5 Aug, '95 — Nighttime in Hogsmeade

The moon didn't scare her, and neither should its children.

But not even Charley, with all her wits and grit, could claim she was completely convinced that nothing of consequence might happen tonight. The whole town was bathed in moonlight, and the worst part about it was the clear skies. It looked like such an obvious challenge, the full moon baiting Hogsmeade like a worm on its hook. The urchin couldn't help but wiggle, either, slinking between the shadows as she moved under what darkness still remained.

The urchin didn't have to fear the moon itself, not like some of the town's residents. She wasn't about to change into some unholy creature of dark magic, and she'd been checking for bites every morning since the news of Skeeter broke just to be sure. She wasn't out seeking trouble, either, though Charley wasn't a stranger to using the cover of night for trouble. Tonight, with her eyes peeled and ears open, Charley was on the prowl for anything else lurking out there in the night.

"Keep yer eyes on the shadowy places," she advised, her voice only low enough not to be heard beyond her circle of companions. Her posse. Charley had gathered those she could, urchin or otherwise, who shared the same vision. "An' be listenin' for scratchin', snifflin', an' especially howls."

The last part didn't have to be said, not really. Like the others, her wand was out in front of her, ready to send a spell or sparks out in case she ran into one of the fur-faced monsters sure to be prowling the town tonight. She didn't want it to be true, either, but it was better to be ready than in her bed. It was the whole reason Charley was out here, instead of relying on anyone else, she and her posse would make sure Hogsmeade was free of any monsters that would see them all dead.

"Keep sharp, we got only ourselves to rely on!" The urchin reminded them again, but it helped to hear the words herself, too. She tucked her cap a bit lower, and dug her toes a little deeper into the grave underfoot, steeling herself for the next dash between the shadows. "Them Ministry sorts are too busy filin' their paperwork or summat, an' the Constable's all dead over some words. Since they're all too scared or too dead, it's up for us to be doin' what they outta an' keep this town free of werewolves!"

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OOC: Open to any fellow posse members (esp. friends or contacts of Charley convinced to be present), Hogsmeade townies, Ministry or Cops.

PM first if you're itching to wolf out.

The following 1 user Likes Charley Goode's post:1 user Likes Charley Goode's post
   Violetta DeCroix

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Writer Notes: Charley is a street urchin in both appearance and behavior, unless written otherwise here.
Interactions may reflect Victorian-era morals rather than modern sensibilities; this is allowed and acceptable to this writer.

Blair, was not scared of werewolves for the same reason as a lot of the people here. Of course there was a healthy respect for their savagery and the danger they posed. Blair was well aware why her male relatives took so many safety measures each full moon to keep other members of the family safe.

No, Blair's fear stemmed from the fact that she wasn't supposed to be here. She had snuck out of her room on the Islands after putting on a practical outfit then flooed to Hogsmeade before hitting the street. Catching her appearance in the windows of honeydukes Blair smiled, feeling right. She pushed few stray hairs back into her hat to tidy up.

Blair was a Greyback, the blood of wolves ran through her own blood and she wasn't here to do harm to them although she was probably as well equipped to deal with them as any. Father would make sure that Blair at least had an idea to how to defend herself if some relative got a bit clawsy. If she was honest she did not expect any werewolf activity tonight. It was uncommon, and most self respecting werewolves took measures to keep others safe. That fact in itself made Blair nervous. This was vigilantism, and that was dangerous, if nothing came to them would they try and hunt them? She did not want Charley and her rabble to go off looking for trouble out of pure hatred and misunderstanding of her kin. So Blair was here. In public she was on their side, but more privately she was here to make sure NOBODY got hurt. She stood with her broom in her hand and her wand tucked into her waistband. Blair looked at Charley, perhaps even with a degree of jealousy that the older girl could dress like that openly whenever she wanted.

"Ok, Charley, you are big on ideas, how are you on plans?"

---

Charley Goode

The following 1 user Likes Bonnie Greyback's post:1 user Likes Bonnie Greyback's post
   Charley Goode

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Bonnie is NB/GF but presents as a girl because she doesnt yet have a choice
Anyone who knows them, knows they prefer to be called Blair

Charley's posse was full of all the right sorts, with sharp wits and a good head for the unexpected. Not a single one had showed up in a dress or something flashy enough to really catch the moonlight. And they were doing a fair job of staying in the shadows with her, she had to give them that much. It wouldn't do for a wolf to be find any of them before they spotted one first.

"Far's plans go, yer holdin' one of 'em." The urchin motioned her head to the broom in the other girl's hand. Blair had surprised her with both interest and an introduction, one that made much more sense when the fellow redhead showed up in shirt and some sturdy trousers. Charley sent her eyes skyward, sure that Blair would follow them and get the big idea out of it. "Gotta get the lay o' the land, ya know? If I's a wolf, I'd be hidin' near shadows too, but ya can't get 'cross town cloaked the whole way like that."

Whatever story Blair had for herself was a mystery to Charley, not that it mattered much. She looked as willing, and capable, as any in the group tonight to fend off any werewolves they might spot. Or drive them back to the woods for the night, anyways. "'Member how we agreed to signal, yeah? Throw up green sparks if ya spot him 'round you, blue if he's sniffin' round us, an' red if any one of ya get in real danger. Wake the whole town if we gotta, won't let nobody get bit tonight."

Charley didn't have a thing against anyone who got bit once, and had to skive off humanity for a night a month. She was only looking out for her fellow Hogsmeade folk, no matter what sort they were. Not a lick were taking the danger seriously, all asleep in their beds except for the group of them. There was enough grit between the lot of them, and strength, too, the urchin figured, to scare a wolf back out of town with their wands.

And with Blair sighting them from above, their posse would have a better chance at it.

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The following 1 user Likes Charley Goode's post:1 user Likes Charley Goode's post
   Bonnie Greyback

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Writer Notes: Charley is a street urchin in both appearance and behavior, unless written otherwise here.
Interactions may reflect Victorian-era morals rather than modern sensibilities; this is allowed and acceptable to this writer.

Blair looked at Charley curiously wondering why she was doing this in the first place, if she had any experience with werewolves to have pushed her here. Now wasn't the time and Blair knew fully well that secrets usually remained secrets. At least she had something of a plan, how to spot them, how to communicate, the plan might fall apart, or more poetically, get ripped apart, upon encountering an actual werewolf but it was what it was.

"I've got my wand, I'm only a fourth year but I can handle myself with defensive magics, and I'm a seeker so I've got a good eye" the highlander said with a wry smile before lifting her leg up onto her broom. It was good to be riding in trousers instead of a dress or school robe. It was kind of ironic that the daughter of the ministry's highest law enforcement officer was out breaking several rules tonight, flying in Hogsmeade, underage magic, absconding from home, this would be a big argument if Blair was caught, but it felt like it was justifiable.

"Just don't forget, only bits of then are monsters, they are mostly still people, so don't... I don't know... just don't ok?" Bonnie leaned and the broom lurched into the inky darkness of the sky. Another benefit of not wearing any superfluous material was how quiet it made flying. No flapping scarf or robe to give her away. With the streets lit up below her and the dark sky above she was almost completely invisible from onlookers below. She could see Charley's gang moving out on a path unknown. Blair banked and floated above the high street and scanned the area for movement in a similar way to how the hunt began on the quidditch field. It was good that it was so late as there was nobody out, save them and the owls. She thought she spotted something and went to reach for her dogwood wand but thought it better to take a look. She flew a hundred metres or so and saw something in an alleyway.

She blushed hard when she spotted what it was and quickly retreated back into the sky to allow the two chaps to finish their ablutions. Her wand was quickly replaced back into her pocket for now.

---

Charley Goode

The following 1 user Likes Bonnie Greyback's post:1 user Likes Bonnie Greyback's post
   Charley Goode

---

Bonnie is NB/GF but presents as a girl because she doesnt yet have a choice
Anyone who knows them, knows they prefer to be called Blair

An urchin would never say that the town was creepy at night. No, it wasn't the shadows themselves that could be dangerous, just what lurked in them. To get around after dark meant having eyes everywhere, and for that reason, Charley had a posse with her tonight. They were all steely sorts, good with a wand but better with a pair of eyes. Blair's seeker eyes were best in the air, leaving her plenty for the street level.

It would count most down here, she was sure of that.

"Yeah? Well, it's the monster parts in 'em that don't belong here, not the rest of 'em!" Charley reminded Blair as she took off, scoffing at the seeker's warning. Of course a werewolf was just an ordinary person any other day, but this wasn't one of those days. Today they were worse, and they'd do worse to anyone who got in their way. She wasn't going to get soft or squeamish if a wolf crossed her path, not a chance. And if that meant a fight, she could give a pretty good fight, herself.

"Nobody blinks, ya got that? Pin yer eyes open if ya gotta." Charley kept the wand in front of her, flicking it to light by lumos only when the shadows turned a passage full dark. There were lots of those, between the buildings, through long alleys, but none of them hid a snarly, hairy wolf lurking within. Just a bunch of beady-eyed rats, feral cats, and more than a few quickly-vanishing shapes that were too small to be mistaken for a wolf. She'd be ready for a wolf, anyway, her head full of movement and binding spells found among Professor Lyra's library books.

A howl pierced the night, and Charley felt it like a splash of cold water. All the relief and courage built up from clearing shadows was gone, leaving her with the heavy thuds of her pounding feet, the green sparks sent into the air, and the shouts from her companions. She wasn't scared of what she'd find behind the fenced-in yards the howl came from, leading them south into Bartonburg. It was just the thought of not getting there fast enough that made the urchin's heart race faster than feet could carry her forward.

"Bloody 'ell, look at the size of 'im! " One of her posse called from ahead, already up to a fence and peeking over. Charley scaled it quick enough, ignoring knees that banged up against the unsanded boards, and threw her arms over to have free range with her wand. A spell was halfway past her lips when she blew air over them instead, belting out a laugh that left her limp and hanging on the side of the fence.

A shaggy little dog panted back at her, looking a little too proud of its full-belly howls.

"Oi, carry me out! Nothin' gets past us tonight, eh?" Charley laughed with the rest of her posse, but only half-heartedly. If every dog was going to send them on a mad chase, they'd be well-worn by the time a wolf showed up for real.

---

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   Bonnie Greyback

---

Writer Notes: Charley is a street urchin in both appearance and behavior, unless written otherwise here.
Interactions may reflect Victorian-era morals rather than modern sensibilities; this is allowed and acceptable to this writer.

There was a laugh from the air a few metres above Charley's head where Blair now sat on her broom watching with her wand in happened. Much of her laugh was relief, with the greatest will in the world, if they stumbled on a genuine werewolf, someone was getting hurt, either one of charley's rabble or the changed themself. "Gosh, he's big isn't he? Wouldn't mind taking him on a hunt myself." she loved to hunt, and this dog looked like a fine hound.

"Oh well"

Blair pulled back up into the sky so sharply that she might have left the shadow of her soul on the floor. She was quickly back up in the air and picking up a bit of speed on her patrol. They werent going to find anyone out tonight were they? But flying by broom in Hogsmeade? When did you get the chance to do that. The town looked magnificent from up here and the teenager wished she had some way of capturing the image on paper to keep on her wall.

Her ears pricked up as she heard a shriek from towards the slums of Hogsmeade. The sound chilled her bones, that was no dog, that was a woman shrieking in fear. She banked her broom and headed towards the sound as fast as she could, releasing a couple of bursts of red sparks behind her. There woman shrieked again and Blair descended between the close rows of houses, almost getting taken out by a pair of hanging bloomers. "Come on, where are you?"

"Appare Vestigium" she cast and a faint swirl of a magical trail appeared in front of her leading toward one of the darker alleys, one where no right minded person should be attending alone. Her gut led her there and she landed on her feet. Another blast of red sparks went into the air as Blair stood at the mouth of the alleyway watching two figures, one larger and one smaller, with a pleading woman's voice standing shrouded in darkness by a small alcove a dozen metres in.

"STOP WHAT YOU are doing!" she called, her voice trailing nervously at the end. Charley needed to get here soon. She tried to hold her wand out with confidence.

---

Charley Goode

The following 1 user Likes Bonnie Greyback's post:1 user Likes Bonnie Greyback's post
   Charley Goode

---

Bonnie is NB/GF but presents as a girl because she doesnt yet have a choice
Anyone who knows them, knows they prefer to be called Blair

Air snorted through the urchin's nose at the remark from above. She hadn't even noticed the seeker girl swooping in on her broom. That could be an advantage for their side tonight, having a scout that silent. Whenever Blair was in the mood to stay that way, unlike now. Charley shook her head, tossing up a flat, "Oi, that dog don't hunt." at her aerial companion. "He eats better than half us lot, only thing his sort hunts is sleep."

A few of her posse-mates nodded, but all she got from Blair was the empty air where the flier had been. With a shrug of her shoulders, Charley jumped down of the wall. She dusted herself off first, then checked the others in her group. Hats were straightened and backs were slapped in the typical sort of ways among urchins. Even if the encounter hadn't been as near-death as she'd thought, it put an assurance in her step to know that her kind would take a real one seriously.

"All right up to now?" Charley asked of her mates before they set off again. They were, of course, she'd have picked up on it if one of them wasn't. No dog of any sort was going to mess with her posse tonight. All they had to do was stick to the shadows and make their way around the town, not a hard task when sunrise wasn't for plenty of hours still. The air was crisp and fresh, and with the stillness under a full moon, the empty town actually looked pretty. Charley would have loved to get up on the rooftops nearby to get a better look at the view.

A view that turned her gut when spark shot into the air. Red, for danger.

"That's Blair, she's in a fix!" Charley cried to her posse, and barely had to start shouting, "Let's go!" before she heard the feet pick up around her. It sure made her grin, the way they'd all come together tonight. Half her group didn't know the others and would still rush straight toward danger for them. The urchin ran, seriously now, her eyes on the sky and half on the roads ahead of them. She sure wished she'd gotten up on those rooftops after all.

Sparks went up again, and again. The urchin ran as fast as possible, though she had to slow when one or two of her mates fell behind. With the sparks coming from the direction of the slums, it was going to take her posse a lot longer to get there on foot than on brooms. Charley urged her posse on, but the realization was setting in fast. She cursed into the wind blowing her braid out behind her, she needed a broom, or a speed spell, or something!

At the rate the urchins could run, they weren't going to make it in time.

---

The following 1 user Likes Charley Goode's post:1 user Likes Charley Goode's post
   Bonnie Greyback

---

Writer Notes: Charley is a street urchin in both appearance and behavior, unless written otherwise here.
Interactions may reflect Victorian-era morals rather than modern sensibilities; this is allowed and acceptable to this writer.

The man spotted Blair standing in the end off the alleyway and turned to look at her. She tried to look imposing, strong stance, feet planted, make it look like attacking you isnt worth the aggro, that is what she had been taught when learning how to protect herself against... animals.

And this man was an animal. He shoved the other woman hard and down against the paving before twisting and standing to look at the red head. He wiped a little bit of blood from his cheek where his victim had managed to get a lucky scrape in. In the light it made him look quite macabre and he could very well have been one of the wolves they were after, were it not for the focused glint in his eye and the knife in his hand that he held menacingly.

"What you gonna do kid, why dont you just give me your purse then piss off." he glared. He was a big guy, in a ruined looking factory workers uniform and a shirt that was once almost white.

"Petrificus totalis she cast and the man just laughed as something blocked it.

"Now that wasnt very polite now, was it? Think I'd be hunting in Hogsmeade without taking a few... precautions, cant let some little shit take me down now can I." he laughed and rolled his shoulders, before breaking into a jog towards Blair.

The teen gasped and whipped their wand again "Lubricom" the floor suddenly appeared wet all around them. Blair felt her feet give way from beneath her, but more importantly the large man with his running momentum also hit the ground hard, sliding right by the now prone Ravenclaw. Sure she was down but he had hit the ground harder and space had opened up again to buy her some time while her recomposed himself and came back towards her with rage in his eyes. Getting to her feet, Blair should have run, got back on her broom and hid in the clouds but he was pissed off now and would almost certainly enact horrible vengeance on the woman he was already roughing up if Blair did not now stand between him and her. "Fuck, come on Charley."

---

Charley Goode
(In my head he has a couple of wards on him against the more common duelling spells kids might use)

The following 1 user Likes Bonnie Greyback's post:1 user Likes Bonnie Greyback's post
   Charley Goode

---

Bonnie is NB/GF but presents as a girl because she doesnt yet have a choice
Anyone who knows them, knows they prefer to be called Blair

Feet pounded on pavement with enough rat-a-tat to wake a regiment. Charley didn't actually care if the town woke up, it might do her some good. With more heads alert and hands raised to help them, their patrol might stand a chance against a wolf. She kept that in her head, holding back a reserve of air and energy to bellow at any of the townsfolk who might stick those drowsy heads of theirs out the windows.

Only if anyone else awake in Hogsmeade tonight cared enough to look out at their defenders.

The urchin and her posse weren't Ministry, and they sure weren't all grown up yet. Neither were liable to stop her, not even if grown Ministry sort showed up themselves. What her posse might have lacked in skill or experience —and Charley reckoned she had plenty of both, excepting when it came to werewolves themselves— could be made up for in courage. No one else was out here running the cobblestones, shushing hounds, and keeping order enough to keep alert for the sound of howls. What she and her companions really needed tonight wasn't so much help, it was speed.

"Can't right keep up this pace for much longer, " One of her posse observed, and he was right. Another chimed in, "Why don'tcha get up on the roofs ya like so much, Charley? Give us an idea of how close we are! "

"Or how far," she muttered with misery spreading up from her toes. Charley took stock of the nearest buildings, not so high now as in the center of town. Wouldn't take much to climb them in the daytime, or after a nice long rest in bed. Now, though, her pale skin turned almost deathly at the sight. No matter how sore, the urchin couldn't help but agree, "It's a clever thought, might've had it myself if we weren't runnin' so hard. How come I en't the one followin' you, Artie?"

"'Cuz yer taller and ya got those ballerina legs. "

Charley glared when the others giggled, but it was a good jest. She'd give it to him this time, when there were more pressing issues. Like just how to get up to a roof without winding herself. The urchin might have asked someone to levitate her up, but she didn't much like the feeling of falling the whole time without a rope or broom to hold her up. Her quiet let Artie chimed in again, pulling out his wand like someone remembered they were wizards at last.

"Don't climb it yet, Charley, try this trick I figured out, " Artie said excitedly, and pointed at the ground in front of the building with a word of magic, "Spongify! Now jump on it. "

At the flash of the spell, the urchin finally figured out what Artie had in mind with his trick. She backed up a few steps, and flashed him with a toothy grin, one he could surely catch in the moonlight. Then Charley took a running start and a leap of faith, to land on the patch of scrub charmed into a spontaneous springboard.

Up she flew, faster than climbing for sure. Sticking the landing was the hard part, and Charley caught it on one knee. It smarted as she stood up to a round of cheers from below. She was too busy looking out across the town, but doffed her cap just to show her appreciation anyway. Ahead of them stretched blocks and blocks left to cover, sinking her heart just to look at it.

And then it bounced back just like Artie's charm had done to her.

"Get yerselves up here, we're taking the high-way!" Charley shouted down at them, pulling out her wand to beckon with. It was a useful thing, being a witch, and even more useful in the dead of night with no one to tell her naught for using her skills. Someone might have had a fit with what the urchin planned for the town, but not tonight. Taking aim at the rooftop below her, she applied the same softening charm to the shingles at the edge of it, just far enough away from the next building to be a hard leap for the smaller sort like Artie.

Then she charmed the next roof, and the one after that. By the time others joined her, Charley had a trail ready for them to leapfrog across. "Now follow me!" she shouted, and gave herself a good bounce toward the next roof.

Without the night's urgency, this would have been nothing but joyful fun. Charley felt the thrill of it each time she launched herself toward the next roof, and each time she glanced down just in case Blair was underneath, unable to send them another signal. When she came upon the alleyway of her companion's greatest need, the urchin didn't hesitate to bounce right down onto the cobblestones behind her.

The rest of her posse bounced down around them, filling in ranks that traded giggles and smiles for glares and raised wands instead. A serious tone came out of Charley, whose longer tongue made her a better leader than the length of her legs. "Didn't get yerself bit, didja Blair? This one of 'em, then? Forget yer fur or summat?"

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The following 1 user Likes Charley Goode's post:1 user Likes Charley Goode's post
   Bonnie Greyback

---

Writer Notes: Charley is a street urchin in both appearance and behavior, unless written otherwise here.
Interactions may reflect Victorian-era morals rather than modern sensibilities; this is allowed and acceptable to this writer.

Blair heard and saw the posse dropping down beside her and it was only them that the teen realised just how ragged her breathing was and how fast her heart was beating. The man opposite them had returned to his feet but now confronted with several more witches he was hesitating and his bravado was quickly fading.

"Nope, no bites. I don't think this guy is anything as dignified as a werewolf." there was hatred in her eyes toward the man, a common thug who might be mistaken for something more than he was.

"Alright girls, no need to all your pants in a twist, ain't nothing to see here, just a little private business, but i'm done now and I'll be on my way shall I?"

He was trying to smooth talk his way out of all this now, outnumbered by the teenager's, he was perhaps thinking his preparatory wards were not going to be enough once they started peppering him with spells. Blair was keeping a very close eye on him and her dogwood wand tracked him as she spoke. "No wolves out tonight Charley, but what to you think? I dont want to just let him go but yeah... we kinda have to." she said slightly defeated at the situation.

"Repulso!" his wand appeared from his sleeve and a wave knocked Blair and a couple of the others down. The man, hoping he had distracted the group enough, turned his tail and began running down the street away from them. There was opening for them to cast at him in the back but Blair had dropped her wand and it would now be someone else's call.

---

Charley Goode

The following 1 user Likes Bonnie Greyback's post:1 user Likes Bonnie Greyback's post
   Charley Goode

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Bonnie is NB/GF but presents as a girl because she doesnt yet have a choice
Anyone who knows them, knows they prefer to be called Blair