albus to unsuccessfully try to fight off the sleep he knew was coming. ****** The ward was quiet when Albus woke up. It was completely dark outside, although Albus didn't have the slightest clue as to what day it was. John, Matt, and Kaden were either still unconscious or sound asleep. Albus was betting on the latter since Madam Pomfrey was no where to be seen. Mr. Eckerton was still there and he had been joined by his wife. Both of them were nodding off in chairs next to Matt's bed. It didn't look like Mr. Eckerton had even left. He was wearing the same Ministry robes he had been wearing before. Albus sat up and put his hand to his head. There was a bandage on the back of it. Another bandage was wrapped around his right arm, although he couldn't recall when he had injured it. Besides that, he just felt exhausted. The door to the ward opened, letting in a small flood of light from the corridor. A figure stepped inside and began walking towards Albus's bed. “Hey, Al,” they said. “Dad,” Albus replied, recognizing his father, “Are you going to tell me about Balladanis now?” “Yes,” Harry chuckled, “Perhaps we ought to go to the Room of Requirement.” Albus shook his head, remembering something he had been debating for the past year. He had waited long enough. It was time. “No,” Albus said, “I know someplace better.” Without saying a word, Albus got out of bed and lead his dad out the door and up to the fifth floor corridor. Harry did not ask a single question as Albus pulled the arm down on the appropriate knight and turned to face the opposite wall. Albus located the paw prints and touched his hand to them, turning it into a doorknob. He opened the door and stepped inside. Harry followed, letting out a gasp as he did. “Remember that map from last year?” Albus asked as he shut the door. Harry nodded, apparently at a loss for words. “There was more to it. Instructions on how to get into this room. It was theirs, the Marauders'. Their secret common room,” Albus said quietly. Harry didn't respond. Instead he walked slowly around the room. Albus stood near the door and waited. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, watching as his dad investigated the room that had once belonged to his grandfather. “This,” Harry began, “This is just incredible, Al. How long have you known about it?” “About a year,” Albus said quietly. “And you spend time here?” Harry asked. “Probably more than we do in the common room,” Albus answered. “Then it is the perfect place to talk,” Harry said as he sat down on one of the couches. Albus sat down next to him. “So why was Balladanis there?” “I'll tell you that,” Harry said, “But first I want you to explain to me what happened.” Albus took a deep breath and told his dad everything. Starting with when they saw Lubar in the castle and ending with throwing the Resurrection Stone into the Outback. He explained how they had first gone to a forest in Australia, how they had Portkeyed to the Outback, the dementors, the almost Patronus he had managed to make, the duel, the fact that the Resurrection Stone didn't work to bring Voldemort back. “Why didn't it work?” Albus asked, “I mean, I'm glad it didn't, but why?” Harry thought for a few minutes and then looked at Albus. “There are a few reasons that might explain it. The Resurrection Stone brings back people we love, but it does not bring them back completely. It's almost as if their soul is coming back.” “Like a ghost?” “Not exactly,” Harry said, “But similar. It's possible that since Voldemort split his soul so many times, he can't be brought back with the Stone. The Stone may need the soul to be intact to work.” Albus nodded. “That makes sense.” “It could also be that only loved ones can be brought back with the Stone. Washburn and the Willinsons did not love Voldemort; they did not know him. They wanted to bring him back for their own agenda,” Harry explained. “Is there any way to find out which it is?” Albus asked. “No, I don't think so,” Harry said, “Especially now that the Stone is once again gone. Which is something I'm very grateful that you did.” “Well, I figured you left it out in the Forbidden Forest for a reason,” Albus shrugged. “Yes, yes I did,” Harry replied, “I think it best if nobody had that Stone.” Albus nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. But what was Balladanis doing there?” Harry laughed. “You're not going to let that go, are you?” “Nope, you said you'd tell me,” Albus said. “I will,” Harry replied, “Albus, do you know what a Presuler is?” “Yes,” Albus nodded, “And I know that Balladanis is one.” “You do?” Harry looked impressed. “He told me during one of those dueling lessons he gave me,” Albus explained. “Well, that makes my explanation easier,” Harry said, “A little over a year ago, shortly after Quinton kidnapped Kaden, the Ministry decided to hire a Presuler to help find Washburn and Jarrett Willinson.” “Seriously?” Albus gaped at him. “Yes,” Harry muttered, “The Minister believed the Aurors needed some help.” Albus thought he heard bit of contempt in his dad's voice. “When I realized that Washburn and the Willinsons were most likely working with Ralph Lubar, I had to contact Balladanis and let him know. He came with us, and I have to admit that he was very helpful. We would not have found you as fast if he wasn't there,” Harry explained. “But why was he teaching here?” Albus asked. “The Minister, Professor Kendrick, and I believed it would be good strategy to have him stationed at Hogwarts, where we all believed Washburn and the Willinsons would return to. Balladanis agreed,” Harry said, “Of course, none of us realized that Balladanis would not be able to handle teaching. “This is all quite secretive, Al. I'd prefer you didn't tell anyone. I will be telling Matt, John, and Kaden, because I feel they have the right to know, but I don't want anyone else knowing about it.” “What about Rose and Amanda?” Albus asked. “I suppose I'll tell them as well, otherwise Kaden is sure to tell them,” Harry said. “What's going to happen to Lubar?” Albus asked, “Is Balladanis going to be after him now?” “No,” Harry shook his head, “That's going to be tricky situation. Lubar isn't a British citizen. We can't do a thing while he's in Australia. It's up to the Australian Ministry to either put him on trial or give him to us to put on trial. And since he's one of their officials, we're not sure they'll do either.” “But that's not fair!” Albus stood up angrily, “Look what he did! Look what he's done!” “I know,” Harry sighed, “I'd like nothing more than to give him a life-long stint in Azkaban, but unfortunately the laws don't work that way.” “He and Balladanis get along anyway,” Albus said, “Balladanis probably wouldn't want to go after him.” “I don't know about that,” Harry said, “Balladanis likes people to pay for what they've done. However, being a Presuler and having no Ministry affiliation, he does not have to take a case if he's offered it.” “He told me I'd make a good Presuler,” Albus said quietly as I sat back down, “Malfoy, too.” Harry sighed. “What do you think about that?” “I don't know,” Albus shrugged, “I mean, I like dueling, but I don't really want to decide what I want to do right now.” “You don't have to,” Harry replied, “And I don't want to tell you what to do, but I am going to tell you something. “Being a Presuler is a hard job and often a lonely one. You have no coworkers. You work with various Ministries, but rarely get to know anyone. You travel a lot, which can make it difficult to have a family. It's not an easy path to go down. Not one I'd choose for myself.” Albus hadn't even thought about that. He didn't think he'd want to rarely ever see his friends and family. “There's plenty of other things you could do that would put your dueling skills to use,” Harry told him, “And you're only 13 so no need to decide now.” “I know, I don't plan to,” Albus replied. “Well, you should probably get back to the Hospital Wing before Madam Pomfrey notices you're gone,” Harry smirked, “And thanks again for showing me the room.” Harry stood up and gave his son a hug. They left the room and walked back to the Hospital Wing, both lost in their thoughts. ****** As it turned out, Madam Pomfrey had already noticed that Albus was missing. When he returned to the Hospital Wing with his dad, she was running about the ward shouting at the top of her lungs. Matt, John, and Kaden were all awake, staring at her. “There you are!” she shrieked, “Where have you been?” “Er,” Albus began. “I had to talk to him in private,” Harry answered for him. “You should have asked me first!” Madam Pomfrey exclaimed as she ushered Albus back into bed, “He needs rest!” “I'm his father,” Harry said incredulously. “I don't care if you're the Minister of Magic!” Madam Pomfrey replied, “I'm the one with the nursing degree!” “How long has she been shouting?” Albus whispered to Matt as he got back in bed. “Fifteen minutes or so,” Matt answered. Madam Pomfrey returned to her desk and Harry strode over to where the Eckertons were sitting. “Could I have a word in private?” Harry asked Mr. Eckerton and then turned to Madam Pomfrey. “Do I need your permission for that?” he grinned. “Very amusing,” Madam Pomfrey muttered. Albus drifted back to sleep a little while later and when he next woke up it was light out and Madam Pomfrey was bringing them all breakfast trays. “Er, what day is it?” Albus asked as Madam Pomfrey set his tray down. “It's Sunday, dear, but it's afternoon,” Madam Pomfrey replied, “I figured you'd prefer to have breakfast.” “Only Sunday?” Albus asked. It felt like it had been far more than twenty-four hours since he had met up with Lubar before the Quidditch match. “Time zone changes are difficult to adjust to,” Madam Pomfrey explained, “Australia's quite a few hours ahead of us.” Albus nodded and dug into his breakfast. Suddenly he was ravenous. When he thought about it, it must have been at least a day since he'd eaten anything. “I wonder how the Quidditch match went,” Kaden mused as he shoved toast in his mouth. Albus choked on his eggs. He'd forgotten about the match! “I doubt we won,” he sighed. “Is your dad going to tell us why Balladanis was with him when he came to save us?” John asked, “I mean, he's had plenty of time.” “He will,” Albus said, “He already told me. You lot were asleep.” The doors to the Hospital Wing banged open and Rose and Amanda came running in. Madam Pomfrey made a move to get up from her desk, but then sat back down, shaking her head. “Tell us what happened!” Rose demanded as she skidded to a halt in front of Albus's bed, “When did you get back? Where did you go?” “Who won the Quidditch match?” Albus asked. “Quidditch? Quidditch?” Rose groaned, “I'm not saying a word about Quidditch until the four of you tell me what in the name of Merlin's saggy left-” “Miss Weasley!” Madam Pomfrey shouted, “If you don't lower your voice, you'll have to leave!” “Sorry,” Rose turned back to Albus, “But you lot have got to tell us what happened!” Albus launched into the entire tale, which took the better part of a half hour to tell. Neither Rose or Amanda interrupted once during the whole thing. Both of them looked absolutely shocked by the time Albus concluded. “But, but why was Balladanis there?” Rose asked. “My dad's going to tell you,” Albus said, “He's already told me. He'll probably tell the rest of you today.” “Merlin, Albus,” Rose sighed, “How much trouble can you get into?” “It's not my fault,” Albus shrugged, “Now can you tell us about the match?” Rose exchanged glances with Amanda, who sighed. “It was quite the match, let me tell you,” Amanda said. “Nobody won, Al,” Rose said. “What?” John interrupted, “How can nobody win?” “About forty-five minutes into the match, Fred and Heather ran onto the pitch-” “The match lasted that long?” Matt asked. “Yes,” Rose said, “I don't know why. Anyway, Fred and Heather ran right up to Ludo Bagman and started talking to him. Nobody could hear what they were saying. Then Bagman blew his whistle and they went into a time-out. “Bagman left the pitch and had a really long talk with all the headmasters and captains. Then Kendrick announced that the match was called off and told everyone to return to their common rooms. “Everyone was really angry of course. Amanda and I were already worried because you lot hadn't shown up yet. We thought something bad had happened and that was why they called it off.” “Why did they call it off?” John asked. “I'm getting to that,” Rose said, “We got back up to Gryffindor and everyone was gathered around Fred and Heather. Linda wasn't there, and neither were any of her teammates who were Gryffindors. “We pushed our way to the front of the crowd and heard what Fred and Heather were talking about. They were claiming that Australia had been cheating the whole time-” “Well, they were,” Matt muttered. “I know,” Rose agreed, “And apparently so did Fred and Heather. I'm sure they figured it out just recently or else they would've told someone sooner. They found out Linda's a vampire and now the entire school knows.” “How did they figure it out?” Albus asked, completely shocked. Linda hid her secret quite well. Fred and Heather were sixth years, they wouldn't have heard Balladanis's vampire lecture.” “They've been trying to figure it out all year,” Rose explained, “And since they're smart, they figured it out.” “But what about the match?” Albus asked. “I think they're going to cancel the tournament, Albus,” Rose said quietly. “Cancel the tournament?” Albus gasped, “Cancel the tournament?! They can't do that! We've spent the whole year on that tournament! Do you know how much time I've spent on the Quidditch pitch this year? More time than I've spent in class, probably! And now they're going to cancel the bloody tournament?” “I don't know, Al,” Rose said shortly, “And if they do it's not my fault.” “Sorry,” Albus mumbled, “It's just a little aggravating.” “I know,” Rose replied. “Where's Linda?” Matt asked. “Gone,” Rose sighed, “Without a word. I haven't seen her or any of the Australians since the match. Killigan's gone, too.” “Wow,” Matt replied, “Can't say I blame her, though.” “I guess,” Rose said, “Anyway, they'll probably make an announcement about the tournament at dinner.”
Scellanis Joined: 11 September 2002 Posts: 6457 Location: Pretending to be a sea slug with 'go faster' stripes...	Posted: Friday 16 April 2010 06 56 47 pm    Post subject: The single mother's manifesto in topic:The single mother's manifesto This makes interesting reading if you are British and elligable to vote in the forth coming general election you might want to take a look at her recent article on the Tory party: [url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen]http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 1353395815
Ms. Elsewhere Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 881 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Thursday 4 February 2010 08 51 49 pm    Post subject: Re: RPG: Parst City Super Hero Role Playing Game in topic:RPG: Parst City Super Hero Role Playing Game "Well." Sam pondered. She went over to a cupboard and opened it, revealing a large screen. "Let's see if I can't search the archives about this disease. Um. Give me media coverage of all gas mutant virus, desease, institutionalising, drug trials, large sums of donations to gas mutant organisations as well as any other institutions..." These instructions she directed to the screen, which immediately switched on and started scrolling through data. Each time it found something relevant it released the file to the left, opening it enough for Sam to view it. Media photos popped up and then Sam pressed her finger on one file that revealed a familiar face. "You." she whispered. And the picture showed the pusher from the rooftop standing next to a group of businessmen. The others she did not recognise ,but there was one with sunglasses on with clothing done up to his chin and covering his entire body right to his fingertips. She was sure this was the telepath from their encounter. Her eyes scanned the article. "People with a lot of money... donations to a gas mutant hospital. They opened a wing dedicated to the billionaire's name. Ha. The hospital is here, downtown actually. Too much of a co- incidence!" Sam wrote down the address and printed the article off, then closed the cupboard and made way to her room to get dressed. She paused. "Shall we start here, or do you have a better idea?" she asked William, holding up the print out.
DucksRMagical Joined: 28 December 2006 Posts: 2535 Location: Going through LeakyCon withdrawal	Posted: Wednesday 2 December 2009 09 17 01 am    Post subject: Re: Albus potter and the Path Left Untrodden in topic:Albus potter and the Path Left Untrodden Chapter 12: Dueling and Fighting Albus was amazed at how much extra time he had now that he did not have to go to Gryffindor Quidditch practice. During the next week, he got all his homework done on time and got a decent amount of sleep. Plus, he made fewer trips to the hospital wing, which he attributed to having more sleep. Classes were going well. Albus was very glad they had moved onto more exciting creatures in Care of Magical Creatures. They weren't up to hippogriffs or thestrals, but nifflers were certainly entertaining. Despite the rather boring start, Care of Magical Creatures was quickly becoming one of Albus's favorite classes. He seemed to have an affinity for the variety of animals they learned about; something Hagrid was quick to notice. Arithmancy was turning out to be kind of dry, but Albus was just happy he wasn't taking Divination. Even John was beginning to get tired of making up fake predictions for Trelawney. 'What's the point?' he had shouted out angrily one night as they were working on homework. Albus wasn't able to suppress his grin at that, which earned him a Divination book to the head when John saw Albus's smirk. Defense Against the Dark Arts continued to be the strangest class Albus had ever attended. He was beginning to think he was enjoying it, but still wasn't sure. He liked the class, but wasn't sure if he liked Balladanis himself. The professor continued to be a mystery to students of all years. Hours were spent debating his background in the common room. He seemed to take points away equally from each house, which either meant he was extremely fair or had never attended Hogwarts himself. Quite a few students had asked their parents if they'd ever heard of Balladanis (namely, had they gone to school with him), but so far none of the parents had. Balladanis's teaching methods were certainly unique. Albus could count on one hand the number of actual lectures he had had in that class. Most all the lessons were practical, but not in the same way Harry had done them. Harry's method had been very caring and all about trying. Balladanis's methods were more harsh and focused on success. He insisted that everyone succeed and refused to let anyone stop until they did, even if it meant coming in for extra help. The amount of students going in for extra help was increasing quickly. Matt was no longer seen as weak or odd for having to go in for extra help. Nearly half of Albus's class was spending extra time with Balladanis at least once a week. The professor still hadn't let Matt stop going. "Stand up!" Balladanis barked at Albus's class. These two words were frequently spoken by the professor. Albus wondered why he didn't just do away with the desks all together instead of having to move them at the beginning of each class. "Get a move on!" he shouted, "Unless you think your books will attack you. Books can only get you so far. You need to practice!" The class spent nearly an hour practicing the spell to repel grindylows and once the bell rang, Balladanis announced that they'd be practicing on real grindylows in the next class. "Brickston!" Balladanis announced, "You'll be coming in for extra help tomorrow night. You may come the same time Eckerton does." Albus didn't think John had done that bad with the spell. It had taken him a while, but by the end of the class he had managed it. Albus was beginning to think that by the end of the year, everyone would be going in for extra help. "He's certifiably insane," John muttered as they walked to potions after they left the Defense classroom. "Well, I'm kind of glad you're going in for help," Matt said, "You can keep Amanda and I company." "That's nearly all of us going in for help," Rose commented, "Just Al and Linda and I." Kaden had been going for help nearly as long as Matt had. Amanda had started a few days ago. "Albus won't ever have to go," Matt said, "He's too good at Defense." "I'm not that great at it," Albus muttered quietly. Sure, he managed all the spells, but it's not like they were very advanced. ****** "What do you think Balladanis did before he taught here?" Kaden mused late the next day. "Dunno," Albus shrugged. "I think he was an Auror," John said, "I mean, he obviously hates the dark arts." "No," Albus shook his head, "My dad would have mentioned that." "Maybe he was a foreign Auror," John suggested. "But he sounds British," Matt pointed out. "So do you, for the most part, but you're from Australia," John countered. "Really? I always thought I sounded Australian." "You do a bit. But your parents sound more Australian than you do. Same with Amy," Albus told him. "Oh," Matt shrugged, "So I guess he could be foreign." "Why did he come teach here, then?" Albus asked. No one had an answer to that. Albus was really curious to what the answer was, but it's not like he could actually ask the professor. In fact, the idea of being alone with Balladanis kind of scared him. He was really glad he didn't have to see the professor outside of class. The first Inter-School Dueling Tournament was scheduled to take place the next day. The entire school was buzzing about it. It was the first big competition between the three schools. Albus didn't know a whole lot of people who were on the Hogwarts Dueling Team. Just his cousin, Fred. Despite this, he was still excited. Albus absolutely loved dueling and wished he was old enough to be on the school team. The tournament was taking place in the Great Hall, since the dueling chamber was much too small to accommodate the entire school. Albus walked with his friends into the room and saw that all the tables had disappeared. They were replaced with raised stands, sort of like the Quidditch pitch. Albus found seats towards the front and waited impatiently for the tournament to begin. The dueling area was a raised platform in front of the stands. On the other side of it was a smaller set of stands, in which all the teachers were filing into. The mysterious wizard who had been seen talking to Killigan, but never introduced, was sitting next to the Australian headmaster, but neither of them were talking. Both wore identical looks of determination mingled with fascination. A witch Albus didn't recognize was seated next to Roberts and the two of them were talking. Albus assumed she was from New York. The Auror who had been assigned to patrol Hogwarts that week was talking with Albus's Uncle Percy, who had came to represent the Ministry. Neither Albus's dad nor his Uncle Ron were there, so Albus assumed they were busy with work. Once all the students, teachers, and various other spectators were seated, Professor Kendrick stood up and everyone quieted down. "Welcome, students, staff, and visitors to the first Dueling Tournament between Hogwarts, the Australian School of Sorcery, and the Adirondack Academy of Magic. All three schools will duel this afternoon. Each school's team has five students and each student will participate in two duels. Whichever student wins the duel gets a point for their school. The school with the most points will win. But keep in mind that this is just the first of many tournaments that will take place during this year. Now, here are the teams." Kendrick gestured to a door on the side of the room. The door opened and Professor Longbottom led the Hogwarts team into the room. The other two schools' teams followed and Albus didn't recognize either of their professors. He hadn't really thought about the other teams' captains before. He kind of figured they had them, but hadn't seen them before. He guessed they just came to Hogwarts for practices. They must have set up some kind of special floo connection with the school. The tournament commenced in much the same way the Junior Dueling Club had, except only one duel took place at a time. The spells used were much more advanced, too. The spell that Slytherin had used on Matt during the previous years paled in comparison to the ones being used by the older students. Albus was absolutely fascinated. He paid rapt attention and wished that he could learn such advanced spells. The tournament took nearly two hours, but Albus wasn't bored at all. In fact, he was kind of disappointed when the last duel was over. Professor Kendrick tallied the points and then rose once again. "Thank you everyone. Each and every student performed well today. However, this is a tournament and I must declare a winner. And that winner is the Adirondack Academy of Magic. Congratulations to them!" There was a small amount of loud applause from the New Yorkers who were in the audience, as well as some polite applause from everyone else. Albus sighed and clapped politely along with most of his fellow students. "Well, it's only the first tournament," Matt said. "Yeah," Albus agreed, "Plus there's Quidditch." "And we've got a brilliant Quidditch team!" John grinned as he stood up, "Now we've just got to hope that one of those other Chasers breaks something so Albus can play next week." "John!" Rose scolded. "I'm only kidding," John shrugged, "Sort of." "We could just give one of them the orange end of a puking pastille," Kaden suggested, "And not give them the purple half." "Wouldn't work," John sighed, "Madam Pomfrey recognizes those things now." "I know I probably won't get to play," Albus said as they left the room, "You don't need to land yourselves in detention to get me a place on the team." "We know," Kaden said, "We're just joking." Albus figured they were, but when it came to those two, one just never knew. ****** Albus stowed his broom in his dormitory late Tuesday evening following a particularly tiring Quidditch practice. Wood's focus during this particular practice had been goal scoring, so Albus had worked hard the entire two hours. At least the focus hadn't been on dodging Bludgers. He yawned, grabbed his bag and headed out of the common room. He walked slowly to the Marauder's Den, thinking he could squeeze a bit of homework in before bed. "Albus!" someone shouted as Albus reached the suits of armor in front of the room. Albus turned around and saw Rose, red hair flying behind her, running down the corridor towards him. "Rose?" "Albus!" Rose panted, "I saw you leave the common room." "Er, yeah," Albus shrugged. He usually did his homework in the Marauder's Den since it was quieter and easier to concentrate. "I wanted to talk to you," Rose said. "Ok," Albus said as he located the paw prints on the opposite wall, "We can talk in here." "Actually," Rose said, "I kind of wanted to talk to you alone. Are Matt, John, and Kaden in there?" "Probably," Albus replied. What did Rose want to talk about that she didn't want their other friends to hear? "I didn't see them in the common room." "Well, I'd rather talk to you alone, first," Rose shifted nervously from foot to foot. Albus looked at her strangely. Rose rarely ever looked nervous, especially when she was talking to Albus. What could she possibly have to tell him? "Er, all right," Albus said slowly, "I guess we could find an empty classroom or something...." "Good," Rose nodded and took off down the corridor. Albus ran after her and she found an empty classroom. Albus followed her into it and shut the door behind him. "What is it?" Rose paced around the room for a bit, wringing her hands together, before letting out a loud sigh and leaning up against one of the desks. "It's about Linda." Albus blinked. Linda? He barely knew her. What could Rose possibly have to say about Linda? "Linda?" "Yes, Linda," Rose sighed, "You know Amanda and I are sort of becoming friends with her. Well, we are friends with her now. She talks to us. I think she misses Australia. Anyway, I was sort of thinking it would be good if she started to make friends here. You know, like you. And maybe Matt, John, and Kaden." Albus still had no idea why Rose felt the need to talk to him alone about this. She wanted Albus to befriend Linda. How was he going to do that if Linda didn't say a word around him? Not to mention the fact that Matt didn't seem to like her. "Er, why exactly didn't you want Matt, John, and Kaden to hear this?" Albus asked, "You can't really expect them to become friends with Linda unless you tell them you want them to." "I know that," Rose groaned, "But the four of you are always holing up in the Marauder's Den, so I hardly see any of you anymore. What I wanted to know was whether Linda could come into the Marauder's Den with us." Albus stared at his cousin. So that was what she wanted to talk about. "You want Linda to come into the Marauder's Den?" "Yes," Rose nodded, "She's in the common room with Amanda. Can she? I'll go get them right now if you say yes." "Wait, wait," Albus shook his head, "It's not up to me." "Yes it is!" Rose replied, "You found that map. It's yours, so the room is yours." "No it's not," Albus said, "It's Matt, John, and Kaden's, too. All four of us had to work to get that map to show up and to find the room. If it weren't for them, it would still be a blank piece of parchment." "But-" "No, Rose," Albus said irritably, "I can't just let you bring random people into the room without asking everyone." Albus and his friends hadn't really thought much about whether they'd let other people into the room, but Albus knew he couldn't do it without talking to them. Letting Rose and Amanda in had been a given, since they helped with it, but Linda certainly hadn't helped. "I have to talk to Matt, John, and Kaden," Albus told her, "I can talk to them now, if you want." "All right," Rose sighed and stood up. Neither of the cousins said a word to each other as they walked back to the Marauder's Den. Albus was still rather bewildered by this whole thing. First, he had never really talked to his friends about letting other people into the Marauder's Den. He always assumed it would be their secret. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted anyone else in it, no matter what his friends thought. Second, it was rather out of character for Rose to be this spontaneous and demanding. Whether this was due to the increased work load, the sudden competition in class brought on by Linda, or something else entirely, Albus didn't know. Albus took a deep breath as he opened the door to the room and glanced at Rose. She was looking more nervous than before. Albus walked into the room and paused. John and Kaden were lounging on the floor, playing a rather rowdy game of chess (the two of them could turn any board game into something physical), while their neglected homework sat haphazardly on the table. Matt was paying vague attention to the game while stretched out on the couch. It didn't surprise Albus that he wasn't doing much, since the full moon was the next night. John and Kaden looked up when they heard the door open. "Albus!" Kaden shouted, "How was practice?" "Rose!" John grinned, "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about this place. I don't think I've seen you here in over a month." "Hey, John, Kaden," Albus smiled, "Practice was good. What have you lot been up to?" "Beating Kaden at chess," John explained. "Hey, I beat you once!" Kaden countered. "Only once," John repeated, "I've won four games." "I'm surprised neither of you have detention tonight," Albus smirked. "They almost did," Matt announced, "Professor Longbottom caught them sneaking into the girl's toilet-" "What were you doing in there?" Albus raised his eyebrows. "We were going to put dung bombs in there," Kaden explained. "Anyway," Matt continued, "Longbottom took pity on them since they're already doing so many detentions and only took away points." "Professor Longbottom is great," John grinned. "I wouldn't expect him to let you off again," Matt pointed out. "Want to play chess, Rose?" John asked, "I could use with some real competition." "Hey!" Kaden crossed his arms across his chest, "I'm real competition." Albus glanced at Rose. "Er, Rose has something she wanted to ask us," Albus said quietly. Rose glared at Albus. Clearly she wanted him to bring up the topic. Albus gave her a quick shake of his head. There was no way he was going to ask. She was the one who wanted Linda there. "Well, what is it?" John asked, "If it's about homework, I'll have you know that I've already finished most of it." "It's not about homework," Rose sighed and sat down on the end of the couch that Matt wasn't occupying. Albus settled himself into an armchair opposite the couch and waited for his cousin to continue. Rose took a deep breath. "You lot know Amanda and I have sort of become friends with Linda, right?" "Yeah," John said and Kaden nodded. "Well, since then Amanda and I have been spending more time in the common room with her. But you lot still hang out here all the time...." her voice trailed off. "Well, yeah, because this room is so much better than the common room," Kaden pointed out. "I know," Rose sighed, "And I do miss being with all of you, but at the same time, Linda's my friend now, too." "So spend time with all of us," John said, "I'm sure Linda would be fine by herself for a few hours a day so you can be here with us." Rose groaned. "That wasn't what I had in mind. What I want is for all of us to spend time together. As in you lot can become friends with Linda, too. She needs more friends." "She doesn't talk," Kaden said. "She does when she gets to know you," Rose explained. "So what you're saying," John began, "Is that you want us to stop hanging out in this brilliant room and go back to the boring common room?" "No, of course not," Rose replied, "I want all of us to hang out here. Linda, too." The room was completely silent. Albus watched his friends' reactions with great interest. Both John and Kaden gaped at Rose and then turned to look at Albus. They then turned their heads back to Rose, but didn't say anything. Matt suddenly sat up, eyes wide open, and stared at Rose with an incredulous look on his face. Nobody said a word for what must have been nearly five minutes. Albus kept looking from Rose to his friends and back. Rose was looking nervously at everybody in turn and then sending pleading glances at Albus. Albus was about to open his mouth, when Matt finally broke the stony silence. "No," he said. It was hardly more than a whisper, but was very forceful. "We haven't let anyone else in," John pointed out, "Why should Linda be the first?" Kaden turned to Albus. "What do you think, Albus?" "Er-" Albus began. "Why not?" Rose demanded, "She's mine and Amanda's friend." "But she's not our friend," John said. "But she could be!" Rose insisted. "Then we'll become friends with her before we let her in the room!" John replied, "It's still our secret. We haven't even told Teddy about it yet." Albus turned and looked at John. He hadn't even thought about that. John had a point. They hadn't told Teddy about the room yet. Or his dad. Shouldn't they see it before other people did? "If anyone has the right to know about this room, it's Teddy and my dad," Albus said quietly. "Yes, but they aren't here," Rose pointed out, "Come on, why won't you let her in?" "We don't know her," John said. "She's got no connections to it," Albus said. "I like keeping it a secret," Kaden said. "You could know her!" Rose shouted, "Then she would have connections to it. And it would still be a secret." "Look, Rose," Matt said loudly, "We're not going to let her in! You can't convince us otherwise!" Albus, John, and Kaden turned to look at each other. Albus had never heard Matt raise his voice like that, and certainly not with Rose. "And what's your reason why she can't?" Rose asked icily. Matt glared at her. "They're the same as Albus, John, and Kaden's!" "You just don't like her!" Rose shouted. "So what if I don't?" Matt asked hotly. "You don't even know her! You haven't said one word to her the whole time she's been here!" "Neither has she!" Matt yelled. "You lot are so stubborn!" Rose huffed, "I just don't get why you won't let her-" "Do you really want to know why?" Matt raised his voice even louder, "I honestly wouldn't think I'd have to tell you! You're smart! This is the one place in the castle that nobody else knows about! It's the only place I can go and get some peace and quiet and not have to worry about anyone else barging in! The only people who know about it already know what I am, so I can actually relax! If you let Linda in here, it won't be like that anymore! I like the quiet of this place. And it was quiet before you came in here demanding that we let a witch we hardly know into it!" Matt leaned back against the arm of the couch and squeezed his eyes shut as he rubbed his temple. Albus stared in shock at John and Kaden. Albus had never seen Matt shout at someone like that. Sure, he got a bit short with people around the full moon, but had never had a full-blown row like this. "Well, maybe if you become friends with Linda, you'll tell her what you are," Rose said. She looked quite taken aback that Matt had shouted at her like that. "Are you bloody insane?!" Matt yelled, causing him to wince even more. Albus had a feeling he was giving himself a headache. "You told us," Rose said. "That's different," Matt shook his head, "You figured it out on your own." "What if we hadn't?" "I wouldn't have told you," Matt muttered, "And Linda's going back to Australia after this year, so there really wouldn't be a point." "You know, since she's from Australia, she might already know," Rose pointed out, "You did say that the entire country found out shortly before you moved." That was the wrong thing to say. Albus knew she was going to say it just moments before she finished and he tried to shake his head to tell her to stop, but she either didn't notice or didn't want to stop. All the color drained from Matt's face and with it most of the anger. He merely looked a little scared now. "You think I haven't thought about that?" he asked quietly, "Why do you think I wasn't thrilled about this whole tournament thing? Why do you think I try to avoid anyone from Australia? I mean, it was five years ago, so I really hope most people have forgotten about it, but all it would take was one of them to remember and soon the whole school would know." "I doubt Linda would tell anyone, if she did know," Rose said. "Yeah, because she doesn't talk," Kaden laughed. Leave it to Kaden to find humor in this situation, Albus thought. He couldn't help but grin at his cousin's statement himself. "Could you at least think about it?" Rose asked. "No," Matt raised his voice again, "Don't you get it? I don't want to risk anyone else finding out. I don't want this to be a repeat of what happened in Australia. I like it here. I don't want to move again. So I'm not going to change my mind. I'm going to bed." Matt got up off the couch and walked slowly over to his bed and rammed the curtains shut behind him. Albus exchanged glances with John and Kaden, completely at a loss as to what to say. Rose got up off the couch a moment later and left the room without another word. Albus, John, and Kaden quietly began to work on their homework, but the remainder of the evening was very subdued. Albus stared at his Herbology book, but couldn't possibly concentrate on it after the row his cousin and best friend had just had.
FawkesthePhoenix Joined: 31 December 2006 Posts: 3534 Location: No idea, all I know is that there are a LOT of felt-tipped pens...	Posted: Tuesday 1 December 2009 12 52 08 pm    Post subject: Re: RPG: The Six Wizards in topic:RPG: The Six Wizards "It's time for preparations!" Yuta heard Inu call to Ouki and Damien. He'd be after her next. Yuta got up from her bed, from where she'd been catnapping, and strode into the bathroom. After a quick shower and brush of her hair, Yuta felt her almost sleepless night melt away. She knelt down and rummaged beneath her bed, feeling around for the strap of her bag. There! She pulled it out, running her hands over the worn canvas material. The bag, and its contents, was like an old friend. It contained all of her essential ingredients and weapons. Flipping it open, Yuta examined her stock, then pursed her lips. She was running low. She'd have to take a gander at Inu's garden today, and see if it had the... variety... she required. Yuta slid the bag shut and pushed it's buckles home, being careful ot to disturb the stiletto knife concealed beneath the top layer of fabric. Her hand tingled at the contact. That blade had lots of memories.... But now was not the time for reveries. Yuta got to her feet and strode back into the kitchen. Inu and Neko were outside, talking. Yuta deliberated for a moment, biting her lip, then decided against interrupting them. Instead, she lurked just outside the doorway, listening. The wind was high, and she could only hear snatches of conversation. "Devoted to your every endeavor," Inu was saying quietly to Neko, "...The makings of an army... Unswayed... She considered defying me.... She would have... Died from the near thought... This is what I mean... A threat..." Yuta gasped inwardly, knowing better than to actually perform the action. Inu had hearing more superior than anyone she knew, and would detect the slightest shift in the air. She backed away from the doorway, quickly and quietly, thinking back to that night all those months ago. She had thought of leaving the Six, of running and never coming back.... How had he known? What would he do? One thing was for sure; she couldn't let him know that she knew that he knew. She'd never admit to it, even if Inu was stupid enough to bring it up someday. [i]Just act normal,[/i] Yuta thought to herself, feeling composure return to her actions as she pushed emotion away. There. It was as if she had never heard. She retrieved a mug from the cupboard, being sure to make just enough noise that Inu would hear. If he so much as suspected that she had overheard anything she'd said, he'd have her head for sure. Sure enough, Inu looked up. Yuta waved at him and Neko from the window, and he nodded back, turning to say something unintelegible to Neko.

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