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Post by Bara on Aug 7, 2007 11:45:23 GMT -5
The ROSE of King’s X
Harry and Ron were joking around, the boys were playing ‘double-dare’. Ginny and Hermione were catching up on all the Weasley gossip.
Everyone was pushing and shoving to be first through the wall at Platform 9 ¾.
Only Rose, standing slightly aside from the families, saw the little knot of tourists who were looking back at Rose.
She tugged at her mother’s sleeve. ‘They can SEE us,’ she said.
Her mother reached down a hand, took Rose’s hand in hers. “Hmmm??’ she said. Hermione and Ginny smiled down at the child.
Rose looked at the tourists. The tourists looked at Rose. They waved. Tentatively, Rose waved back.
‘There’s a lady in a wheel chair,’ Rose told her mother. ‘She can see us.’ ‘
That’s nice, dear, wave hello ..’ said her mother. Rose waved hello. Brooks waved back.
‘She waved back,’ said Rose. ‘That’s nice, dear,’ said her mother. ‘NOW! You need to get on the train!’
‘Yes,’ said Rose. ‘But there are five of them. They’re from America ..’
‘Now! Get on the train, DO, Rose!’ her mother said.
The Hogwarts Express hooted as only steam engines can hoot and began to steam out of King’ Cross Station. Hogwarts students hung out of every carriage.
But in carriage 9 ¾, a little girl hung out of the window, straining to see the last of a little group of tourists standing on the platform.
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Post by Bara on Aug 7, 2007 13:18:05 GMT -5
I DO NOT BELIEVE - cough - that no-one has taken the story further .. HellOOO??
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Post by johnnysauntie on Aug 7, 2007 17:36:37 GMT -5
The lady in the wheelchair stared at the spot on the platform where the people disappeared.
Could it possibly be true, she wondered to herself. Could the stories really be true?
"What the heck," she mumbled to herself. "You only live once." She turned to her friends. "Come on, Tarts! Let's roll!" and took off at dizzying speed for the wall ..... and disappeared.
Her friends vaulted after her, and promptly collided in an undignified heap on a different, unfamiliar platform. In the middle of them all, Brooks was staring, frozen at the sight before her.
The Hogwarts Express stood shining before them, having ground to an immediate halt at the first appearance of a stranger on the platform. Faces pressed against every window, parents clustered to gether, whispering, and the porters were openly staring.
A woman the Tarts immediately recognized as Hermione hurried up to them, her amazement evident despite her heroic efforts at being polite.
"Good morning," she said, smiling at the tongue-tied group. "I expect that you're all as surprised to see us as we are to see you."
"I believe that we're a bit more surprised than you, my dear," Brooks said to Hermione. "You've known about Muggles all along, but to us, the magical world exists only in fiction." Motioning to the Tarts, who still had not moved a muscle and whose eyes were as big as saucers, Brooks continued. "We've all read the entire series. Some of us have read those books two and three times over."
Now it was Hermione's turn to be surprised. "Books?" she queried, looking at the dazed group in front of her. "Which books?"
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Post by Lynne on Aug 8, 2007 20:18:10 GMT -5
The reply unfortunately came in the form of a low groan.
"The...b....boooks......".
"Again, what books," Hermione pressed at the saucer-eyed,tart smash. "Who are you?" More groans from the heap.
"We're the Tarts". It's out now, thought Tart Lynne to herself all the while staring at the twelve intertwined and intemangled feet above her.
"Not Tarts!!" Bara shouted as she leapt valiantly then hobbled on her right foot with a spaghetti ankle collapse. "We're one of you!" Always on the front and ready to protect, Bara both welcomed the communication and defended her fellow tarts.
Hermoine surveyed the remaining heap of Tarts, looked into Bara's eyes, and then turned back to the kind lady in the wheelchair who sat keenly overlooking the scene. Those eyes, thought Hermoine, she has the magic.
The heap of disgruntled, brick-imprented foreheads struggled to rise....
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Post by Bara on Aug 10, 2007 11:52:31 GMT -5
Terrie was the first to get over the shock of finding herself and her friends in a real book. She pulled herself together.
"I'm SO sorry, Mrs Weasley,' she said to Hermione. 'You see, we Muggles were told all about you, Ron, Harry Potter and Ginny... Well, some time ago... err, yes, in books. I expect it was the Ministry for Muggle Affairs who decided to leak the information."
Hermione and Ginny looked confused..
"Oh," said Thea, "please don't worry. The whole Muggle world admires what you have done."
The five Muggle tourists and the two wizarding women were all looking at each other non-plussed. NEVER before in the history of Hogwarts had Muggles found their way onto Platform 9 3/4.
Hermione and Ginny exchanged anguished looks. There was nothing in the book of etiquette to tell them how to deal with this situation.
Over every term that they, as children, had boarded the Hogwarts Express - and in every time thereafter when they had boarded their children - NEVER had a single Muggle been seen on the platform.
And now there were (Ginny counted ..) 1,2,3,4,5 OF THEM!
Rose tugged at her mother's sleeve. 'Mummmy...' she hissed.
"Shhh, dear."
"Mummmmeeeee!??'
"SHHH!"
"Mummy," hissed Rose. "They're not ALL American! And they are NOT all Muggles..."
"Shh!"
Harry and Ron, having settled the other children in their carriages. loaded their clearly-marked school trunks, their rat and owl cages, were approaching up the platform. They saw their wives in conversation.
"Bloody hell, Harry," murmured Ron. "Who's the blonde?" Harry shot him a murderous glance. But his own eyes opened in admiration.
"Harry!" said Ginny, her eyes narrowing. "This is Lynne and her friends. They're from Kentucky, or Michigan, or California or somewhere.." She lowered her voice. "They're Muggles," she said by way of explanation. "American Muggles."
Politely, Harry shook hands with everyone. Ron, much emboldened, kissed everyone on the cheek.
"Well?" Said Rose. "Are you coming with us?"
The Hogwarts Express blew a final whistle ...
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Post by Bara on Aug 10, 2007 14:52:17 GMT -5
Professor Trelawny dreaded first day of term, poor dear, she tuly did. Every term, without fail, she was subjected to the practical jokes of the 4th years and the new intake.
It seemed that no-one took 'Divination' seriously. It was bad enough that daredevil students would break into her storeroom of crystal balls ...
But they would then appear all over the north-east of London, creating crop circles, rumours of UFO's and more havoc. Scotland Yard and MI5 were bad enough, but sometimes poor Trelawny had to defuse the CIA and FBI.
Honestly. It was too much.
There had been no inkling at the 'Sorting Ceremony'. None atall.
Still, Period 1, day 1 of term, Trelawny had not only the usual assortment of gormless and apprehensive First Years.. It appeared she had five 'Mature Students' as well.
She peered at them short-sightedly ..
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Post by Bara on Aug 11, 2007 11:58:53 GMT -5
"Oh my goodness," she whispered, hand on heart. Her already unfocussed eyes, drifted behind her large specs, like fish in an aquarium...
The boys exchanged knowing glances. 'Here she goes," they thought-transferred to each other. "Just like our dads told us .."
Rose sat bolt upright. The five uncomfortable grown-ups, unassigned to houses and uncertain that they should be there amongst these 14-yr-old English schoolchildren ... sank back into their chairs.
"There is a wisdom from the west ..' intoned the Professor. The children sniggered. Lola Persia, a new girl, threw a note to Areez Prakadia - a tall, dark handsome new boy.
"AND from the west, new news will fly..."
The class started to settle ...
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Post by Bara on Aug 11, 2007 15:50:58 GMT -5
I give up. I do .. HELP!
"Suddenly, one of the Muggles shuddered in her seat. The whole class turned, open-mouthed. Professor Trelawny took a step back ...
An American voice rang out, clear and true. The young Britons, sank back into their seats.
"There will be, " rang out the American tones, "a seventh child of a seventh child. ANOTHER child with the mark of he-who-must-not-be-named."
There was a silence.
Quietly, another American voice - almost whispered .. "and that child will contain all the seeds of good and evil within itself."
The bell rang, startling the silence. End of period. The class broke up, gathering books, scraping chairs, voices rising ..
'Ladies and Gentlemen!' Cried Trelawny. "Please collect your homework assignments FROM my desk as you leave. Thursday, please.'
But her voice was distracted. She watched the small group of Muggles. They, alone, did not seem roused by the bell. They were gathered round the girls who had spoken. Unsure, it seemed, whether to rouse them from their otherworld.
Once. Only once before had her powers been tapped in truth. Now she sensed more powerful divination in her class.
She hesitated... 'Until Thursday, ladies,' she said.
The exracers watched her gathering and scattering her globes and herbs as she hurried, unfocussed, from the room.
Terrie took a deep breath. "Well, Thea -?" she asked.
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Post by brooks on Aug 11, 2007 16:21:52 GMT -5
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Post by Bara on Aug 11, 2007 17:23:57 GMT -5
"At last!" whispered Bara to Brooks, her English accent sounding out of place in the all-American group. "At last!" she said. "I thought you were all tongue-tied!"
The two drew a little aside from the group in the otherwise empty classroom. They didn't need to speak. TWO of their number had shown definite witching behaviour. Their eyes met. They looked at Thea, Terrie and Lynne.
"WELL!" said Brooks loudly. "We've only been here a day. Shall we find out where we're going to sleep?" The wheelchair powered out of the room.
For a moment, the others stood, transfixed, as Brooks wheeled away.
"Pssst" They shook themselves. Looked around. It came again, loudly - 'PSSSTT!" It was the Fat Lady in the portrait over the door.
"Better follow her." Dawn French winked at them. "Wouldn't cross Brooks, if I were you .."
She winked again. The Tarts scrambled for the exit..
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Post by Bara on Aug 12, 2007 15:58:29 GMT -5
Oh I give up on you lot. Only Lynne and JA?? And THEY have both gone quiet ... Right! Well I shall not be the only one being sued by JKR! I shall have it finished by the time the tarts arrive - Sarah and I will attack it when she gets here .. Pub pix will be forthcoming!  |
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Post by johnnysauntie on Aug 13, 2007 9:05:57 GMT -5
Professors Longbottom and Trelawny sat in front of Headmistress McGonagall's desk in the Headmaster/mistresses Office. Standing between them was a nervous first-year, who didn't quite know what to make of his situation. Gulping for breath, he looked nervously around, and felt better when the kindly-looking silver haired wizard in one of the portraits peered over his half-moon spectacles and winked a bright blue eye.
"Young man," said Professor McGonagall,"You are here for no other reason than you chose to sit in the first row seats in Divination today. You saw the events that happened in Professor Trelawny's class, correct?"
The boy nodded.
" Then we need to borrow your memory of that event, since you had a front row seat. Please close your eyes, and remember what you saw," McGonagall said kindly. The boy did as he was told, and McGonagall touched his temple lightly with her wand. As she drew it away, silvery whisps trailed away from the boy's head. She dropped the ethereal floss into a glass bottle. "You may go, young man. We'll return this to you when we've finished. You've been very brave. Fifty points to Ravenclaw!"
Beaming, the boy scampered from the office.
The three wizards moved toward the Pensieve in the corner of the office, and tipped the contents into the silverybowl. One after another, they entered the Pensieve and witnessed the event Trelawney had related. McGonagall pulled a glass ball out of her robes while in the memory, tapped the ball and muttered "Prophecius." The little ball filled with fog.
Nodding to each other, they left the memory and in an instant, were back in McGonagall's office.
"The seventh child of a seventh child." Longbottom said wonderingly.
"Yes. Or more precisely, a sorcerer. Or sorceress. A source of original magic." said McGonagall. She was matter of fact.
Looking at each other, they all started, and said simultaneously, "Rose Potter."
"But Harry's family doesn't go back that far!" said Longbottom, who was a good friend of Harry Potter's. "His great great grandad was Muggle-born."
"Yes, it's true that Potter's family doesn't go back far enough to produce a sorcerer." stated McGonagall. "But Weasly's does."
In a dark corner of the office, there was a sudden movement. The Sorting Hat came to life.
"Exceptional times are upon us again
And the threat is just as grave
For to ensure the powers of good should win
A young soul first must be saved.
"Five visitors are in our company tonight
Raw magic is in their grasp
The five are a powerful force for what's right
We may yet see evil's last.
I needn't sit on their heads to let the sorting begin
Their hearts are so powerful and true
I can clearly see within
For sharp, smart Lynne there's only one place
That could benefit from her wit
She has a difficult task, because
I'm sorting her to Slytherin
Good Bara has the wits to match
and together they could win
Hearts and minds in that troubled house
She too goes to Slytherin
Terrie has a gentle heart
Her kindness is made of the truest stuff
These friends will understand soon why they're sorted apart
And Terrie goes to Hufflepuff
Thea's perceptiveness is well known
Her judgement is her friends' law
Naturally then, she should go,
to wise old Ravenclaw
And finally Brooks - she with the wheels
She knows challenges and then more
And her courage is always steeled
Brave Brooks goes to Gryffindor.
The wisest wizard we have ever seen
reminded us too all too well
that the strength to defeat evil we need
is not found in just a spell
That strength is our unity
United in friendship and doing what is right
Emphasizing community
That's the source of might.
So these five friends are separated
But they will come together
And the wizarding world at that point will be
Markedly for the better."
The hat fell silent.
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Post by brooks on Aug 13, 2007 10:19:59 GMT -5
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Post by Bara on Aug 13, 2007 11:09:59 GMT -5
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Post by Bara on Aug 13, 2007 11:22:26 GMT -5
McGonagall was the first to break the silence.
'Neville?!' she said sharply. Longbottom leapt to his feet, forgetting for a moment that he was now a Professor and no longer a student. Old habits die hard.
Minerva closed her eyes in long-sufferance. Waved a languid hand. 'DO sit down, dear, she drawled in her oh-so-Scottish accent.
Longbottom sank gratefully to his seat.
"Neville," repeated McGonagall, more gently, "You have this little enclave in your 'Defence Against the Black Arts' class?
Neville nodded furiously.
Minerva closed her eyes again. "And??" she insisted.
"Ah, well, you see, but ..." stuttered Longbottom.. "You see, they, well, I- "
"WHAT?" demanded Prof McGonagall, much more in her old vein of talk. "WHAT?"
"Ah. Well. You see," explained Neville, "the thing is this. It's just that ..."
"WHAT?"
"Well," said Neville, "you see I can't understand what they say ..."
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