Category Five Freak-out - Hestia

[Anastasia Savage]

July 3, 1974 

Hestia,



I know we just left each other for the summer and we will see each other soon as planned, but...I had to write. We learned the most awful news this morning. Let me get to it: Royston Idelwind is banning all wands from the World Cup this year! Mama says he's insane and that it will never work; papa hates him and says we won't go at all! Can you believe that, Hestia? Not go to the world cup, it's crazy talk. Adrian told us that there is outrage on an international level and thinks like mama, he says it will never work, but papa won't hear it. He says we are all 'boycotting'! Well, then he just wouldn't listen to reason so mama took me out and made me garden because she was so mad. So, what do you think Hes? Personally, I don't think I'll ever get over it if we don't go and that you should never give in to a bully that easily. There must be something we can do, collectively. He's just one stupid man if we work together... well I don't know yet but not going is not an option. Anyway, I've escaped to write this quickly before she finds me again and forces me to help her make lunch, I hope you can even read this properly and sorry about all the dirt.



Love,

Ana

_______________________

Not my idea found it here.

[Hestia Jones]

4 July 1974

Annwyl* Ana,

Mam and Tad mentioned it to me this morning, not that they had any plans for attending. Tad’s too busy with work and Mam still doesn’t understand why I love it so much. This is the most upsetting thing that has happened since I ran out of muggle cereal at school and had to wait days for an owl with more. Okay, maybe it’s way worse than that. What’s the point of not allowing wands anyway, it’s not like it’s going to stop people from bringing their wands. This is only the biggest event in Quidditch, it’s not like the muggles are going to be around.

I don’t care what your parents say, we will figure out a way to go. Besides, I’ve heard people are selling off their special box seats in protest. Maybe I can talk to my Mam and Tad to see if they’ll buy us some?



Love,

Hestia

*Dear, can be used also as a term of endearment.

[Anastasia Savage]

July 5, 1974 

Hestia,



The last couple of days have been trying, so, I really appreciate you trying to help mon chou, even if your parents don't see the massive catastrophe that this is. Really, we should work on your mam and her misunderstanding of the sport. And by misunderstanding I mean the fact that she isn't properly entertained by it and has not a care in the world about the current state of things! Anyway, I digress, thank you for offering and I will get to that in a minute but first I wanted to tell you that things may not be as bad as they initially seemed! My papa and his friends are working on a solution to this problem and seem pretty confident in themselves now, which is refreshing.


We have just received the official pamphlet for the World Cup and it included the provisions about the no wand rule this year, Adrian and papa and even Alec, have been reviewing it, along with some witches and wizards from the Quidditch board, trying to find a bylaw that we could use in our favor. Meanwhile, our house has become quite busy, even mama's American friends have come early to help! That may be the only happy, exciting thing I've had these past two days, except your letter of course. Everyone is doing something or another, I can't keep up with it all, but it feels like....a revolution. Not that i've ever been involved in a revolution but, I'm not sure, it just feels like something big might happen.



But I was thinking too... maybe your parents could buy us some seats anyway, just in case. As a contingency plan is all, though I have all the faith that together we will accomplish our goal, I don't think it would hurt to have a fallback. But fair warning, if we can't fix this and I sneak away to the World Cup without my family...I'm going to be grounded for life. Papa says it's about principles and if we can't come up with a plan, we still aren't going. I guess I'll just have to hope they fix this or I'm just going to have to be grounded for life because pour l'amour de Dieu, I am going to that game!



Oh Hes, I hope this is all sorted out before you get here, and all at the same time I want you to be here sooner. Please, let me know what your mam and tam say about getting us the seats. I'll keep you updated as much as possible, hopefully, in my next letter I will have more to tell.



Love,

Ana

[Hestia Jones]

6 July 1974

Ana.

Them not understanding how catastrophic this is is an understatement. Mam told me, “it’s just Quidditch!” Can you believe that? Just Quidditch? I mean, we live in Holyhead for merlin’s sake! Everything in this town is about Quidditch! I’ve been trying to get her to see how big of a deal any of this is, tried to talk her into going to watch the Harpies practice. I’ve been bothering her almost constantly about this, but so far she hasn’t budged. I promise I’ll keep working on it, Mam will give in eventually. She always does.

I want to meet Americans! What are they like? I heard they call muggles No-Maj’s, which to me sounds like it be very obvious to a muggle what they are referring to. I’m glad that they have come to help, and I’m sure your papa will find some loophole in all of this. It must be so exciting at your house, it makes me miss you even more than I already do. And maybe that’s what we need, a revolution! Show them that we won’t take this sitting down. You have to keep me updated on their progess, this is all so exciting.

Tad said he would look into getting us tickets, even for my Mam and him. He said there’s been a lot of talk about all this around the Ministry, and that people are selling off their nice seats for barely anything! While I have the most faith in your parents to fix this, I’m sure mine would be able to talk yours into allowing you to come with us. It’s the Quidditch World Cup! It’s not like it’s just another Quidditch game, it’s the Quidditch game! We’d be outcasts if we missed it. Besides, it’s not like we can go to the Academy anymore now that I'm 13, and you will be just next month. They can’t possibly ground you for going even if they don’t.

I can’t wait to see you, it feels like it’s been far too long since we’ve been with each other. Sending you all of my love!

Hes

[Anastasia Savage]

8 July 1974

To open this missive please write down the name of my worst enemy.

~*~*~*~

Hes,

Cool trick huh? Papa m'a appris ça Papa taught it to me, he says he doesn't mind me writing to you about what's going on, but he doesn't want anyone else getting wind of it. I hardly think anyone is interrupting letters over this, especially mine. But papa insists so, please destroy this after reading and don't write back about anything contained in the first part of this letter. I'll teach you the spell when you get here but for now, just listen:

Alec found something in the bylaws of the decree and had an idea. And of course papa had an even more brilliant idea and now I'm currently writing to you from a very large dinner part at my house. You see, Alec thought that we could hide out wands for the match, disguise them as something else to get them through security and never use them but papa thought better and immediately called over all of his friends and now Hestia, what do you think, they are planning a coup! Alec gave them the idea of how to get our wands into the stadium but they most certainly plan on using them. They are working out a spell for the wands and I think they have almost gotten it right. Everyone is still working out the details for this, mama says it would be quite the feat if they pulled this off. I think it's a HUGE undertaking, but, it's better than doing nothing and at least we will still be going to the world cup!

Still have your parents buy seats, if they will, my parents will probably be in touch with them soon anyway but just give them a heads up on what you've learned. We will need all hands on deck as Adrian says - I'll never understand his obsession with all things nautical- even if your mom is a blind woman when it comes to Quidditch, we need her for this too. Honestly, I believe an intervention is needed for her, I love her but I just don't understand her. So, you see, we won't be outcast Hes, I really believe this will work! We'll be going to the world cup, I can feel it. See you soon, probably sooner than we thought. Also, the Americans will be staying with us until the start of term so you will for sure get to meet them and you're going to love them. I won't be mentioning any names of the people involved but in another letter, I'll tell you more about them. For right now, Alec wants to go for a fly, I'll write again soon.

Love,
Ana

P.s. Papa has just told me -after I've already signed my name to this letter naturally- that I can invite more people to the World Cup! He and his mate are buying out a lot of seats and we need bodies to fill them. I think they are trying to fill the whole stadium! I'll be contacting all of our friends of course. Anyway, I'll write to you if anything major happens, otherwise, can't wait until you get here, this is so exciting!

[Hestia Jones]

Sweets

~*~*~*~

9 July 1974

Ana,

Oh it’s positively killing me to not write back to you about this turn of events, but I’m coming to visit you by next week, I already asked Mam and Tad and they said they’d write to your parents to arrange it. I also got Tad to agree to buy seats - I love her too but I think she’s a lost cause when it comes to understanding Quidditch. Anyway, if we don’t need them they’ll find some other people to go with them but I convinced Tad that it would be the end of my world if I didn’t get to go.

I’m thrilled that we are going though, and I can’t wait to come and meet the Americans. I only have hundreds of questions for them! Do tell them I want to hear all about Ilvermorny. Of course it obvious that Hogwarts is the best school in terms of magic schools, I can’t help but be curious. Have they ever seen a Pukwudgie or a Hidebehind? Look at me, I have so many questions I can’t even help but writing them to you.

I’m going to Cardiff in two days to visit Doc and Rhiannon, I’ll tell them to expect your owl!

Love,
Hes

[Anastasia Savage]

Hes,



I know it's incredibly cruel of me to ask you not to write about what is going on here, so as a sign of solidarity I will not speak of it either. When you get here there will be enough to talk about that we will be up all night! I cannot wait. So much will have transpired, or I least I hope it will have, that would mean our mission here was being carried out. As an aside, thank your parents for me, I really appreciate them having our back up plan ready.



As for the Americans and their school, from what I hear, Illvermory is amazing. Did you know it was modeled after Hogwarts? That the founder was actually English? I was quite surprised! I'm sure they will retell their tale for you, they are excellent storytellers and you will enjoy it immensely I think. And you will get to ask them about all the magical beast, they both seem to adore the strangest creatures. Some I've never even heard of. You all will get along swimmingly!



You should receive this letter before you leave for Cardiff, tell Doc and Rhi I said hello! They should be receiving their invitation to the World Cup while you are there, feel free to fill Doc in on the plan and have a wonderful time. I'll see you in a week!

Until then,

Ana

[Hestia Jones]

11 July 1974

Ana,

My parents told me to pass on a “you’re welcome”, and Mam says she hopes that everything works itself out. I haven’t told her or Tad too much detail about anything you’ve written, so don’t worry. They just think there was a mix up with your families tickets, I didn’t want them asking too many prying questions.

I’m so looking forward to meeting these American’s, and learning all about their school. I had no idea it was based on Hogwarts, or any clue about their leader. I asked my Tad if he had heard anything about the school, and he was only able to give me the names of the different houses there. Do you wonder where you would be sorted if you went? I do. Do they have a sorting hat of their own? Oh, I have so many questions.

I’m about to leave for Cardiff now, so I will pass on your love to Doc and Rhi while I am there. And fill them both in on the secret plans you have made! Only a few more days until we see each other again!

Love,
Hes