9 Sept 1895 - This Rally, High Street

Now that he’d been pushed out of the ministry thanks to the stupid bitch Skeeter outing herself, Leo wasn’t sure what to do with his time. It wasn’t he and Murdock had clients just yet, they were just setting up the office and getting things settled, so he had a lot more time on his hands than he was used to. Being in London was a drag because all his feet wanted to do was take him to work, so he decided a change of pace was in order and headed to Hogsmeade – which was a huge mistake.

The latest broadside had been shoved in his face without warning: a stupid flyer shrieking about women for DMLE leadership. Leo didn’t even make it halfway through before his mouth twisted into a sneer.

“Empathy? Compassion? Household management? Half of these women have servants who run their households.” His hand gripped the parchment tightly before he ripped it in two and crumpled it in his fist. He’d be damned to see a woman take his place – losing it because of an idiotic woman was bad enough! He thought that would be the end of it, except there were a few more posted along the wall, fluttering smugly in the late afternoon breeze. Leo’s lips curled.

With a quick flick of his wand, and a low hiss of incantation, orange flame licked up the edges of one, then another. By the time he reached the last, the paper had already blackened into ash, curling away into the cobblestones.“Women in charge of DMLE? What’s next, kneazles running the Auror Office?”

---

Barnabas Skeeter

---

The following 2 users Like Timoleon Maxime's post:2 users Like Timoleon Maxime's post
   Barnabas Skeeter, Charley Goode

---

MJ made this masterpiece<3

Barnabas looked up in alarm. Only something large and disastrous could block out the sun like that—perhaps a dragon, or even a—and then he realized that it was paper. Hundreds, if not thousands, of them fluttered through the sky, plastering themselves to roofs, windows, and the people below. The startled curse in his throat was interrupted as a fistful of flyers was shoved at his chest. Whoever the first had belonged to had already disappeared into the crowd.

Nearby, a man (one he recognized as Timoleon Maxime) had begun to set the flyers nearby alight with his wand, the distaste in his expression clear as day. That couldn't be a good sign. His surprise ratcheted up to alarm. What the devil? Barnabas quickly scanned what had been written that had angered his superior—no, previous superior—to this extent. The moment the message registered, he immediately dropped the papers and kicked them away with his shoe. There was no way in hell he was going to be accused of supporting that nonsense.

The question Maxime had posed was likely rhetorical, but that didn't stop him from responding with an annoyed, "It must be a prank cooked up by some bored delinquents." There was no reason to take these seriously, after all. Women were foolish, but they weren't this foolish, right?

The following 1 user Likes Barnabas Skeeter's post:1 user Likes Barnabas Skeeter's post
   Timoleon Maxime

---

Barnabas walks with a cane. Set by Lady.

Leo turned his gaze toward the man who answered him – Skeeter. Another damn Skeeter in his proximity. He couldn’t help but scowl at him, though before he could open his mouth, the flyers that he had burnt suddenly filled the wall again, the charred scraps he’d reduced to ash knitting themselves whole again. Only this time, they didn’t stop. One became two, then four, then a veritable cascade of parchment blooming across the wall until every stone was smothered in proclamations.

He let out a short, humorless laugh. Someone put craft into this. Someone wanted the words to be seen, no matter how stupid they sounded. Leo ripped one down from the wall and crumpled it before he tossed it to the ground next to the ones still at Skeeter’s feet. Another sheet drifted loose from the wall and plastered itself across his sleeve. He ripped it free with a jerk of his wrist, the paper splitting in half.

“This isn’t a stupid amateur trick.” He growled, gaze flicking toward Skeeter, narrowing. “It’s deliberate, crafted to fester. Like a disease.” And women would be just that if one were to take charge of the ministry. “We need a spell to stop them from multiplying. No one here needs to be subjected to such… filth.”

---

The following 1 user Likes Timoleon Maxime's post:1 user Likes Timoleon Maxime's post
   Barnabas Skeeter

---

MJ made this masterpiece<3

Maxime regarded Barnabas with his typical frown of disdain. He was used to it—that was just how his face looked. Curiously, he had barked out a laugh and then tore at more of the sheets. Even if this weren't a prank (Barnabas still believed it was), the intensity of his reaction had taken the shorter man aback. It was an annoyance, certainly. A distasteful one, even. Calling it a disease seemed like a stretch. Perhaps Maxime was having an episode. Tensions were high, and maybe he was taking the flyers a bit personally given... well, everything.

Certainly the flyers were ridiculous, but he had hardly put any stock into it. No one with half a brain would take them seriously. Clearly, Maxime disagreed. Part of him wanted to make his excuses and sidle away, to leave the general public to deal with the menace, but the responsible, Ministry part of him knew that he ought to keep an eye on the situation. Maxime was volatile and who knew what else he would do.

"They didn't start multiplying like that until you shot flames at them," He pointed out dryly, knocking flyers from the air to the ground with the end of his cane, "If you stop doing that, that would make a difference."

  

---

Barnabas walks with a cane. Set by Lady.