(Hogsmeade) Yeah right...

[Helia Ollivander]

She laughed, "Oh, you're not the only one frightened of him. In fact, it took me quite a few summers at his shop before I warmed up to him. He's not so bad... mostly it's just that he's got a lot on his mind... all the time," she shrugged. "Being one of his descendants certainly becomes a conversation piece."

"Funny isn't quite the word I'd use; perhaps ironic... or moronic. But I suppose no one really has the right to judge humanity. At least no human would, seeing as they are, and that would simply be hypocrisy. But, I suppose that in itself is our nature to some extent... I really have to stop babbling. I'm starting to confuse myself," she chuckled a bit. "Ha ha, I've yet to delve into all the European histories. I suppose I ought to, but part of me would rather not find out all the horrible things my ancestors have done."

She nodded, "Well then..." she began slowly, "If I decided I did want to join you and the other Rogues... or apprently non-plural Rogue, you and your mysterious colleague, that is... what exactly would you be wanting me to do? I mean... I'm just a wand maker; and except for the trip I plan on taking, I don't want to abandon my shop or anything liek that."

[Gabriella De Conti]

"I suppose so; every witch and wizard knows him and has more then likely bought their first wand from him." She said thoughtfully remembering the feeling of her old wand. It was something you'd never forget.

"Everyone's a hypocrite in their own right." She said chuckling slightly. "I think moronic is the correct term. My mother always used to say that 98% of the world's population was completely ridiculous and the other 2% was too ignorant or indifferent to care. I seem to have inherited her pessmistic outlook as well. We DeConti's are a cynical pessmistic bunch." She said laughing. "Although it always used to make the family reunions interesting. I haven't been to one since I took an active role in this war.

"My own heritage is in Italy. We are and always been a bunch of arrogant pureblooded prats." She said laughing slightly.

She smirked as she listened to her speak; she was certainly glad to have trusted Helia. "Well, as of right now we're trying to change how we Rogues are percieved by the general public. Most of them blame us for any wrong doing that goes on. We're trying to change that by attempting to get a Daily Phrophet writer on our side or starting our own Newspaper. We're also attempting to organize all the Rogues into one group and work together as opposed to our own individual aims." She said slowly hoping she wasn't being betrayed. She prayed with all her heart that Helia was not a ministry spy or else she had doomed herself. "Just a wandmaker? To be a wandmaker it requires exceptional magical ability; you'll be an asset no matter what you do. And we would never ask you to close your shop. It lacks sublety for one thing and the few bright inidividuals left at the ministry would recognize that you had chosen a side. You would need to appear neutral and essentially help us garner information from your travels abroad and from the customers in your store."

[Helia Ollivander]

She nodded, "He was a celebrity in his own right, I suppose. I always got the feeling that he knew more about what he was talking about than he ever let on... Not like he was a Seer or anything, just... intuitive I guess," she shrugged.

She laughed, "My brother used to say the 86% of statistics were made up on the spot." She flicked her wand and a tray of tea and sandwich flew into the room and hovered between the to ladies, "Help yourself," she offered as she took a cucumber sandwich for herself. "You know, the way I see it," she said between bites, "Pessimism is an essential tool these days. Optimistic people end up being disappointed at some point and the people who hang between the balance end up getting trampled underfoot. Personally, I think more people should have a good dose of pessimism in their systems, lest they lose their heads in the clouds."

She began smiling as she listened to what was being planned; spies in the Daily Prophet rooms, underground newspapers, and herself an essential spy. She bit her lip as her thoughts began whirling between her ears... "I'm in," she said finally. "And I may be able to help a bit more than I thought I would... You see, the Daily Prophet writer's are probably all too worried about their jobs to risk printing anything nice about any anti-ministry groups. Starting your own paper has its own risks because you'd need to find not only the machines and supplies, but also a place to hold all the machines and supplies...

"Now here's my plan; Hogwarts was trying to start a school news paper before a graduated but it never really got off the ground. I might be able to ask for the machines and then I could stick them in the back of my store. I'd start printing fliers and things for the shop to keep suspicion down, and you would have an easy way to communicate your thoughts to people, even if it just remained local for awhile," she finished off the last bite of her finger sandwich and smiled, "What do you think?"

[Gabriella De Conti]

"Just wait," she said with a grin. "Generations from now they'll be talking about Old Helia, the crazy wandmaker." She finished laughing. "Intuitive is a good word to describe him; I always felt like he was looking right through me instead of at me you know?"

She grabbed a sandwich, not really knowing how hungry she was until she actually started eating one. "Good sandwiches," she said with a smile.

"If I wasn't so pessimistic I think I'd still be working for the ministry today." She said thoughtfully remembering her brief stay as an intern there after she'd graduated from Hogwarts. She'd left after a few months stating family problems and became a Rogue wizard not too long afterwards. "It's also the reason why I joined the Rogues as opposed to the Red Rose League. I would rather not watch another group be taken in by power and see all their selfless ideals crumble down before my eyes. At least with the Rogues I know what I'm getting into...somewhat." She said with a slight chuckle.

"You Helia Ollivander," she said smirking, "Are an absolute god send. It sounds marvelous, it will be of great risk to you just so you know. If they find out what machine is printing our papers you'd best leave quickly." She said frowing slightly. "You'd probably have Locksley on your tail then. She's the best the ministry's got and one of the few that I actually fear being caught by. Always takes so much energy to escape," she said with a small smirk. "It could definitely work though and that certainly solves a lot of our problems."

[Helia Ollivander]

She laughed, "Oh, I do hope they will. I've already got a rumour mill going around the village that I'm an old crone who hexes you to the ceiling if you break your wand... and still the idle little third years come running to me. A part of me is beginning to believe that they want to be hexed to my ceiling, but who knows?"

"Thank you, I actually make Puddifoots cater for me. Works out quite nicely," she giggled. "Oh, I tend to believe that Grandpa doesn't look at people; more like he looks into them or something. I myself think looking at people is more amusing than looking through them. Perhaps that's part of why my rumours don't stick..."

"You worked for the Ministry? Shocking! Truly scandelous!" she said overdramatically, putting a hand over her heart as if she were going to have a stroke at this new bit of information. "Hm, It's my thought that anyone who thinks they have selfless ideals and tries to promote them publicly for their own gain are not one bit selfless at all. I like to think that I am actually quite a selfish person, and that by working privately and only sharing my opinion with those who care to ask about it, is helping the world become a better place."

She scoffed, "There's no reward that isn't worth a risk or two. Thwarting a corrupted goverment and the, most likely, equal or more corrupted society trying to overthrow it is something I am quite glad to put my effort towards. And if I should happen to get on the Wizarding World's Most Wanted list, I shall hope I will have done something fantastic to get myself there," she finished with a proud nod... right before she cracked up laughing. "But back to being serious now, I've still got some connections back at school and it shouldn't be too much trouble to get ahold of the equipment, so I think we've got your paper problem taken care of." She was quite glad to have been such a help to this group so soon. True, she still didn't know exactly what they were up to, but she trusted Gabriella, and for now that was enough.

[Gabriella De Conti]

"Truth or Dares," she said with a small laugh. "Or they're jsut regular old thirteen year old boys being regular old thirteen old boys," she said chuckling slightly.

"Maybe I should go hang around Madame Puddifoots more often," she said chuckling slightly. "I agree, looking at people much more amusing. I am harshly judgemental though so that could be the reason..."she said with a small smirk.

"I know, it's almost blasphemy!" she said with a slight laugh. "It didn't take me long to realize that the minsitry was a corrupt body of government ruled by one person who in all honesty didn't even do a good job of it. I mean really, if you're going to get power-hungry and take over the Ministry of Magic at least you should do something helpful for wizarding kind while you're at it.

"That's the way to think," she said laughing slighly. "You're oddly like me. Gobien pittied me because I'm chased by some of the best ministry workers...I told him I'd be insulted if they sent anyone else." she said with a slight smirk. He was definitely right, they'd be far better off if she wasn't so egotistical. She laughed inwardly; at least she had reason to be arrogant...all the things she gloated about were actually true.

"That's good that you have connections at Hogwarts as well, we need them." She said with a slight chuckle. "We should get this paper up and running as soon as we can. We sould also get a meeting going between the three of us. We'll have to find some place else other then the Three Broomsticks though. The bartender thinks Gobien and myself are on our honeymoon."

[Helia Ollivander]

She smiled, "I don't think 'power-hungry' and 'corrupt' really go together with 'helping' at all. Seriously, the only truly selfless people who are ever going to help the wizarding world are the people who have been screwed over by the government and have studied enough to know how to keep it from happening were they ever put in a place of power themselves." She snickered, "The only people worthy of ruling are those who have been stepped on and spat at by the whole wide world."

She applauded, "Pity for beating out stuck up ministry workers. Now that's something worth gloating about," she said with a nod. "Hey, do you remember the World Cup game a few years back; Got post-poned for a week while they cleaned up the debris of a whole bunch of wet-start fireworks and other juvenile prank items?" she laughed "One of my buddies needed the Ministry off his tail for a while, so some of my friends and I messed with the game to distract them." That was one of Halo's favorite memories from her school days. Helping Bog was brilliant.

"Honeymoon?" she asked, trying to hold in a laugh. "So you and this mysterious Mister Gobien met up to pull together the Rogues and ended up and decided it would be best to show a united front by getting hitched?" she couldn't hold in the laugh anymore and promptly began snickering madly, "Sorry, sorry. I only jest. But hey, if you need a meeting place we can use the back room here for that too. The tiny store front makes for more room in the back. There'll be plenty of room for the press and some chairs for the other Rogues... should there ever actually end up being any more Rogues, that is," she chuckled.

[Gabriella De Conti]

"I see we are agreed in that point as well. You can't rule any part of this world until you've lived in it and realized it's an absolute crap place to be," she said with a slight smirk.

Gabriella laughed aloud as Helia told her of her prank; she did remember it quite well. "I remember that, I also remember not being sure whether to be angry because I would have to wait to see the game or whether I should laugh at the utter hilariousness of the whole situation." She grinned, "Locksley is the only one who could ever challenge me. Honestly though...I'll be more frightened of that pup of hers when he finally comes of age. He can track and if Locksley actually chose him to be her apprentice he's got to be good." She said frowning all the sudden. It was the reason why she taunted him more then she usually would've...because the one thing he lacked apart from confidence was the ability to ignore what his opponent was saying.

"Well as we were the only Rogues there at the time it was quite easy...also slightly unexpected I was not notified of this plan. Kind of awkward but not really because I'm a big flirt anyways." She laughed along with Helia; it really was funny. Especially since her and Gobien actually marrying was really quite ludicrous. "While there is so few of us we could use the back of your store but we must be careful. Too many overage wizards going into a wand shop is not very discreet. We'll probably end up moving about a lot until we find a secure headquarters."

[Helia Ollivander]

"Oh, I suppose that is a point to consider..." she said in reference to her shop being a bit too conpicuous for people to meet in on a regular basis. She thought about other possible meeting places... but as nothing came to mind, she decided she'd leave that to the woman and her mysterious Mr. Gobien to figure out. Helia had enough on her plate with acquiring and moving a printing press, while trying not to raise suspicion, and still she had yet her world tour to prepare for! But she was still glad she would be able to help Miss... Miss... "You know, throughout the course of our conversation, I've yet to learn your name?"

She nodded thoughtfully, "So... what happens now?" she asked curiously. Helping a friend in need by wreeking havoc to distract the Ministry was one thing. Joining a mysterious group of anarchists trying to overthrow the Ministry... that was something else entirely. It was practically heresy... this might at some point balloon into a full fledged war! 'What have I gotten myself into?' she asked herself mentally, suddenly wishing the she'd gotten a few more lessons in Occlumency while at Hogwarts. She was glad to be of service, of course. She loathed the Ministry for many reasons... she was just starting to wish that there were some sort of 'Lawlessness for Dummies' book she could be that would give her a crash course in what to do next...

[Gabriella De Conti]

She laughed at the reality of her statement. "The name's Gabriella De Conti." She said and extended her hand to Helia. She had gotten into the habit of not really giving her name to anyone as of late she had forgotten she actually trusted the wandmaker.

"What happens now...? I have not the faintest idea." She said with a light laugh. Organization had never been one of the Rogues strong point. "I shall owl the store when I've talked to Gobien and we set up a meeting somewhere or we gain some sort of task that needs doing. Either way I fear I've lingered here too long. I don't want to give your shop any bad press." She said with a light laugh. "I'm glad we met Helia Ollivander." She said with a smile and walked out of the store.

[Helia Ollivander]

She smiled, 'Gabriella...' the elegant name rolled around merrily in Helias mind. It fit the woman well; like a high-class heiress who had run off with gypsies or something of the like; very adventurous and beautiful. She shook the lady's hand with a grin.

"Me too..." she agreed as Gabriella quickly made her exit from the store. Yes, she was very glad to be helping Miss de Conti; she'd put off her trip for a little while. At least until the first meeting with Gabriella and Gobien... to make sure they wouldn't need her for anything but the press currently. She'd find ways to let them know how to get a hold of her, but she'd be back soon anyways. She knew deep down her shop would call her back to work quickly. Especially with this new adventure unfolding around her.
This was definatly not going to be a boring year by any means...