Why life is always weird....(Open)

The only thing Allura ever daydreamed about any more was bringing down the Order of the Phoenix. It was rotten and broken and she was sure that Dumbledore was turning in his grave. The first thing she would need was a support network. At least part of Sezincote could help with that; Allura wasn't stupid and she knew most of the more brilliant minds working for the institute took advantage of their access to the facilities for their "hobbies", anyway. With a little persuasion, they would happily put her in touch with the "right kind of people."

Then, she'd just have to get some sort of contact with the outside -!

"Oh, sorry! I didn't see you there."

Allura had walked straight into a girl who'd stopped to look in a shop window. The girl looked a little familiar, in fact, but Allura didn't have time to dwell as she gathered her bags (checking to see that the Slug and Jigger's logo was well concealed).

Really, people ought to be more considerate. You don't just stop dead in the centre of a busy footpath when people are planning revenge.

April had been staring at the lovely clothing on the otherside of the window wishing that she had the money to own them. She of course was no paying attention to the people around her and was knocked into. April automaticly turned around, after getting her balance back, to see who had run into her. She could see that it was a girl around her age. "Oh are you ok? I'm sorry I didn't realize. My name is April it's nice to meet you." April said to the girl hearing the immpatience in her voice. April knew that one wrong move and the conversation could go bad.

Khaat exited the muggle pet shop in London after finding a baby purple pygmy puff in a cage with a bunch of baby hamsters. The pet shop owner had been embaressed by the little purple ball of fluff and could only guess that someone had been nasty enough to have dyed the baby "hamster" purple. He was glad to get rid of it because he hadn't been able to sell it, not even as damaged goods. Khaat had just paid a few muggle pence for it. She had every intention of taking it home to her mother in Cornwall--a quick apparation there and back again--but not from a London street.

As she started to walk down the street, hiding the tiny furball in her hand, she saw a couple of young women striking up a conversation only a couple of doors ahead of where she was walking. Just about the time she got to them, the pygmy puff bit her, nipping the palm of her hand. "Why you little buggar!" she laughed, not realizing she'd spoken out loud. She saw she'd been right next to the two young women. "Um... my mistake..." Khaat stammered, "my..hamster..it bit me. So sorry to interrupt you." The little puff began its characteristic squeaking sound that sounded like a very distinctive chirping sound that only a witch of a wizard would recognize. "Um...my hamster...must be hungry,"she said awkwardly.

April was just about to say some more to the girl that bumped into her but she then heard a familiour sound. She turned to see where the noise had come from and she saw a girl with a pygme puff in her hand. "Oh it's ok. I like you little pygme puff. It's so cute. I've always liked them." April said to the girl knowing that girl was unsure if April and the other girl was a witch or not. Come to think of it April was unsure if the girl who had bumped into her was a witch either. So April just waited to see how any one of them would react.

Khaat laughed, relaxing a little, "The owner thought he was a hamster that someone just dyed purple. I couldn't just leave him there. I only paid a couple of pence because the muggle that had him waned to be rid of him. I thought I'd take him back to the school. Somebody has to be interested in raising him. Oh, by the way, I'm Khaat. Sorry for bumping into you. I think he startled me when he nipped me. He's either hungry or he has a little bitty temper."

For the love of Merlin, why couldn't she get away from these people? It didn't matter where she went, someone was there to remind her of that horrible night.

"For God's sake, Khaat, I'm not disillusioned, am I? Just because I had the good sense to abandon ship before it sank doesn't mean you get to treat me like I don't exist."

The pygmy puff might have had an itty bitty temper, but Allura had a full size one.

Okay, calm down. Not in front of the muggles.

"The Prophet says Ne'os got arrested for murder. How're they taking that back at the house?"

"I'm sorry?" Khaat frowned. She looked at the aggitated girl, puzzled about what she was talking about. She gathered she was upset about Neos Emof. Khaat understood that. She didn't like the boy's circumstances either. But as a member of the Wizengamot she could not discuss the trial or its defendant.

Allura nodded. She didn't notice Khaat's confusion, after all, what was there to be confused about?

"You should be, so should they all be. I hate to say I told you so, but a man who makes..."

She glanced at the other girl once again. Where did she know her from?

"who makes that sort of magic shouldn't be sitting in on our most intimate plans and discussions.

Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that it's fortunate that I ran into you. Even if you don't see it now, you'll soon realise the... group is rotten inside and out. When you do, look for the Ddraig Goch."

She didn't wait for an answer. She didn't want one. Khaat was a smart woman, and she had a higher investment in the Order than most of the other members. Though, to be honest, Allura had thought that of Hermione, and look what happened there.

By the time these thoughts had flitted through her head, she was already well down the street and wondering whether buying her lunch would be worth the effort of waiting for a table in the cafe. Oh well, that's what confunding charms were for, no?

Khaat looked back at the first woman and shrugged slightly, to brush the incident off, at least on the outside. Khaat looked at the beautiful dresses in the store window that the woman was looking at. She saw a beautifl gold dress and another done in a jewel tone shade of sapphire blue. "You know," Khaat said, "with your lovely face and figure, you'd look perfect in either of those for the Yule Ball. "