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.
As students began to enter the Great Hall for dinner, after what felt like an unusually long day, at first nothing seemed especially different apart from the general excitement of the approaching Christmas holidays. Then a delighted and hungry 2nd year loudly pointed out the early presence of some desserts on each house table -- though very basic and few-between: ice cream, pudding, and some decorated cupcakes.
What appeared to be an unusual gift was soon soured by Professor Rickard, who requested quiet throughout the hall as he approached the podium to explain that it was not, in fact, something to be enthusiastic about.
'Good evening,' he said in his usual direct and professional tone, carefully glancing over the curious or tired students staring back at him.
After hastily devouring vegetables, as if some effort was made to set a good example, Professors Rivera and Hathmore served themselves ice cream and pudding.
'We've all had a tiring day so I'll keep this short,' Rickard addressed the hall. 'After lengthy discussions with parents and staff, the Board of Governors, and the Hogwarts House Elves, I have signed a new decree that dessert shall no longer be a daily occurrence -- and certainly not to be considered a mealtime in and of itself at Hogwarts.'
He paused, for the expected outcry from students. If there were those who supported the change, they were drowned out by those upset to be deprived of their sweets and baked goods each night. No one had even ben warned that the previous night was their last ever regular dessert.
Rickard gave the students a moment to react, then once again requested quiet -- which was abided to quite unhappily. His look of disapproval was minimal, as of course a room full of children and teenagers were going to be upset over this.
'A few options are provided during dinner, but dessert itself is now reserved for special or festival feasts. A treat, not a right,' Rickard continued with unwavering confidence. 'When dinner concludes, we move straight to curfew. A healthier end to the day benefits sleep and concentration. This decree is final, and shall remain an essential part of Hogwarts from this moment on. That is all. Enjoy.'
He stepped down, ignoring further complaints -- which only reduced in volume (though not ferocity) when all three Heads of Houses stood to firmly shush them, which would be a scary sight under normal circumstances.
This change was made to benefit our RPG pacing by eliminating an unnecessary transitional time, while also increasing appeal of special feasts, as part of our upcoming site "efficiency update". Much of this is still being implemented, but includes reducing the time (and #'s) needed to complete an RPG year.
More details will be PM'ed in due time... but our renewed pacing is effective immediately: the new RPG day begins in 1 week (dinner ends in 48 hours). The "Schedule" and "Meals" sections of How the RPG Works has already been updated with relevant details. If you have any further questions, pop by on Discord and let staff know. We look forward to this new chapter on HAU.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Sept 1, 2021 1:42:33 GMT 10
Lindsey felt the heavy burden of the bad news from the hospital. The whole afternoon had been amazing, yes... But the last patient... 'Her condition has only worsened... Mysterious poisoning is a tricky thing... Dark magic.' As she walked down the rows of tables, her fingers tightened on the strap to her bag as she sat down, not paying attention to the food on the table.
'We'll be contacting her family tonight, to say goodbye.' Exhaustion made her stair across the table at the food in the center and as she tried to pull herself from the events, the smell of food finally assaulted her sense of smell and her stomach lurched in hunger. Looking around slowly, she took some food that was comfort to her and found the smallest dish of haggis hiding within the crowded area.
The house-elves were known to think of everything, which was good for her. Putting everyone on her plate, she ate quietly, her eyes downcast at her plate as she replayed the most recent events over and over again in her mind. The mental musing caused her to miss some of the announcement the headmaster had and she looked around in confusion at some of the others, though catching many people's verbal protest.
Last Edit: Sept 1, 2021 2:05:42 GMT 10 by Lindsey Bryce
Amelia left transfiguration with a smile and walked along with any friends she might have with her. As she entered the bustling great hall, she dodged a few younger students and laughed as a few kids did something foolish here or there. Once she found her normal place, she went ahead and grabbed the needed and wanted items. She was about to dig in properly when the headmaster got everyone's attention.
No Dessert?! The collective gasp from the whole room was easily heard... Well, maybe not from the Slytherin Table. She felt a hit of amusement. 'Oh, stop it, Amy... Not all Slytherins are jerk,' she thought to herself before she rose up over the others around her.
"That's rubbish! Why take away the one thing we really enjoy," she called out, knowing full well that Dumbledor wouldn't have taken away all their fantastic desserts. And he could blame the house-elves, they loved serving the students here at the school. As the headmaster quieted everyone, she was sure McGonagall was likely glaring at her, but she wasn't going to allow that to bother her.
The headmaster tried to make it better by saying some options would be available at dinner, but she scuffed at that and rolled her eyes. Like cupcakes were gonna make this better. She wanted the wonder of different desserts, not the mundane normal.
Jamie had wondered around the castle the rest of the afternoon once he left the hospital wing. He arrived at dinner along with the crowd and sat at the end of the Ravenclaw table, a normal place for him. He hoped to maybe see his sister, but the likelihood was limited, as he knew she had her own group of friends. As he filled his plate, he was quick to see the Headmaster get everyone's attention and he listened intently. As much as he wanted to fill bad for others, he didn't see that big of deal.
Yeah, he enjoyed the desserts, but he also enjoyed just eating and leaving. He could always take some cupcakes after he finished eating before dinner was over, instead of waiting impatiently for dessert to start. He saw the pleasure of being able to leave when he wanted instead of waiting for dessert to appear. Though the verbal disagreements made him rather nervous and he ducked his head down to keep from catching anyone attention.
Samantha arrived in the Great Hall and sat somewhere in the middle of the Slytherin table, a mix of her own and other years. She greeted some, giving a fist bump to a fellow Muggleborn that she was friendlier with.
She noticed a girl her age, though Samantha figured she had to be either a year younger or older (her sense of age was rather bad to say the least) sitting rather demurely near her. Samantha raised an eyebrow and answered a question someone asked her, before her eyes flitted back to the girl.
“You okay?” Samantha asked the girl loudly, going to give her a pat on the back before she stopped, reminding herself that the girl might not appreciate being touched in such a state.
While waiting for an answer (that might or might not come), Samantha turned her attention to the Headmaster’s speech. The outrage at the announcement baffled Samantha who rolled her eyes rather obviously at some of the louder commentaries and antics stemming from the students.
It wasn’t the end of the world. They still had dessert, just not a big choice of them as before. Ice cream, pudding and cupcakes? The people who didn’t appreciate them didn’t deserve them in her opinion and Samantha would be glad to relieve these kind of monsters of their sweets.
“Ungrateful,” was the only comment Samantha allowed herself, before checking up and down the table for Seabrook. She didn’t see her, but that doesn’t mean the girl wasn’t there. If Samantha didn’t have the opportunity to speak with the Captain, there was still the chance of catching her in the common room later.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Sept 1, 2021 23:16:58 GMT 10
Lindsey was confused by the outburst, as she hadn't really been paying attention to what the headmaster said, too lost in her own thoughts about the whole afternoon. Everything at Saint Mungo had been amazing, hearing what others thought of her own mother, it had been welcomed and joyous... It was just that last patient... Tonight would likely be her last night and she felt the pain of that it seemed. At the question of someone near her, she looked up at the older student and have a weak smile.
"Aye... Just... Ended the afternoon on a wee bad footing, tis all," Lindsey said in her thick highland accent. Being at Saint Mungo had been so amazing and so different. Did it feel weird being back here after all that? Yeah a bit... But it was also a welcomed normal. "Spent me afternoon at Saint Mungo," she said as a side thought, hoping it might explain some of what she was sad about, without going into much detail.
“Ah,” Samantha hissed in sympathy when the girl revealed where she was and the reason behind her rather solemn expression. “My sympathies,” she said honestly and extended her arm to briefly squeeze the girl’s forearm in an attempt to offer her some comfort.
“I could offer empty platitudes and say that it’s all gonna be okay, but that would be lying,” Samantha shrugged. She wondered whether the girl was a visitor for a relative or was at St. Mungo’s for another reason. Either way, it wasn’t her business unless the girl wanted to share some of the load.
“Do know that if you need to talk, my ears are open, lips closed and several first and second years can attest that my shoulder is very comfortable to cry on,” Samantha tried to bring some levity to the conversation without it becoming tasteless. “Discretion guaranteed.”
“Name’s Samantha, by the way,” she introduced herself as she stabbed some broccoli on her fork and devoured it. “I know you’re not in my year, so are you younger or older?” Samantha wondered, subtly trying to help the girl by keeping her engaged in conversation.
“Pretty crazy, huh?” she waved towards the hubbub of the Great Hall. “You cut down on sugar and promote healthy food and students lose their minds.”
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Sept 2, 2021 4:21:38 GMT 10
Lindsey smiled at the older student and nodded a silent thanks. But, there wasn't anything either of them could do. Lindsey needed to move on and get over it, that was the main thing. If she didn't she would only hurt herself and her education in the long run. She was going to have to ask her mother how she did it. At the mention of offering empty platitudes, Lindsey just shrugged.
"No need, I just need to figure out how I plan to deal with this in the future... A wee bump in my road," she said in her highland accent as she took a bite of her food, looking up and smiling at her with a nod. "I'll keep that bit of information in mind." Lindsey knew that one day she might need it. She was not a stranger to getting upset, though she did try and be strong, she knew it would likely happen again.
"Tis a pleasure, Samantha... I'm Lindsey," she answered back with a smile as she working on the haggis on her plate. It was so good and she closed her eyes for a moment in bliss. It certainly wasn't her mother's haggis, but it was still good enough. "Younger, just a wee fourth year." The complaining seemed to still be going on and she looked around towards the other tables. At the mention of the reason, Lindsey turned towards her and cocked an eyebrow.
"Is that the wee problem? I mean, I dinna like not having all the fun desserts, but I can get my ma to send me some highland treats," Lindsey said as she turned back towards her spot at the table and just shrugged.
Samantha nodded, but mostly kept quiet as Lindsey politely refused her offer, but saying that she would keep it in mind. Shrugging, the older Slytherin knew she couldn’t force anyone to share, so she was just satisfied that the other girl knew she was an option should something like that happen in the future.
"Pleasure's all mine, Lindsey." The girl’s accent amused her a lot, though. Samantha could place it in Scotland, some words were harder to understand, but she could pick up on context during the conversation. It was adorable though.
“Aw, you’re just a wee pup then?” Samantha grinned as she mimicked Lindsey’s accent, though without any malice, just light teasing. “If you need any help with homework, I’m happy to help,” she offered then thought about it. “If I’m actually decent at it, mind you. No need to be turned into a toad because I mixed up the wrong ingredients, no?” Samantha chuckled while making a funny face from the food on her plate.
“You, or anyone else,” the girl added, looking up and down the table. “Us Slytherins need to stick together, no?” Samantha glanced quickly back to Lindsey, before starting on the last of the food from her plate.
“I know, right?” Samantha snorted when Lindsey mentioned the ‘wee’ problem. “One would think they cancelled Quidditch,” she waved with her fork, some peas smacking an unsuspecting older student in the face.
Samantha quickly apologized and whistled, “Now that would be a cause for a riot.” She knew that in that case, she would’ve been on the front lines with her torch and sign.
“What’re some of these highland sweets?” Samantha perked up. She was a city girl, so she only knew the (mostly Muggle) brands that were sold in shops rather than anything handmade or region-specific.
Saoirse had gotten separated from Grace in the wild rush into the Great Hall. She wasn't too fussed about it, though- all of the Gryffindor first years tended to sit in the same area, so she knew she would come across her again soon. Saoirse allowed the roiling crowd to carry her into the massive room and straight to her usual bench at the Gryffindor Table.
Saoirse sat down and began piling on her normal choice of fish, meat, and vegetables. She was contentedly chewing a particularly nice bit of grilled fish when Professor Rickard made his announcement. Normally Saoirse only paid half a mind to whatever was being announced, and so she was a little bit startled when the outcry around her assaulted her senses.
She looked around wildly, managing to catch the last part of the announcement. No more dessert every night? Well, that was a shame, she supposed, but she never had much of a taste for sweets. Living on a boat in the tropics for most of her life meant that there was very little opportunity for chilled desserts. She remembered an American who had packed away some chocolate on their fishing boat. After a few days, it had only been good for chucking into the ocean.
So, Saoirse just kept eating, occasionally nodding at students when they gestured to her in their outrage. It was a bit novel, not being the upset one for once.
Post by Lucas Mardling on Sept 2, 2021 23:45:37 GMT 10
Though clearly surprised by the awful news, Lucas kept focused on eating his pumpkin while the rest of the students caused a fuss over the lack of desserts. He already eyed the cupcakes, having secured a few as soon as dinner seemed even remotely unusual.
It was devastating news, no doubt, especially to him and his love of pastries, but Lucas had enough experience with mealtime commotions to know he had to eat what he could while he still had the chance. The stories of glitter in people's food shall forever haunt him. He was also calmer than expected considering he, of course, knew the loophole. The kitchen house-elves.
Still, it was rather cruel and unnecessary. Lucas sulked to himself, no longer satisfied by his pumpkin or roast duck. Who chose what remained, anyway? Someone who didn't understand the excellence of baked treats, like pastries and pies, obviously. He jabbed his dinner in contempt.
Post by Jacob Thatcher on Sept 2, 2021 23:57:27 GMT 10
It was easily the worst day of his life.
Jacob froze when he heard the announcement, a spoon of pudding halfway to his mouth in horror. He'd wrongly assumed the addition of select desserts during dinner, which of course he gave up his boring vegetables and other mundane flavors for, was somehow a blessing. A delightful gift bestowed upon them. A wondrous oversight by none-the-wiser adults.
Nope. It was an evil trick. A false sense of security, buttering them up for the worst decision ever made at Hogwarts. And that included the time he set his pants on fire trying to learn a spell far too advanced or dangerous for his risky-at-best level of magical competency.
'How...?' He choked back whatever emotion bubbled to the surface, and making it hard to process what the Slytherin just happened. 'That's absolutely bloody rubbish,' he declared.
Jacob stomped to his feet, miraculously not spilling his spoonful of pudding. It was an injustice. An outrage! He angrily gulped his pudding, then decided to fight about this later. He dropped back onto his seat, stealing a bowl of pudding to hug it like a precious commodity.
Leaning to the side, his head bumping into Amy's shoulder in his state of despair. Jacob whined, hugging his pudding tight, and mumbled half-formed swears. Hasn't he suffered enough?
Killed by Devin Kudosen by act of the Killing Curse. June #24, RPG year 1 -- he was a 5th year Gryffindor. Jacob died to save his best friend, Luckett Langford.
Post by Amara Seabrook on Sept 3, 2021 0:09:19 GMT 10
Amara knew she wasn't well-liked by... well, practically everyone. She inspired quite a lot of fear and apprehension, which she pretended was always welcome and worked in her favor. And yet, despite all of this, she was quite shocked and appalled that the moment she set foot into the Great Hall... everyone got upset.
Well, that was just rude. No, offensive. Have they no respect... oh. Dessert was cancelled? For Merlin's sake, was she surrounded by idiots. Of course she was; that was hardly news. Rolling her eyes at the outbursts, Amara headed to the Slytherin table - sitting across from Samantha and Lindsey. What were they doing? It baffled her why their conversation seemed so weird, until realising it was because they were being friendly and supportive. Had she missed them being friends?
Right. Dessert. The idiots.
Amara didn't care much for it either way, never really one for daily desserts anyway. She'd rather wait for feasts or when she was having an awful day. She spotted ice cream and could hardly believe how petty everyone was being. She did a check for those she knew, hoping they weren't being whiny brats too. Lucas, as expected, looked put out but wasn't being vocal about it. She couldn't see Nyx or Vicky from where she was, but wanted to believe they were rolling their eyes too.
She stayed quiet, shooting Samantha and Lindsey a curious look now and again. She heard something about a toad, but that was about it during the commotion. Amara couldn't shake the feeling of thinking everyone was angry and upset when she'd arrived. It felt plausible. Of all nights to not arrive at her usual, earlier time to dinner...
Though things settled down a bit, vocally at least, the Great Hall remained busy even as curfew began. Professors and over-tired NEWT students were the first to head out of the hall. Followed by various Prefects who had patrol or similar duties.
The mood remained gloomy for those who lingered a while longer, which wasn't how the final night before the Christmas holidays was usually spent at Hogwarts. There were a few fights among younger students over ice cream or pudding bowls, thankfully resolved by older students before it got out of hand.
If you have a Bloodlines character, this and tomorrow RPG night are your last opportunity (if you haven't by now) to Owl home about:
Getting permission to visit Hogsmeade -- 3rd years and above, if you want to go.
Needing dress robes for the Founder's Ball -- 4th years and above, if attending.
Either staying at Hogwarts or going home for Christmas -- and (optional) asking to bring a friend or two, if the latter.
The "Send Letter" mod button should be included when posting your letter. You will receive an reply during Owl Post the next RPG morning. Some Bloodlines may have exemptions (such as Hogsmeade permission by default, or Hogwarts / home for Christmas isn't negotiable), so be sure to check your family's information. If you have any questions, please let me know in Discord.
Rylan had entered in a pretty good mood, considering the events in Transfiguration and his spectacular loss in the dual with Ashworth. Not that there were any hard feelings, especially considering that the quick check up at the hospital wing had gone well enough. He felt pretty much his normal self now, just with a small headache, but at least he didn't have to worry about full blown concussion.
His mood changed, along with many of the other students, when the announcement by Rickard was made. No dessert was hardly the end of the world, but he had to agree that it was 'absolutely bloody rubbish'. An outrage even! Benefit sleep and concentration his pinky toe...
"A scandal is what it is.", he muttered glumly. Some kind of ploy to make them miserable for some reason or another.
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