another day, another dollar [Open]

[likedietrich]

McKinnon's Rare Manuscripts and Spellbooks

Every morning, like clockwork, Marlene McKinnon can be found opening up the bookstore on a quiet corner of Diagon Alley, feeding the cats, Kitsune and Bastet, and then settling in for a day of the occasional customer and the occasional cursed book causing the occasional small explosion. Nothing to see here, really.

In the window today is the usual display of recently arrived tracts - a few from Egypt, one from Japan, a trio of interesting rituals from North America - but also a discreet sign:

Part-time Bookstore Help Wanted. Inquire Within. Time Travelers Welcome.

"I kept offering the job to Remus, but he's a stubborn pain in my ass."

Diagon Alley

Eventually, the shop does close, and Marlene steps outside instead of heading straight upstairs to her apartment. September's here, and there's a bit of a chill in the air that makes her shiver as she wanders aimlessly down the street. Technically, her destination is dinner or a drink, eventually, but she takes her time about it. She pauses outside Quality Quidditch Supplies for some time, eyeing the very latest in broom technology before she tucks her hair back.

"Sometimes I think I should moonlight as a pro Quidditch player, just for the excuse to buy brooms."

Comments

[likedietrich]

"Mostly," Marlene says after a moment. "Halfbloods too, but I never heard of any reported Purebloods going missing." Funny how that works, isn't it. "It still happens, but not as much, which most attribute to the curfews." She pulls down another book and sets it on the table before leaning against it. Only because the store is empty does she go into this much detail.

"You'll never find this in any official outlet, but most of us are pretty sure that the disappearances are at the hands of purebloods. There's a wide streak of racism in our community. I'd hope it'd be different in the future, but." Hermione isn't the first displaced in her shop. "I'm betting not."

[hermyownee]

Figures. She thinks, but she doesn't say it. It's probably not smart to be saying these kinds of things in this place.

"It's different, but certainly not better," Hermione says with a soft sigh. "I imagine most of the Ministry employees are purebloods? Or at least halfbloods?" She already knows Umbridge plays a big role. Which, while not surprising, irks her almost as much as Voldemort.

[likedietrich]

"You don't get far unless you're a pureblood," Marlene says dryly. "Halfbloods can get positions, and I used to think about it - I wanted to be Minister when I was in school - but while I could have gotten a position, I wouldn't move up much. Probably better to do my own thing." Umbridge is only twenty, but she's there, certainly. Marlene hears things in her shop, and just a few days before Lucius Malfoy had been complaining commenting to Bellatrix Black that Dolores Umbridge kept finding excuses to come into his office.

"Of course, the defense is that the minister himself is halfblooded. But..." No one else around him is.

[hermyownee]

Being halfblooded only seemed to fuel him more. "Of course they would use that."

Hermione hesitates for a moment. "Do you know if-- hm, if there are groups willing to--" rebel, fight, change... but she can't bring herself to go that far. "I mean, support groups of sorts. For muggle born?"

[likedietrich]

"There's nothing very formal or organized," Marlene says. She sounds all the world like they're discussing a club or some such thing, but she leans forward to pick up one of the scraps she keeps on the table and a quill to scribble down an address.

"But now and again a few of us get together, just talking, eating, drinking, maybe practicing some of those spells we don't get much day to day use out of." Okay, so they don't really do the last - but they ought to, and maybe this girl can help her get that started. Marlene had never been in dueling club in school, but she'd had a strong tendency to get herself into fights. "Next one's in Hawkshead. Early October? We try not to be too firm in our plans, but I imagine Remus or Sirius or James could give you direction if you're interested."

[hermyownee]

Hermione watches closely as Marlene writes the address. And even as Marlene speaks, she's already thinking of ways to protect them and the rest of the people involved like she did with Dumbledore's Army. Hopefully Marietta Edgecomb won't show up and warn people...

She takes the paper and nods casually. Pretending to be only mildly interested even as she plans on definitely dragging Ron and Harry over with her. "Sounds like it could be a good way of meeting others around here. Thanks, I'll ask them closer to the date."