#Fitzgerald’s Finders

[helenadurazzo]

Meet Fitzgerald’s Finders

A Rewrite of the Keepers from HPHL because yes

Top: Niamh and Percival

Middle: Nemesia and Charles

Last: Emira and San

Percival Rackham

Percival Rackham is the main leader of Fitzgerald’s Finders, a former Hufflepuff, and a divination professor at Hogwarts. He was the one who discovered the great power ancient magic had and that is was fading away and would disappear forever if it was not protected. As such, when he discovered this as a professor and talked to his colleague, the headmistress, she agreed and helped set up a group to research, find, and protect ancient forms of magic.

Niamh Fitzgerald

Niamh was not only a headmistress of Hogwarts, but she was also the namesake of this group, it’s co leader, and a former Ravenclaw. She was eager to help Percival in his quest to protect ancient magic and used her position to her advantage. Niamh was a very well read woman who excelled in the history of magic as a student and was fascinated by it. As headmistress, she worried about her students going on the wrong path and did everything to make sure they were always on a righteous path, although this did not always work.

Emira Ndiaye

Emira was always fascinated by the stars and stargazed at the Gryffindor tower often, and later, became the astronomy professor. She knew Charles Rookwood from her childhood as both of them came from the same hamlet in Scotland. When she became a professor, she formed a friendship with Percival Rackham and thought of ways that her passion for astronomy could be connected to his talent for divination. She also helped Nemesia research proper times to plant magical plants depending on the stars and learned about magical beasts from her colleague San Bakar.

San Bakar

San Bakar was a professor at Hogwarts of beasts who was also a former Slytherin. Originally from Yemen, Bakar traveled with his mother as a young boy when their magical abilities were discovered by their muggle community. During his travels, he encountered many magical beasts and developed a passion for them, enjoying the beasts classes he would take at Hogwarts, the location where his and his mother’s travels ended. He also dabbled in dark magic briefly just to know it if it was necessary to use in certain situations.

Nemesia Hearst

Nemesia Hearst was a member of Slytherin House who after discovering her love for herbology, came back to teach the subject and shared a close bond and friendship with Niamh Fitzgerald. She did research on magical plants that was kept in journals however they got lost for centuries until they were rediscovered in the 1900s in the Hearst Hall by her descendants. One of her biggest studies involved the discovery of Cobra Lillies and their characteristics and behavior as they did possess snake like qualities.

Charles Rookwood

Charles Rookwood was a transfiguration professor at Hogwarts and a former member of Slytherin and ancestor of Victor Rookwood. He was also a close friend of Percival Rackham’s and after Niamh Fitzgerald, was the second to join his cause. He was a very successful man however over the generations, his family resorted to crime circles, similar to the Hearst family in the 1700s. However, while the Hearsts managed to remove themselves from the dark arts and crime, the Rookwoods stayed with it, with one of Charles’ direct descendants becoming a death eater

[kcg69]

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a Great Lakes freighter built by Great Lakes Engineering Works of Ecorse, Michigan, and launched on June 7, 1958. Here are the detailed specifications and description of the ship:

length overall: 729 feet

length between perpendiculars: 711 feet

breadth molded: 75 feet

depth molded to spar deck amidship: 39 feet

draft (designed summer draft): 26 feet, 6.5 inches

gross tonnage: 13,632 tons

deadweight capacity: 25,891 gross tons

service speed: 16 mph

power: 7,500 shaft horsepower

engine manufacturer: Westinghouse Electric Corporation

registry number: US 277437

hull number: 301

The Edmund Fitzgerald was designed to carry taconite iron ore pellets from mines near Duluth, Minnesota, to steel mills in the Great Lakes region. The ship was noted for its luxurious interior, including deep pile carpeting, tiled bathrooms, leather swivel chairs in the guest lounge, and two guest staterooms for passengers. It featured advanced nautical equipment for its time, including a large galley and a fully stocked pantry.

On November 10, 1975, the ship sank in a severe storm on Lake Superior, approximately 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan. All 29 crew members perished, and the exact cause of the sinking remains unknown, though it is speculated that the ship may have suffered from structural failure, topside damage, or grounding on a shoal.

The wreck was located in deep water, split into two large pieces. The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald led to changes in Great Lakes shipping regulations, including mandatory survival suits, depth finders, positioning systems, increased freeboard, and more frequent inspections of vessels.

[dredgarcaurinus]

The adventures of Abigail & Caurinus continue with the latest instalment: Witch Hunt. This time the pair must contend with the machinations of a witch finder and Caurinus’s past catching up with him.

Available in ebook and paperback. Link below!

[gentrychild]

Dear and mighty gentry and the lil, loyal rats, I come in your domain to ask for salvation!

I've been looking for a fic I found some days ago, but it has vanished completely from my history, my bookmarks, and even my subscriptions

The fic was a FNAF time travel au in which Henry went back and was trying to save as many people as possible. In his way he discovers Jeremy Fitzgerald also remembers and they conspire to stop William from killing anyone (I'm pretty sure charlie was also brought to life in this au but I'm not sure)

There was a scene in which Jeremy saved Michael from being killed by Circus baby instead of Elizabeth, and after that traumatic event there was a comfort scene, and I'm craving that comfort right now :

Any help would be cherished, may you guys bless this poor soul with your assistance, and for you hard labor, I have this offering 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🍓🍓🍓🍓🥞🥞🥞🥞🍟🍟🍟🍟🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🧁🧁🧁🍪🍪🍪

Fic finders, ASSEMBLE!

[transfemgeorgecostanza]

finally beginning to sort and tag through 131 folders of ella fitzgerald albums. i dont want tooooo but i have toooooo ;_; i dont like if its all tagged differently and not sorted by year in finder, etc.

[eduurun]

23 books for 2023

I saw this trend at @tothewoods page and here's my list. One of my new year's resolutions is to read more, so I'll try to read all of them before this year ends. So here goes my list.

1984, by George Orwell.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde.

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The Disappearance Of Stephanie Mailer, by Joël Dicker.

The enigma of room 622, by Joël Dicker.

The Alaska Sanders affair, by Joël Dicker.

The fourth protocol, by Frederick Forsyth.

Por si las voces vuelven, by Ángel Martín.

Rey Blanco, by Juan Gómez Jurado.

Todo arde, by Juan Gómez Jurado.

A time for mercy, by John Grisham.

Finders keepers, by Stephen King.

End of watch, by Stephen King.

Born a crime, by Trevor Noah.

Patria, by Fernando Aramburu.

The llittle prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

El juego del alma, by Javier Castillo.

El cuco de cristal, by Javier Castillo.

Las madres, by Carmen Mola.

Extraordinary tales, by Edgar Allan Poe.

East of Eden, by John Steinbeck.

The fourth monkey, by J. D. Monkey.

Any that you recommend me.

Although I'm sure I'm not going to make it, I think I'll be happy with being able to read half of it.

[curiouswhile]

Reading List (2023) Part 2

An Acceptable Time - L'engle (3-14-23)

Life of Pi - Yahn Martel (3-16-23)

Needful Things - S.King (3-23-23)

Song of Achillies - Madelline Miller (3-30-23)

Mr.Mercedes - S.King (3-30-23)

The Shining - S.King (4-4-23)

Doctor Sleep - S.King (4-11-23)

Finders Keepers - S.King (4-18-23)

11-22-63 - S.King (4-28-23)

End of Watch - S.King (4-30-23)

Coraline - Gaiman (5-1-23)

Shawshank Redemption - S.King (5-3-23)

Ain't I a Woman - Bell Hooks (5-9-23)

Revival - S.King (5-4-23)

The Dead Zone - S.King (5-10-23)

Cujo - S.King (5-4-23)

Prey - Michael Crichton (5-15-23)

Joyland - S.King (5-14-23)

Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift (5-19-23)

Welcome to Night Vale - Joseph Fink (5-23-23)

Fugitive Telemetry - Martha Wells (5-24-23)

Of Mice and Men - Steinbeck (5-25)

The Great Gatsby - Fitzgerald (5-30-23)

Desperation - S.King (6-5-23)

Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll (6-6-23)

How to be an Artist - Jerry Saltz (6-7-23)

East of Eden - Steinbeck (6-15-23)

Think Like a Freak - Steven Levitt (6-19-23)

Creativity Inc - Ed Cattmull (6-22-23)

Caveat Emptor - Ken Perenyi (6-25-23)

101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think - Wiest (6-27-23)

Carrie - S.King (6-30-23)

The Long Walk - S.King (7-6-23)

The Langoliers - S.King (TBD)

[nwbeerguide]

Portland Cider Company is donating a portion of their proceeds from sales to the Oregon Zoo Foundation.

image courtesy Portland Cider Company

Press Release

CLACKAMAS, Ore. – May 9, 2023 – As part of their community commitment to pay it (fruit) forward, Portland Cider Company is partnering with the Oregon Zoo Foundation to help feed their hungry residents. Throughout May and June, a portion of the proceeds from every six-pack of Portland Cider sold in Oregon and Southwest Washington will be donated to the foundation and used to produce the 292,000 pounds of food that over 1,500 animals at the Oregon Zoo devour annually.

“Every time you pop open a can of Portland Cider, you could be helping provide healthy, nutritious food to all the different animals at the Oregon Zoo,” said Helen Lewis, Marketing Director at Portland Cider. “The more six-packs sold, the greater the donation, so this is a great time to stock up a bit for the animals!”

Each day, the Oregon Zoo provides an incredible variety of meals to hundreds of species: apples for Moshu, the red panda; carrots for Jozi, the black rhino; and ripe avocados for Pericles the chimp. Sea otters Juno, Lincoln and Uni Sushi require fresh, high-quality seafood six times a day, making them one of the most expensive (and adorable) animals to feed at the zoo. Thanks to black bears, polar bears, giraffes, tortoises and beavers, the zoo needs 250 heads of lettuce a week. And the herd of Asian elephants consumes 156,000 pounds of hay annually.

“Every dollar matters in our mission to provide the very best care for the animals at the Oregon Zoo, and Portland Cider has made it easy for people to help out while enjoying a delicious, local craft cider,” said Julie Fitzgerald, executive director at the Oregon Zoo Foundation. “The zoo has educated and entertained generations of guests, and partnerships like this one help ensure that we’ll be able to continue our efforts for generations to come.”

Most Portland Cider varieties are available in six-packs of 12-ounce cans, and can be found at retailers throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington using the company’s Cider Finder. Six-packs are also sold at Portland Cider’s three locations in Clackamas, Beaverton, and Portland.

About Portland Cider Company Portland Cider Company was founded in 2013 to bring hand-crafted, award winning cider to the Northwest. The company recognizes Portland and her bold spirit as the inspiration behind their innovative ciders, and promises the cleanest, tastiest, and most enjoyable cider-drinking experience the city has to offer. Including the new Westside Pub, Portland Cider has three taproom locations in the Portland Metro Area, where they encourage all to visit, sample, and expect more from the cider they drink.

PortlandCider.com @portlandcider (FB,  IG, TW) @portlandciderhouse (FB & IG)

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3nR6Xs9

[mylifeinfiction]

Finders Keepers by Stephen King

Shit don’t mean shit…

The second installment of Stephen King's Bill Hodges Trilogy doesn't actually introduce Kermit William Hodges & Friends until more than a third of the way into the book. Before that, Finders Keepers is busy telling the story of Morris Bellamy, Pete Saubers and the literary treasures that tie them together. It's a story about hidden treasure, betrayal, family, the importance of staying true to your character and the truly moving potential of art. As someone who's had many significant dreams throughout their life that revolved around the discovery of lost/unknown works from authors like Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe & F. Scott Fitzgerald, as well as countless lost films, this all felt tailor-made for me. And I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment I spent reading it.

"I guess what I mean is his work changed my heart."

Then, once Hodges gets involved, it just keeps getting better. There's fantastic character moments for him and his sidekick/future King main character, Holly Gibney. There are plot developments that are as twisty as they are urgent, yet never betray the overarching themes, characters and moments that precede them. There's a shocking, heartbreaking (for me, at least) climax that ties said themes together in a brutally effective manner. And there's even plenty of sequel-prep that - somehow - never once feels like its shoe-horned into this narrative.

This is an exciting thriller that is completely different than our first outing with Kermit William Hodges, Mr. Mercedes, yet still effortlessly manages to be every bit as gripping from the first page to the genuinely shocking last page.

He believes that, like the blood of Abel, the notebooks cried out from the ground. If that makes him a dipshit romantic, so be it. Some shit does mean shit.

9/10

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[soulmusicsongs]

Female Soul in 25 songs

This is a list of great female soul singers you might have forgotten. Soul singers with unforgettable voices and iconic songs. Listen to 25female soul songs!

A Lover’s Blues - The Raelets (Into Something Fine / A Lover’s Blues, 1967)

Big Surprise - Deloris Ealy and The Kenyattes with Harmonica Fats (Come Into My Bedroom / Big Surprise, 1973)

Central Park Blues - Nina Simone (Little Girl Blue, 1959)

Cry Love - The Sweet and Innocent (Cry Love / I Don’t Know What You’re Full Of, 1972)

Early In The Morning - Daisy Dumakude (It’s You!, 1977)

Fascinating, Devastating Man - Eleanore Mills (This Is Eleanore Mills, 1974)

I Feel The Earth Move - Ruth Brown (The Real Ruth Brown, 1972)

I Want To Get Back - Candace Love ‎(Never In A Million Years / I Want To Get Back, 1969)

I Wonder Why - Ella Fitzgerald (Ella, 1969)

Jolene - Kellee Patterson (Kellee, 1976)

Look At Me - Talya Ferro (Look At Me, 1968)

Love to the People - Sue Barker (Sue Barker, 1975)

Know What I Mean - Nichelle Nichols (Know What I Mean / Why Don’t You Do Right?, 1967)

My Man Is Gone - Roberta And The Sisters Of Righteous (Hold On To What You Got / My Man Is Gone, 1970)

My Man, My Man - Pat Hodges (Ain’t Watcha Got / My Man, My Man, 197?)

Now I Know What Love Is - Sonya Spence (Now I Know What Love Is, 1981)

Put A Little Love In Your Heart - Dorothy Morrison (All God’s Children Got Soul / Put A Little Love In Your Heart, 1969).

Reborn - Marilyn Barbarin And The Soul Finders (Reborn / Believe Me, 1970)

Red Light Lady - Ophélia (Ophélia, 1979)

Rescue Me - Martha Bass (Rescue Me, 1968)

Rip Off - Laura Lee ‎(Two Sides Of Laura Lee, 1972)

Shadow Dancing - Vivian Reed (Ready And Waiting, 1979)

Where Can I Go - Marlena Shaw (The Spice of Life, 1969)

You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet - Mary Love ‎(You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet / I'm In Your Hands, 1965)

Zithin'Izizwe (What Are People Saying About Us?) - Busi Mhlongo (Urban Zulu, 1999)

More Soul Music Lists

Female Soul, Part 2

Female Soul in 50 songs

Feminist Soul Music: 10 songs  

[collapsedsquid]

He found a pee bottle that had tipped and spilled behind a large-screen display. Fort’s eyes started to take over for his nose, and he took it all in.

“There was debris everywhere,” Fort said under oath. “Food debris, food waste, uneaten food, half-eaten food, personal gear in the form of books, workout gear, workout bands, kettlebells, weightlifting equipment, the status boards had graffiti on them.”

“I’d never seen a CIC like that in my entire time in the Navy,” the surface warfare officer of more than 25 years recollected.

[...]

Much of Fort’s report explores how a state-of-the-art warship outfitted with expensive electronic sensors could go blind, but a key finding soon emerged: It wasn’t merely that they didn’t know they were blind. They didn’t know how to see.

Beyond the human waste and garbage collecting in the CIC, Fort’s investigators found CIC watchstanders who “demonstrated a lack of knowledge about radar functionality and material condition.”

Although the Fitz’s SPS-67 radar was listed as operational on the eve of the collision, it had actually fallen into a “degraded status,” according to the report.

CIC watchstanders couldn’t use their remote control to guide it because it also was broken.

A dead radar control button had been “covered by a piece of masking tape,” but Fort’s investigators couldn’t locate a casualty report chronicling the malfunction.

[...]

On the night of the ACX Crystal disaster, the SPS-67 radar seemed plagued with gremlins but no one was available to fix it and sailors didn’t talk to each other about the electronic “clutter” they watched on the display, according to Fort’s report.

Beyond talking to each other inside the CIC or conversing with the bridge during their watch, the sailors there also had “zero communication” with other onboard departments for vital tasks like turning the radar, Fort later testified.

“Most of these folks we interviewed were not even aware that the radar-set controller was out of commission or what functionality they did or did not have, or what ability they had to even control it,” he said.

While the crew could’ve turned to an auto-track feature on the SPS-67 radar, they didn’t use it “because they ‘don’t want to mess it up,’” the report states.

“It was generally accepted that using the auto-tracking feature caused problems with the radar, and so it was just turned off,” Fort added during the hearing. “And folks accepted that.”

That’s why a CIC petty officer worked in manual mode, punching a button 1,000 times in an hour just to track four of five vessels, when the radar could’ve auto-tracked 50 contacts for him, Fort testified.

“That’s a lot of activity, but it’s not really what I would call vigilant activity,” Fort said.

Fort’s report found that other sailors barely fathomed the rudiments of radar.

“One watchstander said he has routinely seen the radars poorly adjusted to the point that visible targets would not show up,” Fort wrote. “One watchstander stated seeing other watchstanders seek out (a supervisor) for help on radar tuning, and receiving the response, ‘do it how you like it.’”

Electronic technicians said users reported problems that really were just operator errors.

“Another watchstander called to complain that the radar was not acquiring targets, when in fact the watchstander did not know what actions were necessary to acquire a target,” Fort wrote. “Watchstanders will use the rain adjustment features when there is no rain.”

At last year’s hearing, Lt. Cmdr. Ritarsha Furqan, a former Fitz officer who left the ship before the collision, attributed some bugs in the SPS-67’s auto-tracking system to “a ghost in the machine.”

But she said when the Fitzgerald got back to port in Japan, technicians couldn’t replicate the problems and it was never fixed.

Our elite US Navy alien-finders in 2017.  Admittedly I could buy that the 7th Fleet was the worst of them.

[amandaturibe]

Parker Fitzgerald.  Portland, OR. October, 2017.

[mary-is-writing]

Chazzawrites Challenge

Day 20.- What are your favourite books/authors?

I appreciate that this question is in plural, cause yeah there's no way I can pick just one.

This is ended up being REALLY long so I'll put it under a cut

First, let's talk about books!

Frankenstein is one of my all time favourites. I love how different it was from what I had in my head before reading it, cause we all know this story of the monster who torments the people of a town, but in reality it's not that much of a horror story, it's a tragedy. The tragedy of Victor who doesn't know when to stop, and the tragedy of the creature who was dammed to be alone forever. It's such a good story to show how horrible lonliness can be and how blame gets twisted, creating a circle of non stop revenge. More than anything, I love how human the creature is despite their inhuman nature, which shows that humanity is a thing that's gained, not born with. Since you gain it, you can lose it, and there are times where Victor loses his, and sometimes you can't say which is the human and which is the monster. 10/10, would totally recommend, a must read for everyone.

I don't think I've said this before, but I'm a BIG FAN of Jules Verne. I haven't read all of his works yet, but To the Moon is one of my favourites. One thing I love about his writing is that he shows you the actual calculations amd mechanisms of the machines he creates (long live sci-fi like this) and the book is just filled with mathemathics from begining to end. I don't like nor do I hate math, but since I used to be very good at it when I was younger it was always a pleasure to follow the problems along the characters. The plot is very different from his other works: there's no real sense of danger whatsoever at any point, but it clearly doesn't need it. I also love the fact that the book actually helped the NASA creation and scientists to launch the first rocket to space, it's such an amazing bit of history.

Sherlock Holmes, just all Sherlock Holmes in general: Study in Scarlet, The adventures, The Baskerville's Hound, the case of the redhair's club, of the lady and the translator, the whole thing with Moriarty, eveything is just *chef's kiss*. The mysteries and the way they are presented, easy and simple, as well as the super charismatic characters is what makes me love Doyle's writing. Holmes and Watson are the reason why the trope of the dynamic duo is one of my favourites, too. I like how many adaptations there are of SH as well, they're always so fun to check out.

Finders Keepers by Barbara Nickolae has a special place in my heart cause it's the novel that made me want to become a writer. A detective mystery that becomes a murder mystery and that had me literally holding my breath near the climax, is nothing out of the ordinary, and yet is such a good book.

Red Rising is a trilogy by Pierce Brown, and its my favourite YA saga. The Hunger Games is good but the end was really flat for me, Divergent and Maze Runner both progressively get worse when I read them, and I tried to read other sagas but just couldn't get into them. But Red Rising is everything I'd like in one. Each book is just, yes. Yesyesyes. A great first book, an amazing sequel and an ending both thrilling and fascinating. Bloody and sentimental, complex and wholesome, dramatic and at times hilarious, I absolutely love that trilogy. As many dystopian sagas, it touches themes of abuse of power, corrupted systems and a revolution to stop them, but does so in a way that's different from any other sagas I've seen: it understands and tries to change that system from the inside out. It also has Sevro, my favourite fricking best boi gremlin in all literature, so that's a plus.

Now, about authors!!

Mary Shelley, Jules Verne and Arthur Conan Doyle are obvious, as well as Pierce Brown. I'll add here Fitzgerald for his amazing work in The Great Gatsby, and Oscar Wilde for literally any of his works. To show off some of my country's writers, Juan Rulfo, writer of Pedro Páramo, is my pick. And since we're talking about authors and not books I'll add Eiichiro Oda, author of One Piece, my favourite franchise in the world.

[necromaniackat]

Finders Keepers

Chapter 3: Get Your Wands Ready

I don’t know how but Mackyla managed to drag me to Hogsmeade with Ella to go dress shopping. I’ve been friends with Mac for six years and to this day I have no idea how she manages to pull me into doing things I’m not keen on doing. It’s been this way ever since our first year when she managed to convince me to sneak to Hogsmeade after curfew to meet some of her Hogwarts friends. Of course, her friends were a bit older than us and she snogged a third-year boy most of the time while I was on edge about being out so late with the notorious Sirius Black on the loose and being spotted in in Dufftown. He’s not high on the list of threats since He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named came back. Therefore, I always carry my wand in the sleeve of my coat or robes, even when I sleep. I refuse to be caught off guard by anything or anyone.  

The snowy walk to Hogsmeade was filled with Mac kicking snow balls until they exploded back into snowflakes while Ella skipped through the ankle high snow. I lingered behind them with my hands shoved into the pockets of my coat. The cold wind bit at my cheeks and ears. I wish I had my hat to cover my head, but Ella gave it to a house elf to free him. I don’t mind that she didn’t ask first, it was for a good cause.  

“Eliese! What kind of person are you?! Come play in the snow!” Ella exclaimed, finally standing still in the snow. I shook my head at my dear friend and grinned. Ella acts as if the snow won’t be here tomorrow and the days after until the weather starts getting warmer and the sun comes out to stay.  

“I’m the kind of person who wants their hat back from that house elf!” I shouted back at her with a smile. Ella grinned back at me, walking backwards. But all the fun and games came to an end on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. My blood began to boil, and my face reddened with anger. There is one word I despise above all rest of the horrible words the fill peoples’ vocabularies and it was clear as day being put out there for all to hear. It made me look at my sunflower friend, Mac. Her face was as white as snow and she wore a distant look in her pretty blue eyes.  

“What are you doing here, mud blood?” Kaitlyn Murphy demanded as the mouth of the village. She was talking to Mac, but Ella stepped in. I could only stand there and stare wide eyed at the group of Seamus house girls standing with Kaitlyn. I couldn’t believe they were doing this in Hogsmeade, but these are their taunting grounds. But it looks like they’re waiting for someone and we just so happened to have stumbled upon them and their unnecessary commentary.

“She has every right to be here just like the rest of us.” Ella bravely claimed with an expression made of stone. Ella was a ditzy and bubbly but when people she cares for are attacked, she refuses to stand aside and let it happen. Ella is the first one in, last one out type of person. I admire that about her. I nodded in agreement. Kaitlyn gave a snarled half smile as if she knew something we didn’t before her body language changed to defensive.  

“For now.” Kaitlyn commented coldly. Kaitlyn Murphy has tormented almost every girl in our year for one reason or another. Her prime targets are the muggle born girls, most likely Mackyla. She’s been doing this since the first train ride to Hogsmeade Station our first year. She found out Mackyla was muggle born and decided to humiliate her on the train in front of our peers. That’s actually how we became friends, I stepped in and helped Mac get away from them and their rude comments. Kaitlyn isn’t afraid to use the term mud blood and show where she stands with muggle born wizards and witches in the magical community.  

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I piped up in a curious tone. Kaitlyn’s head snapped in my direction and a wicked smile curled at her lips. It made me slide my wand into my hand and grip it tight, ready to fight if need be.  

“Times are changing. Things are going to be very different around here soon.” Kaitlyn replied in a threatening tone that made a chill crawl up my spine. The group of girls disbanded from the entrance of Hogsmeade silently, leaving the three of us standing there unsure of what to make of Kaitlyn’s response. Usually it’s hard to take her seriously because she isn’t the smartest witch but for some reason the ominous tone of her voice made things very serious. Kaitlyn is known to agree that only pure blood should be given magical education while muggles and half-bloods, and muggle born wizards and witches are treated like second class citizens.  

Without much thought I hooked my arm around Mac and pulled her into the safety of Hogsmeade, trying to escape that moment by leaving the mouth of the village. Ella followed closely behind. I felt terrible for Mackyla, she doesn’t know her parents, so she doesn’t know if she’s pure blood or not. But people assume she’s part muggle because she grew up in the muggle world. As if being muggle born is a crime. It’s not, people don’t decide who their parents are so why are they being punished for it? Mackyla has never let being muggle born stop her from being an intelligent, kind, hard working person. But Ella and I can see the names get to her.  

“So, dress shopping, eh? Where are we going?” I directed everyone’s attention away from the scene that just unfolded. Mackyla looked at me with a small smile nudging at the corners of her mouth.  

“The Witch’s Closet. They’re having a Yule sale.” Mac said in a light tone of voice. She seemed to have moved past the whole incident.  

Ella rejoined the two of us, hooking her arm around Mac as well. We walked down the snow main street. I remember our first official visit to Hogsmeade back in third year when we were actually allowed to go to Hogsmeade but that didn’t stop my two friends from dragging me there dozens of times before we were permitted to actually go. My aunty started working at the post office in Hogsmeade during my third year, so I’d go visit her sometimes. I enjoyed going to see the Shrieking Shack. Mac and Ella didn’t think it was that cool, even though I did.  

My dad almost didn’t sign the permission slip for me to go. He doesn’t like me being on my own in the first place and then Cedric Diggory died and now the Dark Lord is back, my dad nearly had a stroke when I began to pack for school again. He didn’t want me to come back to school this year, but he knows how much my education means to me. I reassured him that I can handle myself.  

“So, what type of dress are you looking for ‘Liese?” Mackyla asked curiously, looking at me over the racks of dresses. I nosed through the rack of pretty formal dresses, my eyes moved up to see the sheer concentration on her face. I shrugged slightly.  

“I don’t know.” I sighed. Professor Fitzgerald told me my attitude towards the Yule Ball better changed otherwise I’ll be sitting in detention with her for a month. I still don’t want to go but I’m putting an effort to appear pleasant at the Yule Ball.  

“Oh! Oh! Try this one!” Ella exclaimed, bounding towards me with a dress at hand. Mackyla and I looked at her as she handed me a lovely grey-silver dress.

“Is it my size?” I asked sheepishly.  

“Who cares?! Try it on!” Ella cheered, shoving the dress into my chest then directed me to the dressing room. She pushed me into the booth then ripped the curtain closed. I huffed at her excitement, brushing my hair bushing my ear. I peeled off the warm clothes so I could try on the dress. The dress was made of silver silk that was floor length with a sweet heart neckline but a silvery white lace covering the cleavage area.  

I sighed at the sight of me in the dress. It fit me well and it was something I’d wear. I stepped out of the dressing room to show my friends. They both stared at me wide eyed, their jaws were dropped. I suddenly felt very awkward standing there.  

“So?” I wanted to know their honest opinion on how I looked. I didn’t care too much how I looked to other people, but I do care about my friends and what they think. And by the looks of it, they liked the dress.

“I never knew you could look so elegant but at the same time look so, you.” Mac commented with a smile. Mac always tells me I look like a plain Jane but with a little elbow grease I’d look stunning. Mac and Ella began to shower me with compliments when the bell over the door rang and my attention was caught by abnormally blond hair, it was the boy from class. His almost silver-blue eyes found me immediately. I could swear I knew him from somewhere besides class, but I don’t remember where. A sinking feeling overcame me when Kaitlyn came leaping into the store behind him, immediately latching onto his arm. And there goes any respect I had for him.  

The moment Kaitlyn saw us a look of pure disgust distorted her face.  

“What are you lot doing here?” She demanded coldly, still holding close the blond boy. I rolled my eyes at her demand. As if it couldn’t be more obvious. I mean, I’m totally not standing here in a dress with my friends, who’s arms are full of potential dresses.  

“Dress shopping for the Yule Ball, that’s what we’re doing here.” I remarked the obvious, stepping forward to meet her eye to eye. I’ve never been afraid of Kaitlyn. She wants control over people.  

“It’s bad enough mud bloods are allowed at St Therese, but now they’re allowed to attend our social gatherings.” Kaitlyn sneered at Mac once again. I narrowed my eyes at her.  

“I swear, if you call my friend that one more time,”

“You’ll what? Or else what?” Kaitlyn taunted mercilessly.  

“You’ll be sorry.” I added in a low voice. I was being dead serious, if she kept using that word, I was going to act against her. I’ve never been afraid of her and I never will be.  

In one swift movement Kaitlyn drew her wand from out of nowhere. My instincts kicked in and I summoned my wand from the sleeve of my coat. It appeared in my hand at the speed of light. I stood in a defensive position, ready for the fight of my life.

“No. You’ll be sorry.” She retorted with her wand pointed at me. And I pointed mine at her. The blond haired boy silently sneered at the scene unfolding.  

“Oi!” A woman’s voice cut through the tension, causing all of us to look at the red haired shop keeper.  

“No magic outside of school! Wands away!” Without much of a second thought, my wand lowered down to my side. I was mildly disappointed that we didn’t get to duel. Kaitlyn believes she’s better at everything than me. But our grades say otherwise.  

“Right, let’s go to a different store seeing as the filthy mud blood has touched everything.” Kaitlyn growled before turning on her heel to leave. The blond haired boy followed close behind as they left the store. I felt my entire body relax in their absence. I put my wand back in my coat, realizing Mac had her hand hovering over the pocket of her long coat. She was ready to fight just like I was.  

“Good idea putting the accio charm on your wand.” Ella lightly said after a moment of silence. Mac nodded hastily. Mac and Ella both seemed surprised by the fact that I put an accio charm on my wand so I can summon it whenever. I can do wandless magic and have been able to since second year.  

“You guys don’t have to keep defending me.” Mac said sullenly for the billionth time. I wonder if she knows that we know that we don’t have to defend her, we want to. If you don’t fight for what’s right every time, then you don’t fight for what’s right. I know Mac doesn’t like being called names and I don’t like it either. One of the rules at St Therese is there is zero tolerance for bullying so most of the bullying happens off the school grounds. Somehow people find a way to do anything they want.  

“Yes, we do. It’s the right thing to do.” Ella spoke gently, putting her hand on Mac’s shoulder. Mac smiled and nuzzled Ella’s hand slightly.  

“Besides, it’s fun seeing Kaitlyn fume with rage because she can’t control us.” Ella added with a devilish smirk, causing both me and Mac to laugh.  

“But really, ‘Liese, you need to get this dress.” Mac told me with a great big smile. I smiled back at my best friend. I’ve always adored how fast Mac can bounce back from these things. I know the bullying get to her and it gets to me too, but Mac has this way of being able to carry on despite it all. Mac gets the blunt of it, but Ella and I get bullied too. My dad being in the muggle world and all, I get picked on and called a mud blood even though I’m a pure blood.  

[travelcenter-uk]

Paris – The City of Love and Romance.

Paris and love, they in unison like oysters and champagne, croissants and café, beurre and jambon, which is why passionate couples take a journey to the French metropolis each year during Valentine’s Day. But why precisely is Paris the “metropolis of love” and does it truly earn that label?  

Book your cheap international flights to Paris and you will find that it possesses two locations on the list of the top 10 sites in the world to propose based on a study (indeed, one of them is Disneyland Paris) and the metropolis has long been a leading site for Valentine’s escapes and newly married couples.  

What is it about the French metropolis, more than any other metropolis in the world that makes people go feeble at the knees? And is the status well earned?

The Charm.  

With the magnificent, Georges Haussman-fashioned mid Paris, and also the delightful paved roads of Montmartre and the Marais, it’s not surprising that Paris is thought to be one of the most stunning metropolises in the world.

The metropolis conserves its prominent skylines below Unesco inheritance defense which restricts constructions to six floors and the cautiously conserved constructions might go some way to describing the romantic charm of Paris.    

A walk through a metropolis hand-in-hand is surely more passionate than a bus or Metro trip, and Paris’s tiny magnitude and broad roads mean it’s perfect for strolling and view the backdrop. You couldn’t get lost, and there’s always something gorgeous around the following bend.

The Films.  

Many movies over the years such as French Kiss, Amélie and Midnight in Paris have implanted a definite promising impression of the French metropolis that’s difficult to wave.

Based on Hollywood, Paris is all stylish resorts and walks by the (very spotless) Seine.

Hollywood pictures romanticized Paris, such as Funny Face or an American in Paris because they were “resounding the continuous charm with fashion, jewellery and art” which of course were all focused in the then fashion metropolis of the world.

Even in current movies filmed in Paris, the metropolis is offered a golden radiance – the Paris of “The Devil Wears Prada” is a buzz of allure and splendor (in similarity to the busy New York where the movie starts).  

The Cuisine.

What is any loving event without great drink and food? Paris’s 40,000 restaurants and memorable culinary past make it a leading destination for romance-finders. For the British particularly, the tug is very much champagne and wine and food.  

Uniting customarily stylish or snug restaurants with the setting of loving construction, you could see why dinner for two in Paris is an attractive thought for numerous couples. After all, where else could you do a dinner trip during the night that’s as stunning as Paris?  

The Citizens.

It’s the charm of the metropolis, but it’s also the citizens, The French might ridicule the typically stuck-up city-dwellers, but for those looking for a romantic encounter, Parisians might really be part of the allure.

The French are certainly more loving, more teasing, and they do have this passionate trait, they’re not scared to trail their desires, which I think is important. Put this classic French “desire” to an appealingly enchanting metropolis, then you’ve got a formula for love.

The Past.

In the past, France was the hub of concepts, painting, revolutionary legislations and poetry in the Western world. And the Left Bank “intellectuals sector” keeps a feeling of love for couples.

Authors (a naturally passionate group) gathered to Paris during the 19th Century until the jazz phase of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hemmingway, and wrote affectionately about living in the City of Light.

Books like Hemmingway’s “A moveable feast”, colours an image of the metropolis as a deep and romantic encounter, which might go some way to describing why people all around the world are captivated with Paris (even if they’ve never visited).

Book cheap flight tickets to Paris and you will see that there’s no doubt you could have a delightfully loving time in Paris, relishing the exceptional mixture of stunning construction, pristine past, excellent cuisine and brilliant wine, encircled by loving natives.    

Read More:-   Paris – The City of Love and Romance.

This Article, Information & Images Source (copyright):- Travel Center UK Blog

[orbemnews]

'A miracle': Ring finder reunites couple with engagement ring lost in snow A family-heirloom engagement ring is back on the finger of a bride-to-be thanks to a ring-finder who found it after it was lost in the snow. After days of panic, Sarah Fitzgerald and her fiancé, Greg Strattner, were reunited with their lost engagement ring.“I took the ring off in the car, I was putting some hand cream on, and I never put it back on,” she said.After arriving at a friend’s place on Super Bowl Sunday, Fitzgerald realized her ring must have fallen off her lap into the snow in the driveway.“By that time, the homeowner had gone out and shoveled the driveway,” she said. “It was just this feeling of ‘Oh my god. It’s in like 14 inches of snow right now and I’ve got no idea how we’re going to find this.”The couple and their friends searched for hours, even using a metal detector, with no luck.“I just felt so bad for her because she felt so bad,” said Strattner.Devastated and desperate, Strattner turned to the internet for help.“So I just googled how to find a lost ring in the snow and it brought me to ringfinders.com and Keith was right at the top of the page.”“I get calls all throughout the night into the morning. You name it, I’ve seen it,” said ring-finder Keith Wille.Wille has years of experience metal detecting and recovering lost and forgotten items. He made the trek from Connecticut to Agawam to search for the ring, which has been in Strattner’s family for decades.“Eventually, I came right over the spot and buried in ice and snow there it was,” he said. “It was just amazing to me. It was a miracle, I think.”WATCH: Wille finds Sarah’s ring A miracle that the couple said they’re extremely grateful for, and one that Wille has made happen dozens of times.“Every one of them is the same surprise and the same buildup of suspense. it never gets old,” he said. Wille doesn’t just search for rings. He’s also found 19th century weapons and valuable coins. AGAWAM, Mass. — A family-heirloom engagement ring is back on the finger of a bride-to-be thanks to a ring-finder who found it after it was lost in the snow. After days of panic, Sarah Fitzgerald and her fiancé, Greg Strattner, were reunited with their lost engagement ring. “I took the ring off in the car, I was putting some hand cream on, and I never put it back on,” she said. After arriving at a friend’s place on Super Bowl Sunday, Fitzgerald realized her ring must have fallen off her lap into the snow in the driveway. “By that time, the homeowner had gone out and shoveled the driveway,” she said. “It was just this feeling of ‘Oh my god. It’s in like 14 inches of snow right now and I’ve got no idea how we’re going to find this.” The couple and their friends searched for hours, even using a metal detector, with no luck. “I just felt so bad for her because she felt so bad,” said Strattner. Devastated and desperate, Strattner turned to the internet for help. “So I just googled how to find a lost ring in the snow and it brought me to ringfinders.com and Keith was right at the top of the page.” “I get calls all throughout the night into the morning. You name it, I’ve seen it,” said ring-finder Keith Wille. Wille has years of experience metal detecting and recovering lost and forgotten items. He made the trek from Connecticut to Agawam to search for the ring, which has been in Strattner’s family for decades. “Eventually, I came right over the spot and buried in ice and snow there it was,” he said. “It was just amazing to me. It was a miracle, I think.” WATCH: Wille finds Sarah’s ring A miracle that the couple said they’re extremely grateful for, and one that Wille has made happen dozens of times. “Every one of them is the same surprise and the same buildup of suspense. it never gets old,” he said. Wille doesn’t just search for rings. He’s also found 19th century weapons and valuable coins. Source link Orbem News #couple #Engagement #engagementring #Finder #Lost #miracle #Reunites #ring #ringfinders.com.keithwille #Snow