RP: Welcome to your new home, my friends

[shh_ollivander]

Date: 19th August 2005
Characters: Ollivander, Wilhelmina
Location: Out in the forest north of Stoatshead Hill
Status: Semi-Private (if there are any others who want to go out and meet with the magical creatures, you're welcome to it)
Summary: They're going out to see if more of the magical creatures have returned.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[shh_wilhelmina]

The plans for the animals were going well, and the process of sending emissaries to the centaurs and mermaids coming along, despite a lot of red tape and quite a bit of trouble with finding someone who spoke mermish and understood mermaid customs well enough to lead the group. Willa was now attempting to make the necessary arrangements for transporting some of the unicorns down from the reserve in Devon to the forest around Stoatshead Hill - most especially the pregnant mare, who was getting close and would need supervision when the time came. Eventually, Willa hoped the whole herd might migrate, but a few was all she was aiming for at this time. Enough to show the students once the school opened, at least.

When a knock came on the door, she looked up in surprise. It was rare for people to come calling unannounced, what with she and Mona right at the back end of town. She rose to answer the door - Pomona was out doing her own arrangements for the beginning of the school year - and smiled when she saw who stood outside.

"Ollivander! Come in. It's good to see you again. What brings you here?"

[shh_ollivander]

It really had been a long time since Ollivander had been out and about with someone other than Rita. With his new arrangement as a wand-maker - his new contract, that is - he felt more of a tug toward socializing. Especially with this older generation.

Not that any of them were particularly old.

"Ig's good to see you too, Wilhelmina. I was actually just heading up to the woods north of town and was wondering if you might like to come along. With all of the magic in town now, I thought some of the birds might have returned to the area."

He stepped inside and smiled up at the woman, glad to see a face so friendly and welcoming. "How are the unicorns doing, my dear? I've been thinking about them a lot in the past few months. The air is buzzing with a friendly and safe aura, and I thought it might have attracted some of them to this area. Of course, you would be the one to ask about such things."

[shh_wilhelmina]

He looked different. Not anything she could put her finger on, just... slightly altered. Not in a negative way, either - he looked happy and healthy. Willa had no idea what it was, but there was something different there.

She was about to offer him tea when he suggested the walk, and that sounded wonderful.

"A walk would be lovely; let me get some proper shoes on." She led him a little further into the house and went into the kitchen to grab her wellingtons from by the back door, moving back into the sitting room to put them on.

"The unicorns are well. We'll have a foal in September. Funny you should say that, actually - I've been trying to arrange transport for some of them to the woods in this area. The atmosphere feels right for them now and it will help to have the mare close by as well as real animals to show the children. There's so much red tape with the statute of secrecy, it's a wonder anything gets done. Though I suppose I'd be kicked out of the Ravenclaw alumnus if I told I hate paperwork."

She grinned as she pulled the second boot on.

[shh_ollivander]

It wsa good to be around someone else who valued the lives of magical creatures so much. Someone who knew just how important they were to the survival of all of wizarding kind. "I'm so glad to hear that. At times I've been worried that they wouldn't mate at all under the current conditions. The fact that you're expecting a new one makes me very happy, indeed."

When she had finished putting on her boots, Ollivander held out his hand to help her stand. "I thought we could to up to the woods for a little while, and then perhaps down closer to the river. There's been a lot of activity down there lately, but I don't know if they're hedgehogs and squirrels or something else."

He had hoped, when he first moved to this area, that it would turn into a sort of haven for magical creatures and beings. Of course it would take time, and it had been less than a year since the town was founded. There was also the problem of the Muggle influence still prominant in the area. It would be interesting to see what kind of a balance could be forged to bring nature back.

"I hope you don't mind if I collect some wood while we're out. Some of the trees are now healthy enough to make wands. You know how the pollution can destroy the plants? Well, trees that have been filtering out all kinds of toxins make horrible wands, I'm afraid.

[shh_wilhelmina]

Willa took Ollivander's hand as she stood, even though she was quote capable of getting up by herself.

"The woods and the river sound lovely, and knowing what animals have moved in will be helpful. Mandy Brocklehurst and I have been colelcting surveys from animal enthusiasts all over Britain about habitats were most affected by the war. Makes sense to take a look at what's in our own backyard."

She moved to ttable and picked up a quill to leave a note for Pomona. "Of course I don't mind," she smiled, then sighed at his next words. "Yes. The pollution is nowhere near as bad as it was when I was younger, but I am pleased to see the town using a magical power source, now. I hated to think of us supporting coal burning plants by using electricity. I had no idea it affected wandmaking."

She dropped her eyes for a moment to scribble the note, then laid the quill back down. "How are you going for cores, by the way? I suppose you're busy preparing for the students. If you need any more unicorn hairs, I'm sure I can collect some for you."

[shh_ollivander]

"Oh, I have some unicorn hairs. Thank you very much. Feathers are the ones that are hard to come by these days. Apparently the ecosystem for the magical birds has fallen apart here since the war. I suppose it all has to do with the balance of magic and the food chain."

For a moment he though about the favorite foods of birds - fish, small rodents, insects. He chuckled inwardly at the thought of magical insects, and how silly it would be to have magical insects here in Stoatshead.

"I don't suppose you'd know anyone who's taking care of phoenix, would you?" It was rather a long shot. Phoenix were incredibly rare, but if anyone would know where to find one, it would be Willa.

Ollivander held out his arm toward the door. "After you."

[shh_wilhelmina]

"I don't, sorry," Willa replied with a shake of the head, as she opened the door and let them both out, locking it with a simple ward once they were on the patio. "I will keep my ear out, though. There must be someone in the world who has one these days. I wonder if Fawkes has found himself a new companion. I do hope so..."

She stepped down off the veranda. "Which way do you want to head?"

She considered the phoenix problem again for a time. "I don't suppose there are any other feathers you could use? I don't suppose Augureys would be suitable? They are often referred to as 'the Irish Phoenix', and I do know a man who keeps them. I suppose a bird that only flies in the rain is the absolute antithesis of the firebird, but surely that's more of a mood than an indication of power. I suppose the only problem then would be finding another core with suitable spontaneity and power for those inclined to be fiery."