#House Blishwick

[bellwood-qudditch]

Misapiona and Jimbo Blishwick

•Met at a ball hosted by the Crouch’s and Misapiona actually hated Jimbo. They bumped into each other, spilling Jimbo’s drink all over her white gown

•Ever since that she found him annoying

•They ran into each other once again at the New Years Eve ball hosted by the Fawley’s

•Jimbo joked about not spilling his drink on Misapiona’s now maroon dress to which he earned a sarcastic smirk from her

•He asked for a dance in front of Misapiona’s mother, leaving her with the only option to say yes.

•During the dance they talked and Misapiona uttered on about how annoying Jimbo was

•Whilst Jimbo told her things about him like his name was really Jean-Beaumont but his family and friends called him Jimbo, how he works as junior secretary for the minister of magic and that he was a Ravenclaw.

•Misapiona could not care less however and as soon as the dance was over she went back to the table her mother was seated at

•She went back to Hogwarts after the Christmas/New Years holidays and Jimbo decided to start writing to her

•Misapiona at first found them rather annoying however, without her even realising she was falling for him.

•Once she graduated, they met up at more balls and PureBlood social gatherings and after 6 months Jimbo asked for her hand in marriage

•The Blishwick’s had made an impressive mark on the ministry of magic and although they were new money, they were quite wealthy.

•Therefore, Misa’s dad approved and they married a month later.

•They had three sons and one daughter (Jean-Bernard “Bernie”, Jean-Colbert “Colby”, Jean-Benedict “Ben” and Aster.

• Misa became close with her mother-in-law Nathalie whilst Jimbo didn’t really connect with Misa’s family at all.

•Misapiona lived to see her great-great grandchildren and Jimbo only lived to see his great-grandchildren.

[atlasdoe]

Evan Rosier was born with the idea of a savior. He was the one who would save his family and by doing so help save the Sacred 28 altogether.

The Pureblood families were dying out, and everybody knew it but were too scared to voice it. Dameon Rosier was his family's last hope to carry on their name, so he wasted no time, and from the moment he married Melanie Blishwick he got to work.

It was a struggle at first. They had many miscarriages and failed months but eventually Melanie proved herself strong enough to see a pregnancy through til the end.

Noody was happier than Daemon was when their baby first began to cry. “I have a son!” he cheered to the room, only to be met with scared looks from the midwives.

“Actually,” one of them began cautiously. “You have a daughter.”

The world stopped for a moment and as he scanned the room for anyone to give him hope that his family wasn’t doomed, his eyes met Melanies’ who was sweaty and crying, still, she sighed deeply, “We can always try again.”

He nodded and swiftly left the room, mumbling “I have to send out letters,” as he went, leaving her alone with their crying daughter.

The midwife looked at her with pitiful eyes and a sad smile.”What will her name be?” she asked.

Melanie looked at the small bundle in her arms and felt her heart grow. She had never fallen in love before, but from the moment the baby opened her eyes and saw her mother for the first time, Melanie suddenly understood what all the romantic poems had been about.

She also understood heartbreak for the first time, as she knew already that no matter what her baby does in her life, she will always be second to her future little brother. No matter how perfect their daughter already is, Daemon will make this little girl's life hell and blame her for everything simply because she was born a woman.

Because of this, Melanie named her Eve.

It didn’t take long for Eve to become a big sister. Less than six months later Melanie was pregnant again.

Another girl. Another birth that Dameon walked out of, leaving his wife to name their newest child.

This one was called Sabrina, and within four years she had three younger sisters; Aimee, Grace and Aria.

From the moment Aria sang her first cry it was known that their sixth time would be their last. If Melanie wasn’t able to produce an heir then Dameon would start over with someone else, leaving her disgraced, poor, and a single mother of five.

Luckily, on the 13th of February 1960, Dameon and Melanie Rosier finally had their boy.

His name, that patiently waited five other births for him, was Evan, and as he cried for the first time, his mother almost breathed for the last.

It was a messy birth, and the celebration for the baby being a boy drowned out any attempt of hers for help. The only person in the room who was looking her way was Eve, who had snuck into the room after hearing her mothers cries. She had tugged on one of the midwife's skirts until they noticed Melanie’s pale face.

As the doctors tried to regain Melanie’s life, her husband continued to celebrate, ignoring any plea his daughter made to get him to help, and as Melanie watched them with heavy eyes, she saw what the next thirty years of her life will entail.

Evan would get everything. Daemon would make sure that he will have the best education and best clothes and anything money could buy. Evan will become just as arrogant, just as greedy and just as selfish as his father while Eve, Sabrina, Aimee, Grace and Aria would be left to fend for themselves.

If Melanie didn’t survive, she didn’t know if the girls would even be allowed to still live in the house.

That reason, and that reason alone was what made her stay. Because there was no one she loved more then her daughters and no one she hated more than her son.

[melodymidway]

The Hitchens Family

This post is dedicated to Esther and Miranda Hitchens, the daughters of Bob Hitchens and Iola Black. It also contains quite a few headcanons about Beauxbatons and the Black family.

Julius and Phineas Hearst, as well as the Elysians, belong to @helenadurazzo

Cygnus Black, Ella Max, and their four children: Sirius, Phineas Nigellus, Elladora, Iola

Don't mind Phineas Nigellus's Picrew, I tried to make it as similar to his HL look as possible, lol

Iola Black was the daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, which automatically meant much drama and trouble for the entirety of her life. The youngest child of Cygnus Black and Ella Max, born in 1851, she had no memory of her father, who died mere months after her birth in some reckless adventure of his. Neither did she know her brother Sirius, whose seemingly innocent cold turned into a full-fledged fever and took his life when the boy was barely eight. However, Iola grew under the watchful eyes of her grandparents, mother, Aunt Misapinoa and Uncle Arcturus, who later became her stepfather.

The marriage of Cygnus and Ella took place when both were very young, and was a part of a deal between the Black and the Travers families. As there was no Travers bride of the suitable age, the choice fell on the daughter of a Travers lady, who had married a Max. The union was entirely loveless, but produced four children. Ella's particular favourites were Sirius and Elladora, yet she didn't quite like Phineas Nigellus and cared little for Iola. Cygnus's death brought her no despair, save for the one of losing the position of an heir's wife; however, the fate of her eldest son scarred her for life.

Several years later, Ella married her deceased husband's younger brother Arcturus, whom she liked way more and who allowed her to remain in the Black family circle and wield some influence. It caused considerable indignation among the Blacks, as Arcturus was supposed to establish new connections with his eventual marriage. In 1860, they had a son, Rasalas, yet Ella never loved any of her living children as much as she did the ghost of her dear Sirius, with only Elladora coming close.

Rasalas was the only sibling Iola was genuinely fond of, and she often helped to nurse and educate him. Phineas Nigellus and Elladora were too cold and haughty for her taste, and out of her three Blishwick cousins, she only liked the youngest, Hadrian. Like the vast majority of the Blacks, Iola became a student of the Slytherin House. However, her best friend was a Ravenclaw by the name of Walter Ellington. Some even expected them to wed eventually, yet their friendship was entirely platonic, and Walter soon announced his engagement to Lorna Lovegood.

Iola was aware that her mother placed all her hopes of a successful match on her, as she liked keeping Elladora near too much to encourage her to join another family. At first, she tried to avoid matchmaking at all costs, claiming to be occupied with her career in Healing and Potion-making, as well as making lengthy visits as far from her relatives as possible. Yet, she couldn't hide forever, so she began to consider potential suitors. Those who pleased her family inevitably disgusted Iola, and those she could hope to like turned out taken or weren't interested or were of too lowly an origin for the pride of the House of Black.

One day, Iola ended up attending a muggle ball with Walter as her partner, as the Ellingtons were among the families that didn't reject such invitations out of arrogance and sense of superiority. There, she accidentally stumbled upon a crying child. Iola loved children and was rather skilled in dealing with them, so she was able to soothe the boy, Hugh Hitchens, with relative ease. It was how she ended up meeting his father.

Robert Hitchens, or simply Bob, was a well-to-do landowner of a noble lineage, being the grandson of a baron on his mother's side. Being the only child of a good family and having lost his father quite early, he managed the affairs of his estate, which was located near Bath, as well as the surrounding land. To aid his ailing mother and make the house less gloomy, he took a wife, who gave birth to Hugh. However, both of the women soon left him, his mother dying of a disease and his wife not surviving a carriage accident.

Iola was charmed by him and his son since that very first meeting and seeked new opportunities to cross paths in the months to come. Various events allowed them to spend much time together, and they fell in love, deciding to get married. Bob, an intelligent and courteous man, was determined to ask for her family's blessing, yet Iola dissuaded him, knowing that it would end very badly. She left the Black residence discreetly and without any regrets. Her suitcase contained only her most precious possessions, including a golden crown with stars and onyxes, her uncle's present. Bob searched for a perfect ring for Iola meticulously and eventually found one with an intricate crest, believing she would love it. Iola was flabbergasted to recognise it as the Black family crest. The ring turned out to be an heirloom, previously in possession of Apollonia Black and considered long lost.

Only Rasalas, the Ellingtons, Hadrian, and Noctua Gaunt, a good acquaintance of Iola's with whom she shared many grievances about their families, were present on the wedding on the bride's side, though Rasalas did so secretly as not to face repercussions. Phineas Nigellus, officially the head of the Black family after the death of his grandfather Licorus, personally disowned Iola and burned her portrait off the family tapestry, passionately renouncing her as his sister. Ella was completely disappointed, saying that instead of heirs, Iola's children would be pathetic Half-Bloods by the whim of their thoughtless mother. Elladora proposed to cut off the heads of Iola's husband and any children they would have, the practice she often used on the old house-elves.

Together, Bob and Iola had two daughters: Esther Emma Hicthens, born on September 1st, 1880, and Miranda Hannah Hitchens, born on June 7th, 1886. The first names were chosen by Iola and continued the star thematic of the Black family while Bob picked the middle names to honour his mother. His own name alluded to his mother's maiden name, Robinson. Emma was the lady's first name, and Hannah was the name she had wished to give her daughter, the one she never ended up having. The girls were affectionately called Essie and Mira by their family and friends.

Esther looked like a Black through and through, with her grey eyes and black wavy hair that was, fortunately, more manageable than her mother's unruly curls. Miranda's appearance mirrored her father's, her hair being straight and brown, and her eyes likewise brown. Hugh's features and clear blue eyes gave him a stronger resemblance to his mother's family. His hair was also a lighter shade of brown than Bob's and Mira's.

The relationship between Hugh and his father's second family proved that it was, in fact, possible for one man's children by different wives to get along. Iola treated Bob's son as though he were her own, and was warmly respected in return. The children never perceived each other as only half-siblings. Hugh was fond of his sisters and, having inherited his father's kindness and good humour, often indulged their games and antics. Thanks to the input of his stepmother, whom he grew used to call mother, Hugh knew quite a lot about the wizarding world. Being particularly interested in art and photography, he was fascinated by the moving portraits and pictures Iola got him.

In 1888, Iola's favourite brother Rasalas got married to Marthe Auclair, the younger sister of Maurice Auclair. The Auclair business had previously experienced a crisis, which forced the head of the family to arrange a match between his heir and Adele Lefebvre, the daughter of a less prominent but wealthy family, to get financial support and provide political standing to the Lefebvres in return. Marthe's marriage into one of the most prestigious British pureblood families was believed to be a blessing which would recover the reputation of the Auclairs completely. Rasalas, not quite as progressive and enthusiastic about the non-magical population as his sister, as well as mindful of his image, didn't invite Iola and her family to the wedding. While Iola understood his reasons and, frankly, didn't much wish to see her relatives and sister-in-law Ursula Flint (who, in her opinion, was almost as unpleasant as Phineas Nigellus), she couldn't help feeling offended and hurt.

Rasalas Black and his daughter by Marthe Auclair, Alcyone Black

Bob and Iola's marriage was very happy, but rather short. In 1889, Bob went to a different town on business and was unlucky enough to encounter the Gaunts, who resided there. Fond of torturing Muggles for the fun of it, the heavily prejudiced family made Bob their new target. He was hit with the Cruciatus Curse multiple times, and his cries for help were so horrible that Ominis Gaunt begged his relatives to show the man mercy. The next spell Bob received after the boy's words was Avada Kedavra, for the only mercy the Gaunts were capable of was death.

Iola, worried about her husband's long absence, came to the town herself and found his body. Though the Muggle doctors stated that he must have taken a bad fall and had brain hemorrhage, the witch knew what the death by the Killing Curse looked like and put two and two together quickly. Moreover, Noctua herself came to apologise for her family's actions and offer her sincere condolences, briefly meeting both of Iola's girls during her visit. It was the last time the two of them had seen each other, for Noctua soon departed to the Slytherin Scriptorium and never returned. Another loss that quite shook Iola, though it happened a few years later, was that of her cousin Hadrian Blishwick. He was an Auror and perished in the same battle where his colleague, Aesop Sharp, got his injury.

The news of Bob's untimely demise shook the family badly. Hugh, only seventeen, was forced to take over his father's work. Usually quite open to communication, he closed off and hardly ever left the estate for some time, even losing his enthusiasm for the things he had previously loved. Iola didn't tell him the truth about Bob's death, fearing that he would come to loathe magic, as well as not wishing to add another burden on his shoulders. Esther, a girl of nine at that time, was utterly devastated, for she adored her father. She was the only person whom Iola told about the magical nature of Bob's passing, without any details. Mira was only three and preserved few memories of Bob.

Phineas Nigellus thought that Iola would crawl back to the Black residence after the death of her husband due to not having anything to live on. Needless to say, Iola never did. Unlike Hugh, she didn't lock herself away in her grief, but applied for a more active job at St. Mungo's instead of selling potions from home in order not go mad within four walls. She also preserved her place as the mistress of the house, doing her best to help her stepson.

Since Iola was now often away, Hugh looked after the girls, playing an almost paternal role in Miranda's upbringing. Esther was often put under Rasalas and Marthe's guidance in France, as Iola wanted to prepare her for the future while also placing her in safety. Hearing how particularly anti-Muggle Hogwarts became during Phineas Nigellus's time as the Headmaster (the appointment Iola had once laughed at and called absolutely idiotic), she decided to send Essie and her friend to Beauxbatons.

Said friend, Wilhelmina Dallimore, whom Esther tended to call Mina, came from a neighbouring family, was discovered to be a Muggleborn witch at some point of their acquaintance, and thus taken under Iola's wing. The girls were close as children, and going to the same school in a different country made them only closer.

Mina Dallimore

Potions and Alchemy were always considered to be the main specialisation of Beauxbatons, which suited Esther perfectly. Having watched her mother make brews and learned many a particular, she was curious about these sciences since her very childhood. She also excelled in Herbology and was good at Transfiguration. Still, it was Alchemy that she felt particularly passionate about. The subject was compulsory at Beauxbatons, and Esther learned everything she could about the experiments with genuine fascination. In particular, Spagyric, the plant alchemy, piqued her interest, especially since there were few studies on it, undeservedly so. As Nicolas Flamel was the benefactor of Beauxbatons, he sometimes gave lectures on Alchemy there, and Essie attended them all.

Beauxbatons was usually associated with elegance, which was an accurate description, yet few of the outsiders cared to remember that such an appearance was created by strict order and discipline. A student's looks must be neat, and their manners refined and pleasing. The freshmen even had special classes dedicated to the rules of conduct in the wizarding society, as well as the traditions of various beings. Beauxbatons also paid a lot of attention to the classical aspects of education, particularly music and languages. Most of its students were well-versed in dancing, Esther being one of them and enjoying the process very much. She also took singing lessons, and her naturally lovely voice helped her become quite good at it.

In addition, the grounds of Beauxbatons were famous for their organised lawns and labyrinths of shrubberies, as well as enormous flower beds. Roses were the particular pride of the academy, and Essie even took a couple of them with her, charming them so that they preserved their beauty. She really liked her school despite some of its faults.

As Esther often said, Beauxbatons wasn't only about the duels of wands, but also the duels of words. The French Academy of Magic had an insane competition due to the huge amount of students from various countries, and many did their best to fight for their place under the sun. Some chose to do so with hard work and patience, as did Esther, others attempted flattery, certain individuals gladly made their rivals trip to promote their own chances. Esther quickly learned that if she wished to achieve something and stand out, she must prepare to be always vigilant. Though she and Mina made some good friends, particularly Bernadette Auclair, the daughter of Maurice and Adele whom Esther also knew since childhood, as well as their other roommate Carmen Reyes, there were way less friendly students in their year. Renard Tremblay, the cousin of Falco and Clarisse Tremblay, was a prominent example. Coming from a noble French family, he felt superior to the non-Pureblood girls and happened to mock them, not without receiving a hex in return.

Beauxbatons taught Esther equanimity, restraint, and shrewdness. It wasn't too hard a lesson since her demeanour was naturally calm, and she possessed innate intelligence. Essie even jokingly claimed that she was lucky not to inherit the Black fierceness, which sometimes turned into madness. She preferred to take things slow, disliking rush and abrupt change. Though she was unfailingly polite and kind, with all the gentleness of the world reserved for her loved ones, some considered her unfeeling due to her self-control and mostly rational approach. In addition, her sense of humour could be quite wry and biting. Esther had a pet, or rather, she took one of her mother's pets with her to school. Being allergic to owl feathers, Iola used her ravens, Huginn and Munnin, for communication. Since Essie inherited her allergy, she made Munnin, her favourite of the two, her own familiar.

In contrast to Esther, Mina was outspoken and quite reckless, seeking excitement rather than peace. She quickly became very fond of flying and Quidditch, playing in school matches as a Chaser and even dragging Essie along to a professional one. Nowhere near as enthusiastic about Potions and Alchemy as her best friend, Mina still sometimes kept her company during her practices and witnessed quite a few of her experiments. During one of them, her intervention actually saved Esther from harm. Mina pushed her friend away from the explosion, sustaining mild burns herself, much to Essie's horror. After this accident, she developed the habit of automatically conjuring a shield the second something seemed suspicious.

Esther and Wilhelmina studied at Beauxbatons for four years. Since the number of children who were willing to enter it exceeded the school's capabilities, the management decided to only accept those who belonged there by birth and couldn't be transferred closer to their place of residence. Two English girls, whose place was, by default, at Hogwarts, were on the top of their chopping list. Esther made sure Professor Weasley was contacted rather than the Headmaster, knowing that they wouldn't be accepted otherwise, and Matilda took great pleasure in welcoming Phineas Nigellus's Half-Blood niece and her Muggleborn friend at Hogwarts for their fifth year behind his back.

The witches were introduced to the Headmaster on the first day of the studies. Phineas Nigellus first wondered if Mina was a relative of the Weasleys, with her red hair and freckles, but quickly forgot about her when Esther was announced. Not unexpectedly, Professor Weasley received a lecture about letting such unworthy individuals into the school, which ended with a warning to Esther: should she make one wrong movement, she would be expelled. Such behaviour confirmed all of her mother's snide remarks on the Blacks, and Essie found herself heartily disliking the Headmaster. Alas, she would have many more reasons to loathe him in the future.

During the sorting ceremony, Mina became a student of the Gryffindor House. However, this option was immediately excluded for Esther, seeing as she was too careful and cautious to be a lion. Having briefly considered Ravenclaw, the Hat hesitated between Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Essie would have preferred the latter, as the former was famous for Pureblood supremacy that she didn't want to deal with, yet the decision was made in favour of the snakes.

Surprisingly, most of the Slytherins in her year were quite friendly. Essie co-lived pleasantly with her roommates, growing particularly close to Violet McDowell. Being the Slytherin Prefect of their year, Violet helped her a lot with her transfer troubles. She encouraged a slightly competitive friendship between Imelda and Mina since both were great flyers, all while using her purely Hufflepuff compassion to help Nerida and Grace in their respective quests. Esther also rather liked Sebastian and eagerly accepted his invitation to the Crossed Wands, however, his dark inclinations eventually led them to go separate ways.

As for adapting and meeting more people, Essie received eager help from Basil and Farrah Ellington, the latter more than the former, as they knew each other since childhood due to the friendship their parents shared. Esther also bonded with Garreth Weasley over their shared passion for Potions, and with Natsai Onai over their transferring experience. She would also grow closer to Georgiana with time, and the two would work together on the projects connected to Healing.

Still, her payment for having nice classmates was the simultaneous existence of an extremely nasty one. Cantankerus Nott was obsessed with blood purity and family lineages, so he immediately classified Esther's family situation as "dirty Muggle blood spoiling such an impeccable Black heritage" and caused unrest on multiple occasions. For instance, he once closed Esther in the Owlery, all while being fully aware of her allergy to owl feathers. One day, Cantankerus would create a list of noble Pureblood families, known as the Sacred Twenty-Eight. However, his choice of them wouldn't be entirely impartial. For instance, Georgiana Wotton and Phineas Hearst wouldn't find their surnames there due to being in conflict with Nott.

Given Esther's enmity with the Headmaster, her cold head was still very much needed. Ever since their distasteful first meeting, she decided to preserve her place at Hogwarts by being quiet, respectful, and mindful of the rules. She put a lot of effort into her studies and paid particular attention to Potions and Herbology. Professor Garlick quickly warmed to her, appreciating her help in the greenhouses; Professor Sharp wasn't against letting her practise her brews in his classroom, with their comfortable silence sometimes interrupted by small conversations.

The absence of Alchemy baffled and upset her immensely, and she tried to compensate it with books and new experiments, eventually collaborating with Julius Hearst to get a sufficient number of students to be able to take Alchemy as an elective course. The eventual list included the two of them, Stanley Midway, Garreth Weasley, Cressida Blume, Georgiana Wotton, Zsuzsi Shröder, and Adelaide Oakes. Professor Sharp was selected to give Alchemy lessons, and he wasn't very fond of the prospect, but with time, the so-called Alchemy Club grew on him. The students also became united among themselves. Esther received the nickname 'Lady Alchemist'. Her friendship with Julius strengthened, and his brother even believed they were a couple.

Esther's newly-found balance was destined to be ruined rapidly, though. At some point, she happened to get caught in the crossfire of a fight against the goblins, which led to her closer acquaintance with Phineas Hearst. While Essie did well at DADA, she wasn't an extremely talented dueller and could hardly stand her ground in a serious battle. Phineas proposed her to join him on his trainings, and Esther came to aid him in his researches, especially since she knew quite a bit about the goblins. Yet, the activities she found herself involved in often differed from what was allowed, so she did her best to stay unnoticed. It didn't prevent Phineas Nigellus from voicing his often ridiculous suspicions. For instance, he even claimed that Esther's loyalty to Hogwarts was just an act, and she was, in fact, helping the goblins. Essie couldn't quite understand if he genuinely believed it was so, or simply wanted to damage her reputation.

In spite of all the issues Esther had to face, Hogwarts granted her an unexpected ally. He was watching her intently ever since she first entered the Great Hall, and upon looking at him more closely, Essie recognised the boy she had met and briefly talked to during one of her visits to the Diagon Alley. When she got lost on one of her first days at school, he offered her help and introduced himself as Phineas Black. Esther was suspicious about his intentions at first, believing that he only meant to mock her, yet Phineas was completely sincere.

He was a year older than her and the only one of Phineas Nigellus Black's five children who didn't believe in the Pureblood supremacy. Thus, he didn't consider developing a good relationship with his Half-Blood cousin, whom he was very curious about, below his dignity. Esther was surprised at how easily they got along, and how quickly she began to feel the sort of intimacy that very few inspired with him. However, they had to be discreet about their friendship, as Phineas Nigellus was very likely to do everything to prevent it. Arcturus, Phineas's younger brother, noticed their interactions and tried to dissuade Phineas from ever talking to Esther again. Still, young Arcturus loved his brother enough not to report his every step to their father.

Phineas Nigellus Black, Ursula Flint and their five children: Sirius, Phineas, Arcturus, Belvina, Cygnus

Phineas had an imaginary scale of his siblings' awfulness. Arcturus was the least problematic of them, followed closely by Sirius, who had already graduated. He was often irritated by Phineas Nigellus, but not due to his glaringly unfair conduct as the Headmaster, but because he was overbearingly controlling and tended to ruin the fun Sirius was trying to have. Belvina and Cygnus were almost equally spoiled, having inherited all the arrogance and pompousness of their parents. Belvina was particularly attached to her father and proud of his position as the Headmaster. In the future, she would name one of her sons Nigellus. Cygnus's own behaviour greatly resembled that of his descendant, Draco Malfoy. His prejudice and disdain would reach their peak in his horrible treatment of his son Marius, who would be born a squib.

Phineas played in the Slytherin Quidditch team as a Seeker and was furious at Phineas Nigellus for banning Quidditch. However, his attempts to persuade his father to lift the ban alongside Imelda were fruitless. Still, even though Phineas was no favourite son of his, Phineas Nigellus proposed to make him a Captain the following year, when the students' restlessness forced him to let the season happen. The Headmaster saw no problem with using his position to give his children more influence. For instance, he had pushed Sirius to become a Prefect, though he was clearly not qualified for it. Phineas refused with indignation, defending Imelda's right to be the Captain. She was a good friend of his, and he admired her drive and enthusiasm to bring victory to their team. Esther had little fondness for flying, but she sometimes accompanied her friends to the Pitch, pleased to see a blooming friendship between Phineas and Mina that would eventually turn into something more.

Though Phineas was done enough with his family not to mind being disowned, Essie resorted to various tricks to undermine their closeness in the eyes of their fellow Slytherins to avoid consequences. For example, she used the identical names of her cousin and friend to her advantage and made it seem like she always referred to Phineas Hearst. Among her trusted fellows, Essie could call him Finn, a nickname that would soon get glued to him. She also enjoyed addressing him as her cousin since she grew up with no cousins, her father being an only child, and so treasured their bond very much.

On the summer after her fifth year, Esther invited Phineas to visit her family's estate. He gladly accepted, telling his parents that he would go to a friend's place. Iola embraced her nephew with all of her characteristic warmth; Hugh found an intriguing interlocutor who was extremely interested in the Muggle world; Mira made him her playmate. It was easily the most carefree summer in Phineas Black's life.

Another bond that changed Esther's life quite a bit was the one she formed with Ominis Gaunt. Their relationship had a rocky beginning due to Sebastian inviting Esther to the Undercroft without Ominis's permission, but they soon got along and gravitated towards each other in an almost unconscious way, going from exchanging small comments to getting engaged in long conversations. They had the same values and beliefs; Ominis loved the sound of Esther's voice. From the very first months of their acquaintance, they started developing feelings for each other.

By the end of Essie's first term at Hogwarts, the two of them were already close enough to open up quite a lot to each other. It was when Esther spoke about her father and his early death. Ominis was horrified when the few particulars she knew gave him a clear understanding that the murder had been committed by his own relatives. He confessed his guess immediately and tried to beg for her forgiveness, but Esther, though shocked and pained, insisted that he was in no way responsible for the crime and had even attempted to help. She needed time to process the truth, but she never held Ominis accountable and proceeded with their communication as before.

During her winter holidays, Esther convinced her mother to reveal everything to Hugh and Mira. Hugh wasn't a revengeful sort and knew he could hardly oppose the wizards, but he was rather offended by the former concealment of truth. He asked if any measures had been taken to punish the guilty. Iola's answer was that she had made an attempt, yet the Ministry was unwilling to anger such an influential Pureblood family as the Gaunts.

Ominis told Esther many stories of his Aunt Noctua. His genuine attachment to her made Essie quite curious about the witch, who reminded her of her own mother. In the Scriptorium, she had a chance to meet Noctua's ghost and interact with her. Only then did she learn about the friendship between Iola and Noctua and remember her own short encounter with the latter. In the end, Esther overheard the ghost telling Ominis that she thought the two of them would make a great couple.

While the Headmaster only meant to mock in that particular case, he soon began to consider the possibility of Ominis and Esther being together in truth. What fed his disagreeable conclusion were the quite transparent hints of one observant Cantankerus Nott, whom he even summoned to his office to question. Upon receiving all the confirmation he needed, Phineas Nigellus contacted the Gaunts, who in turn gave Ominis a violent lashing out, threatening to subject Esther to her father's fate if he didn't break up with her.

Their relationship officially began during the second term of their fifth year. When it came to the Christmas ball during their sixth year, Esther attended it with Basil Ellington, considering it a safe option since she needed cover while Basil didn't want to invite anyone after his breakup with Georgiana Wotton. Still, she managed to steal a dance with Ominis when Phineas Nigellus was sufficiently drunk, and Cantankerus had a tiny accident, organised by their friends.

While they were secretive about their relationship, with only the trusted friends knowing and their dates being very private, the situations that could make an onlooker suspicious did happen. For instance, Ominis once defended Esther against the Headmaster's accusations, automatically squeezing her hand in process. Phineas Nigellus didn't like it and made a scathing comment about the Gaunts never letting him take a mere Half-Blood for a wife.

As hard as Ominis and Esther tried to find a solution, their options were few. They were yet schoolchildren, both dependant on their families, so running away and living separately was out of their reach, and frankly, too early and abrupt for Essie's sensibility. Staying with the Hitchens family was also considered uncertain since they could be opposed to it, given Bob's story, even if her and Ominis's romance resembled Iola's quite a bit. Still, she feared that should the Gaunts find them, their wrath would be unleashed on her mother and siblings, and she must protect them at all costs.

It was what eventually convinced Esther that what she had with Ominis for more than a year at that point had to be put to an end. The circumstances forced a difficult and painful breakup on them. While Esther was pretty good at putting a brave face, she still went to Phineas, Mina, and Julius for comfort. She also tried to soothe herself by repeating that it was the most optimal thing they could do, but she wasn't quite able to keep herself from tearing up as she did that.

Even though Esther did her best to keep her feelings to herself and insisted that new assignments would make a good distraction and lift her spirits, she did snap at Cantankerus, who made a nasty comment about her and Ominis within her hearing. Though her attack was only verbal, she had the misfortune to be overheard by Phineas Nigellus, who wasted no time in assigning her detentions. Professor Sharp, who was also present, suggested that Esther serve them in his classroom in an attempt to give her a less bothersome task at least, since the situation was as unfair as could be, but the Headmaster insisted that she clean the dusty rooms. In one of such rooms, Esther stumbled upon the Mirror of Erised, where she saw herself and Ominis as adults, with two girls that could only be their daughters.

It was in such troubled times that Hugh announced his engagement, albeit sorry that when he found his happiness, his sister lost hers. His fiancée, Saraswati Byrne, whom everyone called Sara, was the only daughter of Suscrita Shah. Much like her mother, Sara attended Cambridge under the disguise of a gentleman, reversing her name to call herself Aras Byrne. However, unlike her maternal family, she studied literature instead of astronomy. Being particularly fond of poetry and knowledgeable about languages, Sara worked as a translator and was glad to find an equally creative husband, with whom she could move in the circles of their fellow talented individuals and build a loving family.

Hugh Hitchens and Saraswati Byrne

They got married in the summer of 1898, with Sara's aunt Satyavati Shah and Phineas Black among the many guests. They would soon have two children: Sullivan, born in 1899 and given the middle name Robert, as well as Hillary, born in 1902. Surprisingly, Hillary would one day become the mother of Myrtle Warren, a Muggleborn witch who, much like her great-grandfather Bob, would become the victim of the Gaunts, or rather, their descendant Tom Riddle.

Though Iola said that the estate had a new mistress, therefore she and the girls must move out to let Hugh and Sara build their lives as they saw fit, Hugh insisted that they stay at least for some time, especially since he and his wife would go to their honeymoon. Iola, Esther and Miranda liked Sara very well, and the former took up teaching her daughter-in-law how to manage a household. It was to Sara that Esther often went for advice while in doubt.

They didn't have to wait too long for another drama to occur, though. Phineas Black, freshly graduated from Hogwarts, started working in the Ministry of Magic, as his family wanted. However, it was soon discovered that he had chosen the Muggle Liaison Office of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, which enraged his father. Still, Phineas Nigellus held hope that his second son could yet be influenced and transferred to a more respectable position. It lasted until young Phineas began to publicly support Muggle rights. Such behaviour, in the eyes of the Blacks, warranted disinheritance.

Esther was on her seventh year when it happened. She found out from the Daily Prophet, along with a letter from her cousin that came with it. Determined to help Phineas, she and Mira immediately contacted Hugh, asking to let him stay in the estate at least before he found himself his own accomodation. Hugh was amenable, and Iola basically adopted her nephew, treating him as a son. Phineas Nigellus, furious as he was, accused Esther of twisting Phineas's beliefs and demanded that she not aid him in any way, which she chose to ignore, as controlling her life outside of school was nowhere near his rights or obligations.

Esther's last year at Hogwarts brought her reconciliation with Ominis, as they valued each other's friendship too much to part ways completely. They would keep in touch after graduation as well. The time before her finals was spent on preparation and musings about her future. Esther initially entertained the thought of becoming an Unspeakable, but the prospect of joining the Centre for Alchemical Studies in Egypt outweighed the previous plan. Since entrance control was required in the centre, Esther undertook the preparations with utmost diligence, agreeing with Professors Sharp and Garlick to act more like their apprentice than a regular student during her last year.

Professor Garlick treated her more as a friend than an apprentice; they called each other by their first names in unofficial settings and promised to keep a correspondence. Her closer interactions with Professor Sharp let Esther discover more about him and his past, which made her appreciate him even more, a feeling that was completely mutual. Her attachments made it quite difficult for her leave Hogwarts, the school she once had to get used to because of unfavourable circumstances but eventually grew to love.

Esther's graduation was notable for Iola's presence and thus her first meeting with Phineas Nigellus in two decades. Unlike her daughter, Iola had no reservations against calling her brother out in a harsh and mocking manner. Moreover, Phineas Nigellus noticed the ring with the Black family crest on her finger, accused her of stealing it, and wanted to take it away from her, believing that it belonged to his line. Only Esther's intervention saved the party from a scandal.

That summer, Iola decided to move out of the estate at last, and Phineas found them a nice house on the Diagon Alley. He didn't live there for long, though, as he soon got married and relocated to Hogsmeade, where Mina worked as an assistant at Spintwitches. As passionate as she was about Quidditch, Mina had no aspirations to play professionally, but Georgiana Wotton's tales of wood for brooms made her very interested in their crafting. She would eventually get a job in a company that produced brooms. Upon their marriage, Phineas changed his surname to Dallimore, and his name to Finn, as his full name reminded him too much of his father.

Esther enjoyed herself in Egypt, diving deep into her researches. There, she met Ryder Prewett, Leander's older brother and the second son of the Prewett family, who worked in the local branch of Gringotts as a Curse-Breaker. They became friends, and Esther joined his Curse-Breaking group for her alchemic practices, helping them with the tasks connected to her field of study. Eventually, they tried to have a romantic relationship, but for all its shine and cheer comparing to the secrecy and calmness of her and Ominis's romance, it didn't last long. Perhaps Esther intentionally didn't let it be long since she had an unpleasant experience with the Purebloods of such rank and waited for the time when his family would forbid their union. Ryder didn't take the breakup well and was angry at Esther for a while. Ironically, he would one day marry Violet McDowell, her close friend, and they would be able to have a good-natured communication once again.

Returning to little Mira, the girl began her education at Hogwarts when her older sister was on her sixth year. She had none of Esther's natural tranquility, being way more spirited but no less cunning, so she entered the school with all the drive and boisterousness of many a Black, Iola among them. While Mira had no Beauxbatons to teach her the intricacies of social ties, she was forced to learn them at Hogwarts, and very quickly. Though the Sorting Hat seriously considered Gryffindor for her, Miranda eventually ended up in Slytherin, greeted eagerly by her sister and cousin but not by her classmates. Where luck had smiled upon Esther, it didn't spare much for Mira, as the snakes of her year were mostly convinced Purebloods. Belvina Black was the absolute worst of them.

Since their very first days at school, Belvina proved that she was nothing like her brother and sneered at Miranda constantly, calling her a filthy Half-Blood. Never the one to tolerate such attitude, Mira declared war and used every trick to make Belvina's life miserable in return. Their shared dormitory gave much room for action on both sides. While Mira adored being in the centre of attention and gathering people around herself, she didn't succeed with the Slytherins, as they either supported Belvina or kept quiet in order not to be bullied.

There was one Slytherin who remained unfazed by Belvina's threats, though. Valerian Lovegood, Basil and Farrah's cousin, was a rare snake among the eagles of his family, notable for minding his own business in his perfectly acceptable loneliness and only watching the people around with mild curiosity at best and annoyance at worst. Despite their obvious differences in temperament, Mira decided to approach him, and they made a great pair of friends.

The students from other houses joined in, forming a united circle. Caitlin Sparks, a Hufflepuff who came from a huge family, brought all the kindness of her House and much fun; Severn Macmillan from Ravenclaw, the heir of the Macmillans, was the most collected and witty person of their company; Demetria Weasley, mostly called Demie, was way more well-behaved than her brother Garreth, and her cuteness masked her fierce protectiveness of her friends.

Valerian Lovegood, Mira Hitchens, Caitlin Sparks, Severn Macmillan, Demie Weasley

Mira was a skilled flyer and played for the Slytherin Quidditch team as a Beater. Her favourite subjects were DADA and Beasts, for she was a more talented dueller comparing to Esther, and the creatures, particularly big and epic ones, fascinated her. However, all the gift for Potion-making ended up in Iola's and Esther's hands, with nothing left for Miranda. She also intentionally ignored Astronomy due to the associations with the Blacks. She was disgusted by the vast majority of them no less than Essie, yet she couldn't conceal it as well.

Some were surprised that Gryffindor hadn't been chosen for Mira in the end, as she was considerably more inclined to the fire element. Even her Patronus was a Fire Dwelling Salamander. Meanwhile Esther loved water and could swim very well, so her own charm took the form of a seagull.

Sometime on the second term of their fourth year, the Slytherins were going down the staircase after the Charms class to attend Herbology a few floors below. Belvina, deep in her inner plotting, accidentally tripped and fell all the way down. Her first instinct was to cover her embarrassment and accuse Miranda of pushing her. When the news reached Phineas Nigellus, he summoned Mira and the other students to his office, all while Belvina lay in the Hospital Wing with a sprained ankle and some bruises. She decided to go along with her lies, as it allowed her to save face and get rid of Miranda simultaneously. The witnesses repeated her version of the story, some eagerly and others fearfully, with the only exception of Valerian, who had walked right near Mira at the time of the accident and tried to give truthful testimony, but to no avail. The Headmaster saw his chance to cause trouble, and did just it.

Miranda was supposed to be expelled, and Valerian, as he was Pureblood, to be given detention for slander. As soon as it was known, Mirabel Garlick wrote a letter to inform Esther. Iola was abroad at that time, and there wasn't much time, which meant that Essie had to resolve the problem on her own.

Though it happened in the middle of her own school year, she was in London, as the Centre for Alchemical Studies was temporarily closed down due to an accident. Esther's acquaintance from Beauxbatons who also entered Alchemy trainings, Odile Perrot, blew up her experiment and sustained serious injuries. As she came from a high-ranking Pureblood family, her parents demanded an investigation. Odile was an overconfident and assertive witch who cared more about people's intelligence rather than blood status, which allowed her and Esther to form an alliance. Essie was concerned about her well-being, yet she couldn't write to the Perrots, as they wouldn't approve of their daughter's association with a Half-Blood.

Esther was very exasperated at first, thinking that her sister had really done something that warranted expulsion. However, when Mira explained the situation, her sister believed her and was resolved to prove her innocence. Professor Sharp helped her revise the school rules, and the information about a student in danger of expulsion having a right for a trial was found.

Of course, Phineas Nigellus denied Esther's request and dismissed her almost instantly. Still, Mira pointed out that they were no less Slytherin than he was, and so could use their connections to achieve their goals, as it was, apparently, the only force the Headmaster would bow to. That gave Esther an idea to contact Walter Ellington, who was not only a family friend, but also a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors. Mira's close friends also wrote to their parents. Quite a decent group was collected at Hogwarts afterwards, and if Phineas Nigellus didn't want to anger the influential families, he had to comply.

Miranda was given a small portion of Veritaserum and spoke the truth, which removed all the accusations from her, and Valerian's detention was transferred to Belvina. This case caused the questioning of Phineas Nigellus's methods in general, and though many Purebloods would have liked for him to stay where he was, the majority made a decision to fire him from his position as the Headmaster.

Such news could evoke nothing less than a huge celebration. Only the Slytherins from the highest families were upset to lose a professor who always judged in their favour. As Phineas Nigellus held other Houses in varying degrees of contempt, to say nothing about the non-Purebloods, a large number of people was gladdened by his resignation, his own son among them. Mira and her friends had their own feast with butterbeer; Esther joined the professors and drank her vine with the sensation of unexpected triumph.

Matilda Weasley became the headmistress of Hogwarts and remained in that position up to 1925, when Armando Dippet took the lead. She was determined to restore Muggle Studies, a subject Phineas Nigellus had cancelled and replaced with Magical Theory. Esther advised the her as to the perfect candidate. In the end, Finn Dallimore became a professor, much like his father, yet the subject he was passionate about was nothing Phineas Nigellus could ever approve of.

Esther returned to her researches and wrote an article that caught the attention of the wizarding community. For the first time in a while, Alchemy was actively talked about, and a fair number of students wanted to take the class on their sixth and seventh years. Right after graduating from the Centre for Alchemical Studies, Esther received an offer of a job at Hogwarts, with the promise of being able to proceed with her scientific studies. She consented, especially since Hogwarts and its surroundings housed some of her favourite people in the world.

Needless to say, a disaster interrupted it all. Belvina never forgot the slight to her family and, disgusted by Esther being made a professor, decided to take her revenge. Her fury made her bolder, so simple humiliation or resignation was no longer satisfactory for her. Instead, Belvina came up with a complex plan.

It wasn't only Mira's willingness to take up Alchemy to please and support her sister, or Finn's steady and comforting presence on her side, or Mina's cheerful suggestions for pastimes, or Mirabel's sweet smiles that made Esther's time at Hogwarts special, though. Close as they were during her time at school and afterwards, with all her esteem for him, she hardly ever entertained the thought of romancing Professor Aesop Sharp. Yet, as the time passed, something in their dynamic shifted. Their easy conversations, mutual assignments, and readiness to help each other gained a tender undertone. Esther's new job threw them together again, closely and constantly, placing them on equal ground and finally making them drop the formalities. Before they knew it, Esther bitterly regretted the impossibility of dancing with her former professor on a ball, and none of Aesop's new assistants understood him and their tasks anywhere near as well as Esther had done.

Esther enjoyed teaching, especially since she had few classes and could concentrate on her scientific activities, yet her profession had its drawbacks. One of her seventh-year students, Barron Bletchley, was intent on flirting with her and winning her favour. Though Esther did her best to gently dissuade the young man, he continued approaching her. Aesop didn't like it in the slightest and was harsher to Barron during his own lessons.

When the traditional ball descended upon Hogwarts in the end of the first term, Esther finally had proper fun with no Phineas Nigellus around to spoil it. It was only slightly dampened by her meeting a past admirer of her mother's, one of the Headmistress's guests, who called her Iola and expressed his regret about the lady's marriage to a Muggle. Still, Esther danced a lot, particularly with her cousin, and drank her favourite wine freely. Mira was also enjoying herself immensely. She had borrowed her mother's Black crown for the occasion, not due to any fondness for her maternal family but rather to rub it in Belvina's face.

Esther and Aesop circled around each other the entire evening. After their duties were completed, they were walking to the dungeons together. Their conversation took an unexpected turn, and in one of the dark empty corridors, they shared a passionate kiss. However, Aesop left immediately after breaking it, feeling ashamed and believing it to be the result of alcohol. Esther wasn't impressed by this decision, confronting him afterwards and saying that she had been nowhere near unwilling, in case he hadn't noticed. Aesop proposed her to meet at Hogsmeade after the winter holidays to talk, giving them time to think about it.

Though she and Cygnus meticulously ignored their disowned brother, Belvina pretended to want to mend their relationship. She and Finn met in his personal rooms for tea, which gave her an opportunity to study the protective spells that the professors used and find a way to enter Esther's own rooms, as she wanted to make the attack completely unexpected. She did succeed, stunning and immobilising Esther before casting multiple Crucio curses on her. It was when Aesop came to collect her, and Belvina, scared due to being discovered, accidentally dropped the spells, which allowed Esther to finally scream from the immense pain that hit her with full force. Belvina panicked and didn't manage to find a quick way to escape, so she was caught when Aesop broke into the room.

Finn overheard the noise and came out of his quarters, only to witness Aesop, face pale and angry, with a faint Esther in his arms and Belvina dangling in the air helplessly from the sheer power of his wandless magic. He was left to deal with his sister while the Potions professor went straight to St. Mungo's. Iola and Julius were on a shift at that time. Hearing about her daughter's state sent Iola into hysterics, as she was acutely reminded of the way her husband had died. She insisted on taking care of Esther herself, especially since the latter spent quite a bit of time unconscious and trapped in her agony. Julius used all his knowledge and skill to save his dearest friend.

The Healers feared that the amount of Crucio Esther had received would result in permanent damage and make her suffer chronic pain, something Aesop in particular found horrific and triggering due to having lived through a similar experience. Still, much to the relief of Essie's family and friends, Iola's capable treatment minimised the risks. Anytime Aesop came for a visit, Mira went with him, staying at her sister's side as much as she could. Iola took notice of the Potions professor's constant presence and worry, deciding to have a serious conversation with him.

When she found out, Mira was livid, pouncing on Belvina and actually tearing some of her hair out by the time they were forcibly separated. Belvina faced a trial that ended with her expulsion and sending to Azkaban, as she was already a legal adult at that time. A few years later, her family got her out and married her off to Herbert Burke.

Esther gradually recovered and returned to work. She and Aesop talked and made a decision to try to have a relationship. Some people gossiped about the inappropriate age gap and expressed their discomfort or disapproval, as did Nerida Roberts, Esther's former roommate. Still, it was the first romance of Esther's that proceeded relatively smoothly, and in 1904, she happily changed her name to Esther Sharp. Two years later, she achieved phenomenal success in her Spagyric experiments, managing to find a way to revive some plants that had previously been considered extinct. They were proven to be safe to use in potions, which opened many new paths in fighting the diseases and even some curses. It was one of her inventions that finally healed Aesop's leg. Knowing her to be a passionate dancer, he promised her to make up for all the dances they missed.

Ominis managed to move on and fall in love for the second time in his life as well. His beloved, Evangeline Elysian, was also a Half-Blood, and the one raised by her Muggle mother no less. Yet, Ominis was now an adult and independent man who could get and protect a house of his own, separately from the family that had as good as disinherited him, so this relationship faced considerably less obstacles comparing to the one he had shared with Esther. Upon their marriage, Ominis and Evangeline had two daughters, Leila and Gilda, born in 1910 and 1916 respectively. Leila had the middle name Cornelia in honour of Evangeline's mother while Gilda was named after Noctua Gaunt.

They continued teaching at Hogwarts, sometimes staying in Aesop's house near the sea. In 1909 and 1913 respectively, their sons, Castor Hadrian Sharp and Aramis Nathaniel Sharp, were born. Following the tradition of her own family, Esther chose the first names, weaving star theme, Greek mythology and even Herbology in Castor while honouring a French region where she lived and grew so much as a person in Aramis. Aesop named his sons after his late Auror partner and good friend, as well as his father. Thus, Esther never got the two daughters she had seen in the Mirror of Erised, yet as her notion of happiness changed, it caused her no distress.

Since Esther and Ominis maintained a friendly relationship, the former was made Leila's godmother. Feeling no bitterness due to their past, they were more than capable of being genuinely fond of each other's children. Said children, particularly Castor and Leila, also spent much time together.

Still, the Gaunts, namely Ominis's brother Marvolo, searched for his family. Marvolo's intention was to kill his non-Pureblood sister-in-law and nieces, as well as to potentially rob Ominis's house, since the descendants of Salazar Slytherin were sinking further and further into poverty. Esther was drinking tea with Evangeline, having agreed to babysit the girls for the evening, when the attack eventually did happen. To find out the location of the house, Marvolo had used Imperius on Sebastian.

While Ominis and Evangeline tried to make Marvolo leave peacefully, Esther discreetly apparated Leila and Gilda to her own house. When she returned, Marvolo was nowhere to be seen, but Evangeline lay dead on the ground, and Ominis was seemingly unconscious, a wound in his head bleeding dangerously. The Aurors arrived shortly afterwards, summoned by Sebastian the minute he had come to his senses, and the Healers took Ominis to St. Mungo's. In her horror and pain, Esther couldn't help thinking that if she had married Ominis, she would have been the one murdered.

Castor and Aramis Sharp, Leila and Gilda Elysian

While Ominis recovered, Esther took care of the girls, and Leila departed for her first year at Hogwarts alongside Castor under her guidance. When he was out of St. Mungo's at last, Ominis chose an even more secluded and protected house to keep his daughters as safe as he could.

Sebastian felt immensely guilty about Evangeline's death and tried to perform a dark ritual to return her back. The ritual involved a human sacrifice, and Sebastian chose to murder a Muggle. The man turned out to be Ross Livingstone, the brother of his classmate Hamish. Once his crime was discovered, Sebastian was sentenced to several years of Azkaban.

While Mira behaved in a bolder way comparing to Esther, there was no other situation that could result in her expulsion, and so she graduated from Hogwarts without any problems. As she wasn't opposed to danger in her career and was very fond of creatures, she decided to become a Dragonologist. The head of the MacFusty clan that took responsibility for the population of the Hebridean Blacks for centuries hired her to help him, as his own children, save for one son, all chose different jobs and left home. So, Mira moved to the Hebrides, and Valerian followed her, as their friendship had long since taken a more romantic turn. Despite her usual yearning for big company, Mira found a pleasing occupation and good friends on the islands, while Valerian was thankful for their calmness and quietness.

In 1913, Mira gave birth to their only son, Blaze Lovegood, a name she adored due to its association with dragons and Valerian agreed to rather begrudgingly. While the boy looked a lot like his father, his temper was very reminiscent to his mother's, and so Blaze eventually entered Gryffindor. Both of his cousins were Slytherins, and he often invited Aramis to the lion's table, as the latter was quite exasperated by his roommates.

Later in his life, Blaze would have three children, two daughters and a son. The eldest of his daughters, Elmira, named after his mother, would marry into the McKinnon family and become the mother of Marlene and Mason, dying alongside the majority of her family in a Death Eater attack. The younger daughter, Ottilie, would end up with Martin MacFusty, becoming the part of the family that her father and grandparents so loved. The son, Xenophillus, would publish his own newspaper and live a quiet life, only caring for his wife, Pandora McNully, and daughter, Luna, until the former's untimely demise.

Coming from the family of five children, Finn wanted a similarly big bunch of his own ones. Mina wasn't extremely excited about the idea, as she was very immersed in her job as a broom maker, so she limited the number to three at most. In 1903, Agnes Esther Dallimore was born, named after her godmother. She was closely followed by her brother Alan, born in 1905. As they were still young and two children were enough responsibility, Finn and Mina took a break. Only in 1919 did they have another daughter, little Antonia.

Agnes and Alan, both determined and ambitious, ended up in Slytherin like their father; Antonia took more after her mother and joined Gryffindor. Agnes had a relationship with Ogden McKay while her brother dated Violet Baudelaire, a romance that would eventually come to nothing. Antonia was the target of quite a few attacks from the pureblood supremacists, particularly Thelma Fawley. Yet, she had undying optimism and drive, which helped her move forward.

Blaze Lovegood; Agnes, Alan, Antonia Dallimore

The friends of Valerian and Mira, Severn Macmillan and Caitlin Sparks, also got married. They had three children: Melania, born in 1906, Shannon, born in 1915, and Nyle, born in 1931. Much to Mira's unpleasant surprise, Melania expressed a desire to be betrothed to Arcturus Black III, eventually becoming the mother of Lucretia and Orion, as well as the grandmother of Sirius and Regulus. Being much saner and way less set in the Pureblood ways comparing to her in-laws, Melania was one of Sirius's favourite relatives. Shannon was briefly considered as a potential husband for Reina Rosier, but it didn't happen due to her engagement to a Carrow, much to his relief. Still, he continued his family's lineage, being the ancestor of Ernie Macmillan. Nyle married Georgiana Baudelaire, and they had two daughters, Alice and Kathleen, the latter named after his mother.

Melania, Shannon, Nyle Macmillan

[daisyhookumed]

Who: Daisy & Andromeda @enchantmecnts Where: St. Mungo's When: Blishwick Wing Grand Opening

Daisy was glad to see Andie standing off to the side. Even though they had been in different houses back at Hogwarts that didn't matter now that they were adults. Sometimes Hogwarts felt like a dream and she wondered if it had ever really even happened. Of course she knew that it had, but her memories with Jasper at Hogwarts were both so happy and so painful and it was hard to think about them sometimes. Daisy was glad though, that she and Andie had become friends through their work at the Prophet.

"Hey," she greeted Andie with a smile. "I can't believe how well they managed to hide that this is St. Mungo's. The fairy lights are certainly a nice touch." She glanced at Andie. "I can't wait to hear what bullshit Rita Skeeter is going to come up with for her next article about tonight. I'm sure she'll figure something awful to write."

[spinnersendprince]

The Prince Coven - LouisaHale - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling [Archive of Our Own]

[tethys-the-aquatic-sea-godness]

Daughters of House Black: Misapinoa Blishwick née Black

Misapinoa was a pure-blood witch. She was an early member of the House of Black. She married a pure-blood wizard named Jimbo Blishwick. Misapinoa lived to a hundred, which is unusual because members of the Black family often died young by wizarding standards.

Her parents were Licorus Black and Magenta Tripe. Misapinoa was the sister of Arcturus Black I and Cygnus Black I. She was the aunt of Phineas Nigellus Black and his siblings, but it is unknown if she had any children.

She is depicted on the Black family tree tapestry in 12 Grimmauld Place, London.

[princeandcrow]

Blishwick Family Portraits

Misapinoa Blishwick nee Black. 1826-1926. Sister of Phineas Nigellus Black. Wife of Jimbo Blishwick. Mother of Ernest Blishwick.

Misapinoa was brought up in the strict traditions of the noble House of Black. She was a stern and serious woman who bore her husbands eccentricities with some reproach. She was 49 years of age when she at last became pregnant, bearing her first and only child Ernest.

Whilst outwardly dour, and traditionalist, some have suggested that Misapinoa had a secret more frivolous side, and indeed it seemed that she loved her husband dearly despite the headaches he caused her. She was also known to throw rather an enjoyable soiree.

Edit: There is now a fic to accompany these headcanons.

[Image: Kristin Scott Thomas photographed by Marianne Rosenstiehl]

[wizardingfamilies]

Iola Hitchens née Black

Disowned Members of the House of Black (2/8)

Much of what I am writing here is inspired on the following headcanons of Padfoot, Prongs and Polaroids and Starchildlazaro. 

IOLA CRESSIDA HITCHENS (1853 - 1921)

Iola Cressida Hitchens, née Black, was born in 1853 in London, a few months after the premature death of her eldest brother, Sirius Black I, who had just turned eight years old. 

She was the youngest child of Cygnus Black and Ella Black (née Max). She was the sister of Sirius, Phineas Nigellus and Elladora Black. 

The three living siblings did not have much of what is called brotherly and sisterly affection. In fact, their entire childhood was spent on petty rivalries. Particularly among the sisters, Elladora and Iola, with just three years of difference, were permanently competing with one another. Elladora tended to surpass her sister, perhaps due to her cunning personality. 

At Hogwarts, Iola was sorted into the Slytherin House. 

At the age of fifteen, Cygnus Black, betrothed Iola Black’s hand to the second son of the Tripe family, much older than her. Iola was not happy - at all - and it was then that her attitude towards the family shifted. She did not rebel, she simply stopped caring.

It was during the summer of 1870, four weeks before she turned seventeen - when she was sent to spend some time at the Blishwick’s estate with her aunt Misapinoa - that she met the young Robert Hitchens, also known as Bob, the heir of a small parish in the county of Hampshire.

They happened to meet at a small chapel lost in the open fields of Bob’s parish, where they both run to in order to protect themselves from the sudden rain that started to fall from the sky. 

They eventually met there again, by chance (or not!) in the following days and Iola find herself yearning for the sweet and brief moments of conversation with Bob in the mild summer afternoons in which he explained her all the Muggle Greek myths surrounding her name, telling her about Iole and Heracles and King Eurytus. 

At the end of that summer, Iola Black eloped with Bob Hitchens and was therefore struck off the Black family tree. Iola was the second known disowned person in the Black family and the first to receive the label of blood traitor. She never finished her education at Hogwarts. 

She married Bob Hitchens at the age of seventeen and, in time, she eventually renounced the use of magic, not because she was obliged to, but because she wished to adapt to a real Muggle life, particularly after the birth of her two Squib children: Osborne Hitchens (1871) and Roger Hitchens (1874), who grown up to be a righteous landowner and an attorney, respectively. 

Despite her break off ties with the Black family, it was to her that Phineas Black II, her nephew, sought help when he too was disowned for supporting Muggle rights in 1902. 

Iola lived with her family in the countryside until 1921, when she died at the age of 68, after contracting typhoid fever. Yet, Iola lived to see her children marry, and meet her grandchildren. In the end, she died with the honest belief she did it her way and she was happy with it. 

[noxtms]

*   𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐘𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐃   :   where could you see freddy carter?

depending on what vibe you’re going for, i think he’d work really nicely as one of our open slytherins - marcus belby, adrian pucey & gregory goyle ! - or someone like justin finch-fletchley, jack sloper, roger davies, cormac mclaggen, zacharias smith, terry boot or ernie macmillan ! i think for surnames, he’d make a nice warren, vaisey, scrimgeour, kettleburn, montague, podmore, summerby, fudge, dolohov, catchlove, figg, buchanan, blishwick or smith ! and just for fun, some wanted connections i can see him in are : the main endorsed strout family, daisy dyer’s older brother, ezekiel burke’s secret child, damien graves’ & helene levesques younger sibling / child, antigone xu’s childhood best friend, mafalda prewett’s same house best friend, george weasley’s employee, pansy parkinson’s ex ! 

[bellwood-qudditch]

Arcturus Black I

Faceclaim: Luke Evans

“The son of Licouris Black and Magenta Tripe and the younger brother of Misapiona Black and Cygnus Black I”

August 20th, 1835–October 30th, 1893

[strvngemagics]

❝ What, like it’s hard? ❞ huh, who’s REBECCA RITTENHOUSE? no, you’re mistaken, that’s actually SELENE BLISHWICK NEÉ ROWLE. she is a THIRTY-THREE year old PUREBLOOD witch who is VP OF TALENT AND PARTNERSHIPS AT A WIXEN TECH & MEDIA COMPANY. she is known for being SELF-ABSORBED, VAIN, APATHETIC, DECEITFUL, and CONTROLLING but also SAVVY, RESILIENT, CREATIVE, ENERGETIC, and ENTHUSIASTIC, so that must be why she always reminds me of the song OH NO! by MARINA and FRESHLY LIT SOY CANDLES, CRYSTAL PAPERWEIGHTS, THE PERFECT SELFIE LIGHTING, WHITE LINEN SHIRTS, AND BROKEN WINE GLASSES. i hear she is aligned with THE DEATH EATERS, so be sure to keep an eye on her. 

character parallels: diana, princess of wales, gwenyth paltrow, goop (as in the brand), deelia deetz (beetlejuice), alexis rose (schitt’s creek), fiona goode (ahs coven), emily nelson (a simple favor)

A Q&A WITH SELENE BLISHWICK, MODERN WITCH AND BOSS B*TCH

Witch Weekly caught up with the Vice President of Talent and Partnerships at Blishwix (and new mom!) for some insight into her favourite things and tips on how to be your best #girlboss.

What’s your uniform?

Jumpsuits, flowy blouses and wide-legged pants, sunglasses that cover most of my face, and a sensible heel. A red lippie is also a must.

What was your first job?

Being Gryffindor Prefect feels like it should have qualified as a job, considering all the time I spent on patrol!

Your morning routine?

Well, my son is three months old and has just started to fall into a sleep routine (thank Merlin!) so he will gently rouse (read: scream) me awake around 5:30. I’ll usually breastfeed while checking my emails, texts, and DMs, because it’s all about multitasking! One perk of traveling as much as I have is that I have friends in almost every timezone — the notifs are constant. After Zephyr is fed, I’ll pass him off to my husband to play peek-a-boo while I shower, foam roll, and make a green juice or tea.

I’m working from home until we transition Zep to having a nanny, so I generally won’t get dressed unless I have lunch or a meeting to attend.

First celebrity crush?

Oh, this is so embarrassing — the drummer from Nine Inch Wands? I had a severe goth phase. It happens to the best of us.

Wouldn’t leave home without?

Moonflower moisturizer from UNICRN, a (fully-charged) laptop, a fresh orange. 

Proudest moment?

When Wick changed a nappy for the first time — I knew then and there our marriage was sturdier than a mountain made of trolls.

Your bucket-list wellness experience?

I have seen so many kitschy Korean spa trips on WixPix. I want one of those treatments where they scrub you within an inch of your life. Then a nice soak in a seaweed bath and just like, a bucket of bibimbap.

Mentors?

Every woman who has ever worked at Blishwix. Getting to know so many interesting and inspiring witches at every age — it’s so wonderful. Witnessing their lives, their wins, and their woes has lead me to believe more in myself and trust that I am headed into the direction I am meant to go.

Perfect Sunday afternoon?

Shopping in Diagon or Sloane Street with my sister Vesta, then home to snuggle with my baby and enjoy something pasta-y and delicious with my husband that evening.

The things you buy in bulk?

Pepperup — I’m so susceptible to colds — cashmere-wool mid calf socks, and freeze-dried strawberries.

Drink of choice?

I’m obsessed with juices — anything that’s very kale-forward. If I’m being naughty, a dry martini or gillywater and gin.

Favourite movie?

The Woodstock documentary! It's so beautiful and inspiring that thousands of people came together for three wonderful days of peace and music.

How often do you recharge your crystals?  

Every full moon!

_______________________________

asndksjdfsd ANYWAY. some shit abt selene’s personality: 

like her husband, selene blishwick is full of shit. if wick is the engineer and tech brain behind blishwix’s products, selene is the ‘natural’-product peddling, #influencerstatus, charming (read: bitchy White Feminist) face of the brand and responsible for seeking the up-and-coming entertainers and corporations who will take their company from impressive start-up to cultural mainstay. like wick, selene’s primary objective is to get blishwix products and apps into every wix’s hand to track and monitor their behavior — and her immediate second objective is to make a fuckton of money doing so.

don’t let her foolish, goop-esque ways fool you — selene is constantly scheming about how to utilize the latest trends to squeeze an unsuspecting public dry of both their money and their private info.

she and her husband do love each other and are clearly a work team/match made in hell, but there’s def some mutual cheating going on that they should probably address (but will they?!?! who knows) 

selene’s relationship with her younger sister vesta is complicated. vesta knows how to push her buttons and strike at her insecurities, many of which stem from the fact that selene fears her sister can and will usurp her in terms of glamor, style, talent, etc. she loves ves but it’s hidden under a thick layer of backhanded compliments and petty betrayals.

selene is terrified of aging. catch her slathering on skin products every second of every day

[POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION TW] she loves her son zephyr (even more than she loves the number of likes he’ll get on her wixpix), but selene is suffering from postpartum depression hard and is yet to realize that she can’t reiki meditate her way out of it [end tw]

--------------

STATS

name. selene blishwick (neé rowle)

nickname. none

birthdate. 7th june 1998

place of birth. st. mungo’s

family.  vesta rowle (sister), extended rowle cousins, zephyr blishwick (son)

relationship status. married to jimbo blishwick vi.

occupation. vp of talent and partnerships at blishwix media; influencer

gender identity. cis-woman

romantic orientation. biromantic

sexuality. bisexual

blood status. pureblood

pets. tbd

HOGWARTS / MAGIC

house. formergryffindor

allegiance. the death eaters

n.e.w.t. grades. defense (a), charms (a), herbology (e), potions (e), history of magic (a), ancient runes (e), care of magical creatures (a)

wand. tbd

boggart. tbd

amortentia. tbd

magical strengths. tbd

magical weaknesses. tbd

PERSONALITY

zodiac.  

sun - gemini

moon - scorpio

rising - leo

[thosebizzareserpents]

The Second Wizarding War was over and 12 Grimmuald Place was once again an empty shell.

When Harry and company returned to the house Walburga Black's portrait was on the floor the frame cracked and her face from the neck down had completely been "blacked out." It was as if she had clawed out her own face.

No sound came from the former matriarch of the Noble and Most Ancient House Black.  It was a eerie and ghastly sight.

"Didn't Sirius say a permanent sticking charm was placed on it?" Ron pointed.

Hermione turned the painting on the back and examined it.

"Let's get it out of here" said Harry.

"Agreed."

Ginny traced outlining of the frame. "Something feels different about the house."

She looked at the family tapestry and there was a letter on the table next to it.

Weeks earlier....

Several cloaked hooded figures stood in the entrance way of 12 Grimmauld Place.

Walburga Black's portrait screams and sobs echoed throughout the house. The house-elf Kreacher was no where in sight to comfort his mistress.

Portraits came from the near and far corners of Grimmuald Place. Whispers soon reached paintings of family members that were elsewhere in Britain.

She continued to bawl, clawing and tearing at her face.

"Hush girl! These are the consequences of your depraved actions!"

Phineas Nigellus Black bellowed. The former patriarch of the Black family held expression of contempt and disgust at his great-granddaughter.

Walburga's grandfather Pollux, father Cygnus II, youngest brother Cygnus III, and cousin/husband Orion stared in horror.

Walburga's mother Irma Crabbe and cousin Charis Black rushed to restrain her.

Phoebe and Elladora Black began to laugh hysterically and wail as well.

Her younger brother Alphard and cousin/sister-in-law Lucretia Black never took their eyes off her.

Melania Macmillan swept up her grandsons Sirius and Regulus in her arms, Ignatius Prewett shielded them from their mother's sight. A faint smile graced Melania lips.

Walburga's grandmother Violetta Bulstrode and great-grandmother Ursula held no emotion.

Magenta Tripe, Arcturus III, Lycoris, and Sirius II, and Dorea Black looked at her with contempt.

Walburga's sister in-law Druella Rosier gathered her own children. Narcissa hugged Andromeda tight silently crying into her. The eldest, Bellatrix broke free and ran towards Phoebe and Elladora laughing.

Lysandra Yaxley and Herbert Burke covered their ears, Belvina and Arcturus Black ll closed their eyes and turned away.

Hesper Gamp, Ella Max, Harfang Longbottom, Licorus, Callidora, and Regulus II Black shook their heads in commiseration.

Cedrella, Marius and Phineas Il began to sing.

" The stars shine brightest, boldly and beautifully bathed in a pure sky."

"House of Back has long forgotten themselves and became voids of misery and contrite."

The cloaked figure stepped forward and hit their fist against the wall.

Walburga's portrait fell flat on the floor with a simple thud.

"Enough out of you. Shut up."

Misapinoa Blishwick (née Black) portrait looked at the mysterious figures.

"Is that you dear niece?"

The person in question removed their hood.

It was revealed to be Iola Black. One of the earliest members of their family. The daughter of Cygnus I and Ella Max.

The youngest sibling of Sirius I, Phineas Nigellus, and Elladora Black.

In 1870 she had been blasted of the family tapestry by her older sister Elladora for marrying a muggle of African descent known as Bob Hitchens. Iola's husband was the only Muggle to ever step foot into the house.

"It is aunt Misa."

At her unveiling her sister Elladora screeched.

Phineas did you know she was here!?" Elladora's eyes bulged.

Her brother Phineas Nigellus inhaled deeply, and nodded towards Iola in acknowledgement, but remained silent to Ella's questions.

Iola's eldest brother Sirius looked at her curiously, smiled and gave a small wave. He had passed away at the age of eight before Iola was born. He was the first in the family to be named after the Dog Star.

She stood before the portraits of her relatives. Many gawked in bewilderment. Iola Black - now Iola Hitchens was very much alive and well.

"When I left the this place was in shambles now it's worse off. What a pity. "She feigned a look of hurt."

Ursula Black laughed. "Your sense of humor never failed to impress me. Nice to see you again Iola."

"Likewise," Iola winked at her former sister-in-law.

"Momma did you really you live here as a child?" Another person took off their hood.

" It wasn't his drab looking but yes once upon a time."

Misapinoa and her husband Jimbo greeted them warmly.

"Oh where are my manners. Aunt Misa, Uncle Jimbo, Ursula these are my children."

"Eridanus, Tucana, Vega, Pavo, and Alcyone.

"And this is my granddaughter Taygeta Zavijava one of my many grandchildren. I assume You've met her already Phineas?"

Phineas Nigellus slowly nodded. At Hogwarts his grand-niece used an alias. Known as "Tracey Davis" a student in Slytherin House.

The former patriarch of House Black and headmaster of Hogwarts cleared his throat.

"I'm a glad to see you survived the battle." The battle he was referring to was Battle of Hogwarts which had taken place weeks earlier.

"I bet you are." Taygeta rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at her grand-uncle.

Phineas II, Sirius III, Lycoris, and Alphard sniggered.

Iola eldest's brother Sirius motion toward his youngest sister.

"Iola?"

"Yes?"

"Your children are metamorphagi like Lexi, Eddy and I?

Metamorphagi were wix who could morph at will. It was an inheritable trait among members of of the House of Black.

Lexi and Eddy were the siblings Alexia Walkin and Eduardus Limette Black.

Eduardus was the first and earliest member to be blasted of the family tapestry by his elder sister Phoebe.

Alexia and Eduardus stepped forward alongside Sirius I.

"Ah yes! Pavo and Alcyone are."

Elladora moved into the painting with Irma who quickly stepped aside. The latter was currently studying her daughter's portrait that laid on the floor.

She sneered and pointed a sharp finger at Iola.

"I knew you would eventually come groveling back. Elladora cackled. 

'Shameful Blood Traitors usually are full regrets" Phoebe chimed in.

"Have they gone mad?"

"Enough Phoebe it is over!" Licorus bellowed.

Aunt Ella!" Belvina huffed.

"God's don't you tire of ranting?"

Phineas Nigellus turned his back.

"What gives you the right to decide who is shameful? All of this started because you could not accept the inevitable Phoebe?" Alexia stood firm.

Misapinoa clicked her tongue.

Phineas Nigellus turned his back.

Eduardus strided across and grabbed Phoebe hand.

"Let go of me you filth blood traitor!"

"Let go traitor!"

"Let go Eduardus!

"She began to sob hysterically ."Let go Eddy"

"Phoebe stop."

Iola followed suit and calmly walked up to her older sister’s portrait.

Elladora whimpered and shrank back.

“Ella, I am free. Free of this elitist, hereditary bigoted institution. You and Phineas upheld and clung to it for decades and it has left this family as an empty void.” A true black hole."

Iola gently touch the scorched marks of the Black Family’s tapestry. “Regrets? My only regret is that the younger generations of this family suffered for it.”

artist Nicola Samori (image source)

[missjosie27]

Year 3 Part 3- Access Denied

Hey, guys! Really short chapter but the future ones will be much longer. Already at work for Year 4! Nothing much to say except I hope you enjoy! Bigger things are yet to come!

‘Work’ proved to be an understatement during the month of September.

With the addition of two electives, school work suddenly became much more difficult to manage. Of the ones David took, Care of Magical Creatures turned out to be quite wild. He didn’t really have much interest in animals but having Charlie in the class certainly helped him get along (though he remained hopeful about possibly seeing a dragon). The class was run by a rather eccentric man by the name of Silvanus Kettleburn, who had been at Hogwarts since the 1940s. That longevity was evidenced by the sheer number of injuries he had sustained during his time spent with creatures which included but was not limited too- a fake prosthetic leg, an eyepatch over his left eye, and a metal claw for a hand. Though Professor Kettleburn preached safety and caution, he himself did not always live up to such standards, as he constantly was being healed by Madam Pomfrey. Case and point was the first day when he received severe burns from fire salamanders. 

“This is nothing,” Charlie told him afterwards. “Legend has it that he was ten times more energetic than this back in the day. The previous Headmaster Armando Dippet placed him on probation sixty two times!”

Such a comforting thought.

There was no immediate risk of injury in Ancient Runes though David could tell right away that the class would not be easy. Professor Octavius was an extremely competent man at his subject but deciphering and learning ancient languages, codes, and other magical artifacts was not for the faint of heart. Bill Weasley told him that it was useful for curse breaking and one of the main reasons he took it was the focus on Ancient Egypt. He would hold off making a judgement just yet. Either way, it meant more homework for all of them.

Adding on to this was his own personal popularity. As he was reminded by Rowan, any secret at Hogwarts didn’t remain one for long. As returning students recovered from the shock of the previous year, rumors spread quicker than wildfire about his involvement in the cursed ice vault. Far from being seen as mad or miniature version of his brother, most regarded him as a hero who saved the school. The Slytherins weren’t too keen on congratulating him but aside from Merula and her squad he didn’t face much trouble from them either. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but David couldn’t deny it felt good.

Combining all of these factors, and the possibility of learning more about his brother at Hogsmeade, he was becoming increasingly distracted which would later come back to bite him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two weeks before Hogsmeade, Professor McGonagall made an appearance in the Gryffindor common room to collect all the permission slips.

“All third years please line up with your written signatures from your parents. The first Hogsmeade weekend will be October 14th on Saturday,” she announced.

David, Charlie, Rowan wasted no time in dashing upstairs with Ben in tow. Even Jae seemed eager to stamp his ticket to the all wizarding village. 

“Is Hogsmeade really all it’s cracked up to be?” Ben asked. “My parents couldn’t understand the appeal, but they allowed me to go anyway.”

“Trust me, mate. You’re going to have your mind blown by how amazing Hogsmeade is,” David told him enthusiastically. He’d personally never been but his parents and brother had regaled him many times about it…before the dark times.

“Bill’s gone loads of times,” Charlie added. “Says the experience never gets old. Even as you get older.”

“Especially since it will allow me to meet with contacts a lot more,” Jae said, giving a shifty grin. No one bothered to ask him what that meant. Sometimes with Jae it was better not to know.

By the time they reached Professor McGonagall, the girls had already turned theirs in (Olivia Miller was already giggling about a new brand of nail polish). However, when David approached his head of house she frowned.

“Mr. Grant please step to one side.”

He obeyed but did not like the way she looked at him when she said. Any time Minerva McGonagall used that tone it meant nothing positive.

“I’m sorry, Grant but I cannot allow you to visit Hogsmeade.”

David picked at his ear and strained in order to ensure he heard her correctly.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me, Mr. Grant.”

He began sputtering like an old worn out automobile.

“But-but…why?”

“Unfortunately, I am under specific instructions to forbid you to leave school grounds even with a permission slip.”

Instant indignation crept into his bones as he tried to resist giving a trademark sardonic remark.

“My parents, of all people, signed this slip. Now all of a sudden for no apparent reason I’m not allowed to go? How the hell is that fair?”

For a second he feared going too far with McGonagall, but thankfully she did not take away points.

“You seem to forget why you are at Hogwarts in the first place. Given your disregard for school rules, endangerment of others, and lack of self control, I have plenty of reason to prevent you from going to Hogsmeade.”

“I promised I’d meet Hagrid and meet Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks,” David continued to complain. “Professor, she knows more about my brother.”

He thought a family appeal might soften her heart, but he thought wrong as the Transfiguration master held firm and her posture was as uptight as ever.

“You are demonstrating my point. Like your brother you are too focused on trivial matters as opposed to your grades and schoolwork. Do not think I haven’t noticed the slip in your marks.”

“Oh, come on, I always get top marks in your class.”

“It is not my class that the concern stems from,” Professor McGonagall huffed, and David swore he saw the steam coming out of her nostrils. “Professor Flitwick has informed me that your charm work has suffered considerably since last year. If you want to earn Hogsmeade privileges, you will need to earn them Mr. Grant. And nothing you say will change my mind until I see evidence of that fact.”

David wanted to scream, shout, stomp his foot, do anything to show he wasn’t going to take this lying down. That he was not being held to the same standard as everyone else. How many poor marks had Jae received in his time at Hogwarts. He knew that either his parents or Dumbledore was behind this. Yet, there was little choice but to take her words in stride.

“Yes, Professor.”

“Good.”

As she walked away, no one looked him in eye (Charlie began whistling), not even the older students. David began muttering under his breath before a familiar voice began chastising him.

“Grant, don’t blame McGonagall. I know she’s tough, but she also has a point.”

He saw it was Angelica Cole and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Oh boy what a shocker. The person who enforces the rules supports the person who also enforces the rules. What a coincidence.”

“I’m well versed to your quips by now,” his prefect told him. He was almost as tall as her by now yet her stern gaze did not waver. “And you need to approach this differently.”

“Don’t pretend you’re any more objective than she was,” he shot back. “I know I lose as many house points as I gain but can you not point out my every flaw for once?”

“I’m not telling you this because I want to kick you while you’re down, Grant. Do as she says: study hard, improve in charms and she will treat you fairly. You know this as well as I do.”

There was something odd about the way she was speaking to him. In the previous two years, she would have been either condescending or lecturing. But ever since the incident with Ammon Lucian and helping Blishwick defend his sister’s honor her attitude towards him had noticeably changed. 

“Why are you saying this?”

“Because I’m trying to help you. You’re more than just Jacob Grant’s little brother and you’ve shown that time and again. Now it’s time for you to show you’re also more than wisecracks and causing trouble.”

If he didn’t know better David could have sworn he saw an uptick in Angelica’s mouth as she walked away. Almost as though she were humoring him in her own unique way. He almost didn’t notice Rowan come up behind him.

“I’m sorry that happened, Dave,” he said. “In front of everyone no less.”

“It’s alright,” he said shrugging. 

“For the record I don’t agree with Professor McGonagall banning you from going to Hogsmeade. But there is a bright side to this.”

“Which is?”

“You still have a couple weeks to raise your grades in order to come with the rest of us. And I’m not going without you.”

David gave a reluctant grin. He also knew that Rowan despite his misgivings was also ensuring he met with Madam Rosmerta in order to learn more about Jacob. He was also being a good friend.

“Well then, guess we better hit the books.”

“I’ve studied in nearly one hundred places all across Hogwarts and I can safely conclude that the library is the most efficient place to improve one’s marks in a subject in two weeks’ time.”

Thinking back to what Angelica told him, David gave an affirming nod. He wasn’t going to let a minor inconvenience like a bad charms grade stop him from going to Hogsmeade. 

“Then that’s where we’re going next. Let’s go.”

[aparecium-muses]

@itswasteland Plotted Starter -From Mollie To Neville

Neville was a gentle soul, one that was a steady presence in her life. He seemed to be an outlander in his own house, not hated but no one seemed to speak with him. It was something she had always found strange, he was kind, caring and compassionate. Yes, he was shy but always willing to help and stood his ground for what he believed in. Before they had been friends he called her Hopson, her mom's maiden name like she had wanted while everyone else called her Blishwick. He let her speak of her troubles, of her life, her awful father and gave a shoulder to lean on when she came back from the summer feeling broken. He was even the one to realize that her depression sprang from not going outside enough as if a flower wilted from the lack of sun.

Her feelings for him bloomed like the flowers that he took care of; slow at first then flourishing under his careful hands. She could feel it in her chest, full to bursting whenever she simply looked at him. He was working in the dirt now, long sleeves pulled up to his elbows wrist-deep in the soil. Her face was warm, able to hear the rabble of the flowers commenting on her flustered state and her wandering eyes. She joined him, sitting on her knees feeling her heart skip a beat in her chest, giving in to the wish of contact and placing a hand over his.

"Nev," she began softly. "I have something very important to say, something that I've been thinking of for a long time. You've always been so kind to me, ever since I transferred here. While everyone called me Bonkers Blishwick and avoided me for speaking with the trees you understood me. You understood and you befriended me. I will never forget the first time we talked hours upon hours of our favorite types of plants." Her voice was swelling with emotion, eyes growing misty. "You made me feel welcomed while everyone wrote me off as a daft american. I say all of this because- I've fallen in love with you. Sitting here in this greenhouse with you, watching you work I realized- I want to stay by your side. I couldn't stand not telling you how much I adore you. Will you be my boyfriend?" She squeezed his hand, gulping as she waited for the verdict.

[depulsorpg]

You are cordially invited for one night of spooks & scares. Attendance & costumes are a must… or else. Where : The Forbidden Forest, of course. When : Eight o’clock sharp. DON’T be late. Don’t miss out on the horrors, and fun, that awaits!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31ST.

Four perfectly scrawled letters in dripping crimson with a faint metallic scent are taped to the entrance of each House. An invitation, or a warning, to the event of the season. Nobody is sure of who sent the invite  — whether it be a professor or a student attempting to outdo Ludo’s party — but none are willing to dismiss it considering the blatant warning of what might happen if they choose not to attend. Besides, it could be fun. That, or an opportunity. An opportunity for three to strike again, or for the Order to continue recruiting members before their first upcoming meeting.

7:30 PM

A thick mist covers the expanse of the forest from the knees down as students tremble with anticipation. A few stand on their tiptoes to sneak a peak, but all that can be seen within is a dark pathway which leads deeper into the woods. Some begin to question their choice of attendance as they all stand around at the outskirts waiting for admittance or a sign of which way to go. A few grumbles can even be heard from the back as students start to shuffle in close, seeking warmth in numbers to chase away the October chill. But then, at the strike of eight o’clock, a pathway begins to light up; jack-o-lanterns flickering to life in carved screams of horror or diabolical grins.

Students begin to hesistantly walk the path; many eyes alert and searching at the slightest howl or snap of a twig. Others cling to the arms of their campanions as they swear they’ve spotted a thestral to the side of the pathway, following, watching them. One begins to scream towards the back, swatting at their feet, because they could feel spiders crawling up their legs. Eventually, though, the pathway leads to a wide clearing where students have to take less measured steps to avoid tripping over tree roots as they stumble through the mist.

At the first step of a student’s foot in the clearing, a low timbre of music begins to fill the space as floating candles, too, flicker to life. Bringing light to twelve small round tables that form a huge circle around a patch of grass. Mushrooms, pumpkins, goblets overflowing with smoke, and skulls — possibly human — are sporadically placed on the lacy gray tablecloths. Pumpkins begin to spew out orange smoke that leads up into the night sky, and as you look up you begin to see a canopy of cobwebs crawling with spiders beneath a wanning gibbous moon. When your eyes come back down to the ground, four masked figures in pitch black suits come out from all different sides of the forest with inviting smirks, their hands beckoning you to come join them for the night. A night meant to be full of devious behavior and revelvry. A night to become your costume instead of being yourself. A night to simply exist and dance, without worrying over who your dance partner may be.

Whilst this is going on, though. Nobody thinks of what might be going on at the castle. Everyone is lost to the music. To the dance. In a blissful trance. Nobody even once considers who might be breaking into Hogwarts as they let the party consume them.

OOC INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE CUT.

A fun little Halloween Event for all students to enjoy! Keep your eyes peeled out for some perhaps not so sweet surprises, but its sure to be an event not to be missed!

RANDOM THREAD PAIRINGS:

Walden McNair & Andromeda Black

Narcissa Black & Marlene McKinnon

Regulus Black & Dorcas Meadowes

Isobel Clemonte & Damon Mulciber

Amycus Carrow & Dirk Cresswell

Nadiya Krum & Emmeline Vance

Amelia Bones & Mary Macdonald

Rita Skeeter & Severus Snape

Barty Crouch Jr & Florence Blishwick

Alecto Carrow & Greta Catchlove

Evan Rosier & Gideon Prewett

Lily Evans & Theo Stebbins

Fabian Prewett & Ludo Bagman

Remus Lupin & Rodolphus Lestrange

Ted Tonks & Charity Burbage

Sirius Black & Bellatrix Black

Alice Fortescue & Edgar Bones

James Potter & Rabia Shafiq & Lucius Malfoy

MORE THINGS TO NOTE:

You will be allowed to create threads (so that means both replying to starters and creating your own) for this event!

Please tag your starters with DEPULSOSTARTER & DEPULOSEVENT003.

The in-game dates for this plot drop are MONDAY, OCTOBER 31ST FROM SIX AM-MIDNIGHT.

Keep all threads after 8PM in the FORBIDDEN FOREST

[maraudersindieplots]

QUIDDITCH: GRYFFINDOR VERSUS SLYTHERIN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19TH.

There’s a palpable tension in the air. Never has there been a greater competitive streak and divide between two houses than there’s been for Slytherin and Gryffindor. But more than tension is an electric excitement that fills every empty seat on the entire Quidditch Pitch. After Ravenclaw’s hard fought win against Slytherin and Hufflepuff’s surprising win against Gryffindor, no one could tell who would reign victorious in today’s game.

That day’s announcer, Genevieve Wood, steps up to the podium, her loud voice echoing loud through the cheering cries of ‘Score up, Slytherin!’ and ‘Fly High, Gryffindor!’

“First game of the new term! ... Slytherin versus Gryffindor!”

There’s cheers and screams of excitement. Flags and banners wave eagerly all around the pitch. It seemed almost as though the entire school has shown up to the game that day.

“Aaaand, here they are, folks! The Slytherin team steps up. Vanity, Mulciber, Lestrange, Talkalot, Avery, Carrow and Black. On the opposite end, Gryffindor. Potter, Prewett, McKinnon, Purkiss, Frazer, Stebbins and Blishwick. Team Captains James Potter and Emma Vanity approach to shake hands. From the looks on their faces, I think we can expect quite a game today...”

“Mount your brooms, please,” calls Madam Hooch. Each member of the team puts on their goggles to shield their eyes from the harsh winter winds above. All legs immediately swing over each broomsticks. Only a few more seconds pass before brooms fly through the air as players take their respective positions.

“Players take their positions as Madam Hooch prepares to begin the game. No doubt she’s just finished giving them the ‘play fair’ talk!” There’s snickers and mutters from the audience. “... Bludgers’a just been let loose, followed by the Golden Snitch. Remember: the Seeker that catches the Snitch ends the game.”

Madam Hooch personally takes out the Quaffle and there’s a pause before she tosses it into the air. "... The Quaffle is released... and the game begins!”

Loud cheers and claps reverberate through the stadium.

“Talkalot’s got the Quaffle! Look at her go!!! McKinnon is on her tail. Lestrange tries to get open but Potter’s stoppin' at nothing to get him distracted-”

Collective gasps.

“OH!! Stebbins has just blocked a Bludger for McKinnon! That’s what we call teamwork, folks. McKinnon is racing on ahead- even Avery canna get a hit in and boy is he trying. Swear that one coulda broken a- OH, McKinnon’s almost there! She throws-”

Bated breath.

“MULCIBER BLOCKS IT!”

Groans from Gryffindor’s side and loud cheers and frantic banner waving from Slytherin.

“Lestrange has got the Quaffle and throws it to Vanity. Vanity races on ahead. OH! Frazer just saved Potter from a nasty Bludger. Vanity dodges a Bludger and Carrow hits it back to Potter. She throws it to Talkalot! WOO! Good gear comes in sma' bulk, look at Talkalot goooo!”

There are frantic cheers from the Slytherin side as they watch Lucinda race past Brianne, Florence and Marlene. “I dinna ken where she gets that speed and dodgin’ from! She’s almost to the hoops, folks! Prewett is heavily distracted by a couple a’ bludgers from Avery!”

Everyone watches with bated breath as Brianne and Theo frantically try to hit a bludger towards Lucinda. Marlene races towards Lucinda... There’s both cheers and groans throughout the stands.

“UNBELIEVABLE! PREWETT BLOCKS IT! The lad saves Gryffindor with an impressive hit from BELOW his broom! How he hung on and didn’t fall on his arse, I dinna ken-”

“The Quaffle goes to Potter. Avery hits a real good bludger over, ah- HIT! Potter’s broom is spinnin’! Vanity’s got the Quaffle and she’s closely flanked by Lestrange and Talkalot. Potter’s got his bearings, looks like he’s chasing after her with McKinnon and Purkiss!”

“Vanity’s close, flittin’ like I’ain ever seen her before... Oh...OH!” More elevated cheers from the crowd. “She tossed it to Lestrange who tossed it back, barely makin’ it over Purkiss and Vanity got in a mad throw but PREWETT BLOCKED IT AGAIN! Slytherin’s looking crabbit now, folks!”

“Potter’s got the Quaffle now and he’s racin’ with McKinnon at his side! No news yet from Black and Blishwick, they’re lookin’ ‘round the field but no Snitch in sight just yet... Quaffle is thrown to Purkiss and it’s thrown to McKinnon- Talkalot is tryin’ get in there- AH! That was close folks, quaffle is back to Potter. Stebbins and Frazer are doin’ a fine job of keepin’ ‘em bludgers off their Chasers but Carrow and Avery are not givin’ up!”

There’s a moment of silence, bated breath as James continues to race towards the Slytherin hoops with the team and sudden cheers. “ --- LOOKS LIKE THERE’S NO STOPPIN’ ‘EM!”

“The quaffle is thrown- OOOH! Mulciber saw ‘em coming! He blocks it and hits it real good there! The quaffle barely misses Frazer! Is she alright? Oh- OH!”

There are collective gasps all around and groans from the Slytherin side as the bludger slams against Damon’s shoulder. Regulus comes down from his search, he barely makes it in time to steady his teammate before Damon almost falls.

“THEO SLAMS A BLUDGER TO MULCIBER! That does NOT look good, folks! Black flies back up and Mulciber, lookin’ worse for wear. OOF- that’s definitely broken. He’s quickly bein’ escorted to the Mediwix by Hooch. Is that- OH!”

Gasps as Alecto slams a bludger towards Theo. “THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE! What Carrow is doing while McKinnon’s got the quaffle, I dinna ken. We got Avery on McK- OH, STEBBINS IS RACING TOWARDS CARROW!”

More gasps as Theo nearly slams into Alecto. “ARE THEY- LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE TRYING TO UNSEAT EACH OTHER!”

There’s a loud whistle and Madam Hooch flies up to seperate them while Marlene races towards the Slytherin hoops with the Quaffle. “ --- MCKINNON SCORES!”

The collective section of Gryffindors stand up, screaming and cheering while frantically waving their banners and flags. “10 POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR! WHAT A SCORE!” James and Marlene high-five each other in passing. “Looks like Stebbins and Carrow been given a penalty and Lestrange and Vanity are tryna to keep their eyes on their undefended hoops without their Keeper in the game!”

The game lasts another 20 minutes. Without Damon Mulciber as Keeper for Slytherin and the rest of the Slytherin team trying to keep an eye on their hoops, Gryffindor scores multiple times.

“POTTER SCORES AGAIN! GRYFFINDOR: 160, SLYTHERIN: 0!”

The Gryffindor crowd goes wild and Slytherin is rather quiet on the stands.

“FINALLY! BLISHWICK’S SEEN THE SNITCH! She’s racing towards it and Black’s on her heels! Avery sends a Bludger towards Blishwick--- CLOSE ONE, Frazer’s got her back! In all this chaos, Talkalot’s got the Quaffle again, she’s like a bullet that one! She passes it to Vanity- who passes it to Lestrange... Now it’s back to Vanity. Vanity’s on it! Carrow keeps Stebbin’s bludger off her. Avery is sendin’ ‘em towards McKinnon! Vanity passes the Quaffle to Talkalot-”

In a matter of seconds, Lucinda decides to feign her throw to the left instead of the right, trying to throw Prewett off. "Stebbins throws her bat to McKinnon- MCKINNON REDIRECTS AVERY’S BLUDGER TO TALKALOT!”

The bludger throws Lucinda off enough that Prewett notices her hesitation to throw to the left and is able to race to the right just on time. “BLOODY HELL! PREWETT BLOCKS YET AGAIN! THE LAD IS ON FIRE TODAY!” The Gryffindor stands begin to cheer Gideon’s name loudly. “Purkiss’ got the Quaffle! Blishwick and Black are still chasing the snitch- looks like they almost lost it again for a second there!”

“AVERY’S SENT A BLUDGER AT MCKINNON! OH-” There are collective groans and yells of indignation from the Gryffindor stands as Marlene falls off her broom - hitting the ground below. “MCKINNON IS DOWN! Potter’s saying something over to Prewett - they both don’t look too happy! Swear, thought the Keeper was about to leave his position!”

“Black and Blishwick have lost the Snitch now in all that the chaos! And Vanity takes the Quaffle! Looks like she’s saying something to her team. Like they’re passing some info- What’s that- LOOKS LIKE SLYTHERIN’S TRYING OUT A DIFFERENT FORMATION! Lestrange is left defending the hoops, Vanity’s in the lead with Talkalot. Carrow and Avery on either sides and they’re ZOOMING!” Slytherin fans stand up and begins to cheer them on as Emma and Lucinda maintain an impressive game of tossing one other the Quaffle over the Gryffindors while the Beaters protect them.

“Prewett's ready! But the lad also looks more tired than my wee bairn of a brother after he’s been runnin’ ‘round the backyard! He barely kept that second to last one from Lestrange out of the hoops-” The cheers of delight and screams from the Slytherin side drown out everyone. “TALKALOT TOSSES THE QUAFFLE TO VANITY AND SHE SCORES!” Emma and Lucinda high five each other as the cheers from Slytherin continue.

“GRYFFINDOR: 160, SLYTHERIN: 10!″

“BLISHWICK’S ON THE SNITCH! SHE’S REACHING OUT FOR IT!” Lucinda took the quaffle but even she is now distracted as almost the entire team look over to the two Seekers racing towards the Snitch. Alecto is one of the ones who reins her focus back in and chases a bludger to hit it towards the Gryffindor seeker. Florence’s fingers touch the Snitch’s wings...

There are collective gasps, everything else almost silent on the pitch. Both James and Theo race towards the bludger coming towards Florence. James is able to hit it away with the end of broom, passing it to Theo who hits it with her bat back to Alecto. But that was enough to distract nearby Florence for a second. In a moment so unexpected, Regulus Black appears at Florence’s side and snatches the snitch from her almost-grasp with a risky maneuver.

“BLACK HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH!”

Thunderous cheers and applause from the Slytherin end - banners and flags waving energetically. “150 POINTS TO SLYTHERIN!” There are gasps and murmurs among the cheers, groans and excited screaming.

Madam Hooch blows her whistle thrice to end the game.

“... T-That ends the game!” Wood announces, sounding surprised herself. “GRYFFINDOR: 160, SLYTHERIN: 160. IT’S A TIE.”

SUMMARY:

SCORES: Gryffindor scores 16 times ( Marlene - 6 , James - 8, Purkiss - 2 ). Slytherin scores 1 time ( Emma - 1 ). Regulus Black catches the Golden Snitch with a tricky maneuver in the air, almost slamming into Florence.

BLOCKS: Damon blocks 2 attempts at goal. Gideon Prewett blocks 10 attempts at goal, narrowly missing 4 of those blocks (2 from Lucinda and 1 from Rabastan and 1 from Emma.)

PENALTIES: Alecto and Theo receive a penalty for aggression towards each other.

INJURIES: Theo and Alecto are bruised from their fight. Damon has a broken shoulder and arm. Marlene has also broken quite a few bones from her fall and the bludger hitting her in the ribs.

FINAL SCORES: Gryffindor with 160. Slytherin with 160. It’s a tie! An unexpected and startling outcome.