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.
Jovian had only managed to get halfway through a cup of tea before chaos descended on the Ravenclaw table in the form of several very excited first years. A red-headed Gryffindor raced up, yelling about the snow, only for two more first years to show up shortly afterwards.
"I'm glad you guys has the energy to enjoy the cold, wet snow," he grumbled in the direction of the snow-obsessed first years, before concentrating on his breakfast. Then the owls arrived, and he groaned as he saw two owls bearing a large package heading for him. He grabbed the parcel before it could land in his eggs and ham, and frowned at the attached note.
Dress robes for tonight's ball. Try and have a good time, dearest - Mother
Wonderful. He now owned dress robes for a ball he hadn't planned on attending in the first place. It wasn't like he had a date, and social gatherings weren't really his thing. But, well, Mother clearly wanted him to go, so he would. So much for reading in front of the fire in the Common Room.
Setting the parcel on the bench beside him, he looked up in time to just barely catch the morning paper before it ended up in his tea. He noticed the lively chatter around him had hushed, and quickly scanned the first page. Well now. An Auror murdered by the Killing Curse was certainly headline news, and it was a tragic end to an ongoing mystery.
The article on a possible werewolf attack was also disturbing, although Jovian's attention was quickly caught by the poisonous snow that had fallen in Ireland - perhaps his mother would be involved in the investigation at some point? That seemed like the kind of thing she'd be sent to research, anyway.
Just as she was about to tuck in, she heard her youngest brother shouting excitedly. Incoming, she quickly realised as he began to aim the shouting at her. Seh cast him a bemused glance as he stated the obvious.
"Really? There was me thinking that they were millions of ice crystals that had formed within the air, absorbing vast quantities of water vapour before falling to the ground. Thanks for keeping me right, Toby.", she commented drily. He then promised her that she was 'going down', to which she shrugged before spreading some jam on her toast.
"We'll see, little brother. We'll see...", she looked at with with a small smile that said 'bring it on' without the need for words. That when Toby's friends caught up with them, which she assumed was the main reason he was yelling at her table instead of his own. There would likely be a lot of this during the holidays, but she still looked forward to being back home.
It was a shame that only one of her brothers could make it, but as Joe struck up a conversation with the youngest Twiggs, she left them to their planning, wondering if there was a charm or something that actually made snowmen.
She was broken from her thoughts as the owls swarmed in to make their rounds. There was the usual Daily Prophet, but of more immediate interest was a package with her name on it, delivered by two owls. There was also a letter, which somehow wasn't a Howler (though maybe that would have been an overreaction), but she was hopeful that meant what she thought it did!
Reading the letter first, she smiled, knowing exactly what her father was like for his own forgetfulness. She was relieved that she at least had the permission slip for Hogsmeade signed, she read on. Sure enough, it seemed as if they had asked around the family and managed to find her some dress robes after all. Now she just needed a date, but she hadn't been sure who to ask. Maybe one of her classmates? It didn't have to be romantic, after all!
Reading the part about the 'awful news', she glanced toward the newspaper to see the days headline. So they'd found Blogge dead, had they? That was sad, but not entirely unexpected, she thought as she then eagerly opened the large package.
Sure enough, there were some dress robes, teal blue white trims. The ruffles and frills were perhaps a little old fashioned, but that didn't bother her. She loved it, even the slightly frayed hems (they added character), and she ran her fingers across the fabric as if it were far more than just a hand me down. She did notice that there were no shoes, and she supposed she would just have to wear her usual footwear. Unless, someone had something she could borrow. There was no harm in asking, although she did wonder what Amy had done about that little predicament.
Post by Arthur Hocking on Oct 5, 2021 7:59:03 GMT 10
Arthur woke up relatively late, comforted by the knowledge that it was finally the holidays. Although he'd chosen to stay at Hogwarts, he still missed his family. He hoped Elara was okay, since he'd never gotten around to checking in on her. Hopefully someone had. It had to sting that she had to go to the hospital wing.
Arthur chuckled at the first years who were excited for snow. He was curious to see if it made any changes to Hogsmeade plans. Though they didn't completely understand it, his uncles had signed off on him going to Hogsmeade. Now Arthur just had to decide what he should do while he was there, if he even went at all.
"Rough morning?" he asked Sophia and Oscar, who both seemed in a mood. He didn't really think his comment would come across as the perfect thing to say, but it was something, at least. He grabbed some fresh fruit, even though it was rather cold, and tried to eat it without feeling too cold.
Post by Elizabeth Doren on Oct 5, 2021 8:21:28 GMT 10
Snow was snow, and the ball was the ball. Although she had her dress robes, and even her permission slip, Elizabeth wasn't too excited for the holidays. The ball interested her only because it gave her a chance to show off her dancing skills, which were, in her own opinion, considerably better than her peers, at least when it came to more formal dancing.
She reacted to most of her peers with simple nods, more focused on eating a balanced breakfast than any conversation that might be going on. The only thing that distracted her from considering which subjects to study over the holidays was the sound of the screeching owls. Since she'd made her own appearance in an article, Elizabeth had taken to paying a bit more attention to the Daily Prophet.
Her face flushed as she read the paper. Marceau and Cosette--were those her parents? The name Doren she recognized well enough, but she had never known them to associate with Ministry folk. Then again, she never knew exactly who they associated with. Well, she supposed this was another reason she couldn't go home during the holidays, though if they were in some vacation location she wished they would take her. She was now more than halfway done with her schooling, after all.
The idea of Daily Prophet reporters attempting to find her parents made her feel upset. Were they suggesting that her parents--Marceau and Cosette--had killed this auror man? It was quite rude of them! Though admittedly, more interesting than fretting over a date for the ball.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Oct 5, 2021 8:32:07 GMT 10
It was snowing! Really, actually snowing! That was totally cool, and Grace was thrilled, and showed it by wearing as much Gryffindor warm clothing as she could find. When she went down to eat breakfast, hopefully some nice warm waffles, she noticed Toby was over by his sister. Or probably his sister, since they looked enough alike. Actually, the other girl looked a lot like...Grace glanced between Amelia and the Ravenclaw girl who appeared the same. Maybe they were twins.
With a mouthful of waffles, she glanced at the Daily Prophet. Since she didn't really know too much about the Auror who was dead, she didn't really feel all that upset. She was much more interested in the article about a suspected werewolf attack. Being a werewolf sounded scary. Being attacked by one sounded scarier. She stuffed some more slightly cut up waffles into her mouth and considered it.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Oct 5, 2021 8:58:59 GMT 10
Lindsey was content, enjoying her breakfast when Reena came and sat near by. It was nice having a friend sitting with her, though she would have been happy with or without a friend. The last she had seen of Reena, was right before she had gone to bed, talking to Amara. That whole situation was unknown to Lindsey, but whatever it was, it was worrisome to her. Lindsey just didn't like the way Amara was towards others and she felt a cautious feeling when around her. Lindsey wasn't going to be someone who was afraid of her, but she knew when it not poke the snake.
"Aye, I am," Lindsey said as she looked at Reena and took another bite of her food, giving Levi a smile when he joined the table near by. "Did ye want to come wi' me? I'd enjoy the company," Lindsey asked as she finished her own meal and looked up to the flying birds that swooped in. Lindsey was quick to grab the nearest Daily Prophet and plopped down into her seat to read it.
The first thing she read was about the missing Auror and she felt her heart catch in her chest. Murdered? He was reported missing in October and now he was found Murdered? That was startling for the young Witch to read. For her, this was something that would one day be history with all the facts. The name Doren at the end of the article made her glance up to look for Elizabeth. She was a Doren... Was that her own parents? Lindsey saw Elizabeth down the table, but didn't speak about it, just returned her eyes to the front when she saw a familiar owl heading her way.
A Leannan,
We are glad you had a good day, even with the unfortunate accident with the Fyire Plant. They can be quite troublesome. I have a few in my own greenhouse. The Healer at Hogwarts is top-notch, so I have no doubt she took excellent care of you.
It seemed like you had a fantastic day at Saint Mungo. I am very proud of you! I have no heard from any of my old friends at Saint Mungo, though maybe I will in the near future about how you are doing. Marjorie is an amazing Healer and you would do well to listen to her very well. As for the Daisy Hairclip, I remember in fondly and I hope you will enjoy using it. As for the lady hit with the memory charm, I would not pay too much heed to her words, though always keep them near by... I am sure everything will be just fine at Hogwarts, but always pay close attention to your surroundings.
The flooding did not do anything to our home, so don't worry about that. It could have been magical or as your father said, structurly unsound. I'm sure the answer will come in due time. I saw about the greenhouse incident in the paper, I am glad you were there to help as well as see some of the nastier sides of the greenhouse. You should be prepared for that if you plan on being both a healer and a herbologist.
I sent you a set of dress robes, I hope you like them, as well as some matching shoes. I hope you have fun at the ball! I hate to do this over a letter, but your father was asked to come to a Highland Clan Event in America, over in North or South Carolina. We will be gone for the holidays. I'm sorry, but we won't be back in time for you to return to school and your grandparents went to Ireland for something. Please stay at Hogwarts this year.
Mòran Gaoil Do Mhàthair
Lindsey let out a sigh as she finished the letter, but was glad that everything seemed okay. She turned as a box landed on a clear spot of the table and she opened the box to see the beautiful dark green dress with the matching shoes. It was amazing and she smiled brightly at it before replacing the top of the box.
Amelia was enjoying her breakfast when Rylan sat not far away, though she was enjoying her meal to really look up at him quickly. As she was putting some jam on her toast, she jumped from the sudden yelling of her name and looked to see a rather excited Toby wide-eyes and bushy tailed. She barely had time to process hos words before he was sprinting towards the Ravenclaw Table and Amelia noticed Martha sitting down enjoying her meal. She would go over there before Breakfast ended if she could and try to see if she was going to the Village later.
The sudden appearance of Owls turned everyone's heads, including her and she grabbed for the Prophet with skilled hands. After five years, she had better be good at this, right? As she read, she quit eating long enough to realize that the Auror who had been missing since October had been found. So, he was dead? That was tragic, but why was he dead? Did he turn and have after thoughts? Was he actually captured and murdered? Amelia didn't see anything in the paper to give her a clear answer, so she folded it and stood from her table to head to see her sister. She arrived in time to see the dress in the box and had to admit it would look good on Martha.
"Hey Mar," she said as she smiled and shouldered her bag and joined her at the table. "No shoes, either?" Amelia asked as she looked into the box and gave a look of mild contemplation. What were they going to do about this? It was likely not a good idea to go barefoot, though it had crossed her mind.
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Oct 5, 2021 10:06:05 GMT 10
Oscar slowly lifted his head as he heard someone sit opposite him, which was fortunate really since only moments later the owls descended and a copy of the paper was dropped right where his head had been. He blinked wide eyes at it for a moment as he took in what just happened.
"The owls are trying to kill me," he finally muttered with a shake of his head, wondering what he had ever done to them. He was perfectly content right then to pretend that it hadn't been his own fault for having his head on the table, it wasn't like he did not know that the owls would arrive at some point after all.
He slowly unfolded the paper with one hand as he reached for some toast and a pot of jam with the other. He had to admit that the headline was not the most cheerful thing first thing in a morning, so he focused more on the other stories. He quickly found himself stuck on the lake monster story and wondering how true it was. His mind drifted as he spread the jam on his toast, busy imaging sprites and water dragons saving a baby.
He dragged himself from the imaginings as Arthur's voice registered. It took him a moment for his mind to get caught up and actually pass on what was said though.
"'S too cold," he finally settled on replying with a shrug, as if that explained everything. To Oscar it did.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Oct 5, 2021 20:31:03 GMT 10
It was almost amusing to watch Levi run back and forth like a scatter brained old-timey professor. His brightly coloured hair, which was a mess today, helped project that image. She decided that she liked boys with messy hair.
“You look like you‘ve slept well.“, she greeted him with a smile.
Mardling was a completely different sight to behold and Reena chuckled, albeit understanding his reasons for his chosen outfit. She relished the warmth of her peppermint tea before she turned her attention to her friend again.
“Yeah, I would love to go with you. Would you mind if I invited Jax-en? You‘ve met, right?“
She was distracted when the Owl Post arrived and took a look at the Daily Prophet‘s front page. She looked at the picture of the Auror and began to read the article, shocked by its context. Reena remembered reading about his disappearance although she had since forgotten about it.
This was frankly terrible and she really hoped Blogge did at least not leave a family behind who depended on him.
“Any relation?“, she asked Lindsey in a hushed voice while indicating towards Doren. She would feel bad for her to have lost a family friend.
“Oh hey look, Levi!“, she held the Daily Prophet towards him, pointing at the part about the Founders‘ Ball. “There is a theme. It’s Starry Night. Sounds nice.“
Elara had woken early that morning, outraged to find that although her arm felt exceedingly better than the night before, the rest of her body ached. It was a side effect of Quidditch, and not one she enjoyed. It was almost Christmas and she didn't want to have to worry about being in pain whenever she moved a certain way, it was inconvenient.
Then she was further offended when she looked out of the window to see the snow that lay thick upon the ground. Snow had been fun when she was a kid, and it still could be... When she was at home and had her family around her to enjoy it with. But this year she would be staying at Hogwarts and it was decidedly less fun without anyone around to enjoy it with.
Getting changed into her uniform, she made sure to slip a jumper on and grabbed her scarf and mittens before making her way to the Great Hall. Maybe a warm breakfast would brighten her mood and keep her mind off of the cold.
"Arthur, we lost the match and now we have to deal with snow" she said, catching her friends question as she approached the table and promptly took a seat beside him. "I think rough morning might be an understatement" beginning to pile her plate high with the makings of a Full English, she decided to discard her usual habit of eating a light breakfast.
Toast would just not cut it today, she had to survive freezing temperatures.
"How are you feeling?" she directed the question towards Sophia, who seemed to be in a relatively dark mood. Completely understandable and causing the question to feel rather redundant, but she asked anyway out of genuine concern. Sophia hadn't had a chance to re-join the match after being hit by that bludger, so Elara deduced that it must've hit pretty hard.
When the post arrived, Elara was quick to pick up a copy of the prophet and gasped when she read the headline. This was definitely not good. It felt like all the things going wrong as of late meant that the universe was trying to tell them something.
Trying to tell them that it was time to go back to bed.
Many eagerly headed out of the hall -- especially those on their way to Hogsmeade or who had a long to-do list of tasks to get done now they didn't have to worry about classes or homework. Some students lingered in the Great Hall to enjoy tea or hot chocolate, which appeared at the end of each house tables as a little Christmas holiday treat on behalf of the house elves.
Hogsmeade Trip / Christmas Holidays
3rd years and above may come and go from Hogsmeade all day, including Bloodlines characters who have signed permission forms (inventory item). RP-wise, Filch checks every form no matter who you are -- to ensure no one leaves who shouldn't be, so feel free to mention that when you leave the grounds.
To visit Hogsmeade, simply start posting there as you would any other location. Please mention the walk to or from, as it is a bit of a trek along the path from the Front Gates to the village / vice versa. If you choose to RP the walk itself as its own thread (if going with a friend and wanting to RP this), use the Front Gates location. Events may occur in those threads, or at the village itself.
Any money spent in Hogsmeade is RP-only, not taken from your account. Every character has total free time until dinner. Lunch will be skipped. Have fun!
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on Oct 5, 2021 22:43:38 GMT 10
Jaxen didn't mind snow, it was always fun at the start. The novelty war off once a couple days had passed and it became a mess of slush and ice that only existed to get your socks wet and remind you that even the most joyous of occasions didn't last long and would soon turn to... Well, you get the picture.
Wrapping up warm and ensuring he wore his gloves and a hat, he headed down to breakfast and made sure that he filled up on porridge and fruit. It was going to be a busy day and when he also had to struggle through the snow on his way to Hogsmeade, he didn't want to embark on that mission with an empty stomach.
When the food disappeared from the table, he made sure to grab a mug of hot chocolate, cupping it in his hands and allowing the warmth to seep into his palms. It was definitely an added comfort.
Looking around as the hall began to empty, he decided he had better locate his sister- He had promised his mother that he would accompany Reena into the village, he couldn't go back on that now.
Post by Tobias Twiggs on Oct 7, 2021 19:36:25 GMT 10
He felt like he'd been waiting forever, surely there couldn't be that many stairs to navigate, he knew his friends were always complaining about them but it didn't take years to go up or down. What was taking them so long? The day was wasting away and he had things he wanted to do and snowballs he needed to throw.
Toby made sure to pull a face at Martha when she greeted his enthusiasm with sarcasm, it wasn't very often they got snow and he was just excited- would it kill her to be more enthusiastic? Maybe he could persuade Amy to team up with him during their snowball battle and they could both take her down.
Then, as he was in the middle of eating a rasher of bacon- he heard someone call his name and in the next moment felt Joe sit down beside him with a little too much force.
This was the moment he'd been waiting for.
"Yeah! What took you guys so long?!" he demanded around a mouthful of bacon "we have to go build snow people and throw snowballs AND BUILD A SNOW FORT!" his voice rose in volume until he was practically yelling, not caring for glares the older Ravenclaws at the table were casting his way.
Obviously they were too old to appreciate a good thing, so many years of schooling having beaten the joy right out of them.
"Ugh, I need to go find Snape after breakfast" that was almost enough to make him lose his appetite. Almost.
Looking at his best friends, he gave them his widest grin "wanna come with? If I go alone I might... Go missing" the miserable old git had it in for him, and Toby didn't trust that the professor wasn't capable of murder or worse.
Jovian did his best to ignore the hollering first years as he finished his breakfast, noticing that he wasn't the only Ravenclaw to receive last-minute dress robes. Martha Twiggs was a year above him, and they had chatted occasionally over the years. Unlike him, she seemed happy to receive her robes. He barely blinked when Martha's twin sister showed up, the conversation turning to shoes.
"There might be some shoes in the second-hand shop in Hogsmeade," he told the twins as he swallowed the last of his tea and rose. The first years had mentioned something about seeing Snape, and Jovian decided he wanted to get there first. The hot chocolate was tempting, but maybe he could grab some later.
A glance at the head table showed that Snape had already left, so Jovian tucked his dress robes package under his arm and left the Great Hall. Time to go to the dungeons.
Rylan smiled as Twigg's younger brother excitedly approached, although he didn't linger long as he then darted toward the Ravenclaw table. The first years sure seemed particularly excited about the snow, and he wondered if he could talk any of these younger students into a snowball fight. Of course, he could also set an example and maybe act like a mature older student, but where was the fun in that?
Picking up a copy of the Daily Prophet, he frowned deeply as the fate of Blogge had been discovered, He couldn't say he was surprised, after all this time, but it was still a tragic end to the search.
In other news, a werewolf attack was a worrying development, not to mention poisonous snow, but at least now he knew about tonight's theme! Yes, the Founder's Ball, he really should be looking to ask someone if they wanted to go with him on the date thing. Everyone he had asked so far seemed to already have a date (or that was what they were telling him), but then he could maybe just go on his own. Or take Bella. That could be fun!
Speaking of Bella, he hoped to spend some time winning her over a little before heading to Hogsmeade for a little while. First though, he wasn't going to say no to some hot chocolate!
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