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!
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mavican was debating to tell the truth for a while now and honestly she didn't think she would be able to if Casey didn't convince her to do the right thing. The redhead let out a sigh as she was standing at the office door. Her palms were feeling sweaty and she felt like throwing up. She was scared of so many things but everyone seemed to have faith in this professor and she didn't see why she shouldn't.
Of course Mavican had a reputation that wasn't the cleanest or the best of all but she was a good student, she got good grades and she was always in top shape for her quidditch team. When she finally convinced herself that this wasn't going to be all bad her hands slowly bawled up into a fist and she brought herself to knock on the office door.
Mavican wasn't going to move a muscle without the professor's consent. She was sure that he thought she was in trouble, again or that she did something wrong, again but that wasn't completely the case. Within the past few days she was told Casey had a crush on her, she talked Casey out of suicide and now they were becoming a thing.. sort of.
The redhead shook her head and just waited, the endless wait.
It had been a long day, one full of bustling classes and students. Some of whom who were eager to learn, and some who were eager to cause complete and utter chaos. Jack prided himself on the fact that he was able to sort the latter out rather quickly, and by that he meant that usually after receiving chastising and a detention the troublemakers tended to simmer down relatively quickly.
Jack had only just made himself a coffee (yes, he had a machine in his office, just so he could have a cheeky coffee or two in between classes... and before class... and after class...) and settled down in his chair when he heard a knock on his door. Briefly, he wondered if it was Ms. Savage, here to bring him a cup of tea or persuade him into doing yoga, but as he opened the door he realised that wasn't the case and instead he was staring at Mavican Jones.
Mavican who did not look to be in very good shape judging by a brief glimpse at her face. She looked terrified, in fact, and immediately Jack's eyes turned concerned. "Come in, Miss Jones, take a seat," he said, waving his arm towards the seat that sat opposite his desk. Then he sat in his own chair, hands wrapping around his still piping hot mug of coffee. "How can I help you?"
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
There were a couple of options she was considering and most of them included bailing and hoping the professor thought this was a mere prank. Yet she was frozen into place, especially when he opened the door and all she could sense was the smell of hot coffee and cologne? was he wearing it? Or did she just smell something funky? The redhead eyed the professor and swallowed a big lump that was stuck in her throat.
She was about to say something, about to say no thank you and goodbye but instead she just nodded and walked into the office. Would he possibly share some coffee? Her eyes wandered the office, trying to find anything that could give her a reason to run but she found none, there was no reason to run and honestly this conversation was long overdue for 2 years now.
Mavican rubbed the back of her neck and took a seat as she was told. Mavican had a hard time trying to find the words to even start the conversation. "Hello.." was the first thing the scottish girl could get off her lips. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously.
"I eh.. I don't know how you could but.." she frowned a bit. "I know I caused trouble the past two years.." she started. "But eh.. it's because I..." why was this so hard?
Mavican's eyes that seemed to glide over every inch of his office were enough to make Jack's lips pull into a solemn line. Whatever she wanted to talk about, it was clear it was serious. Then she started rubbing the back of her neck - a sure sign she was anxious - and biting on her bottom lip, before stumbling over several words. That wasn't like her, he'd grown to get to know her during classes, and usually she was the picture of confidence. Not a total nervous wreck like some of his students.
'I'm homeless, sir,' was eventually what she came out with and for a moment, Jack was silent, internally horrified at himself for not having realised sooner. How had he not picked up on this? How had none of the other Professors? "First of all, Mavican, you have not caused nearly as much trouble as some of your peers have over the last few years and if you did, it's expected. You're a teenager. Teenagers aren't exactly known for abiding the rules," he began calmly, before continuing, "Would you mind sharing the circumstances surrounding your homelessness? Perhaps I can help if I know the details. I already plan on assisting you to the best of my ability, so there's no reason to worry about that."
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
It wasn't easy. The bombshell that is her homelessness attached to a file that said unwanted child thrown on the streets. Mavican was trying not to die of shame here but the professor was making it bloody hard. She eyed the professor who seemed concerned, she wasn't sure if that was entirely a good thing but she was going to roll with it. Mavican didn't have anyone anymore so adult emotions other than sexual ones were very unfamiliar.
And if that little bomb already made him look like that.. she was terrified to tell him the rest of it. "Well.." she started and bit her lip pondering how hard she was biting it by now and whether or not it'd bleed soon. "If you say so sir." she did think she blew any chances she had at quidditch captain but it felt too good not to do it. The darkness sucked her in and she wasn't too shy to admit she enjoyed it.
"I eh.. I have a box.." well that didn't sound pathetic at all. "My friend holds onto my things.. sometimes I can sleep in a motel but there are.. well.. I can't do it for free so.." she felt her face turn red. For the first time she was ashamed of herself. "People don't grand favors like that.." she figured she didn't need to say much more for Jack to know what she meant and no she didn't clean their broomsticks... though broomsticks was a nice metaphor.
"I don't want to go to the system.." she protested a little. "I refuse to be in an orphanage.. I do way better on my own but.." she needed to be reminded to Casey saying she needed help. "I don't really want to live in a box anymore sir.."
Mavican was eerily silent for a moment, biting down so hard on her lip that it was due to bleed any moment now. With a flick of his wand, Jack switched on the kettle sitting in the corner of the room and got the water nice and hot, before steeping a teabag in it. Then with all the confidence in the world, he levitated the tea over the desk before placing it in front of her. "Drink," he told her before sliding open his drawer next, snapping a piece of chocolate off the bar he always kept stashed there before placing it into her palm. "Chocolate always makes me feel better and my younger sister, Maggie, when she was worried and upset, always used to ask me for some as well." A small smile teased at his lips as he suggested, "Perhaps chocolate has some medicinal qualities that help us cope with life."
'I have a box,' was enough to wrack Jack's entire body with guilt again because one of his students was sleeping in a box over the last two summers. A box, and it appeared by the sounds of it that she was also... selling herself, in a way, by having sexual relations with people for things like a hotel room. One glimpse at her face told him just how mortified she seemed about it too. "Mavican..." he began calmly, "I'm not judging you. Just know that. You did what you needed to in order to survive. I just wish that you would have told me or your head of house a bit sooner, so we could have intervened earlier. Would you mind telling how you wound up on the streets though? Were you kicked out of home, or did you leave of your own accord?"
Jack considered what Mavican said next as he took a small sip of his coffee, nodding as he swallowed. "You won't go into the system, as you'll be considered an adult in the wizarding world at the end of this year," he said, "and as it stands, I wouldn't suggest that... instead, I'd like to offer up an alternative. My parents, they own a farm in Ireland, and I know that they have a spare room you can sleep in over the school break. I wouldn't be there, but it would be easy enough to contact me via owl. They won't ask you to pay money, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind you helping around the farm." It was, in his eyes, an ideal suggestion except for one thing... "My sister, Maggie. She visits a few days in the month for her transformations. She has her own little spot down the back in a secure lockdown habitation room, and so she won't bother you in the slightest. But... it's something you should be aware of."
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mavican had been doing this for two years, sleep with people, get their money and then get her school supplies and everything she needed. It was almost baked into her DNA but she tried to turn over a new leaf, she really tried and it was not easy. She watched the professor make tea and Mavican slowly reached out to take the cup he made her. "D-Do you have sugar by any chance?" she asked softly.
"My mother she kicked me out when I was fourteen. She always treated me like a price but the peers of hers started to question her methods of raising me, wondered why I was sent to a private school and she snapped.. kicked me out saying she wanted a normal child." Mavican swallowed a big lump. There were a lot of Jones kids around but she wasn't one of them.
"I have been on my own ever since." she told him and took a sip of the tea. Jack then started to talk and though she thought he had a point, she still had no place to go. He then offered a farm where she could live at. Her big eyes looked at him like she was looking into headlights and she had to put the cup down on the desk before dropping it.
"Y-you want me to live with your family?" she couldn't believe it. Was he trying to pull a prank on her because she was not certain what the goal here was. Of course she came for help but she didn't think of him taking her in like she was a part of his family. Maybe she was getting a little carried away with the word family because to be quite frank, she had none.
"I mean I can cook.. I am not very good with animals or labor but I am actually good at cooking." she offered though she had no idea how that was useful. He then spoke of his little sister and how she was a wolf. "I am sorry to hear about your sister. I would love to meet her though." she didn't hate werewolves or fear them, she adored Dallas who was going through the same thing.
"I don't know what to say sir." She was legit speechless.
Post by JACK O'CONNOR on Jun 10, 2019 12:38:27 GMT
When Mavican reached out to take the cup he'd offered her, he was glad. Maggie had mentioned it was a great way of calming people too, something she'd probably learnt during her time as a healer. She had been a great healer too... before she'd gotten attacked by that monster, Verandi Farley. He sympathised a lot with werewolves, but the one who'd attacked his baby sister for no reason and derived pleasure from turning innocent people into werewolves? Definitely not. She deserved to rot in Azkaban. "Yes, I do have sugar," he answered her, levitating the jar of sugar over to his desk as well, a small teaspoon already inside. She could measure out however much she preferred.
Mavican's mother had kicked her out on account of being a witch? After the girl had already spent three years at Hogwarts already and the woman had viewed her as a prize? Why would somebody throw something they considered to be a 'prize' out onto the street? How strange. The woman must have had a screw loose or something... "So your mother is a muggle then?" he concluded, a bit uncertainly. "Just because you have magic doesn't mean you're not normal. It just means that you were blessed with a gift. One that you've become very talented at using over the last five years, Mavican."
The expression that crossed Mavican's face next was... well, it was expected he supposed. What he'd offered the girl was quite unorthodox. "Until you graduate Hogwarts and start... well, I'm assuming you wish to get into professional Quidditch?" It would make sense, given the girl's passion for the sport. "I'm quite certain with your skillset, you'll get into some team's training league. We've had plenty of students scouted during their time at Hogwarts in all different sorts of positions - keeper, chaser, you name it."
"They'll find something that works for both you and them. They won't place you with the animals or have you helping animals give birth until you've settled in," Jack said, lips twitching a little at his joke. Though he'd pay to see it, somebody completely foreign to farm work helping an animal deliver a baby. He had grown up seeing his parents do it, but it would leave quite a mark on those unaccustomed. "My sister has been turned for eight years. I can't say we're over it, but it's nothing you need to apologise for."
Then Mavican was quiet except for telling him, 'I don't know what to say.'"The decision is all yours," he told her warmly. "I just want you to be safe, same with all of my students."
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
Post by MAVICAN JONES on Jun 10, 2019 13:10:25 GMT
THERE IS A THIN LINE
between what is good and what is evil
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mavican hated talking about her mother and yes you'd expect her to be a muggle but she isn't. Mavican often wondered if she wanted to be one with how she acted around the muggle women in her social group. "You'd think that but she is not sir. She is a witch who practices dark magic to make people.. like her." she had a disgusting expression on her face.
"Sometimes I wonder if she wants to be a muggle given how she acts around them." he then told her how special she was and she knew she was special. Hell she was damn fucking amazing (her words not Ollie's) but that didn't mean that she was treated as such by others.
He then mentioned quidditch and her face lit up. "Yes sir. It's the one thing I know how to do without a doubt." her passion for quidditch was something she would never deny. She felt like she was born for it and she had high hopes for herself though she never thought the professors would have noticed.
"I didn't think you would notice sir... I work hard on it every day.." she said and smiled a bit, her first actual smile in this entire conversation. "Beater has been my position since I was twelve. I wish I could afford a better broom but I still have the fastest record on the team sir." she said and felt like she was almost at an interview for it.
He then spoke of the farm and the parents and Mavican frowned a bit but when she could see he was joking she smiled. "I once helped a cat deliver but that was in a back alley.. not so charming." she made a face but shook her head.
"I'd love to.. thank you. I just don't need to get in trouble with my mother. She doesn't want me but she also sends me letters on how much of a disappointment I am it is quite depressing." she said and sighed a bit. "Why would you help me though?" wasn't she the one causing problems all the time?
"I know that your current situation is dire at the moment, Mavican, but perhaps later on separating from your mother at such an early age will be a blessing in disguise," Jack reasoned. "At an older age, it's much more difficult to cut ties with somebody you love, even if you don't like them."
"You're very talented at it, Mavican. One day when you make the big leagues, be sure to remember your old Professor still teaching at Hogwarts," Jack joked lightly, however he did mean it. He believed without a shadow of a doubt that she would one day become a Quidditch superstar, one that traveled the world and faced off with every team imagined. There were several others on the school Quidditch teams right now that he believed were destined for greatness as well. He nodded as she mentioned she wanted a better broom but really, if she had the fastest record in the team then it was her that did the work, not the broom. "Well, Mavican, perhaps in the summer you can get a job somewhere in Ireland, save up as much as you can."
"Your mother doesn't need to know. I certainly won't tell her, and I strongly recommend that you throw all mail from her straight into the garbage. Don't even open it. She's baiting you for a reaction," Jack said with a shake of his head at the sheer thought of an adult woman causing her child such pain and misery after kicking her onto the streets. Then Mavican asked why he was helping her and Jack took a sip of his coffee before answering, "I have an obligation to all my students. I don't want any of them living on the streets, neither would any other professor here. We care for all our students, regardless what people think... and we would have helped sooner if we knew of the situation as well."
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
Post by MAVICAN JONES on Jun 23, 2019 12:36:51 GMT
THERE IS A THIN LINE
between what is good and what is evil
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Of course she was glad she was kicked out but she missed having a warm bed even when it was in the house of the she devil. The redhead nodded as she listened to Jack, of course she was going to be grateful, she already was in so many ways. Mavican looked up to Jack in a way, like a father she never had but she wouldn't say that out loud, imagine the disgrace!
"Thank you sir.." she said softly and nodded. "I won't forget you and your kindness. Quidditch is all I have." she said and smiled. The girl would kill people for touching her broom but she was the fastest on the team and the best damn beater out there and everyone should know it.
She knew it.
"Definitely sir." she said with a nod and thought about herself having a job. Maybe she could work at the diner near Morgan so she could see her friend. Jack told her about not telling her mother and to toss the mail. She already did, she never read a word the woman said and she often wondered why she even bothered writing her in the first place.
"Oh I will. She won't be able to drag me down." Mavican said with more confidence returning to her by every second she spent here. She felt safer now knowing she had a home. "If I told anyone sooner I would've gone into the system and no one wants someone my age in their homes." she said and frowned for a moment.
"Would you be able to visit though in the summer? At least once?"
"You're very welcome, Mavican," Jack replied, returning her smile briefly. "However, I will say that even if it feels like Quidditch is all you have sometimes, it mostly definitely isn't. You have teammates who, as far as I'm aware, support you. You have friends I've seen you with around the halls and in classes. You have magic and you are currently receiving an education, something that should be valued considering there's a lot of ex-students missing out on that right." Werewolf ex-students, that is, forced out of Hogwarts thanks to the Ministry and their legislation. Something beyond Jack's control, but something he contacted the ministry about daily.
"I'm glad to hear she won't be dragging you down any longer, Mavican. I think casting her out of your life will do you a world of wonder," Jack replied, before frowning at her explanation of why she hadn't told anyone of her home status. "Mavican, yes, some group homes do have a bad reputation... but it is better than sleeping on the streets, exposed to the elements. You would have a bed, food, a shower... yes, the people can be rough around the edges, but it would have been a safer place for you."
'Would you be able to visit?' had Jack shooting Mavican a strange look, before he broke out into a soft chuckle. "If you don't think my parents don't demand me home for Sunday dinners ever week of the holidays, then you'd be wrong," he told her. "You'll definitely be seeing me there, more than once."
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mavican didn't know how she was ever going to express her grattitude but here she was doing so. She had a home in a way.. something she hasn't had in two years. If she told Morgan her friend would possibly not believe a single word of it until Mavican showed some kind of proof. The redhead let out a sigh and shook her head.
Jack told her about what she had and she had to think of Dallas, the poor guy who got kicked out because he was a wolf. Why couldn't he stay? Why couldn't they fight the ministry on it?
"Isn't there really a way to get them back? They're just kids.." she said and frowned. She knew he talked about the wolves, she knew he was supportive. The redhead just wanted everyone to be okay but she knew that was asking for a miracle and Mavican believed in a lot but she refused to believe in miracles.
Mavican ignored what he said about group homes because she refused to believe that was any truth. She knew how many kids would rather die than go there, she was one of them. A group home while you have magic? That is asking for a disaster but surely he would've understood that?
She smiled a bit though when he told her he would visit a lot and she nodded. "Good, I am grateful for this offer but I wouldn't mind a familiar face every now and then." she said and bit her lip.
Mavican was asking if there was 'really a way' and Jack looked at her for a long moment, studying her face, the frown on her lips. "I... Mavican. It's not as easy as that and trust me when I say myself and Headmistress McGonagal have exhausted every single option... but the Ministry governs the entire wizarding world, all of Britain including Hogwarts. They're a lot more powerful than us, and if we were to go against all the legislation... they could shut us down in an instant. It's not fair by a long shot that we have to exclude these students, but what happens to the rest of the students? We're the only formal wizarding institution in Britain, and attending a school overseas... it's not an option for many," Jack explained, a solemn expression crossing his features because it was clear to him, Mavican did not know how deep this ran. It was not a problem with a simple solution, and it hadn't been for several years now. "Hogwarts... it's not just a learning institution either. A lot of students view this as their home, as a way to escape, as a place where they can be safe."
Jack's statement about group homes was clearly ignored, however... a home full of rough children was better than sleeping in a cardboard box on the side of the streets, surely. Not only that, but if any of them tried anything... she possessed magic. The Ministry understood circumstances of underage magic too, if it was warranted, and he would have fought tooth and nail if there'd been any issue with her fighting off a muggle with underage magic, as would have most of the other professors. But Jack dropped the subject as a whole because evidently, this was not something she wished to talk about.
"Then a familiar face you shall see," Jack replied with a small smile, before he clasped his hands in front of him on the desk. "Now, is there anything else you wish to discuss, Mavican?"
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
Post by MAVICAN JONES on Jul 13, 2019 12:11:43 GMT
Of course it wasn't that easy. Mavican would've understood probably if she was older and a professor herself but here she was being a sixteen year old hating the way the world was turning itself against kids, mere kids. Hunting them like animals when there were bigger monsters out there, real monsters who just get away unnoticed. "I understand but it's not right." she said and nodded. She couldn't argue on this with him because Jack was right.
"It's been my home for years so I do understand that." she said and looked around the office. She wondered how many times this office changed, how many people came and went. She heard stories of the Headmistress and how tough she was compared to so many other people. How she fought against the dark lord and how she stood by everyone. A woman like that could surely join the fight to protect werewolf kids?
Mavican grabbed the notice letter and held it out to Jack when he asked if there was anything else. "Could you anyway sign this? I did promise friends here to spend the holidays with them." she asked and smiled a bit. She was grateful for having a home now with Jack's family but Casey was staying here.. she had to do so as well.
"Do we have access to the quidditch pitch in the holidays? I do want to practice even when the team isn't here." she said and bit her lip. "Also it might not be my place to tell you but.." she looked at him. "Your classes, they are worth it. I know most of us seem like we can only cause you misery but I don't think the class would be the same without you sir."
