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Post by Administrator on May 28, 2009 20:48:17 GMT -5
Watch out! The staircase changes regularly!
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Post by Ron Weasley on Jul 27, 2009 23:05:24 GMT -5
Ron was on his way down to the Great Hall from Gryffindor tower and he was walking a bit slower than he usually did. He came to a halt just as the staircase started to move, leaving him stranded at the top waiting until it arrived again so that he could go down.
This gave him a little bit more time to think. Recent events were really starting to bother him, and although he usually had strong opinions, he found himself torn between his political views.
On one hand, he was pleased to see that the Ministry was finally doing something. It sure took them long enough to recognize He-Who-- Lord Voldemort's return, and even then they didn't do much about it. Yeah, great load of help they were with how many attacks there have been. Maybe if they were hoping to get lucky and watch Voldemort die of boredom from the lack of their response. Or maybe they were hoping to lull him into a false sense of security? No, they're just nitwits and finally felt the pressure to do something about all of the chaos.
Then again, raiding the homes of anyone that was slightly suspicious seemed a bit much. If anything it seemed to him that it would contribute to the hysteria instead of be the end of it. But what else could they really do, let suspects roam around freely and wait for them to kill someone before they had any proof to stop them? Maybe it was safer that way, but it seemed corrupt on its own. But maybe it was for their own good.
Hell, he didn't know really. Maybe in principle it seems like a good course of action, but how effective could it really be? Is peace worth sacrificing justice and some human rights?
He hit himself before he thought about it too much. "Give it a rest already, Ron." Before he knew it, he would be in the library every day just like Hermione.
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Post by Lucy Jefferson on Jul 28, 2009 15:07:55 GMT -5
Lucy had her face buried in the Daily Prophet, reading up on the most recent raids. "This is ridiculous," she said to herself, biting her lip, her green eyes looking quite upset. She was so stuck in it that she very nearly bumped into someone. Bringing herself to a quick halt, she stopped just in time so as not to accidentally push whoever it was off.
"I'm so sorry!" she said looking at the person, relieved that she hadn't pushed the person off the edge. Suddenly, she realized who it was. "Oh, hello Ron," she said quietly. "I should have been watching, but the stuff that's been going on..." she held up the Daily Prophet, "its crazy... I mean... people being arrested left right and centre... I don't even think they care who they're getting anymore..." she said darkly shaking her head.
In truth, Lucy didn't know how other people felt about it, but that didn't matter to her. She had her opinions, and it all made her antsy: the way people seemed so disillusioned, even adults who liked to act like they knew everything.
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Post by Ron Weasley on Jul 28, 2009 15:29:55 GMT -5
Ron was so absorbed in his own thoughts that when he finally became aware of someone else's presence it surprised him.He turned around sharply to look at who it was that approached him, nearly falling off of the edge himself as he did so. His hand shot out and grabbed onto the edge of the railing that would connect to the rail of the staircase once it moved back to where he needed it to be. It wasn't really necessary to grab it, but the precaution helped him settle down a bit easier.
"Oh, hello Ron," she said quietly.
He grinned sheepishly at Lucy and gave her a slight wave with his free hand. "Hi Lucy." He didn't know too much about her, but he had spoken to her a few times before. He considered her a friendly acquaintance at least, albeit a quiet one.
"I should have been watching, but the stuff that's been going on..." she held up the Daily Prophet, "its crazy... I mean... people being arrested left right and centre... I don't even think they care who they're getting anymore..." she said darkly shaking her head.
He nodded, oddly enough, able to relate quite well to her. "Yeah, I know what you mean," he said. "I don't know whether to be glad that the Ministry is finally doing something, or upset that they're going about it all wrong." He frowned and then rolled his eyes. "Although, I guess I don't know how I would handle it any differently."
Ron tapped his fingers on the rail, looking out to the pit below with the moving staircases. He wasn't really the leadership type, although he certainly wished that he could be. At least not where it concerned what the proper way of handling the situation with the return of Voldemort would be. Maybe if they had gallons and gallons of veritaserum and handled raids a bit more quietly.
"What would you do differently?" he asked as he turned back to her. Just as he finished speaking the staircase started to move back in their direction.
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Post by Lucy Jefferson on Jul 29, 2009 18:21:51 GMT -5
Seeing the way he wobbled on the edge, Lucy felt even worse. "You're alright, I hope?" she said, green eyes wide with worry as he steadied himself on the top-most part of the railing.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," he said. "I don't know whether to be glad that the Ministry is finally doing something, or upset that they're going about it all wrong." He frowned and then rolled his eyes. "Although, I guess I don't know how I would handle it any differently."
Lucy nodded her head, "True. It's very easy to criticize the way someone does things. But its a whole other thing to figure out ways to fix it." she said watching as the staircase continued to meander around below where they stood. She didn't like to stare at the maze of staircases for too long: it made her dizzy.
"What would you do differently?"
She thought about this, but only for a few moments. Lucy had thought all this through before. "Well, for starters, I'd question a lot more witnesses. There were loads of people who saw the attacks, which way the Deatheaters ran, and whatnot. And the victims, though," she paused flicking a tiny spider off the sleeve of her robe, "I can understand why some would not want to talk about it." she said. "And I don't know, I may be wrong, but the Ministry seems to have changed its protocol for reasons under which people are taken in for questioning." Lucy sighed, "Then again, the Daily Prophet has a knack for being a little unreliable when it comes to facts." she sighed. Lucy just wished the Ministry would give them straight answers instead of just telling them not to worry.
"They haven't caught any of the Deatheaters yet, you know." she added quietly at some length.
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Post by Ron Weasley on Jul 30, 2009 9:15:34 GMT -5
"You're alright, I hope?"
Ron nodded at her and smiled. "Yeah. I'm fine."
"True. It's very easy to criticize the way someone does things. But its a whole other thing to figure out ways to fix it."
He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, really." He didn't really know what he could do differently, but he still couldn't completely agree with how the Ministry was handling it. Maybe he would have done the exact same thing if he had been in charge, or whatever else he would do would go over just as poorly with people. It's a good thing he never needed to be in a position of leadership himself. Well, except for being a prefect and all, but that didn't really count.
"And I don't know, I may be wrong, but the Ministry seems to have changed its protocol for reasons under which people are taken in for questioning."
Ron rolled his eyes. "They certainly didn't have this much trouble finding people the last time they took people in." Then again, they somehow missed that Malfoy was a Death Eater and thought that Sirius Black was one. They had Malfoy now, but it was so blatantly obvious to him that Draco's family was pure evil that he wasn't sure how people were so easily fooled.
"Well, some people at least." He wasn't going to discuss Sirius Black with someone that didn't even know him. There was no point in bringing him up now. "They wrongly accused some people, and then somehow managed to miss that Malfoy was a Death Eater, of all people."
"They haven't caught any of the Deatheaters yet, you know."
He sighed. "If they did a better job last time, there wouldn't be so many Death Eaters running around right now." Sure, Voldemort would still be a problem, but he would have a difficult time without so many of his deranged loyal supporters backing him up.
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Post by Lucy Jefferson on Aug 3, 2009 12:09:37 GMT -5
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Lucy nodded, still looking slightly pale. What if he had fallen because of her? That would be quite bad, she thought to herself. Forcing the thought from her head, she focused on what Ron was saying.
"They certainly didn't have this much trouble finding people the last time they took people in."
She, of course, did not know about all this Sirius business, but she could sense a note of something in Ron's voice. It was somewhere between conviction and sarcasm, but not quite neutral. She bit her lip and continued, "What I mean is, if you read up on the Ministry's protocol, you can get a copy of it at the Ministry of Magic, they're not following it. I have a copy I picked up two summers ago, and they're not following the rules, at all." she said then added, "I don't know if they were following them last year. I mean, I don't recall raids last year..." she trailed off as the Enchanted Staircase finally arrived. Lucy stepped onto it daintily.
"Well, some people at least. They wrongly accused some people, and then somehow managed to miss that Malfoy was a Death Eater, of all people."
Lucy raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "Yes," was all she said as she nodded. He had a point.
"If they did a better job last time, there wouldn't be so many Death Eaters running around right now."
"I know what you mean," she said shaking her head as she shifted her bag on her shoulder. "The Lestranges have wreaked so much havoc, you'd think the Ministry would get them by now." she paused glancing out at the other staircases. "No, I feel the Ministry cares more that the public thinks we're safe instead of us actually being safe."
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Post by Ron Weasley on Aug 5, 2009 10:04:00 GMT -5
"I don't know if they were following them last year. I mean, I don't recall raids last year..."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I believe it." He knew a few things about Ministry protocol here and there, mostly because his father worked there, but he wasn't a pro about it. It wouldn't hurt to get a little bit more informed.
"You don't happen to have any extras, do you?" he asked, actually contemplating about reading it. Skimming through it, at the very least. It would be a good topic to bring up to Harry Hermione, although she probably already memorized it without telling anyone. When the staircase finally arrived, Ron stepped onto it and started walking down it.
"Yes," was all she said as she nodded.
Ron grinned. He knew that wasn't the best at debate, and wasn't always terribly comfortable proving his points, but it was certainly encouraging when someone agreed with him.
"The Lestranges have wreaked so much havoc, you'd think the Ministry would get them by now."
"Those two are so crazy all of the Aurors are probably too scared to catch them." With less supporters, Bellatrix also wouldn't have been able to break out of Azkaban. Then again, he must have had new supporters as well. Quirrell came to mind easily, but he couldn't be the only one.
"No, I feel the Ministry cares more that the public thinks we're safe instead of us actually being safe."
"Yeah, that sounds about right," he said as he nodded in agreement. "Although, as long as He's out there, no one is going to feel really safe." Himself included, that is. How the Ministry planned to take care of that problem was as big a question as ever. What if the Ministry failed to stop him this time, and it came down to what individual people could do to stop him? His friend Harry would be the obvious choice, but if Harry had to face him Ron would be right there with him. So would Hermione, he imagined. Was that really how it would end?
With a rather grim expression on his face, Ron forced out a smile and continued. "He'll be stopped though. Somehow."
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Post by Lucy Jefferson on Aug 14, 2009 21:31:47 GMT -5
"You don't happen to have any extras, do you?"
"Umm.." Lucy muttered, dipping her hand in her bag and moving her hand around, feeling for the brochure. "It should be.." she said looking into her bag, "Somewhere... oh, here it is," she said, her face lighting up as she extracted a lavender coloured brochure with silver lettering on it. She handed it to Ron. "You can have it, I've got one in my dorm." she said, not adding that she'd pretty much memorized the entirety of the brochure.
"Those two are so crazy all of the Aurors are probably too scared to catch them.
She nodded, wide eyed, staring off at the student milling around down below. "That may eb true, but they gain nothing by arresting harmless people." Lucy bit her bottom lip and glanced at her hand. "I mean, they're arresting people based on looks, pretty much. I don't mean to say that they're doing it on purpose.. but all the same.. innocent people... and questioning techniques." she seemed to fall into a light, thoughtful silence.
"He'll be stopped though. Somehow."
She nodded, remaining silent. At length, she spoke again. "So, have you heard about the duelling club? Are you going to join?" she asked.
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