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whoisleft-rp · 6 years

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A WAR ON FOUR FRONTS: THE QUADRUPLE ATTACK OF JULY 1977

This is a big one, y’all. Strap in.

THE BIG PICTURE

The war is upon the wizarding world, there’s no denying it, as much as the Ministry tries to brush it under the proverbial rug. It has always threatened to spill out into the muggle world, what with how close the two societies really are, even if it’s unknown to the muggles themselves. The attack on the muggle village near Hogsmeade was easily dismissed as rogue attackers, simply contained with a few memory erasing charms. It was a small town, in line with the other small attacks happening throughout the United Kingdom. It wasn’t London, it wasn’t anywhere important.

Tonight, it was London. Wizarding and Muggle.

It seemed as though the Death Eaters were relatively quiet for a while, carrying out precision strikes and contained acts of terror when it suited them best. Their newly strengthened ranks, topped up with recent Hogwarts alums and new imports from other countries starting to hear more and more whispers of the man named Voldemort, kept to themselves. Training. Waiting for their next big moment, whenever their Dark Lord deemed it time to pounce.

The strikes carried out on London began at precisely half past 8PM, during a busy summer evening. Diagon Alley was packed full of restaurant (and pub) seekers and shoppers alike, the Ministry of Magic was still bustling with late night workers filtering in and out of the massive building, St. Mungo’s full of patients, healers, family members alike, some recovering from illnesses or even attacks from the weeks previous. Piccadilly Circus, that lively heart of Muggle West London, was sparkling and alive with musicians, street performers, and the typical busy London crowd.

An explosion outside the Ministry. A pack of werewolves, two nights short of a full moon and blindly following their leader, Fenrir Greyback, spilling onto the streets of Diagon Alley. A coordinated infiltration of St. Mungo’s, Death Eaters in uniform and civilian clothes alike searching for something, or someone. And an all-out show of havoc and chaos in the middle of an unsuspecting night of Muggle entertainment, spells and curses bouncing every which way.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

There were four attacks in four separate locations, in order to cause maximum damage. Here is what happened in each locality:

St. Mungo's Hospital For Magical Maladies And Injuries

The Death Eaters, some masked and some more under the radar, entered the hospital: spells used to incapacitate, not kill, were mainly being employed, mostly to promote chaos and panic as the hidden followers of the Dark Lord made their way toward the apothecary section of the hospital.

Potions and potion ingredients were stolen in mass quantities, some simply broken, along with a fair amount of the hospital’s secured storage of blood for various medical and research purposes.

A famous current patient, Alonso Smethwyck, was being held in a private wing - The Black Wing, no less - on the top floor. Smethwyck, a popular author and radio personality, had been making waves as a vocal proponent of muggleborn integration, and many suspect that his recent hospitalization had been caused by a none-too-subtle attempt at poisoning to shut him up. The masked Death Eaters left a path of chaos and injuries on their way up to his room, where his current fate is unknown.

Diagon Alley

The Death Eaters were not alone for this raid - they were accompanied by none other than Death Eater hopeful Fenrir Greyback and (most of) his pack of rabid werewolves. Despite the fact that the full moon is still a few nights away, these werewolves take pride in their round-the-calendar dedication to all things lupine and savage. Their teeth are filed to sharp points, their nails are grown out long, and they’ve been trained, by Greyback and society’s attitude itself, to hate the wizarding world that turned its back upon them.

Several powerful Death Eaters, dressed in their normal every day robes, joined in the chaos and panic of the crowds - only to magically block the barrier between Diagon Alley and Muggle London. It wasn’t particularly hard in the mass hysteria with enough people pushing and shoving anyway; while witches and wizards could apparate away it’s not the preferred method of transportation for many, so the crowds would be pushing towards shops and houses with floo capabilities, or simply pushing until the barrier broke and they could escape the bloodthirsty attackers.

There are bodies on the ground, families being separated: this is an attack to distract the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic and Saint Mungo’s as much as possible, but it is dangerous.

There is also the problem of being unable to move: apparation has been disabled for the time being, thanks to some tricky Charms work, and the barrier between muggle London and Diagon Alley has been disabled for the time being. This typically safe haven has been turned into a lock box and that can only have poor implications.

The Ministry of Magic

The Ministry was a predictable target and has been a goal of the Death Eaters for a long time now. Thanks to some well-placed inside sources, the defensive spells proved to be no trouble to blow past. Masked Death Eaters took the building quickly, who made beelines for prominent offices and to block the exits.

Just like Diagon Alley, the human Death Eaters weren’t alone–– some werewolves dedicated to the cause of destruction tagged along, with an agenda of their own. They cut a clear path to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and made quick work of destroying the werewolf registry.

Because the defenses were breached so easily, the Ministry defaulted to its backup plan: a lockdown. Although masked assailants and werewolves are still in the building and actively causing destruction, the Ministry is trying to handle the chaos with their usual brand of ineffective bureaucracy. They’re asking for work badges and identification from anyone passing, corralling them into ineffective lines and detaining anyone who can’t prove that they’re an innocent employee on the spot.

Piccadilly Circus

Ah, muggle London. Near enough to Diagon Alley, but decidedly non-magical, so they shouldn’t have anything to worry about, right? Wrong.

The Death Eaters have grown tired of only torturing and frightening their own; they’re ready to exercise control over what they deem to be the weaker class of people. The chaos has bubbled over into the popular tourist-dotted square, with double decker busses knocked over and unfamiliar sparks flying through the air.

There is no subtlety being exercised here–– destruction is the name of the game, and the Death Eaters are sick and tired of hiding it. They’re firing at will, on wizards and muggles alike. This attack is less concentrated than the others, since it’s chaos for chaos’s sake...but that makes it all the more dangerous.

The nearby entrance to Diagon Alley has been sealed off; even those who can make it to the Leaky Cauldron in time won’t be able to make it through the familiar brick barrier, or get to those on the other side trying to get out.

THE RULES

At the bottom, all of your characters have been split up into the four locations that were attacked. It’s up to you to decide why they were in those locations and what happens to them during the attack. You can also write self-paras, etc.

Interact and plot with the other characters in your groups. These are the people your character has been thrown together with in the blind chaos. We encourage you to have fun with this event: all current characters are now sixth years and above, more than capable of engaging in a bit of dueling or trying to help other bystanders out of the fray… or, depending on who your character is, joining in the fun.

We will be posting a Part Two of this event that takes place immediately after the attacks end, or at least start getting wrapped up - at that point you may post more open starters and plot with the people in other groups and move your characters around the chosen locations for the fallout. This event is DURING the attack itself, so feel free to really get into the fray.

Use the tag WhoIsLeftAttack for starters taking place during the attack, as well as WhoIsLeftMungo, WhoIsLeftDiagon, WhoIsLeftPiccadilly, or WhoIsLeftMinistry for each of the specific locations!

Starters can be posted between now and 11:59pm on Wednesday, November 22nd. We know people are busy/in and out of hiatus, so we wanna give everyone enough time to plot and throw starters up!

As always, please remember to reply to already posted starters as well as writing your own!

THE GROUPS

HOSPITAL

Andromeda Black

Ted Tonks

Bellatrix Black

Davey Gudgeon

Evan Rosier

Simone Selwyn

DIAGON ALLEY

Mundungus Fletcher

Lucinda Talkalot

Rodolphus Lestrange

Galvin Gudgeon

Alecto Carrow

Diana Greengrass

Rabastan Lestrange

Marlene McKinnon

MINISTRY

Sirius Black

Narcissa Black

Davina Minchum

Antonin Dolohov

Emma Vanity

Benjy Fenwick

Ava Avery

PICCADILLY CIRCUS

Remus Lupin

Mary Macdonald

Gladys Gudgeon

Charity Burbage

Regulus Black

Dorcas Meadowes

Lily Evans

#whoisleftevent #marauders rp #hp rp #lsrp #this was a monster y'all

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anywherewecan-blog · 7 years

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Plan a Harry Potter-Themed Trip to Edinburgh

New Post has been published on http://anywherewecan.com/2017/03/12/plan-a-harry-potter-trip-to-edinburgh/

Plan a Harry Potter-Themed Trip to Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a city with a story to tell. It has a literary history that spans from Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Louis Stevenson to contemporary authors Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith. But no local writer is as beloved around the world as J.K. Rowling, who created The Boy Who Lived in the Scottish capital.

In each chapter of the Harry Potter series, Rowling weaved the sights of Edinburgh into the fabric of the wizarding world. From the towering tofts (tall medieval buildings) and narrow wynds (lanes) of the Old Town to the soaring spires of local schools, this cityscape plays a role in every book.

Harry Potter fans should plan a visit to Edinburgh’s cobbled neighbourhoods to soak in the charm—there’s a reminder of the magic of the series around every corner.

Spoon

This cheerful, second-floor cafe (previously called Nicolson’s Cafe, now under new ownership) is where J.K. Rowling first penned Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). A struggling single mother living on welfare, Rowling chose this writing spot as an affordable reprieve from her frigid apartment. The former owners gave Rowling the space to write all day for the cost of one espresso. On a walk into Old Town, stop at Spoon for lunch—their soup of the day is the perfect balm for dreary Scottish weather.

Greyfriars Kirkyard

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Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Greyfriars Kirkyard (“kirk” is Scots for “church”) is an unorthodox landmark with an extra draw for Harry Potter fans. An eerie graveyard at the Southern edge of the Old Town, the cemetery is famous for an unlikely four-legged resident, Greyfriars Bobby, a terrier that spent 14 years at the grave of its owner in the 19th century.

This spooky setting is also the rumored home of a poltergeist and houses the grave of Thomas Riddell—whose name bears a similarity to Voldemort’s birth name. While writing the series at Spoon and the Elephant House (another local coffee shop), Rowling often took short strolls between the graves in Greyfriars. The names on the tombstones seeped into the narrative of the series. Harry Potter fans can find Ridell’s 211-year-old tombstone here, as well as a tomb labeled McGonagall.

Candlemaker Row

To get to Greyfriars Kirkyard, visitors need to cross an adjacent street that winds down to the Grassmarket. This simple, narrow lane—dotted with offbeat shops, small student pubs, and worn signs—is supposedly the inspiration for Diagon Alley. Add an Ollivander’s wand shop, and it could easily pass for the wizarding world.

Candlemaker Row isn’t without controversy. Some local Potterheads argue that neighboring Victoria Street is a closer approximation of Rowling’s imagery. Fans should check out Victoria Street too—it’s right around the corner.

George Heriot’s School

Located in the same neighbourhood as Candlemaker Row and Greyfriars Kirkyard, the exterior of this imposing school resembles a well-fortified castle. Built in the Renaissance style and adorned with a coat of arms carved into its stone facade, George Heriot’s School is the likely muse for Hogwarts castle. From Rowling’s perch at local coffee shops and jaunts around the neighbourhood, she could see this towering school. Tourists are only allowed on site for select events during the Edinburgh Arts Festival, but it’s easy to sneak a glimpse of this magnificent building from Greyfriars Kirkyard or through its iron gate on Lauriston Place.

The Balmoral Hotel

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Adrian Houston / Courtesy of The Balmoral Hotel

There are a few gorgeous hotels in Edinburgh, but the Balmoral Hotel is the crown jewel of this city. With sweeping views of Princes Street, Calton Hill, and Arthur’s Seat, it stands out as the epitome of Scottish luxury. When Rowling needed a place to finish the seventh book of the series (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), she chose a suite in one of the hotel’s high turrets. Rowling left her mark by signing—or vandalizing—a bust in the space. Now aptly named the J.K. Rowling suite, the space has a steep price tag.

If you can’t splurge on a one-night stay, spend the night in a charming apartment in the heart of the Old Town, and make a reservation for high tea at the Balmoral Hotel’s Palm Court. Book afternoon tea a few weeks in advance, and soak up the grandeur that surrounded Rowling during her final push to complete the series.

Holyrood Park

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Getty Images/iStockphoto

The rocky cliffs in Holyrood Park evoke the wild, untamed landscape that serves as the fictional setting for Hogwarts Castle in the Scottish Highlands. A brisk walk up the steep slope of the highest peak, Arthur’s Seat, yields panoramic views of the park’s lochs (lakes), medieval ruins, and windswept hills.

This landscape is so akin to the setting Rowling describes in the books that it’s easy to imagine the seven-story-high Hogwarts towering over a valley in the park. Visitors can finish their trek down the back of the mountain in the quaint village of Duddingston, home to Scotland’s oldest pub, the Sheep Heid Inn (“heid” is Scots for “head”). Although the name of this pub resembles Rowling’s Hogs Head in Hogsmeade, it more closely resembles the Three Broomsticks—but without the Butterbeer.

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