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!
There was something about the Winter Ball that had ignited his bones. It felt like he was on fire. His heart was constantly racing, his skin tickled and his cheeks felt extremely hot. He walked among the students with a rank back instead of a bowed head, and his every step grew more confident by the minute. He still walked by unnoticed, and no one saw the small changes he made. However, he could feel it inside of him. Like a dragon that had been awoken, although it was still drowsing off now and then.
He was on his way to the owlery to send a weekly letter to his parents. It had become a routine throughout his four years at Hogwarts. They needed an update on his latest grades, hearing about how he did on the Quidditch Team (Mark had lied to them, telling that he had a position as a chaser), and which new songs he has learned on the piano and the violin.
The boy felt sick and tired of those weekly letters. Despite living far away from them, it felt like he has not yet moved out. They were constantly bugging him about different matters, and urged him to aim for better. Better at everything. There was no end. Mark did not realise that he had tightened the grip around the letter, curling it in his hand a little as he reached the Great Grey family owl. Of course, he was not allowed to use the school owls because they were unreliable.
He stopped. For the first time hesitating owling them the letter.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Jul 8, 2019 9:31:10 GMT
The familiar sounds of the owlery washed over Alex as he climbed up towards the room, and they were enough to bring back memories. Bad memories. He hadn't been up here since that night, the night where he'd walked the window like a tightrope, tears streaming down his face as he gathered the courage to jump. He'd had one foot dangling off when Alexander McCarthy had caught him red-handed, talked him down, convinced him to live. He still had... mixed feelings about being saved. He'd come so close to just... not being here. Most days he still didn't want to be here.
The only reason he even made his way into the owlery now was because he had to send word to his group home, reassure them that no, he would not be coming home. They didn't have to worry about feeding another mouth. With his letter clutched in his hand, Alex moved into the room and walked towards the line of owls, seeking out his usual school owl, Buffy. "Shit," he swore when he couldn't see her.
Then he felt, more than saw, the presence of another person and when he raised his gaze, he found himself looking at... "Oh, Mark. Hey. I... sending a letter, hey?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he was kicking himself. What else would you do in an owlery? Except... steadfastly, Alex did not look at that window because jumping out of it was exactly what you could do.
He had not expected to see anyone in the owlery. So far, Mark has often visited the tower when there was no one around, and the fact that it was used by other students as well had entirely slipped his mind. He was therefore surprised to see Alex there. His dark eyes lit up a little, when he saw that it was actually a person he cared being around, and for a moment he forgot all about the letter he was tugging in his hand.
“Hey!” He said and snickered when the Ravenclaw stated the obvious. “And here I thought you came here to study.” Mark replied with a hint of sarcasm as he stopped by one of the school owls.
His family owl eyed him cautiously when he stopped his walking. It’s yellow eyes followed his every move, clearly recognizing the boy. However, bumping into Alex, made him delay his task on purpose. He was sick and tired of constantly writing weekly reports to his parents, and maybe… Just maybe… Alex could be an excuse to make him forget all about it.
“Who are you writing to?” Mark asked directly while running his long fingers over the brown feathers of a barn owl.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Jul 9, 2019 13:17:04 GMT
"You can't study in the owlery," Alex replied dumbly, the sarcasm completely flying over his head because his brain was whirling and trying to think of the logistics. "There's, uh... owl droppings. Too many. Couldn't... that'd be shit. I mean, uh... crap. I mean... bad. It'd be bad." The joke had been completely unintentional and Alex grimaced. "Sorry."
Mark's question was direct and to the point which pretty much summed the other boy up to a T, or it did in Alex's experiences with him. He kind of liked it actually because it meant that he never had to wonder what Mark was thinking. He'd just come right out and say it.
"My... the, uh. Group home. That... I stay at... during the summer. Just... gotta explain they don't need to worry about me. I'm not going back there for Christmas," Alex told him quietly, cheeks turning a bit pink. It felt... shameful in a way, to admit that he stayed at a group home in the summer. Like he was saying that nobody wanted him even though it was true. If they did, he'd have been adopted by a family by now instead of passed around like a hot potato with foster families until he ended up at the group home. "Who are you writing to?"
”Well, that was a shitty joke, Alex.” Mark laughed – yes, laughed… He laughed in Alex’s presence, because he felt comfortable around him. “Besides, of course you can study in the owlery. I mean, if you either study owl feces for Care of Magical Creatures… Or just want to insult a professor with a personal little white and brown message.” The boy wrinkled his nose as he danced around the droppings to get to the family owl.
Mark reached his own Great Grey owl that seemed to be rather jealous of the barn owl that had received the boy’s attention before. It turned its grey back to the Slytherin, making him stand for a moment, petting its folded wings before sending a dark-eyed glance at Alex.
“Is your group home a shitty place?” He asked – yes, the joke kept on going. “Compared to this… How shitty is it? And don’t you have a foster home yet?” Mark forgot to reply whom he was sending a letter to, but it was easy to guess.
It was not like Mark had some secret auror lover in Hogsmeade like Viola did. He always owled his parents and no one else.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Jul 12, 2019 10:21:33 GMT
The laugh that escaped Mark, in all honesty, made Alex nearly jump out of his bones because it was rare someone laughed at something he said without being vindictive about it. Usually it was at his expense. "Uh… yeah, I … I guess," Alex said sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. He cracked a smile, however, as Mark suggested that he could indeed study in the owlery. "I don't think I have it out for the, uh, professors that much except…" Well, Avery had made him want to disappear by chastising him in front of the entire class the other day. "Who would you send a white and brown message to? Out of anyone in the school."
The onslaught of questions from Mark made Alex blanch because… it was a lot and instead of smiling this time, he nodded with a serious frown as he took each question in. "Uh… yeah, it is unless you like being shoved against a wall and watch everyone tear apart your trunk… and being tripped over because it's funny… and having everyone scoff down your dinner or breakfast when the carers aren't looking cause they're too greedy to just have their own plate," Alex muttered but really, that wasn't the worst of it. "It's really shitty and… and I don't have a foster home cause…" Nobody wants me."People don't want to foster a teenage boy. Too old, and I wasn't the 'right fit' when I was a kid. 'Sides, I'm at Hogwarts for nine months anyway."
Alex nodded towards the letter that was in Mark's hand. "Are you telling your parents you're going home for Christmas or that you want to stay?"
Alex did not finish his sentence when he said that he did not have it out for the professors… Except one…
“Except who?” Mark asked as he leaned his hand against a wooden frame that was decorated with white owl dropping. “Ew! Bloody hell!” He then cursed, realizing what had just happened and wiped it off his robe. “Well, anyone who gives me an undeserved bad grade.” Mark replied to Alex when he was asked who he would send a letter to with owl shit.
As the boy tried to get the rest off his fingers, he listened to his classmate tell him about how it was in his group home. Mark stopped wiping for a moment to glance up at Alex with a surprised expression on his pale face. His dark eyes studied the other as a frown slowly formed across his forehead.
“Well, that sounds horrible. Shall I curse them for you, when I get old enough to use magic outside of school? It sounds like you are in group home with wild dogs.” He sent Alex a careful smile. “Then it is much better to stay at Hogwarts anyway.”
When he was asked if he was going home for Christmas, Mark shrugged and found his letter.
“I don’t really have a choice. My parents want me home for Christmas. They don’t get to see me very often, so they would love to gather the entire family for a great feast.” He rolled his eyes – he would rather stay at school.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Aug 3, 2019 12:38:16 GMT
Mark was asking who Alex was referring to and after a moment of silence, Alex admitted, "Uh... Avery, the... the twins uncle or dad or..." He wasn't quite sure what Professor Avery's relationship was to them, but the twins were both dicks. He had an inkling the blonde one kicked his chair the other day in class, but he was half-asleep at the time so he couldn't be sure. "He... got up me for, uh... for swearing, I think, when I saw my ink had spilled. Then was saying how magic could fix stuff. But that's not why... ink's expensive, for an... an orphan. Can't really go out and buy a new pot of it with all the money I have."
Alex nodded as Mark said one of the professors would receive a disgusting letter from him if they gave him an undeserved mark. It made sense. "Do... do you, uh... do you like all the classes you're doing this year? Any professors you don't like?"
The surprised look that crossed Mark's features had Alex glancing away, uncomfortable with the gaze. It was better than pity... but it still wasn't exactly... it didn't sit right. "Er, nah. I guess... I dunno, I'm just gonna move out when I'm eighteen... three more years, not too long. I don't want - some of them, I think, are in gangs. Can't curse them... maybe just a cursed item... they could become something like Gollum that," Alex said, a reluctant smile tweaking his lips.
"Is, uh... is your family very big? Do you... do you like your parents?" Alex asked curiously. The way Mark was rolling his eyes told him no, and he wondered what was so bad about his parents.
”Well, he is a moron!” Mark said with a smirk as Alexander mentioned professor Avery. “Want me to curse him for you?” Not that he had anything against the man, but he had bothered his friend, and Mark stood up for those he cared about – at least a little bit… In theory.
As the dark haired Slytherin continued to wipe his hands, Alexander asked him if he liked all of the classes he had, and Mark let out a sneer due to his dismay of not being able to get his hand properly clean. He sent the other boy a quick glance before smirking.
“Hell no. I cannot wait till NEWTs, where we get to pick all our classes. There are definitely some mandatory ones I am going to let go. For example, herbology.” He replied and gave a shrug to the next question about the professors. “It all depends on the day, the situation and their behavior. But in all honesty, if they all suddenly went missing, I would not care about it. Which class is your favourite?”
For crying out loud, this bloody hand! Mark decided to ignore the fact that he needed to visit the lavatory and give his hands a hard scrub on his way back to the Slytherin common room. He could barely focus on what Alexander was talking about, because his own vanity got the hang of him. Moron! He looked up at the boy again to show him that he was listening.
“Gol-what? Ghoul-lum?” Mark asked as Alexander mentioned a strange word. “Hmm, compared to yours, my family is huge.” Sorry, he could not help it, but it was true. “I am sorry…” He quickly added before continuing. “I guess it is normal sized. With a couple of grandfathers passed away it is smaller than usual. I don’t have many cousins either. It is not like my family breeds like rabbits.” He bit his bottom lip wondering what to say to the question about whether he loved his parents or not. “It is a love/hate kind of relationship. But they give me a nice allowance, so next time you need more ink, you can just ask me.” Mark shrugged.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Aug 4, 2019 1:58:42 GMT
Mark was offering to curse Professor Avery, the one who'd been an auror, and Alex wondered if maybe Mark had disillusioned thoughts of who he actually was... did he think he was some scary sci fi villain? Cursing everyone who crossed him, dooming them to a life of misery and bad luck? The thought actually made Alex let out a small chuckle and he shook his head. "I, uh... between him, the twins, the... what's the youngest one's name? I don't remember... Er, anyway. I think we'd get paid back pretty quickly."
Mark was wiping his hands over and over and Alex grimaced because the Slytherin definitely had owl poop all over them. Gross. "Er... uh... do you wanna... I have my wand. I can try and clean them with magic? Promise I'll try not to let it go wrong. You won't end up like Luke Skywalker, without a hand," Alex said, another smile twitching his lips. It was... strange. Smiling. It wasn't something he did all that often, usually too involved in his own mind and the sadness that dwelled inside of it.
"I don't like herbology either cause, uh..." Merlin, he was going to sound like a complete Ravenclaw, but... "I don't like dirt, and that we have to go outside sometimes. It's Scotland, the weather's not, uh... not usually that nice, y'know? I'd rather be in bed." Alex grew quiet as he thought over the question Mark posed because his favourite class? It had been History of Magic, but now... "I like Ancient Runes a lot. Arithmancy's alright too, I guess."
Compared to yours, my family is huge. Whilst normally something like that would cause Alex to go into a downward spiral, the way Mark said it wasn't vindictive. It wasn't nasty, and he apologised straight afterwards. "Most people's families are bigger than mine," he said with a shrug. But then Mark was talking about an allowance, and a love/hate relationship and... offering to buy Alex more ink? That was... well, it was unheard of really, and instantly sent discomfort coursing through him. "I... er, that's... that's okay. I really don't want to be a... do you have any brothers or sisters?"
”It is up to you to decide whether it will be all worth it.” Mark sent him a grin that seemed rather mischievous as he concluded the offer about curing Avery.
When Alexander offered to use magic to clean Mark’s hand, the boy looked up at his friend. He would not mind that, and he even narrowed his eyes behind a lock of dark hair that had fallen in front of them, when Alexander mentioned that he would not end up like Luke Skywalker. Mark did not ask about who that was, since he just assumed it was a famous historical wizard whose hand disappeared when one of his friends tried to help him by using magic. It was as simple as that. Although Skywalker was a rather awesome wizard surname.
“Alright.” Mark said after having hesitated for a moment, and he extended his hand as he walked up to Alexander, letting him do whatever needed to be done.
As he stood in front of him, Mark mumbled while having his eyes fixed on his own hand – not wanting it to disappear like Mr. Skywalker’s… Maybe he was one of the prior professors of Hogwarts? Professor Skywalker.
“I like being in bed as well. Although the boring and cold weather can be rather cozy too… It makes you want to drink something warm and nice. I really like the autumn here…” He inhaled. “My favourite class is Ancient Runes as well. We should work together next time.”
When he was asked if he had any brothers or sisters, Mark shook his head as a reply. He was the typical example of a spoilt only child. In fact, he would hate it to have other siblings to share everything with. His parents would probably hate it as well, considering that they were both workaholics, and another child would just mean more trouble.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Aug 8, 2019 8:55:47 GMT
The thought of deciding whether or not to curse Professor Avery was enough to make Alex grimace because yes, whilst he had something about the man currently... the thought of Greyson Avery dunking his face in the toilet again was enough to make him sick to his stomach. He could definitely do without the toilet dunking. "I think probably not, or at least not on, uh... on my account. But... thanks?"
When Mark's hand was thrust towards him, the most bizarre thought hit Alex. What would it be like to... to hold it? It was a weird thought, one most people definitely didn't have towards their friends, and so Alex promptly shoved it in the back of his mind so he couldn't dwell on it any longer. It probably didn't mean anything anyway.
Clearing his throat, Alex pulled his wand out of his ill-fitting, baggy jean pocket and held it towards Mark's hand. Then he cast the cleaning spell with a quiet mutter, watching as the owl poop disappeared off Mark's hand and into oblivion. "There, it's, uh... it's gone. Done. Like, er... like a... poop in the wind." Merlin's beard, sometimes (read: most of the time) Alex wanted to fade into oblivion but even more so when he said stuff like that.
The thought of Mark in bed hit Alex hard because he could imagine the Slytherin tucked under silk bedding, dark hair all askew, eyes half-lidded. It sent a shiver of heat coursing up Alex's back, but he ignored it again because, well, he was cold. Maybe that was just the world's way of warming him up... sure, that was why. "Er, yeah. I... like to drink too," he said, trying his best to focus on Mark's words and not the vision of him in bed. "I... I, yeah. Ancient Runes is really good. I like the professor for it. I guess... and I like reading in bed. My, um... my favourite type of books are the fantasy and sci-fi ones, but I always find myself re-reading my favourites on a cold day."
"Right... yeah, me too. I don't... I don't have any family. Mum and dad were both only children, who... whose parents had passed away," he said quietly, shrugging. Sometimes he liked to imagine what his life would be like if he had an aunt or... or grandpa out there, willing to house him, but it depressed him after thinking about it too much. "Do... uh... do you have cousins or something?"
Mark smiled at Alex, although he could not help to glance carefully down at his own hand as his friend came closer with his wand. What if the spell failed, and Mark would end up like Larry Skywalker? It would be horrible! He would have to give up playing the violin forever… And the piano too, but that did not frighten him as much. He tried to appear calm and cool although the wary gaze exposed his concern about Alex’s skills in magic. Fortunately, the poop disappeared, and Mark’s hand was clean again. He let out a relieved exhale feeling foolish for ever having doubted a Ravenclaw to fail a simple spell.
“Thanks!” He chuckled – Alex was often saying funny things without thinking, and Mark enjoying catching his friend blush, when he realized what he had just blurted out. “What kind of wand do you have?” Mark asked as he rubbed his hand with the other, as if he wanted to make sure that it was still there.
When hearing that Alex liked to stay in bed and read fantasy, Mark imagined the Ravenclaw sitting underneath blue sheets with The Tales of Beedle the Bard, assuming that his friend read wizardry literature, even though he knew that he was muggleborn. However, he rarely made that connection to Alex, because blood did not matter to Mark.
“So, your favourite book of all time… What is that?” Mark asked as he sent a glare at an owl who seemed to be staring at them a bit too intensely than a bird supposed to.
When the Ravenclaw asked if he had cousins, Mark nodded and lifted his eyebrows at the thought of one in particular.
“I have a very ugly one. She looks like pig. She is our age and annoying as hell. Thank Merlin that she attends Beuxbatons! When we were kids, she always tried to force me to play with her dolls, and once she even tried to kiss me.” Mark formed a disgusted grimace.
Post by ALEXANDER GREENAWAY on Oct 7, 2019 10:37:29 GMT
With the poop gone in the wind, Alex was relieved to see that there was a smile on Mark's face, and he even chuckled. Then he was being asked what wand he had and after a moment's pause, glancing down at his wand, he said, "Er, it's... pretty big. Uh, just... lengthy, that is, not... not..." Merlin, he sounded seedy, and so he kept on ploughing, "It's pine... apparently the type of wood's reserved for loners and intriguing people - guess they got the first bit right." A wry smile crossed Alex's face because seldom was he seen in the company of others. "What about your wand?"
"It's..." Would Mark even know about Alex's favourite book? It was muggle literature, after all, as were most of his preferred books. He didn't dislike reading about wizarding literature, but he found muggle books - sci-fi and fantasty, in particular - really liked pushing the boundaries and creating new worlds to live in like the Shire or Narnia, for example. "It's... it's called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's about an Englishman, Arthur Dent, who's saved from destruction of Earth by a mate. It has... uh, well, it has aliens in it." Wondering as he look back at Mark, Alex asked, "Do you read? I mean, I know you can, but do you have any genre you like to read or... or a favourite book or something?"
Alex grimaced at the description of Mark's cousin - not the ugly bit, he really didn't care what people looked like, but the fact that she tried to kiss Mark. "But... you're related? Is that what... what the French do? Kiss relatives on the mouth?" It sounded like a generalisation and he supposed that the English did that too with the royalty and all that, but it squicked him out.
”I like pine!” Mark said feeling oddly interested in Alex’s wand (and no Bree, no dirty thoughts), since he had a rising interest for wandlore in general (there, no further explanation needed). “It smells really good, and there are many pine trees in the Forbidden Forest. What is it’s core?” When he was asked the same question, Mark found his own simple dark blackthorn wand. “Mine is made of blackthorn. It is said that to truly bind with its owner, the wand passes through danger or hardship with him. This explains why it feels a bit out of control… As if it has its own will…” Mark smiled at the rather short wand he was holding. “Its core is dragon heartstring.”
How come a boy who rarely opens his mouth could get Mark to speak so much? This was typical Alex. He asked good questions and without knowing it, he had a talent for making conversations going… And keeping them interesting. It baffled Mark why his kid was so lonely and friendless. Well, much like the dark haired Slytherin. He was sure that Alex had a few close friends, but definitely not a bunch like Viola Rosaline or Agnes Clearwater.
“Well… Ehm… It sounds interesting.” And weird! Mark concluded when Alex finished telling him about his favourite book. “My favourite? I think it is The Tales of Beedle the Bard.” He bit his bottom lip, not wanting to mention the far more interesting book he and Mia-Rose have snatched a week ago from the restricted section – one about dark arts, voodoo and shrunken heads. “But I honestly also really like horror stories and historical biographies that ends with betrayal, bloodbaths, duals and forbidden love.” He quickly added as if it was important not to miss.
Mark rolled his eyes. Not at Alex, but at the memory of his Peppa Pig cousin.
“She thinks she is so French, but she is part English and spends every summer in Torquay.” He said between gritted teeth. “And no, I just think she wanted to try to kiss someone. For real…” He frowned before a smirk formed on his face. “That gilt should have found a boar to snog instead!”
There was something about the Winter Ball that had ignited his bones. It felt like he was on fire. His heart was constantly racing, his skin tickled and his cheeks felt extremely hot. He walked among the students with a rank back instead of a bowed head, and his every step grew more confident by the minute. He still walked by unnoticed, and no one saw the small changes he made. However, he could feel it inside of him. Like a dragon that had been awoken, although it was still drowsing off now and then. 
