An active, character-driven Hogwarts experience set in the early 2000s. Unique items, plots, and features. Non-canon; this isn't Harry Potter's story, it's ours.
Rubes wandered into the Great Hall, her stomach grumbling. She was looking forward to a filling breakfast before heading off to watch the first Quidditch match of the season. There seemed to be a lot of talk about the upcoming game, too.
Plopping herself down at the table, she piled a plate with pancakes and started to eat. "So, my fellow Puffs,who do we want to win the Quidditch today? Personally, I think I'll be backing Gryffindor."
Post by Luckett Langford on Mar 16, 2021 4:00:36 GMT 10
Did someone suggest Lucky go bare chested to the Quidditch game and paint his chest in support of Gryffindor? Lucky liked the sound of this. He liked it a lot. In fact, he enjoyed the idea so much that he started brainstorming what could be written on their chest. This is why he and Harris got along so well. They were on the same page about most things -- with their love of Quidditch most prominent. It still puzzled Lucky why the boy hadn't tried out for his team.
'Wouldn't my washboard abs get in the way?' He gave Harris a cocky smile that showed the top row of his perfectly straight teeth. If he weren't such a twat with what he said, it was a smile that could twist anyone's heart. 'But that's no reason to bow out of the fun, innit?' Lucky dropped into an empty seat beside his housemate and leaned his weight onto his elbows. 'How should we go about doing this? Should I go all red, you all gold? I'm impartial.'
Lucky pulled himself over a plate of egg sandwiches and a mountain of warm scones, before taking a moment to tear through a half a block of butter. He liked to eat his scones with big slabs of it, this way the butter melted on the outside but kept a cool enough bite in the middle. It was weird, but it's how he liked it. If anyone had a problem with it, they could watch in mild disgust and keep quiet. Lucky wasn't about to defend his ideal scone consumption methods.
'What's wrong with you lot?' Lucky said this while staring at the fourth years between swallows. 'It's Quidditch day. You shouldn't be talking about Reena Ashworth or the dance. Today's all about figuring out who's going to win, so we know who we're defeating match after next.' Crumbs flew from his mouth, but he didn't care. As usual.
The owls flying overhead didn't steal his attention from the cheesy egg sandwich in his hands, but the cover of the Daily Prophet caught his eye, even if only for a second. It wasn't about Professor Fairburn or even Dumbledore being spotted in Peru. It was one of the more trivial things, which shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone nearby. 'Honeydukes isn't getting expanded? Imagine what we could've done with more sweets! What a crock.'
Chaos. Kier sat with his cheek resting on the cold wood of the table and listened to the chatter around him. He hadn't slept a wink the night before and looked even more like a train-wreck than usual in the mornings.
Everyone seemed excited about the game today, but Kier only felt disappointed it wasn't a huffle game. He wanted to be the one going up against the snakes, if only to see Amara's expression when she lost. Even the mere thought brought a small smirk to Kier's expression. He hoped the griffs at least would make her suffer.
It was an early morning and Phe was staring at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her blonde hair was ruffled and no doubt tangled as her eyes still looked tired. It was one of those mornings for her where she woke up a mess. This was becoming a usual thing for the girl. More often than not, she had to be woken by her bestie to even acknowledge the sun was out - just like this morning. Sophia had essentially become her personal alarm clock. An aggressive one too.
From there, Phoebe slowly got ready for the day. She put on an outfit that showed enthusiasm for the team she wanted to win, considering her current face couldn't. Phe wouldn't be caught dead in anything that remotely boasted Slytherin pride, so she steered away from all grays and greens. She slipped on a cute pair of leggings, shorts and a turtleneck in various shades of red where appropriate. If her outfit didn't scream Gryffindor pride, she didn't know what did.
After almost an hour of dragging herself out of the common room, Phe made her way to breakfast. She walked through the crowd outside the Great Hall, before stopping just short of Sophia. It looked like her bestie had finished placing a bet for Gryffindor to win. Phoebe hated the idea of giving Mardling any money, but that wasn't going to stop her from taking part.
'10 on Gryffindor winning.' She threw the coins at Lucas, not realizing how flippant she had been. 'Can I make an outcome bet on Amara throwing a tantrum on the pitch?' Phe smirked at Soph, trying her best to contain the giggle that nearly burst from her mouth.
Kaspian had arrived to the Great Hall for his scheduled breakfast a few minutes later than usual. He had been tidying up his dorm, for he and his roommates, before making his way down. Kash did this many times over the years, and didn't mind doing it even if the other boys didn't share their gratitude for it. For whatever reason, Mathias came across standoffish and Jaxen seemed to follow suit. This, in part, was why Kaspian spent more time with Hufflepuff.
He didn't dislike the boys in his dorm, but didn't mesh as well with them. If anything, Kaspian got on far better with the girls, specifically Freya Fawks and Nyx Nordstrom -- the latter being a complete surprise to him. Not many people got along with the icy captain, but he felt like he was finally on her good side. He believed it had to do with being on the Quidditch team, but he'd take her friendship no matter the reason. It was great to have friends in his own house.
By the sight of the hall, it seemed like there was something going on. Not just anything, but something troublesome. Kaspian's gaze first landed on the large group at the door, but his eyes narrowed at Lucas Mardling. He knew he would have to play prefect sooner or later with his peers, and it was only a matter of time before one of the bad eggs like Lucas cracked.
"What do we have here?" He acted like he didn't know what was going on, craning his neck over the students in front of him before looking at the Slytherin in charge. "Taking others' galleons and expecting to make a profit, Mardling?" He rose a brow, his mouth twitching with a seriousness. Why hadn't any of the faculty said anything or stopped his betting pool?
"I suggest you start closing up shop or I'll have no choice but to let McGonagall know." Kaspian stared at Lucas with a fixed gaze, his newfound confidence unwavering. "Nothing personal." He meant those last words. And hey, maybe this prefect thing wouldn't be so bad after all. If he could shut down one of Lucas' little schemes, that was a bold start.
Freya Fawks, as whimsical as ever, entered the hall and took the long way around to her table. She was on the search for her dormmate and house's Quidditch captain. How hard could it be looking for a platinum-haired blonde with pixie-like features? You wouldn't think it hard, but with the amount of students eating breakfast and walking to make bets, it proved difficult.
Rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn, she made her way towards the center of the Ravenclaw table, where she spotted Nyx Nordstrom, Mathias Sallow and Jaxen Ashworth. Freya couldn't remember if this was their usual spot, but should've figured that Nyx would be found with her new boyfriend, who also happened to be a dear friend of Freya. They made a lovely pairing.
'Happy morning!' Freya greeted the group of them, offering a small smile as she slipped into a seat next to Jaxen. 'Nyx, I was wondering if we could finalize my position on the Quidditch team?' It wasn't like Freya to get right to business, as she was normally known to drone around the point and think out loud to herself before making her intentions known.
'I'm keen on being a Beater. I know you need one and I quite fancy myself having good balance and arm strength.' She smiled and reached for a tea bag. 'Traveling with the wizarding circus taught me a thing or two.' Freya steeped her herbal tea, a ghost of a smile flickering across her face as the thought of the circus and the curious people she met filled her mind. She wondered where they set up, how they were and what they were doing.
She glanced at the newspaper sprawled out in front of her, finding quick interest in Professor Fairburn's endeavors, but was too preoccupied waiting for Nyx's reply to read the entire thing. Freya did make a mental note to congratulate Fairburn on rescuing the creatures, however.
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on Mar 16, 2021 9:49:15 GMT 10
Jaxen continued to eat his scrambled eggs, barely glancing up from his food when Nyx arrived but ensuring he gave her a friendly smile after she went to the effort of greeting him. He was looking forward to a relaxed breakfast and the possibility of engaging in civil conversation with his friends... Or, with people who at least seemed to like him enough to include them in their conversations on occasion. However, when he next glanced up from his plate, he noticed his sister hovering nearby with a letter clutched firmly in her hand.
He felt his heart drop a little in his chest and glanced between where Reena was waiting, obvious unwilling to approach the group of fifth years, and back down to his plate of half-eaten eggs. Apparently a day free from lessons would not be free from drama and he got to his feet just as Freya approached the table and sat in the seat next to the one he'd previously occupied.
"Morning Freya... I'll uh, be back... Maybe?" it seemed he was leaving at just the right time though, as Freya started up a conversation about Quidditch with Nyx- Jax wanted no part in that. With one final mournful glance at his abandoned breakfast, he left the table and wandered over to where his sister was standing. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked pointedly to the envelope in her hand.
"Whatever is in that letter better be worth it, I'm starving" he sulked, trying to swallow down the anxiety that was rising up at the prospect of what the letter might say. Were their grandparents mad at them for writing? He'd have to write an apology at some point if that were the case...
The sound of his sister's voice roused him from his thoughts, and he greeted her with a warm smile. Jurni moved just like an Xcalyn was taught to do; gracefully with bold and with purpose. She seemed totally at ease as she made her way to the Gryffindor table, not giving the slightest indication of feeling out of place like so many other students might. She was confident without sacrificing likability; it was a balance he himself was still trying to work out.
"Good morning, sister," he said as he pushed a bowl of fruit towards her, gesturing for her to eat. He went to go pour her a cup of coffee before he realized he didn't know for certain whether she preferred coffee to tea, and how she took her coffee if so. Had they really spent so little time around each other lately? The thought was disconcerting. "It wasn't the best, to be honest. I'll make up for it today while the rest of the castle screams their brains out at Quidditch."
He considered her question with an almost confused look. "A pet? Why?" He couldn't think of a single reason why she'd need one. There were plenty of owls in the castle to send post if she needed, and other students had cats and toads and whatnot to provide companionship. Was the Hufflepuff dorm room really in need of another creature? Still, the question had been if their parents would allow it, not whether or not owing one was worthwhile.
"I suppose they may. But a pet, Jurni? Really? They're so time consuming and needy. Surely you could find better uses of the limited hours in your day?" He didn't lecture and his tone wasn't condescending, instead he asked with a measured gentleness. It was the same line of questioning he knew his parents would ask her if she chose to broach the subject with them; surely she had asked herself these same questions and already came up with suitable answers.
Anjay waited for her to reply, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed something: Kettles had decided to approach the Slytherin criminal-in-training Mardling, keen on shutting down his enterprise. On the one hand Anjay admired Kaspian's gusto, and on the other hand he wanted nothing more than for this to not turn into a situation. But reading Kettles' body language and knowing how obstinate Mardling could be, Anjay didn't trust the situation to remain peaceful for any length of time.
"Hold that thought. I'll be right back," he emphasized the word as he left his sister alone at the Gryffindor table. Did this really have to happen right as he was catching up with his sister? With an annoyed look on his face, he lined up behind Kaspian, not saying anything, just standing like a silent enforcer. Truth be told, Anjay didn't want to be participating in this at all, but an Xcalyn was nothing else if not bound to duty.
Last Edit: Mar 16, 2021 12:57:46 GMT 10 by Deleted
Post by Reena Ashworth on Mar 16, 2021 18:08:04 GMT 10
She was glad when Jax joined her eventhough he did so with a less than enthusiastic pose. She could not hold it against him however, seeing as she herself was anxious about the letter in her hand.
"I'm sure it is", she said while moving towards the wall of the Great Hall. Her mouth felt dry as she did a quick scan of the tables to see if any of their siblings were watching but she could not find them.
She took in one more deep breath before opening the envelope. Reena pulled out the parchment with a slow and careful move as she did see some cookies inside. She then handed Jax the envelope with the cookies and sighed, relieved that even if their letter had been received badly, their grandparents had still sent something nice.
Without further ado she unfolded the parchment and held it infront of the two of them so they could both read it together. Her gaze was drawn to the older looking picture of two young boys at the sea and she held it in place with her thumb before starting to read the letter.
She started to unconsciously bite her lower lip when she read about how Grandma appeared to be hurt by the questions but she did not comment on it. Perhaps Jax interpreted that differently? Reena did not feel bad for long however. While the information given was selective and few, she soaked up every little detail about her father.
Were Marcus and Conrad Ashworth part of her identity? She felt the well known frustration whenever their mother was mentioned. Who was she to decide when they would be ready to know? The way things went at home no one would ever dare ask her anything related to their fathers.
At the same time she felt the slightest pang of guilt as she and Jax too had decided to keep their siblings in the dark for now. But how could they just dump half-baked information on them? If they were to tell them about their fathers, they had to know more details.
Not quite knowing what to say or how to sort her feelings, Reena tapped on the part of the letter that described Marcus' and Conrad's personalities. "Sound familiar?", she asked. Her voice sounded hoarse but she did not bother masking the fact that learning about her father made a feel things. She may not exactly know what those things were but no one said she had to know everything all the time.
What was intriguing in a completely different way was that there was that name again: Lula Sallow. Two days ago she had never even heard it and now twice. Sallow. Why did that sound familiar? Right. Wasn't there a Sallow in her year? Oh! And "Mathias?", she asked uncertainly.
Post by Mathias Sallow on Mar 16, 2021 19:26:25 GMT 10
Matt gave a casual shrug at anyone, including Jaxen, who asked about being excited for the match. It could be perceived as either a "yes" or "no" depending who asked, but he didn't care either way. No classes was awesome. Spending more time with Nyx, also awesome. Quidditch was fun to watch, but also noisy and people got pretty heated over it all.
If only there was a less chaotic place in the stands to be, though had some money invested in Slytherin winning so he supposed he needed to scrounge up some sporty spirit.
His cheeks were still warm from when Nyx gave him a quick peck in greeting. It was officially becoming his favourite part of the morning. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but glanced up nervously as owl post arrived. As anticipated, there was a letter from home.
He was halfway through ripping the family seal when he spotted the front page of the Daily Prophet. 'Nyx, look at this.' Matt gasped, leaning closer so they could share.
Anger boiled in his stomach at the thought of magical creatures being stolen and mistreated, but was glad one of their own Professors had played an important role in rescuing. He yearned to read more about the creatures and protests, but left it to Nyx and assumed she'd fill him in later. None of the other articles were of any interest to him.
'Hello, Freya,' he added though remained distracted. Matt focused on his long letter from home, unaware he mumbled a bit to himself in rush to get his answer - though only Nyx was close enough to make out any coherent words.
'Fruit harvests going well... tell your sister hello... dress robes will be sent toni-- what?' He frowned. Why would he need-? Oh. Crap. Right. He glanced nervously at Nyx, then bent over his letter again. 'Christmas holidays... you're expected at home... ah! We'd be pleased to meet your girlfriend. We'll...'
His face paled. Matt fidgeted, then glanced at Nyx.
'Hey, so no pressure but my parents, or at least one of them, will be stopping by to see us after your match against Hufflepuff.' He winced in apology. 'They say you're welcome to say over for Christmas, but they want to meet you first.'
Last Edit: Mar 16, 2021 19:27:14 GMT 10 by Mathias Sallow
Post by Lucas Mardling on Mar 16, 2021 19:51:03 GMT 10
Lucas folded the Daily Prophet and tucked it away in his bag as betting resumed and needed his full attention. He accepted Galleons from the first year who foolishly overpaid him, but the boy had unfortunately noticed his error and retrieved the extra Galleon.
'Ten Galleons on Gryffindor to win, sure, but...' Lucas double-checked his notes. 'Someone's already bet on Gryffindor catching the Snitch. Want to bet a different outcome?' He didn't accept people betting on the same thing, as it wasn't great odds for him but also it was just easier to track the bonus increase and all the mathematical stuff.
The boy could leave it just at Gryffindor winning, or come up with a alternative outcome to add.
Lucas wasn't the least bit surprised by Daywater joining in, as where Rhynhart was the other was sure to follow. And vice versa. Lucas had to catch the carelessly-given money though, and irritably counted it twice to make sure she wasn't trying to hort-change him. His face shifted into a deadpan look at her suggested outcome bet. Did she seriously just... ?
While he accepted her bet on Gryffindor, Lucas won't be the fool who accepted the rest. 'No way,' he said firmly. For one, "tantrum" was open to individual interpretation. 'How someone reacts to things isn't an outcome or part of the match. I'm accepting serious sports bets, not mockery jabs.' He was showing his bias, and didn't care.
Unlike the little Ravenclaw, he didn't encourage her to come up with an alternative outcome bet. Sure, she could, but he didn't make an effort. Daywater and Rhynhart were as irritating as most of the Hufflepuffs in his class; he was more than happy to turn down her ridiculous bet. Besides, no way in hell was he writing that outcome in his notes for Amara to see later. That was a fire and health hazard in itself.
Then the killjoys arrived. Lucas rolled his eyes at Kettles, blatantly ignoring Xcayn. Give some prats a badge and suddenly they go on an ego trip at any sign of someone trying to have a little fun.
'You think Professor McGonagall doesn't know about this?' Lucas scoffed, knowing how to bluff when needed though he was confident it was also true. 'I'm not exactly hiding out in a dark alley. Get off your high horses and let people have some fun, all right? They know the odds. Who are you to say what someone does with their money? It's not like I pried it from their hands.' He scoffed, having zero intention of moving.
Jurni's tiny face pulled a frown. It wasn't the answer she expected or wanted. Well, maybe it was expected. Anjay almost always put education and the like first, before most things. But that wasn't to say Jurni didn't. She valued her development of knowledge and held it in high regard. However, in Jurni's mind, she wouldn't ever take on having a pet if she couldn't handle it. She knew she was capable and believed having a pet of her own would be most special.
"It gets a little lonely in the dorms at night," Jurni started to say, no shame in her words. They were true after all. "I think about home a lot when I'm alone. I miss being around you, our brother and sister, mother and father, Jabari," Jurni began to list, but not until after taking a sip of her juice. That wasn't nearly close to everything she missed. She could've gone on for hours, but that would've been beside the point. Jurni was never one to ramble.
"But I suppose you're right," she sighed in slight defeat, and quickly disregarded it. She didn't want to dwell on the fact that her brother thought it not a good use of her free time, nor did she want to continue the conversation when she would much rather have a pleasant meal with him. Moments spent with her siblings were few and far between, considering how busy each were at Hogwarts. Sometimes it felt like they always operated on differing schedules.
The owls couldn't have come at a better time, as they dropped off a slew of reading materials and other pieces of mail. One in particular was personally written to her, and she seized it with fresh excitement. However, before she could share the news with her sibling, he was taking off towards the front of the hall. She turned to look where he was headed, knowing it was about that Slytherin and his taking of bets. Jurni was surprised someone hadn't stopped it sooner.
Jurni peeled open her letter with interest and delicate fingers. She expected it to be from her father, likely speaking of her grandmother's latest achievement, which she had briefly read about before digging into her personal mail. However, much to her surprise, it ended up being from her grandmother Ira's house-elf, Lenni. Jurni squealed with delight as she read through the letter, her infectious giggle likely causing the Gryffindors at the table to turn their heads.
She found his calligraphy rather adorable, in addition to his use of words. The last sentence was the most amusing. The smile on her face was everlasting, her happy laughter a ray of sunshine as she read the letter over again. Jurni was beyond excited that her grandmother had received an honorable medal for her service, but even more so that it would one day belong to her. It was a kind gesture and she trusted Lenni to keep it safe. It was in the best hands.
Last Edit: Mar 16, 2021 20:13:43 GMT 10 by Deleted
Post by Jonathan King on Mar 16, 2021 21:20:46 GMT 10
"Oh", Joe pouted when he heard he couldnot bet on Toby to catch the snitch. He wondered who had the same amount of faith in his best friend that he had though. He knew Ryan had not placed a bet. Probably one of Toby's countless siblings.
He was tempted to say that Toby's sister would knock someone out cold with a bludger but he stopped when an older girl came to bet. The Deal Kid did not seem happy about her bet and Joe also thought it was kind of insensitive to say someone would throw a tantrum- no matter how fun that was.
Now, thinking about it, he did not actually want to see anyone being knocked out so he decided to simply bet on Gryffindor instead. With a sigh he said: "No outcome then. Just Gryffindor winning."
Joe managed to quickly slip away when the prefects showed up. He recognized the Ravenclaw,yet did not know his name. The Gryffindor had been on his team when they were tracking down Peeves the other night so Joe refused to make eye contact, remembering how the poltergeist had yanked him into the air and then dropped on his rear. That had been embarrassing!
On his way back he had to duck underneath a Slytherin girl's arm waving an envelope but he did not pay her any mind. It did not seem as though she had even noticed him. He did spot Jay some seats down from where he and Ryan had had breakfast and he waved at him before sitting back down.
"I'm ready when you are, Ryan", he said with a shrug while grabbing some nuts and cracking them open to snack on. They had to go grab a stick on their way and be at the pitch early enough to get good seats. "Reckon Jay will save us some seats?"
The fluttering of wings told him that the Owl post had arrived, along with copy of the Daily Prophet. He had hoped for a letter from his parents, but then he had only written to them last night about the dress robes. Knowing his mother, she already had something tucked away, but it was only fair to give them another day.
Picking up his copy of the Daily Prophet, he frowned as he read the front page. It seemed that the smuggling and mistreatement of magical animals was still rife. Not unlike the animals of the muggle world that his family had dedicated their lives to rescuing, he supposed. It was good that there were people like them and Professor Fairburn to look out for them, and he wished he could do more to get involved himself.
Unfortunately, he lacked the experience necessary to get stuck in with volunteering to help out at the reserve. Perhaps that was something he could bring up with the professor herself? He was still working on being allowed a pet, after all, so maybe even that would be a good first step!
His attention was then drawn to Jurni's infectious giggling, which sharp put a smile back on his face. Whatever had been in the letter she was reading (which no doubt had to do with the Medal of Honour thing he had glimpsed), was none of his business, but it sure had amused her!
"Something tickled ya?", he asked her before he really thought about it much more. Just as he had told himself it was nothing to stick his nose into. Oops, oh well.
"You honestly expect me to think she does and is okay with it?" Kaspian's words were point-blank, delivered in a rapid manner without a second thought. "In what world would a Headmistress tolerate someone targeting young, impressionable students -- looking for the next generation of potential gambling addicts and ensuring the sustainability of a market that's even more distasteful than Cockroach Clusters?" He rose a brow.
"Even if it were allowed, perhaps discretion should be advised and you do conduct your dealings in a dark alley. Not everyone should have to be subjected to it." He straightened his shoulders as if authenticating his authority to say such things. "I don't want to have to say anything, Mardling, and I won't.. not if you pack up and head out." Kaspian had no intentions of falling back and had every intention of standing his ground.
He noticed the look in Lucas' eyes and instinctively turned his head to find Anjay Xcalyn at his rear. Even though he didn't voice his appreciation for the Gryffindor showing up, his expression said it all. It was nice that he appeared to have his back, and Kaspian would make sure to do the same for him in the future. Prefects had to stick together, especially against rule-breakers and those that thought gambling was harmless fun and couldn't create habitual addiction.
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