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.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on May 18, 2023 19:41:56 GMT 10
When the hand was offered towards her, she took it gently into her own hands, her finger-tips just barely touching his palm as she took a look. She compared the knuckles to each other and noted the puffiness and slight redness. She smiled at his comment about it not being broken and nodded at his comment. "Aye, not broken."
She was just about to turn the hand when he comment about kissing it to make it better and she felt her cheeks burn. Her face was likely burning with fire and she let her eyes look up at him, a smirk forming on her lips before she cleared her throat.
"I think it's a wee bit jammed... My ma says a good tug will normally fix it, though it will still be sore for a few days," she said, though didn't dare pull it herself. Her mother was a trained professional, she could tug a jammed finger and put it back into joint no problem. But, Lindsey was still learning and just patted the hand softly.
"If ye can, I would at least see the healer if it hurts worse, but it is a little puffy and red around the knuckle... But, ye can move it and bend it, which is a good sign," she said as she sat up and let him take back his hand. She had seen a few muggle kids her own age with jammed fingers from playing rough in Highfield. It wasn't uncommon at all for them to come to her mother to get fixed up.
(Permission given by @benjamin to deal with finger)
Last Edit: May 18, 2023 19:58:57 GMT 10 by Lindsey Bryce
By now, occasional whispers had spread about why the Slytherins were in such a bad mood. A few Gryffindors weren't able to keep their mouths shut, having overheard that someone encouraged Peeves to cause trouble in the Dungeons last night. No one knew who was behind it or any specifics, only that the overall Slytherin mood was evidence enough that something was amiss last night.
Not that the Slytherins themselves said much, preferring to simply glare at Gryffindor table or keep to themselves. It was a 7th year who'd convinced them of that; to not give others the satisfaction of getting to them. Also in wariness of reigniting the house wars, which they really wanted to avoid this year.
--
With a loud, signaling screech, hundreds of owls swooped into the Great Hall to deliver the Daily Prophet -- as well as any letters or packages from home. A few owls in particular struggled with heavy items, though one package had a tear in the corner and spilled some sort of sweet -- the colourful balls rained down on the staff table, much to the dismay of its horrified would-be recipient at the Ravenclaw table.
There was quite a commotion, as some of the balls reacted badly with various liquids. Those that landed in staff goblets exploded in a burst of fizzy sweetness. Professor Snape covered his goblet just in time -- but Professors Archerose and Rivera weren't as fortunate. Professor Sprout jerked upright at the noise, now rather wide awake.
It didn't take long to find the culprit, despite her attempt to flee the hall at the urging of her friends. Professor Rivera was fast and eagle-eyed -- soon grasping the 3rd year's shoulder to halt her, and deliver a rather firm talking-to about verifying vendors before making hasty purchases; the packaging was clearly a poor and cheap effort. The student's sweets were even confiscated, and Ravenclaw lost house points.
The Headmaster waved his wand to clear up the mess, while Professor Rivera returned to her seat and dabbed her hair with a napkin. Professor McGonagall barely blinked at what happened, still engrossed in her Quidditch notes -- frowning at the lineups; more interested in that than the brief but fizzy mess. Though a frown on her face did not bode well for the Ravenclaw student who, in continued misfortune, faced Transfiguration class first thing that morning.
Once things calmed there, rapt attention went fully to the headline of today's paper -- which stirred a lot of interest and speculation. Those who were familiar with any of the Ashworth children cast them curious or sympathetic looks, though (unlike last year, when the magazine articles came out) many at least tried to be discreet or mind their manners.
Professor Snape, however, had one read of the Prophet and hurried from the hall. Professors Rivera and Fairburn gulped a handful of leftover Botts Beans, and immediately regretted it, then followed suit.
You may write normally or continue to the way we are, if you wish. My concern is more pertaining to my outgoing letters, whereas yours are safe to receive.
I'm writing bhg bs pbaprea, nobht gur vapvqrag ng gur Qrcnegzrag bs Zlfgrevrf fvap gur pnfr jnf erbcrarq. Be wary of rumours, as there may only be a degree of truth in them. During this time, everyone will have an opinion of what happened and many false claims will be released.
But most importantly, V bjr zl yvsr gb lbhe snzvyl. I'ir xrcg zl qvfgnapr gur cnfg srj lrnef, sbe lbhe fnsrgl, ohg lbh xvqf ner tebjvat hc naq V srry gur jrvtug bs lz qrog. I cannot repay it with answers right now, but is there anything you need? Any of you?
V jvyy jevgr ntnva fbba. Keep an eye out for Zvegujooq, and always unir n fhccyl bs nagvqbgrf ba unaq. I don't expect you to need them, but it never hurts to be prepared. Nfujbeguf ner va zber qnatre guna rire, ohg lbh'yy or bxnl fb ybat nf lbh fgvpx gbtrgure. Or ivtvynag.
From: Antoninus
This time, it was delivered by a large and dark-coloured parrot of some kind -- who grabbed a few exotic pieces of fruit as payment, before hurriedly leaving the hall.
How has the new term been treating you so far? I heard there's a Gobstones Tournament on today. I know this isn't normally your style, but I hope you'll give it a try. Who knows, you might even make a new friend?
How did Quidditch Tryouts go yesterday? I'm eager to hear the results, so lay them on me. Did Tobias, Amelia, and Joshua get a place on their teams? I've no doubt they tried their best, no matter the outcome. I look forward to reading your notes of their improvement over the year. If Joshua needs a broomstick, please let us know as we'll have to buy one before his first practice.
Are you hoping to make Prefect next year? Your mother and I think you'd do very well at it, if that's something you're still interested in. I heard there's a Prefect Trainee program at Hogwarts, as of last year, which is only available to 4th years. Perhaps you could have a look?
Keep up with your studies, as always. And could you do me a favor this year? Try to step out of your comfort zone a bit; try some new hobbies or activities. Maybe get to know more of your classmates? Give it a try, won't you, Pierce? The world deserves to know how great you are.
We had no idea you were trying out until your mother let slip the news this morning. We went to check in on her, after what was written in the Daily Prophet. Hardly got a few words in, as she's spending her time locked away in the art studio, but the brief moment she did answer the door we heard about you making the team. As Keeper? Just like your dad.
He would be so proud of you. And we're all proud of you, little Duck. I wish we could celebrate in person. When is your nearest Hogsmeade visit? I reckon I could stop by and share some treats from Grandma to mark the occasion.
Of course, making the team also means you need a broomstick. Rather than trouble your mother with it, I'm happy to help you out. This is with her permission, of course. I've had a look at the catalogue from Magnora Brooms, and there's quite a good selection. Any that take your fancy, let us know. Don't worry about a thing; we've got it covered. Grandma and I will, of course, also be there for every one of your matches. Without fail.
Work hard, and do your best. Be responsible about this though; Quidditch can be rough and, at times, dangerous too. This is quite a privilege, so keep that in mind and take this new responsibility seriously. But have fun too! I want to hear all about it, and please tell me when you'll be in Hogsmeade next.
So proud of you, kiddo. Polish up those flight feathers eh, little Duck? This is your year, I can feel it in my bones. Keep in touch, okay? I want to hear everything, and what creatures you've met this year. Write to your mum too; she misses you.
Post by Thorne Perry on May 18, 2023 20:02:23 GMT 10
Thorne shuffled in to breakfast in a funk, eyes still heavy. He wasn't used to staying up as late as he had last night, though it had been worth it to cheer on his friend. At least he didn't have classes in the morning- he could do some gardening and some exploring. It would be nice.
Swallowing a yawn that threatened to unhinge his whole jaw, he snagged a plate of pancakes and started to slather butter on them before drowning the whole thing in syrup.
Maybe the sugar would help him wake up.
And if the sugar hadn't helped, the sudden chaotic arrival of the owls and a rain of sweets definitely startled him the rest of the way there. He jolted in his seat at the commotion, reaching out to grab a newspaper mostly to hide his sudden rush of nerves. The headline story made him glance towards the Ashworths he knew by reputation only.
They'd always seemed nice enough is his few interactions with them. This...vague news wasn't really going to affect his opinion of his schoolmates. That decided, he scanned the rest of the bylines - Giant spiders?? no thanks - folded the paper and tucked it in his bag.
Maybe he'd read the rest later.
Last Edit: May 18, 2023 20:13:45 GMT 10 by Thorne Perry
Post by Kody Ashworth on May 18, 2023 20:15:53 GMT 10
A lot of things happened at once.
Kody noticed the whispers from his housemates about the Slytherins. He hadn't even paid attention to them since they looked their normal, sulky selves. Moody snakes were just normal.
But now it turned out Peeves had been involved somehow? Kody looked up and down his house table to see if anyone was admitting to being the Gryffindor who had encouraged him.
At the same time, something happened at the teachers table. The loud screeching from the owls as they entered the hall was only overshadowed by the colourful and loud bangs that happened as some balls scattered from a badly wrapped parcel. Kody leaned up on the table, looking over at the teacher's table and wincing at the chaos.
Sure, he liked things a bit mad but this was unfortunate.
Sitting down again, he noticed a letter sitting by his plate. He tried to offer the owl some bacon as thanks even though he knew it wasn't an ideal treat. Still, it had come a long way to deliver this letter.
Recognizing the handwriting, Kody ignored his breakfast to read his grandfather's letter. So his mum had heard the news already! Wow -- Kody looked over at his siblings. Had one of them told or did the school tell her? He went back to the letter and paused.
"Dad...?" He was a Keeper? Kody's heart thumped loudly in his chest and his hands shook lightly. He wanted to share this information with his siblings and wondered if they would care or if it mattered.
But it did, to him.
He hadn't thought about it either. Maybe it was good he hadn't made Beater after all. Kody knew it was silly but it was something of a connection to the person his dad was. He wondered... Kody read the rest of the letter in a hurry before digging through his school bag to write back.
Luckily he had been looking through the Magnora Brooms catalogue before now.
His gaze fell on the Prophet and that stopped Kody in his tracks. He hadn't even given it a glance before now, too consumed by the letter from his Grandpa. His good mood was suddenly gone.
Kody saw the name 'Ashworth' and swallowed a lump forming in his throat. He could feel people looking in his direction, whispering now. A few, rapid breaths and Kody balled up his copy of the paper. This he shoved it into his school bag, slinging it over his shoulder in a hurry and leaving his house table. He had to get out of the Great Hall as quickly as possible.
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on May 18, 2023 20:23:06 GMT 10
"I'm not entirely sure yet. I think there's something Professor McGonagall needs help with so I might check that out." She mused over Charlotte's question while she ate, the relative peace of the morning disturbed by the arrival of owls.
"Do you have any plans?" She asked her friend before some commotion happened at the teacher's table which caught her attention. She watched as Professor Rivera took charge and grabbed a Ravenclaw.
MJ couldn't hear what was happening but it didn't look good and she had a sinking feeling... Her eyes went to the giant hourglasses by the wall and saw Ravenclaws total go down a little. Brilliant.
A copy of the Daily Prophet dropped in front of her and MJ's attention went to that.
"Ashworth... Hey, isn't that Ezra's name? Do you think this is about his family?" MJ asked her friend, showing her the front of her paper. The Ministry of Magic was still largely a mystery to MJ so she didn't know what to think about the article. If she could find Ezra, she would offer her support to him.
She scanned the rest of the paper. Appleby Arrows had signed a new manager? That sounded exciting. Huge spiders, less so. MJ wasn't bothered by their smaller counterparts but she shuddered at the idea of a supersized version. Creepy.
Dementors and Honeydukes -- MJ didn't know much about either of those. Maybe this was something an older student would know more about. MJ folded up her paper and tucked it into her satchel.
It didn't take her long to finish her breakfast and she gave Charlotte a bright smile, "I'll see you this afternoon for Transfiguration?"
Standing, she gathered her things and made one last attempt to spot Ezra before leaving the Great Hall.
After a few moments of mild chatter with her fellow fifth years, Amelia got the basic idea of what happened and found herself smirking a little at the result of finding out. She couldn't say that she was at all upset by the Slytherins being bombarded by Peeves, though did take a glance for her brother to make sure he seemed unharmed by the manic being.
To be fair, she kind of wished she had thought about it herself, though best to just stay out of it. She already had a record with the Slytherin house and to be fair, this year was not the year she wanted to deal with it at all. "Well, I guess Peeves had his fun."
With the Owls arrival came it's own source of Chaos and she looked towards the staff table and Ravenclaw table. It didn't seem to pleasant for a few people over there. After taking up her own copy, she was quite interested in the main story and felt her eyes pull towards the direction of both Slytherin and Ravenclaw. So... It was that time of the year? She might have felt worse for it had she been able to put aside the lies from the year before.
She did feel a little bad for Kody though and looked his direction when she notice him get up and leave. She would give her support to him next time she saw him. He was a kid and a member of her house, he deserved some house-support.
With Breakfast over, she picked up her bag and headed out. Her morning was free, after all.
Post by Martha Twiggs on May 18, 2023 20:28:50 GMT 10
Martha took a moment to put some sweet pastries into a napkin for later, watching the owls come into the Great Hall.
Of course there would be some kind of chaos from the mail. She hushed some younger Hufflepuffs who seemed to be enjoying what had happened with those colourful balls. She was still a Prefect, after all.
But it did seem like the kind of thing her siblings would enjoy.
She picked up her copy of the paper and read the main article with care. Another Ministry report? It took her a moment to even register the name Ashworth and she let out a soft gasp. Martha looked over at the Ravenclaw table -- had Jaxen read this yet?
A part of her worried about what this meant for her friend and his family. She noticed a younger Gryffindor leave and realized who that was, which made her more concerned for Jaxen.
Re-reading the article, Martha frowned more and wondered if it would be worthwhile sending a letter to her dad to ask if he knew anything. Even a little bit of news would be reassurance for her friend, right? But it wasn't her place to interfere either.
All she could do, really, is being there for him and offer support.
Martha sighed. She had gone off her breakfast now. At least she had her snacks for later if she got hungry before lunch. She picked up her school bag, eager to not be late for Divination class.
[OOC: Exit]
Last Edit: May 18, 2023 21:42:35 GMT 10 by Martha Twiggs
Charlotte had also been looking to help some of the Professors this morning, especially since it could likely help her with her studies. She nodded as she took a look at the schedule some more and then jumped when the sudden commotion happened not far from them. Her heart was pounding and she was wide-eyed as she looked to see what all had happened. She swallowed, trying to calm herself, but it was hard to do that.
At MJ's question, she had to blink and think on it for a few moments. "Oh, I do not know, though I was looking at some things that the professors needed aid with."
She was also likely to end up in the library at some point this morning. Her eyes also came to the attention of Professor Rivera berating another student and she felt her heart drop a little when the house points went down. Well, it had to happened, right?
When the Daily Prophet Arrived, she also read over the main story and looked at MJ when she asked about Ezra. "Yes, it is his name... maybe we should check on him?"
Last year, Charlotte wouldn't have even dared to suggest it, she was still figuring that out. But after a year of realizing what others did, she was starting to try and put herself out there more. Friends seemed to be there for each other and check on each other, right? She was reading over the rest of the Prophet when MJ spoke about this afternoon and she nodded with a smile.
She didn't spend much longer herself in the Great Hall, choosing to head out herself, though glanced around for her siblings first.
Benji shivered when Lindsey took his hand to check it over. Not that he didn't trust her, but he wasn't used to being casually touched. Touch-starved, Evangeline called it, though Benji had opinions about her diagnoses. Once she became an apprentice Healer at St. Mungo's, she always blathered about this and that. His grandma told him to ignore her, that she'd get over it once she settled.
''Thank you kindly, Madam Healer,'' Benji grinned and took his hand back, cradling it softly to himself. ''I'll be sure to go to you or Madam Pomfrey if it gets worse,'' he nodded in thanks, taking a mental note to keep an eye on it. He'd like to have more time to rest it but with the practice…He just hoped there wouldn't be a repeat of the tryouts.
Mail arrived soon after and Benji immediately spotted his grandmother's owl, Sage. Mostly because it struggled with a large package that it carefully placed on the floor behind him. It had a very distinct shape to it, one that Benji recognized.
''No way!'' he exclaimed and tore it open, revealing a new broomstick. Sage tapped her beak on his arm and pointed at the envelope. Benji opened it and took out a piece of parchment, together with three coloured pieces of paper.
Dear boy,
I'm so proud of you that you made the team. I didn't doubt it at all, which is the only reason why you're getting your present this early. It's not the fastest or the prettiest broom on the market, but I think you'll find it does nicely.
Are you making new friends, dear heart? You need to get out of the shell, and you're making good steps. I'll be hosting a Yule dinner this year, you're welcome to invite your schoolmates along. Or stay at Hogwarts, though I'd love to see you home.
I'll spare more details for our weekly letters. Know that we miss and love you.
You make me so proud.
~Grandma
Benji twigged in delight and after giving the letter a quick peck, put the parchment in his pocket. He picked each coloured paper and either rolled his eyes or snorted as response to short words written on them.
Remember, kick when they don't see you.
-Alastair
Remember to dodge. Or not, it'll make you prettier.
-Leo
I'll make sure to keep a bed ready at St. Mungo's.
-Evangeline
After his package and the letters, though the latter's term was rather generous for the coloured pieces of paper that accompanied his grandma's spidery crawl, Benjamin checked the Daily Prophet. He wasn't an enthusiastic reader, but it was always good to keep up with the news from the wizarding world.
''Oh,'' was the only comment Benji gave on the front page news. He thought it was all rather disgusting, how some papers sensationalized every little thing and prodded at the open wounds the Ashworth family likely had. Benji felt especially sorry for the children. While his father wasn't dead (that he knew of, at least), at least he wasn't splattered across the most famous wizarding newspaper around.
Benji worried at his lip as he glanced at Reena. He usually didn't butt into the business that didn't involve him, but she was really kind to him today and they even had a decent conversation going on before being interrupted by the owl.
''Are you okay?'' he asked as a sort of compromise. Benji wouldn't pry but made it known he was willing to listen. He wasn't the one to spill the secrets either, he didn't have any friends or others to tell, even if he wanted to.
Benji looked back at Lindsey and nudged his head towards Reena discreetly, knowing they were in the same dorm, and by his logic, closer than anyone barring the Ashworth family. If Benji failed at his, albeit poor, attempt at comfort, Lindsey might have more luck.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on May 18, 2023 21:17:03 GMT 10
As he called her Madam Healer, her face went full-blown red and she tucked a loose hair behind her ear while she focused on her breakfast. She couldn’t even pull the smile from her face as she sat there and tried to find a way to eat more of her breakfast, which consisted of porridge, toast, and some jam to sweeten things up a little.
“Aye, please do… Wouldn’t want our keeper to injury himself,” she said as she glanced back over at him. She had already pulled out her notebook and it laid beside her on the table, her other hand curled around a quill that was slowly sketching a hand on a blank piece of paper. Every now and then, she would glance over at his injured hand before returning to the sketch.
If one got hold of the notebook, they would find sketches ranging from herbology to healing to class notes with sketches to illustrate things. There was even sketches from last year, including a plant that both had and Reena had seen together, which was on the visible page currently.
Sometimes, there were sketches of people and friends in un-used space… Such as one of Reena from one of their classes which was on the same page at the plant picture. In that particular sketch, it appeared the Reena was looking downward at something, some hair slightly out of place.
Lindsey eyes went up as the sound of the owls reached her ears and she jumped at the sudden explosion from an area near the staff table and the Ravenclaw table. She looked towards the chaos with mild concern and just confusion before she turned her attention to the daily profit.
She pulled herself away when a rather large package arrived for Benji and smiled in understand glee and joy. She had felt the same way about her Broom last year, which was currently stored away at the castle somewhere. Maybe she would go for a flight sometime this year?
Her eyes returned to the Prophet casually…
‘Wait,’ she thought to herself as she read over the main story and noted the significance of today. The anniversary of the death of the Ashworth Brothers. One of those was Reena’s father and Lindsey caught herself looking over at Reena with a soft look. A look a friend would give to someone who they cared about… A look from a supportive friend.
Feeling eyes on her, she looked at Benjamin and then over at Reena as he motioned towards her former friend with concern. She bit the inside of her cheek before she let out a silent sigh and pulled in a deep breathe. She couldn’t force herself to ignore someone she cared about and who was likely not going to enjoy this story in the prophet.
“Reena… If you need anything… Let me know, okay?” The words were spoken with sincerity and civility before she stood up from the table.
“See you both later.” Gathering herself, she grabbed her items and left the Great Hall for class, not wanting to cause herself any more pain by focusing on Reena and the fact that they weren’t friends any longer. Had they been, Lindsey would have offered her shoulder, would have comforted her as best as she could. Hopefully, Reena was too busy with her letter to notice Lindsey had looked over at her in sympathy.
Post by Amber Lloyd on May 18, 2023 21:21:18 GMT 10
Amber was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she almost didn't hear the question from the 2nd year Ravenclaw.
For a moment she blinked, looked around near her at the table and spotted the apple juice a little further away.
"Excuse me!" she said to a few Ravenclaws next to her while reaching with her arm for the jug, handing it over then to MJ with a smile.
"There you go!"
Reacting at the beginning by instinct, she recognised only now who she had given the juice to. It had been actually her fellow team member!
Before she could talk more to her, the commotion at the teachers table happened. Amber frowned as the hourglass shifted negatively. It had to be a Ravenclaw. Who had been dumb enough to do this? But what happened happened. She hoped the student would refrain from doing so again in the future.
A copy of the Daily Prophet dropped near her, so she grabbed it and read it while finishing her meal.
Noticing the name 'Ashworth' while reading, Reena came to her mind. Was it about her family or rather about other Ashworths?
But Amber didn't really care, she was more interested by the article about Dementors.
Finishing it soon, she got up, taking a look around for either of her friends. She could spot none, so she shrugged and made her way to class. She would meet them soon enough there.
Sinead made her way down to breakfast with a yawn. The brunette had managed to avoid both Amara's fury and Peeves's attack and she felt thankful that she had. She hadn't been too bothered about the tryouts due to her last experience on the team. She walked into the great hall and glanced over at the Gryffindor table with a neutral expression on her face before she headed over to her house table and took a seat.
Sinead sat down at the table and grabbed her breakfast, soon being joined by a fellow 5th year boy who had seemed to take a liking to talking to her as of late. The brunette didn't mind his company and soon the pair were engaged in quiet discussion. When the owl post arrived, Sinead took the Daily Prophet and glanced down at the front page as she finished off her breakfast.
The brunette frowned when she read the headline and exchanged a glance with her new friend, before she scanned the table for Reena. Sinead spotted her friend sat further down the table and she made an instant decision. She grabbed some parchment from her back and quickly scribbled a note down.
The girl exchanged another glance with her fellow housemate and then quickly excused herself. She headed over to where Reena was sat and quietly dropped the note on the table in front of her. The brunette then returned to her seat, grabbed her bag and then headed off to class with her fellow housemate.
Post by Ezra Ashworth on May 19, 2023 0:46:49 GMT 10
After a late night of watching his big brother be awesome, Ezra had slept like a baby. Maybe that was the trick to avoid nightmares? To only go to bed once he was beyond tired after an exciting day.
That was something to think about… But first - a new day was there bringing with it a new excitement for Ezra. A gobstones tournament!
He very much wanted to be a part of that! It sounded like a lot of fun! He also wondered, if he played enough games, would he be able to figure out how the gobstones worked? That would be pretty neat too.
Busy with thoughts about gobstones and his dreams for the day, Ezra went through breakfast on autopilot. He hadn’t even remembered to keep an eye out for people to sit with!
Only the chaos of the owl delivery managed to snap him back into the real world. Just in time to call a thank you to the owl that had dropped a newspaper near him.
The owl had been very clever and had managed to avoid his bowl of cereal. Ezra wished that it had stuck around long enough for him to have offered a treat. The clever guy had deserved the best bit of bacon.
Sad about having missed his chance to give the owl a treat, Ezra took his time unfolding the paper.
The big headline caught his eye straight away and, not noticing the looks that had already begun to be cast about the hall, he wiggled excitedly in his seat. A mystery? What kind of mystery?
Ezra’s excitement did not last.
Even after the summer and the secrets that he had been let in on, it had not crossed his mind that the headline might have been about.. that.
Ezra pushed his bowl away, no longer feeling hungry. He wished that he had not read the paper. He did not want the reminder. Not when a reminder inevitably dragged his thoughts back to the curse and the nightmares that came from what little they knew.
Ezra wanted his siblings around and for the paper to go away. Unfortunately with classes due to start any moment, only one of those seemed easily achievable right then. How sad. He was going to have to be a big boy and face the world on his own.
Maybe the gobstone tournament would still be a good idea then? It would be a distraction and hopefully people would be too busy with the game to bring up the article. That sounded ideal.
His plan for the morning decided, Ezra ducked his head down and quietly made his way out of the hall. His newspaper abandoned on the table behind him. [exit]
Post by Joshua Twiggs on May 19, 2023 1:31:19 GMT 10
Breakfast. He loved breakfast.
And he was loving the excited energy of the Great Hall, having quite literally jumped over a pair of first years on his way in. The same first years he had shared his beans with on their first night here and he was happy to see they were settling in alright.
A Gobstones tournament sounded like fun and he was looking forward to playing a round or two between classes. That would be a great opportunity to make new friends.
Joshua had chatted vividly with his classmates over his hearty breakfast before the owl post arrived and displayed quite the spectacle over at the professors‘ table. He found himself snort at it, however, it soon became apparent that it hadn’t been a prank, as he had thought, and he suddenly felt bad for the poor Ravenclaw girl who had her candy confiscated.
As he read through the Daily Prophet front page, his eyes wandered towards the Slytherin table and he managed to find Reena Ashworth amongst her housemates. He found himself still rather good in finding her, but he glanced away again soon thereafter.
It was time to go to class anyway. And there was nothing he could do about the newspaper, he had no control over what they reported on.
Post by Jaxen Ashworth on May 19, 2023 4:06:24 GMT 10
The screech of owls overhead had Jax looking skyward as he reached for another slice of toast. A copy of the Daily Prophet landing in front of him and barely missing a precariously stacked plate of pancakes. Absent-mindedly he waved to the owl who'd delivered the paper, before turning his attention to the front page.
He felt his heart drop down into his stomach as his gaze scanned the headline, drinking in the printed text beneath with rapt attention. Squeezing his eyes shut against the whispering voices around him, he stuffed the paper into his bag and left the table.
How many more times would his family be subjected to tactless stories in the media. It wasn't enough that they had to deal with the fallout of that night, but even ten years on the world had not forgotten and seemed to feel entitled to the details.
He hoped that his grandparents had the sense to intercept all copies of the prophet before his mother had a chance to see them, Merlin only knew what spiral it would trigger if she saw todays headline.
Leaning against the wall as he exited the hall, he gave himself a few moments to compose himself before class. Focusing on his breathing so that his heart would stop racing, and the suffocating feeling would ease, he made his way towards his first ever Divination class, hoping he'd be spared anymore curious stares.