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.
It was a warm, sunning morning -- though breakfast was closer to an early lunch today.
The castle wasn't damaged by anything that couldn't easily be repaired by those with the magic to do so; by the new term, Hogwarts would surely be as good as new. Flaming torches were lit once again, and the Grand Staircase resumed its bid to redirect students all over the place -- if they took too long to traverse it on their chosen path. Portraits chattered and gathered, as if nothing happened.
Things were back to normal.
Except there was nothing normal about rising with the sun to march out of the castle, and to a secluded part of the grounds -- attending the funeral of Albus Dumbledore. There were speeches, and a lot of sobbing. A heavy event for them all, especially the younger students despite having less of a personal awareness of who Dumbledore was.
Then they headed back to the castle for breakfast, and the mood remained sadly quiet. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables were unrecognisible as the quietest of them all -- apart from groups of 5th years sobbing into each other's arms. The loss of Jacob Thatcher had hit his friends the hardest, as it should. Not even Slytherin house dared make a sound about it; they let the mourners be.
During Dumbledore's funeral, they'd learned that Hogwarts had fallen because of a missing artefact of some sort left behind by the Founder's. There was one for each house, and all were somehow taken earlier in the year. Hufflepuff was the only house whose hadn't been returned in time, and Hogwarts had fallen because it wasn't whole.
They'd been restored now, but the cost of their removal was yet to be determined. And the cost of that night was already high. Professor McGonagall wasn't even at breakfast today, having left the funeral as soon as possible.
To make matters worse, though there were many who didn't mind it at all... today's Hogsmeade Trip was cancelled, mainly as a precaution. All that was left was to await Owl Post, then find a way to pass the time until the End of Year feast later tonight.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Dec 6, 2022 23:17:44 GMT 10
Lindsey had walked in silence the whole way to the funeral for Dumbledore. The night before had been hard on many, but she had not slept well. She had trouble getting to sleep, had woken from the nightmares a few times. She was tired, it showed in her face, but her eyes lifted a few times to look towards the tables belong to Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
She couldn't imagine losing a friend and she had seen the expression of the Fifth Year Hufflepuff. She had been there, but she didn't know his pain. She couldn't eat this morning, her whole stomach just churned as she sat there.
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Dec 6, 2022 23:20:55 GMT 10
Poking at her sausages, MJ regretted adding so much food to her plate. She thought she would be hungry after getting up so early to attend the funeral but it seemed her appetite would continue to elude her.
She tried to make sense of what had happened the night before. Even as she had stood there, listening to speeches made about the former headmaster, she still couldn't believe she had been witness to two murders in the last twelve hours. She hadn't even told her closest friends - was she supposed to?
If anything, she was just grateful she hadn't been punished for being on the sixth floor. Despite her good intentions, MJ knew now she had been somewhere very dangerous and hadn't been equipped for such an event.
A sniffle came from her and she hunched her shoulders, recalling the pain on everyone's face when they realised what had happened to Jacob. MJ bowed her head over her breakfast and willed herself not to cry.
Charlotte hadn't gone to be early, she had heard the chaos in the castle, though not all of it. It was enough to make sure pace in her common room a little after some had come up. She had waited for MJ, but when she had come they hadn't spoken. Something bad had happened and Charlotte didn't understand what is was.
She had looked out the window at once point and saw a weird shape in the clouds and had quickly taken to her dorm to sleep. Whatever was going on, she didn't like it and thought sleep would make it all go away.
When she woke the next morning though, she hadn't expected to go to a funeral of a man she had never known. She had only heard about it from older students and didn't understand why it was such a big deal. She had heard of another death, but again, she didn't know the person. It was quiet in the great hall for breakfast and she looked around for MJ.
When she saw her, she noticed the sadness in her friend and walked over to her. She sat beside her and put a hand, tentatively on her shoulder. She put some fruit on her plate and hoped MJ was okay. She didn't speak though, she didn't know what to say.
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on Dec 6, 2022 23:37:48 GMT 10
It was surreal, attending a funeral for a man who had once seemed invincible. Albus Dumbledore had always been extraordinary, shrouded in mystery and tales of grandeur. Jax remembered when he had first arrived at Hogwarts, a scared eleven-year-old missing the company of his siblings and wishing he was back home, Hogwarts had always felt a little safer with Dumbledore there.
He'd been absent for the entire school year, but now he was gone... For good.
The food on Jax's plate tasted bland amidst the silence and weight of the grief that seemed to encompass the room. He poked his fork into a slice of sausage and popped it into his mouth, chewing half-heartedly. It was supposed to be a day of celebration, with exams over and awaiting term to draw to a close so they could return home to their families.
There was one student that never would return home, not in any capacity that was important. Jax wondered about Jacob's family, it was news no parent should ever receive about their child.
Sighing, he nudged the food around his plate, his interest for it waning.
Post by Thorne Perry on Dec 6, 2022 23:40:22 GMT 10
Thorne poked at his breakfast moodily; he’d never been to a funeral before today. He’d never really expected his first one to be at school, either. And all the talk of artifacts- was that the legacy MJ had been talking about the other day?
…if he’d been as clever as her, could he have helped prevent this? He kept stealing glances at the Ravenclaw table, feeling a pang each time he glimpsed his clearly upset friend.
Even breakfast wasn’t helping, though he’d picked his favorite. It tasted like ashes on his tongue but he forced himself to keep eating anyways.
Post by Tobias Twiggs on Dec 6, 2022 23:48:05 GMT 10
For once Toby was subdued as he walked into the Great Hall. The spring was gone from his step, and after a single glance towards the Ravenclaw table, he went to sit with his own house. It just didn't feel right to be anywhere else at that moment, after losing two of their own in a single night.
He'd never attended a funeral before, and though he hadn't known Dumbledore personally, the whole event made him feel... Heavy. It was sad and people were crying, he had hung his head respectfully the entire time and fought off his own rising sense of sadness.
The table didn't seem the same without Jacob around, lifting their spirits with his laughter. Toby hadn't known him well, but the boy had always been nice to him whenever they had spoken and he'd been Amy's friend.
Toby looked around for his big sister, hoping that she was okay. The previous night had been scary, people had died and Tobias didn't know what was stopping it from happening again. If Amy hadn't helped him back to the common room, then she might've died too...
Shaking his head to rid himself of such awful unthinkable thoughts, he reached for a slice of toast.
Sinead was quiet as she made her way to the great hall. She looked pale and tired as she had not slept much the previous night. Eventually Lindsey and her sister had returned but her sister looked grim and Lindsey seemed to be really upset which had made Sinead both worry and feel uneasy. She had remained awake for sometime that night, watching over Lindsey quietly when the girl awoke from her sleep at times.
When she had awoken she was greeted with the horrendous news that Dumbledore was dead. In addition to that, Jacob Thatcher, the Gryffindor prankster that Sinead had come across more than once, had also died. Sinead had been stunned at the news but had quickly tried to pull herself together. When the time came to attend the funeral of Dumbledore, SInead had made sure that she was at Lindsey's side to support her devastated friend.
When Sinead arrived in the great hall after the funeral, she had glanced over to the Gryffindor table and seen the grief and pain there as clear as day. The brunette hated funerals and the overwhelming emotions that normally came with them. The girl sighed heavily and turned away to head to the Slytherin table. Upon arrival at the table, Sinead saw Lindsey there and took a seat next to her. Her older sister was sat further down the table with her friends.
Sinead glanced at her sister and then at Lindsey. The brunette reached out to put her hand on Lindsey's arm. She didn't say a word but hoped the movement would tell her friend that she was there for her.
(ooc: Mentions of Lindsey being upset with permission)
Owls screeched overhead, and hundreds upon hundreds flew into the hall -- an airborne flood of feathers and mail. The news of last night's event had spread, thus almost everyone with even one magical relative heard from home this morning, checking they were okay.
Headmaster Rickard was swarmed with owls, so he quickly left the hall to redirect them to his office. The rest of the staff soon followed, as Heads of Houses received similar attention. There were event a few howls in the mix, which was not how anyone wanted to start their day.
I'm sorry we couldn't stay to see you, but we'll be seeing you tomorrow at the station. We just left Hogwarts, as your Grandmother insisted on getting the news in person and make sure you were all okay.
Give everyone a big hug from us, please. We're beyond grateful you're all okay. We miss you now more than ever, but don't worry... your mother doesn't know. And she's spent most of the morning in the garden painting. You'll be safely home and in hugging reach before the news reaches her, so please try not to worry.
We love you so much. Please pass our love onto the others. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow, and sorry again we couldn't stop by but we didn't want to intrude. Ezzie may need some help with his packing, and remind Reena she's not missing a scarf -- she left one at home over Christmas.
From: Grandpa
This RPG morning / afternoon are skipped, in favor of starting the summer. Once we've had a few more posts here, reacting to the Daily Prophet and such -- we progress to night and the End of Year Feast.
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Dec 7, 2022 0:38:56 GMT 10
The sudden arrival of the owls caused MJ to flinch for once though she appreciated the Daily Prophet that was delivered to her place at the table. A welcomed distraction from her uneaten breakfast but the headline made her heart sink further.
She scanned the article, reading what had happened the night before even though she had been a witness to the whole thing. Seeing the brand again, that letter 'A', made her shudder and she almost pushed the paper away from herself.
Skipping whatever Minister Fenwhistle had to say about things, MJ turned to read about the Quidditch pitch.
It was a small moment of joy, marred by the sadness of everything else but she felt stupid for not even noticing the pitch had been restored. At least she would have Quidditch to look forward to next year at school.
MJ finished with her paper and sighed, giving Charlotte a sad smile. "I think I'm going to head back to our dormitory and pack up my things."
She didn't even bother with a piece of fruit or drinking some juice. MJ rose from her place, tucked the paper under her arm and made to leave.
Amelia had been sitting on the floor in her dorm for a while, with a mess of stuff all around her. Her hand was red from hitting something, though she didn’t even recall what she hit. What she knew was that it wasn’t a person and that was what mattered, right? Her face was red and wet from the tears and crying, she didn’t want to get up. She had been lost in a voice and she had no idea who or what caused her to get up.
What she did know was that at some point, she had made it down to the funeral for Dumbledore. That was another blow, but her face was already red from sobbing, her body in a cloud. By time she made it to the Great Hall, she could barely figure out where she needed to go. Kassia had given her a hug at the Funeral, but she had still been in a good daze.
She was drawn to the Hufflepuff table though, she couldn’t stop herself. She needed her sister… She needed those who knew Jacob like she did. She walked between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, looking ahead but not looking at anyone. When she neared where they normally all sat, she stopped and looked around. She searched for anyone, tears running down her face when she looked at his place.
But he wasn’t there…
She just closed her eyes and stood there silently, between the two tables nearest where her friends normally were.
When the flap of wings started, she looked up and watched as the prophet landed at her feet. She knelt down and took it, opening it to the front news. She lowered her head when she read it, unable to stand any longer, she sat with her body facing the Hufflepuff table and her back facing… The spot…
When she red, her face grew pale and she looked at the calling card information. No… The A on the page...
”Arkius Demora…” She stood and looked to the professors, looking for the history of magic professor and then back at the Prophet… ”This is all his fault!” She said as she put everything in her bag and sat there, elbows on her knees. She felt anger boiling inside now, a heat that bubbled in her stomach.
(mention of @kassia hugging Amelia with permission)
Post by Martha Twiggs on Dec 7, 2022 0:53:15 GMT 10
Her arrival to breakfast had been delayed but she seemed to come in just as the owls arrived. Martha had spent most of the morning checking on Sophia and Lucky, alternating between the two and then only left for breakfast to get them some food. Otherwise, she would still be in the Hufflepuff commons even now.
What worried her the most was the fact Sophia hadn't spoken since the news had been broken to them but she hoped her friend would eventually come around once she had time to process everything.
Martha stopped by Amelia and put an arm around her sister's shoulders, "Hey."
Her voice was soft, comforting and she hugged Amelia to her. Strangely, her sister didn't seem sad but rather angry and she tilted her head, "What's happened?"
Of course, it had to be something that come with the owls and Martha scanned the table for a copy of the Daily Prophet but was content for her sister to fill her in as well.
Last Edit: Dec 7, 2022 0:56:09 GMT 10 by Martha Twiggs
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on Dec 7, 2022 0:54:59 GMT 10
The screech of owls and the flap of wings overhead alerted Jax to the arrival of the morning post. He shoved his plate out of the way as an owl dropped a letter and a copy of the Daily prophet in front of him and he quickly tore it open. Relieved to see his grandpa's handwriting within, and not that of his mother.
He was able to breathe a little easier upon reading that his mother was unaware of what had happened last night. She had enough to worry about and he didn't fancy being pulled out of school before he'd had the opportunity to sit his NEWTs. Once they were back home, he could hug his mum and she could see that they were all safe and there would be no need for panic.
Jax chugged the rest of his orange juice and then picked up the Daily Prophet, his heart sinking at the headline on the front page. Hopefully his grandparents had intercepted his mother's post by now as well. Skimming over the information, not wanting to dwell on it for too long, his gaze lingered on the 'A' calling card.
He knew whose signature move that was. His class had learned about it not long before their exams, Arkius Demora. Jax felt his mouth go dry upon this realization and wondered what it could mean for the future.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Dec 7, 2022 1:00:53 GMT 10
Grace was miserable. She hadn't gotten any sleep last night, still thinking about the dead people she had seen. It was awful. What was the point of her even finding that stupid artefact if it wasn't going to protect the Gryffindors that needed it most? Even worse, she still felt like she could've done something if she wasn't just a tiny little first year. Maybe Jacob could be alive if she had just had more practice with duelling.
Dumbledore's funeral was sad, but he was a distant figure in Grace's life. Technically speaking, he had never been her headmaster, and she had only heard things about him. Good things, yes, but it wasn't the same as having met a person, as having interacted with them.
Jacob was different. Same house, same common room. Grace remembered, at the start of the year, when she was worried that she wasn't a true Gryffindor, that she didn't quite fit and she would've been better off in Hufflepuff, that she'd tried a dare. Eat a disgusting food combination. Jacob had been the one to encourage her, to make her feel welcome at the Gryffindor table.
She ducked her head down as tears trailed down her face. Now Jacob couldn't help anyone else like that. He couldn't do anything, because he was dead, and it was all those stupid intruders' fault. Why would they want to kill people? Just because? It didn't make sense! Grace swiped at her eyes, trying not to be too loud. It wasn't like they were best friends, so she didn't really have the right to be this sad.
She focused instead on the arrival of owl post, which contained a worried and comforting letter from her parents as well as the Daily Prophet. Something from the Founders' Era disturbed...was it whoever had removed the artefacts, or was it Grace's fault for finding one? She felt a pit in her stomach. This wasn't making her feel good at all.
She grabbed a pickle, and a pumpkin pasty, and stacked them together before dunking the sandwich in milk and taking a big, disgusting bite. For Jacob.
Amelia was silent in her anger, her hair likely looked like a flame. It wouldn't surprise her if her anger caused her hair to explode into fire. When she felt the arm of her sister wrap around her, she leaned into it. She couldn't greet her sister, she was too angry, but she enjoyed the comfort from her. When she asked what happened, Amelia looked for another near by paper and snatched one that was behind her.
"This," she said as she pointed to the information about the calling card and the shown 'A' on the page. "I know who chose to have this done..." She said as she clenched her teeth and looked at the paper before passing it to Martha.
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February
