Fireworks again (Sydney)

Christmas was on its way to the Wizarding Britain, and in Hogsmeade it was seen especially clear. Colorful signs, magical lanterns, and unbelievable amount of music and singing. Honeydukes was full of customers, buying sweet supplies for the holidays, in Three Broomsticks it was crowded as well, as people gathered together under the influence of Christmas spirit (or just a thirst for Butterbear.) One could smell Christmas in the air (quite literally, considering the amount of magical powder-like smells, created by various fireworks), the smell of merry celebration and managed mischief. It was a kind of atmosphere Evan missed a lot, since his expulsion from Hogwarts. Back then, he had always wanted to be alone and watch all this holiday madness from afar, but now, Evan would prefer to walk the streets of Hogsmeade with his friends, eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and lighting sparklers.

Looking at falling snow and celebrating crowds, Evan entered Zonko's Joke Shop to buy some fireworks to later launch them alone, somewhere near the Shrieking Shack. From above, looking down at Hogsmeade and realizing that isn't much welcomed there anymore, too old for students, not boring enough for adults.. that sounded like a good plan for the evening. Nostalgia and sadness. But a bright sadness, a sadness that rings back memories and makes one feel calm. And several sickles weren't a really big price for that. Moreover, Evan was about to learn what kind of fireworks were popular at the moment, maybe it would worth an article, after all. Analyzing firework market for the last several years sounded like a good material, so this visit wouldn't be a waste in any case.

This place had led to his expulsion once, but Evan didn't hold any grudge against it. He walked to a counter and leaned on it, trying to locate the owner. It probably was the girl, explaining something about safety to a group of students. And, on a closer inspection.. it was the Ravenclaw drama girl, whose name Evan couldn't remember. That meant she wasn't fired after the Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs incident two years ago, that nearly led to a death of a student. Good news, it would be a shame to ruin girl's life this way. "Hello?" Evan called her, when the safety talk with students was over. "Sales are the best not long before Christmas, aren't they?"

Sydney was giving instructions to a group of young students on the safety of her products when she heard the door open. As soon as she finished her talk, she heard a voice. She turned and smiled as she saw her old friend, well kind of friend, they had been in the same house at Hogwarts. And she had heard he had been expelled after using her products as a prank. "Hello Evan. Here to buy more death weapons?" She said sarcastically before smiling.

When he mentioned sales being up she nodded, "They definitely are. Its why I love Christmas as much as I do." She began sorting the items on the shelves and fixed a few crooked mistletoe and wreaths around the shop, "Anyway, How can I help you, Evan?" She asked, turning to face him, her hand on her hip the way she had always done in school. She pushed a strand of bright blonde hair out of her face and smiled at him as she waited for his answer. She was pretty damn sure he hadnt come just to talk to her. So he had to have some sort of reason for entering her shop.

As the shop girl mentioned buying death weapons, Evan sighed and muttered under his breath, "Seems like everyone knows. They could at least keep this private." For some reason he assumed that the girl wasn't able to get to this idea herself. This was pretty normal for Evan to consider himself the only being on Earth capable of rational thinking. "But yes, I would gladly buy some death weapons if you had any," he smiled. "But it would be okay to buy just fireworks as well. Not as cool, but definitely safer." But it wasn't safety that determined his reluctance to use weapons of all sorts, it was the absence of the real enemy. Lots of people pissed him off, but no one deserved a good firework present these days. The only person who was bad enough in Evan's opinion was Alek, but it would be dumb to use the same trick twice anyway.

"Such a mercantile reason to like Christmas," Evan grinned at girl's comment about sales. He didn't bother to write this fact about sales down, because it was too obvious. But he could try to learn something more specific, something that worth opening a notebook and order a quill to write. "How can you help me indeed?" he grinned widely. "Well, if you told me about modern tendencies of firework sales, I would be more than grateful. I don't need the whole picture, just a couple of things about your shop would be alright." And, since it was rare (in Evan's opinion, with all his prejudice towards commerce) for people involved in trade to do something for free, Evan proposed a deal. "The more you tell me, the more I buy. Sounds like a business, huh?" The sweet part was that he wasn't going to sign anything or cast any spells. So, technically, Evan could just hear the whole story of Whiz-Bangs underworld dealings, and then buy just a couple of simple fireworks. In this case, the girls would get something better than a couple of galleons: she would get a tough and useful life lesson.

Sydney listened to the boys propostion. She thought about then decided it couldnt hurt to tell him about the history of the product she sold. She jumped up onto the counter and cleared her throat, "Gather around dear child, and listen to my tale." She laughed and smiled before begining to tell him.

"Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs (also known as Wildfired Whizz-Bangs) are enchanted fireworks created by Fred and George Weasley. They are part of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes range of products. They are unstoppable fireworks that are charmed to explode when struck with a Stunning Spell, and to multiply by ten when hit with a Vanishing Charm. They include shocking-pink Catherine wheels, fire-breathing dragons, sparklers that spell out profanity, rockets with long tails of silver stars and firecrackers. When any two types collide, they make new kinds such as flying silver and pink pigs.It cost nine Sickles and twenty-four Knuts. which you already know."

She took a deep breath and continued her story, "Now, the first use of the whiz bangs was quite an amusing feat. Fred and George set off their entire supply in April of 1996 as part of their rebellion against the authority of Dolores Umbridge, the High Inquisitor and new Headmistress. Chaos ensued, Umbridge was outraged, many other professors neglected to assist her, and other students were ecstatic. Even Hermione Granger, despite generally disapproving of the twins' antics as a Prefect, joined in congratulating Fred and George on the act. The twins received many orders for the Whiz-bangs after the display. If that does not give you a sense of pride, I dont know what will, kid."

After hearing the girl giving a long lecture on history of Whiz-bangs, Evan realized that his business plan backfired. Thrilled by the possibility to sell a lot of fireworks in exchange for some information, she decided to tell the journalist everything she knew, even if it was common knowledge. If Evan ever tried to include it in his material, he would probably hear something along these lines: "Thanks for quoting a popular book about events happened decades ago. Really good and up-to-date article. Now, you may go home and find another job, because you're fired."

Nothing the girl said fit The Daily Prophet indeed. And to give her a hint what he would like to hear about, Evan decided to open some cards. "I'm a journalist, you know. If you share some good newspaper-worth info, I can give this place a better reputation." "Or I can ruin it," he wanted to add, but didn't. Working as a journalist taught Evan to keep his mouth shut sometimes, even when the words he was about to say would sound cool or make him feel in charge. "Did someone famous buy fireworks here lately, for example?" Evan asked, in case the girl still hadn't realized what kind of information he needed. People tended to be dumb: most things in newspapers they cared about were gossip, scandals, and celebrities. And The Daily Prophet thrived on it. "I also need your full name to give you a credit in my article, if I hear anything worth to mention in the newspaper." It was a good plan to learn girl's name, in Evan's opinion: pretending to remember how she was called, and making it look he only needed the surname.

Sydney listened and tried to think for a bit. She saw so many faces, but one face stood out in particular over the last couple of week. "Actually, there was one well known person that was in her about two weeks ago. Maybe youve heard of them. Mackenzie Sawyer? Shes a well known singer in both the muggle and wizard world." She pushed her hair back and crossed her legs.

When Evan asked for her name she sighed. "Sydney Hale?" She said as if he should already know that. ANd he should have. Seeing as they were in the same house at Hogwarts for a few years before she graduated. She wasnt sure what he was playing at, but she had a feeling at had to do with more than just an interview.

She smoothed out her skirt and fixed her hair, "So whats it like working for the Daily Prophet?" She asked curiously. Wondering what the young boy had been up to since dropping out of Hogwart. Besides causing trouble and coming into her shop quite a bit.

Now they were talking. Mackenzie Sawyer. Although Evan didn't know this person, Prophet readers could, and it was the most important here. Satisfied with this scrap of information, he made made a gesture with the left hand, and a Quicker-Quotes Quill Q4 started its job, writing down the name and occupation of the aforementioned celebrity, along with some fictional details. It wasn't as fancy and fast as Quickest-Quotes Quills, which were gaining popularity these days among the snobbiest of journalists, but it was reliable and teal, and Evan liked this color. "They just don't make quills like this anymore," the dropout often told himself.

The Q-Q Q Q4 wrote:

MacKenzy Sawyer
Zonkoz Joke Shop
Three weeks ago
Muzician
Bought 12 sets of Whiz-Bangs, while being in disguise, in the middle of the night

As the quill finished its work, Evan examined the parchment and struck out the last line. This particular quill model had its own flaws, after all.

Sydney Hale. Right. Evan heard the name many times during his school years, but as any not very important information, it had never stayed in his memory for too long. But now he could at last call this girl by her name, until he forgot it again. The quill quickly wrote it down as a part of information on Mackenzie Sawyer, but Evan wasn't paying attention, he was answering girls's question. "So, Sydney, working for The Daily Prophet is great. I've been to many beautiful places and met many famous people." He leaned closer to the shop owner and whispered, "Most of them are arrogant idiots, though." It wasn't a good idea to bad-mouth respected people openly after all, so whisper was more than necessary.

In his usual tone, Evan continued, "When it's possible, I prefer to write about concepts and ideas than about people and events, to be honest. But, well, the target audience of The Daily Prophet has a bit different preferences." He sighed. "Do you have anything else interesting to say? Just remember, everything you say now can attract some customers later." To make his last comment seem more appealing, Evan winked. Or tried to wink, at least, since it wasn't a skill Evan had. Many would describe it as a lazy closing and opening of an eye. "Don't waste your chance to be on a front page of the most popular newspaper in Britain."

Sydney watched Evans quill scurry across his note pad, "I see you have one of those annoying quick quills." The quill stopped writing when she said that, as if it were glaring at her, "No offense." She said in the direction of the pen. It hesitated before continuing writing. She sighed and watched it scribble along the paper. Sydney looked up at Evan when he began talking again.

SHe noticed how much he had grown up since she had last seen him. He looked so different in a good way of course. When he leaned closer, she froze and then giggled softly at what he said. "I wouldnt say that too loud. You never know who might hear." She pushed a strand of light blonde hair behind her ear and smiled softly at him.

She listened as he talked about what he liked to write. "If you prefer a certain type of writing, why dont you talk to your boss, see if you can get more of those types of assignments?" She crossed her legs once more as she had uncrossed them before. When he winked at her she couldnt help but blush, "Im really not that good at interviews Evan." She thought for a moment but came up with absolutely nothing. Then something hit her brain. "Actually there is one more thing. Austin Sinclair was in here yesterday. Bought a few whizbangs for his little brother. Is that something you can use?"

As Sydney asked why hadn't Evan talked to his boss about more interesting assignments, he sighed, "Working for a newspaper is not about what you want to write, it's about what your target audience wants to read. Unless your're working for Quibbler: reporters have a lot of freedom there, but it's more like a small family business: it's difficult to get there, and salaries aren't that great." Evan went through other newspapers he could work for, and added, "It's still much better than Witch Weekly, though."

The longer Evan talked to the girl, the clearer he realized how much he missed a friendly company. He didn't really want this conversation to end, not in the following hour, at least: so good and nostalgic it felt. Maybe they could see each other one more time, when Christmas is over. "You're pretty good at interviews, Sydney. I even think I should take another one: wouldn't you mind sharing with Daily Prophet your opinions on local drinks? Next week at Three Broomsticks, for example?" Sydney's opinions on drinks were irrelevant, of course. No newspaper would publish this kind of material (except, maybe, for Witch Weekly.) But it wasn't the point after all, Evan just wanted to talk to his former housemate one more time.

Austin Sinclair's visit to the shop was ignored by the Quick-Quotes Quill, since he was not specified as any kind of celebrity by Sydney, and Q-Q Q Q4 didn't have any kind of famous people database. After Evan glared at it, however, the following line appeared on the parchment:

Quote :

Austin Sinclair - Whizbangs - brother

"Well, I'm not sure if I can use it, but it might worth a try," said Evan, who also had no idea who Austin was. "But what I can really use right now is a pair of Loonar Loop Luminators." Indeed, with all this interview Evan almost forgot about his plan to launch some fireworks not far from the Shrieking Shack. "See, I buy fireworks, just as promised. And this interview with you totally worth it."

Sydney smiled and listened to Evan rattle on about his work and other newspapers and magazines he could work for if he wished to write what he wanted to write. "I see. Im glad I own the shop, I can sell what I wish to sell and at what price. I can choose my own hours. I get to decide everything basically. It is quite nice if you ask me." She said smiling at him, her bright blue eyes sparkling a bit.

She blushed a bit as he mentioned she was good at interviews. "I guess I am just good at talking." She looked at him wide eyed when he asked her to meet him at the three broomsticks. "Evan, you and I both know the Daily Prophet has absolutely zero interest in my opinion on drinks. However, if that is your clever way of asking me out on a date, I shall answer with a yes. I would love to." 

She laughed softly, "I would think you would be able to use it. Seeing as Austin Sinclair is the Chaser for the Southwick Serpents, a very well known quidditch team." She giggled softly and grabbed him two packs of Loonar Loop Luminators "Buy one get one free. Just for you." She gave him a quick wink as she rang him up

When Sydney mentioned her shop and the freedom it granted, Evan smirked. Of course, she couldn't really choose what to sell and at what price, it was closely tied to demand and competitors' supply. Too closely to give Sydney much of a choice, in fact. As for her work hours, they had to conform other people's schedule. But Evan decided to keep his remarks about microeconomics to himself. "Yeah, that sounds cool," Evan tried to hide how unimpressed he really was. "I would like to have a shop as well," he lied.

Having a shop sounded dreadful to Evan: at was a big anchor that tied a person to a specific location and a specific activity. Unless this person was a big boss and could afford employees who did all the work. In this case, having a shop didn't sound that bad, after all. "I think I could do well in underground weapon market," Evan added, much more honestly this time. "Just an assumption. I need to get more information about the market first. But something tells me, it's where I would most likely succeed."

Somehow Sydney knew that her opinions on drinks wasn't the material Daily Prophet was looking for. But the date? It wasn't in Evan's initial plan. "Oh, man, that escalated quickly," he said to himself. But, on the other hand, why not? "Great! Next week, same time, Three Broomsticks. And don't be late!" In any case, Evan didn't risk anything by going on a date with Sydney. If it was a success, good. If it failed, he didn't really care. Situations like this had always been his favorite.

As some more information about Austin Sinclair was revealed, the Quick-Quotes Quill added it to the parchment. It could end up as a much better article than Evan expected, after all. "So, how much is it?" he asked, counting coins in his hand. Last time he saw the price, Loonar Loop Luminators costed about two galleons each. But Evan decided not to risk it, since his information could be outdated. Moreover, prices tended to grow much higher during Christmas holidays.

Sydney was a bit shocked when he mentioned an illegal weapons business. "Well that is... um... rather interesting." She said trying not to look too shocked at his words. "Yes I would look into it more before you become invested it in." She said playing with the ends of her hair. She noticed she had some split ends so she deemed it time to get a hair cut. 

She smiled softly at him and nodded, "Yes. Next week. Three Broomsticks. 4 o clock." She said and smiled, "Trust me, I wont be late." She said. She figured she could buy a new outfit for her date. A date. It was so weird to be going on a date with Evan. But she kind of liked the idea of it. It made her excited and nervous at the same time. 

"The Loonar Loop Luminators cost 3 galleons." She said as she waited for him to grab the right amount of currency to pay with. She studied his face and smiled a bit. He was cute. Sydney could admit that/ His hair was floppy and shaggy in a way that Sydney liked very much so. She snapped out of her thoughts and returned her attention to Evan

"Well that is... um... rather interesting." Yes. It was interesting indeed. Weapon trade was seen by Evan as interacting with two types of people: ones who valued their safety, and ones who were determined and purposeful. Both types deserved some respect. And it would be much better to buy a proper magical device designed for hurting someone rather than rely on some Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs spiced with amateur enchantments. "If only I could buy something like a couple of years ago," Evan thought. "Alek wouldn't graduated as well. For another reason, though." This weapon shop could give a chance for many good guys to make some scumbags pay. Maybe it was a good idea to own a shop like this, after all.

"Here," Evan handed Sydney three galleons and took two Luminators. At first he was going to launch these fireworks alone, but now he had another idea. "You say you choose work hours yourself, right? How about launching these with me, then?" That was a smart move, in Evan's opinion: if Sydney declined (which is more likely, considering the amount of customers), she would admit that her freedom is not quite how she explained it (Evan wouldn't gain anything but a feeling how right he was about microeconomics, though); if she agreed, they could talk a bit more, and even improve the upcoming article with some more details. A win-win situation. Unless Sydney was going to play a game of "I really want to do it, but I won't, despite I have no reasons not to do it," of course. (This idea of this "game" was described as Evan saw it, not as it actually worked.)

Sydney smiled and put the coins in the cash register, thankful the muggle world at least had those. It made her shop run alot smoother that way. She put the looner loop luminators in one of the shops custom bags and handed them to him. She frowned a bit when he mentioned a few years ago and sighed, "Now Evan, you do know you are not to use these as weapons right?" SHe said in a bit of a condescending tone without meaning to. She had just been so used to working with the kids of Hogwarts and needed to sometimes remind them that Fireworks were not toys. 

When he offered to launch the fireworks with her she smiled softly. She looked around the shop and noticed she had only one or two customers left in the shop, "Let me finish with these two customers and Ill be there." She went over to the customers and helped them find the items that they were wishing to purchase and checked them out at the front desk. When she finished, she flipped the sign from open to closed and grabbed her leather jacket from behind the counter and put it on her slim body, "Ready?" She asked

Evan took a bag of fireworks in his hand. If it was a bit farther from Hogwarts and a bit less crowded, he would definitely use the Locomotion Charm. But since he wasn't supposed to have a wand, he decided not to take it with him in Hogsmeade. Too much of a risk. As for the wandless magic, the Locomotion Charm was still a bit complicated for Evan, despite months of practice. As Sydney mentioned not using Luminators as weapons, Evan grinned. They would do bad as weapons indeed, not even close to Whiz-bangs. "Yeah, I know. The explosions are too weak, and the blinding effect is not so great either. They are designed for quiet night gatherings, not for big celebrating crowds, so there is not much of a weapon potential," Evan explained, after the shop owner finished with her last customers. "What are your favorite fireworks, by the way?"

"Ready," he replied, as Sydney put on a jacket and closed the shop. "So, we're going there by foot, right?" Evan would prefer to use the Floo Network, of course, but he wasn't sure if there was a fireplace in the Shrieking Shack. On the other hand, a stroll through Hogsmeade and some fresh winter air could do him some good as well, if he managed not to catch a cold. Evan could even engage in a snowball fight with some students, for the sake of old times. Without a wand, however, it didn't seem right. Evan's last snowball fight was won thanks to the magic superiority of his team. Outnumbered, they had to reply on their knowledge and creativity to win. Ah, good old times!