Welcome to Charming, where swirling petticoats, the language of flowers, and old-fashioned duels are only the beginning of what is lying underneath…
After a magical attempt on her life in 1877, Queen Victoria launched a crusade against magic that, while tidied up by the Ministry of Magic, saw the Wizarding community exiled to Hogsmeade, previously little more than a crossroad near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the years that have passed since, Hogsmeade has suffered plagues, fires, and Victorian hypocrisy but is still standing firm.
Thethe year is now 1895. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
Complete a thread started and set every month for twelve consecutive months. Each thread must have at least ten posts, and at least three must be your own.
Did You Know?
Did you know? Jewelry of jet was the haute jewelry of the Victorian era. — Fallin
I wasn't sure how to address this letter, so sorry about that — it's weird putting your whole name on something but I wasn't sure if I said 'C. Lestrange' or 'Mr. Lestrange' that it wouldn't go to one of your relatives, who — I'm guessing are not terribly interested in attending a Muggle seance.
Sorry, too, about the delay — chaperoning sisters is more time consuming than I'd thought it would be and between that and work I haven't had much time to go prowling around London for a good haunted house. But now I have - so here are some options:
— there's a manor in Derry that apparently has all sorts of haunted things happening, and you can stay overnight for the Muggle equivalent of 10 sickles;
— there's a woman in London called Madam Mortema (which is a little on the nose, don't you think?) who has audiences every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights where she talks to dead relations, allegedly;
— there's a parlor seance in London with a crystal ball and mystic candles and things where they attempt to actually summon a ghost to appear before you (which is impossible, but Muggles don't know that, so it's obviously hilarious)
What do you think?
Oh — and good luck with your Quidditch match tomorrow.
That's a fair bet; C. Lestrange may have gotten you my brother Claudius, and I think he would have been fairly confused by the whole premise here. You can use Cash Lestrange though, I very rarely get Cassius.
These options seem very good. I think all sound very amusing first-off, but probably the first is most interesting? Do you have a preference?
Thanks for the well-wishes; I'm on my way to the stadium after sending you this. I hope your weekend is enjoyable.
If we're on comfortable enough terms to use nicknames, you ought to know people who know me well only call me Fortitude when they're trying to be obnoxious. Mostly it's Ford (though if you address a letter as F. Greengrass I'm the only one, so write whichever you like on the letters).
I'd love to go to Derry with you. Honestly, it would be nice to get away from the house, just for a night — we moved to Hogsmeade to be closer to everything, but it's a little smaller than what we're used to, before our father died. And I've heard the Derry place is a proper manor, except the grounds have all been parceled off now that it's empty — but nice and big, anyway, so it should be fun. When do you want to go?
I had wondered whether or not you had a shortening of Fortitude. Ford is better, I think - is that rude? I do think Cash is significantly better than Cassius, for what it's worth.
But perfect, Derry it is. Honestly, even if haunted manors are over-exaggerated, I do think that empty manors are unsettling enough that the atmosphere will be there, regardless.
I have a party to attend tomorrow, but I can do Wednesday or Thursday this week - or any day before Friday next week. Whatever works best for you.
No, it's not rude at all. Fortitude is awful. There are a lot of things about my mother that I don't understand, but her inclination towards virtue names is definitely on the list. My siblings are Noble, Verity, Grace, and Clementine (aunt Clemency was already taken or else that might've been her).
I made a reservation for Thursday. If you want to meet in The Three Broomsticks we can floo to Derry and then walk to the manor — it's about a mile so not too bad if the weather holds, or we could try to hire a coach if you'd rather, but I don't know how you feel about hiring Muggles for things like that. I mean, I don't mind it, but it does mean we have to go lay hands on some of their money, which can be a little trickier than you'd think, sometimes.
My sisters have a lot of excellent qualities, but among their faults: they all, apparently, read Witch Weekly. So it was in my house this morning, and your name was on the cover. Take a look. They made special note of your "striking blue eyes."
Are you a fan of Edgar Allen Poe?
F. Greengrass
Enclosed: this article, torn out of the magazine a little haphazardly; some of the words in the margin may be missing.
You mean you're not always whimsical on the Quidditch pitch? I'm disappointed.
I haven't read those ones, only some of his poetry — and none that features any detectives, that I'm aware of. If you liked them, though, maybe I'll see if I can find a copy. It probably won't surprise you to know that I've read a lot of Muggle books.
Well, maybe a very particular subtype of whimsy — it's a little whimsical to stay up all night rummaging through an abandoned manor in the Irish countryside, but a little less so when it's a haunted house, I think. Maybe if we'd been looking for pixies or exotic flowers instead of trip wires and hidden phonographs.
I'll keep an eye out for the book next time I'm at the library. Would you maybe want to come to dinner, sometime?
Perhaps Witch Weekly is right, and I bring a mixture of whimsy and maudlin to to the table.
Sure, that sounds enjoyable. Let me know when would work for you - weekdays tend to be better for me with the Quidditch season, but I can do evenings we do not have a game.
Great! I'll be perfectly honest, I don't keep up with the Quidditch schedule that often — I only knew about your match last month because it was in the papers so much with the new charms and all. So probably a week-day would be safer. Next week is sort of short notice, but something in the 15th - 18th window?
I feel like perhaps there's something else I ought to ask you... like if you're deathly allergic to any foods, or if you have a favorite kind of dessert, or something. I haven't done this in a long time (being in mourning and all), so I'll have to go tell my cook and see what she yells at me about to know what I should have asked. I'll get back to you.
I won't hold the Quidditch thing against you. Is the 17th all right?
I am not deathly (or mildly) allergic to any foods, either, and I don't think I have a favorite dessert? Let me know what questions your cook has and I can try my best to answer.
The 17th is great. Here's the address, feel free to come by floo if you prefer that to the front door: [address] I'll see you then, if we don't run into each other in the club in the meantime.
