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Late Start
Author: Ella
Date: 08-05-09 17:31
Ella ducked into the Great Hall and found it surprisingly crowded. It wasn't too early in the morning, but she figured most of Hogwarts wouldn't rush to attend Club Day, when it went on all day long and it was Saturday, a day most students used to get a little extra sleep in the morning. Ella herself had only just gotten up and still didn't feel very awake. Her stomach growled, since she'd missed breakfast, but she spotted the snack table straight away and made a beeline for it.
She grabbed a napkin and chocolate chip biscuit and began to nibble on it, as she perused the table for something to drink.
"Hi Ella."
She turned, now with a cup of fruit punch in her hand, and saw Francis checking out the snack table.
"Hi Francis. Been here long?"
"Since after breakfast," he said, with a nod of his head. "I never realized there were so many organizations here, but then I think many of the clubs are new. I've spotted some I'm interested in, but I'm still debating about others. What about you?"
Ella swallowed what was in her mouth and washed it down with a swig of punch. "Erm, not sure yet. I've only just arrived." She wondered if she had bed head, since she couldn't remember if she brushed her hair.
"No hurry, I suppose," Francis said, selecting a few things from the snack table. "I think I may work on some homework and then come back later."
"If you really want to," Ella replied, hoping to avoid homework today altogether.
Francis smiled. "Well, not really, but if I don't do it today I'll have to do it tomorrow." He grabbed a few more sweets and then waved goodbye, heading for the doors.
Ella watched him go, finishing her biscuit and drink. She discarded the napkin and cup and moved to the first booth, which had a trifold display labeled ART SOCIETY in fancy lettering and featured paintings and drawings, as well as other artsy projects. Professor Quigley, who taught Ella's Astronomy class, manned the table. She'd just finished talking to someone else when Ella approached.
"Good morning, Miss Harville! Are you interested in art? Do you like the draw or paint? Are you crafty?"
"Honestly, I don't think I'm very good but I doodle sometimes."
"Yes, I think I've seen evidence of that on some of your homework assignments," Professor Quigley remarked with a sly grin, "and actually I think you're quite good. You should consider joining our little club. It's mainly just for finding some time to be creative and show off our work, but it's also an opportunity to learn something new. Would you be interested?"
Ella bit her lip in thought. She didn't want to commit to anything just yet, especially since she hadn't seen the other booths yet. What if she liked everything she saw? She couldn't juggle more than a few clubs, she figured, and definitely didn't want to overwhelm herself in her O.W.L. year.
"I'll think about it," Ella finally said. She took a few handouts dealing with the club and them moved to the next table.
Athletics Club & Dance Club (Theodosia)
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 08-05-09 19:02
Theodosia had set up the Athletics Club and the Dance Club booths in a way that made it easy for her to oversee both. With each being new to Hogwarts this year, she doesn't have many student members to help cover the booths. In fact, Dance Club is so new there are no official members yet, only those who've signed their names to a list as being interested.
The Athletics Club has a few members because she'd talked with Professor Dumbledore before term began about having such a club and so mentions it during Fitness & Ahtletics class meetings, flying lessons with the first years, and has had flyers up around the school. One went whizzing past her ear this morning as she did a final check of the Athletics Club booth and the one for Dance Club.
Athletics Club has met more than once, with a few new members each meeting; however, Dance Club is something that Professor Dumbledore and Theodosia spoke about only two days ago. To have at least one student per work shift, she drafted Zuberi and Marjani, much to her brother's chagrin and her sister's delight, and put a call out for volunteers among her Athletics Club members and the F&A students. The volunteers don't know it yet but as a thank you, they're going to get both points for helping and a special treat.
Theodosia is glancing over the sign-up sheet for the Athletics Club and listening as worker Milo Martin tells an interested student, "The first meeting we had, a professional Quidpot player from American came and talked to us about that game versus Quidditch, then we got to play it, though the ball was charmed to have a smaller explosion than it normally does."
Smiling at as the two boys get into a deep discussion on how cool Quidditch would be if thrilling elements were added in, Theodosia moves the few steps from the Athletics Club booth to that of the Dance Club. Zuberi is heavily flirting with a girl who's just walked up, making Theodosia's smile widen. Without being overly intrusive, she lays a hand on his shoulder.
"You may go now. Thank you for helping out." In a low enough voice so the girl doesn't overhear she adds, "without giving me too much grief about it."
Zuberi just shrugs at her like it's no big deal then without a word he walks around the table to chat the girl up more as Theodosia racks her brain for the girl's name. It's on the tip of her tongue but she loses her grasp on it when first year Hera Roberts asks, "What exactly does the Dance Club do?"
Theodosia hands Hera a leaflet. "Learn dances, old and new, and hopefully go see some expert dancers as well. There are all sorts of dance competitions, Wizarding and Muggle."
"Do members have to be good dancers?"
"No, not at all. You simply have to love dancing and music."
"Can I join or is it something only for older students?"
Theodosia hands Hera the sign-up sheet, "First years are very welcome, Hera. We'd love to have you."
Second Time Around
Author: Griet
Date: 08-06-09 17:20
Griet slipped into the Great Hall and joined the crowd of students milling about the various booths and tables. It was her second time to peruse the variety of clubs Hogwarts had to offer, though her initial visit had been brief. Then, she'd browsed each table but hadn't lingered because she'd wanted to catch a glimpse of everything before making any sort of commitment. When she'd spotted Oberon come through the door and he made eye contact with her, they'd both left to make use of the nearest broom closet.
She returned to the Great Hall to visit each table properly and to get an in depth idea of what Hogwarts had to offer in terms of clubs and organizations. Griet found herself first at Professor Hodfuffer's school newspaper table. He was already engaged in conversation with another student, so Griet listened in and learned that the new school paper didn't yet have a definite name and that suggestions were most welcome. Griet wasn't sure if she was a particularly good writer, but then she'd never really tried outside of school assignments. She did like reading The Daily Prophet, though. She decided she'd consider joining, if Professor Hodfuffer would even have her, and then moved on to another booth.
Meanwhile, Cornelia stood at the Dueling Club table, which was quite popular in and of itself, and spoke animatedly with Professors Somerset and Isuki. She absolutely loved the idea of a dueling club and spoke fondly of the Scholastic Aptitude Tournament's Dueling competition, in which she'd earned first place for her year. Cornelia was good at dueling and she enjoyed it tremendously. She couldn't wait for the club meetings to actually start!
The arrival of Gervaise near the Dueling Club table served as Cornelia's only distraction, and finally allowed some of the other students to get a chance to talk to the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers.
"Have you signed up for any clubs yet?" Cornelia asked him, as they walked with no particular destination in mind.
"Not really," Gervaise said, looking around the room as if he were searching for somebody. "I'm on the fence about some."
"Yeah? There seem to be a lot of good ones, but the one I've got my heart set on is––"
"The Dueling Club," Gervaise answered with a smile, turning to look at Cornelia.
"Right. Oh, there's Griet." Cornelia waved to her older sister, who had just turned away from the Photography Club to pursue another table. Instead of following her intended path, she turned toward her sister and friend.
"What's going on with you two?"
Gervaise spoke up before Cornelia could. "Nothing really. Have you found a club you like yet?"
"Actually, I'm thinking about joining the paper." She looked over Cornelia's shoulder at the Hogwarts Harmonies booth. "And maybe Flitwick's choir."
Cornelia snorted. "You can't sing."
"Better than you can," Griet retorted.
Cornelia rolled her eyes. "You have a husky singing voice. Really, it's awful."
Griet stuck her tongue out at Cornelia and turned back to Gervaise. "Probably just the newspaper."
Gervaise nodded. "Seen Oberon?"
"No."
Griet hoped her face didn't betray herself.
"Anyway," she went on hurriedly, "I wanted to see what else there is." She indicated with her head to another table. "Want to come?"
"No," Cornelia said, while Gervaise answered, "Yes."
Griet shrugged at her sister and went to the Yearbook table with Gervaise. After a moment of listening to Professor Miller talk about it, Griet noticed that Cornelia had come over after all.
"What's elytonic?"
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 08-06-09 20:57
"How come there's never been a Yearbook before?"
Although I've already been asked them too many times to keep track of today I keep my smile in place. I expect to be asked this and similar questions more times than I care to think about; however, being a perfectly valid question I don't mind having it asked. What gets tiresome is that the reply is somewhat lackluster.
"I'm not really sure."
That bit out of the way I add what I always do, "I'd made the suggestion another time and was in the process of getting something organized but then things got interrupted."
Most don't have to ask what I mean by that. Of those who do, a number of them realize the answer as they are verbalizing the question. So far, only a very few have needed it spelled out for them.
"Oh. Okay. So what exactly is a yearbook?"
"A yearbook, also called an annual by some, chronicles a school's year, mainly with pictures and with some text."
"So things like today would be in it?"
"Yes, which is why someone has been going around periodically taking photographs."
"Is that why you were at the Quidditch trials taking pictures?"
"Yes, that and to watch family members vying for positions."
"Do you think it would help to be in the Photography Club?"
"Couldn't hurt," I nod encouragingly. "The Yearbook Club and Photography Club will definately do some work together. It's not necessary, though, to be in both."
"What about the Muggle Studies Club? I mean, what does the club do? When I got to third year would I have to take the class?"
"The Muggle Studies Club gets together to do things Muggles the ages of you students would do. Video games."
"What games?"
"Video. They are electronic games."
"What's elytonic?"
"Electronic. The word means something runs on electrical current or a battery. Electricity is a form of energy that powers many Muggle things. Batteries are devices with certain chemicals that when put together as a battery, creates a power source."
I take a step towards the nearest table of the Muggle Studies Club Booth. "I've got some different batteries here though it's doubtful any will work here in the Greal Hall."
"How come?"
"This form of Muggle power doesn't work well with magic around and here at Hogwarts where there's a great deal of magic, chances are that if I tried to use an object with any of these batteries to make it run, I'd not get even a second's worth of power."
"But if you could, what exactly is a video game?"
I hold up the lastest model of an electronic game. "This is a product called a Game Boy." Taking one of the game cartridges I demonstrate how it fits into the game. "This is the power button, which just means it's what turns the game on. This part is the screen and when the game is on, there's a picture. These are the controllers for making the game do whatever the game does. This one is a version of something called Donkey Kong and this," I say holding up another cartridge, "is Tetris."
I do my best to explain what each game is then expand on how this is only one way to play video games and describe some of the others.
"Is that all the club does? Please these games?"
"Oh no. There are Muggle sports like soccer, which most of the world calls football, and there's the game that American's call football, which is entirely different from soccer, and lots of other sports. Muggle board games to play. Watching movies."
"How do you watch a movie?"
I launch into a description of what movies are and how they are watched, by that time with a few more standing around to listen. When I wrap it up, the inquisitive first year, whose name I know now to be Max Owens, has signed up for both of my clubs and has left to go check out some of the other booths, leaving me to talk with the students who'd come up to listen while I'd been telling Max about watching movies.
New Hobby
Author: Carys
Date: 08-07-09 09:13
"Smile for the camera!"
Tristan, seated in a child's swing at the park near his family's home, beamed as his mother snapped a photograph with the camera she'd recently found while cleaning up the attic. Ever since that day, Carys had taken photos of everyone and everything, practicing not only the art of taking photographs but also developing them.
Since her mother had been a professional photographer, and Carys had often spent her summers helping out at the studio, she had an idea of how to photograph artistically and to develop the pictures. Her bathroom doubled as a dark room, with a clothesline pinned from one side to the other, hanging with developing photos.
Carys had gone to the library at Diagon Alley to get some books on photography, since she wasn't an expert and it had been a while since she'd last seen her mother work. She read them quickly and with great interest, and used the information she learned to create her dark room and to practice taking photographs.
Alun gave Tristan a gentle push on the swing, causing him to squeal with delight and smile even wider. Carys took several more shots, some of just Tristan, others including her grandfather.
After a while, Alun pulled Tristan from the seat and let him run around the park. He and Carys sat down on a bench and watched.
"I wonder if I can earn money from some of my photographs," Carys murmured.
"You could go to The Daily Prophet or one of the magazines and show them a portfolio," Alun suggested. "Some places not only hire staff photographers but buy photos from individuals for various stories."
"I might try that then," Carys said. She felt bad that she still hadn't returned to work, and she didn't at all like to take advantage of her grandfather or Griffin, who worked very hard to provide for his son. She would love a means for making money that didn't require set hours so that she could take as many classes at St. Emrys each term as possible. Carys longed to finish her remedial classes so that she could begin to earn her photography degree.
"Look at me!" Tristan shouted, determined to get his mother's and grandfather's full attention.
Carys and Alun looked on dutifully with smiles on their faces.
Visiting Home
Author: Jolyon
Date: 08-07-09 10:25
Emanuel and Bridget Kent lived in a small, stone house just outside Glasgow. It sat on a large tract of land, consisting mainly of sprawling green lawn but some hedges and trees as well. The property was enclosed by a low stone wall, which also segmented some of the land.
It was at the stone house that Jolyon had his upbringing. He remembered spending long hours out of doors, laying in the grass or catching insects. Jolyon had preferred being away from the house than inside where his father generally spent his time, when not at work.
Once again, Jolyon found himself outside the house. He'd received an urgent summons from his mother, but instead of a request to visit St. Mungo's like past messages, she'd asked that he come to the house. He wondered what his mother wanted to tell him, and whether or not it had anything to do with his father. Had she finally learned the truth about him? Had his "condition" worsened?
There was only one way to find out. Jolyon took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and made way for the house. He used his own key to enter and followed the sound of his mother's voice to the living room. There he found something, or rather someone, quite shocking.
"Dad?" Jolyon quickly recovered and asked somewhat crossly, "What are you doing out of the hospital? I thought you were on your deathbed?"
Bridget didn't seem to sense Jolyon's hostility to her husband. "Isn't it wonderful, Jolyon? Your father's health has improved. He's not dying anymore!"
"Fancy that," Jolyon replied sarcastically, with a look towards his father.
Emanuel looked smug and as if he challenged Jolyon to say something about the fact that he'd never been terminally ill. Jolyon opened his mouth to do just that but before he could get out of the words, Bridget exclaimed, "I thought you should know. He received the miracle diagnosis this morning and was discharged from the hospital, just like that!"
"I can't imagine that's ever happened before," Jolyon replied dryly.
"No, I imagine not! Isn't it wonderful?"
Jolyon looked at his father, who finally decided to say something.
"Staying for lunch, or do you need to get back to that school of yours?"
Jolyon found he didn't even know what to say.
"Oh, won't you stay?" Bridget asked.
Jolyon finally pulled his eyes away from his father to address his mother. "Actually, I should be getting back. We're having a function in the Great Hall all day and while I'm not in charge of anything––"
"No surprise there," Emanuel muttered.
"I should be around in case I'm needed," Jolyon finished, pointedly ignoring his father.
"Will you at least visit us more often, Jolyon?" Bridget asked, as she got up to walk him to the door.
"I'll try," Jolyon said, though he really had no intention of visiting any more often than he had to. He stopped at the door and gave his mother a hug. Over her shoulder, he saw his father watching.
Neither said anything to each other.
Jolyon left with a final goodbye to his mum and returned to Hogwarts.