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!
a charming young woman... ...capable of being terrible
GRYFFINDOR
16
SIXTH YEAR
1/2 VEELA
we're not running when the world's on fire/we'll be dancing in the smoke
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Post by LYUBOV KAREVA on Apr 22, 2020 2:42:07 GMT
dancing in the smoke
It was like any other summer morning in the Karevs' apartment: Vera standing over the tea kettle, Nadya cooking a pot of oatmeal, Papa reading the Daily Prophet, Uncle Nikolai's dog already fed and crunching happily away at her bowl--and Lyuba stumbling into the kitchen with half-awake eyes a good half hour after everyone else had started their day.
Well, it wasn't like she had to go to work like everyone else, right?
She plopped into a seat at the table next to Papa, managing to sit cross-legged even in the small dining chair, taking a piece of bread from the plate in the middle and reaching for the butter knife, her stomach growling too impatiently to wait for the oatmeal. Starting with a big bite, she tilted her head to the side to try and read the front page of the Prophet. Looked like they hadn't caught the one werewolf yet--the kidnapping one. That seemed to be the only news anyone could talk about, although Lyuba was sure that there was more happening in the world. Not that she was going to express that to her family--not while Papa was doing something with the Aurors, she knew, and then Nadya had been wringing her hands over her best friend ever since she'd popped out a baby from the middle of nowhere.
Seriously, how did you hide that?
But she didn't have long to dwell on it, not as two owls with red-sealed envelopes in hand--or was it talon?--tapped on the kitchen window, and Lyuba's heart leaped into her throat. Vera, who was closest, slid the curtain to the side and opened the window to let the birds in, and Lyuba wanted nothing more than to go back to bed and never look at the parchment they were carrying. She recognized those owls and those envelopes easily, with two older sisters who had done their exams--who she just knew had done better on them than she had.
The owls landed on the table, and Lyuba set down her bread directly on the wooden surface, not feeling all that hungry anymore. The one on her right had, in neat black letters, an envelope printed clearly with Lyubov Kareva, and she regarded it as if it would turn into a Howler at any moment.
"I'm not looking," she declared to nobody in particular, crossing her arms.
and i'm calling for my mother/as i pull the pillars down
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Post by NADEZHDA KAREVA on Apr 25, 2020 2:28:47 GMT
in the woods somewhere
Nadya was exhausted. For whatever reason, she had been so tired lately, wanting nothing more than to crawl into her bed even right after she'd gotten out of it. Maybe it had something to do with the amount of worrying she was doing about poor Scarlett and her baby--who she'd tried so hard to protect, even taking the job in the tearoom so she could be at the hospital even though she was still waiting for her exam results to know if she could apply for the healer program.
And yet she hadn't been able to do anything. It had to be what was making her ill and tired, she thought as she turned the flame on the stove a little lower so the oatmeal wouldn't burn. How was she supposed to go about her day when all she could think about was that she hadn't done enough?
Still rather dazed, even though she thought she'd had a full night of sleep, she stared down at the pot as it bubbled, not even noticing that the owls that entered the window were carrying very particular envelopes, until Vera pushed a cup of tea across the countertop toward her, along with an envelope printed with her name, just like the one she'd received exactly two years ago.
This was it. The moment of truth. She knew she wasn't the best student, had not even really wanted to complete her studies--but could it be that she'd made the grades to be a Healer? She picked up the envelope, turning it over in her hands to the side with the red Hogwarts seal. At the table, Lyuba had untied hers as well, though she was holding it like it was about to burst into flames.
"Let's open them together," Nadya offered to her younger sister, knowing very well how nerve-wracking these things were to open. "At the same time--I'll count down for you. Three, two, one..."
Ivan was flipping through the Daily Prophet, feeling a headache coming on from what he read. As much as he tried to be reasonable and non-biased, these werewolves had turned to stealing babies, and after 3 years of having to deal with this mess, Ivan's patience was starting to wear thin. Stealing a baby? Who, God forbid, does that? In short, Ivan didn't want to go back to work.
His quiet musings about the state of affairs were interrupted by the sudden commotion caused by two owls appearing in the kitchen, Hogwarts letters in hand. Lyuba was already protesting that she wouldn't be looking at it, that she didn't want to know what was in it, and, as amusing as it was to watch his daughter, it was heart-breaking too.
As much as he hated the phrase, Lyuba was his problem child. Nadya and Vera had never caused him heartache during their years at school, but with Lyuba...For the longest time Ivan hadn't even been sure she'd be a witch, her magic not appearing until she was 10 years old. And from there it had been an uphill battle ever since.
Of course, it was far worse for Lyuba herself, as she was the one struggling, and Ivan tried to do his best to help when she'd finally confided in him.
And now, the exam results were flying right past his nose as she flung it out of her hand as soon as the seal had been broken.
"Hey, hey, careful," he laughed, picking up the letter from the kitchen table and pulling the parchment out. "I'll read it out loud for you, okay? And we'll hear Nadya's too, so it is all fair and square."
"Alright, what do we have here. Ordinary Wizarding Level... Tut-tut-tut, ah, here are the criteria..." he said, his eyes traveling down the parchment, "So, we are happy with every O, E, and A. And you can repeat any that have a 'Poor' on them."
Keeping that in mind, Ivan quickly cast a glance down the grading sheet and he could feel his heart swell with pride. But he stifled the smile that was trying to break out on his face, wanting to tease his daughter just a little bit.
"Astronomy - Poor.But don't worry about that, I, too, don't understand a thing of it. Care of Magical Creatures - Exceeds Expectations! You hear that, Daisy? You'll be alright with Lyuba at home."
Daisy the dog immediately scampered over at the sound of her name, pushing Ivan's knee with her muzzle, and offering Lyuba her own big, toothy dog grin.
"Charms - Exceeds Expectations, Defense Against The Dark Arts - Acceptable," God forbid she ever needed to use that,"Herbology - Acceptable,History of Magic..."
"Dreadful.Hm, oh, well. Muggle Studies - Exceeds Expecations... Why did you take this, again?"
"Potions - Poor. Well, don't need to be a potion maker to make your dad some good oatmeal, do you? And, what do we have here still? Ah, Transfiguration..."
a charming young woman... ...capable of being terrible
GRYFFINDOR
16
SIXTH YEAR
1/2 VEELA
we're not running when the world's on fire/we'll be dancing in the smoke
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Post by LYUBOV KAREVA on May 8, 2020 16:55:52 GMT
dancing in the smoke
As the envelope was tossed toward her father, Lyuba squeezed her eyes shut, feeling like a boulder was about to fall on her shoulders. Even Papa's reassurance that her results would be fair and square with Nadya's didn't comfort her much. Everyone knew that N.E.W.T.s were really hard, so she didn't think anyone would be judging Nadya if she failed some. As for her, though...
"Okay, go ahead," Lyuba said, nodding. There was no escape. Even if she never looked at the paper, the letters would still be there, waiting for her to know.
The first one on the list was Astronomy, and Lyuba winced. It couldn't possibly be good when it started with a fail. Technically, she could repeat it, but she wasn't sure she wanted to sit through it again, this time with an even younger group. At least Care of Magical Creatures was better. Scratching Daisy behind the ears, Lyuba smiled for the first time since the envelopes had arrived. She probably wouldn't go hug Almir for this, but she was definitely thinking about it.
It was when she received a Dreadful in History of Magic that her head thunked to the table, frustrated with herself. She knew that the fact that their professor had disappeared off the face of the earth with less than a month to go until exams had probably contributed to that, but it was still embarrassing.
"I thought Muggle Studies might be easy," she muttered in reaction to the next one, head still firmly planted on the table. She'd continue with it, if only because it was one of the few that she could, thinking about the list. And at least she wouldn't have to deal with the Potions professor anymore.
But of course, the last subject in the alphabet was Transfiguration, and at the mention of it, Lyuba's head snapped up again, as she crossed her fingers beneath the table. She'd been working so hard at it, even though it always seemed to be one of her worse subjects, even asking Professor Weasley for private lessons, and she decided to cross the fingers of her other hand as well, as if an extra dose of luck might change what was printed on the paper. "Tell me!" Lyuba demanded, even as she feared another Dreadful.
While it had been almost 30 years since Ivan had recieved his own exam results for the last time in his life -- unless he suddenly decided to pursue higher magical education, which was fairly unlikely -- he understood Lyuba's anxiety very, very well. While he could wave away the doubts of Nadya and Vera as not having much basis, Lyuba had problems.
He winced ever so slightly when he heard the thud of Lyuba's head against the table, glancing over the side of the paper. He wanted to stop and comfort her, but it was probably better to get it over with already.
Only transfiguration was left. The one Lyuba seemed to have the most issues with, the one she'd come to Ivan for. Vanishing spells had been the issue around last Christmas...
Two wide, blue eyes were staring right at him, demanding an answer.
"Exceeds Expectations, Lyuba. Exceeds Expectations, though I really don't like this particular phrasing, but... Eh, you've no mind debating the details on such things. You did it, Lyuba!" He said, folding the page in half and pushing it towards his youngest daughter.
"Don't worry about the subjects you didn't pass -- as Sherlock Holmes says, our heads aren't attics where one must shove everything. Focus on the subjects you like in these next two years, alright? Now, come here for a hug while we hear how Nadya did."
a charming young woman... ...capable of being terrible
GRYFFINDOR
16
SIXTH YEAR
1/2 VEELA
we're not running when the world's on fire/we'll be dancing in the smoke
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Post by LYUBOV KAREVA on Jun 6, 2020 3:56:20 GMT
dancing in the smoke
"Really?" Lyuba snatched up the paper that had been given to her, flipping it open and scanning the page. Was it really true that she'd not only passed, but made it into the N.E.W.T. class? It seemed impossible, considering her track record. But there it was, a neat black E on the bottom of the list, unmistakable, and Lyuba couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy.
"I did it!" She leaped up from her chair, flinging her arms around Papa just as he'd asked. "I wish Professor Weasley was here too--I want to hug her too." Maybe it was getting a new professor that had changed everything, one who had believed in her enough to help her out, even when Lyuba felt like she didn't understand anything. And while she still wasn't sure that she actually did understand the subject, at least she had something to show.
She settled back into her chair then, the paper still open in front of her, a mix of jubilation and disappointment. There were several classes she could continue, then--definitely not History of Magic, but maybe she wouldn't need that. There probably weren't quite as many E's on her list as most of her classmates, but she could still make it work.
It would be okay. It would.
Next to the stove, Nadya and Vera were waiting patiently, the seal on the envelope still not broken. Lyuba occupied herself with her bread again, her appetite returned after the nervous ordeal. Nadya would probably be fine--she hadn't always had perfect grades, but she'd been working hard for the exams.
and i'm calling for my mother/as i pull the pillars down
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Post by NADEZHDA KAREVA on Jun 6, 2020 16:48:56 GMT
in the woods somewhere
The envelope was in Vera's hands--as Nadya waited for her younger sister to hear her grades, the trepidation had been building. Maybe it had been a mistake to let Papa read out Lyuba's grades before looking at her own. Whatever was on that paper would determine so much about the future--whether the idea she'd had about healing would actually work. Healers needed impeccable grades, which had not always been Nadya's best skill; so many classes were endlessly boring. But she'd tried in that last term, had studied hard despite the constant flow of bad news that threatened to overwhelm her emotions, to make her leave the school altogether.
Vera slid the paper from the envelope, unfolding it. "Do you want me to read it out loud, or just look?" she murmured. Nadya knew that neither of them would be quite so demonstrative as Lyuba was, but she had promised their younger sister that they would be in it together.
"Read," Nadya decided, lacing her fingers together and leaning against the counter, closing her eyes.
"Alright," Vera said, voice gentle. "Care of Magical Creatures, E." Nadya smiled at the dog whose claws were making a clacking sound against the wooden floor of the kitchen. That one wasn't too surprising--she had always been passionate about that class. But it wasn't one of the set that the healing program asked for.
"Charms, E. Defense Against the Dark Arts, E. Herbology, O." That, too, had been the only Outstanding on Nadya's O.W.L.s, not that it had been surprising two years ago either.
No, those weren't the ones to be worried about.
"Potions, E." Nadya let out a sigh of relief. That had never been her best subject--sitting around in stuffy dungeons with their latest sour-faced professor wasn't her favorite way to enjoy using plants. She hadn't felt like the exam had gone particularly well, but perhaps her history with the topic was why she had exceeded expectations.
One more, then. Vera placed a hand on Nadya's shoulder. "And an A in Transfiguration."
Oh.
That was one of the subjects she would have needed. And it hadn't seemed nearly as bad as the Potions exam had been. Nadya turned back to the pot of oatmeal, heart sinking. Vera set the paper down on the counter, neatly folded again, before wrapping her arm around Nadya's shoulders.
"I think I might go back to bed," Nadya murmured, stirring the pot once before letting the spoon go.
Ivan's chest was full of warmth and pride as he wrapped his arms around Lyuba, his Lyuba, who couldn't contain her joy -- and why should she? She'd done brilliantly, and it was a cause for celebration. He'll go out to a Russian food store, bring them back all their favorite snacks and put on a movie they all like... Tonight will be a good night, he could feel it.
Or so he had thought, but once Nadya found her grades out, the joy Ivan felt turned into a bittersweet sadness. Nadya had wanted to be a healer for so long, she'd worked so hard for this, and now... A single grade had ruined her plans.
He could hear the pain and dissapointment in Nadya's voice, in the sound of the spoon clattering against the side of the metal pot. Before she could walk away from them, Ivan got up and wrapped his daughter in a tight embrace, one hand on the back of her head, the other around her waist.
As he petted her hair, he muttered sweet nonsense into her ear, comforting her just as he had when she was a little girl woken up by a nightmare.
"Nadyusha," he continued, pulling back a bit, "I know it hurts. I know, but... We'll look for another way, okay? Nikolai is a healer, he'll know what other options you have. Maybe they won't be here, in London, at St. Mungos, but I'm sure there are other ways you can become a healer. This isn't over, Nadya. We'll figure it out, alright?"
