(1939-08-17) So This Is Peace
Details for So This Is Peace
Summary: Laurence is fed up, Beryl is pregnant, Brandy is beautiful and smart, Sampson is curious, Graham and Augustin are heroic, Nora and Sioned make a splash, and everyone comes together when a peaceful protest turns into something else.
Date: 08-17-2014
Location: South Verdic Alley, Diagon Alley
Related:
Characters
AugustinBerylNoraBrandyGrahamSionedLaurence

South Verdic Alley Diagon Alley

Sun Aug 17, 1939 ((Sun Aug 17 20:54:23 2014)) (I,2)


It is a summer night. The weather is hot and drizzling.


Often considered part of Diagon Alley by the masses, Verdic Alley looks much the same as Diagon proper, with shops of all sizes often leaning against each other or leaning out over the walkway. Here in the southern end of Verdic Alley, nearest the turnoff from Diagon, the only real difference is the walkway itself is a bit straighter, and then only a bit.


Okay. There's really only so much someone can take…its very true. Laurence considers himself a patient person, in fact - well that can't be explained in polite company but patience he has in droves. What he does not have in droves however…is a tolerance for inconsiderate stupidity. Really. Now to some, it makes sense to protest a shop of someone who has already been put in jail! But to Laurence, he is tired of hearing/smelling/seeing the folks from the comfort of his shop so…it is hot outside, it is drizzly and its getting close to the evening. Laurence's shop closed up early today, so when he returns its from above where the broom maker sits astride a rather elegant broom?its a lighter wood, almost seemingly white with silvery accents. Its the white walnut wood that makes it looks pale and somehow the cherry and reed graining seems to complement the deep engraving of vines and leaves along the handle, the binder for the bristles is silver, the bristles tapered and bound in a way for speed and easy maneuverability. He whistles sharply to get attention before with an athletic maneuver twists his legs/body around into something akin to a flip as he brings the broom down to touch down lightly behind the gathered individuals. "Are you all just completely and utterly bone gratingly hard headedly /idiotic?!/" He has to ask as he unstraddles his broom, holding a cloth wrapped bundle in one hand and his toolbelt is around his waist as he wears a dark grey fedora, white button down, dark grey slacks and a pair of sturdy boots, and his grey trenchcoat.

"What a nuisance," Beryl mutters to herself with some irritation as she finds the street nearly blockaded by protesters. The whole thing just seems absurd to someone on the outside looking in. The auburn-haired beauty isn't known for taking much notice of political nonsense, and this tends to fall under that category, by her way of thinking.

Dressed beautifully in a deep wine-coloured dress and carrying a parcel of her own under her arm, Beryl eyes the crowd blocking her way with a measure of contempt. It's raining, now, and not only is the paper wrapped thing getting wet, but so is she! Has the crowd no pity on a pregnant woman? She doesn't want to try and push her way through. Nobody feels like being jostled and poked when they're six months along. And so, she begins to edge toward an area to get out of the rain… only to be shoved by one very obnoxious little bespectacled man so that she drops her package. A cry of dismay escapes her as it lands in the gutter.

Still inside Books Unbound, movement outside catches Brandy's attention. She's had to be very careful to keep the window charmed with unbreakability several times a day to protect the shop and her siblings - who are off for the weekend. She moves closer to the window, however, cautiously watching what's unfolding outside.

"We're taking a stand to make our community a safer place!" one woman responds - an Eye of Truth pin prominently displayed on her robes. "Letting folks know that this level of violence will never be tolerated. And what are you doing?"

Gus wasn't actually here for the protest. He was on his way back to his shop, having run out for something down the street. When he sees Beryl drop her package he swoops in to grab it up again. "Hey," he says, handing it back to her - likely it's wet from being in the gutter, and for the fact that it's raining, and all. "You alright?" he asks. He glances at the crowd, the expression on his face unreadable. "You need help, miss?"

Graham apparently was moving to help with the bookstore once again, but the noise is growing louder as he approaches it is more and more obvious what is going on. The auror is in time to see the man shove purposefuly or not into a semi-familiar figure. He will hurry along towards the crowd and thus in the direction he was going already. "Miss Crabbe." he greets managing a small smile though he will step forward more of an in between the crowd and her position though its subtle not wishing to be obnoxious. He trying to decide a moment what best his course of action will be.

"Buy a book kill a child!" One man calls out out holding up a hand made sign with a caricature of Thomas on the front as some sort of crazed maniac, with bloodshot eyes. "Support the murder of innocents today!" He's calling out with the kind of cheer you'd expect from a store crier, yet the words his saying certainly aren't meant to help the store in question. "Why kill your son or daughter yourself when you can pay Thomas Carrow to do it for you!" He's got a smile on his face, and occasionally hands out a support murder pin with that same drawing to passers by.

Sampson just silently looks out of the window of the shop, as he has been for the last few days. There's no real use leaving the shop when you risk being egged along the way. For him this whole situation has hit rather hard, getting to the point where he has refused meals of all things, essentially starving himself. With a good deal of depression it seems the boy has gone back to being rather obviously underfeed unsure of what to do.

"Sampson…" Brandy says with quiet sympathy. She's tried to distract him from the front window. Reading lessons, comic books, music programs on the WWN… Nothing much seems to be working. At least he was able to get away from it all, in his week at camp. "Are you sure you don't want me to fix you a tea? My mum made some brownies today for the tea counter."

"Ahh…violence like that?" Laurence gestures over to where Beryl was shoved and his eyes narrow at the bespectacled man and he looks the man up and down with a quirk of an eyebrow. "And that good sir, is why your fiance miraculously needs a broom repaired every Thursday, half past noon…" Is announced quite publicly, and it may or may not be true but it makes quite a few people gasp! This is England! You don't say things like that! Gus has things in hand and gets a tiny nod of acknowledgement of appreciation. He offers a hint of a smirk before is shouldering/shoving himself through the crowd, heading towards the person with the sign. "And you, good sir…I think I know you, do you have a sister. Spectacles and a cute little kissable nose and slim as a board but…the stamina though, oh sweet Merlin's beard the stamina…" He drawls and moves to offer a hand to the man after tucking his broom under his arm. "I would shake you by the hand good sir for having these kind of genetics…you're a horrible artist, Thomas's nose isn't /quite/ that large but if you're nearly as…enthusiastic as your dear sister…you have much to be proud of."

Fire flashes in Beryl's eyes. Even in the cool light of the rainy day, they have the startling appearance of poison green. However, accepting the now-soggy package from Augustin, the fire quickly fades and she almost looks as though she wants to cry. Whatever was in the parcel must have been important, judging by the way she cradles it in her arms.

"Why must they carry on so? The man's been carted off to Azkaban. What more do they want?" She asks rhetorically of Augustin, hastily blinking back tears.

Graham appears by her side, helpfully placing himself between the jostling crowd. It takes her a moment to recognize the gentleman… Of course, it's Signe's good friend: "Mister Cohen!" she says smartly, "You're in law enforcement - can't anything be done about these roughians?"

The gross little man who originally shoved Beryl emits a shriek of outrage after a beat of about five seconds. It takes that long for Laurence's insult to sink into his head. "You bastard!" He says in a nasaly voice. "Just let me get my hands on you!" He begins to stalk forward then. For being a glasses-wearing little runt, he's got spirit.

"We are not here to condone violence! He's not one of us!" the woman asserts - trying to place herself between the man in spectacles, and Laurence. "Calm down. This is a peaceful protest!" she insists. That was the /plan/, anyways…

"It is good to see you again, I was hoping to see you actually but perhaps pleasantries later. The assembley is lawful as long as it doesnt turn nasty.Your path shouldnt be blocked however." Graham says with a sigh he will move a fe steps away "Sir, please calm down keep it peaceful." he looks to Laurence waving his hand to get his attention before giving a small shake of his head "Keep it peaceful." he will say though its hard to see if he can be heard with all the noise.

Gus shakes his head, unabl to answer Beryl's question. "I don't know, ma'am," he says. He stands back, making it apparent that he's not a part of the protesting crowd. His expression is hard to read.

Letting the insult roll safely off of his back like water off of a turtle, the protester with his Thomas merchandise simply offers a small smile. "You seem like the kind who would want to murder a child or two!" He places one of the pins onto the mans lapel while he passes by offering a small wave of the hand before going into his happy spiel about how glad he is that murders like Thomas are allowed to still keep their business running, thanks to lovely people such as the ones who just walked in. "Truly these people deserve the order of Merlin for such dedication to the destruction of our youth!" He then about turns, shaking the hand of a passing young boy, handing him a few pro murder buttons with the little caricatures of Thomas's face, with the nose slightly too big, and the eyes looking all bloodshot "As Thomas Carrow always says 'Crime pays!', so walk right in, and kill your child today!"

Little more then a subtle shake of the head can be seen from the young Sampson his head sinking even lower if that where possible with the prospect of things turning violent. He doesn't seem much for anything at the moment other then watching how things turn out with the protesters.

Sioned is walking along the street, on the sidewalk, of course. She has a little book she's making some notations in. She closes her book and puts it in her purse. Looking up she notices the gathered crowd outside Books Unbound. "Oh my!" These people are clearly taking up the path that she needs to talk on! She bites her lower lip and studies the crowd. "Oh, Merlin's beard." she huffs a little. Clearly the tapping toe is an indicator that these people are cutting in to her carefully planned schedule.

"You self sanctimonious bastard. You utterly disrespectful disgrace of a decent human being. You want justice? You don't stand outside a bloody bookshop using passive aggressive smear campaigns to stress how utterly and completely buggered in the brain someone was and how their being a absolute and utter arsehole and mass murdering sociopath and hand out PINS with their PICTURE on it to innocent children passing by. You get your scrawny arse and your lack of brains to the damn ministry and the prison and other places where /what in hades you are saying will mean something!/." Laurence raises his voice. "BOOKS didn't kill the bloody children and BOOKS didn't get put in prison! You are perpetuating and promoting what he did by keeping his name attached to this all. You want to fix things, help FIX the damn shop up and erase the memory of his murder from it!" He takes a deep breath. "If you care so damn much about the MEMORY of those we lost, they you'll join me this night in having a meeting about what we ALL can do to keep this alley safe for all, instead of wasting everybody times with this bollocky nonsense! Because I smelled, I saw, I heard and I felt what happened in those attacks and I know for damn sure I do /not/ ever want to see that again. Forget the name of Thomas Carrow. Find a new name to focus on. One that promotes life, one that promotes success, safety and the future for our children."

Gus steps up, looking toward Laurence. "And what name is that?" he asks quietly - yet somehow his voice cuts through the chatter, clear as a bell. "Who do you have in mind, Laurence?" He pauses. "I know you as a good man, and honest." His voice is calm. "Some of you may know me." He pauses. "My mother was killed this Christmas-season past, at a party, by Muggle-born extremists." He pauses for one second to let that sink in. "But I don't blame all Muggle-borns. I don't hate them." He shakes his head. "There has been enough hatred. Laurence," he turns to the broommaker. "You say we should come together as a community, keep each other safe, keep each other calm. I agree. But how?"

The way Laurence rails, it can be heard clearly, even through the shop window. Brandy turns her back on the crowd abruptly, looking into the shop and squeezing her eyes closed. Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe she needed to close the shop, and find somewhere else for Sampson and Quincy.

What if Thomas /did/ do this? She can't help but entertain the thought from time to time.

Beryl's focus finally seems to shift from her own tragic problems to something else. Laurence's voice raises above the rest of the din, drawing her attention from the package and Graham. Her lips part slightly, and she narrows her gaze on the Broommaker with a sense of cautious curiosity. She doesn't like to deal with political things, but… she has someone's future to think about besides her own, now. For once, Beryl Crabbe will listen.

The irritating little weasel of a man is prevented from attacking Laurence by the interference of the other woman. Stumbling back a pace or two, he comes within range of the woman he originally shoved. And Beryl takes the opportunity while nobody else is looking to stick her foot just barely in his path. Oops! Down he goes, sprawled on his back and flailing on the ground in an embarrassed heap. For her part, Beryl simply looks innocently to the heavens before stepping closer to Graham to listen to Laurence and Gus.

Sioned looks around as everyone is speaking their mind and getting a little rowdy. Her hand rests on her throat as she listens. Sioned is aware of the political climate, but she takes a step back, keeping her eye on the situation. She doesn't say anything but her eyes stay wide open and she keeps look for herself and the others around her.

Graham turns back at the movement the man tripping and falling though he doesn't really think anything of it. The man had it coming shoving someone and a pregnant woman on top of it some things yeah one just doesn't do. He watches Laurence closely wondering what he's going to say next, but it seems he's at least trying to inspire the crowd to act for the good of people instead of destructively. He looks to the bookstore, its not as easy as he tries to make it seem given that he had found Thomas and all. He glances towards Beryl as she steps closer "If you need help getting through I can try and assist?" he says though is watching the crowd for there reaction on edge himself still

Graham's offer breaks into Beryl's train of thought, and her gaze snaps to the Auror. For a moment, she considers carefully. Glancing around, her eyes fix on Books Unbound. What does it matter if it happens to be the location of the protest? She knows that there is tea, warmth and comfortable places to sit inside, having been there in the past. That couldn't have changed.

"Please, could you help me get into the shop?" She asks, actually sounding very much in need, and very polite as she touches his arm. "I've got to get off my feet. At lest for a little while." She does look a little pale and wan, now - and it's not just the grey skies casting a pall over everything.

"I lost my little girl in that bombing, and I'm not about to let anyone support the man who did it, by buying these books," The man with his pins, and his giant moving caricature of Thomas sounding rather stern as he speaks not really getting into the same mood of 'talking about someone gives them power'. He then turns away from him completely trying to regain his composure so that he can go back to looking happy to protest the place with damning praise.

Sampson's eyes dart to and fro about the crowd, looking at faces, wands clothing, mentally trying to pick apart their defenses for an easy score. Anything to keep his mind off of the Thomas business, but none of it really working, as all he can hear is the sounds of yelling, shouting, and the rainfall overhead.

Somehow managing to piece her composure back together, Brandy looks to Sampson, smiling at the child. "Why don't you tell me more about Creature Camp - huh? We could draw some pictures of what you saw and did… some of the kids you met? We could make it into a little book of our own. It'd be a nice keepsake," she encourages the boy.

The young man who speaks up actually get a lift of an eyebrow and a respectful nod of Laurence's head. Then the button guy speaks and he just shakes his head slowly. "Then we collect all the books and remove them from the shop. I made the shelves in that place, I made an investment in thinkin' a man was filled with honor…" He trails off. Okay. He's REALLY not going there!. "..someone…filled with book smarts and fiercely protective of this alley and our community." His jaw sets. "We order new books, we restock the shop…and we create a library of sorts with the tea shop that's in there. We create a symbol of hope and a new start and a testament of what we will not let happen again." He looks to Gus. "I will even help to purchase these books. Those children used to visit my shop daily, I cared about them deeply and the pain of losing a family member I know what I know too well." He swallows. "You…with the blasted buttons. What was your daughter's name?"

The auror turns to Beryl as she speaks and will nod to her offering his arm to her.Graham will wait to see if she accepts it, but either way he uses himself as a buffer between the crowd and the pregnent woman so she isnt getting jostled around. As he walks though his focus is on his task he will speak to her as well. "I dont know if she has had time to mention it, but I suggested to Signe that the three of us should have lunch sometime." he says conversationaly as they move throguh the crowd he'll not stop until they are at the door of the bookstore.

Beryl slips her arm through Graham's with a grateful little smile. Still holding her package tightly to her body with the other arm, the pregnant woman sticks close to him while he helps her to make her way through the crowd. When they reach the shop door, she finally replies: "No, she didn't - but I certainly owe you one for this. We'll find a time for it, I'm sure…"

Beryl is known for some inexplicable behavior. She's already on the Ministry's watch list for criminal activity, despite the condition she's in. But here and now, she seems very helpless and harmless. Leaning in, she pecks Graham on the cheek with a kiss, leaving a little crimson mark behind. "Thank you, Mister Cohen," she smiles, before turning to knock on the door for Brandy to admit her.

Seeing the woman at the door, Brandy hastens to open it - abandoning Sampson with an apologetic smile. She allows Beryl in, seeing her to one of the comfortable chairs interspersed around the shop. She promises to return with a tea, and gets to work preparing a pot, glancing periodically out the large shop window. It's not something you can ignore for long, after all. All the while - she wonders if it's time to actually go outside and try /speaking/ to the protesters. She worries that would only make things worse, though.

Sioned is looked over and she taps her foot more. She looks around and tries to find another way to get around the crowd. She can't find a way and she sighs. She takes her note book out and writes a note on it. She makes sure the tear is precise and she folds it carefully. A paper airplane is created and she charms it. The plane flies off and Sioned lets out a breath, and a few mumbles under her breath that are not in English. She straightens her jacket and hat and stands watch over the crowd again, looking to get through.

"Carrow's in Azkaban," Augustin says. "He's not coming back, that much we can all agree on. This shop… it's not his any more, is it? How can it be? But surely someone has it, now. Deciding how to move on is something we can all discuss, calmly, tomorrow or the next day." He peers into the shop, for a second. He raises his voice and looks to the protesters. "I understand that some of you are grieving — believe me, I've been there. I still AM. But placing hatred at the feet of an innocent person won't help anyone. It won't bring your loved ones back. It won't keep your families safe." He holds his hand out to the crowd, palm up, like he's asking someone to hold his hand. "We need to come together as neighbors and friends, in love and acceptance. That is the only way to fight hate. Please, friends… join together in peace."

Honora Summerbee would have merely been passing by, but the small crowd outside Books Unbound draws her attention. With nothing better to do — potions back home still needing to cool for hours yet, and errands for the day more or less complete — she stops, watching the crowd a moment hesitantly, then shrugs and approaches. Staying near the edge of the crowd, she asks quietly, "What's going on here?" Possibly someone is close enough to hear that and answer, but mostly she's just thinking aloud. Then, hearing a familiar voice as she catches the last parts of Gus's speech, she pushes through the crowd a little to get where she can see him.

Graham cannot help but smile at both the acceptance of dinner for the three and the peck to the cheek. "Of course, not a problem at all Miss Crabbe." He sees in his reflection of the shop window the smudge on his cheek and will take his robe and rub it till its clean. He turns back now from the shop towards the gathered crowd he will move a little way back towards them from the shop face taking a few steps back out so he can actually be close enough to see and hear all that's going on.

Laurence nods to Gus, smiling a bit and being a bit impressed…okay very very impressed that is, you can tell at how his lips curve a little bit and he takes a deep breath, exhaling in relief when Beryl is seen safely inside, which was probably something in his plan all together, to draw attention to himself. "I could not have said it better. I…am very fond of loving. It is what I do, I am a lover. I love my work, I love people…yes, even the lot of you that are time wasting bastards." He nods towards the bookstore. "Now, I'm going to bring a nice supper for the lovely lot who happens to be stuck in that shop watching all of our ugly gobs gabbing about out here. Go on now! Join us for supper, there's plenty of room on the street…somebody go and get some umbrellas or coverings and such and act like civilized beings." He looks to Gus and shrugs before glancing back towards the shop with a hint of concern.

Sioned can finally make it through the crowd. She hops off the sidewalk and jogs down the street like a lady. She waves to a person in passing when her name is yelled out and she finally turns the corner and makes her way to her destination.

Gus takes a deep breath. "And everyone who joins us for a peaceful dinner can have a glass of wine, courtesy of Rousseau Vineyards," he adds on after Laurence's speech. He grins broadly at one and all.

Glancing at the window - Brandy can't help but see glances coming her way - not that that's any surprise. She can't quite hear what's being said from her current vantage point - and she finds that rather worrying. But what can she possibly do about it? With tea and some biscuits on a platter, she brings this over to Beryl, setting it beside her on a little table. "Take all the time you need, love," she says warmly, before starting to move back to the front of the shop. She glances at Sampson with concern, before opening the door and stepping just outside, closing it carefully behind her.

Normally, Nora would have simply left by this point - she's too shy for crowds, really - but someone she knows is here and caught up in the middle of things, so she stays. Still, she's just lingering toward the edge of the crowd, a confused and concerned expression on her face as she watches.

Suddenly as if on cue there's a small magical explosion in the midst of the crowd, and then a few more. The epicenter is the man who had just been talking about his daughter earlier with his little caricature buttons. It's as if he's there one minute, a smouldering husk the next. A rather violent ball of flame engulfing him and his buttons. Someone or something triggered a reaction with him, and just immolated him as he went to reluctantly take the hand held high in the air. It's as if all of the buttons he had on his person suddenly burst at once, catching flame and exploding only a brief few seconds later.

All Sampson can do is watch as the man immolated by his own fancy buttons, his face loosing all of its color. He can't look away, he can't even move from that spot on the window. Whatever the mans final words might have been no one would know now, and for Sampson this is the only real thought that runs through his mind.

Things do look like its going to be going well. People like wine, and some protestors happen to be a little hungry, and well there's plenty of time to protest after eating. Laurence almost looks a bit relieved as he grins at Gus. And he offers a tip of his hat to Brandy as she exits the shot, mouth opening to offer her a greeting before…it seems to happen in slow motion for him. One moment he's starting to hold up the bundle of food he has, and then he hears the explosion and see the guy ignite and hears the other explosions and his eyes widen. "So THIS is PEACE?!" He practically roars when he sees a familiar child who's hand is probably going to be missing due to his exploding pin and he drops the bundle of food. "WATER! /NOW/." Thankfully it is raining but he's dropping his broom on his foot and kicking it up in the air to mount it quickly, zooming towards the immolated man to grab him by his hand, wincing at the flames and then shooting up in the air. Ouch, wouch, ouch, ouch…he's hoping the water will help put the out…or what's left of him.

Graham looks from the shops to the crowd and back finally his gaze falls on the woman sitting at the edge of the place looking worried, he is quickly turned towards the sound and noise of the explosions "No…." he says his hand is too his sleeve and on his wand before he says more drawing it he'll move through to see the man who'd been handing out the buttons and his supply of buttons gone "If you took a button please take it off set it down and than back away from it ordily." he calls his voice louder than most have heard him be before. He reaches the spot though it looks like its too late he cannot help a nearby person who had worn a badge has their clothes catch fire "Deflammo!" he calls out and his wand siphons the flames off the person and into his wand. He quickly looks around.

Brandy's expression goes from one of carefully shuttered trepidation, to shock and horror as the buttons start exploding. "By all that's-" What is /wrong/ with the world. Her gaze flicks to Sampson, transfixed in the window, and she shouts at him, "Stay inside!"

She looks back at the chaos and panic - people screaming, reeling back from the explosions… She pulls out her wand, trying to remember the spell to make water. It was- wasn't it…? "Aguamenti!" she exclaims, without much confidence.

Nora's reflex is not to put out the fire - she knows she's always too slow for things like that - but to try to save someone else before anything else detonates. So when she draws her wand, it's with a shout of "Carpe Retractum!", hurling a thread of orange light to yank one of the buttons away from a child; if she doesn't fumble this, she'll throw the button to the ground in front of her and step back, so it's not too near anyone.

And Gus, who was so near to the immolated man? He's knocked back a foot or two and lands hard on his bum. His hand is burned, the sleeve of his robe is smoldering. But he bounces right back up again, wand out in that same burned hand. Seems he doesn't feel it. He aims at the nearest button. "Accio!" he yells. And again and again, summoning as many buttons as he can see, to make a pile in the middle of the street. "STAND CLEAR!" he yells. "ACCIO!"

Without oxygen, or the less oxygen, the faster flames go out especially when there's rain involved as well and Laurence grits his teeth as the flames lick up his arm and he has to thank the rain for soaking his broom and making its light charring not quite as damaging as it could be but he'll need treatment for his burns as he gets to the height where he has to take slow, deep, labored breaths, closing his eyes and tilting his head back as his fedora falls off and he hold it there for a few moments before he just as suddenly/out of necessity starts a descending once more before he just simply drops the man from about 20 or so feet in the air, a jerk of his arm allowing his wand to slip into his hand as he waves his wand and grits his teeth as the body plummets towards the ground. "Arresto Momento!" And the body/man's descent is slowed down before it can slam into the ground. Slowly lowered to the ground…its a charred corpse…blackened and crispy but on the plus side, there are no more buttons for him to hand out. Here comes Laurence, zipping and zooming not far over the heads of the crowd, he's looking for people who need the most help, shrugging out of his trenchcoat because its soaked and his hair is soaked and he's wet but determined. He tosses his shop keys towards Graham. "Grab a broom you lot. We need to get these wee burnt lad and lasses to Mungo's!"

Brandy aims her stream of water anywhere there seems to be flames, trembling slightly in response to the cries of pain. Why did this happen? Did the man passing out the buttons do this on purpose? Or had someone else tampered with the buttons? She watches others try to get the buttons away from people before they do more harm - and indeed, people who are wearing them are hastily shucking jackets or fidding with pins - while she attempts to limit the damage to those unfortunate enough to be already injured. "Can someone run to the Cauldron to use the floo? Bring the mediwizards?" she calls.

Graham is moving about helping where he can in his head he's had to much but now isn't the time and so he pushes this aside and will continue helping. He is helping a woman frantic trying to get the button off her shirt caller he gets in uncliped and has time to toss it away but not far enough as the thing goes off the explosion doesn't do much but the shrapnel leaves cuts on his face and maybe a minor burn. which start to bleed "Gah." he says but the woman is also hurt and so his wand is pointed "Episkey" he calls and the smalls scrapes and cuts will fade, he turns back and catches the key with a nod looking a bit worse for wear but he'll hurry off coming back with four brooms two in each hand.

Nora pushes through the crowd, trying to get to Augustin. He's the first target as she points her wand and shouts, "Impervius Flammas!" Since he's so near a pile of buttons that are likely to explode any moment. She doesn't stop there, though, repeating the spell at others nearby over and over, doing what she can to help keep anyone else from being hurt.

The smoldering edges of Gus's sleeve snuff out, which is good. He doesn't notice. "Accio button!" he cries one last time. Then he takes a risk and tries to turn one of the buttons into a harmless toothpick. It works. He'll use that tactic to turn as many buttons into toothpicks as he can - and yet, before he can get them all, one explodes again. Luckily, he's fireproof!

Brandy aims her wand at the growing pile of buttons next - hoping that by soaking them, they might not explode. Even as some of them turn into toothpicks - she keeps with the water. Maybe the toothpicks can explode, too?

Unfortunately, the water coming from her wand begins to peeter out. "Damnit," she mutters quietly. Looking around at all the injured, though, she glances back into the shop. Some people have started moving inside to take refuge from the chaos - she can only hope they won't take the opportunity to ruin things. "Ma'am!" she calls to one of them. "There's a first aid kit under the counter! Please fetch it out?"

Out of the broom shop flies a majestic but very ill tempered looking scops owl who flutters and flaps her wings and then goes flying right back into the shop after Graham exits. Laurence however is doing his best up above. "Bloody /hell/ how many of those bloody buttons did that poor bastard hand /out/…." From above he's using those keen and freakishly blue eyes to squint and try to find pinpoint where the buttons are, just like following a snitch, he's aiming a wand at the buttons he sees before they explode. "Expelliarmus!" In an attempt to get them off of people and clothing and such before they detonate. He's not out of the line of shrapnel but he's flying low in that way takes careful timing and a certain level of insanity.

Graham passes the brooms out to people and help the injured so they can be airlifted settling them so they can be off. He can do more good here and he knows it. He seems to be disregarding the wounds for now though they will require some seeing too for shrapnel bits, cuts and minor burns. He moves through the crowd looking to make sure none others have badges that haven't gone off yet or any other manor of trouble for that case. He finds a young girl who runs up to him asking about her mother she points and the auror moves over to help noting that she appears to have been apparently handing out the pins but was mostly out before they went off she's unconscious. but seems mostly unhurt though he notices a glint near her however on the ground beginning to rattle and smoke, and he reaches out with his wand "Depulso." he calls just in time as it skitters away it goes off which unfortunately means he's been struck again with shrapnel in his hadn't though it will bleed its not too bad and the womans safe. He motions someone to take her to St Mungo's and the child and woman are taken. He turns back now.

Gus keeps on turning buttons into toothpicks as fast as he can, and Accio'ing if he sees any stray ones. His hand is burned, red and blistering, and he's only just now starting to feel it, but he won't stop.

Nora backs off after a while - once the majority of the things that were going to explode have exploded, and the movements of the crowd have made her lose track of who she's charmed, there's not a lot more she can do, really. She looks to Gus for a moment to make sure he's not bleeding massively or anything, then turns to leave.

The woman Brandy shouted at /does/ bring a first aid kit, thankfully, which Brandy accepts with a grateful smile. "Now - if you could start a few pots of tea? And put all the pastries out on platters?" she requests of the stranger.

She starts moving through the injured, applying burn potion or bandages, trying to relieve pain where she can. "Someone did run to St. Mungo's, didn't they?" she asks uncertainly. She hopes so!

Laurence comes to a landing, well, he lets himself drop from his broom into a crouch, reaching up to snag the broom out of the air as he jogs over to where some small child is crying all confused with wide eyes and he just scoops her up into his arms and perches him on the hip. Broom is held lightly in his other hand as he's able to wram his arm around a stumbling man who's trousers had to be removed and he leads them over towards Brandy and Graham. He's soaking wet, but the rain has stopped by now some how. There's the smell of burnt flesh, clothing, and hair in the air along with burnt wood and things are smouldering as the explosions have died down and off by now and he's just nodding to Graham, knowing he'll get folks to Mungos and he finally looks over to Brandy. He's got burns, he's got a bit sooty and rain whipped, but there's an intensity in those ice blue eyes…there was a reason they called him the Ice Dragon. Its a cold type of rage, but it softens as he hands the child over to their mother huddling near the entrance to the book shop and he offers a gallant bow to Brandy, free hand running his fingers through his hair to pull it out of his face before he shifts his broom to that hand and offers a hand to Brandy. If its taken? He raises it to gently brush his lips along the back of it and then releases it as he bows his head. "Laurence Toulson. Give me but a second to look upon your beauty and to take the memory with me." He looks the woman over and offers a small smile. "I have some people to fly to Mungos, but I will return. Be safe and be strong lovely." He winks and then turns to jog off a few feet, dropping that broom and with the small whisper of 'Up' is vaulting to straddle the broom and kick off rather quickly, making an arc to pull up beside an injured older man and helping him onto the broom carefully before flying off. There's work to be done.

Brandy is briefly taken back by the intensity of the gaze directed towards her - was /she/ going to be blamed for this, she wonders momentarily. Surely not. As the hand is offered, she accepts it, smiling a bit awkwardly at the kiss, under these circumstances. "Brandy Sweetwater," she offers in turn. She watches him fly off, but then returns her attention to patching up minor wounds. She'll keep at it until she runs out of healing supplies - then she'll return to the shop, to see if any damage has been done.

Sampson had been watching the whole thing with a quiet sort of stare, his face pale and his expression frozen not really knowing what to think or do with everything that's just happened. To the boys credit he's done exactly what he was told for once, kept perfectly quite and stayed indoors where it was safe. He's pretty glad that there was one button he didn't collect for a change as he looked over the carnage people showing up to help deal with the bodies, and the injured.

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