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Little Red and the Big Bad Wolf
Author: Illyria
Date: 11-14-17 18:25
Illyria entered the Great Hall with only Ian as her companion. Nathan was out of the country on business and wasn't expected to return until the end of the week. Mother and son had decided to dress up for the Halloween Feast, and they had dressed to match.
Illyria wore a red dress, white apron, and a red cape. She carried a basket full of muffins she had baked herself just that morning. Ian, who liked to walk all by himself nowadays, was dressed as a grey wolf. He looked adorable and elicited appreciative comments from all the girls he passed on the long way to the High Table.
It was the Halloween Feast, and many students and staff were also dressed up for the occasion. The Great Hall was decorated with grinning jack-o'-lanterns, and bats flew between the rafters. The Hogwarts ghosts were all present, too.
Illyria and Ian eventually made it to their seats. She put the basket of muffins on the floor behind her chair and tried to remember if there were any dogs living in the castle at the moment. After she decided that the only threat to her muffins might be the other children at the High Table, Illyria fixed Ian a plate of something to eat and then served herself.
Illyria had planned to bring the basket with her to class tonight. Yes, her two Astronomy classes were still on schedule. She doubted anyone would be in the mood to learn after tonight's festivities, but she didn't want to cancel since it would throw off the schedule. Illyria always taught the same classes two days in a row. It wasn't ideal to have the first and third year groups out of sync by a week for the rest of term.
She looked over at Ian, who was a little meat eater, just as his costume implied. He grinned up at her when he noticed her watching him and held up bits of sausage in both of his hands. Illyria returned his smile and used her fork to spear a piece of sausage. With it being a Hogwarts feast and not just an ordinary dinner, it was no surprise that the food was especially delicious that evening.
Costumes, Costumes, And More Costumes
Author: Saffron
Date: 11-14-17 20:08
Some years the circle that is Marion, Callie, Lilith, Savannah, Katheryn, and Hope have attended the Halloween Feast in fancy dress of the same theme. This year they are showing their more individual tastes.
Marion is in an amethyst and gold belly dancer costume of the type found in fictional stories, though hers is not as daring as those often are. Callie is wearing scarlet witches robes in a style popular during what Muggles call the Tudor Period. Lilith is also in scarlet but it's the scarlet and black of a butterfly while Savannah is a graceful gazelle complete with horned headpiece. Savannah chose to attend the feast as a Muggle superhero called Jubilee who is part of what's known as the X-Men. She learned about Jubilee when Professor Miller provided Muggle costume ideas to anyone who asked.
Katheryn had a hard time deciding on anything in time to actually put a costume together. She finally chose to be a hippie, wearing a kaleidoscope of colors with fringed jacket and macramé sandals, her hair long and straight with a flower garland. She's also got a peace sign painted on one cheek.
Hope had started to take the easy way out by attending as a Quidditch player or wear lime green robes as a healer. Then she thought, no, not the easy route. This is her last Hogwarts Halloween Feast, that is her last unless she does poorly in her courses this year and fails her NEWTs, something that is possible but unlikely. After much thought she decided to come to the feast in what she thinks of as a fun costume. Hope is dressed as a 1920s Flapper. She has bobbed hair with finger waves. Her sleeveless, drop waist, pale blue dress is covered in jet beads in an art deco design. She has a black boa and in her hair is a pale blue and black beaded and feathered band. Her strappy shoes are also pale blue and black. Hope carries a matching clutch and though there is no cigarette in it, she also has a pale blue cigarette holder.
Kurt and Bran hadn't initially planned to dress similarly but once they'd each decided on something and started discussing it, they'd had a laugh that they both were planning on attending as grisly Inferi. Estella, on the other hand, has gone for a regal, refined outfit. She's dressed in a beaded and bejeweled rose colored evening gown that has belong to one of her great grandmothers. Though old, or as Estella prefers to think of it, vintage, the dress was in remarkably good shape, needing only minimal restoration for her to wear. It had needed a some alteration to fit her. Her jewelry is vintage as well but her shoes are relatively new. To complete the look, Estella is wearing a beautiful tiara she found in a thrift shoppe over the summer.
Like his sister, Rex had looked though the Muggle fancy dress ideas. He decided upon one he was already familiar with, having seen it in one of those Muggle movies that the Muggle Studies Club shows from time to time. He is now decked out as a character called Captain Jack Sparrow. Ingrid is also something of a pirate swashbuckler, even wearing an eye patch and she has a charmed toy parrot on her shoulder. Jaclyn is wearing a Korean hanbok in several shades of lilac her maternal grandparents brought her after a holiday in South Korea. Adiran's costume idea came from one of the many paintings adorning Hogwarts's walls. He's dressed as a knight, though not an armored one. He's wearing a belted tunic adorned with the Hufflepuff crest, leggings, boots with boot covers, gauntlets and a chain mail hood. He carries a shield, its crest that of Hogwarts, and he's got a sword that is wooden but Saffron, that is Professor Sacheverelle, charmed it for him to look metallic.
Unlike some first years who get to Hogwarts knowing nothing about fancy dress for Halloween, having an aunt who has long worked at Hogwarts meant that Jordan has had plenty of time to think about what his first Halloween Feast costume would be. Aunt Saffron said something that gave Jordan an idea. She was talking about astrological signs. Jordan's zodiac is Pisces, a fish sign. Jordan's face, neck, and arms look scaled and his clothing, also scaled looking, has the coloring of a rainbow trout. He even has fins and on either side of his neck, in addition to the scaling are what look like gills.
Saffron and Aaron had debated whether to dress as a couple or individually. She just loves the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls her mother-in-law gave Niccola so once they decided to dress as a couple she was quick to suggest going as the dolls. Niccola and Brandon are also in fancy dress. Niccola is currently in love with magnolias so wanted to be a magnolia but she also wanted it to be peach, her current favorite color. Though magnolias can be found in more than the commonly known white to cream, peach is not one of them but there was no talking Nic out of it. At the moment the peach magnolia is happily sitting with Marion at the Hufflepuff table. Brandon has often been drawn to animal inspired outfits and this year is no different. The shaggy Old English Sheepdog is giving his mum sad doggy eyes trying to convince her he's eaten enough vegetables and now he should be able to have pudding, preferable in the form of chocolate frosted cake. As the feast as barely begun, Saffron thinks this may be a long night trying to get Brandon to eat more than two bites of mushy peas.
Not Been Himself Today
Author: Declan
Date: 11-15-17 20:11
Declan looks to where Rand sits at the Gryffindor table and leans toward Zabrynna to softly ask, "He says he's fine but I don't think he is."
In an equally low voice she replies, "It's sort of like how he acts when he's gotten a letter from Melanie but Rand usually lets one or both of us know if he's gotten an owl."
As is feeling he's being watch, Rand turns his head, making eye contact with Declan then looking to Zabrynna. They smile at him before making a point of focusing on their plates, Declan even nodding his head at a platter of rosemary chicken. "Pass that, would you? Thanks."
This being the Halloween Feast and because fancy dress can be fun, they had decided to dress as figures from history as portrayed on the wizard trading cards that come with Chocolate Frogs. Zabrynna is Honoria Nutcombe, the witch who founded the Society for the Reformation of Hags, while Declan is Uric the Oddball, a medieval eccentric known for such things as wearing a jellyfish as a hat.
Flicking one of the jellyfish tentacles out of his mouth, Declan says, "We'll have to try and figure this with Rand out later or we'll end up constantly staring at him."
"Not talking about it now isn't going to make either of us suddenly not want to look his way," Zabrynna points out.
"I know but I was trying to pretend it would," Declan humorlessly chuckles.
While this exchange was taking place, at the Gryffindor table Rand was telling Oliver, "They're staring again."
On his other side William Wentworth comments, "Parents can be so weird."
Rand doesn't remind, yet again, that Declan and Zabrynna - Professors Douglass and Ravensdale - are not his parents. They have, afterall, acted more like parents to him these last few years than his own mother has. If he's being honest with himself, he'd admit that there were times over the years before coming to live with Declan when Melanie wasn't the best of mothers. For the most part she was a good one and tried but there were times. He guesses that many his age could say that of their own parents.
He knows that Declan and Zabrynna are concerned for him. He's been acting off all day and they've noticed. He'd gotten an owl from the fake Melanie that he's not told them about. It's the same as most of the others so what's the point of saying anything? Though he's met the supposed letter writer in person a few times now since the Not-Melanie letters began arriving, and though the woman looks like his mum, Rand's refuses to believe she's the real deal. The Not-Melanie's personality isn't that of his mum's. Her voice is similar but the cadence and tone isn't the same. Her letters are definitely nothing like what Mum would write him.
Despite the letter being the same old same old, something about yet another owl from Not-Melanie started Rand thinking that his mum is dead and has been since before the first Not-Melanie letter. Those thoughts are why he's not been himself today. Not even dressing as the Chocolate Frog card persona he decided upon - picked after learning what Declan and Zabrynna had chosen to do - lifted his mood.
Looking down at the large, though fake, sword at his feet, Rand as Almerick Sawbridge, defeater of the largest recorded British river troll, wishes the weapon were real, and that he knew how to use it so he could slay Harvey, aka Father, for doing whatever he's done to Rand's mum.
Who Are You Again?
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 11-17-17 19:42
Grace is starting to feel full. Wanting to have room for a slice of pie or cake or whatever other sweets are part of the pudding portion of the Halloween Feast, she refrains from having another helping, even a tiny one, of the butternut squash casserole, one of her favorites. She's reaching for her cup to take a drink when second year Lisa McCallister asks, "Who are you again?"
Grace, with pink hair and wispy robes in several shades of pink, and matching pink shoes, replies, "Grizelda from the Fairwood Witches series."
"Is it old?"
"No, not really. First one came out when I was six I think."
"How do I not know these books? I read all the time."
"Lots and lots of books out there."
"Says the person whose father owns a bookshoppe," Lisa laughs.
"If you're truly interested, I have all of them here or the library would have them, I should think."
"It's a good series?"
"Great. Fun to read."
"You're sure you wouldn't mind loaning them to me?"
"As long as you take care of them, no. I'll get them when we go up to the dorms."
"Thanks, that would be lovely."
At the Hufflepuff table, Duncan is having a similar "what costume are you wearing" conversation with Hubert MacBadger, but it's Duncan who's doing the asking. He'd managed not to be overly nosy through most of the feast but could not contain himself any longer. Hubert tells him, "A Muggle superhero called Batman."
Hubert ends up telling Duncan and those around them who are interested what he knows of Batman, aka Bruce Wayne. The more Duncan hears the more he wishes he'd looked at Muggle-based costumes for himself. He'd been pleased with his Merlin costume until arriving at the Great Hall to see three others. He should have known from previous years how popular Merlin is for Halloween fancy dress.
Douglas, on the other hand, came to the Great Hall knowing his costume is one of the best and after seeing what others are wearing his high opinion of himself and his costume has not lessened. There are a number of others dressed in Quidditch gear but none of them are the great beater Asgard Pettersson of the Nordic National Team. Douglas pities those who didn't even pick a professional player to emulate. One day, he'll be the professional Quidditch beater someone comes as to a Hogwarts Halloween Feast. Helping himself to more potatoes, he has no doubt about his future greatness.
At the head table, a guest of Ethan Somerset's, Briar is also dressed as a witch from the Fairwood Witches series. When Grace had owled back in September to let Briar know what fancy dress she'd like for tonight, she'd also wrote that if Briar came with Ethan, and if she wanted, Grace wouldn't mind if her mum dressed from the books as well. In swirling autumn shades Briar is the witch Kinsley. Though the books are geared to a younger set, Briar has always enjoyed them, enjoyed reading them with Grace. Having Grace suggest she dress as one of the characters made choosing a costume that much easier for Briar once Ethan had indeed asked her to accompany him tonight. She's had a great time this evening seeing all the costumes and it's been relaxing after a busy day. Both bakery locations tend to buzz with business at Halloween, no matter what day of the week it falls on. She feels a little guilty for leaving before closing to attend the Halloween Feast but as she'd been at the Hogsmeade location since before it was light out, not too very guilty.
Sweets slowly begin appearing on the table as do options for coffee and tea. Accepting a mug of tea, Briar debates which of the sweets she'd like to have. It's always nice to have them when they've been made by someone else!
Gluttons
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 11-18-17 19:25
Sitting next to Bertie, Edwina cannot believe how much food he and nearby Frederick Benwick have managed to shovel in. It's almost ass if they are in a contest to see which of them can eat the most food during the Halloween Feast. When she'd commented a short time earlier on the massive potion of lemon cake Frederick steadily worked his way through he told her, "It's 'cause I'm dressed as a werewolf. Big appetites werewolves have, you know."
She'd rolled her eyes at that but also gave a short laugh before asking, "Bertie, what's your excuse?"
He'd thought about it while finishing a bite, a somewhat large bite, of a slice of toffee almond caramel pie. Bertie is dressed as a medieval archer so has no excuse of his costume causing a massive appetite. "I think someone cursed or hexed my stomach to never feel full."
"Makes as much sense as what Frederick said," she'd laughed again. When Frederick then says, "I've been meaning to ask what you're done up as. I kept forgetting because of eating."
Edwina has face make-up that sort of looks like a skeleton but not quite. She also has lots of colorful roses there are stylized lines and dots in turquoise and red and her eyes are circled in the turquoise. Her hair is adorned with red, pink, and yellow roses as is her Spanish style dress in turquoise, pink, yellow, and red. "I'm a sugar skeleton."
"Sugar skeleton?"
"You know, a sugar skull. From Dios de los Muertos."
At Frederick's blank look she adds, "The Day of the Dead."
"Ooooh. That I've heard of. Wait. You mean those paint skull faces?"
"Yes, that's what I am."
"Didn't know the two went together. 'Course, don't know anything about the Day of the Dead either."
As Edwina enlightens him on what she knows, her brother is at the Slytherin table eating as much as Frederick and Bertie combined. Fitzwilliam is keeping pace bite for bite. Sylvestor, dressed as a Pictish warrior to the point of even having temporary woad colored tattoos, doesn't usually eat as much in one sitting or make such a glutton of himself. Sometimes but not usually. Tonight is a combination of his going through a growth spurt and having eaten little through the day in anticipation of the feast.
Fitzwilliam, attending the feast as in an Acromantula costume, is simply being a glutton. Lots of good food and with the desserts now on the table time is running out to taste as much as he can before this year's Halloween Feast draws to a close.
A little further down the table but in view of Sylvestor and Fitzwilliam, Libby once again catches sight of how much and how fast the two are eating. She gives a shake of her head and tells the girl to her immediate left, Selma Szyslak, "I disown him at my cousin."
"Sylvestor? He's so cute."
"I do not know anyone of that name."
"He was your cousin until a second ago."
"No. I'm sure he's adopted. We've never been blood related."
"Really?" Selma's eyes go wide in surprise.
Directly across from them Reginald Price snorts. "She's having you on."
Libby, in a costume much of the same color as her cat Angus's fur and with cat ears, tail, and even whiskers, looks as wide eyed back at Selma, innocently claiming, "I would never."
Selma, a second year, knows some of Libby's reputation but doesn't know who much is true versus exaggeration or myth. Deciding to think that Libby, who's been perfectly nice to her all evening, is telling the truth, she smiles. "I didn't think you would."
Libby smirks at Reginald, who snorts again. Both will not be surprised if by dinner tomorrow night, everyone's talking about how Sylvestor Trainor is adopted. Libby wonders if she can slip in something juicy to Selma regarding Sylvestor's birth mother or father. As she dips her spoon into a helping of traditional English trifle, she thinks about what she could make up that Selma would believe and spread when she begins gossiping.