The Leaky Cauldron, Tuesday, August 16th 2018, late morning

The constant rain beating down on the streets of London had certainly caught nobody by surprise - not the muggles - because as everyone knows, muggles constantly talk about the weather as if it was the most important thing in the whole universe - and certainly not the wizards and witches, who employed specially enchanted weather houses which actually worked,unlike the muggle trinkets supposedly based on some sort of science.

What did surprise the wizard and witches - not the muggles, of course, as they knew nothing about the wizarding world - was that this lousy weather was also present in their favorite shopping street - Diagon Alley. It was not that there wasn't ever rain in Diagon Alley, indeed there were sometimes even storms, especially in winter when the magical weather control insisted on snow even when the rest of the city, that is to say, the muggle world, was drenched in the usual rain. But in July and August, when most students about to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were shopping for supplies, great care was taken to have no rain and at least not all the sky full of clouds. Research had shown that students did a lot better,including spending their money wisely, when the day's weather was as positive as it could be.

For whatever reason, the weather magic was off, though, which was easily concluded from the wet wardrobe of four sour looking, middle-aged wizards and one witch, all of them standing shivering in front of the bar,ordering tea and sandwitches (not an error, those artistically sliced sandcakes really looked like witches on brooms). The witch sneezed and got out her wand, conjuring up an ongoing blast of hot air,which did not only help to dry out the wet folk but also raised the slightly chilly temperature inside the pub to somewhat akin to a sauna for a moment.

"What's with the weather, now? Could you not do anything to fix it?" the innkeeper asked, polishing a glass so fervently it was obvious that she was not all that happy about the situation.

"Now now you try to fix something when you don't know what the problem is," one of the wizard said,sneezing and coughing.

"Then you obviously find out what the problem is! Seriously, what do they even train you for..." The admonishing of the slowly drying group went on for a bit.

You've all entered not too long ago, probably being fascinated by the charm of the old pub if you haven't been here before. Figures that on the day you finally get to do your shopping something like this would happen.

Arty walked into the Leaky Cauldron with a slight swagger, like he had more confidence than most boys his age. He grinned at the current patrons and walked right up to the bar. He took a seat, as if he had actually been here before (which he had not) and said with a slight but charming southern twang, "Howdy. I'm Arthur Brisband, but all my pals call me Arty. I'll take a root beer if you got that, or cream soda if you don't." Arty is not shy!

Clearly more accustomed to summer rains than even the typical Londoner the uncommonly tall blond girl in the hooded jacket is still only a little bit better off with this kind of chilly downpour, the jacket's normally water resistant outer layer soaked through and the limited insulation not quite sufficient without gloves at least for long term use she has come into the building to take a bit of a break.  A significantly more waterproof backpack that looks a lot more like what muggles use than the local wizarding population is likely familiar with does an excellent job of keeping her first few purchases dry as her inspection of the books for the first year of classes makes evident.

Trying to look like she isn't spying on them she none the less keeps a close eye on the conversation between the adults, listening without interruption but clearly aware that something is more than a little off.

Jay looked like a boy who was laid back and easy going. With his casual tshirt, blue jeans, sneakers and Yankees baseball cap that he wore backwards like a baseball catcher, he looked like a regular, normal red haired, brown eyed 11 year old boy. And generally he was most of the time.

The rain oddly enough did not bother him. Especially since he had an umbrella along with his 'Uncle Tommy'. In a previous life he weathered just about anything including intense rain and snow and hot and cold climates of various stages. He generally did not like to think about his past and concentrated on the present and the task at hand. Oddly enough for an 11 year old he was very methodical and carefully planned out the shopping after taking a good look at the list of school supplies that were needed.

I think we should start with buying the robes first. They may need a few hours to tailor and make them properly and while they are doing that we can shop for the rest of the supplies and pick them up once they are done.

Bella sat in a corner table with her mother, sipping the warm spiced tea and enjoying a break from the shopping.  Even with the unusual rain her enthusiasm wasn't dampened because she was finally going to Hogwarts!  She already had her books and supplies with everything being sent to their home so they didn't have to carry it all around.

"So next maybe we can look at the owls?" she asked quietly but with shining, hopeful eyes.

"Either that or your wand," her mother replied with a soft chuckle.  "I would think you'd want to save the pet for last."  Alamara stifled a yawn.  "I can't believe I'd forgotten how much a first year needed."

"Well it's been a long time, Mum.  I sort of wish Zachary would be there.  He'd make sure I knew where everything was," Bella half-lamented as she took another sip of tea.  All of her brothers and her parents had gone to Hogwarts and she couldn't help feeling a bit of pressure to do well so she wouldn't embarrass them.

"You'll do just fine, don't you worry," her mother said as she reached over and brushed her bangs out of her eyes.  "You're an Abbott so I'm sure if you got lost one of the portraits would steer you in the right direction and there's always prefects and others to help."

Bella nodded.  "I know and I'll definitely ask questions and not be stubborn like Charlie," she said with a bit of a grin.  "I wonder which house I'll be in?  There's been someone in all of them from both sides over the years," she pondered.

Alamara chuckled as she sipped her tea.  "They all have their merits so don't worry too much.  I can tell you I don't think it'll be Slytherin, though.  You're too sweet, she teased and was rewarded with her daughter's bashful giggle.

They could hear the discussion going on with Hannah and the group of soggy witch and wizards and for a moment Bella could see a hint of concern in her mother's expression.  "Is something wrong, Mum?" she asked in a whisper.

"No, of course not Sweetling," Alamara replied with a cheery tone.  Then she tipped her head toward a couple of younglings.  "Looks like there might be a few other first years here today," she added to distract her daughter.

The door opened slowly and a short, wide witch moved through it dressed in dark-blue robes with pink trim and lace. Her sharpish face looked around the taproom slowly as she shook her umbrella. The disapproval radiated like a light. After a second, she turned and motioned for something to follow. A smallish, plump boy in quite baggy but fashionable robes stepped around the doorjam. His blue eyes roamed over the place and then toward the back area. "Were we to go straight there, mum? I'd love to have a warm drink first. Awfully cold, innit?"

The shortish woman's eyes snapped to the boy and barbish words came in a slight French accent, "Merlin help me, just because we are about the town, does not mean you can resort to such language. No, most of your things have already been delivered and packed. We've only to fetch your wand. But, I think a warm beverage is just what the healers prescribed. Fetch them, will you dear?" the boy seemed a bit chagrined but accepted a coin from the woman's pucketbook and then hurried to the bar, "Allo..." The boy stopped and shot a look at his mother who was glaring, "Er, that is, Hello, sir. My mother would like a hot tea with lemon. Can I have a cider, please?" The mother nodded approvingly then moved toward where the Abbots were seated after another glance around the place. She sat at the next table over from them and smiled quite warmly toward the pair.

She sat herself primly and then nodded to the Abbots politely. The boy returned shortly and set the beverages on the table. He the hurriedly sat down to grab his mug with a sigh as his hands wrapped around the warm container. It was just about to his lips when his mother spoke right over his head, "Pardon our manners, Trimeresurus takes after his father. I am Constance Slughorn and this is my youngest son. He is about to start at Hogwart's. Exciting, I am sure. Remarkable, this weather? I sent two other children to Hogwart's and never a dark day for shopping! How is your day, Miss...?"

Pandora was soaked. She really wished she hadn't forgotten that essential muggle item, an umbrella. At least her showerproof jacket kept some of the rain off, but her hair was plastered to her face and the legs of her jeans flapped wetly against her shins.

It hadn't been so bad in the muggle part of London. The Underground was an endless source of wonder for her, burrowing all over the city yet accomplished without even a trace of magic. But in Diagon Alley, there was no shelter from the rain, and the occasional loose cobble squirted water over her shoes. She'd never seen the Alley so wet.

Her mother was off buying her books, giving her a chance to get a hot drink at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Tea with lemon, please."

More people were trickling in which was good for cousin Hannah, but Alamara was concerned seeing a few children with no adults with them.  Being a healer and a mother, it was something she couldn't help.  The door opened and a short, plump woman entered along with her son and she smiled as the woman made her way to a table near them.  "It's a pleasure to meet you both.  I'm Alamara Abbott and this is my daughter, Arabella," she greeted and introduced herself and Bella.  "And yes, the weather is just horrible," she agreed.

Bella had been successfull distracted for a moment and had looked with great interest at the other young patrons, smiling and waving if any looked her way.  When Mrs. Slughorn spoke to them, she looked at the woman and smiled brightly.  "Oh it's a wonderful day, Mrs. Slughorn," she replied cheerily.  "I'll be starting Hogwarts too," she added with a nod to Trimeresurus.  "I have four brothers who went there but they've all finished and have jobs at the Ministry or St. Mungos."  She was apparently awfully proud of her brothers.

Another child entered and looked soaked to the skin, making Alamara's lips press into a thin line.  "Merlin's beard she's going to catch a cold," she muttered then set her cup of tea down.  "Excuse me for a moment Mrs. Slughorn but I think I should see to a few of the children," she said politely and touched Bella's shoulder as she walked slowly to Pandora.

"I hope I'm not intruding but I thought you might feel better with a bit of drying and warming," she said with a comforting smile, offering her hand then introducing herself.  "Forgive me ... my name is Alamara Abbott and I'm a healer at St. Mungos.  I'd rather prevent a cold if I could than treat it later."  She looked at the other unattended children.  "The offer is for anyone," she said as she drew her wand in hope of being able to help.

Bella watched her mother, eyes shining with love and happiness.  "She's a really great healer," she said as she looked back to Mrs. Slughorn and Trimeresurus.  "My oldest brother, Thomas, is a healer at St. Mungos too and I hope to be once I'm finished at Hogwarts.  Do you know what you want to do after school?" she asked Trimeresurus with a genuinely curious smile of encouragement.

Arty nodded his consent to the grownup. Grownups are weird, some don't realize that by 11, at least where he was from, a boy could be off on his own hunting or fishing, perhaps even camping. Arty was independant, what muggles called a free range child. Looking over the other perhaps more coddled children, he figured he might be the only one who could honestly say he could take care of himself.

While looking around he couldn't help but notice Arabella. She was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. When her eyes met his he blushed a little but didn't shy away. His first instinct was to brag, but not in an obnoxious way. He is just a very confident and assertive young man. "I'm gonna be the best Quidditch keeper in the whole history of the game. I can already ride a broom and everything. I'm gonna try out for the team for whatever house I end up in." He grinned. There are some people who just put things at ease without trying, who draw attention just by being present. They have a glow about them. Arty is such a person.

Marcus walked down Diagon Alley suited up like he had expected to take a hike in the rain through the woods. His waterproof hiking boots able to keep his feet dry despite the deep puddles that lined the road. His cloak had been sprayed with a waterproof coating so only parts of his face was wet where the rain had gotten under his hood. His hiking back pack had a fitted covering over it to keep its contents dry. There was a prominent bulge in the front of his cloak which was immediately explained when a cat of mixed Himalayan and Mancoon decent popped her head out the front of his hood under his chin.

Marcus walked into the Leaky Cauldron desiring something warm to drink and knew Petunia might be thirsty. He stepped in and scanned the room before taking a table near some other children around his age, some of which accompanied by adults. The hood was pulled back before he took off his pack and tucked it between his legs under the table. The boy waited patiently until a server came by. “Hello. Can I have a cup of water and some Earl Gray please?”He put some money on the table to go ahead and pay. He gave a nod and smile of acknowledgment to the others in the tavern.

When the tea arrived, Petunia took a few inquisitive sniffs as Marcus blew on the liquid and took a sip. Nice and a little bitter just like his father used to have it. He then held up the cup of water for Perunia to drink from. One might notice upon close inspection that he was wearing some finely crafted black leather gloves with silver studs sewn onto the knuckles. A silver plate covered the forearm with a family crest half hidden by the sleeves of the cloak.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:39, Fri 09 July 2021.

The folks who were investigating the rain were dry by now,and as the cat appeared at the bar they were glad the attention of the innkeeper was redirected. "What a wonderful cat," she said,"Good you didn't get wet- in the rain which some people should be investigating."She pointedly did not look at them.

"Come on," the witch of the group said. "Mrs. Longbottom-Abbott here is just pulling our legs. It is obviously not so easy to find out what goes wrong with some complicated spells. Let's get moving again."

"I hate double names," the innkeeper grumbled. "Better throw on a Selkie-Charm. Just bring it back when you're done." She pointed to a row of bracelets looking like they were made of some sort of fish skin.

"I better not..." one of the men mumbled. But the witch was already pushing the charms on the men and then shoved them out the backdoor again. For a moment before they were out of sight, as they put on the bracelets, they seemed to be spouting a seal's whisker.

Hannah turned to the other patron and said brightly "They will figure it out eventually. Anyone else need some Selkie-charms?" And her view took in everyone who was not dry enough.

Her attention drawn to even the smallest comment about Quidditch it is clear even before she stands up out of her chair that her interest has been drawn.  Approaching Arthur from where she can clearly be seen she stops a few feet away where he won't need to turn his head up at to much of an uncomfortable angle to see her clearly and speaks to him in an unusually quiet and soft voice, with an accent mixed somewhere between the north eastern section of America and the hart of London such that it tends to sound to natives of either place like she comes from the other.

”Being the best at any aspect of Quidditch is a difficult goal, let alone the keeper.  You might want to keep your sights focused on something more attainable, like winning the school games.”

Rus wasn’t an especially unique boy, as wizarding folk went, so he was used to having plenty in common with other wizarding folk. He nodded and smiled as he followed the conversation while sipping his cider. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by his mother, ”Ah, older children? We are much the same in our house. My eldest was fourth year at Beauxbatons when little Trimeresurus was born. Pythia’s a healer herself in Paris. Mayhap she knows your husband? I’ll ask her when she and her family come around next. Married a Moroccan wizard, you know? Very old family. Viziers and sultans! We are awfully proud. Agkistrodon is trying to convince her to send her new son to Hogwart’s but I think she’s set upon Beaubatons.” Ghe last was said with a slightly thicker French accent and none too little pride. Rus just rolled his eyes secretly at Arabella. He loved her, but his mum had a lot of stuffy opinions.

Once Mrs. Abbott moved off though, Constance focused on her tea and casting disapproving looks at all the unattended children. This was the heart of London, nit some American backwater. Rus took the chance to speak to Arabella, ”Oh, my father has worked for Gringott’s as a cursebreaker for over thirty years. I’ve decided to follow his footsteps. Not an easy line of work, but my da thinks I got what it takes! I got a set of cursebreaking tools just like his the other week for my birthday. I want to work for the Ministry though.”

Rus just seemed to be getting excited when the loud boy came over to go on about Quudditch. Rus seemed nonplussed for half a second then chimed in, ”My sister, Claire, plays for the Quafflepunchers. We are followers of the French league at home. Da doesn’t much care about Quidditch but mum is a right fan. She played for Beauxbatons in school. Says she could have gone pro if she hadn’t married da. Claire’s a beater and a right mean one. She can bat a quaffle and hit a fly off a goblin’s nose across the pitch!”

"Yes, our Bella was a bit of a surprise but quite a wonderful surprise," Alamara had responded to Mrs. Slughorn.  "I have four boys, the youngest just finished Hogwarts."  Both mother and daughter were appropriately impressed hearing about Pythia.  "Well either school would be wonderful," Alamara replied and Bella nodded in agreement.

Alamara tended to anyone who agreed, making sure with a flick of the wand that they were dry and warm.  She was certainly a maternal sort, her demeanor kind and caring.  "There you go," she said happily to each one.  When Marcus entered, she tended him too if he wished.  "It's good to see you again, Marcus.  I do hope your mother will be here soon.  Bella's here too and you're welcome to sit with us," she said with a point of her wand over to her daughter before going back to sit down.

Bella turned to look at Arty when he said he wanted to be the greatest keeper ever in Quidditch and then nodded when another girl told him he might want to concentrate first on the school teams.  "Like everything else, it definitely takes lots of practice," she added kindly.  "All my brothers were on their school teams and Amos actually works in the Department of Magical Games and Sports."  Seeing Marcus come in, she gave him a little wave and there was a definite brightening in her eyes when she saw the cat.  "Oh how lovely," she commented.

Turning back to Rus, she listened with interest as he talked about his father being a cursebreaker.  "Oh that's very impressive," she replied.  "I would imagine the studies would be quite challenging but quite satisfying."  She looked at her mother and Mrs. Slughorn, then at the other children.  "Maybe we could let you mums talk and we'll just sit over there?" she suggested, thinking there was a table big enough for the kids to sit together and get to know each other a little without the parents hovering.  "That's a wonderful idea," Alamara said.  "We're right here if you need anything."

If anything, Jay and his uncle Tommy were thorough and quick. Jay was not really one for frivolousness, though Tommy at least made sure that the robes, equipment and texts were of reasonable quality, and Jay just followed along. Once everything needed was purchased, Tommy needed to go on some errands so he decided to leave Jay at the Leaky Cauldron. The boy seemed hesitant at first but Tommy said that he trusted him and knew that he could hold his own.

So Jay picked an isolated spot in the corner of the Taproom and ordered lunch. He is mostly minding his own business and keeps to himself. In the meantime he looks through his backpack, rearranging its contents. For a minute he pulls out what looks like a hockey goalie's mask, which he looks at with distant memories before placing it on the table. He then pulls out one of his textbooks before placing the mask back in his backpack.

Marcus did a double take at Bella and her mother when she called him by name as if he finally remembered them. He smiled with a slight sadness in his eyes. “It has been a couple of years Mrs. Abbot. I almost didn’t recognize you and Bella. Mother and Father will not be joining us today. They are on a trip right now. We can talk about the details later.”

He grabbed his backpack and moved over to the table Bella had moved to. He offered to shake her hand. “Long time no see huh? Looks like we finally get to go to Hogwarts together. Are you as excited as you were back then? Oh by the way this is Petunia. I found her in the woods shortly after the last time we saw each other. She’s really friendly.”If offered a hand, Petunia gives a couple of investigative sniffs before rubbing her head against the hand purring softly. Marcus looked at the other kids and waved them over to the table with a smile. “If we’re all at the same table, we won’t have to yell across the room at each other. It seems like we got a few Quidditch fans amongst us.”

Constance Slughorn gives a very severe look to Rus then a cheerful look to Alamara as they mothers removed themselves to a safe distance to "preserve preteen privacy yet still hover just a bit." Rus blinked a bit at the act then slowly turned his head to look at Bella and stuttered, "But, she never stops hovering! Da says it's because she'll have an empty nest after I am gone, but she hates birds!"

Rus sips his cider a bit as the other kids gather about then looks around, "Well, since not everyone was here earlier, my name is Trimeresurus Slughorn. But everyone except mother calls me Rus. My family's an old and pure one, so we have very traditional names. Well, some of us. Mum insisted on a few French names here and there. Mostly my sisters. Despite six older siblings, none of them are at Hogwart's. I got one sister at school, but she's off to Beauxbaton's which is where Mum went. Anyway, I heard there's Potters at the school. Anyone know anything about that? It'd be cool to be in their house, yeah? I'm hoping for Slytherin. Bit of a family tradition that; on both sides. Mum's family are Umbridges, ya know. Mum would be mortified if I was Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. I think she'd kill herself if I ended up in hufflepuff." Rus' gob snapped shut and he stopped himself talking again with a big gulp of cider.

At that moment, a fat, dirt-blond boy around the same age asthe other children came through the backdoor, well protected from the rain by a mackintosh coat clearly of wizard make,as it changed colors from time to time, at one moment it was all a blue-green blend,then it shifted to purples and reds. It was all new, too, actually the price tag from one of the Diagon Alley shops still dangling from the back of the neck.

"You will not believe what is happening over at Gringott's!" he shouted breathlessly. It sounded as he had run all the way. "There is some twister forming over it, and I heard whatever is going on is not only the reason for the rain in our street but for the weather in London,too!"

Arty held up his chin, showing wasn't as grown up as he believed. He didn't get angry but he did explain, "I know I've got a long way to go and a lot of work ahead of me. I just know that someday I'll be THE best keeper ever. Nothing wrong with being a seeker or beater. I'll probably even have to start as a beater, but I will be a keeper and I'm gonna be the best."

He was gulping down rootbeer when the other kid came in talking about a twister. He remained calm, though all the color drained out of him. "A twister. Okay nobody panic, we just all go down to the basement or root cellar. You guys got those here right? Come on get away from the windows, it's very dangerous beside windows. Basement. Come on. No need to push or shove, it is gonna be fine." Despite being young, he obviously had lived through twisters before. He isn't casual or panicing, he is simply trying to make sure everyone is okay.

Interrupted from whatever additional comments about Quidditch she might have made by the announcement of the twister Sara's face brightens up and she heads for the front door, pulling up the hood of her jacket.

”This should be fun, I haven't had the opportunity to enjoy a summer storm this year, and what little rain here has been just falling so mundanely.”

Kate entered Diagon ally nervously dressed in a muggle hoodie and loose fitting sweat pants.  Her neck length coppery hair dangling out the right side of the hoodie in a braided ponytail.  Bright blue/green eyes looked around in wonder as she idly fingered her ponytail with anxiety.  She hesitantly glanced back at her father as he entered in a business suit, looking skeptically around, one eye on his only daughter as he took in the new sights around them.  "Now don't wander off Kate, we'll have to find some kind of bank first before your shopping can begin."

The small four foot six girl nodded slightly as she tried to stay out of her father's way, yet still close enough that she didn't have to be near to many other people.  All the strangely dressed people, were a little overwhelming to the young girl who seemed to fidget her fingers with the braid constantly.  These people, were supposedly like her mom had been, but they didn't look anything like the picture of her she'd seen in daddy's photo album.  The long beards and strange outfits didn't reassure her at all, if anything working the anxiety in her up even higher.  She wanted to be home, home with her books and private tutors.  Not amongst all these strangers, not feeling like the world was caving in around her, like there were eyes staring at her everywhere.  "Oui Papa" she said meekly as they headed down the alley and toward a building that vaguely reminded her of the Greek architecture, from their tour of Athens, last winter.  "Gring...Gringotts, Wizarding bank?  est-ce que c’est le bon papa?" she read the sign out front reluctantly.

She got an almost immediate response from her father with a loving smile. "Ouais c’est vrai, ma petite coquillage.  Maintenant, venez, changeons notre argent"  he gently took her hand and lead her inside, even as the tornadoes seemed to descend from above.

Arty looked at the very tall girl like she had a third foot growing out of her forehead. He didn't bother trying to stop her. He rolled his eyes, wondered what was wrong with her, but left her to her own devices. He pointed at Kate's Dad and said, "Come on buddy, ya don't wanna be up here if that twister decides to pay us a visit."

"Then wouldn't it make more sense to be in a secure building, like the bank.  Rather than some feeble wooden lean-to from the twelfth century like this tavern?" Mr Damor asked Arthur with a hint of superiority about him.  It was rather stormy and as the man looked out onto the alley he did question if it was the right decision to head out yet, into a tornado.

Next to him Kate gave a shy smile to Arthur but didn't say anything yet as she clung a little closer to her father's side at the crowded interior of the Cauldron.  She hoped that her father didn't offend the boy, who sounded American, Texan, maybe.  It'd been almost four years since her dad had last taken her to Texas though, so she wasn't entirely sure if that was their accent still or not.  She lightly chewed on her lower lip nervously as her eyes darted about the room.

As the wind picked up with the approaching twister Kate's hoodie was tugged side to side, causing the young girl to reach up and grip the edges extra tight.  She wasn't sure what to do with so many people around.  Outside of the occasional social gathering that her dad took her to, she usually enjoyed the quiet solitude of at most five or six people.  The new environment of the leaky Cauldron was anything but safe in her eyes, she felt like there were eyes everywhere staring at her, and it made that small voice in the back of her mind that wanted her to find a secluded quiet place and hide with a book all the louder as a result.

From her few trips to London, she knew the weather was usually damp, cool and cloudy but this was on a level she'd never seen before.  This was more like she'd expect from the North Eastern United States during May or June.  "Pensez-vous que nous pouvons nous rendre à la banque avant qu’elle ne touche le fond?" before she gave herself a reprimand for speaking in her native french instead of English and she squinted slightly as she spoke in English. "Do you think we can make it to the bank before it touches down?  We'll be safer there right?" she asked the blonde boy.



(( french says = Do you think we can get to the bank before it touches down?))
This message was last edited by the player at 18:24, Thu 15 July 2021.

Marcus listens to the words and actions of the other kids around them from wanting to see the tornado to going down to the cellar. The details of the event strike him as odd. He stays in his seat drinking his tea calmly. “There’s honestly no need to worry about the twister coming over here. In a town where the weather has been magically controlled for years, why would all of a sudden the rain be a complete downpour and then a twister appear over the exact building that has the biggest concentration of wealth and magical items in possibly the continent? Clearly this is purpose action of an individual or group of wizards and/or witches. What interest would they have with this tavern?”

He pets Petunia gently in between the ears. Then a glance is spared at the group of adult wizards that were here before he was. “The twister is not coming this way and a lot of the people in this tavern either don’t yet know how to use magic or will use it to protect their children. Only thing to do now is have another beverage and wait for the tornado to go away and investigate after the fact.”

Rus listened to the news with a perked ear. It sounded like exactly the type of thing that his father often dealt with in ancient tombs and cursed lands. There was certainly a part of him that wanted to see it for himself. However, a quick glance toward Constance Slughorn dispelled any notion of leaving the Leaky Cauldron. Instead, he looked at the others speaking about it, "Too Right! I can't even manage a simple levitation charm yet. How am I meant to be safe near a magical twister?" he frowned over the word briefly as it held little meaning to him. From context, he guessed it was some type of violent weather phenomenon.

He turned his attention to the tall girl and her father, "Tout ira bien ici. Les adultes ici peuvent faire face aux effets secondaires d'une telle chose. Ma mère et Madame Abbott sont d'excellentes sorcières." he smiled at the girl and then glanced back at his mother who was beaming proudly. He'd made the correct choice.

He then looked at the one talking of basements, "I very much doubt this place has such a thing. Either way, I can assure you that cursebreakers and aurors from the Ministry will be here shortly, if not already, to deal with it." He cast the last comment so it might be heard by the more brash children. "I doubt they need undisciplined children underfoot." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother making some comment to Mrs. Abbott which he was sure was about the situation.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:32, Thu 15 July 2021.

"vous parlez français?  Merci les dieux, mon anglais est bon mais ce n’est pas ma langue maternelle" The young girl said with a smile, it seemed to help alittle with her anxiety, giving her something else to focus on then merely the crowded room and the unnatural weather.
 "Je m’appelle Katherine d’amour, quel pourrait être ton nom?" She said with a hint of excitement, even if it was clear in her posture that she was still very much on edge in the crowded room.  It was bad enough that there were so many people, she hadn't really been around many boys, let alone men in crowded conditions since it happened six years ago.  As she stepped alittle closer to Rus, giving a look back at her father as she did she slowly lowered her hands back to rest upon her braided hair playing with it anxiously as she did.  The hood not seeming to be quite as wild away from the door.

((French says = "Do you speak French?  Thank you gods, my English is good but it is not my mother tongue"    "My name is Katherine Damor, what is your name?"))
This message was last edited by the player at 18:26, Thu 15 July 2021.

Rus beamed at the nervous girl; making excellent first impressions was something his mother prized greatly. Her children's manners had been a focus of her parenting style. "Je m'appelle Trimeresurus Slughorn. Mais s'il vous plaît, appelle-moi Rus. C'est beaucoup plus facile à dire. Nous avons des noms de sorciers très traditionnels dans ma famille." After a second of consideration, and giving her a moment to process that, he responded to the rest of her curiosity, "Oui! Nous parlons Francaise dans ma famille.  Ma mère est anglaise mais elle est née et a grandi dans le sud de la France. Je passe une partie de chaque été à Marseille. Avez-vous grandi avec des non-magiques? Où habitez-vous en France ? À Paris?" He looked at her father who seemed quite out of sorts in the environment. It was no effort for him to beam broadly and his question had none of the normal acid his own mother or father might put in it, it was from out of pure curiosity.

"Merci d’avoir demandé à Rus que vous sembliez très gentil.  Oui, mon père est originaire d’Occitanie, d’Aude pour être précis.  Le père dit que maman était magique mais elle est morte quand j’étais très jeune, alors il m’a élevé seul." Kate said as she tried not to sound to nervous.  It was much more reassuring to be speaking in her native tongue, when confronted not only with London but also with a hidden community within London she never knew existed until a week ago.  "Quelle partie de Marseille, si je peux me permettre de demander."


((French says = "Thank you for asking Rus that you seem very nice.  Yes, my father is from Occitania, from Aude to be precise.  The father says mom was magical but she died when I was very young, so he raised me alone."   "What a part of Marseille, if I may ask."))
This message was last edited by the player at 18:27, Thu 15 July 2021.

Rus smiled and bowed his head in thanks to the compliment. A wave of sadness then crossed his features and his hand raised, momentarily, as if to offer some comfort. A second later, he simply clenched his fist and shook his head, "Je vous adresse mes sincères condoléances. Bien qu'elle me vexe souvent, je ne pouvais pas imaginer la vie sans mère."

Seeing her more relaxed, he hoped that he had made a friend. He motioned at the table he had been seated at, "S'il vous plaît rejoignez-nous. Je suis sûr que votre père trouverait une conversation agréable avec ma mère et Madame Abbott." He pointed to the semi-distant table where the two witches sat.

He then tried to continue the conversation whatever her choice was. He would nto force her out of her comfort. "Danc, nous avons une maison près du Vieux-Port à Marseille. De nombreuses sorcières et sorciers vivent dans la région. Ils l'ont depuis l'antiquité." But a god conversation was as much about one's partner as oneself, "Aude? C'est à Narbonne, non? Je ne me souviens pas l'avoir visité. Je pense que maman nous a appris quelque chose sur le soulèvement cathare. C'était dans cette région, non?" He glanced at the others at the table to see if they were put off by the foreign exchange or, even more interesting, were following it.

"Je vous remercie, mais je n’ai jamais eu l'occasion de la connaitre avant son décès. Cependant d'après les photos de papa c’était une femme remarquablement belle. Pouvons-nous Père ?"" She asked curiously looking at her father worriedly.  He normally didn't trust her around strangers, or rather didn't trust the strangers around her.  She was hopeful though, it'd be nice to have some friends outside of Fenny and her tutors.

Her father seemed to hesistate before looking down at the boy who was talking to his daughter.  He had a suspicious look in his eyes, before letting his eyes shift to look at the table they'd be sitting at.  It took him a moment before reluctantly agreeing.  "Je suppose que ce serait bien, mais nous partons si l’un d’entre eux essaie quelque chose, mon petit coquillage." Causing a delighted little squeak from his daughter that brought a slight smile to his lips.  He walked over taking a seat next to Kate and glancing at the adults with some interest.

At the question Kate seemed to relax alittle, this was much more familiar ground for her, facts and details were her home, mainly due to a lack of friends in her life.  "Je n’ai jamais été au Vieux-Port non plus, est-ce que c’est sympa là-bas, et oui, oui, ça fait partie de la sous-préfecture de Narbonne. Oui pape Innocent trois, a lancé une croisade contre les hérétiques cathares en douze cent neuf, c’était aussi un front pendant les réformes catholiques. Aude a une longue et fière histoire qui remonte à l’Empire Romain.  J’espère ne pas offenser vos amis en parlant en Français, je détesterais être un dérangement pour votre entreprise"


((French says = "Thank you, but I never had the opportunity to know her before her death. However according to Dad's photos she was a remarkably beautiful woman. Can we Father?"    "I guess it would be nice, but we leave if one of them tries something, my little sea shell."    "I've never been to the Old Port either, is it nice there, and yes, yes, it's part of the sub-prefecture of Narbonne. Yes Pope Innocent three, launched a crusade against the Cathar heretics in twelve hundred and nine, it was also a front during the Catholic reforms. Aude has a long and proud history that dates back to the Roman Empire.  I hope not to offend your friends by speaking in French, I would hate to be a nuisance for your company" ))
This message was last edited by the player at 18:29, Thu 15 July 2021.

Rus sat back a bit at the reply but his grin only grew. He then glanced at their table companions, "Si vous le souhaitez, nous pouvons changer de langue. Je suis à l'aise avec l'un ou l'autre." Rus smiled then and took a sip of his cider. A sudden thought occurred and he motioned with the mug toward the bar, "Voulez-vous quelque chose à boire?"

He didn't mean to leave off their conversation about the history of southern France, but he wanted to give her time to consider the switch of tongues and a choice of beverage.

The fat boy had been settled at t a table by the innkeeper. "We need not worry about twisters here, weird things happen at Gringott's every now and then. Are the Ministry investigators at the scene?"

The boy got excited again. "I'll say! They have been swiped up by the thing!"

"Oh. Well, forget about it my dear,it will all be sorted out soon." Then Mrs Abbott turned to the group speaking French. "Que puis-je vous apporter ?"

A tall slender man who looked like an adult version of Arty came in the door. "Has anyone seen..." Arty ran over to his dad and took his hand. "I'm ready to go now."

"Well I'm sure that once we get your books..."

He looked up stubbornly, "I am ready to go home now."

His father knelt to be eye to eye with Arty. "Son, we've talked about this. Hogwarts..."

Arty was having none of it, "They don't speak English here. they blither and leave people who don't speak their gibberish out. I want to ho home."

His father looked at the room bitterly. "I thought this school had grown out of such nonsense but it seems I was wrong. I'll send the headmaster an owl."

With that he caused space to twist around and he disappeared along with Arty.

Bella had perked up a little when she heard others speaking French but she was also awfully curious about what was going on with the twister that was now being talked about by the older patrons.  "I'm Arabella but most people just call me Bella," she introduced herself in French and nodded enthusiastically when Rus invited Katherine to join them.  She did give the father a quizzical look, though, when he said something about anyone trying anything.  What in the world could he possibly mean?

The larger boy mentioned something about some of the weather wizards being swept up in the storm then and she turned to look at him, eyes wide with surprise.  "Swiped up?!" she blurted out in English, then looked toward her mother.  Surely this meant there could be injuries.  "Mum, should we see if anyone needs help?" she asked with some urgency.  "I could help with the little things ..."  Alamara did look concerned but for the moment she shook her head.  "If I'm needed, they'll get word to me.  For now we should stay here."

A man came in and the boy who wanted to be the greatest Keeper in history ran to him, upset that some had been speaking in French.  Then the man rudely told them off and before Bella or anyone could try to apologize, they apparated away.  "Well I never ..." Alamara sputtered and Bella looked crestfallen.  "We didn't mean anything," she said quietly as she set her empty cup down.  She looked to Marcus and nodded.  "Petunia ... that's a wonderful name"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:36, Thu 15 July 2021.

Kate closed her eyes and took a breath as she resumed figiting with her braid. "I suppose I can speak English if it helps, its just not as familiar as my French.  Um, do you have any Green Tea, Madam, I'm sorry i didn't catch your name."  She blushed deeply at the oversight and embarrassment of not knowing who was taking her order.  Atleast dad didn't seem to upset by it.  "I'm Katherine Damor, and who are you if i may ask?" she asked hoping that soon they'd be able to goto the bank but in the meantime she could atleast meet her future peers hopefully.

"A pleasure to meet you Bella, I hope we can be friends." Kate said with a slight inclination of her head out of respect.

Already most of the way out the door when the conversation edges back into English Sara doesn't stop, but she does glance behind her to see if anyone is likely to be following.  In either case she opens the door into the wind and rain, pushing it aside as easily as an adult two or three times her size would expect to, and leaves the warm dry tavern behind.

The actions of the outspoken boy were largely ignored. Marcus couldn’t understand them either, but that did not take away from his conversation with Bella or her mother. He smiled at Bella and gave Petunia much appreciated pets. She hadn’t changed much in the last couple of years. Cuter but still the same sweet personality.

Upon hearing the wizards that came to calm the storm were swiped up, he opened the collar of his jacket and scooped Petunia into it. A long coil of rope with a carabiner attached to each end. Marcus clipped one to his belt and slung his backpack back on. He held the coil of rope in his left hand. “I have to see who is behind this for personal reasons now. I have some rope to help keep the others from getting swept away.” He then proceeded to follow Sara out the door offering a portion of the rope to her to hold onto.

Rus blushed deeply as the boy stormed off. He seemed the type to get upset when everything didn't include him, but Rus wasn't sure what he could have done. He spoke the language as did Kate and, apparently, Bella. Why should they avoid it? At the other table, Constance had a deeply severe look on her face. Rus assumed that notes about a certain family had been taken for the next tea time with her high-society friends.

Then the conversation turned to drinks and the twister again, "It's really no business for children. Right?" A part of him really wanted to see it though. To stay a safe distance away and watch. Mum and he needed to get money from the bank anyway. He looked at Marcus, Bella, and Kate with a worried expression. His eyes still darted to the now open door in the back which lead to the alley. "Oi, the secret door muggles shouldn't know about is wide open!"

Without thinking, he got up and ran to the space to close the door. He stopped half-way there to look back at the two girls still sitting at the table. He looked positively sheepish. He then caught his mother's look and that she was halfway out of her chair already. "Let's go see, mother. I am sure that father would like to hear about it later. Maybe Miss Mertle would want to know as well?" Constance hesitated then and pursed her lips as she glanced at Alamara, "Well, there is shopping to be done. And Mi.. Agkistrodon would probably appreciate first-hand knowledge. Alamara? What's your thought? I am sure we could keep the children's behavior properly in check as well as keep them safe." She looks at Kate's father and smiles. Rus knew when Constance was putting the charm on. She was good at it in a snakey kind of way. "I assure you, sire. There's little to fear and we can guide you and your daughter around the Alley."

At the mention of what is happening at Gringotts, Jay immediately put his textbook in his backpack and runs outside, in spite of the rain and wind. There is a look of worry and fear in his face. His direction is Gringotts because he is worried about his uncle.

Kate looked confused for a moment before glancing to her father who seemed to be considering the offer. "I suppose it would be best to have an adult witch or wizard with us for our trip through the alley, you're sure it would be no bother madam?" he asked with sincerity. The idea of a rope and escort putting any concern of the twister away, surely they would have it under control soon right?

Kate smiled at that, although her anxious figiting did little to actually quiet as a result.  She didn't like crowded places where it felt like everyone was looking at her.  If the leaky cauldron was like this, how bad would Diagon ally itself be?  Well, she'd have to put her trust in her new ... was he a friend or an acquaintance....Rus and hope for the best, it was strange to think of a boy as a friend instead of a threat, but maybe this was the start of a new life for her.  In more ways then one.  "Alright, if your sure its safe Rus...are you coming as well Bella?" she asked hopefully.

Alamara could see her daughter's curiosity rising and knew if she didn't go with her that her daughter might not stay at a safe distance.  "I believe with our guidance, they could safely see the phenomenon," she replied to Constance.  The words were barely out of her mouth and Arabella was dashing after the other children.  "Wait for me!" she called out as she headed for the back door.

"Sure we have green tea," Mrs Abbott said. "But oh my, it seems everyone is going to see the action." She took off her apron and dusted off her hand,s although they did not look like they needed dusting off. "I'm a healer, maybe I will be needed."

With that, about everyone including the fat boy were on their way out the backdoor.

The weather in Diagon Alley was still windy and rainy, but the center of the storm was now clearly over Gringott's - a grey-and-purple twister the size of a small church tower slowly rotating clockwise. "That's wrong,"the fat boy muttered. "We're in the northern hemisphere,it should rotate counterclockwise. My mom's a meteorologist, I know these things."

Shouts and cries and wild cursing could be heard, and all sorts of people were assembled in the street, their expressions a mixture of horror and amazement as they watched the weather control team spinning around in the twister,sometimes completely vanishing in it. All of them seemed to be tied onto their brooms so as to avoid falling off, but they did not look like entering the storm had been their intention. It looked as if the twister tried to grab onto the domed roof of the wizard bank. But it could not get a hold. "Haaaaa if that's a try to rip the rohohooof off of the building, haaaa then that's a fail right there... hahahhaa see there is toohohoo much magic on that building!" The person almost neighing these words was, on the first look, a centaur. On the second look, even for a foal he was too small. On the 3rd look, it was easy to see the similarities with a donkey. "Whahahat?" he asked. "Never seen an Onocentaur before?"

Yes I know in mythology they do not have 4 horse legs but that version I find way too weird.

Excited, Rus burst into the alley through the secret pass and then darted down the street a bit. He didn't need to go far before he spotted the thing. The stock still stance, craned neck, and wide eyes of the enraptured soon overtook his form. Instinctively, as he Da had taught him, he tried to focus on magical traces within the twister, but it was too far away of course. One foot stepped closer then stopped mid-air.

He turned his head as hid body froze to meet the stern glare of his mum. He saw her look at the twister with a frown of deep concern. He visibly shook as he noted mum's short, rigid wand was in her hand and she was muttering words. She did that when she was going through the list of spells she could recall.

Rus turned, still in place, to regard the twister again and felt his desire to get closer still present. He wouldn't though; he was a kind and considerate person. It'd give his mum white hairs to go running into that thing. He looked around at the others standing nearby. "Northern-huh? Counter-what? Meteor-blahblahblah? You mean it's turning the wrong way?" Must have been muggle words or stuff he'd learn at school. The kid's parents must be weather witches or whatever the muggle equivalent was. He was just shaking his head as the magical creature began to speak. He stared openly and replied, "No. Never have. Never even heard of one." The man's comments were right, of course. His father worked in Gringott's as a Curse Breaker; Rus had some idea of just how good that place's magical protections were. "You'd need to be just about the biggest idiot or maddest wizard alive to try and break into Gringott's with brute force. It's impossible! Mum says the goblins aren't to be trusted further than the end of their massive noses, but you should always be wary of goblin magic. They're quite vicious when they want to be."

Seeming to enjoy the stormy weather as much as the interesting view Sara presses on in the direction of the bank, not exactly quickly but with a definite purpose and a lot of practice moving against the wind, she leans into the wind easily and takes what gaps in its force she can by approaching buildings or traveling in their shadows as often as possible.  Occasionally she glances back to check on the progress of the other students but seems confident that they will keep up or that they don't need to.

Bella looked up at the people being flung around, her expression somewhere between horror and curiosity.  "Oh ... if they ever get out of there I'm sure their stomachs aren't going to be in the best of shape ... along with their outsides," she said worriedly.

Then she heard a voice, strange and almost braying, and when she looked down at the Onocentaur she almost forgot about the poor people up in the twister.  "I have not met an Onocentaur before but it's a pleasure," she said kindly.

Looking back at the bank, she thought about what some of the others were saying.  "Maybe this is just a distraction, covering up something happening somewhere else," she suggested.  Her mother wasn't saying anything but her wand was out and she looked ready to defend the children.

"Gohohooblins are verrry good at keheeheeping their secrets save, haaa!" the Onocentaur agreed. "I am Hugo, and I work at Hohohoogwarts this yeah, haa,to help with a newhewheew agreement with the Centaurs. They are a pain in the ass, haahaaa. Get it? Pain in the ass, haaa."

Up at the twister, the gathered crowed ooohed and aaahed and then screamed as the witch of the weather control group was ejected - or maybe she had escaped, everyone seemed to have a different opinion. Under the applause of many,much as if this was a planned performance, she caught her broom easily enough and started to circle the thing. She shouted something to a few bystanders.

Perception roll from everyone present please.

Unlike most of the folks around him Jay was not interested in the cyclone once he took one good look at it. Instead he seemed to be desperately searching the crowds. While he can somewhat hear what is being said by the witch his attention is on finding someone. Then he ran towards Tommy in the  relief showing in his face.

"Uncle Tommy!"

The man turned around from watching the cyclone and gently knelt in front of Jay with concern putting both hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Jay you should not be here. I thought I told you to stay in the Leaky Cauldron?"

"I was worried about you after hearing about the cyclone.", Jay replied with genuine concern and relief that his Uncle Tommy is okay.

There was a sad smile in Tommy's face. After giving Jay a fatherly affectionate pat to the neck to give the very worried boy assurance he led the boy back to the Leaky Cauldron.

23:10, Today: Jason Voorhees Jarvis rolled 15 using 1d20+2.  Perception Roll.

Rus was stuck between a twister and his mum. Still, he didn't try to get any closer at all. There was a rumbling, thrumming sort of feeling in his chest that made him feel cold and numb. He looked back to his mum who stood squarely, wand in hand, staring up at the twister with a very disapproving look. Somehow, the absolute mundanity of his mother's disapproval shook the numbing feeling free. He then turned to look at Kate and Bella.

"A distraction?" Rus looked at the twister again and his jaw worked like he was chewing on something. "Well, it isn't very good at what it seems to be trying to do. That's certain. It certainly has everyone's eyes on it. Oi! You may be right, Bella!" A more appraising look went from Rus to Bella then and he nodded to himself. He looked at Kate then at their parents a bit behind them.

Then his eyes snapped to the strange magical creature as it spoke again, "Oi! We're meant to start there this year. What subject were you meant to teach then? Personally, I like History and Herbology, but mum wants me to get Es in all my subjects." A second later, Rus spoke a bit more slowly, "I don't think mum would approve of me understanding that joke. OR hearing it for that matter. But I get it." He looked up at the twister again and then at Kate and Bella, "Should we, uhmm, do anything?"

13:18, Today: Trimeresurus Slughorn rolled 10 using 1d20+5.  PErception.

Bella's cheeks turned pink when Rus looked at her and said she might be onto something.  "My brothers often caused a distraction when they were trying to sneak something past Mum and Dad," she said with a little shrug.  She was trying to look all around, to see if she might see something else going on, but she started giggling at the Onocentaur's quip.

---

10:41, Today: Arabella Abbott rolled 9 using 1d20+2.  Perception.

Ugh!  The die roller is in a stinky mood for me today.  That's two bad rolls in a row.

20:04, Yesterday: Katherine Damor rolled 19 using 1d20+2.  Perception check.


Kate seems to tense as the witch is ejected from the storm and clings alittle tighter to her dad and the rope.  She seems to be whispering something in french to her dad nervously as she watches the display and tries to listen closely to whats going on.

Rather than bunching up with the mostly adult crowd close to the bank Sara takes a bit of a detour to a side street and climbs up on the roof of a nearby building to get a better look at what is going on up in the air.

A twister over Gringott's was certainly something worth braving the rain over. Pandora joined the others in Diagon Alley, staring up at the storm over the bank. She guessed it wasn't natural.

Watching the weather control team flying around - and through - the tornado, she instinctively gripped an imaginary broom, fearful and excited at the same time.

22:13, Today: Pandora Black rolled 2 using 1d20.  Perception.
Must have rain in her eyes.

In all the rain and many people running any which way, but JJ and Sara were pretty sure there were several aurors near the bank - not many people would voluntarily wear those ugly brown coats. But they were drawing away from the bank, now, moving into an alley opposit6e the bank.

Intelligence check for those two to see if you know where they are going.

Sara watches a few people move away from the twister down yet another one of the twisting allies, but doesn't recognize them as anything particularly important, surely not more interesting than the twister itself.

As Tommy leads his charge away, JJ points to several aurors headed in a certain direction. But Tommy is more concerned with his charge than investigating what is truly going on. So the two head back to the Leaky Cauldron.

23:37, Today: Jason Voorhees Jarvis rolled 10 using 1d20+1.  Intelligence.

Rus was just staring at the twister clawing away at the roof of the bank. The twisting wind and the flying debris were like watching an intricate ballet. He even lifted his finger to trace a particular movement for a few moments here and there.

A heavy hand landing upon his shoulder jolted him back and he looked up wide-eyed into the stern visage of his mother, "Come, Trimeresurus. Bring your friends. I think you have seen more than enough. Let's go to Ollivander's You can gawk just as easily from there."

Rus squeaked in excitement. he was the last of his family to be without a wand. His father had let him hold his grandfather's wand a few times to practice a few things, but his own wand was a treasure of an idea. He turned excitedly to Kate and Bella and hopped a bit on his toes, "Oh, oh! Do you have wands yet? It's ever so exciting! A wand is like your best friend. That's what Mum says. She studied to be an enchanter in school. Want to go seem them?"

"No, although I'm sure that papa will take us there right after we exchange our moneys." Kate says as she watches all the excitement surrounding the twister.  Her first glance at the magical world was, a little overwhelming in all honesty.  Hopefully it wasn't always this exciting.

Marcus observed the weather team attempting, though not with as much success it seemed, to calm the storm. One thing did stick out to him and he pointed at the people in the brown coats heading down an alley. “Shouldn’t those Aurors be heading towards the twister to deal with it than moving away from it? I know basic magical theory which says most spells require line of sight. So why would they be going away from the open area?”

04:48, Today: Marcus Cornell rolled 18 using 1d20-1.  Intelligence check.
04:47, Today: Marcus Cornell rolled 16 using 1d20.  Perception .

Bella was in one of those states of curious yet cautious at the same time but when Rus' mum suggested they go to Olivander's, she thought it was a pretty good idea.  "I've played around a bit with my great grandpappa's, mum's, and a couple of my brother's wands but I can hardly wait to get my own," she admitted and looked to her mother who nodded.  "Come children.  We should let the proper authorities handle this," Alamara stated.

Marcus will know they are running into Knockturn Alley.

By the time the brown Aurors went out of sight, there was a large BOOM sound, and the world appeared,for a moment, frozen in time. After that, the remaining wizards flew out from inside the twister into several directions and out of sight, while the twister twisted even more, in seemingly impossible ways and screeched instead of howled, as if it was a living thing.

After that, there was silence, and not a wind was stirring. Rain was still falling, in even larger drops, but the sound of the rain was gone. Then the sounds came back, as if someone would turn the volume back on, and several people were running their ears. "You can move on now,folks," an annoyed voice from the top of the stairs to the bank announced. "We have everything in hand, here!" One of the goblins stood there, with a brown tuxedo and an old cane large than himself. He waved said cane as if wanting to push people away, and it had the desired effect. Only the witch of the weather control team looked as if she wanted to make an inquiry, but obviously thought better of it.

"Thahahaat went out with a screeheechch and a bohoom!" Hugo laughed. "See you all lahahaater!" With that, he ran off down the street.

Kate and her father made their way into the bank to exchange money.  Her father leading the way with Kate following behind him nervously and giving a shy smile back at the others. Hopefully she'd get to see them again later.

Practically bouncing on his feet, Rus clapped his hands despite the rain. He stared down at his hands then to his trainers and suddenly realized it was cold and clammy outside. He looked up at Constance as she approached who made a rather severe tutting sound then waved her wand.

Grinning, the now dry boy waved at his two new acquaintances in the hopes they were two new friends then moved off toward the wand shop. After a moment, he stopped and looked back to Bella and Marcus, "Were you going to come as well?"

Marcus was curious as to why the aurors would turn down that alley, but he would only get in the way if he went. So we turned and nodded to Rus. “Yes. I can’t wait to bond with my wand and get to Hogwarts. I’ve heard it’s a sight to behold.”He goes to join the rest of them to Olivander’s.

At the bank, the goblins tried to act as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, but to anyone paying a little attention, it was clear they were still a little shocked. Twitching ears, frozen smiles and one of them dropping a vault key were clear signs, but the money got exchanged well enough and it didn't take long at all.

The door to Olivander's made an awful screeching sound,although it appeared well oiled. "Apologies," the voice of a young woman came from somewhere among the wand exhibition. "We'll fix the chime soon. Someone thought it funny to hex it and with all the excitement we didn't get around to it yet." It sounded like an automated response of someone having had to say it all day. "I'll be with you once I've sorted the jester wands out someone must have recently smuggled into our selection."

Bella's mother had stayed closer to her, one hand ushering her along while the other still held her wand.  She didn't want her daughter wandering off anywhere else with all the chaos going on, though she did note her daughter looking all around.  They had been here many times so Bella knew her way around and that curiosity of hers might get her in a bit of a mess if she wasn't kept on the main path.

"I've heard a lot about the bonding too, all my brothers in particular.  I was only four when Zachary got his but I remember his hair puffed out like he'd just got out of bed," Bella giggled.  "They all said it's one of the best feelings ever, though, so I'm really looking forward to it too.  Then I'll be going to find a pet.  I was thinking about an owl but seeing Marcus' cat, I was wondering about one of my great grandmother's cats ..."

Once their money was exchanged, Kate and her father came back and headed for Olivander's.  Kate stared at the various wands with interests, supposedly her mom had used something like this, although she couldn't be sure, what would she get? She fidgeted playing with her braid anxiously as she waited to see how everything played out.  Her alure stirred slightly in response to the anticipation, but she slammed down her control over it almost instantly.  It wouldn't do to have that active here in diagon alley.

Rus put his hands reflexively over his ears as they entered the shop and then smiled at the disembodied voice as if to reassure it that he was fine. Constance, on the other hand, gave the chime a look which might have inspired medusa. Rus chuckled thinking the chime ought to feel quite intimidated if it knew what was good for it.

He turned as Bella spoke of wands and pets, "All my family says so as well. Though, the only one I was old enough to recall getting her wand was Finny. That's my sister Hydrophinae. Mum says I was in the shop when Celeste and Claire got theirs, but I was just two then. Celeste claims her wand turned my hair bright blue! Sounds cool, yeah? Little baby me with a tuft of blue hair and mum having fits? Anyway, I was five when Finny got her wand. If she wasn't going to Beauxbatons, I thing she'd have known your brother, right? Around the same age anyway. Well, Finny gets her wand and squeaks. Right? Just like a mouse squeaks. Then she goes and burps up pink bubbles. I just about died laughing. Finny's awful serious most the time."

Rus suddenly got a little sullen, "She used a jinx she learned that year to make slugs come out of my nose the next summer. Mum had to threaten to take Finny's wand away before she broke the jinx. Slugs taste awful." Rus was grinning again by the end of the story. Behind him, Constance looked annoyed at the story of the blue hair but mostly sent rather indulgent looks toward Rus before gazing around the shop expectantly. "Hallo. We've a few fine young witches and wizards here to get their first wands. It's not a bad time, is it?"

Rus blinked back at his mother then looked around the shop for a second then fixated back on his new friends, "I've a dodgy old manx cat named Bludger. No tail, of course, but also missing a bit of an ear and some patches of fur and he's got the one funny eye. Mum says he sees just fine, but I got no idea how. Found him when we vacationed on the Isle of Mann three summers ago and he's followed me around ever since. Well, more like he found me. I was being harassed by a raven and he sent it packing. That raven made a sound a lot like a seeker getting hit with a bludger. S'why I call him Bludger. I definitely like cats a lot. Owls are alright though. Better than ravens anyway."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:03, Fri 23 July 2021.

It would seem that there was certainly a jokester running around. He wondered if it was the same one that had drawn the words on the ship window an hour ago. He listened to the other waiting for his turn to obtain his wand.

"Oh, this is just a small disturbance." The young witch shoved the joke shop items into a box and closed the lid with a bang. "It is not only us. Some prankster has been upsetting the alley all week. Now, do you want to look around on your own, or do you need assistance?"

Marcus pondered and expressed his thoughts. “My dad said his wand found him. Maybe I can give it a try?” He held out his hand palm pointed at the shelves of wands. The boy closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. Nothing happened for several minutes as he focused on what wand formed in his mind as the wand and the magic within him sought to connect with each other. There was a rustling way back in the far corner of the inventory. Suddenly, a wand zipped through the air like an arrow to slam into his hand where he wrapped his fingers around it.

The wand was 14” of unyielding aspen wood with a dragon heartstring as the core. Air swirled around him in a small vortex that vanished as quickly as it appeared. Marcus opened his eyes and admired the instrument of power that had chosen him. “That…was…AWESOME!!!”

Bella was standing politely out of everyone's way and not wanting the woman to feel rushed in helping them but she was certainly looking at all the boxes lining the shelves.  Her eyes went wide when Marcus gave something a try, actually holding out his hand and focusing.  Could it possibly work like that?  Her brother had needed an awful lot of help and had given at least ten or more a try before he found his.

"Hmmmm ... I wonder ..." she murmured and with a nod from her mother started to walk along the shelves.  There were areas she could sense the air almost vibrating but nothing really caught her attention.  She continued along, fingers tracing along a few of the boxes until she stopped and looked upward.  Thankfully a ladder was there and she eased her way up it to the very top shelf.

It was like something was calling to her and she gingerly pulled a box from amongst a myriad of others.  Carefully she worked her way back down and after brushing off a bit of dust opened the box, looked at the lovely wand for several seconds, then plucked it from the box.  Immediately she felt warmth rush through her and wind swirled around her, sending her blond hair flying about ... a most pleasant feeling indeed!

Her eyes shimmered with tears, though from the smile on her face they were the happy kind.  "None of the wands at home ever did that!" she breathed and her mother chuckled as she came over and looked a bit closer.  "Because they weren't yours, Sweetling," she said patiently.  "I've only seen a couple of wands made of Acacia before.  A bit on the rare side."

It was fourteen inches long and slightly bendy, the wood a lighter shade and polished.  The handle was slightly thicker than the rest and etched along the length was a leafy vine.  "It's beautiful," Bella said, her voice barely above a whisper.  For the first time she truly felt connected to the magical world, like she was exactly where she belonged.  She went to stand by Marcus.  "I can hardly wait to start classes," she said with a happy grin.

Kate wandered through the shop grasping different wands and finding none of them quite fit her.  After a bit though she came upon a dusty old wand case in the back which she picked up and opened,  The wand looked neglected and ignored for years, maybe a century even, she delicately wiped away the dust and picked it up to examine with interest.  It felt warm to her touch like it had an inner glow within her, it felt...right in her hands.  Taking it up front she presented it to the witch, who said it was "Willow, 12 inches, Phoenix feather core", Kate paid for it and held it close to her enjoying the feeling of her wand against her skin.

Giving up her perch on the rooftop as the show outside starts to fade Sara comes to the wand shop a little bit later than some of the other first year students, and begins her own search of the place.  She stops several times to retrieve a wand box from a shelf and listen to it as if she can hear something from it.  Without opening the box she puts them back quickly, perhaps as many as two dozen.  After a few minutes of this search she finally opens one box and upon opening it a pulse of sound so low pitched it is more felt than heard by everyone in the shop draws far more attention to her than she seems to be interested in.

Extracting a 14” wand of Unbending Holly with a Phoenix Feather core she none the less seems satisfied with the success of her efforts, and takes it with her up to the forming line to pay for the wands as this is in part still a shop, not just a sorting facility.

Having briefly met up with her mother, Pandora lurched into Ollivander's weighed down by a heavy book bag. She jumped as the door screeched, and dropped her bag.

"Does it have to do that?" she complained.

She idly picked up a loose wand, only for it to turn into a rubber chicken. She glared at the joke wand as if that was a personal insult, and carefully put it down again. Then she fought her impatience, and waited her turn. She smiled at the others, remembering them from the Leaky Cauldron, and after a moment's hesitation introduced herself.

"Pandora Black."

There. It was over with. She always worried about introductions, given her family name.

Rus was standing near enough the door looking nervous. the others had set off into the shop by themselves to root around for wands in the stacks and stacks of the things. Given what he knew of wands, that seemed really dangerous. He stood, fidgeting, next to the door and waited for a bit.

First the boy, the Bella, then Kate, and even a girl that came in after all of them combined. He began to suspect the offer of assistance was hollow. He was just opening his mouth to shout into the back when the door opened again and yet another girl walked in. There were a lot of girls around lately. Her name caused his chin to drop just a bit, "Black? But..." He looked at his mother. She had given him an extensive, if informal, education of the pureblood families. The Blacks ranked the highest but were also all dead or no longer pure. He glanced at Constance to see her glaring with her shortish arms folded angrily under her chest. Swallowing his emotions, Rus composed himself, "Hello, Miss. Trimeresurus Slughorn. Please, call me Rus. I've been queuing for a bit but no one seems to want to help."

He turned his head to crane and look for the origin of the voice again, "Hello the shop! Can anyone offer some assistance then?"

Jay and his guardian were done with their shopping and he put his wand in his backpack. Returning to the Leaky Cauldron he and Uncle Tommy were enjoying some cheeseburgers and french fries as they continued to have their heart to heart talk about the coming school year. Tommy was worried about his adoptive son. He knew that the boy was stronger and braver than he thought but Jay was now beginning a new journey and the boy was naturally nervous and uncertain. He never ever took to change all that well. Still as he watched his 'son' somehow he knew that the boy was going to be all right.

You looking forward to attending Hogwarts?, he asked the boy and the boy responded with a shrug. No matter how much he changed he was never one to carry a conversation. Reaching over and putting a comforting hand on the boys shoulder he said, Hey you are going to be fine. Just remember what I told you. Chin up, stay focused, be brave. I have to go and check up on things. You gonna be okay here?

Jay nodded and Tommy left.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" An older man with a load of wands in wooden boxes came from the back of the shop. "So,here are the real wands. If I catch the clown who did that...ah!" Olivander's face brightened as he saw Trimeresurus. "A Slughorn if I've ever seen one! come come,Slughorns always find special wands!"

Rus perked up at the appearance of someone that might be the proprietor. The comment about his family mystified him though. He didn't look all that much like his father or his siblings really. "Really? How can one tell? And I don't recall any of my siblings' wands being overly special."

Still, Rus was moving as he spoke and approached the old man.

"He looked around the shop... But isn't every wand special in its own way? How do we start?" He smiled apologetically at those waiting on him or in queue to pay for wands. You only got your first wand once and he wanted it done properly.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:41, Mon 02 Aug 2021.

"Good morning, Rus. They look busy."

Despite her casual manner, Pandora scowled when Ollivander fawned over Rus rather than her. Evidently a Slughorn was worth more than a Black. She would have to change that.

Anyway, she didn't really need Ollivander. She'd read up on wand lore, and knew what her wand would be.

"Aspen, phoenix feather, 10", solid," she said to the young witch, as if asking for a style of shoe.

But when she gave the offered wand an experimental flick, nothing happened. Suddenly, a tape measure was buzzing around her like an enraged butterfly.

"Not aspen. Applewood? No, try blackthorn. Blackthorn, yes. You've got a warrior's spirit."

I think my father's got a bottle of that.

The witch yanked the wand out of her hand.

"Not phoenix feather, then. How about unicorn hair?"

Pandora tried the next wand. It wasn't right, but it felt... better.

"Too short. Try this one... no, still too short. Try this instead."

Suddenly, the latest wand felt alive in her hand. A quick flick, and coloured lights flew out the end.

"Blackthorn, unicorn hair, 13 inches, and solid."

Pandora stared at her new wand. It wasn't what she expected at all, but it already felt like an old friend.

"Th-thank you," she stammered, as she paid.

At least she'd been right about the 'solid'.

Once everyone had found and paid for their wands, he shrugged his shoulders. “Well shall we all head back to the Leaky Cauldron until it’s time to go board the train or what?”

Rus' jaw hit the floor in a nearly literal way when the Black girl jumped the line and demanded her wand. Instinctively, he glanced back at his mother to see a black cloud cross her face. Rudeness was something Constance had no time for. Rus suspected it was more about people knowing their proper places. Whatever the case, he smiled at her then waited while the girl went through the rigmarole of a wand selecting her, "It isn't the witch that selects the wand, but the wand that selects the wizard. They often know things about us even we don't know. Supposed to be the same with the sorting hat."

Once she was done, he stepped up and was ushered to a stool. He obediently stood still and accepted the self-measuring tape measure's assault. He was used to it having been custom fit for robes and such most of his life.

A minute or so into the automatic probe, the old man brought a box to him and opened it. Rus reached in to take the wand but snatched his hand back when a sensation like static electricity leaped into his finger, "Ahhh, that's interesting. Same wood as his sister."

"My sister? Which one?" He had four of them after all. But the man was off into his stacks again. Rus pouted a bit and huffed even as the man returned with another box. This time, Rus was able to take the wand up, but a foul smell began to fill the room causing the man to snatch it back, "Ahh, not unicorn's hair then. Perhaps a bit long as well. Tell me, how do you feel about giants?"

"Giants? Never met one, really." He glanced back and saw the look on Constance's face and stood up straighter, "A-awful brutes!" The man eyed him for a second the darted back into the precarious stacks of boxes.

A few moments later, the man returned with a strange box. A dark burnt orange color with red trim. The man opened the box a bit slowly like it might fall to pieces, "A bit old this one. Never found the right home. Been on that shelf nearly two decades. A core from an Chinese Fireball, twelve and a half inches long, reasonably supple, but the wood is a bit rare."

Rus looked at the wand and saw something strange indeed. instead of the straight sleek wand the others had, his twisted and double back on itself once. The wood was pretty, a rich brown color, and the handle had a carving of a dragon's head. "The handle and wand were carved to resemble the dragon that gave the core. A rather spirited female with a penchant for mangoes. Try it."

Rus picked the wand up and immediately felt a whooshing sensation run up his arm. A shower of golden sparks erupted from the tip and he found himself grinning at his mother who scowled back a moment but then smiled happily in the face of her son's joy. Putting it back in the box, he moved to the counter to pay with the others.

"Trimeresurus Aspis Slughorn! Manners!" The whip-like crack of his full nme in the air had his shoulders hunched up around his ears to protect them and he turned slowly to stare a moment like a startled deer. He swallowed slowly then looked to the elderly man again and bobbed his head, "Thank you, sir. I'll do my best to bring honor to the wand."

He then scampered to pay his mother trailing tolerantly behind and smiling apologetically at the proprietor as she handed over the coin. Rus was already moving to the others to show off his new companion, I can't wait to start practicing magic, yeah?" He almost swished the wand but stopped and smiled at the others.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:42, Mon 02 Aug 2021.

"Hmm..."

Pandora waved her new wand a couple of times. She didn't actually know any spells, but wanted to get the feel of it.

That ended when a jet of water shot out the end and hit her in the face.

"Ugh!"