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 ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Jun 2, 2019 3:33:15 GMT
Heading into the library, Alex was well aware that he was running late, and there was a reason for that. He'd slept in, taken a way too long shower, and had just generally put off this whole... thing. He didn't want to do an assignment, let alone a shared one, but Professor O'Connor had cornered him after class and said he'd think he'd 'benefit' in working with another student. Alex had very feebly tried to object once but the way the Professor put it, made it seem like he had no choice except to say 'yes, sir.'
Yawning, Alex glanced around the library to see if he could find his assigned partner, Skylar... something, a boy Alex only remembered the name of because he was quite attract - no, quite striking with his flash of red hair and sharp cheekbones. He had interesting features, that was the only reason Alex knew his name, he was sure of it.
when there's nowhere else to run/is there room for one more son?
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Post by SKYLAR REID on Jun 2, 2019 19:54:55 GMT
It was humiliating to Skylar to realize that apparently he'd been doing so much worse in classes this year that Professor O'Connor had not only noticed, but told him he needed to go study with one of the Ravenclaws from his year. He would almost have rather failed Defense Against the Dark Arts, it being by far his least favorite class by reminding him about all the dangers out there. He didn't need a reminder of that--he knew all too well. But he'd trudged up to the library anyway, his books shoved haphazardly in his bag, threatening to fall out at any moment. It would be better if they did. Then he'd really have a reason not to do this assignment, at least for one more day, until someone returned them to him.
Unfortunately for him, the books stayed put, as did the staircase leading to the library. Skylar scanned the tables around him, looking for the quiet boy he was supposed to be working with. Would they really have anything to talk about? Did they even have anything in common? He was pretty sure Alex didn't seem the type to like Quidditch or go to parties. Fine, neither of those things had anything to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Skylar didn't want to do anything involving that class.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Jun 3, 2019 13:31:44 GMT
It was only as Alex scanned the library once more that suddenly, he caught sight of the flash of red hair that signaled that Skylar was already in the library, standing in the middle. Shit, did that mean that Alex had to approach him? Shoving his hands in his pockets, Alex slowly wanted over to the Hufflepuff, trying his best to give him a smile that unfortunately for him, came out looking pained instead.
"Er..." As soon as the sound was out of his mouth, Alex was kicking himself. Great, now Skylar would think he was an idiot who couldn't speak. Which reminded him that... he actually still needed to speak. "Guess... uh, I guess we're paired together for... obviously. Do you wanna find a table or... or something?" Probably, considering that they were standing in the middle of the library, and they couldn't exactly write a co-written essay on dark creatures there.
when there's nowhere else to run/is there room for one more son?
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Post by SKYLAR REID on Jun 7, 2019 1:33:55 GMT
So Alex had found him, which was at least an improvement over having to search for the other boy. Skylar realized that having hair as bright as his probably did make him stand out a little, although he didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing. "Yeah, let's go find a table, I guess?" He scratched his head, suddenly out of things to say to the Ravenclaw. Instead of thinking more about that, he pulled his bag higher on his shoulder, looking around for a table far enough away from the librarian to avoid any shushing. He settled on one that was partially blocked by a shelf.
"Come on, let's get this done with," he said, gesturing to the table with his head. The sooner they finished, the sooner he could get to flying fast enough on his broom to forget about dark creatures. He was only glad this particular essay wasn't about werewolves, though he knew that was a topic that always came up for the middle years. Maybe he could fake sick and head to the hospital wing for that day, if he could figure out when it was ahead of time.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Jun 10, 2019 1:25:45 GMT
"Yeah," Alex replied quietly as Skylar agreed they should find a table, trailing behind the boy and very much looking like a lost puppy dog, his hands very firmly staying in his pockets until Skylar found them a table hidden by a shelf and near a window. It made Skylar's bright hair catch the light.
Before he could really help himself, he found himself blurting out perhaps a bit inappropriately, "Your, uh, hair. It reminds me of Gimli. From... from Lord of the Rings." And oh Merlin, did he regret that immediately. Holy shit. Who compared people to dwarves? He quickly tacked on, "except, uh. Tall. Not a... not a dwarf..." There he went, digging the hole deeper, and eyes skimming over the room, he searched for a way out. An escape, if things got too bad.
Then Skylar was saying 'let's get this done with' and Alex nodded, not exactly meeting Skylar's eyes still, as he dug out a piece of parchment and a quill from his bag. His quill wasn't in great shape, near the end of it's life actually, but he couldn't afford a new one. Perks of being in a group home, he supposed. Barely two sickles to rub together. "You, uh... know a lot about Erklings?" He knew they were elfish creatures who ate children which was pretty intense, but he wanted to know what else Skylar knew about them.
when there's nowhere else to run/is there room for one more son?
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Post by SKYLAR REID on Jun 15, 2019 2:10:23 GMT
What's a Gimli? Skylar was sure his confusion must show on his face as his forehead wrinkled. "Thanks, I guess," he said, touching the red curls self-consciously. It did sound like a compliment, which always made him blush a little even though he tried not to. He shook the confusion away as Alex started talking about dwarves, figuring it must be some other magical creature he didn't want to write any papers about. Erklings were bad enough. He definitely hadn't done any of the reading about them, so most of what he knew so far was that they were dangerous. And German, so at least they weren't a danger to him. That was--yeah, that was about the limit of what he knew.
"Uh, not much," he admitted, tossing the textbook he hadn't read onto the table next to Alex's parchment. "They live in Germany, I'm pretty sure. And they're Dark creatures." Yeah, no shit, Skylar, this is Defense Against the Dark Arts, he thought almost immediately after. But at least it gave him something to say, because was he going to admit how bad his grades were to a Ravenclaw? Not going to happen. He flipped open the textbook instead of trying to make up any more, leafing through the pages and trying to remember which chapter had the information they needed. Seeing a diagram of a werewolf on one page, he cringed inside, turning that one over as quickly as possible. "Do you know what we're supposed to start with?" he asked, wanting to get his mind on some conversation instead. Alex already had the quill out, he should know!
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Jun 19, 2019 3:15:58 GMT
"Er, you're... welcome," Alex said, words yet again coming out stilted and awkward. But that was pretty much the norm for him, wasn't it? When did he ever feel comfortable talking around anyone? Never... never in his life had he felt like that except when his mum and dad were still alive, and they'd died when Alex was young. "Your... your parents. You must get your hair from them, right? It's genetic, I think. Red hair. I remember reading about it once."
When Skylar admitted he didn't know much and threw a book onto the table, causing a loud 'thunk,' Alex jumped a little in his seat. Merlin, loud noises always got him. "Yeah, they, uh. Originate from the Black Forest," Alex added, nodding. "I... think that since it's like a, uh... essay thing that we start with what we're calling it, then our names, then..." Was he stating the obvious? "Not that - I'm sure you... know that. Uh, so an introduction, I guess? I wasn't really paying attention... when Professor O'Connor was talking about what we had to do." No, he had been trying to sneak some sleep over in the corner because he'd gotten barely any the night before.
when there's nowhere else to run/is there room for one more son?
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Post by SKYLAR REID on Jun 21, 2019 3:16:45 GMT
Skylar had stopped listening.
It wasn't Alex's fault that he had brought it up. Of course it wasn't. They never talked. He probably didn't know. It was a perfectly normal topic of conversation to talk about your parents. Alex didn't seem like the type to do this on purpose, say something that felt like Skylar's chest was being stabbed and burned and drowned all at the same time. Was this what it was going to be like forever? To never even be able to hear a mention of them without feeling like his whole world was being pulled out from under him again?
He balled his fists by his sides, concentrating on the feeling of his nails digging into his palms in order to distract himself from the sensation of tears pricking at his eyes. It was a dull pain, but maybe it would be enough, though he was sure his face was bright red under his freckles, something he could never seem to control. This wasn't supposed to happen while doing something as simple as homework. He was supposed to be strong! But he just--wasn't.
"Uh, yeah. Write that." Skylar knew Alex had said something about an introduction. He stared at the book open on the table, as if hoping that he could absorb some of the information inside despite the fact that he couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Jul 8, 2019 6:27:54 GMT
The silence that met Alex's question about where Skylar got his red hair from was stifling and the boy, despite his social awkwardness, knew that he had said something wrong. He'd taken a big misstep somewhere, and he just... couldn't figure out where. Shit. "Uh..." What could he say to make this better? Should he say anything at all?
But then when he glanced up at Skylar, the boy's eyes were all glassy and his face was flushed as red as a firetruck and Merlin, that was worse than causing silence. He didn't want to cause literal tears. So he said very possibly the worse thing he could, blurting out, "My, uh... my parents... they're... they're dead. I don't really... I've only got one photo of us, but it was a bit burned in our... in the fire that... when I was little. But when I squint, I can kinda see that I've got dark hair like my mum, and blue eyes like my dad. I... they died when I was so young, that I can't really remember... I feel like some days I'm losing memories of them, as much as I try to hold onto them."
In the process of Alex confessing his life story to Skylar, the Ravenclaw boy had forgotten entirely that Skylar had asked him to write something for their assignment. The quill stayed firmly on the desk which proved to be actually useful as his eyes dropped to stare at it, steadily avoiding Skylar's eyes.
when there's nowhere else to run/is there room for one more son?
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Post by SKYLAR REID on Jul 11, 2019 3:21:50 GMT
How had this all gone so horribly wrong?
The little desire Skylar had to write their paper had totally evaporated somewhere in between the mention of his parents and Alex's. He glanced down at his hands, their knuckles white but with redness creeping up his skin. What was he supposed to do, what was he supposed to say? It should have comforted him to know he wasn't alone as an--as an orphan, and yet it didn't at all. Was Alex's story supposed to make him grateful that he, at least, still had the old house, even if he couldn't imagine going back there yet? So many good memories there, and yet it was all overshadowed by that one awful night. Would it ever become easier?
Nothing made sense anymore.
"Memories are nice," Skylar choked out, knowing he needed to say something. "You should hold onto them." His own memories flashed through his mind: thoughts of his own parents, of his siblings, of life before Hogwarts and before attacks and before fear. There was something in him that knew that Alex's words were meant to be a comfort of sorts, even if they weren't in the slightest, and he tried to force that to calm his racing mind. "You have to think--you're a little piece of both of them, aren't you?"
And there it was. Skylar was going to cry. He was going to cry in the middle of the library in front of this random classmate of his and in front of everybody and this was what he had been trying to avoid since September. As he felt the first tear leak from his eye, he shoved the table so hard that it moved a few inches, giving him space to get up from his chair and try to catch his breath behind a stack of Transfiguration books.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Jul 21, 2019 3:19:58 GMT
Shit... shit. When Skylar opened his mouth to... to say something, even Alex, the socially incompetent Ravenclaw, knew he'd messed up. It sounded like Skylar's throat had been rubbed raw with sandpaper, the way he was choking out word after word.
Alex knew the boy was right too, that he should hold onto the memories, but each day as he grew older, the more it seemed they slipped out of his grasp. They weren't as vivid as they were when he was a few years younger, and he hated that more than anything. "The... I wish, sometimes, my parents were magical. Maybe then... then the photo I've got would move," he said quietly. Maybe it'd be easier to remember the way his dad ruffled his hair, and his mum adjusted her glasses. All those little quirks about them that made them more alive, more human, but they were hard things to recall when all you had was a still photograph. His lips tugged into a frown as Skylar asked if he thought he was a 'little piece of both of them' and nodded slowly. "I... I know I am, but sometimes it'd be nice to know... to know which pieces I got from who."
With a look akin to horror dawning on Alex's face, he realised that Skylar was about to cry and Alex? He didn't really do normal social interactions, let alone tears. His eyes diverted to stare at the table and he focused on the horrible squeaking scrape as Skylar shoved it forward, before disappearing. He sat there for a moment, listening to the uneven breath of the other boy and frowning because this was all his fault. He'd reduced the Hufflepuff boy to tears.
It was with that thought in mind that Alex moved out of his own chair, ducking behind the stack of Transfiguration books that Skylar hid behind. Very hesitantly, he reached out to rest a hand on Skylar's arm. "Uh... you know, uh... even Batman cries sometimes," he said, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. "I'm... I'm sorry about..." Making you cry, whatever's going on with your parents... "I really, um... I suck at this, I know I do, but if you wanna, uh... talk or whatever, we can."
when there's nowhere else to run/is there room for one more son?
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Post by SKYLAR REID on Jul 28, 2019 3:01:14 GMT
Oh, no. He'd been followed. If this was his sister putting her hand on his arm, that would've been one thing, but seeing as Skylar didn't really know Alex all that well, it wasn't quite what he wanted. Alex didn't know him, didn't know about the memories and how they appeared when he least wanted them, in nightmares and in flashbacks, didn't know how he would do anything just to forget about it, to have one more chance to make the memories they had just been talking about... Even if Alex did know what it was like to lose his parents, that wasn't in the front of Skylar's mind at the moment. Only the deep wish to be anywhere but here was. He screwed his eyes shut, willing them to stop producing tears for at least long enough to get out of the library.
It wasn't working. It was just squeezing more tears out. Skylar gave up, leaning his head back a little, looking at Alex out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk--he hadn't really talked with anyone except Morgan, since everything had happened. The words might not come out if he tried.
And would Alex tell everyone that this was why he was so miserable? Skylar had been hoping that people wouldn't really notice how much things had changed since his parents were--murdered, because that was what had happened. He knew that the gossip train was always moving, and that all his new foster siblings knew about it. But it seemed so fresh and so personal, like talking about it would be like revealing that he'd been stabbed in the chest. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do.
But, from Alex's attempt at comfort, he did have one question. He blinked away a few tears, and with a rough voice, he asked it.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Aug 3, 2019 3:49:19 GMT
The hand on Skylar's arm wasn't helping, that much was abundantly clear, and Alex desperately wanted to retreat right at this moment, to go and hide himself deep under the covers of his bed. He'd never been great at comforting others, although he'd really only done so a handful of times in his life, and it was just supremely awkward. This whole situation was given that he made some boy in his year that he barely knew cry when the only reason they'd met up in the first place was to tackle this DADA assignment.
Alex knew that later when he was wide awake at 3AM, a result of his stupid messed up sleep schedule, he'd be wondering how he'd made such a mess of things. He'd be recalling Dio's words from herbology earlier in the year, the ones that had called him a 'waste.' This only just reaffirmed that, right? He wasn't useful for anything. "I really am a waste," he muttered, frowning.
But then finally, after what seemed like a life time, Skylar spoke and asked... who Batman was? "Uh... well. He's... he's a superhero who fights crime, an orphan like me... except I didn't inherit a fortune or a giant mansion," Alex said, shrugging. Sometimes, he wished he did. Living in the group home... it definitely wasn't the greatest place. There was more violence than most imagined, and although Alex tried to make himself small, it didn't always work. He'd ended up getting pushed, shoved up against walls, having fists thrown at him a lot. He was just glad he was only at the home three months out of twelve in a year. Living there full time? He wasn't too sure he'd still be here if that was the case. "He's cried a few times in the comics but usually it's over his parents 'cause he misses them. I guess... well, I guess it doesn't matter how much money you get... dead parents always, er... well, they suck."
when there's nowhere else to run/is there room for one more son?
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Post by SKYLAR REID on Aug 11, 2019 18:36:54 GMT
Well, they were both going to fail this particular assignment, but Skylar was no stranger to that at this point in his fourth year. He just wanted to leave the library, but to do that meant walking past everyone else, which he did not want to do. That meant that, no matter how awkward it was, he was going to have to stay next to Alex until he calmed down--or until Alex left. Which, to be fair, he might do, but Skylar could tell that the other boy was trying to comfort him. Even if it was a bit clumsy.
"They do suck, don't they? For both of us," Skylar said, his voice scratchy. He let out a deep breath that he hadn't realized he was holding. Though he didn't know anything about this Batman character, it was--nice to have someone to connect to. It probably wouldn't be Alex he would tell all his worries to, when he finally did tell his friends, although you never knew--but even though he had been so sure that he didn't want comfort, the hand on his arm was helping a little.
And the truth was, as much as Skylar didn't feel like doing it, Alex needed comfort too. "Maybe you can go and become an Auror. Fight crime that way. I think that's the closest us wizards have to superheroes, but it's close, isn't it?" He smiled a bit through the tears.
If only he could believe that himself, though. If only Aurors had been around to stop whoever had killed his parents that night. If only Aurors had been able to protect his brother from being bitten in the first place. Then maybe Skylar wouldn't have such mixed feelings. He wanted them around to protect himself, his remaining family, his friends, and yet he knew that they were dangerous to Dallas.
So the tears didn't stop, and he could feel his face getting redder by the moment, even though it should have been impossible to turn even more red. He wracked his brain for any thoughts of a spell that stopped crying, but came up with nothing.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Aug 12, 2019 11:24:48 GMT
Asking how Skylar's parents died was wildly inappropriate and Alex was socially... well, a turtle, but he knew well enough to leave that subject alone. He didn't want to poke the metaphorical bear and make him cry again. That would... well, that would just make things even worse than they already were. "Do you, um... do you have brothers or sisters or, er, cousins or something that you stay with?"
Then Skylar suggested that he go and become an Auror of all jobs and Alex's lips twitched because, "I think that'd be the last job I'm suited for... er, I mean like... one, I don't run except... away from people. Two, I don't really do 'confrontation' which, refer to point one, I run away from it... and three... well, I'm good at being beaten up, but not so much at the... well, beating others. Even with magic." It was dark, but it was true. Alex had taken many a beating growing up in such a rough environment, despite trying to avoid conflict. It felt like trouble always found him, that the others saw him as an 'easy target.'
Skylar was still crying and shit, this was really... becoming a worry, quite frankly. Alex's hand dropped from the boy's shoulder and after looking around to make sure that they were alone, he suggested very quietly, "Uh... did you, um... want a... a hug or something? In a friend way - or, I guess, acquaintance way cause we're not friends and... cause I'm not... not that there's anything wrong with being... but I'm not allowed - I mean, I..." There he went, making things worse and Alex ran his hands over his face, looking distressed because now he'd really gone and done it, offended the boy. Skylar... he was much bigger than him, and he bet that through his tears, the other boy could probably pack a solid punch to Alex's face. He looked a lot more fit, a lot bigger even. "I... sorry."
