With the capture of Verandi Farley and several high-ranking Trossach members, the British wizarding world has finally caught a break. The rate of rogue werewolf attacks have started dropping at a steady rate and, hopefully, things will stay that way. The Ministry is starting to loosen some restrictions, like not arresting werewolves standing on the street for loitering, however there’s still an obvious power imbalance between wizardfolk and werewolves.
The Cotswolds pack are continuing to advocate for the rights of werewolves and petitioning to change the legislation that has been set in motion by the current Minister for Magic, whilst the remaining Trossachs members are trying to stay out of the spotlight and keep a low profile… for now.
Whilst the British wizarding world seems to have calmed down, the same cannot be said for over in Northern Europe where a rebellion of magical creatures has risen. The state of things has gotten so bad that the European Ministry has enacted protocols to protect those under eighteen whilst their adult witches and wizards fight to keep control of their countries.
Students from Durmstrang have been sent to Hogwarts to keep them safe and those not old enough to attend school have been sent to live with relatives or designated British Ministry officials outside of Europe for the time being.
Will the low rates of werewolf attacks in Britain continue? How long will Durmstrang students stay at Hogwarts? Will the creatures usurp the wizardfolk in Northern Europe? Only time will tell.
SEPTEMBER 2019 It's been a very long, eventful summer in the wizarding world. A baby was stolen, several high ranking Trossach members were imprisoned, and werewolf attacks have drastically dropped as a result. What will happen now school has returned?
MAY 2019 An attempt to capture the beta of the Trossachs has been launched. Were the Aurors successful in their mission? Go read more here!
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on May 17, 2019 11:37:13 GMT
Patrolling with the new Hufflepuff prefect honestly made Grace feel a little funny because did Jun know what to expect, seeing as this was his first patrol? She wasn't sure and as she sat on a chair next to a bookcase, she waited for the boy to arrive.
Whilst normally she'd meet a fellow Hufflepuff prefect in their common room, she'd been studying all night, and the second floor corridor had been the quietest place to do so... the library unfortunately had a very drunk boy, the nephew of the new Professor Avery, causing a ruckus earlier. So she'd made a quick escape and left a little note for Jun in the process.
All she had to do now was wait for him to arrive...
Post by JUNAID ZALAYAT on Jun 23, 2019 9:29:55 GMT
Junaid had just finished delivering Greyson back to his dorm. The new Hufflepuff prefect was still visibly tense when he met up with his senior prefect. He was still feeling bad that they made girls walk around alone at night but cultural differences would have to be accepted.
He spotted the blonde girl and tried his best to smile. “Good evening, Miss. Longbottom. Is… Is there anything I can do for you?” Junaid was always taught to respect his elders. Although technically he was older than Grace. His year of hiding had made him fall back. He didn’t mind. Obviously he was having a hard time because the classes were in a different language.
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Jun 24, 2019 14:43:07 GMT
As Jun approached her, Grace returned the smile, although she looked a little confused when he greeted her as 'Miss Longbottom.' Nobody did that - well, except for the Professors but that was a given. "Oh, it's just... just Grace. Or Gracie. Some people call me that. I don't mind either way... but Miss Longbottom is usually what people our age call my mum when they pop into The Leaky," Grace said, already feeling herself babbling and kicking herself. If she had a zip on her mouth, it would be pulled across and locked tight by now. But she didn't have a zip, and that's why she regrettably kept on talking. "Do... did you want me to call you Mr. Zalayat? If you want me to, I can. If it makes you feel more comfortable. Though I usually only call people 'Mr.' if they're my dad's age."
Jun asking if he could do anything for her took Grace off guard but she smiled politely, shaking her head. "No, not really. I mean, unless we catch... and then you can maybe help me be all stern and stuff. People just tend to laugh when I try and be serious though," Grace admitted, looking a bit sheepish. She may have been prefect with 'authority' but there were definitely a few students who didn't listen to her authority. "My night's good... um, just... been studying and stuff. You?"
Post by JUNAID ZALAYAT on Jul 14, 2019 10:15:28 GMT
"Oh," Junaid looked down at the ground. It seemed he still didn't get the hang of it. Was she lecturing him? Oh no, he wanted to do a good job. Had he offended a senior prefect? "Then… Grace?" The boy tried out her name. Aside from family members, he had never been alone around females. The Hufflepuff male didn't know how to act. She asked him if she should call him by his surname, Junaid shook his head. "No need. You're my mentor prefect even if I'm older. Please teach me all there is too know. I want to do a good job!" He bowed down.
His eyes widened a bit when he was told to be the bad cop. "I-I'll do my best,' he announced. Jun stepped towards the big mirror graced in a dark wooden frame. There he looked at his own reflection. As it stared back, he started to practice his 'scary face'. Eventually after twitching his muscles for a bit, he turned to Grace. "Does this look right?"
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Jul 18, 2019 7:58:11 GMT
The way that Jun suddenly looked at the ground made guilt bubble in Grace's stomach because... was correcting him not the right thing to do? She just wanted him to know that he didn't have to call her 'Miss Longbottom.' It was so very formal and whilst Grace was a big fan of manners, she'd never want somebody her age to feel obligated to address her by titles. When Jun said, 'then... Grace?' immediately Grace's face light up with a smile, delighted. "Yes please, just Grace! Do you prefer Junaid or Jun?"
Jun was telling her that she was his mentor prefect and he wanted to be taught everything she knew and gosh, Grace wanted to call out for Aiden wherever he was in the castle because... well, he was definitely the prefect for this job. Not her. She didn't think she was a particularly great prefect, at least not when it came to punishing wrongdoers and the like. "Oh, I... I hope I can. I just - I think I'm fairly decent at helping people out when they need to be, but I'm not very good when it comes to giving people detention or... when I tend to tell people to go back to their common room, like I said before, they tend to laugh," Grace explained, hands already wringing. "Or, um... then I just tell them they need to go back or else I'll go wake up Professor O'Connor and he won't be very happy... and then they usually listen, when I tell them that."
After Grace advised Jun he may have to be the bad cop, the boy's eyes got all wide and he started looking in the mirror, his face all of a sudden was twitching like an excited puppy dog's tail. It was... odd. Perhaps he'd had one too many scoops of honey in his tea. Then he turned to Grace and asked if it looked alright. "I... oh, yes, you have... have a lovely face. Very expressive eyes and a good, sharp jawline and... and... high cheekbones," Grace blurted out, before cringing yet again because Merlin, it was a compliment and all because he was a handsome boy but... the look he was giving her? His 'bad auror' face? He'd get laughed at as much as she would. But she didn't want to hurt his feelings.
Post by JUNAID ZALAYAT on Aug 18, 2019 9:44:26 GMT
When Grace smiled, the other Hufflepuff sighed in relief. He’d done something good. “Oh,” Junaid was put on the spot. What did he want her to call him? “I don’t mind, either is fine,” he told her. This was going decently well. They were calling each other by their first names and all.
The sixth year prefect seemed a little tense out of the sudden. Had he said something wrong? “I think every prefect has their different qualities. That’s why we have so many. We need each other to fully do the job. You’re doing your part just great. Last year when I was new to the school, you helped me find the classrooms,” he told her with a beaming smile. The prefects who helped him adjust to his new school like Grace inspired him.
Her words were a little odd but Junaid assumed it was a sign of approval? He smiled and his face went back to his usual relaxed state. Jun wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to maintain the scary look but he had to for the sake of the job. “Alright, I-I think I can do this. Lead the way Miss- eh Grace I mean.”
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Aug 21, 2019 9:33:39 GMT
The words that Jun spoke had Grace nodding slowly because it made sense, didn't it? They all had their different strengths and where she lacked something like... being scary, other prefects such as Aiden or Rosalia made up for it. Although, thinking about it, Grace wondered if she was the weak link of the prefects. Maybe she didn't contribute as much as the others... it was enough to have Grace's mind racing, although Jun's words cut through her thoughts a moment later. "I, um... I suppose... I mean, I... thank you. I was only doing my job, and I'd have hated for you to get lost because I know that Hogwarts is just so... so large and overwhelming. It was like that for me when I started first year, and you were probably less scared since you were a fourth year, but... yes." She was rambling at this point, and very much aware of the fact too.
Red tinged Grace's cheeks as Jun didn't really... reply to her compliments. Perhaps she'd made him uncomfortable and Merlin, didn't that make a bad feeling bubble in her stomach? But before she could start stumbling over her words and start to apologise, Grace began 'leading the way,' walking down the corridor slow enough that Jun could walk by her side. "I... so, are you... do you like your classes or... did you have a good break for summer?" There. That was a good conversation starter, right?
Post by JUNAID ZALAYAT on Aug 28, 2019 18:30:43 GMT
“Thank you for doing your job,” he said, not allowing her to dismiss her own credibility. In life he learned it was easy to be hateful and hard to be kind. Grace was definitely the type that stayed kind despite everything. A very admirable trait. Junaid shook his head and smiled. “To be honest I was terrified. I’d be joining a school at a later age. Most groups of friends are already formed in the first few years. I was scared I won’t fit in and people would think I’m stupid because I couldn’t speak the language well,” he told the other prefect. Not to mention that the muggles of this country hadn’t been too kind to him because of where he came from. “You gave me courage.”
Junaid followed his mentor prefect, hoping he’d be actually able to assist her instead of being deadweight around her ankle. He followed her like a little duckling but when she started a conversation he moved forward to walk next to her. “It’s a little hard sometimes, I notice I finished later than most students. Especially when it comes to written tasks. But I’ll just have to work harder to keep up with everyone! Which class is your favorite?” Junaid avoided talking about the summer, he liked to keep his private life to himself.
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 6, 2019 3:46:09 GMT
Jun thanked her for doing her job and Grace wanted to tell him he didn't have to thank her for doing what she was assigned to do, that she likely would have done it despite her prefect title, but the words soon died on her lips as Jun confessed that he was terrified. "Is... is it much different from your old school? I... well, I don't think anyone would think you were, um, less than intelligent for not knowing English well. I mean, if it's not your first language and you didn't grow up in an environment where English is spoken regularly, then it's to be expected," Grace said softly, though she wondered... if she were to ever travel another country where English wasn't the primary language, would people think she was silly? She sure hoped not. But then Jun was saying that she gave him courage and tears prickled in Grace's eyes, and she dropped her face so he couldn't see them. "I don't... I'm not - that's not something... I... I can't take credit for that, Jun. I'm not a very courageous person at all."
Grace understood the whole finishing later than most students, she really did. But with her, it wasn't with written tasks - those, she generally did well with. Practical magic, however, was something she took a long time conquering especially when it came to spells used in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms... "If you need a tutor or any help for your writing, I'd be happy to give you a hand. I'm not... I don't excel, but maybe I could always give you some guidance since I've done a lot of the subjects you're covering already," Grace told him with a kind smile. "I... well, I guess... I really... I think maybe History of Magic or Herbology. How about you?"
Post by JUNAID ZALAYAT on Sept 21, 2019 15:49:13 GMT
When Grace asked about his former school, a nostalgic smile appeared on his face. “The biggest difference was that I suddenly had to use a wand. At Uagadou we are taught wandless magic,” he told her. The biggest difference for him was being suddenly alone. Uagadou was filled with family members, siblings, cousins and distant cousins from different countries. Not to forget the many friends he had. Going from the popular boy to a nobody was quite a change. But Grace didn’t have to know that. He kept it to himself. “You’ve been all very kind to me. The teachers are very patient when I don’t understand a word they take time to explain it. I’m very grateful,” he said with a beaming smile. Kindness could save a soul. Jun’s could’ve turned dark very quickly if the school received him the same was as the refuge center had. The people of Hogwarts were amazing and they deserve all the credit they can get. “Perhaps you’re not a courageous person. Neither am I but your help inspired me to give this life another chance. Thank you for your selfless kindness,” he bowed a little. If she were a boy, he’d have shaken her hand but he wasn’t supposed to touch girls until marriage. Kind people often didn’t want to take credit for the things they did. Despite them being the one that made this world a better place.
“You’re too kind. I’d feel awful taking up too much of your time,” Jun said in worry. Truth was he could really use someone to help him with History. Those were stories he never grew up with.
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 26, 2019 7:42:00 GMT
"Wandless... my gosh, that's quite young to be taught wandless, isn't it? I mean, we're in sixth year and we've only just started learning about non-verbal magic, let alone wandless," Grace said, voice full of shock because she couldn't imagine such a thing. How nerve-wracking performing without a wand would be for her, when half the time she couldn't perform even with a wand.
Grace nodded as Jun explained that perhaps she wasn't a courageous person because she agreed, and at times she felt shameful for not being as brave as her dad or her mum or Arthur. Her parents had been brave enough to fight in the war, and Arthur wasn't afraid of anything. It left something to be desired for. "I... you're welcome. Did... when you started Hogwarts, did you get sorted by the hat like most of us did in first year?" she asked curiously. The hat had barely touched her head when it shouted HUFFLEPUFF! and she wondered if it had done the same for Jun, or if it had considered other options.
Grace shook her head as soon as Jun said he'd feel awful for occupying her time. "I wouldn't have offered if it'd be too much of a bother," she told him with a small smile. "Besides, I'm sure there's something you can teach me in exchange? I'm afraid my spell work needs improving, so perhaps you could give me a hand with that?"
