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Arriving For Fall Fair (Deak)
Author: Kody
Date: 12-02-14 20:35
Reaching the gates of Hogwarts, Deak goes through the security checkpoints to gain access to the grounds. He's early but there are already a goodly number of people visible, some spreading over the grounds while others are making straight for the castle.
Deak is among the latter group. He agreed to help some with Fall Fair, having the first shift for one of the indoor games and then later, in the afternoon, a shift for one of the outside booths. Deak's glad he's in the Great Hall to begin. This might be early November but it's cold and though the temperature overall won't improve greatly as the day goes on, it will be somewhat warmer this afternoon.
Reaching the castle, Deak wonders if Megara is going to come. They have dated some and when she invited him to do something with her today, he explained about working Fall Fair. That led to him inviting her to come. Megara said she might and while Deak does like her, or he wouldn't continue going on dates with her, at the same time he wouldn't mind having no ties today beyond working his two shifts and spending time with his family. Not that he feels Aaron, Saffron, Niccola, and Brandon are obligations or anything like that.
Entering the Great Hall, he looks around to see if he spots either Aaron or Saffron. Or Drake or Ophelia for that matter. Sage too. He was told all would be here at some point today. Not immediately seeing any of them, Deak next locates the game he's working. It involves the participant stepping into a booth and grabbing what look like snitches flying about. It's harder than it sounds and there is a short time limit but each "snitch" caught yields a prize of some sort.
Going over the rules and becoming familiar with the prizes fills Deak's time until Fall Fair officially begins and the booths are open for business.
An Odd Welcome
Author: Elladora Kingsley
Date: 12-03-14 17:33
The headmasters office was warm and cheery; an aire that shattered entirely as the statue rotated and revealed Elladora. Her presence was a blanket of ice that fell over the room, yet McGonagall smiled and welcomed her, inviting her to sit at her desk.
Taking her own seat, Minerva began the meeting. "First of all, I would like to extend my fondest regards to your family. I was... disheartened to hear of their passing."
Elladora's face was a mask of emotions. "Really? I was under the impression people drank a toast when Voldemort's followers drop like flies."
Minerva sighed and gave her a stern gaze. "Everyone is entitled to their opinions and their choices. The consequences of which they are also entitled to."
"And yet you mourn my parents?" she asked, voice lofty.
Minerva smiled. "I mourn the students that I knew. Your father was a kind boy and one of the best Beaters Slytherin ever had. Your mother was a herbology prodigy surpassed by perhaps only Mr. Longbottom. While the decisions they made were unfortunate, I choose to regard my fond memories of them. I learned long ago there is good in everyone. You... you may just help more people learn that."
Elladora smiled broadly, entwining her fingers on the edge of the desk. "Ah yes. The child of death eaters has come to Hogwarts to prove to the world that we are better than the sum of our parts. You place lofty ambitions upon me."
She shook her head. "No, Elladora. I place faith in you." She breathed out a sigh. "As fondly as I recall your parents, I have fond memories of you as well. You have talent. I should hate to think you'd squander it."
Elladora scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I don't know what you recall of my youth here, but I have very few I regard with any fondness. I remember many lunches alone. I recall staying in the common room during fellowship events. I even remember being pushed into the lake once or twice. Tell me again why I should be happy to be back?"
She shrugged. "Because now you get to do something better. You have come back to Hogwarts in an unprecedented position of which I gave special approval for. I think it will be... illuminating."
Elladora sneered. "You think you know me so well as to assume you know things will be different?"
At that, Minerva smiled. "I think I know who you are. Stay here long enough and I think you'll figure it out as well."
Elladora was less than certain but it was too late to turn back now. Her trunks and suitcases were just delivered by house elf to the door of her room. One was dropped with a thud as it was heavier than expected. The over=packed load was enough to announce her presence to any who resided there. This included her would-be sister, Celeste, who inhabited the room next door.
(Beatrix) Waiting for No One
Author: Griet
Date: 12-03-14 18:26
Beatrix walked across the grounds and made her way to the front gates, stopping well before the security checkpoint. She observed the arriving visitors and then shifted her gaze beyond the gates. Beatrix knew very well that no one from her family would come today. Everyone had some sort of obligation or just wasn't that motivated to make the visit. It was both fine and disappointing. Beatrix didn't need to see anybody, but it nevertheless stung that neither she nor Franciscus seemed worth the effort.
It never occurred to her that she had developed a bad attitude at the end of last school year and really wasn't all that pleasant to be around. Who would want to visit, if all she ever did was shoot dirty looks at the girl who used to be her best friend or bemoan the fact that the guy of her dreams thought her only worthy of a friend?
Beatrix half-hoped that a familiar face would step past the gates, but after five minutes of shivering in the cold, she gave up and spun on her heel to return to the castle, only to nearly run into none other than Ash Westwick himself.
He reached out to steady her and then dropped his hands once it seemed evident she wouldn't fall. "Sorry, Beatrix. Are you all right?"
"No," she snapped, but then she felt terrible about being rude to him and said, "Yes. Sorry."
Ash pretended like he hadn't noticed her temper and asked, "Is your family visiting today?"
"No, is yours?"
"Just the Finches," Ash said. "We were all hoping our father would make an appearance," he went on, "but we haven't ridden ourselves of the Death Eater stigma and I think he feels his presence would hurt us."
"That's ridiculous," Beatrix said.
Ash shrugged. "I don't care what the others say about us. There's no changing their minds, you know. The fact is, my parents did serve the Dark Lord a long time ago. Doesn't matter they deflected. Doesn't matter we were cursed for a quarter century. Doesn't even matter that my mum is still missing and may never return to us."
He sighed, and Beatrix felt her heart ache for him.
"If I listened to every bad thing someone said about me and my family, then I'd probably be a different person."
"No," Beatrix said, "you'd be just the same. You're a good person, Ash. You're strong, and you're brave, and you're good."
"So are you, Beatrix," Ash said with a small smile.
Beatrix looked down at her feet. She hadn't been very good lately at all.
"Ah, they're here," Ash said, interrupting her internal admonishments. "Do you want… would you like…" He paused, unsure how to ask if she might like to join his family for the day.
She shook her head, taking his meanly plainly. "No, thanks. I'm going to hang out with Cate today. Have fun with the Finches."
With that, she turned away from him and made her way up the slope to the castle.
Family at the Fall Fair
Author: Gerry
Date: 12-04-14 09:33
Gerry squeezed one eye shut and focused on a red balloon attached to a wall some distance away from where he stood. He pointed his wand in front of him and then pronounced, "Dartus!" A dart emerged from the tip of his wand, flew with perfect precision through the air, and pierced the red balloon with a pop barely heard over the din in the Great Hall.
"Nice job!" exclaimed Mrs. Blackheart, the school librarian, who was currently in charge of the Balloon Dart Game. She retrieved the slip of parchment that had fallen out of the balloon and handed it over to Gerry. He looked it over and rolled his eyes. It was a coupon for a one-time waiver of overdue library fines from the library in Hogsmeade, the very library his own mother ran.
"Thanks," he muttered, and then he turned around to show his family what he'd won.
His parents and younger brothers had all come for Fall Fair, his father serving the dual purpose of visitor and auror on patrol.
"Haha!" Gareth exclaimed, after looking at the certificate. "That's completely useless!"
"No, it's not," their mother proclaimed, waving a finger at her second oldest son. "I'm not doing you any favors if you turn in a book late to the library. You are responsible for your own fines."
"That's not fair!" Gareth insisted.
"Life's not fair," their father said, ruffling Gareth's hair. "Come along now. What do we want to play next?"
"Giant Gobstones!" three of the four boys exclaimed together.
They started to make their way outside, when the Martini-Blackwell family came upon Will Wentworth, Gerry's roommate and so far best friend at Hogwarts. Like Gerry, Will had three younger siblings, only they were all girls.
Will and Gerry made the introductions, and then Gerry mentioned that they were headed outside to play Giant Gobstones. Will was eager to play along, which worked out well for teams since Graham didn't want to play. Will's two oldest sisters, Brianna and Cheyenne, were also game. While they played, Graham and the youngest Wentworth, Tori, sat and watched.
Gerry was in a blue gobstone and had his sights set on Gareth, whose gobstone was green. Gareth also had the idea to attack his brother. They rolled toward each other with great speed, but instead of one knocking the other out of the ring, they both bounced backwards and out of bounds. They emerged from their gobstones laughing but also feeling a bit disappointed to have gotten eliminated so early into the game.
"Want to go again after this?" Gerry asked Gareth.
Gareth nodded. "Definitely!"
To everyone's surprise, the winner that round was the youngest participant, Grady, who had either escaped everybody's notice or had intentionally been spared. He won his very own set of gobstones as a prize.
Polliwogs vs Goslings
Author: Isolde
Date: 12-04-14 13:23
Isolde stood on the sidelines and watched as her Plymouth Polliwogs played a match against the Glasgow Goslings. The Goslings had already proven themselves to be the strongest team this season and were fresh off their very first tournament win last year. The Polliwogs were holding their own, however, making the match a very exciting one.
The score was fifty to fifty, with Polliwog chaser McCourt in possession of the quaffle. Ambrose of the Goslings closed in quickly in an attempt to steal away the ball and almost had it, but McCourt pulled out of reach at the last second and fired the quaffle at fellow chaser Urquart, who attempted a goal. Goslings keeper Lennox swiftly knocked it back.
Both sides reached for the rebound, but then the whistle sounded, signaling the end of the match. Unlike in professional Quidditch or matches at Hogwarts and St. Emrys University, Little League Quidditch had a time limit. Isolde had been so busy watching her players, that she'd not noticed the seconds tick away and now that the game had ended in a tie, she was ecstatic.
Her Polliwogs were happy too, for they hadn't lost the match. A win would have been better than a tie, but a tie was much better than a loss! They touched down to celebrate with their coach and then their families. After congratulating her team and reminding them about the next practice, she talked to Coach Gaia Dixon, who had taken over the Goslings last year and seemed to be having a more successful run with that team than with past coaching positions.
"Great game!" Isolde exclaimed.
"It was certainly an exciting one," Gaia replied, grinning. "Your Polliwogs gave my Goslings a reality check. How are you?"
She glanced at the cane Isolde sometimes used to get around. Isolde tended to use it when on her feet a long time, such as during the matches.
"Oh, I'm fine," Isolde said. "How are you?"
Gaia smiled and patted her very round stomach. "About to burst, but I'm managing. Do you think the baby would listen if I asked it to wait out the season?"
Isolde laughed. "Do you really want to be pregnant that long?"
Gaia laughed too and shook her head. "No, I'm about ready for my Little Leaguer to make his appearance in the world. It just will mean I'll have to sit out for a while. I'd ask Fergal to fill in, but he's busy with his own team."
Gaia had married fellow Little League coach Fergal Flores over the summer. He was the long-time coach of the Sheffield Spiderlings.
"So," Gaia asked, turning the tables on Isolde. "Have you and Pyrrhus given any thought to having children. You've been married a long time, haven't you?"
Isolde answered, "We've been married just over four years now. I think in the beginning we weren't thinking about kids because of my health problems, but that's not really an issue anymore."
"Yeah? Do you think you'll start a family soon?"
"If I want to have my own Quidditch team, then I guess we better start soon," Isolde joked.
"Unless you have septuplets," Gaia replied with a grin.
"Perish the thought," Isolde said, laughing.
The women talked a bit more and then parted ways, Gaia from home, and Isolde for Hogsmeade to meet with Pyrrhus.
Always Ruin My Dates
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 12-04-14 18:45
Halfway across the lawn to a game that had caught her attention from afar, Libby stops, hands fisted on hips. "I can do this without you, you know, Cheeky Monkey. You can go home."
"I'm not leaving, Libby."
"I am almost old enough to go here. I don't need a sitter."
I look balefully at my sister. "You wouldn't be at Fall Fair if not for me."
"Would too! The sex god invited me," Libby hurrumphs.
"Sage invited me and you invited yourself to tag along."
"Why do you always ruin my dates with the sex god?" Libby demands, ignoring my correction of how she came to be at Hogwarts today. "You've even run him off."
"I know good and well you heard Sage say he had to go work a shift at one of the games and that we'll meet back up with him later."
"He only said that to be rid of you for a bit."
Sighing and shaking my head in exasperation I motion for her to continue towards the game. She glares at me through narrowed eyes before turning to stomp ahead of me.
The game Libby has chosen as her first of the day is one of those that involves throwing a ring around a bottle neck. She's given a generous five rings to toss. Her first falls far short so she moves a little closer, lips pursing tightly together. Eyes narrowed again, this time in concentration, Libby throws again. It reaches the table upon which the bottles sit but bounces off. I hear a low growl coming from Libby as she prepares to toss her third ring.
To my surprise, and to Libby's though she would never admit it, she successfully throws all three of her last rings to hook around necks of bottles. When we walk on to the next game Libby wants to play she is on possession of a coupon for a free single serving sized item from Briar's Bakery, a blue patterned cat collar she says Angus, our Scottish wildcat, will love, and a small bag of candy from Honeyduke's.
In her eagerness to win more prizes, Libby thankfully forgets to give me a hard time for running off the sex god Sage Porter and ruining another of their dates.
Sequestered
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 12-05-14 11:34
Ethan sat in the window seat of his old quarters at Hogwarts and skimmed the Daily Prophet in between looking out at the activity on the grounds. Although not forbidden, Ethan had made the decision not to partake in the Fall Fair events. Since returning to Hogwarts, Ethan had moved about the castle freely but had exercised self-restraint more often than not, if only to minimize any negative press his return might cause.
He knew that it wouldn't be long before word got out of his return to the school. After all, he had already been seen by staff and students alike. He doubted the staff would divulge anything, especially if Minerva expressly asked them not to, but a student could let it slip that their old Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was once again on the property. With campus crawling with guests, it really wouldn't surprise him if the truth came out today.
As part of a contingency plan to smooth over his return to teaching, Ethan had agreed to submit to regular checkups at St. Mungo's, much the way he had upon first getting released from Azkaban after his first sentence behind bars. After x amount of time, if Ethan's mind seemed sound and there was no indication of some enchantment just waiting to turn him dark all over again, then the checkups could cease and all would be normal. At least, that was the hope.
It was all a bit silly, going through such efforts when healers had already determined that he wasn't a sleeper agent, ready to turn the moment somebody pulled the trigger. All traces of whatever Voldemort had done to him all those years ago were completely and utterly gone. And yet, because of who he was and what he did and what Rita Skeeter led the gullible populace to believe, Ethan had to jump through hoops to win back his reputation… and even then he probably wouldn't ever be successful.
He finished thumbing through the newspaper and set it aside. There was no mention of him, for which he was grateful. There wasn't any news about Fairchild either. She had been rather quiet as of late.
He heard stirring in the other room and knew that Lilly was starting to wake up from her nap. Earlier, she had looked out the window and seen all the people milling about on the grounds. Upon being told they had to stay inside, she'd thrown a big tantrum, one that had worn her out completely. Ethan hoped that she wouldn't have another one. He hated denying her something like the Fall Fair, but sequestering himself seemed like the best thing for them both at the moment.
After Family
Author: Rowan Westwick
Date: 12-05-14 15:00
Although some hours remained for the Fall Fair, Cyrus and Elgiva Finch were ready to call it a day. The three Westwick children walked their former caregivers to the gates and waved goodbye from the Hogwarts side, while Mr. and Mrs. Finch walked deeper into the village. With winter just around the corner, the days were already quite short. The sun was still in the sky, but it was already set in a way that was blinding to look at and was fiery orange in color.
"I hope they can come to the first match," Willow said, as the three turned and headed back up to the castle. Finally, after a year or two of debate, she had finally committed to the idea of commentating the Quidditch matches. Professor Krum had given his approval, and the first match was a mere two weeks away.
She chattered away happily and then spotted Amorica across the way, surrounded by various members of her gigantic family. Willow excused herself to meet up with her friend, leaving Rowan and Ash alone for the moment.
Ash took the opportunity to tell Rowan about his earlier conversation with Beatrix. Rowan would have told him she didn't want to hear it, but Ash wasn't the sort of person to tease or give someone a hard time. He was a peacemaker and meant well.
"I think she will come around," he concluded.
"I think she is starting to warm up to you again because it's you," Rowan pointed out. "You broke her heart, but she isn't over you. Me, on the other hand…"
"You're her best friend," Ash stated. "That's not insignificant by any stretch of the imagination."
"I was her best friend," Rowan corrected. "I've been replaced, remember?"
"I don't know about that," Ash said with a shake of his head. "The Moreau girl has had a tough time too. It's only natural they form a bond."
Rowan shrugged her shoulders and said softly, "Whatever. If Beatrix comes around, great, but at this point she owes me an apology."
"Give it time," Ash said.
They reached the castle and decided to part ways for the time being. Ash went to the Slytherin common room, and Rowan started to make her way to Ravenclaw Tower. She got up several staircases before one shifted on her, throwing her off the direct path she'd hoped to take to her dorm room. Instead of waiting around for the staircase to come back, Rowan decided to go a different way.
She turned down a corridor and made it part of the way down when she felt someone reach out for her and a familiar voice murmur, "I've been looking all over for you."
Rowan recognized the voice before she could get startled and felt a smile slip over her lips. She turned to face Lon, who by now had both of his arms around her and was edging her to the shadows of an alcove.
"Not with your family today?" she asked him, gasping slightly when she felt the cool stone wall against her back after Lon pivoted her around and pinned her there.
"They stopped by for a few hours this morning. Ever since I've been waiting for you to ditch yours so that we could finally be alone."
"That's a bit hard to manage even now, considering the castle and grounds are still quite crowded," Rowan said, feeling her heart race. She and Lon had been sending each other subtle signals for the longest, but this was the first time something was actually happening.
"I think we're managing just fine. Don't you?" Lon asked. He grinned and kissed her before she could give him any sort of verbal answer.
Keyed Up
Author: Dante Knight
Date: 12-05-14 20:44
Dante hands little bean bags to a child of five or six then helps her get lined up on a mark that's most likely the best fit for her age and size. Her father gives somewhat helpful tips as she takes a couple of practice throws. When she's ready, she tosses each bean bag at a target consisting of varying size holes cut into a board.
To the girl's delight she gets two of the three bean bags through targets. One is through the largest of the holes, earning her a bag of canary creams. The other goes through the second to small hole size. As that's a more difficult target, the value of the prize is higher, earning her a gift certificate to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
The next oldest decides if his youngest sister can do that well, he can certainly at least match her efforts. Dante hands over bean bags to him and as before, helps the child line up a certain distance from the targets and gives him several practice throws.
While the boy is practicing, the next person on shift for this particular game booth arrives. Dante stays long enough to see how the boy does, glad that the child does do at least as well as his little sister. Turning to go, feeling slightly peckish, he walks in the direction of some of the food booths.
Standing in a line for a hot sandwich, Dante finds himself looking about, scanning facings. It's something he's done the entire day, sometimes consciously, sometimes not. Ever since that day having lunch with Isreal McWilliams when confronted by a family member of two of his parents' victims, he keeps expecting something similar to happen. Since the Rita Skeeter article outed him as the fugatives Bruno and Lorraine Vickers, Dante had been expecting to be faced with outrage but other than some odd looks and hard stares from time to time, such a confrontation never came. Not until that lunch with Isreal.
Now that such an incident has taken place, he finds himself constantly wondering when the next will occur. Dante is certain it's a matter of when, not if. He hopes he'll be able to handle it gracefully, diplomatically. He thinks he did well enough in the restaurant that day but at the same time he second guesses what he should have done, how he should have reacted.
Sandwich in one hand and a drink in the other, he searches for a spot to sit. It's only after he's found a seat at a picnic table and finds himself physically flinching when approached by an unfamiliar child that Dante realizes he's also been half expecting one of his family members to show up today in some guise, though why one would come at this juncture he doesn't know. He relaxes somewhat after the child, a boy, retrieves a woolen cap left behind when he occupied the same table with his family a short time ago.
Sandwich eaten and drink emptied, Dante gets up to roam about the grounds, stopping to watch at some of the games or to speak with someone. The light might be fading but Fall Fair isn't over just yet. Deciding to take a turn through the Great Hall, he heads indoors thinking that once Fall Fair ends, he'll change into running clothes and get out on the grounds again. Clear his head and get more relaxed after feeling keyed up and anxious all day.