James's life is looking up a little bit. He's able to get over the awkwardness of Celia's rejection, largely because Lily sends him the Keys to the Castle--the Marauders' control spells for the Map--and his friend Michael was able to get a tourist map of the Whispering Caves to apply the spells to. This puts him back in the frame of mind to help Celia win. At the same time, Elodie decides that she was a bit curt with him (she's a little clueless about how she comes off) and says that she'll go to the Yule Ball with him if he reads Carrie and still wants to be her date. He does. Knowing James, he probably thinks it would be exciting if she suddenly started throwing things around telepathically. ;p

When the Beauxbatons decorations go up, Gabrielle finds him and says that she'd like to have him over for supper, and invites him (along with Scops, who happened to be there). She has just met them at the gate in a hippogriff-drawn sleigh. It's not snowy enough for a sleigh, but she's not actually planning to go overland, so it doesn't matter.


Table of Contents So Far

( The Secret of Ville-Sauvage, Chapter Fourteen: Yule Tidings, pt. 2 )

Eh, screw the outline. Let's just see what happens. ;p (Outlines only ever worked for me in Forest Guard and Hunter's Moon, anyway.)

James is not having a good lead-up to the Yule Ball. First, the girl he wanted to ask, Celia, not only shoots him down, but tells him to go ask Elodie Lejeune so he can spy on her. Then Elodie sees right through him (possibly because he gives her a direct and true answer when she asks if he's looking for her alibi) and also shoots him down, citing her fear of having pig's blood dumped on her, given the way she's generally treated at Beauxbatons. (Though she does give the impression that she really does want to go.) Then, in a snit, he goes stalking off down the river, and when he sees something gold on the ground, it turns out to be one of Grindelwald's coins (I'd called the regular French coin he was expecting a solidus, but I'm changing it, on Sylvia's suggestion, to Magus; I think I'll keep it simple and say Grindelwald didn't change the name of the money during his reign).

I realized that, in an earlier section, I did some math badly for the age of Gabrielle's children. There's no way they'd already be at Beauxbatons. So we'll just pretend that she didn't imply that they were, right? ;p (And I'll go back and fix that.)

Table of Contents So Far

( The Secret of Ville-Sauvage, Chapter Fourteen: Yule Tidings, pt. 1 )

Way, way back, many centuries ago
Not long after the new year began...

Ahem.

Celia has deciphered the clue-riddle to mean that she will have to rescue a hostage in the Whispering Caves, an oracular site on the Beauxbatons grounds... with the rub that they aren't going to be starting at a standard entrance. She'll have to figure out where she is in the caves before finding her way to the hostages. The Marauders' portrait, citing a fair bit of experience with mapping spells, has offered to help.

Meanwhile, James, in his own exploration near the caves, comes across Elodie Lejeune, the rather unpleasant girl who belongs to a religious sect that prohibits magic use--within the wizarding world--though they send all of their children to Beauxbatons to learn to control their magic. Elodie stops him from going into the cave, making a few nasty remarks about his reliance on carrying a wand to defend against magic that acts on the mind. Back in the dining room, he tells Celia about this encounter, and Celia--never a fan of Elodie's sect--decides Elodie may well be a suspect in the sabotage on the tournament, and decides that the best way to investigate her is for James to ask her to the just-announced Yule Ball.

Question: At the end of this, I name a French coin the Solidus, a random old Roman coin, but I don't like it and would rather come up with a good set of French and German coins to match the Knut, Sickle, and Galleon. Of course, these aren't real English coins (at least not anymore), so it's not a question of translating. Suggestions?

Table of Contents So Far

( The Secret of Ville-Sauvage, Chapter Thirteen: A Light In the Dark, pt. 3 )

I know I'm running a little late with the next segment--just uninspired, I'm afraid! It'll get here. Just wanted to say that neither the challenges nor Ville-Sauvage has been abandoned. Something will come soon.

Wasn't getting anywhere with the "Other" requests, so I'm going to skip them and go straight to the Black family requests (Phineas and Regulus).

Something with Phineas and his family at Christmas. for Anon
( A whole new century )

Regulus and Harry talking about Sirius, at any point after Teddy and James bring Regulus back. for Anon
( Shades of Black )

James's history lesson was diverted by Celia, who figured out how to get the clue from the silver skull. Plunging into complete darkness, they found a riddle which they have interpreted to mean that the second task will take place in the oracular Whispering Caves... which the riddle implies they will be "lost" in, with an hour to find a hostage who will be randomly chosen. celia decides that they need a map.

Table of Contents So Far

( The Secret of Ville-Sauvage, Chapter Thirteen: A Light In the Dark, pt. 2 )

I would love to see Draco's DADA lesson for Rose, Scops, and Al's year. for Anon
[Hmm. I have them all in different houses, and therefore different DADA classes. I don't really think they'd have a special circumstance for them, but the challenge, since I guess you want to see all of them, I'll make up a reason that they'd all be there together. If I do that year, it'll most likely change.]
( Evening class )

---

Since the story is all [young James], how about some Scorpius? Maybe a couple of years before Hogwarts, or like NEWT year... for sgt_majorette
( Being )

James has gotten a history lesson from Mme. Laurent concerning the Grindelwald war and the actions of the magical Vichy government, which left him feeling a little dazed. To clear his head, he goes out to the gardens to practice his Patronus, which is frustrating him, and he is interrupted by Scops Malfoy. Scops wants to learn the Patronus even though Draco thinks it's a "trendy" spell, and James thinks it might help him learn it if he tries teaching it to someone else. But this isn't the time apparently--Scops has been sent for him, because Celia has an idea about her silver skull clue.

Table of Contents So Far

( The Secret of Ville-Sauvage, Chapter Thirteen: A Light In the Dark, pt. 1 )

I would love James telling Ruthless a story! for lucathia_rykatu
( Night Stories )

---

Ruth and James! ...They are my fanfiction crack. Anything involving them (I'd be intrigued to see them as parents once the twins are teenagers--I feel like if anyone could handle Potter-adolescent-angst/obnoxiousness, it's Ruth!) would be super-appreciated. Thanks so much! for pevara
[Their boys aren't actually twins; they're a year apart, like James and Al, though I imagine they're a handful either way. ;p]
( An Unfortunate Combination )

James and Celia, trying to explore Ville-Sauvage, come upon Madame Maxime training Elodie Lejeune to fight a tarasque without magic. Wondering why, James learns that Elodie is a member of a sect that doesn't believe in using magic, despite being fully capable witches and wizards (all of their children receive a magical education, so they can better control accidental magical outbursts). He also finds out that, during the war, Grindelwald tried to break them and force them to use magic, which has given them something of a complex, to the point where they sheltered Greyback (much to Celia's fury). The question of Grindelwald's war, and how deeply it scarred the continent, is much on James's mind, and he decides to seek out Madame Laurent, who teaches the history of Beauxbatons course, and whose grandfather was a war hero.

Table of Contents So Far

( The Secret of Ville-Sauvage, Chapter Twelve: What A Hero Would Do, pt. 3 )

since I'm sure I expressed how much I grown fond of Al Potter. *and my little disappointment at him not being in the quidditch Team since he's so good at it ;) * as possible as it is (meaning if you can't include all these things that's ok) a ficlet that includes all these things.

• Al interacting with Harry only (father-son thing) talking about the drama club, the dueling club, just Al asking for advice or commenting on the stuff he likes but he's not sure what to stick with. (could be by owl exchange, or fire-floo chatting, or after class talk)
  
• Al and Moth having a Date that includes Flying (teaching her to fly or just having fun) and showing, if not quidditch itself, what does Al likes about flying.
  
• Moth seeing Al do something in the dramatic club.
  
• Al and Moth practicing spells (whichever is besting the other is up to you )
  
• Another Mothh/Al Kiss. hope it's not too much to ask in a ficlet.

for starnightmuse
[That's a little more than I can do--it's two separate ficlets, at least; a Harry-Al, and a Moth/Al--but I'll see if I can work in information from one while telling the other.]
( Night Talks )

---

Ohh! could you please do Ron's reaction to the relationship between Ruthless and James? Given his initial reaction to Harry and Ginny, I think he'd go a little nuts, but I wonder what you think :-) for Anon
( A Quandary )

The first task is over, finding Beauxbatons in last place. Hogwarts is in second, and Durmstrang leads by a point, but both schools have been lectured about not rubbing it in their hosts' faces. Celia decides the next weekend that she wants a look around the ancient ruins of Ville-Sauvage, and she and James have just arrived... when something screeches a roar at them.

Since it's been a while, I'll put in a character reminder here--hopefully, all in one piece, it won't seem so long since we've seen her. On their first day, James met a rather unpleasant girl named Elodie Lejeune, who none of the Beauxbatons students seem to like, and it seems to be quite mutual.

Table of Contents So Far

( The Secret of Ville-Sauvage, Chapter Twelve: What A Hero Would Do, pt. 2 )

what do you think happened to Reg and mary cattermole after the escaped the ministry? for nightpixie7
[Since I already wrote the immediate aftermath, we'll go up a few years here.]
( Charity )

---

your mclaggen is such a Prat, and it's hilarious. something with him trying to climb the ranks, by being an unrepentant womanizer, but picking on the Worst girl to try to flirt with, cause he got his ass handed to him. for ris
( Werewolf Capture Unit )

Celia has placed second in the First Task, against the Stymphalian birds, ahead of the Beauxbatons champion, but a point behind Veronika Horvat of Durmstrang. The item she retrieved was a silver skull, which contains a clue about the next task. It doesn't make sounds. It has a lot of crystals inside, but she can't figure them out that night, despite help from James, the portraits, and the other Hogwarts students.

Meanwhile, James has been flirting with a couple of Durmstrang girls, which seems to annoy her.

Table of Contents So Far

( The Secret of Ville-Sauvage, Chapter Twelve: What A Hero Would Do, pt. 1 )

something with Seamus Finnigan? for Martha
( Assumptions )

---

that little ficlet you wrote about Justin Finch-Fletchley fleeing his house after DE setting it on fire, and Daniel morse comming to help was amazing! can i have more of that? either right after that or more that type of thing? you are one of the few authors who write intricate stories for even the smallest of characters for Nikki
[That ficlet is here, and ends with Daniel demanding an explanation of the magic he's seen before he starts making guesses.]
( Confundus )

Okay, I'm going back to V-S. It needs to get finished, and I realized I still have way too much backed up on the challenges to wait until I'm done.

We're on the first task, and the surprise monster is a flock of Stymphalian birds. Titouan Boulanger, the Beauxbatons champion, managed to get the silver skull from the hidden nest, with a total score of 36 out of 50. Champions lose points for injuring the birds or being injured themselves. The birds have impenetrable metal feathers, metal beaks and claws, and poison dung.

Celia has just entered the field of play, after spending the morning with Lupin's portrait, going over generalized strategy. James is watching from the stands. He has noticed that Ginny is there covering the event.

I am totally off my outline, in case people hadn't guessed by my sudden freeze-up. ;p There was originally supposed to be a just James-and-Ruthless scene here (it was in a shortfic earlier), but that didn't make any logical sense with what's here now.

Table of Contents So Far

( The Secret of Ville-Sauvage, Chapter Eleven: The First Task, pt. 3 )

Could I request something with the Smeltings teachers? for Anon
( Welcome Back )

---

One of the Patil twins tries to get a date with Dudley after the war. for Ellen
( Relatives )

Ville savage dwelling into beauxbaton made me very curious as to what it was like for Fleur. so Fleur at Beauxbaton please. for Anon
( Sleeping Spots )

---

How about something from the pack when Neil and Celia were younger? I've always loved the cubs, and Celia's one of my favourite of your OC's, so I'm thrilled she has such a large part to play in the James story. for Anon
( I think I'm a werewolf )

someone said in a blog that Harry's classmates would be really pissed, and hateful of Harry for being accepted to work as an auror right after the war, while they had to go and do NEWTS. write on wether or not you think that's the case, or if they would be understanding of harry's circumstances (susan bones, seamus finnigan, ernie mcmillan, etc for Abby
( Mutterings )

---

Something involving Daniel Morse's discovery of Lupin's secret (or one of them, take your pick). for Anon
( Omit Nothing )

I'd like another ficlet along the lines of that one you wrote for me a while back, where Dora's in that 11-year-old period of learning about the differences between the sexes and having awkward thoughts about Mr. Lupin. (In the previous ficlet, she read a romance novel that one of her classmates had and they giggled over it, then when she went home and hugged Lupin, she got all blushy. I could scrounge up a link if you want. I just loved the hilarious awkwardness of it all.) for severely_lupine

[It's here, if anyone wants it.]
( Information Gathering )

---

Peter. Giving thanks for something. for vesta_aurelia
( The Real Mole )