RP: Entitled Location: Dragon's Grange, Hogsmeade Date: 20 December 2004
"It was mayhem. Worse than King's Cross before the Hogwart's Express leaves the station. I'm sorry, Hermione. Malfoy. I had to shut it down. I was worried someone would get hurt. Probably me," Alicia added with a sigh. "I'm so sorry."
"Alicia, it's not your fault," Hermione assured her. "Mister Macmillan warned us that if we didn't vet recipients carefully that some people might feel entitled." Their solicitor and the junior partner they were working with on setting up their food banks and educational charity had warned them that if they didn't screen for need, and monitor recipients closely, then some would take advantage. "We just hated to see all that extra food go to waste while we worked out the particulars." Opening temporary food banks in rented shops on Fridays in Hogsmeade and Tuesdays in Diagon Alley while they worked out a permanent arrangement seemed like a good idea at the time. Share their excess harvest. Help people. It should have been easy. It wasn't easy at all.
"Entitled is the word for it," Alicia said, making a face. "Demanding to know why there wasn't any of this, and telling me that next time they expected there to be that. One woman hit me with her handbag because we didn't have any hams." She scowled. "Free hams! It's a food bank, not a bloody market!" Alicia ranted. "I didn't know what else to do. I was worried there was going to be a riot if I didn't send everyone away and lock it down. I didn't have time to talk to you both first."
"You did the right thing. We hired you to make those sort of decisions. You're supposed to look after the volunteers, and you need to look after yourself as well." Hermione was just glad no one was hurt. She would have shut it down as well.