Harry Potter Watch - Pocket and Wrist Watches

Harry Potter Clue Dark magic has been performed at Hogwarts! A fellow student has vanished from the famous School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and it is up to you to solve the mysterious disappearance. Play as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna or Neville and try to discover WHO did it, WHAT spell or item they used, and WHERE the student was attacked. Was it Draco Malfoy with a Sleeping Draught in the Owlery? Move around Hogwarts making suggestions, but watch out! Wheels on the board actually move to reveal secret passages, hidden staircases, and even the Dark Mark! Think you've gathered all the facts you need? Go to Dumbledore's office to make your final accusation to win the game!<br /><br />For 3 - 5 players , ages 9 and up.<br /><br />Contents: 1 game board, 6 movers, 33 Help cards, 33 Dark cards, 21 Mystery cards, 1 notepad, 40 house point tokens, 6 suspect tokens, 6 item tokens, 1 envelope, 2 standard dice, 1 Hogwarts die, 4 wheels, 4 plastic rivets, 1 label sheet and instructions. $26.98

Harry Potter Clue by Hasbro Dark magic has been performed at Hogwarts A fellow student has vanished from the famous School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and it is up to you to solve the mysterious disappearance. Play as Harry Ron Hermione Ginny Luna or Neville and try to discover WHO did it WHAT spell or item they used and WHERE the student was attacked. Was it Draco Malfoy with a Sleeping Draught in the Owlery Move around Hogwarts making suggestions but watch out Wheels on the board actually move to reveal secret passages hidden staircases and even the Dark Mark Think you've gathered all the facts you need Go to Dumbledore's office to make your final accusation to win the game For 3 5 players ages 9 and up. Contents 1 game board 6 movers 33 Help cards 33 Dark cards 21 Mystery cards 1 notepad 40 house point tokens 6 suspect tokens 6 item tokens 1 envelope 2 standard dice 1 Hogwarts die 4 wheels 4 plastic rivets 1 label sheet and instructions. $34.98

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DucksRMagical Joined: 28 December 2006 Posts: 2375 Location: Going through LeakyCon withdrawal	Posted: Sunday 28 June 2009 08 30 49 am    Post subject: Re: In Moonlight's Shadow in topic:In Moonlight's Shadow Thanks hprocks and firemal! Chapter 51: Hogsmeade The grounds were deserted when I set off on the path towards Hogsmeade. A few first and second years were running around near the lake, but I didn't see any older students. Hogsmeade was going to be packed. Maybe I should have just stayed inside. I had a feeling that if I saw Monica I would hex her before she had a chance to say anything to me. The weather was chilly and there was a slight breeze in the air. It was cloudy, but I didn't think it was going to rain. I had no idea if that weather was normal for this time of year. I had been right; Hogsmeade was crowded. Students were walking around the streets and laughing. Others were running in and out of the already crowded shops. I had no idea where I wanted to go. I walked slowly up the street, passing the Three Broomsticks, Honeyduke's, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, and numerous other shops. I wasn't in the mood for butterbeer, sweets, or jokes, though. The shops were replaced by little houses as I walked further up the street. Then the houses became farther and farther apart until I was nearly out of the village. I looked to the right and saw that I was next to the Shrieking Shack. I sighed and walked towards the broken fence that surrounded it and remembered the time I had practically dragged Matt towards the place. The old lady who had talked to us that day wasn't anywhere to be seen. The dilapidated old building was going to be Matt's in just a few short years. He'd spend the night there once a month, completely alone. He was always alone on full moons, obviously, but my parents were always in the same house. It was going to be strange when he transformed in that shack. The place would live up to its name once again. It would shriek again. "Place is haunted, you know," someone said from behind me. I turned around and saw Willinson standing a few feet away. "What do you want?" "Nothing," he shrugged as he walked towards me, "Just wandering around Hogsmeade, by myself, since Victoire refused to go out with me." "There's a surprise," I muttered. Why anyone, let alone Victoire, would want to go out with Willinson was beyond me. "I see you're alone, too," Willinson replied as he leaned against the fence. "So?" "So, you're alone. I'm alone..." Willinson raised his eyebrow, "Victoire may have been dense enough to refuse my company, but you're surely not." I rolled my eyes. "There's a reason Victoire won't go out with you. You're arrogant and all you do is talk about yourself or pry into other people's business." "Aw, come on, Amy," Willinson said, "Would you really rather be alone than with me?" "Yes," I snapped, "I do want to be alone!" I glared at him and then stalked back to the street. I couldn't even go for a walk in peace. Did he honestly think I would spend the day with him? Had I not made it clear in class that he drove me mad? "I'll be at the Three Broomsticks later, if you change your mind!" Willinson shouted after me. I ignored him and kept walking. I would not be going to the Three Broomsticks, then. Surely there were other pubs in Hogsmeade. I passed a small pub named Madam Puddifoot's and didn't bother to check it out. From the window display, I gathered it was a place for lovesick couples only. There were cupids dangling in the window with heart shaped cakes below them. The next one made me pause. The Hog's Head. The place had been disgusting when Mum and I spent the night during the August full moon. It seemed kind of dodgy as well. But it had been empty and quiet. I lingered outside the door for a minute before going inside. Nobody had told me the place was out of bounds, but it didn't seem like the kind of place students normally went to. It was dark inside and most of the tables were empty. There were a few cloaked figures at the bar and one of the tables in the back was occupied. Two wizards were talking in hushed tones at it. I walked up to the bar and sat down a few stools away from the cloaked figures, hoping nobody would yell at me to leave. The old bartender was the only one who seemed to notice me, though. He ambled over, followed by a goat, and looked at me funny. "Can I get you something?" he asked. "Butterbeer," I said as I tossed a few Sickles onto the bar. The barkeep grabbed the coins and slammed a dusty bottle onto the bar. I muttered a thank you and opened it. I wondered if Mum and Dad would owl me if they had to take Matt to St. Mungo's. Had they already taken him? I looked at my watch. It was just after two. They may have already taken him. I hated being so out of touch with everything. Ten months ago I would have given anything to be back in school and away from my family. Now, I would give anything to just be back at home with them. "Something wrong with the Three Broomsticks today?" the barkeep asked after two of the cloaked figures left. "Er, I don't think so," I muttered. "Don't often get students in here," he said, "They usually like Rosmerta's place." "It's too crowded. And happy," I added. "Well, Rosmerta's customers like that," he replied, "You look familiar." I shrugged. "I do go to Hogwarts." "Nah, that's not what I meant. You stayed here over the summer. You and an older lady, she your mum?" I nodded, surprised that he remembered. I looked at him curiously and noticed that his eyes were bright blue. They had a certain sadness to them, though. Then it hit me that they reminded me of my dad's. It was kind of eery. They were the same shade of blue and had the same hint of sadness. Granted, the barkeep was significantly older than Dad, but it was still strange. "Not the usual clientele, you and your mum," he said, "Mostly get old hags and wizards who won't show their faces. Goblins, the occasional vampire. But I tell ya, you and your mum were out of here so early in the morning I thought you looked more suspicious than half the folks I usually get in this old place." "We had, er, things to do," I stared down at the bar. "No need to tell me," he said quickly, "I never ask what business my customers are in. Bad idea to be that nosy, if you ask me." I looked back up and gave him a half smile. Maybe this was the right place for me. I liked people who didn't pry into your business. Mum had been right to stay at the Hog's Head instead of the Three Broomsticks. The barkeep went back to scrubbing out empty glasses and I slowly sipped my butterbeer. I muttered goodbye to him after I'd finished and went back outside. The small amount of sunlight was blinding after being inside the darkened pub for so long. I blinked and started down the street towards Honeyduke's. I figured I'd get Matt a get well present. Honeyduke's was packed when I got there, but it was worth it. I stood in the doorway for a full minute staring at the amount of sweets they had. Someone pushed me into the shop and I started wandering around. Never before had I seen such an impressive selection of chocolate. The sweets shop near the Australian School of Sorcery paled in comparison. Barrels upon barrels of every sweet imaginable were all over the place. Bins of other sweets were against the wall and displays of chocolate were scattered throughout the floor. It was officially my favorite store in Hogsmeade. The place was brilliant and it was almost enough to take my mind off Matt. He would have loved Honeyduke's. I'd have to take him there if he and my parents made it to Hogsmeade for my birthday. I spent nearly an hour browsing all the sweets. I grabbed a shopping basket and filled it to the brim. My parents had given me quite a bit of money at the beginning of the year and I decided then and there that I would spend all of it on Honeyduke's stuff throughout the year. I found a variety pack of chocolate frogs for Matt. There were milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate. But there were also strawberry, vanilla, toffee, caramel, and butterscotch flavored ones. I snagged a box of those for myself as well. It was nearly dinnertime when I left Honeyduke's, so I just decided to go back to school. I spent the whole walk thinking about my brother and whether he was at St. Mungo's or not. If my parents decided to take him, they would have taken him hours ago. The common room was crowded when I got there. It seemed that most people were already back from Hogsmeade. Teddy was setting off a round of Weasleys' indoor fireworks and had a large crowd of people watching him. I bypassed the commotion and headed up to my dormitory. I had to hide my sweets and send Matt's chocolate frogs off with Pollux. Monica was sitting on her bed when I got there, along with a few girls I didn't recognize. I think they were sixth years. "Could you get out?" Monica said as soon as I stepped foot in the room. "It's my room, too," I muttered as I crossed the room to my trunk. "We're busy," Monica snapped, "So get out." "No," I said. I shoved the bag into my trunk and then noticed that Pollux was sitting on my bed, with a letter attached to his leg. "Your stupid owl bit me," Monica told me, "It shouldn't be allowed to be here." "What did you do to him?" I asked as I patted his head. "Nothing," Monica huffed, "I was just trying to get the letter off his leg-" "Wait," I turned to look at her, "You were trying to read my mail?" "No," Monica replied, "Why would I want to read your stupid mail? I was just trying to get the owl to leave. It kept hooting and it was driving me mad." Like I was going to believe that. I glared at her as my heart started beating faster. Monica couldn't read my mail. What if the letter was from my parents? She'd find out about Matt. "Don't. Ever. Touch. Pollux. Or. My. Mail. Again," I seethed. I was really grateful that Pollux had bit her. He was such a good owl. "And you don't ever come in here when I'm busy," Monica replied. "I'll come in here whenever I want," I said as I detached the letter from Pollux's leg. I shoved it in my pocket and stomped out of the room. I didn't want Monica anywhere near me when I read it, in case it was about Matt. The common room proved to be much too crowded to find a place to read my letter. There wasn't a single chair available that wasn't more than two feet away from another person. I left the room and decided to try and find an empty classroom. The first two I tried were locked, but the Transfiguration room wasn't. I ran inside and flicked my wand at the torches on the wall. The room lit up and I sat down on one of the tables. I took a deep breath and ripped the envelop open. Dear Amy, I hope you had fun in Hogsmeade. We can't wait to hear all about it. Send us a letter and tell us what you did. We did wind up taking Matt to St. Mungo's. He woke up around noon with a headache that wouldn't go away with potions and he got sick every time he tried to eat something. With the combination of having the flu and then the full moon, he hadn't eaten anything in nearly three days- "You're not allowed to be in here," someone said from the doorway. I hastily shoved the letter in my pocket and looked up. An older Hufflepuff was standing just inside the room. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was frowning at me in a way that reminded me of my really strict Defense teacher from Australia. "Er, it was unlocked..." I said. "You're still not allowed," she replied, "You don't look familiar. You're not one of the usual trouble makers." "I'm new here," I said quickly. I was getting kind of tired of telling people that. "Oh," the girl walked towards me and stuck out her hand, "Camilla Redwood, Head Girl." "Amy Eckerton," I shook her hand. Head Girl. That would explain her extensive knowledge of the rules. "Nice to meet you, Amy Eckerton," Camilla smiled, "I'll let you off this time, since you don't know all of the rules. But from now on, don't go into any empty classrooms at night." I nodded and followed her out of the room. She sped off down the corridor shouting after a couple first years who ran shrieking past us. I sighed and walked in the other direction at a much slower pace. I doubted the common room had emptied in the fifteen minutes I had been gone and I was sure Monica was still in the dormitory. I wandered around aimlessly for a while trying to find someplace to go read my letter. Eventually I wound up in front of the hospital wing. That was where I could read my letter, I thought. It was quiet and there were beds with curtains. If Madam Pomfrey asked why I was there, I would just tell her the truth. She was the only one in the castle who I could tell the truth. The place was empty when I got inside, which was better than I could have asked for. Madam Pomfrey was behind her desk and got up as soon as I walked inside. "Amy," she smiled, "Are you all right?" "Yeah," I nodded, "I just needed someplace private to read a letter. It's, um, from my parents..." my voice trailed off. "Of course," Madam Pomfrey said softly, "Stay as long as you'd like." "Thanks," I said and walked towards the nearest bed. I pulled the curtains shut and pulled the letter out again. Healer Sterling gave him a stronger pain potion for his headache and got a nutrient potion in him. He's staying overnight, though, for observation. Sterling said that he should be able to go home tomorrow if he continues getting better. We're staying with him. I'll owl you when we're home. Hope to see you next week for your birthday. Professor Kendrick has not yet owled us back about it, but I'm sure he's busy and will reply soon. I'll let you know as soon as he gets back to me. Love, Dad I stared at the letter until the words became blurry. They had gone to St. Mungo's. Matt was in St. Mungo's again. I wanted to go visit him. I felt so helpless being so far away. I couldn't do anything. It was true that there was nothing I could do even if I was at St. Mungo's, but being there would be better than being at school. How long would it even take for him to get better? Sterling hoped he'd get to go home tomorrow, but who knew if that would happen? I wondered if he would even be better in a week, if he would be better in time to go to Hogsmeade for my birthday. I shook my head. That was selfish. He was the one who got the flu and then had to turn into a wolf and was now in the hospital. I shouldn't be thinking about my birthday. I was fine. The worse I had to deal with was an arrogant and irritating roommate. I didn't have to turn into a wolf once a month. "Everything ok?" I jumped and hastily rubbed the moisture from my eyes as I turned around. Madam Pomfrey had popped her head through the curtains. "Er," I sighed. There was no point in pretending everything was ok. Yet again, I felt compelled to just tell the nurse everything. "No, not really." Madam Pomfrey sat down on the bed next to me and patted my shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?" "My brother is at St. Mungo's," I whispered and handed her the letter. She looked at me sadly and took the letter. She hesitated before reading it, but I nodded and she scanned it. "Oh, Amy," she put down the letter and sighed, "I know it's hard being away while he's sick, but I think he'll be fine. Think back to when you went to school in Australia. He had bad full moons then, right? And he was fine." I nodded, knowing she was right. The only thing was, was that back then I didn't really know when Matt had a bad full moon. My parents didn't tell me much. They sent a letter after every full moon and basically just told me if it was bad or good, but not the details. Now my parents were letting me in on the details and it was worrying me. "Now, why don't you go down to the Great Hall and get some dinner. Then go do something to get your mind off your brother. It won't do him any good for you to worry," Madam Pomfrey handed me back the letter and stood up. She patted my knee and went back to her desk. I shoved the letter into my pocket and wiped the rest of the tears from my eyes. I stood up and pulled back the curtains. The ward was still empty and Madam Pomfrey had returned to her work at her desk. "The door is always open," she said. "Thanks," I whispered as I left. I did go to the Great Hall for dinner, but I didn't eat much. I mainly mixed my food around on my plate and when the first years sitting near me started having a food fight, I decided it was time to leave. I ran up to my dormitory and grabbed the chocolate frogs I had bought for Matt. I walked slowly to the owlery and sent them off with a letter. Hopefully they would cheer Matt up while he was in the hospital. ****** Pollux brought me a letter Monday morning from my parents. Matt was able to go home late on Sunday and was doing better. Kendrick had also given me permission to go to Hogsmeade for my birthday and my parents were sure that Matt would be well enough to go. Between that and the fact that Monica overslept and was late to Double Potions, my week had gotten off to a good start. The rest of the week was uneventful. I fell asleep in History of Magic but no one noticed since Samantha did the same and began snoring partway through the lesson. Apparently the Gryffindor Quidditch team had practiced for three hours straight the night before so she got very little sleep. By the time Saturday arrived I was quite excited to see my family. I decided to devote the day to studying since I probably wouldn't get much done on Sunday. I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel with my history studying and it was about time. I figured I'd be able to make it partway through the twentieth century by the evening and after that I'd be able to start on The Rise and Fall of Lord Voldemort, which is what I was really interested in. "You sure do study a lot." I looked up from my book about the wand shortage of 1932 and saw Ted Lupin and Landon Comer collapsing into the chairs in front of me. Both looked out of breath and were sporting huge grins. I shrugged. "I've got a lot of catching up to do." "I think she rivals Victoire," Landon replied, "And I had never seen anyone study more than Victoire." "But even Victoire knows when it's time for fun," Ted pointed out. "Why are you two so out of breath?" I asked warily. "Erm, probably best you didn't know," Teddy muttered, "So you can say you didn't know anything about it if you're asked." "We figured the library would be the best place to hide," Landon grinned, "We'll blend in with all the academic types, like you." I raised my eyebrows. "But you're a prefect." "Doesn't mean I can't have fun," Landon shrugged. "My dad was a prefect," Teddy said, "And he made plenty of trouble." "Anyway, you should find out what we did at any moment," Landon said. Teddy checked his watch. "Yup, anytime now." The two boys didn't say anything else and I went back to my book. I hadn't read two paragraphs when I heard a faint explosion in the distant. "Right on time," Teddy grinned as he stood up. The entire library erupted in chatter and half the people ran out of their chairs and towards the door. I followed Teddy and Landon, who were leading the pack. "This is a library!" Madam Pince shouted as we stormed out the door. I had no idea where we were going, but I followed Teddy and Landon until they reached the Charms classroom. They came to an abrupt halt in front of it. There was already a crowd of students in front of the room and most of them were laughing hysterically. "What did you do?" I whispered to Teddy. I couldn't see a thing with everyone standing in front of me. I realized within a few days of being at Hogwarts that I was one of the shortest, if not the shortest, person in the fourth year. It didn't help that most of the people in front of me were sixth and seventh years. "Portable swamp," Teddy whispered, "Right in Washburn's room. Bit of a specialty of George Weasley." I gaped at him and then squeezed my way to the front of the crowd so I could see. When I finally managed to see it, I let out a loud gasp. The Charms classroom had been turned into a swamp. There were various plants throughout the room and every inch of the floor was covered in a thick layer of mud. It was unbelievable. The swamp was one thing, but to put it in Washburn's room? Even I knew that he was the foulest professor in the school and I had only been there for two months. It was common knowledge that a good, healthy fear of Professor Washburn was necessary for survival at Hogwarts. Teddy and Landon apparently did not have that fear. "What's going on here?" someone shouted. The group immediately dispersed and someone grabbed my arm. I saw that it was Teddy and looked at him questioningly. "Filch," he muttered, "Don't want to be caught near that room when Filch is around. He's the caretaker and worse than Washburn when it comes to anger. Some say he's senile and others say he's just mad. Whatever it is, it's best not to be near him." I nodded and kept running. We didn't stop until we reached the Fat Lady's portrait. Landon shouted the password and we ran inside, followed by what looked to be at least a quarter of Gryffindor house. Everyone started clapping when the portrait closed and Teddy and Landon both took enormous bows. I got the feeling that they were the resident mischief makers and apparently everyone seemed to know that they were responsible for the swamp. "Let's just hope that he can't get rid of it by Monday and Charms is canceled!" Teddy shouted. Half the people in the room, presumably the ones who had Charms on Monday, shouted with excitement and continued to congratulate Teddy and Landon. I collapsed into a nearby chair and grinned as I watched the two boys run around the room. That had been more fun than I'd had in ages. I wasn't really one to pull pranks at school, but it was certainly fun to watch them take place. Teddy and Landon hadn't even gotten caught, which was amazing. They must have had good practice. It wasn't until the shouting and excitement began to calm down that I realized that I left all of my books in the library.
DucksRMagical Joined: 28 December 2006 Posts: 2375 Location: Going through LeakyCon withdrawal	Posted: Sunday 7 June 2009 11 20 12 am    Post subject: Re: In Moonlight's Shadow in topic:In Moonlight's Shadow Thanks hprocks! Chapter 49: In the Hospital Wing I was at the library bright and early on Saturday morning. The place was pretty much deserted when I got there. The only person in the quiet room was the ancient librarian. She looked just like she had when we visited Hogwarts months ago. She looked up when I shut the door and glared at me as I walked over to a table. It looked to me like she was just itching to demand why I was there at such an early hour. I ignored her and found a secluded table in the back. I had no idea what time the library started to fill up and didn't really want anyone to see me. It didn't take me long to crank out Torro's werewolf essay. I didn't even bother to look up any facts in any books. I just used what I already knew. Before I even realized it, I had two and a half feet of parchment scrawled on with tiny printing. I wrapped up the essay with a three inch conclusion and set it aside. It would probably be the easiest assignment I would have the entire year. Then it was time to play catch up. After a week of classes, I had had at least one lesson in all my subjects and realized I was quite behind in a few of them. I wished that all the schools would just coordinate curricula; it would make life so much easier. I was behind in Charms and Transfiguration. I was really behind in History of Magic. I would have been behind in Astronomy if it hadn't been for the fact that I spent weeks researching the Northern night sky before we moved. I was actually ahead in Ancient Runes, Potions, and Herbology, although I had a feeling I was only ahead in Potions because I spent so much time outside of school brewing. I also would have been behind in Defense and Care of Magical Creatures if it weren't for Dad teaching me so much about them. I found text books for Charms and Transfiguration, as well as what might as well have been an entire set of encyclopedias' worth of History of Magic books. I grabbed my quill and a fresh roll of parchment and settled down to read my huge stack of books. "There you are, Eckerton," someone said. I jumped and I knocked my ink bottle onto my notes. Merlin! I groaned and started to siphon off the ink with my wand. Then I looked up to see who had found me. It was Monica. Monica Kramer. I had been avoiding her for the past two days. Whenever she was in the dormitory, I went to the common room, and vice versa. The only time we were together was at night and during classes, and I liked it that way. Victoire Weasley was standing behind her, looking slightly uncomfortable. "What do you want," I crossed my arms across my chest. "Your werewolf essay," she sat down across from me. She looked down at the table and picked it up. "Give that back!" I snatched it out of her hands. "You finished it," Monica gaped, "And it's longer than Torro wanted." "Yeah, so?" "So you have to let me copy it!" Monica replied, "It's your fault we have to do this stupid bloody essay!" "No way," I said, "Now could you please just leave me alone?" "I told you not to do this," Victoire muttered. Monica whipped her head around and looked at Victoire. "I'll do what I want. And this freak is the reason I have extra homework!" "Freak?" I seethed, "And what exactly makes me a freak, Kramer?" "Your love for werewolves, Eckerton," Monica turned back around. "Are you serious, Monica?" Victoire looked astonished, "Because if you are, then I must be a freak, too." "You're different," Monica sighed. "No, I don't really see that I am," Victoire said, "You know what? I'll see you later, Monica. And you can find someone else to help you with your essay." Victoire turned and left, with Monica gaping at the spot she used to stand. She then looked back at me. "Well, look at that, Eckerton. You got my best friend mad at me." "Just leave," I muttered. I had way too much studying to do to put up with her. I looked at my watch. It was just after noon and I hadn't even started on my actual homework. I was still on the first book I had to read, too. "No, I want you to help me with my essay since you're the werewolf expert," Monica said. "Go away!" I shouted a bit too loudly. "Quiet!" Madam Pince shouted, "This is a library!" "Fine!" Monica glared at me, "I'll leave. Everything you know about werewolves is probably wrong anyway." Monica got up and ran out of the library, slamming the door behind her. Madam Pince shouted after her, but she probably didn't even hear the scolding. I picked up my quill and resumed my reading, but I couldn't concentrate. I didn't understand how Victoire could put up with Monica. So far, Victoire seemed nice enough. I spent the rest of the day in the library and luckily had no more visits from Monica. I managed to read a good bit of the Charms book and put a dent in the History of Magic reading. I took a break before dinner and wandered around the castle for a bit, but went back to studying after dinner. The next few weeks dragged by and I got into a routine. Ignoring and avoiding Monica was my top priority, so I spent most of my free time in the library. For someone who claimed to be so smart, she didn't frequent the place too often. I went to class and studied well into the evening. But it did become apparent that catching up wasn't as easy as I originally thought. After two weeks I was somewhat caught up in Charms and Transfiguration, but learning hundreds of years' worth of British magical history in two weeks was pretty much impossible. With the exception of Monica, the dormitory situation was going well. It was crowded, but the rest of the girls were nice. I soon learned that Samantha, Seren, and Alyssa were avid Quidditch fans, although Samantha was the only one with any skill in the sport. Much of their conversations revolved around Quidditch. They pretty much left me alone, which was nice. I hardly saw Victoire since she made up with Monica and avoiding Monica soon became avoiding Victoire as well. There were three people who actually paid attention to me. The first being Teddy Lupin. He made it a routine to say hello to me and ask me how I was whenever we passed each other in the common room or in the Great Hall. He seemed to be a smart and somewhat mischievous bloke who preferred to spend all his time on the Quidditch pitch than studying. Laney Hall continued to partner with me in Herbology and try to talk to me, but I found her rather annoying. She was just too hyper, in my opinion. However, I did prefer her company to Quinton Willinson's. Willinson's brief alliance during Defense didn't last long. He went right back to trying to compete with me in Potions and grew steadily angrier as I continued to beat him in every contest Slughorn set to us. Besides Potions, the only class I really enjoyed was Astronomy. The Astronomy professor, Professor Polo was a kind man who clearly had a love for the stars. It was quite relaxing to look out one of the school telescopes while he gave commentary on what was happening with all the celestial bodies. My third Astronomy lesson of the year took place the night of the full moon, which left me really distracted. I only half listened to Polo's lecture, which was about the unique opportunity we had in having class the night of the full moon. All I could think about was what was happening to my brother. It was kind of strange. I hadn't been at school for a full moon in months and I had sort of gotten used to it. Even though I was never home during them, I had gotten used to going home shortly after and seeing how my brother was. I had also begun to realize what sort of affect the transformations had on him. Since I was at school in Australia for most of the full moons prior to finding out I'd have to move, I never really knew exactly what went on. I was surprised to find out that I was actually really worried about the full moon. I had sent my family a letter the previous night and was hoping they'd let me know how the transformation went as soon as possible. I knew Matt had gotten through many full moons, but I couldn't shake the worry. I pointed my telescope towards the moon and stared at it until my eyes glazed over. I lifted my head up and blinked. I looked at my watch and saw that class was only half over. It was going by much slower than usual, probably partly because of the headache I'd been steadily been developing all evening. I was beginning to think that my late night studying was catching up to me. I was constantly tired and just wanted to go to bed. "What did you get on that werewolf essay?" Monica, who had unfortunately picked the telescope next to me, asked. "100," I muttered. Torro had given the essays back earlier. It certainly had taken him long enough to grade them. "Figures," Monica muttered, "Guess what I got." "Don't know, don't care," I said and stuck my eye back in my telescope. "I only got a 95." I personally didn't think a 95 was that bad, but I chose not to say anything else. "So, tonight's a full moon," Monica went on. Why she continued to talk despite her obvious hatred, was beyond me. "It's the night all the werewolves come out and attack people." I turned my head in surprise and knocked my eye into the telescope in the process. I winced at the pain and then glared at her. Why was she bringing that up? The werewolf project was long over and we weren't learning about any dark creatures in Defense class. Monica was looking at me with the smuggest look I had ever seen on her. It just made my blood boil despite the autumn chill that was in the air. "Yep, it's the one night that proves that werewolves are monsters and not people with a horrible disease," Monica continued. That was it. My head felt like someone was driving a rod into it and as far as I could tell, Monica was the one doing the driving. Everything she said increased my headache tenfold. I was sick of it. Sick of her. She's the one that kept bringing up the werewolf stuff. Why couldn't she just leave it alone? "You," I seethed, "Have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." "I do too," Monica said, "At this moment, some werewolf is probably attacking an innocent child." It felt like she had hit a Bludger into my stomach. I froze and just looked at her. She seemed to have known that she hit a nerve and smirked at me. "Just. Shut. Up," I growled. I couldn't take it anymore. If I kept listening to her, I was afraid I'd let something slip. I grabbed my bag and ran to the door, wrenching it open. "Miss Eckerton?" Polo asked. I didn't say anything and slammed the door behind me. I ran as fast as I could down the stairs and began to run towards Gryffindor Tower. Then I stopped. I couldn't go to Gryffindor. In less than a half an hour, Monica would be there. I turned around and ran in the opposite direction. I had no idea where I was going, but I couldn't go to Gryffindor. Monica would just taunt me again. Why did she have to mention a werewolf attacking a kid? I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut. I vividly saw an image of the werewolf attacking Matt and snapped them open again. I somehow wound up in front of the hospital wing and guessed it was because I must have wanted something for my headache. And my eye, which still hurt from ramming it with a telescope. I quietly opened the door and walked into the darkened ward. There was a stream of moonlight coming in through one of the windows and it was illuminating one of the beds. The nurse was nowhere in sight. I collapsed onto the illuminated bed and buried my head in the pillow. I didn't really feel like looking for the nurse. I was too exhausted. I thought of what was happening to Matt and let the resulting tears leak out of my eyes and be absorbed in the pillow. The pillow muffled my sobbing. Maybe I could just sleep there and leave before the nurse woke up in the morning. No one would have to know. My hospital wing trips at Australia were limited. In fact, I could count the number of times I'd been there on one hand. The first time was because someone in my first potions class had exploded his potion and some had landed on my arm and burned it. After that, I had gotten sick once in first year and once in second. Then I had to go there again because of an exploded potion and then once because I'd been hexed. I was never one of the kids who would go see the nurse every other day and ask for a potion for every little thing. I didn't want to become one of those kids at Hogwarts either, but I had no place else to go. If I slept in the common room again, I'd probably get yelled at by a prefect. "Is someone out there?" someone said. I froze and stopped sobbing. I was caught. So much for slipping away before the nurse found me. I sat up and looked towards where the voice was coming from. The lights came on revealing Madam Pomfrey, whom I had met when we visited Hogwarts but hadn't seen since. She was a short and kind of chubby woman with a kind face that had a hint of sternness to it. She walked slowly over to my bed and paused at the foot of it. She gave me a curious look and waited for me to say something. "Er, hi," I sniffled and wiped my eyes. "Hello," she smiled, "You're Amy Eckerton, aren't you?" I nodded. "Uh-huh." Madam Pomfrey sat down on the end of the bed and looked at me like she was waiting for me to say something else. I really didn't know what else to say, except that I might like a headache potion. "What's wrong, dear?" she asked after a while. Everything, I thought. Nothing was going right. "I- I don't know," I said, afraid that if I elaborated, I'd start crying again. "Well, let me heal that bruise near your eye," she replied as she pulled out her wand, "What happened?" I guess my eye looked worse than I thought, if she noticed it without me saying anything. "Banged it on a telescope," I muttered as she tapped her wand to my eyebrow. It immediately felt better. "Were you in Astronomy?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she walked over to a cupboard. "Yeah," I said. She returned with a potion and told me to drink it. I recognized it as the pain potion Mum usually gave to Matt after full moons. I downed it in one gulp. "I always loved Astronomy," the nurse told me as she sat back down on the bed. "I do, too," I sighed, wishing the class hadn't been ruined by Monica. "I sense there's something else troubling you," she said quietly, "You look too miserable for someone who just got her head knocked into a telescope." I bit my lip and looked down at the blanket. I started messing with a loose thread and then looked back up at Madam Pomfrey. She was just sitting on the bed, waiting for me to say something. "I-" I began, not sure what I wanted to tell her, or even if I wanted to tell her anything. "It's just hard to catch up on everything. I mean, I know nothing about British history of magic and I've been trying to read about five books on the subject as fast as I can, so I've been getting no sleep. Plus, I'm trying to catch up in Charms and Transfiguration, too. I've had a headache since dinner and had to stay up for Astronomy, which I normally love, but just wanted to skip tonight. But I can't skip any classes." "Yes, that would be hard," the nurse sighed, "You might find it more productive to spread out your studying instead of trying to learn everything as soon as possible." "I guess," my voice cracked, "But I already failed the first History of Magic exam! There was so much stuff on it that I should have learned last year." "You'll do better on the next one," she assured me, "And you don't want to study so hard that you're too tired for Astronomy, especially if it's something you really enjoy." "It wouldn't matter," I said shortly, "Astronomy is not going to be any fun because there's this girl who has been driving me mad. She's in my dormitory so she's in all my classes. She's why I ran out of Astronomy tonight, not because of my eye. She just kept saying stuff that made me want to hex her. Not that I ever wood," I said quickly. Madam Pomfrey smiled, "I know you wouldn't. She's just one of those girls who knows how to get to you." I nodded. "She just doesn't understand anything!" I said as my eyes began to water. "I was just minding my own business and doing what Polo told us to and she just started talking to me. I was already tired and my head hurt and I was worried about," I paused and glanced out the window at the bright full moon, "Other things." Madam Pomfrey followed my gaze and then looked at me knowingly. "Ah. Now I understand." I stared at her. Then it hit me; she already knew about Matt. We had met her when we visited Hogwarts and Kendrick had told her. Going to school at Hogwarts was not going to be like Australia. I didn't have to hide everything from everyone. There was someone I could talk to about Matt. "You're worried about your brother," she continued. I nodded and silent tears began to stream down my cheeks. I hastily wiped them away. "It's ok to be worried," Madam Pomfrey assured me, "I'd think it strange if you weren't." "Sh-she hates werewolves," I said, not really sure why I was telling the nurse all of this, "The girl who I was talking about. In Astronomy, she was telling me that tonight was the night all the werewolves came out and attacked people. She s-said that a werewolf was attacking an innocent ch-child r-right now." "Oh, Amy," Madam Pomfrey got up and sat down right next to me. She put her arm around my shoulder and rubbed my back, "I'm so sorry she did that." "She doesn't understand," I wailed, "Matt was the innocent child who got attacked." "She doesn't know about that," Madam Pomfrey said quietly. "I know," I sobbed, "But I've almost told her. A few times. In Defense class and tonight. I don't want her to know, but I just wish she'd stop bringing up the topic of werewolves." "She won't find out," Madam Pomfrey assured me, "Now would you like to spend the night here?" I nodded, grateful that I wouldn't have to return to my dormitory that night. "Thanks." "Not a problem," she smiled, and got up to return to her room. I climbed under the covers, still in my robes, and curled up into a ball. I stared out the window and watched the moon. Despite my fatigue, it took me a long time to fall asleep. Madam Pomfrey made no mention of our talk in the morning, which I was grateful for. I didn't normally spill my guts like that, but I had just felt so awful. I felt somewhat better that morning, but was still anxious for a letter from my parents. I was very relieved to find that Monica had already left the dormitory when I went there to get my books before class. I wondered if there was any way I could switch dormitories. The letter from my parents arrived at dinner, which resulted in quite a few odd looks from the people sitting closest to me. Apparently it was customary to receive mail at brekkie at Hogwarts. I detached the letter from Jasper's leg, gave him a pat on the head, and watched as he soared out the nearest window. I shoveled a few more bites of dinner into my mouth and then ran all the way back to the common room to read it. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I read that Matt was ok. Sure, it was going to take a few days for him to recover, but his transformation hadn't been any worse than normal. Mum also told me that Dad was starting to get the hang of working the microwave. He had only exploded one thing that week. I laughed as I shoved the letter in my pocket, wishing I had been there to see the look on Dad's face when he had so much success with it.
Distortia Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 626 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Sunday 17 May 2009 09 51 04 pm    Post subject: Re: Publishing Links in topic:Publishing Links Wicked! You have been published, and what a good article! There are so many people who live on camps/bases all over the world and never get out to explore the true culture of the countries they are in, and it drives me nuts. Although some places are more dangerous than others. eg. Africa... I have friends of family who work for mining companies and live in camps, but YOU are a military son! wow.... so cool to learn something new. And a picture too! :) Thanks so much for sharing. I've been wondering what people look like, and making it up a great deal. Lol.. mostly I've been picturing people animated, as in, an animation! Japanese anime actually! Likening people to characters in various shows I watch. Thanks again for sharing that, and keep up the good work! Journalism is a great way to branch out with your writing! :)
Distortia Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 626 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Friday 15 May 2009 08 18 28 pm    Post subject: Re: The Six Wizards in topic:The Six Wizards Subject: RPG: The Six Wizards salemboy wrote: Damien looked out at the mountains. In the last order of events, his heartrate had tripled. Ouki was beautiful. Everything about her, her eyes, her face, her hair. Damien couldn't believe he was so lucky, that a woman this beautiful would fall for him. He continued looking out at the mountains. He knew the sun would rise soon. They'd have to kill a bit of time before the theater opened. But he didn't want to kill time anywhere near the hideout or a city. Hmmm, then an idea came to him. "Hey, guys. We can't go to the movie just yet. It's too early in the morning, but I know a great place we can kill time. Wanna go?" [No, it's not a tree.] Hang on.. .consistency check!!! We have only just gathered at 830pm, in which time we had to sort out Neko, listen to Inu's speech, and have a fight. Plus, Ouki said this in only a few posts back while she was in her room... "Ouki walked picked up a woollen sweater (jumper) and pulled it over her head. She walked across her room, opened her bedside drawer and pulled out a package of cigarettes. She took one out and placed it between her lips. She put the package back in the drawer and pulled out a lighter that was the shape of the Eifel Tower. Pocketing the lighter, and checking that her wand was in the other pocket, she lifted the shade on her window and climbed out into the street. She leaned against the wall, lit up and breathed deeply. She let out the smoke slowly, spiralling it by flicking her tongue. She let the rest of her breath out in a long sigh. The street was oddly quiet for... she checked her watch. Nine o'clock. But then she heard voices coming out of the alley." Should it be a little later than that? Like maybe midnight? Then they could go to the midnight showing, or a movie marathon where there are 3 movies in a row. They could even fall asleep in the theatre, and return to the hideaway in the early hours of the morning. Ouki could even rest her head on Damien's shoulder. It is important that they all get some sleep. Although I would LOVE to write a story about Vampires sometime too! All in good time. So.. I suggest we edit my post to say 11:33pm, and Salemboy, you should edit your post to say, "If we hurry, we could make it for the movie marathon. Three movies in a row, and it starts at midnight. " Also, I think Damien should at least voice to himself how he feels about Ouki flirting with his best friend! lol! So that's my thoughts. Oh ya, Fawkes was waiting for me to say something? Where is the post? Last I checked the last post was a thought? No wait, I've read it again... LOL okay will post for Inu! :) (and here's me pointing out that my post wasn't read properly! I'm one to talk! ha... ) Just wanted to say, LOVE YA WORK GUYS! (That means, I love your work, as in, your literary genius) xx
Distortia Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 626 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Wednesday 13 May 2009 06 45 01 am    Post subject: Re: RPG: The Six Wizards in topic:RPG: The Six Wizards: First Warning Ouki walked picked up a woollen sweater (jumper) and pulled it over her head. She walked across her room, opened her bedside drawer and pulled out a package of cigarettes. She took one out and placed it between her lips. She put the package back in the drawer and pulled out a lighter that was the shape of the Eifel Tower. Pocketing the lighter, and checking that her wand was in the other pocket, she lifted the shade on her window and climbed out into the street. She leaned against the wall, lit up and breathed deeply. She let out the smoke slowly, spiralling it by flicking her tongue. She let the rest of her breath out in a long sigh. The street was oddly quiet for... she checked her watch. Eleven thirty-three at night. But then she heard voices coming out of the alley. "So you like her.... " it was Damien's voice. Ouki listened to every word. She smiled, and laughed quietly to herself. Buta and Damien emmerged from the alley, but they didn't see her right away. Damien's back was to Ouki, and Buta was staring at Damien like he had gone half mad. Ouki caught Buta's eye, and winked. "Hey Damien! Talking to yourself again?" Ouki chimed. Damien turned around defensively. "Whoa!" Ouki held her cigarette in the air. "I've had enough fighting for tonight. Where are you guys off to? I could use a drink. Those pain killers you gave me are wearing off." Ouki folded her arms across her chest, waiting for the boys to reply.
Distortia Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 626 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Monday 11 May 2009 05 20 20 pm    Post subject: Re: RPG: The Six Wizards in topic:RPG: The Six Wizards: First Warning Ouki hesitated. She wanted so much to prove to Inu that she would be right here with him, to the very end of her life. Wasn't it enough that they all gave up everything to be here? She looked around at the others. They were all committed to him, she was sure, but they were also criminally minded, and as such could not be trully trusted. What could she and Inu offer to make them commit by blood oath? What could they say that would make them wish to do the bidding of the group mentality instead of just their own ambitions. Ouki wondered. She thought back to when she had first met Inu, and how she was so young and so impressionable. She closed her eyes. ******************************************************* She was on holidays with her family at a lake, and her parents and sisters didn't notice that she had gotten caught in a current near the river mouth. She was dragged off for miles, Her little body scrapping and breaking along the rocks. She fought for her life, the water was cold and it burned her throat and lungs. She was dying, but the water relentlessly dragged her down stream. Her vision was all water, and then it became darker, like she was sinking into a deeper abis. That's when she felt the pull. She was yanked back into life and thrown onto the grassy bank. She coughed and coughed and threw up, then rolled over weakly and let the hot sun warm her face. She squeezed her eyelids once, twice and then fluttered them open and saw that the sun was no longer shining; someone was blocking it. Weak as she was she tried to back away. "I'm not going to hurt you." the voice was almost kind. "It's not your turn to die. Today." Ouki squinted her eyes, trying to focus. It was a boy, about the same age as her. He was soaking wet, the water dripped off his shoulder length black hair. He knelt down beside her. "What was it like?" he asked, staring into her eyes. Ouki tried to move. Her whole body ached. "I... I can't move." she croaked. Inu kept staring at her. "Tell me, what was it like, to almost die like that?" Inu acted like he hadn't even heard her. Ouki felt her heart crushing. "Please..." she squeaked, tears starting to form in her eyes, burning them. "I can't move, my whole body... I think my legs are broken." Ouki lifted her hands to reach out to the boy, and saw that her hands were cut up and seeping blood. The boy took one of her hands. Ouki froze. He held her hand between his hands. "So fragile." he muttered. He looked her over, assessing the damage. Then he looked at her face again. Ouki rolled her head so she didn't have to look at him. "Look at me." he commanded. Ouki closed her eyes, like a child who believes when she closes her eyes, the monsters can't get her. She was wrong. She felt herself being pulled up to a sitting positon. She cried out in pain. "Open. your. eyes. Ouki." the boy said pointedly. Ouki's eyes shot open. "How do you know my name?" she whispered. "You come here every summer. I know you." Ouki's blood ran cold when he said 'I know you and not, I know who you are. How could this boy know her? "You are not like your sisters. You are strong, independent, smart, and you're bored. You've also got a secret." the boy whispered the last. Ouki paused, her mouth was so parched. The boy held her in his arms. "What secret?" She breathed. She felt so dizzy. She was loosing so much blood. "You like to watch things die." the boy's eyes widened and he smiled. Ouki's eyes widened too. "How..." she tried to say. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she nearly passed out. She felt her cheeks being slapped. She refocused. "come on! Pay attention!" The boy kept patting at her cheeks until she brought up one hand and grabbed his wrist. Pure adrenaline. He laughed. "Now there's a fiesty girl!" he said. She held his wrist firm still. "I've seen you, Ouki. You do it. You go out into the forest, you find creatures and you start it. You feed them poison, you cut them, you break them, and you watch them die. You listen to them scream. I listen to them too." Ouki continued to listen to the boy. "who are you?" she asked. "My name is Chi Inu." he bowed his head politely. then he set about talking once more. "Was it quiet?" "What?" "The water. Nearly dying. Was it quiet?" "It was.... it was sort of peaceful.... it hurt so much, but then, it just started getting dark." Ouki tried to drag the memory out. "All that pain. And you didn't make a sound. You were like a rag doll, being tossed around. You didn't look alive. Imagine! Suffering all that pain. And you never made a sound." Inu stood up and looked around. "Come on." he said, and he scooped her up like she was lighter than air. Ouki fell asleep as Inu carried her up the ridge. She woke up in a hospital bed, both legs in casts and an iv drip in her hand.Unfortunately, even a magical hospital still had to set your bones back in place, even if they did manage to heal faster than muggle medicine knew how. Her mother stirred beside her. "Oh Ouki! My sweet! Oh God! Baby don't move. You've been through so much. Are you alright?" her mother threw herself across Ouki's chest, hugging her. Ouki set her hands on her mothers back, hesitantly. "Where's Chi?" she asked. "Who?" her mother said, pulling away and grabbing some tissue. "The boy who saved me?" "Oh, well they.. well they just brought you back to the campground, and then we rushed you to the hospital and I..." "I want to see him. What did he tell you?" Ouki tried to sit up a bit more, but was still so weak. "I don't know who you mean, sweetie. There was no boy, only a man and a woman in a truck. Maybe this boy was their son. But he didn't come back with you." her mother eyed her with concern. "So... no one said anything?" "Other than that they found you on the side of the river half dead? I think that was enough, don't you??" her mother was becoming hysterical. "It's okay mom. It's ok." Ouki let her head fall back. She pondered what Chi had said, about the silence. Ouki's dreams for every night after that day in the river were of the silent pain she had suffered. At first it sent her screaming into consciousness, and then it changed her. She began to study it, to test it, and to master it. The dreams helped her focus on inflicting that pain on everything else. It wasnt' until she had drowned her older sisters cat that her family really knew what she was. She was home for Christmas when she found the cat had eaten her fighting fish. So... she killed him slowly. Using her magic to fill his nose, his mouth, and ears with water until he convulsed and spasmed and slipped away. Her sister walked in as she was doing it. She never recovered from what she saw. Her mother screamed and screamed and cried and cried. "How could you be such a monster?!!!" she wailed. "I've always been a monster!" Ouki screamed back. That day she left home. That day, she set out to find Chi Inu. She knew he would accept her. She found him, and he encouraged her skill. She started taking human lives. There was no turning back. Not that there was a place where mom and dad's little princess was real - ever.
choki Joined: 1 May 2003 Posts: 3160 Location: Riding a black chocobo	Posted: Sunday 10 May 2009 02 29 45 am    Post subject: Re: RPG: The Six Wizards in topic:RPG: The Six Wizards: First Warning Lugging the big bag of snacks for the trip, Buta waited patiently for the gang to show up on the bus. But when none showed up in the designated time, Buta grew anxious. Did everyone left without him? Did he miss the time? He searched for his pocket watch and heaved a sigh of relief. He was not late. Then it struck him. Could he had gotten the time wrong? They must have left on a different mode of transport. Buta quickly raced down the bus and apparated into the house. "Where is everybody?" Buta said loudly as the hallway lights dimmed out. A distinct mixed smell of blood and potions waved in from the kitchen. That could only meant blood from Neko and potions from Damien. He must be treating her now. Then several loud sounds of object trashing came from Inu's room. Buta entered Inu's room just as he flung a porcelain vase across the room. "Who did it?" asked Buta with an eerie glow in his eyes.
salemboy Joined: 20 May 2008 Posts: 1373 Location: RPG'ing like there's no tomorrow	Posted: Sunday 10 May 2009 12 01 28 am    Post subject: Re: RPG: The Six Wizards in topic:RPG: The Six Wizards: First Warning Damien threw all three potions into the water, and said, "Thanks, that saved time." He watched as a vapor began to rise fromt the pot. Damien pulled out a vial, and captured some of the vapor into it. Then as he rushed back to Neko, he said to Kaba, "After this I need to talk to you. But first, could you do me a favor and use these vials to capture as much vapor as possible? Thank you!" He gave her five vials and headed over to where Neko was at. Undoing the stopper, he held the vial under her nose, allowing for her to breathe the vapor in. When it was all gone, he called, "Ouki, I need another vial!" As she was coming, he said to Inu, "The potion will take an hour or two to heal her completely, probably longer if she has internal bleeding. She is in no shape to walk, let alone fight. I'll have to watch her to make sure that nothing bad happens you guys can't handle. That's two people who can't go on the trip tonight, and I normally heal you guys. Inu, we need to postpone the trip, or we'll have a very good chance of being killed tonight."
salemboy Joined: 20 May 2008 Posts: 1373 Location: RPG'ing like there's no tomorrow	Posted: Saturday 9 May 2009 06 25 55 am    Post subject: Re: Next Generation 2 in topic:Next Generation 2 Damien closed the door quietly behind him. He had taken longer than he thought he had. Class was starting in ten minutes. Sighing, he walked back up to the Castle, and stood before the great oak doors. He really didn't want to teach today. Then, he realized that today was saturday. He didn't have to teach anybody today. Laughing at himself, he decided to take a walk on the grounds. As he walked on the grounds, he slowly recounted all of his current troubles: Nikolaus's Dark Magic, Geneve's Inheritance, Gwydion altogether, and, probably the toughest trouble, the Sadistic Six. Damien kicked a stone, hearing it clang against the wall. It was so hard to imagine. How did they get out of the prison? How long will it take for them to find him? How long will it take for them to strike? And probably the hardest question, what will he do when they do strike? Damien shook his head. He didn't want to think about that. So he looked up the castle. Hundreds, no thousands, of nooks and crannies cood be seen from just his vantage point. "I need some time alone," he thought to himself. So, he began climbing up the castle wall, up one of the towers. The climb was difficult, with Damien often having to hang on with one hand while he swung the rest of his body upwards. He found himself in a dilemma every ten feet or so. But as he climbed higher, it got easier. Cracks got larger, and Gargoyle's and windows aided his climb. Damien continued climbing, higher and higher, feeling the wind desperately try to throw him off, to kill him. But he perservered. He continued climbing, using everything possible, the cracks in the stone, the gargoyles on the walls, everything he could think of. Finally, he reached the top. He had chosen wisely, as he was on the top of the Astronomy tower, so he could see everything. He steadily climbed the roof to the spire, and once he reached it, sat down. He hadn't realized that he had climbed so high. It had all seemed a blur to him. Checking his watch Damien saw that it had taken only an hour. An amazing feat, considering the height of the Astronomy tower. Standing up, Damien saw all of the castle and grounds, and the students walking to and fro on them. Birds chirped and chimed as the flew past him. Taking a deep breathe, Damien closed his eyes, the sun beginning to beat across his back. Damien drew his wand, and said, "Accio Shakuhachi." Then he waited. After a few minutes, he heard the wooden instrument flying towards him, the wind whistling on its holes. Damien grasped it, and began playing. Not any normal song. No, he just played, note after note, taking few breathes in between, listening to the sound as it travelled over the grounds and deep into the forest. He played, and played. And as he played, a tear welled up in his eye. Then another, and another. He didn't try to fight them back as they fell down his face. He just continued playing, recounting his life in vivid detail. Tears continued falling as he remembered every single wrong he did, and every single thing he regretted. But it wasn't only that. No matter how hard he tried to forget it, how hard he tried to squash it, how hard he tried to deny it, he still had affection for Ouki Kaba, the woman who taught him to play the Shakuhachi. That was why he had never married, he couldn't forget about her, no matter how hard he tried. He had spent most of his time in prison moping, not because he was in jail, but because he had lost her. It had been heart-wrenching to fight her, and even more so to give her to the Ministry. It didn't matter that she was a murderer, he still felt affection for her. Now, as he played the Shakuhachi, he thought of her, knowing that sooner or later, he would have to fight her again, and win. So, he played the Shakuhachi, crying as he did so. As the sound played over the grounds and forest, he felt that somehow, Ouki heard them. Whether or not she felt the same way he did he could not feel.
Distortia Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 626 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Wednesday 6 May 2009 10 04 47 am    Post subject: Ouki wa Oboreru in topic:Ouki wa Oboreru This is a story about one of the Six Wizards and how she came to be committed to the leader of the gang, Chi Inu. It's a work in progress, but just wanted to share! Enjoy! It is a Harry Potter Fan Fiction because it is based in the time and world of Harry Potter, but it is also an original idea by Salemboy as well. The story of the six wizards has the makings of a seriously wicked Fan fiction! Also.. the title is supposed to say "Ouki drowns".. but I forget how to write my verbs in present tense?... if someone knows how to say that properly, please pm me so I can change it. Thanks! xx She was on holidays with her family at a lake, and her parents and sisters didn't notice that she had gotten caught in a current near the river mouth. She was dragged off for miles, Her little body scrapping and breaking along the rocks. She fought for her life, the water was cold and it burned her throat and lungs. She was dying, but the water relentlessly dragged her down stream. Her vision was all water, and then it became darker, like she was sinking into a deeper abis. That's when she felt the pull. She was yanked back into life and thrown onto the grassy bank. She coughed and coughed and threw up, then rolled over weakly and let the hot sun warm her face. She squeezed her eyelids once, twice and then fluttered them open and saw that the sun was no longer shining; someone was blocking it. Weak as she was she tried to back away. "I'm not going to hurt you." the voice was almost kind. "It's not your turn to die. Today." Ouki squinted her eyes, trying to focus. It was a boy, about the same age as her. He was soaking wet, the water dripped off his shoulder length black hair. He knelt down beside her. "What was it like?" he asked, staring into her eyes. Ouki tried to move. Her whole body ached. "I... I can't move." she croaked. Inu kept staring at her. "Tell me, what was it like, to almost die like that?" Inu acted like he hadn't even heard her. Ouki felt her heart crushing. "Please..." she squeaked, tears starting to form in her eyes, burning them. "I can't move, my whole body... I think my legs are broken." Ouki lifted her hands to reach out to the boy, and saw that her hands were cut up and seeping blood. The boy took one of her hands. Ouki froze. He held her hand between his hands. "So fragile." he muttered. He looked her over, assessing the damage. Then he looked at her face again. Ouki rolled her head so she didn't have to look at him. "Look at me." he commanded. Ouki closed her eyes, like a child who believes when she closes her eyes, the monsters can't get her. She was wrong. She felt herself being pulled up to a sitting positon. She cried out in pain. "Open. your. eyes. Ouki." the boy said pointedly. Ouki's eyes shot open. "How do you know my name?" she whispered. "You come here every summer. I know you." Ouki's blood ran cold when he said 'I know you and not, I know who you are. How could this boy know her. "You are not like your sisters. You are strong, independent, smart, and you're bored. You've also got a secret." the boy whispered the last. Ouki paused, her mouth was so parched. The boy held her in his arms. "What secret?" She breathed. She felt so dizzy. She was loosing so much blood. "You like to watch things die." the boy's eyes widened and he smiled. Ouki's eyes widened too. "How..." she tried to say. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she nearly passed out. She felt her cheeks being slapped. She refocused. "come on! Pay attention!" The boy kept patting at her cheeks until she brought up one hand and grabbed his wrist. Pure adrenaline. He laughed. "Now there's a fiesty girl!" he said. She held his wrist firm still. "I've seen you, Ouki. You do it. You go out into the forest, you find creatures and you start it. You feed them poison, you cut them, you break them, and you watch them die. You listen to them scream. I listen to them too." Ouki continued to listen to the boy. "who are you?" she asked. "My name is Chi Inu." he bowed his head politely. then he set about talking once more. "Was it quiet?" "What?" "The water. Nearly dying. Was it quiet?" "It was.... it was sort of peaceful.... it hurt so much, but then, it just started getting dark." Ouki tried to drag the memory out. "All that pain. And you didn't make a sound. You were like a rag doll, being tossed around. You didn't look alive. Imagine! Suffering all that pain. And you never made a sound." Inu stood up and looked around. "Come on." he said, and he scooped her up like she was lighter than air. Ouki fell asleep as Inu carried her up the ridge. She woke up in a hospital bed, both legs in casts and an iv drip in her hand.Unfortunately, even a magical hospital still had to set your bones back in place, even if they did manage to heal faster than muggle medicine knew how. Her mother stirred beside her. "Oh Ouki! My sweet! Oh God! Baby don't move. You've been through so much. Are you alright?" her mother threw herself across Ouki's chest, hugging her. Ouki set her hands on her mothers back, hesitantly. "Where's Chi?" she asked. "Who?" her mother said, pulling away and grabbing some tissue. "The boy who saved me?" "Oh, well they.. well they just brought you back to the campground, and then we rushed you to the hospital and I..." "I want to see him. What did he tell you?" Ouki tried to sit up a bit more, but was still so weak. "I don't know who you mean, sweetie. There was no boy, only a man and a woman in a truck. Maybe this boy was there son. But he didn't come back with you." her mother eyed her with concern. "So... no one said anything?" "Other than that they found you on the side of the river half dead? I think that was enough, don't you??" her mother was becoming hysterical. "It's okay mom. It's ok." Ouki let her head fall back. She pondered what Chi had said, about the silence. Ouki's dreams for every night after that day in the river were of the silent pain she had suffered. At first it sent her screaming into consciousness, and then it changed her. She began to study it, to test it, and to master it. The dreams helped her focus on inflicting that pain on everything else. It wasnt' until she had drowned her older sisters cat that her family really knew what she was. She was home for Christmas when she found the cat had eaten her fighting fish. So... she killed him slowly. Using her magic to fill his nose, his mouth, and ears with water until he convulsed and spasmed and slipped away. Her sister walked in as she was doing it. She never recovered from what she saw. Her mother screamed and screamed and cried and cried. "How could you be such a monster?!!!" she wailed. "I've always been a monster!" Ouki screamed back. That day she left home. That day, she set out to find Chi Inu. She knew he would accept her. She found him, and he encouraged her skill. She started taking human lives. There was no turning back. Not that there was a place where mom and dad's little princess was real -ever.
Distortia Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 626 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Wednesday 6 May 2009 09 54 47 am    Post subject: Re: The Six Wizards in topic:The Six Wizards Ahhhhhhhhhh... should be studying but Noooooo.... I just had to write! Sorry for bombing you with all this in pm, Salemboy! I was writing it in pm initially, then decided to rephrase for here, THEN i started writing a really good little blurb about Ouki. Hope u like everyone! I"m gonna put it in fan fic! yay!!! But first, some questions about the current status of the RPG... Salemboy: Any ideas for some tasty japanese food Ouki could find in the kitchen to snack on? I hate to be stereotypical and say 'nori- rolls' or 'teriake chicken' or 'tempura'.. or maybe that would do? Plus.. we need to create a moment where we can be drawn out to what's going on with inu... maybe we could have a police scanner going in the hideout, and hear about a disturbance that sounds Inu style? then the scene could swtich to Inu and Yuta and Neko fighting their way out of the cult situation. (with of course a build up to it first...) Q, would you like Inu to pull you out of there unconscious? Or would you like to fight with Inu on your way out? I reckon there's definately potential for a last minute retribution killing before we blow the place sky high... Also, Salemboy and i were discussing working out what draws each character to Inu, and why they are so devoted to him. I agreed to one suggestion that it might be good for each of us to come up with our own reason. Eg. In the middle of a kill, off the cuff comment by Buta could be "Of course Inu, I owe you my life!" to indicate that Inu had saved Buta's life or pulled him out of a bad situation at least. Ouki's will go back to when she was a child and nearly drowned. And her is my BLURB! hee hee! I had so much fun writing it.. still can't seem to stomach writing about torture.. when that movie hostel came out I was like.. no no no I can't handle it! but when I was younger, I was all for scary, blood and guts sort of movies. I guess when it can be real I get queezy... aw well! Good practice for entering into a genre I'm not familar with. Also, sorry for being so gushy... I've been reading Stephanie Meyer and of course it's all romance so now my writing is gearing that way. On with the killin'! yeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaa.......... xx She was on holidays with her family at a lake, and her parents and sisters didn't notice that she had gotten caught in a current near the river mouth. She was dragged off for miles, Her little body scrapping and breaking along the rocks. She fought for her life, the water was cold and it burned her throat and lungs. She was dying, but the water relentlessly dragged her down stream. Her vision was all water, and then it became darker, like she was sinking into a deeper abis. That's when she felt the pull. She was yanked back into life and thrown onto the grassy bank. She coughed and coughed and threw up, then rolled over weakly and let the hot sun warm her face. She squeezed her eyelids once, twice and then fluttered them open and saw that the sun was no longer shining; someone was blocking it. Weak as she was she tried to back away. "I'm not going to hurt you." the voice was almost kind. "It's not your turn to die. Today." Ouki squinted her eyes, trying to focus. It was a boy, about the same age as her. He was soaking wet, the water dripped off his shoulder length black hair. He knelt down beside her. "What was it like?" he asked, staring into her eyes. Ouki tried to move. Her whole body ached. "I... I can't move." she croaked. Inu kept staring at her. "Tell me, what was it like, to almost die like that?" Inu acted like he hadn't even heard her. Ouki felt her heart crushing. "Please..." she squeaked, tears starting to form in her eyes, burning them. "I can't move, my whole body... I think my legs are broken." Ouki lifted her hands to reach out to the boy, and saw that her hands were cut up and seeping blood. The boy took one of her hands. Ouki froze. He held her hand between his hands. "So fragile." he muttered. He looked her over, assessing the damage. Then he looked at her face again. Ouki rolled her head so she didn't have to look at him. "Look at me." he commanded. Ouki closed her eyes, like a child who believes when she closes her eyes, the monsters can't get her. She was wrong. She felt herself being pulled up to a sitting positon. She cried out in pain. "Open. your. eyes. Ouki." the boy said pointedly. Ouki's eyes shot open. "How do you know my name?" she whispered. "You come here every summer. I know you." Ouki's blood ran cold when he said 'I know you and not, I know who you are. How could this boy know her. "You are not like your sisters. You are strong, independent, smart, and you're bored. You've also got a secret." the boy whispered the last. Ouki paused, her mouth was so parched. The boy held her in his arms. "What secret?" She breathed. She felt so dizzy. She was loosing so much blood. "You like to watch things die." the boy's eyes widened and he smiled. Ouki's eyes widened too. "How..." she tried to say. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she nearly passed out. She felt her cheeks being slapped. She refocused. "come on! Pay attention!" The boy kept patting at her cheeks until she brought up one hand and grabbed his wrist. Pure adrenaline. He laughed. "Now there's a fiesty girl!" he said. She held his wrist firm still. "I've seen you, Ouki. You do it. You go out into the forest, you find creatures and you start it. You feed them poison, you cut them, you break them, and you watch them die. You listen to them scream. I listen to them too." Ouki continued to listen to the boy. "who are you?" she asked. "My name is Chi Inu." he bowed his head politely. then he set about talking once more. "Was it quiet?" "What?" "The water. Nearly dying. Was it quiet?" "It was.... it was sort of peaceful.... it hurt so much, but then, it just started getting dark." Ouki tried to drag the memory out. "All that pain. And you didn't make a sound. You were like a rag doll, being tossed around. You didn't look alive. Imagine! Suffering all that pain. And you never made a sound." Inu stood up and looked around. "Come on." he said, and he scooped her up like she was lighter than air. Ouki fell asleep as Inu carried her up the ridge. She woke up in a hospital bed, both legs in casts and an iv drip in her hand.Unfortunately, even a magical hospital still had to set your bones back in place, even if they did manage to heal faster than muggle medicine knew how. Her mother stirred beside her. "Oh Ouki! My sweet! Oh God! Baby don't move. You've been through so much. Are you alright?" her mother threw herself across Ouki's chest, hugging her. Ouki set her hands on her mothers back, hesitantly. "Where's Chi?" she asked. "Who?" her mother said, pulling away and grabbing some tissue. "The boy who saved me?" "Oh, well they.. well they just brought you back to the campground, and then we rushed you to the hospital and I..." "I want to see him. What did he tell you?" Ouki tried to sit up a bit more, but was still so weak. "I don't know who you mean, sweetie. There was no boy, only a man and a woman in a truck. Maybe this boy was there son. But he didn't come back with you." her mother eyed her with concern. "So... no one said anything?" "Other than that they found you on the side of the river half dead? I think that was enough, don't you??" her mother was becoming hysterical. "It's okay mom. It's ok." Ouki let her head fall back. She pondered what Chi had said, about the silence. Ouki's dreams for every night after that day in the river were of the silent pain she had suffered. At first it sent her screaming into consciousness, and then it changed her. She began to study it, to test it, and to master it. The dreams helped her focus on inflicting that pain on everything else. It wasnt' until she had drowned her older sisters cat that her family really knew what she was. She was home for Christmas when she found the cat had eaten her fighting fish. So... she killed him slowly. Using her magic to fill his nose, his mouth, and ears with water until he convulsed and spasmed and slipped away. Her sister walked in as she was doing it. She never recovered from what she saw. Her mother screamed and screamed and cried and cried. "How could you be such a monster?!!!" she wailed. "I've always been a monster!" Ouki screamed back. That day she left home. That day, she set out to find Chi Inu. She knew he would accept her. She found him, and he encouraged her skill. She started taking human lives. There was no turning back. Not that there was a place where mom and dad's little princess was real -ever.
DucksRMagical Joined: 28 December 2006 Posts: 2375 Location: Going through LeakyCon withdrawal	Posted: Tuesday 28 April 2009 12 02 00 pm    Post subject: Re: Life Is Good in topic:Life Is Good This is the last chapter! I hope everyone enjoyed it. Chapter 6: I Start My Journey Today [i]I start my journey today And I make my claim to fame Everything around me has changed ~Rainy Labor Day[/i], Jared Campbell "James, if you don't get out of bed this minute, I swear, I'll-" Ginny shouted up the stairs. "I'm up, I'm up!" James shouted back. Albus sighed and sat down on his trunk. He had been up since six and ready to go since seven. His trunk had been packed since the previous night, whereas James had not taken their mother's advice about packing early and was probably running around his room trying to locate his robes. "Ready, Al?" Harry asked as he walked into the drawing room. Albus nodded. "I think so. I mean, I've got everything...." Harry sat down next to his son and put his arm around him. "You're going to be fine, Al." "I know," Albus sighed. He didn't want to admit that he was nervous, but he was. Albus hadn't been that nervous when he got his letter. He had been excited. But for the past few days, he had become steadily more nervous. "Think about it this way," Harry began, "Most of your cousins are already at Hogwarts. It'll be like staying at the Burrow with everybody, only none of us adults." Albus laughed. He hadn't really thought about that. It would be nice to be away from all his aunts and uncles and parents. The freedom would be nice. "There are teachers, you know," Albus pointed out. "Yes, Al, I do know that," Harry laughed, "But you'll have fun. You'll make new friends and have your cousins there. In fact, you'll probably get sick of them." Albus sort of doubted that. He never got sick of his large and boisterous family. There was never a dull moment. "I'm ready!" James shouted as he shoved his trunk into the room. It collided with a table and knocked a vase off, which promptly crashed onto the floor. "Oops. Sorry, Dad." "It's ok," Harry smirked and repaired the vase with a wave of his wand, "Ginny! Lily! Let's go!" A little while later, Albus was standing in front of King's Cross station. He took a deep breath and helped his dad load his trunk onto a trolley. After James had his own trolley, the five of them walked into the station. He could do this. Hogwarts was exciting. James and his cousins had fun there. Nothing to be worried about. Well, nothing besides winding up in Slytherin. If he could just get through the sorting, everything would be fine. "You first, James," Ginny said once they reached Platform 9 3/4. James casually pushed his trolley into the barrier between platforms nine and ten and then disappeared. Ginny and Lily followed him. "Together, Al?" Harry asked. Albus nodded and he and Harry walked towards the barrier. Albus closed his eyes and disappeared from the Muggle world. This was it. Hogwarts. His new home for the next seven years. ****** Matt opened his eyes stopped walking. He had gone through the barrier to Platform 9 3/4 a few times before, but the idea of walking through a brick wall still scared him a bit. The platform was already crowded. People were running all over the place, chasing loose cats and children alike. It seemed more chaotic than it had when just Amy had gone to Hogwarts the previous years. "This is it," Amy said from behind him. Matt turned around and saw his sister pushing her trolley away from the barrier. She had a huge grin on her face. "Is it always this crowded?" Matt asked. "Yeah," Amy laughed, "Nervous?" Matt nodded and Amy put her arm around him. "You're going to be fine." Matt wasn't so sure about that. He couldn't remember a time when he had been more nervous. Well, that wasn't true. There were some occasions that had been more nerve wracking. But this came close. He was not used to being around so many strangers. He was not used to being away from his parents. He was definitely not used to living away from home, where he only knew one person. What if he didn't even get Sorted into Gryffindor? Then he wouldn't even be near Amy. Amy said he would probably be in Gryffindor, but what if he wasn't? Not all siblings were put in the same houses. He didn't think he could handle not being in the same house as his sister. "Matt, honey, are you all right?" Julie put her hand on his shoulder. He jumped and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered. He wished the first day wasn't so close to the full moon. Going to Hogwarts for the first time only a few days before the full moon wasn't exactly his idea of fun. But he knew he was going to have to get used to things happening around full moons. At home, everything revolved around when the moon became full, but that wouldn't be the case at Hogwarts. Better to just get used to it now. "Maybe they should just find an empty compartment," Walter suggested quietly, "Before they're all full." "Good idea," Julie agreed, "Amy, could you help your dad with the trunks and go find a compartment?" Walter and Amy took the two trolleys and disappeared into the crowd. Julie led Matt over to a somewhat quieter part of the platform and looked at him. "I know you're scared," she said, "But you can do this. You're strong." Matt nodded, although he hadn't ever thought of himself as strong before. He knew he had to do this and he wanted to, despite the nerves. "Remember, we're only an owl or a a Floo message away," Julie assured him, "If you ever need us, just go see Madam Pomfrey. She'll get us. Any time, day or night." "I know," Matt nodded. Julie wrapped him in a tight hug. "I just can't believe you're going to school. Time has gone so fast." "I'll miss you, Mum," Matt hugged her back. "I'll miss you, too," Julie sniffed, "I love you." "We've got a compartment," Amy said as she and Walter walked up to them, "We'd better go if we want to keep it, though." Matt walked alongside his mum as they made their way back to the train. They stopped right in front of one of the doors. "Bye, Matt. I love you," Walter gave him a hug, "We'll see you soon. Owl us and tell us what house you're in." "Bye, Dad," Matt bit his lip as he hugged him. Julie hugged Matt once more as soon as Walter let him go and went to say goodbye to Amy. Matt noticed she was crying as they broke apart, which made it harder for him to hold back his own tears. "Look after him, Amy," Julie said as she hugged her daughter, "I love you." "I will, Mum," Amy replied, "Love you, too." "Remember to go see Madam Pomfrey if you need anything," Julie said one last time, "And remember to go see her for your potions." "I will," Matt said. Both of his parents gave him one last hug and then waved as he followed Amy onto the train. "Well, this is it," Amy said quietly as they began to walk down the corridor. She put her arm around his shoulder. Matt nodded. This was what he had been waiting for for years. He could do it. Amy would help him. He wiped his eyes and let Amy lead him to their compartment. ****** "This is mental, completely mental," Henry Tagger muttered. "It's what Professor Longbottom said to do!" Sarah Tagger pointed out. Amanda sighed. Her parents had been whispering to each other about the process of getting to Platform 9 3/4 for the past ten minutes. Amanda thought it was pretty straightforward. You run straight into the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Not that complicated. A bit nerve wracking, but not complicated. She didn't understand why her parents had to talk about it for ten minutes. "Can we just go?" Amanda tapped her foot, "I'm going to miss the train." "I am not running into a solid brick wall," Jen said adamantly, "We'll all wind up in a mental institution." "I'll do it!" Max started running towards the wall. "No, you won't," Henry held him back. "Everyone's staring at us," Jen hissed, "Can't we just get out of here?" "No!" Amanda said a little too loudly, "Why don't you just trust him?" "Because I tend not listen when people tell me to run into walls, Amanda," Henry said. "Hi," someone said from behind Amanda. She turned around and saw a tall, dark haired boy with a huge grin on his face. He was pushing a trolley that had a trunk and an owl on it. Behind him were three little girls, a man, and a woman. "Hi," Amanda replied, "Are you, er, a," she whispered the last word, "Wizard?" John laughed. "Of course! You think a Muggle would have an owl on their trolley?" "Er, no, I guess," Amanda shrugged, "Listen, are you really supposed to run into the barrier? That's what Professor Longbottom told us, but my parents don't believe him." "Yes," John laughed even harder, "You must be Muggle-born." "Yeah," Amanda nodded. "Look, my parents and sisters can go first and then maybe your parents will believe it," John said. "It's easy," the woman, who must have been John's mother said as she herded two of the little girls towards the brick wall, "But take it at a run if you're afraid." They walked straight through the wall and disappeared. Amanda rubbed her eyes and then stared at where they used to be. She had believed Professor Longbottom, but it was still a bit shocking to see someone walk through a seemingly solid wall. "Now will you let me go?" Amanda asked. "I suppose," Henry sighed, "But I'm going first." Amanda watched as her dad cautiously approached the barrier. She thought he should just run through it like John's mum had suggested. Instead, he touched the brick, shook his head, and then slowly walked through. Then he was gone. Sarah let out a gasp and ran towards the barrier. She looked frantically back at John's dad, who was smirking and shaking his head. "He's fine," John's dad said. "Can I please go now?" Amanda said impatiently. "Fine," Sarah sighed, "We'll follow you." "I will not," Jen muttered. Amanda ignored her sister's bickering and maneuvered her trolley to face the barrier. She grinned at John, who had moved his own trolley next to hers, and began running. John ran next to her and the brick wall became closer and closer. Amanda's heart sped up, but she wasn't nervous. It was more of an excited nervous. With one last glance back at her white-faced mother, Amanda closed her eyes and ran through the barrier. ****** John burst through the barrier and slowed down once he realized he was through it. He turned and saw Amanda gawking at the wall and laughed at her pale face. "What do you think?" he asked. "That was brilliant," Amanda grinned. "Thank God," Amanda's father hugged her. Amanda rolled her eyes. John waited with Amanda as the rest of her family came through the wall. Her little brother looked even more excited than Amanda had as he came through. Her mother looked ready to pass out and her sister looked stunned. Next came John's dad with his youngest sister. He of course didn't look fazed in the slightest that he just came through a solid wall. "Is this normal for the wizarding world?" Amanda asked. "Sure is," John told her. "Whoa, that bloke has a snake!" Amanda's little brother shouted and ran off towards an older student who had a green snake wrapped around his neck. "Maxwell!" Amanda's mum shouted and ran after him. Henry gestured for John to help him with his trunk, and Amanda and her dad followed. They got the trunks loaded onto the train and then rejoined the rest of the group. The adults exchanged introductions and greetings while John's little sisters ran around the platform. "Have you ever been to Hogwarts?" Amanda asked. "Nope," John replied, "But my parents went there and it's absolutely brilliant." John couldn't wait to get on the train and go. He hadn't even been able to sleep that night out of excitement. The closer September first had gotten, the slower time had seemed to pass and it seemed like it had been an eternity since he had received his letter. Now that the day had finally arrived, all he wanted to do was get on the train. It's not like his parents were paying much attention to him anyway. They were talking with Amanda's parents while trying to keep an eye on his sisters. He and Amanda could probably get on the train without them even noticing. Well, maybe Amanda's parents would notice. They'd seemed pretty protective about her even getting on the platform. John glanced at his watch. "Ten minutes until the train leaves. We should probably get on." "I guess so," Amanda said quietly. John watched as she went to say goodbye to her family. She had been so excited before, but now she was quiet. Maybe she wasn't as excited about leaving her family as he was. "Have fun, John," Henry gave him a hug and then clapped him on the back, "Don't make too much trouble. Love you." "I won't, Dad," John grinned, "Love you, too." "Oh, Johnny!" Jan squeezed him tight, "I'm going to miss you. I love you and owl us as soon as you find out what house you're in." "I will," John said, "I love you, too." All three of John's sisters hugged him at once and Ashtyn and Alyssa demanded that he owl them presents within the week. Gemma giggled and said 'me too' and John rolled his eyes. "Ready?" John asked Amanda as soon as his sisters let him go. "Yeah," Amanda nodded. John practically ran to the train with Amanda following. He climbed on and turned around and waved to his family. He waited until Amanda was done waving to her own family and then with a grin, he and Amanda went to find a compartment. ****** "There's a bloke back there with a snake!" Hugo said excitedly. Rose rolled her eyes and ignored him. That bloke was going to get in trouble. Snakes weren't allowed as pets. She didn't really care for snakes. Hugo had this fascination with them, though. He liked all animals, actually. "We're going to miss you, Rosie," Ron gave her a hug, "I hope to get some owls soon about the trouble you cause." "Don't listen to him," Hermione kissed her on the cheek, "The house is going to be so empty without you." "Yeah, and I'm taking over your room!" Hugo announced. "You little prick!" Rose shouted, "You better not!" "Don't worry, we won't let him," Hermione assured her. "Especially if you miss the train," Hugo smirked, "It's leaving now." Rose whipped her head around and saw that the doors were being shut all along the train. She turned and saw that Albus was still talking with his dad. What was taking him so long? He was going to make them miss the train! "What's Al doing?" Rose asked. "He'll catch up with you on the train," Ron said as he hugged her, "We'll see you soon, Rose, I love you." "I'll miss you," Hermione joined the hug, "Love you, Rosie." "I love you, too," Rose hugged them both, "And I'll miss you. Even you, Hugo." "I'll miss you, too," Hugo said, "Except it'll be nice having the house to myself." Rose rolled her eyes. Her brother always had to make a joke. She didn't think he had ever been serious. He took after his uncle George. Rose gave her parents one last hug and then ran towards the train. Albus was still talking with his dad. She jumped on and waited for Albus to finish. "There you are," she muttered to Albus when he finally climbed onto the train, "What were you doing?" "Saying goodbye," Albus said quickly, "Ready for Hogwarts?" "Ready," Rose grinned.