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!
and i'm calling for my mother/as i pull the pillars down
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Post by NADEZHDA KAREVA on Jun 26, 2019 2:37:16 GMT
"Maybe if I make my potions in a mixing bowl, it'll go better. Think that'll get me an Outstanding?" Nadya had an amused smile as she opened the door to the fourth greenhouse, holding it open for Grace. "I think I have an hour now before I have to be anywhere, if you want to make the paste. I was planning to spend it in the greenhouses, but I suppose we can do it here--unless we need a big cauldron or fire, of course." Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to try to make potions here. Nadya would never forgive herself if she burned any of the plants that she was supposed to be caring for. The larger ones probably contained enough water to be safe, and some of them were magical enough to withstand these kinds of things, but it was simply better not to start fires among the greenery.
After all, green places were her favorite places in the world. If there were no others that needed her help, she'd have been happy to disappear into the forest any time, to live as a real veela did. And she was real! A full half of the blood that ran through her veins belonged to them, even if she had not met one since before she was two years old.
"I grew up in London, so it always feels great to get out in the forest," she explained. "It feels--more natural to me, if that makes sense." Sometimes people didn't understand quite how passionate she was. Besides, Grace had her own interests to talk about. "I wish I could draw well. But I've never practiced, so I'm not very good at all."
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Jun 30, 2019 6:03:57 GMT
Nadya's joke about using a mixing bowl for potions had Grace laughing and shaking her head, joking back, "I think Professor Tyrell would kick you out in a minute flat. She's quite... um, intimidating, I think. Not that - I mean, people listen to her and that's good but by Merlin, she makes me shake in my shoes sometimes."
Grace smiled at Nadya as she moved past her into the room, and she shook her head at the question of whether they'd need a cauldron. "Just a mortar and pestle which..." Grace's eyes scoped over the greenhouse until they found one and she grabbed it, placing it on the bench. "Here we go. Now just to add the dittany."
"I'm... sorry, I'm not trying to be rude or... but Nadezhda Kareva. That's not an English name, is it? Did your parents move here or was it passed down to you or...?" Grace's voice was kind and curious as she asked. Nadya's name was beautiful, but definitely not one you typically heard on the streets of London. Not like Grace, Arthur, Hannah and Neville were. "It does make sense, yes! I feel the same when I'm swimming. Like I'm one with nature, in a way. If that... makes sense?"
and i'm calling for my mother/as i pull the pillars down
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Post by NADEZHDA KAREVA on Jul 4, 2019 4:31:25 GMT
Grace seemed to like Nadya's joke, which made Nadya smile back as she located the dittany plants and began to pick leaves delicately from them. She had been growing these so carefully that she wanted to make sure they would continue to flourish even after some was harvested, so she didn't want to damage any part of the main stems. Holding the little pile of silvery leaves in her hands, she brought them over to Grace, setting them next to the mortar so that the other girl could take however many were needed. Picking up a pot that was resting on a bench, Nadya set it on one of the few spare spaces in the greenhouse, allowing her to sit down and watch Grace begin to work. "Let me know if you need me to find any more plants." She observed carefully, wanting to make sure she actually remembered the steps for this particular potion.
"Well, it's a Russian name. I was born in Russia, and we moved here when I was four," Nadya explained. "It means 'Hope,' so it's not really that much different from Grace as a name! My sisters are Vera and Lyubov, which mean 'Faith' and 'Love.' I think our parents must have known somehow that they would get three girls, so they could use all the names." She paused there, having reminded herself of the mother who had disappeared before she was even two years old. Did Grace even know she was half-veela? She didn't keep it a secret, but they hadn't really spoken before today.
Instead, she focused on talk of the lake. While her own favorite place in the grounds was the Forbidden Forest, she knew that the lake was full of interesting mysteries. "Have you ever seen merpeople while swimming in the lake? I've heard they live there, but I've never seen myself. I'd like to meet one." She would have so many questions to ask if she did, although she didn't speak a word of Mermish. Maybe Papa knew some, although she wasn't sure if he had ever worked with merpeople at his job.
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Jul 11, 2019 8:49:46 GMT
Nadya's nimble fingers started making quick work of the dittany plant, plucking the leaves and collecting them in her hand before depositing them in a pile next to Grace. "Thank you," she said with a smile, before adding them into the mortar. "Okay, so we just need shrivelfig - if you wouldn't mind cutting it open and taking some of the flowers from inside for me, as well as lacewing flies and flobberworm mucus... which... I think I have in my bag - " Pausing, Grace crouched down to peer inside her bag which she had set on the floor and produced two small bottles that she twisted open. It may have been strange to carry around the little flies and the mucus of a flobberworm, but Grace found she often needed them to make impromptu pastes. "- and then we're all set."
As Grace listened to Nadya's reply about where her name came from, she made quick work of adding the other ingredients into the mortar. Luckily, the shrivelfig was the last ingredient she needed to add, so in the meanwhile she worked on using the pestle to grind the dittany leaves, lacewing flies and flobberworm mucus into a thick paste. "That's really interesting! So, do you speak Russian as your first language at home? I've never been to Russia but it sounds quite intriguing really," Grace chattered as she worked. Then she glanced up, smiling brightly. "I like all of your names! Maybe your parents were seers, picking them all out." She was joking, of course, because seers were rare, and she'd never even met one. Gosh, she didn't even think her parents had met one despite the fact Professor Trelawney claimed to be one during their years at school.
"Merpeople? No, though I'd love to meet one as well. I've heard they're really quite intelligent, and that they have the most beautiful dwellings," Grace gushed excitedly. "In the prefects bathroom, there's paintings of mermaids on the glass windows. They're really quite beautiful, the way they've been painted, but I've been told that they're not accurate. Merpeople don't quite look like they're depicted in books, or so I've been told."
and i'm calling for my mother/as i pull the pillars down
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Post by NADEZHDA KAREVA on Jul 25, 2019 3:05:59 GMT
"I'll find some shrivelfig. Will one be enough?" Nadya got up from the bench where she was sitting, her eyes beginning to search for the distinctive purple fruit among the many leaves in the greenhouse. Peeling shrivelfigs was not the most interesting task, but the flowers were always useful, and it gave Nadya the excuse to spend more time in the greenhouses, so she didn't mind too much. As she located the plant and began to pick one of its fruits, she caught that Grace already had the rest of the ingredients with her. "You keep flobberworm mucus in your bag?" She didn't mean for it to come out too judgemental, but it didn't seem like the sort of thing that was nice to have around all the time. Maybe the girl was more dedicated to Potions than she let on.
Sitting back down, Nadya began to peel the shrivelfig. "Yes, we usually do speak Russian at home. It's a bit easier for most of us, although I think Lyuba might be better at English. It's good to remember it--I would hate to forget my heritage." She placed the first blossom in front of Grace. "Do you speak any other languages? Not Mermish, I'm sure." Those words were spoken with a smile. "I've never been in the prefects' bathroom. For some reason, they didn't want to give me the badge." To be fair, Nadya did not think she would like being a prefect much: far too much involvement in the school for her. Patrols at night instead of forest visits--none of it appealed. She only hoped this new friendship wouldn't be ruined by that difference between them.
Nadya set the rest of the blossoms in front of Grace, putting the empty peel aside. "Perhaps I should go swimming more often. Maybe I'd spot merpeople then and be able to report what they really look like."
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Aug 1, 2019 2:01:22 GMT
"One should be plenty, yes," Grace said with a nod, eyes focusing on scrounging in her bag for the flobberworm mucus. Nadya's question, when she came back up with the flobberworm mucus had Grace's cheeks immediately tinge with pink, eyes diverting to stare down at a particularly interesting spot on the floor. It was... well, it was strange, wasn't it? Carrying mucus... but being called out on the spot made her feel embarrassed, like she was doing something wrong when she was just over-prepared for most things. "I... well, I was going to use some later, for... for a potion, I'm practicing, just in case I forget how to make it for exams... gosh, I guess it's a bit odd. I just - I don't like the idea of... of relying on the potions classroom to have everything I need because sometimes the little glass jars and containers are empty when I go to use them, and flobberworm mucus is quite a popular thing people use since it thickens potions."
Nibbling her bottom lip, Grace's rambling was brought to a stop as Nadya started talking about Russian, answering Grace's question before. "Speaking two languages... it's so interesting. I've heard it's easiest if you grow up with both, that it sinks into your brain a little more... so do you still visit Russia sometimes? Is... Lyuba, is she your sister?" Grace said, making conversation as she reached out to take the blossom, adding it into the mortar. She shook her head softly as she was asked if she spoke another language. "My mum and dad, they're both English through and through. Although, my mum says she's gotten very talented at understanding drunk-speak since she owns and works at the Leaky and all." Her poor mum, some of the people she had to deal with... Grace had watched her deal with a couple from the stairs at the Leaky, and it made her squirm uncomfortably.
When Nadya said that maybe she'd go swimming more often, Grace nodded. "Maybe... maybe we could go together, someday? If you'd like. We don't have to, I just... or you can just go by yourself. I'm sure that'd be lovely too." She was babbling yet again, but thankfully the rest of the blossoms provided her with a distraction, and she added them into the mortar too, as well as the other ingredients. After a few moments, she was done. "There we go. Do you have a vial, or... or a jar or something we can put this in? I may have one in my bag, if you need it."
and i'm calling for my mother/as i pull the pillars down
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Post by NADEZHDA KAREVA on Aug 8, 2019 18:57:04 GMT
"Drunk-speak might be a language all on its own," Nadya said, amused. "But you probably don't want to grow up speaking that!" She played with the leaf of a nearby plant, inspecting it as Grace worked. It was growing nicely; Professor Skarsgård must have been in here working with it. "I think it must be easier to grow up with two languages, but I haven't tried to learn a third language, so I wouldn't know if it's harder. Maybe someday." Putting her chin in her hand, she watched the other girl finish crushing the ingredients. It would make a nice amount of paste for one person, Nadya thought. Good for the next time she went to the forest, just in case of any accidents.
"Yes, Lyuba's my little sister," she explained. "She's in fifth year, but in Gryffindor, so you might not have met her--but maybe you've seen her around?" The younger Kareva was loud and bright enough that Nadya was certain that, even if the two had never spoken, that Grace must have at least seen her. "Have you got siblings?" To Nadya, who cared for her sisters very much, it seemed important to ask. She could not imagine a life without her sisters around, no matter how many disagreements they might have.
As the ingredients turned into a thick paste, Nadya began searching in her bag for a proper container. She wasn't sure if she had anything, but maybe if she dumped some of her collected herbs from one jar into another, just the ones that were easy to tell apart from each other. Carefully, she extracted two jars from the bag, rearranging their contents on the table. "Here, I've got a little jar," she said, holding it out to Grace. "I think it will all fit." Waiting for it to be filled, Nadya considered the girl's offer. She really didn't go swimming enough, did she? The lake was another place she should enjoy, just like the forest. "I'd love that. When it gets a bit warmer, we should go. Or if there's somewhere heated that you can think of?"
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Aug 11, 2019 8:55:25 GMT
Nadya's joke had Grace giggling, her eyes lighting up. "No, I don't think it's something I wish to be fluent in. I mean, not that I could be because I'm not of age yet and I don't want to get in trouble from the Ministry by getting tracked for underage alcohol consumption," Grace said, her words very sincere as she worried her bottom lip because Merlin, it was lucky that Arthur was of age now. Otherwise he'd be pulled into the Ministry for all the sneaky drinks he had, the ones he didn't think she noticed him having.
"Oh, she's blonde too, right? Short hair... I think I was in classes with her last year with the whole third, fourth and fifth year combining," Grace said with a smile, nodding. She didn't know the girl super well, given they were a year apart and in different houses, but Grace was quite certain the girl was lovely. "Yes, a big brother. Arthur. He's a seventh year Gryffindor... he's... well, he's a bit different from me, I suppose. A bit more of a troublemaker, and a flirt... he's very protective too. It's nice, at times, and I love that he wants to look after me but sometimes it's just... a bit much, I guess, because... well, because I want to look after myself as well."
When Nadya produced a couple of jars, Grace took one of them gratefully, scraping the paste into the glass jar carefully. "Hmm... well... I could, um... I..." She wasn't sure if she was technically allowed to bring an outsider into the prefects' bathroom, otherwise she would have offered. "Well, there's always heating spells, I suppose? Or... or maybe we could just go for a run or something instead of swimming." As Grace spoke, she tidied up the work bench, and then once it was clean, she smiled again, gathering her belongings. "Did you want to head back to the castle, maybe?"
and i'm calling for my mother/as i pull the pillars down
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Post by NADEZHDA KAREVA on Aug 12, 2019 12:20:48 GMT
"You'll be seventeen before you know it! Then you won't have to worry anymore," Nadya said, taking the full jar back. It didn't look like a large amount, but she knew it would be plenty as long as she didn't use huge clumps of it, just enough to fade any bruises she might get. "I do know your brother, then! He's in my year. Didn't strike me as protective, but then again, I've never seen him with you around." He probably cared a lot, Nadya thought, the same way Vera cared for her and she cared for Lyuba. Even if it was hard to show, it was easy to love them. "I don't have any big brothers, only a big sister. But she can be protective too. I think that's just how it is, to be an older sibling. I would do the same for Lyuba."
She tucked the jar back into her bag, carefully nestling it among the parchment, quills, and herbs in a place where it would be protected from breaking. The paste would be useless splattered all over the inside of the bag, not to mention all the parchment suddenly made useless as well. She had needed to break only one vial all over her bag--an accident all the way back in third year--to know that she needed to be careful with glass containers. Since then, she couldn't remember breaking even one. She always made sure they were safely tucked away.
"Let's go back up to the castle, then. I did promise to meet someone fairly soon, so I probably should go back. Come and walk with me?" Nadya got up and slung her bag over her shoulder, careful not to get her hair stuck in any prickly plants. It was up in a ponytail, but long, and she would rather avoid that sort of pain. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of the greenery before she had to go back out in the cool autumn weather. "We can think up heating spells on the way, maybe. I don't think we could get the whole lake, and it wouldn't be healthy for the lake anyway, but I'm sure we could do something." She held out her hand for Grace to take and get up.
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Aug 14, 2019 9:24:28 GMT
Seventeen before she knew it... gosh, wasn't that all a bit daunting? It made Grace's tummy a bit nervous and butterfly~ish, the thought that soon she'd be of age and the expectations and responsibilities of her would be so much higher. At least she still had another year and a half of school before being out in the 'real world' though, right? Grace nodded in response to Nadya saying she was overprotective for Lyuba too. She supposed, if she were the big sister, she'd be the same to Arthur but... she wasn't. Little sister life was the one she was destined to lead, and she didn't think her mum or dad would be having babies anytime soon or... at all.
"Oh, I meant for us - not the castle. I wouldn't want to hurt any of the animals or creatures that live there," Grace rushed to reassure Nadya because goodness, she definitely didn't want Nadya to think that she was that careless especially when it came to protecting the world around them. Taking Nadya's hand, Grace stood up and with a smile, she walked with Nadya by her side the entire way back to the castle.