A little before noon, Saturday the17^th of March 2012
High Street, Hogsmeade
On the pavement outside of Zonko's Joke Shop

The flier had been all over the school for a week.[1] Raise Your Voice For Werewolf Rights!  Out of the Classroom, Into the Streets! Show up, it said.

Please, please, please, show up....

Zeta Pepper, as confident and driven as she was about the cause and this event, had been plagued by dreams the night before that no one would come, that she'd be out on the cold street alone with a soggy cardboard sign with Lucinda throwing snowballs at her from the roof across the street and that when she got back to Hogwarts she'd be unable to find a bathroom. She'd woken at 5am and was unable to get back to sleep. She'd worked on signs in the commonroom until breakfast. No matter how nervous she was, no matter the doubts, Zeta knew she couldn't tell anyone how she was feeling or it felt like the whole world would come crashing in.

So as people began making the walk to Hogsmeade, Zeta was bouncing in her boots, brainstorming chants, and rosy-cheeked smiling.

At first there were only about a dozen or so Hogwarts students, but as the noon hour drew close, they had closer to twenty or twenty-five! They were still all milling around waiting on someone to tell them what to do.

"Hey, start handing these out," Zeta directed a fellow student and handed part of a stack of fliers that explained the whole deal. "Anyone you see, okay?"[2]

Then Zeta caught sight of some familiar faces coming up the street. She bounded over, her messy bun bouncing and her long scarf flapping behind her.

"Fauna! Uh, Figaro! You caaaaaame...!"

1.	10 March 2012 - Bring Your Voice
2.	Anyone!

Lucinda wasn't fond of the idea too much, she had voiced her disagreement with Greer before, it didn't go that well admittedly, she was not fond of the idea of a mass protest over this, she wasn't fond of the product, it was really dumb, but still, it seemed Zeta was more fired up for it then she was herself. It should never of been created, obviously. But she didn't want to start a fight with a big shop, are they that big? How many are there? She didn't like the idea of taking on a company, it wasn't a fight she wanted to fight or knew if she would have any support in it. Zeta on the other hand didn't seem to share those concerns.

She didn't want to take a picket so much, she didn't want to spend her entire day protesting either, she more was there to show support, but a thought came to her, Greer had called her a shark working for rabbits, and as SAWS's bodyguard, she didn't mean to be. She didn't want to be one, if they didn't have the support of Werewolves...it would look weird right? But she wasn't their bodyguard, there must be others supporting them, they're certainly supporting others, it was why the original SAWS was founded right?

Its not like she would have anything else going on today, sure she is at Hogsmeade, but its not like anyone else would be with her. She'd just be wandering by herself, which is almost more depressing then the idea of being a bodyguard. But it still begged as to why she was doing this, for Zeta? No, they were...friends. Maybe?

Lucinda gave a sigh as she stood nearby, close enough to show support but far enough away as to try to stay somewhat out of sight, her usual she figured, she didn't like it but she didn't want the attention in the slightest. Zeta knew she was there regardless, she didn't need to be in the way, and she was probably happier not being too close to her, atleast to herself it was still awkward and all.

It had been, an awkward thing for Allura, she would admit that openly. She hadn't planned to go to the Hogsmeade weekend with anyone originally, but then Zeta decided to start a little war wit her, something that she wouldn't stand for, why should she let Zeta walk all over her like that? She shouldn't, the little stuck up do gooder, thinking she knows everything and knows best. She didn't of course, no one did.

But one thing led to another, leading to Allura asking a boy out, well, not...out out...it was more a friendly thing. She wouldn't ask a boy out anyway for that sort of thing, she can't trust them typically, her Veela charm sort of ruined any chance for anything real. That isn't to say she'd ask a girl out for this sort of thing either! She could somewhat trust girls but...she liked girls and all...she liked boys but... That isn't what she meant!

She only asked him out to annoy Zeta! BUT NOT LIKE THAT! IT WASN'T OUT OUT! JUST OUT!

Now both her and Grimwold were going to the protest, he wanted to go there and she obliged, feeling bad at using him in the first place. She didn't know what to do for this sort of thing, she wanted him to enjoy the time, so she went along with it.

Upon drawing closer to the crowd, and upon seeing Zeta. Allura went from awkwardly looking down at her feet as they moved, to wrapping herself around him adoringly, doing her best sickingly sweet impersonation, arms wrapped tightly around his and his back and head rested upon him best she can.

"Here we are." She said in a sweet tone with a serpentine smile.

It would have been on pain of death Tim missed the SAWS protest on the pavement outside Zonko’s. Firstly because Zeta was his cousin and secondly because Akira thought it important, and wanted him to hold up her placards. As a second year, she was grounded to the castle, and had supplied Tim with a list of items she’d like him to collect for her at Honeydukes.

As ever, it was a chilly March weekend, but at least it wasn’t raining or all that windy. Hogsmeade was busy with students and families visiting to see their sons and daughters. With luck they’d make enough noise to get their attention, even if they didn’t make it into anything more than the Hogwarts paper.

He and Eta had helped Zeta carry it all down the hill. Eta had drawn tarot cards and begged Tim to confirm her number analysis for the day.
“It’s not like we could have changed the date, Eta,” Tim had complained, ever the realist. Still, they remained in the gaggle who milled about outside willing others to join them. The anticipation had become infectious, and even his scepticism was beginning to budge, especially as some old students began to join with them.

Tim almost forgot the abomination of a sign he was holding for Akira. It was[1] a neon blue placard that was enchanted to always shine at the right intensity for current lighting level, reflecting whatever light was shone onto it. Akira had taken great care with the charms, and Tim had to admit he’d been impressed with how it had come out, if nothing else. With it came a bubblegum pink acronym reading:


Eta had also gone for the bubblegum pink, rather enamoured with Akira’s choice, and her placard was rather to the point: Lycanthropy’s No Joke! with a large drawing of the offending sweets. She’d spent most of the time analysing other slogan possibilities and had hastily finalised it that morning.

“Eugh,” his cousin remarked, rolling her eyes at Allura and Grimwold, “It’ll never last, nothing to do with her numbers,” Eta assured Tim, lowering her voice, “just her personality.”

1.	description by Gris

Peppers stuck together, as Theta assured her sisters when she’d arrived, carrying a conspicuous bundle of cloth, exchanging one-armed hugs in the street.

“Nice sign, Tim,” she remarked, working out Akira’s message, while unaware of the designer.
“Really? I er - mean - it’s Akira’s, not mine. She can’t be here because…”
“She’s a second year.” Eta clarified with the manner of a middle-aged witch who gossiped over the garden gate.
“Well, tell her it’s cool from me,” Theta smile politely at Tim, recalling Tim’s excitable, sugar-addict friend from Francis and Gabrielle’s wedding last summer. “And yours is cool too,” she assured Eta before there could be jealousy.

Zeta was at the heart of it all, greeting Figaro and Fauna, so Theta got straight to it, attaching one end of the SAWS banner to a lamppost to the left of the protest, and unrolling it with a well-orchestrated sweep of her wand.
“Mind yourselves, mind yourselves!” Theta exclaimed to the students, hoping they’d mind their heads as she charmed it against the next lamp so it hung above the group, nicely obscuring Zonko’s shop name for anyone the other side of the road.

She and the other Radford House residents had painted it on the night before, trying not to spill wine, or let Penny’s incontinent dog, Pez, pee all over it. It had been a strange nostalgia trip of sorts. Penny had already been invited by Ambrose at work, as he’d predicted this sort of injustice was just up Penny’s street as the Ministry’s Diversity Officer.[1]

 “There we go, how does that look?”

1.	Agreed with Mel

"Um, yeah we did," Fauna smiled warmly at Zeta, giving her a big hug that was more affectionate than her usual airy hugs. Zeta looked like an excited bundle of nerves, hopping from foot to foot. Fauna knew how she felt! Her stomach gave sympathetic flip-flops as she pulled back, glancing around at the students who were gathering.

Hufflepuffs showed up. Peppers showed up. She'd had the best time last night, painting the sign with her housemates - Penny excited enough for all three of them, Theta as the steady and supportive older sister, and Fauna channeling all her energy into the bright lettering and design of the poster.

"This all looks fantastic," Fauna told Zeta sincerely, stepping back to let Fig say hi.

"Anything I can do, let me know."

She'd pass out fliers, she'd straighten signs, she'd just be there for support, and try to remember that no matter what happened with the protest, it was a brave step in the right direction.

        "This all looks fantastic," Fauna told Zeta sincerely, stepping back to let Fig say hi. "Anything I can do, let me know."

"Does it? Oh, god, thank you. I have no idea what I'm doing," Zeta admitted. It really helped that actual adults had shown up.

        "No, Faun's right. Nothing's on fire yet. That's a good sign," Figaro said looking around thoughtfully. He and Fauna were SAWS old guard, each in their own way. He and Zeta only knew each other in the context of being in the same house, but there was no way he was going to miss this.

       "Anyone invite Ollie to this?"

But it was about then that Allura showed up hanging from Grimwold Jorkins's neck like a pink-skinned girl-necklace. She was smiling in a way that Zeta found to be both upsetting and attractive. Allura was utterly impossible.

"Yes, there you are. Hi, Grim. Why don't you two go be .. over there," Zeta suggested with a fake smile. "We're going to start soon. Hang on."

Zeta jogged over to Theta, Eta, and Tim. Theta had a banner up and suddenly this whole thing felt very official.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you," Zeta bubbled and gave Theta a peck on the cheek. Then she moved to stand directly in front of Zonko's big picture windows. Zeta touched her wand to her throat and raised her other fist in the air.

"We're here - " Zeta began but stopped hearing her voice magically amplified. She smiled. "Hi, wow. Hey, signs up, people. We're here because something isn't right! We're here because this shit isn't funny! Zonko's Joke Shop...."

Somebody boo'd impossibly quietly.

"Boo! That's right! We should boo! Zonko's Joke Shop thinks that nobody cares. They think that they can write us some flimsy letter and we'll just go to class and forget about it. But we stand up for werewolf rights!"

More people were showing up, she wasn't sure on some of them but Zeta certainly seemed to know them, although she didn't know herself. A few of them seemed older, she might of seen them about Hogwarts but they were old enough she likely ignored them due to age difference. What she was aware of however, was that Tim was here and holding just...the absolutely worst thing she's ever seen. Why did he have that? It was painful to look at, painful to read, painful to even think of why someone would ever produce such a horrendous monstrosity. Why did Tim make that?

She almost preferred staring at the sign then seeing Allura in the crowd, condescending skank, wrapped around Grimwold like Devils Snare prepared to kill. Poor Grimwold, he didn't deserve this at all, although she'd not really talked to him, he seemed far too nice for her. Unless this was charity work for him or she was paying, but she must be paying a small fortune to have anyone put up with her.

She gasped and covered at her ears as Zeta started speaking, Merlin's undisclosed love for tights! She needed to get away from Zeta if whatever she was doing was that noisy! The others didn't seem to be struggling, was it just her own hearing? Either way she tried to protect her ears and move away from her, only half looking where she is going as she went.[1]

1.	Can bump into someone if you want!

Frank and his socially conscious girlfriend Eirene and had come to the SAWS event together as planned. They'd debated on the way down if this was pro-werewolf rights rally or an anti-Zonkos-and-other-commercial-werewolf-negativity protest, but ultimately it wouldn't change the plan.

"I've been reading about civil rights protests and I've decided I am willing to be arrested for a good cause," he'd said stoically with just the slightest edge of nerves in his voice. It wasn't a light decision to make. His father had been arrested (for a crime), and his brother had as well (for not a crime).

"Mum will be barmy over it, but some things have to be done in solidarity."

Now, if it actually came down to disobeying an authority figure, Frank may well be overestimating his steadfastness, but it was all hypothetical. The plan was to be loud enough that no one would want to shop at Zonko's that day, and that more people would know what Zonko's had done. The plan did not include any law-breaking so the risk was low.

The pair of Ravenclaws arrived on time (of course) and Frank was surprised to see his brother show up. Frank would have estimated him too lazy but it seemed Fig's commitment to causing a fuss reigned. 

"Let's go over here," he said, taking Eirene's hand, not interested in having Figaro engaged in his relationship status today.

Shortly the protest began and Frank dutifully raised is overly verbose sign that you'd need opera glasses to fully appreciate. Zeta had found her calling, it seemed.

Eirene gave Frank's hand a light squeeze, having expected him to take her hand and pleased when it happened. It had a purpose! It showed the world that they were an official couple. A socially-conscious official couple.

No one would arrest an official couple who had just had their two-week anniversary. They were too cute. Too young. Too together. It would be cruel.

Eirene looked over the signs, blinking and blinded by the one in Tim's hand, nodding in approval at the banner an older Pepper was adjusting, and proudest of the one Frank had made, which was so helpfully verbose. A speech on a sign! That was the point of signs.

As soon as Zeta started speaking, Eirene found that she didn't mind standing on the edges of the crowd where there was less commotion. But then a girl in a hoodie bumped into her. Eirene stepped back with a huff. Oh! It was just Lucinda covering her ears, her head down.

"Lucinda, hi!" Eirene's voice was the type of voice that naturally projected. Where was Lucinda going? Weren't they protesting on her behalf?

"Stand by us. We're the appropriate level of loud. Also, I've memorized a few key phrases to shout if things start to die down."

Us! Her hand remained in Frank's and she smiled, remembering when she'd tried to tell Lucinda in the potions dungeons how she'd felt about Frank.[1] 'Not dating at this present time,' she'd said. 'He can be quite mature and I care about him a lot,' she'd said. They'd talked about Hogsmeade plans, and here they were at another Hogsmeade weekend, with Frank and Eirene presently dating.

1.	A potion for your thoughts

Meredith had not become involved with SAWS. To get involved would make her question her motives. And Meredith tried to avoid that too often. She was a Slytherin. One who had friends in other houses. One of those friendlier ones. She was a Prefect. She had to tread a careful line. The teachers trusted her. They had not said 'oh Meredith. You are a good girl. Will you not keep an eye on this group?' nor had they said 'oh Meredith. You are a good girl. You will stay out of this group will you not?'

So instead Meredith had not made any signs. She had gone to Hogsmeade with her housemates like always. After coffee they split to do their shopping. Meredith passed by the crowd of students. They were gathering. There were people Meredith thought she recognised. Like people who used to go to Hogwarts. She passed them by. Went on with her shopping.

She was going to meet her father for afternoon tea. One could. She was going to skip lunch. It was always busy with other students meeting their families. Meredith had decided to dress like a witch today. She preferred to look grown up when she met her dad. He treated her more like a grown up.

But as Meredith Misslethorpe walked away from SAWS a not so grown up idea nagged her mind. She smoothed the strap of her bag on her shoulder. Checked the neat bun of her hair. Ran her fingers around her high collar of her long dark robes. Adjusted her wide brimmed hat. She looked like a grown up. Yes. The shop keepers had not noticed her. Not so much as the younger kids.

Meredith circled back. She pretended to check her shopping list. This time she walked behind the protest. Everyone around was looking at the protest. Meredith slipped into Zonkos. She had not joined SAWS or made a sign. She had read their flyer. She had heard some of the Slytherins talk about it. Heard Zeta Pepper in class. About Zonkos.

She had not come in here for years. The sight of all the rainbows boxes made her feel more mischievious! Was she going to do this? Yes she was going to do this!!

Meredith browsed the shop. In her head she was looking for a gift for a young nephew. The nephew did not exist. But she would tell anyone who stopped her this. Then she saw them. Nibble's Instant Wacky-Wolf Werewolf Pops. The display stand was furry. It had ears and a wolf tail. Claws on fake paws. Meredith tried not to stare. Turned a corner. Selected a box of enormous stink pellets. She continued walking slowly. Browsing the shelves... slyly dumped the lot over the furry display stand.

A burst of stinking green smoke erupted. Meredith quickly pinched her nose and made for the exit as if she had nothing to do with it. Hoping she would not get caught. Someone else could take the blame.

It was true Ambrose had invited Penny Pickler to Zeta’s protest. Zeta had asked him to rally some grown ups and, he’d done his best. He’d even sent a flyer to Auror Gamp asking if she’d be able to come. They were friends…?

The protest wasn’t hard to spot as Ambrose approached. He’d floo’d to the Three Broomsticks. He was working hard at his apparition lessons[1] but wasn’t quite ready to take his test.

It wasn’t the first time Ambrose had come to Hogsmeade on a Hogwarts visiting weekend, but he still felt like he was meant to go back to the castle for yet more lessons when he did visit. This week he had attended a lecture about acromantula biology, which had reminded him why he had left Hogwarts early to become an apprentice. Now he saw his old classmates and felt a lot older than them.

Zeta’s voice was clear above everyone else’s hubbub, and Ambrose picked up speed, hurrying. He was wearing jeans, a red t-shirt with a dragon on and a warm brown coat he wore for work. It had golden abraxan hair rubbed on the arm where he’d met one and a burn mark on the other elbow where a fire-breathing chicken belched before he could trap it.

“.. We’re here because this shit isn’t funny!” Ambrose might have blushed at the swear a year ago, but the other beast handlers often used sentences with three in to talk about their coffee.

“… they think they can write us some flimsy letter and we’ll just go to class and forget about it…” Zeta continued above the sound of pantomime boos.

Ambrose was almost there now, looking around to see if he could join anyone he recognised, when he saw people bump into each other. He recognised Lucy Temple who looked to be trying to leave the protest. Tim had told Ambrose about the Gryffindor’s dramatic werewolf reveal in a letter[2].

He’d say hello, but what did Penny say? Play people politely? It was always the P words.

Instead, he was distracted from Zeta and the sea of faces by Zonko’s door opening. It had a distinctive laughing bell every time, but it was the disgusted exclamations from shoppers and the green haze that followed them which made Ambrose stop to gape.

"That's gotta stink," he exclaimed.

Now that made him feel like he was back at school.

1.	27th Dec For to Preserve this Day
2.	6th January What Strange Creatures Brothers Are!

Tim could forget about the sign since he wasn’t looking at it himself, but it was clear people were looking at it every time they came near. But that was the point, wasn’t it? Akira would be pleased.

The banner Fauna, Penny and Theta made looked great hung behind them. Tim and Eta gave a cheer once it was up, and Theta was there to say thank you over and over to her big sister.

And then it began. Zeta addressing them in front of the multi-coloured windows of the joke shop, everyone assembled between the two lamp posts under the banner, spilling across the cobbled pavements. They were booing and wiggling their placards.

“We stand up for werewolf rights!” Tim chanted with Eta. “We stand up for werewolf rights!”

“That’s gotta stink!” Tim recognised his brother’s voice amongst the group and the chant staggered in its pace, eyes looking past Zeta at the glass to inside the shop where it was filling with green haze.

“Do we.. do we cheer?” Tim asked aloud, looking to Eta and his friends, unsure if this was one of Zeta’s plans for the day she’d just kept quiet. “You didn’t do that, did you?” He turned to Ambrose, looking worried.

He'd somehow managed to dodge the obligation for close to two months, but Kurby had finally run out of reasons as to why he was avoiding his youngest sister's invitation to brunch. Begrudgingly, he'd finally agreed to meet Rosheen at some new little cafe she'd found in Hogsmeade a couple of weekends after the March full moon.

The werewolf hunter had already resigned himself to spending a couple of hours avoiding questions and changing the subject away from topics that he'd rather not talk about, but even that plan had been foiled when the two siblings had apparated to their destination. Upon their arrival, they'd instantly realized that Hogsmeade was swarming with underaged Hogwarts students, all apparently turned loose for their monthly free weekend in the snowy village.

Facing the irritation of an hour-plus wait before they could eat, Kurby had tried to use that as an excuse to beg off yet again.  But Rosheen had been heartlessly resolute.  Slipping her hand firmly around her brother's arm, she'd laughed and informed him that they had plenty of time to wander around the village while they waited for their turn to eat.

It had been an uncomfortable, squirming type of walk. Kurby had had to dodge questions about everything from Iona Ballentyne's return to the Ministry (was she back?; he'd barely seen her) and the recent werewolf crimes (those were mostly a Level Two problem; he wasn't really involved in it) to the fate of Greer Grant (he didn't really know; as long as the Hogwarts pups showed up for their full moon confinements at the Ministry, it wasn't any of his business). 

He'd managed to wriggle his way out of most of his sister's inquiries (aside from the last, which had earned him his toes trodden on after he'd referred to the two girls as pups). Even Rosheen, at least, seemed to know better than to have a go at him about January -- either that, or she was saving the most uncomfortable conversation topic for when he was trapped at a table and couldn't escape eye contact as easily. Either way, when he'd first heard the noise of a crowd somewhere near Zonko's, that had seemed like a happy distraction that would let him change the subject to a topic that didn't make him feel like he wanted to gnaw his arm off just to escape.

Unfortunately, as they rounded the corner and he caught sight of some of the signs, Kurby instantly realized that it was anything but an escape.

His immediate response was to turn around and promptly start walking in the opposite direction, but Rosheen had too good of a death grip on his arm.  The werewolf hunter's attempt to reverse course only resulted in his shoulder nearly getting wrenched out of its socket, forcing him to rebound into his younger sister.

"Goddammit --" he started to growl at her.

"Look at their signs!" Rosheen sounded characteristically delighted.  Using her grip on his arm to steady herself, she nearly yanked him off balance again as she attempted to stand on her toes to peer over the crowd.  "Oi, is that Fig and Frank? Oh, and look, there's smoke comin' out of the shop!"

Fauna stopped chanting for a moment. Her nose wrinkled. That smell! Smelled like teen angst.

"Ugh," Fauna groaned. She lowered her voice and spoke in Fig's ear, "Shades of Darcy Bloxham."[1]

Fauna frowned a little at the shop, moving aside as several of the customers began to hurry out into the street. An irritating sense of responsibility made her want to go inside, find the source, make it stop, and then make sure everyone who wanted to leave could leave without causing more problems. But it was just a bunch of stinky smoke. It was fine, for now.

Just as she was about to pick up the chant again, she tilted her head, noticing a strange sight hovering on the very edge of the crowd.

A smiling girl. Strong-arming a Grumpnold. They were getting nearer and nearer, much to Fauna's confusion.

"Bagnold? What in the... who is that?" Fauna gave Fig's arm a nudge, nodding in that direction.

1.	Way back in the day, a student set fire to the Infirmary in protest