Hoggy Rebirthed - Start of the Year Feast

[Nemopedia]

Adelaide Rosier

The wave of nostalgia was overwhelming. The sight of the Great Hall --still empty of students-- with its wide open doors and long rows of tables representing the houses and the enchanted ceiling revealing the dreary September sky. The realisation came crashing down on Adelaide, whisking her back into memories of long ago when she sat under the banner of blue and bronze. For a moment she believed to be that student again, young with all the opportunities at her feet laying to beg for her calling.

"Welcome back," the voice of headmaster Pyre rused her out of her thoughts, returning her to the present time. A mischievous smile and an upturned eyebrow from the headmaster alerted the female of her course.

Knee nearly touching the seats of the Ravenclaw table the female quickly steered herself back down the main path, eyes set upon the long table at the end of the Great Hall. "The seats are much cosier up there," the headmaster continued, walking at a leisurely pace as he admired the room. "This old back of mine can appreciate the extra cushion," he continued to wink as they ascended the short steps leading to the table. Pausing, the male turned fully towards the new professor, eyes twinkling.

"It is also great for a nap, should the banquet be too long."

The realisation still hadn't quite sunk in yet, even when seated. While the students entered and took their seat, the first years got sorted and the usual pranks were played Adelaide had been staring. Staring in wonder, as if watching a movie of which she was eager to find out more, staring so intently that she forgot about the colleagues who lightly nudged her for a toast. Even her introduction hadn't quite made her realise yet that she was back at Hogwarts, passing by in a daze as headmaster Pyre introduced her. It was all a good thing that she didn't have to speak herself, too occupied as she was.

The fact that she still hadn't rested, other than the short nap in the carriage, was also wearing down on her. Taking in breath to stifle away a yawn Adelaide gave a glance-over down the tables. Everyone seemed to be busily engaged. It was true that the seats were comfortable and some shuteye would not be a bad idea. The students were laughing, eating away as they caught up with each other. The same went for the professors. Surely no one would notice it if she rested her eyes for a minute or ten, right?

Emrys Jernigan

A certain teacher assistant had thought the same. Having been around for a little while longer Emrys was familiar with the whole banquet and its formalities. As soon as the banquet had appeared and the mute had eaten his share he settled himself down comfortably, nodding off into the realm of dreams. He, after all, hadn't slept much at all through the night, his sleep schedule messed as it was over the summer.

It wasn't like he had anyone to talk to, seeing as he never spoke in public and it was rare for anyone to have the patience to wait for him to spell. However, as part of the faculty he now had the responsibility to oversee the matters in the Great Hall, thus leaving little choice but to stay present. Though, that was only part of the reason, for Emrys always kept an ear open for the latest gossip. Who knows what winds were blowing in the hallways? The male had to make sure he could avoid it in some way.

Melinda Geralds

Meanwhile a certain Gryffindor was somewhere else with her thoughts. Branok's words were still sound in her mind, repeating over and over as she clutched the medallion. The gift that the Carrow head had given her was put on as soon as the Hogwarts express had departed from London, the female wishing to waste no time to appreciate such a valuable present. Now, it reminded her of her mission, the task given that she had forgotten about because of the presence of Zedekiah and Madison.

Turning her head towards the Slytherin table the female was disappointed at the absence of Glesni. It only confirmed the tough time that Branok had spoken of before. The poor girl, Melinda felt devastated over the thought that the transfer had no single decent friend in school. It was only a shame that the girl had a shiny badge clipped onto her robe, thus tying her down to certain responsibilities. Otherwise Melinda would surely have piled up a plate to seek out the girl.

August Yilmaz

Someone with similar thoughts had been August. Not tied to the same responsibilities as a prefect would be the male could quickly eat to his own satisfaction and pile up the plates with the delicatesses served. From a quick observation he had already noted that at least one of his friends was avoiding the banquet. An act he was expecting from several more, hence the extra plates that he was filling. It was truly a miraculous sight to see what the Ravenclaw managed to stack on food, making sure to keep sweets and savoury separated and that nothing mixed that shouldn't be mixed.

However, that wasn't where the marvelity ended. With a whisk of his hand the plates and bowls he had filled all floated after him as the male got up. With four more plates in his hands the male strode off to find his missing friends, following with him the curious eyes of his peers.

His first destination was to find the door to The Room.

Ondine Fear

At the Hufflepuff table there was another figure turning many heads, though the reason for all the attention was different. Trying to ignore the eyes Ondine was greatly enjoying herself whenever yet another first year jumped and yelped at whatever sound their seat made, finding herself unable to hold back a laugh. Not that anyone could hold any contempt towards the blondine, the innocent smile and warm gestures really did a number on her fellow Hufflepuffs and beyond.

"I think," frowning slightly Ondine's hand was wavering over a stack of cupcakes, her lips curled up into a thoughtful pout before her expression brightened up. "Yes, I think this one will suit you," the female recommended, picking up a sweet raspberry pink cupcake. "They go along perfectly with your rosy cheeks and sweet character," the girl continued as she handed the cupcake to one particular shy first year. The first year had no idea how to react to the fifth year, who had taken upon herself to welcome each first year with a cupcake of their own.

The elves really had outdone themselves this year, which was a given seeing as they did so every year. The Hufflepuff was particularly proud of the tall stack of cupcakes the Hufflepuff table had, her chest swelling up at the thought that the elves had actually remembered Ondine's experiments in the kitchen last year. Even the ones that she personally believed to have failed were present, though a slightly altered so that they were edible. The girl had to thank the elves for their hard work and ask them for the recipe whenever she could.

Garaile Scriven

Slytherin wasn't feeling as celebratory as the rest of the table. While proud of the new members acquired it seemed that most had their thoughts elsewhere. It had been a while since Slytherin had won the house cup at all, what with the stigma against them and Garaile batting for their team, but there were also plenty of rumours going around. Rumours that Garaile felt specially invested in.

First the new DADA teacher, who looked like she could pass out any moment. Garaile had heard while shopping in Diagon Alley that quite a few parents had voted against her installment. Strangely so, for Garaile was sure that Rosier was the name of a prominent pureblood family. Now that he had seen the professor the blond was sure, this year was bringing in a new breeze that he could not miss.

August's disappearing act out of the Great Hall didn't go unnoticed either. There had already been some wild rumours going around about the people the Ravenclaw surrounded himself with. Garaile wagered that, knowing August's character, he could easily find out more if he were just to follow.

He kept seated, however, eyes lingering over a few other key pieces this year. No, this year was proving itself to be very bright indeed and the Weasel would have to make careful deliberations in order to get the most out of it all.

 

[DayDreamer]

Skylar Anderson​

Sounds of animals, sounds of machines, sounds of various other origin.... The Great Hall descended into a rather lighthearted short of chaos and Skylar was trying really hard to not crack a smile to the whole situation. While she felt that perhaps this was not the sort of welcome that the first years, especially ones coming from No-Maj families like herself, it still was funny. And Skylar knew who the culprit was. She knew from the moment she looked at the Lion's Table to a certain tall noodle and saw him beaming with pride.

Once more her choice was confirmed correct. While many considered Felix Butler to be nothing but a joke, Skylar could see that was only partialy the case. While certainly a goof, Felix had a pation and creativity for whatever drew his interests. So far that had been mostly two things. Pranks and magizoology. As a Magizoologist herself and a semi-decent prankster herself, she knew she had to take him under her wing.

Shaking her head at the kids' antics, her focus shifted to her plate. She had her own antics to get to soon. She just needed for dessert to come.

Caleb O'Neil​

Caleb had been unwilling to join the festivities in the Great Hall. While he knew he was going to miss out on a lot of good food. He would rather avoida scene with the entire school present. He would rather deal with his roommates first and figure that as he went on. The thought of having to deal with too many people at a time scared him and he wasn't even sure why. So he did what he knew how to do best. He retreated into the Room of Requirement. If he wanted food, he could always ask for a door to the Kitchens and bargain with the House Elves for some leftovers from the feast to be reheated for him. He knew they wouldn't say no to him.

So his plan was to check if every single project of his was still intact in the Room and to maybe work on one of his broom handle prototypes depending on his mood. He was not expecting any visitors. Everybody would have been at the feast.....

Ashley Shafiq​

Ashley had been so excited to show Ondine her new animagus form and had changed as soon as their feet had hit the platform stones. A grey arabian mare with blue highlights on the black mane had been seen galloping off with a certain blonde holding a half-kneazle in her arms. Ashley had learned the path to Hogwarts by heart and she had been careful enough to avoid Ondine falling from her back, but they had still managed to arrive a little bit ahead of the first carriage. It had been such a rush for her.

Yet the surprises had not ended and she had to roll her eyes and smirk at the prank pulled on the first years. Whoever had thought of that really knew their charms well enough to only target the first years. "Don't mind them. You will see a lot of pranks like that around school. Magic really opens up possibilities." She explained to a first year that looked particularly pale when the sound of crashing boulders echoed during his seating. Offering him a piece of pie, she enganged into conversation to help ease into the feast.

Arionas Nikolaidis​

Finally free from Felix's grip and thoroughly dried by Emrys' spell, Arionas had been quick to thank the Potions Assistant and excuse himself so he could meet the matron of the hospital wing. He really did not want to get an earful for being late for his checkup and he had managed to arrive just on the nick of time.

Now, sitting in the Hufflepuff table, he would laugh heartily at the poor first years but then he would pat them on the back and welcome them to Hufflepuff. "Hey Arion! Any new fancy encounters on your way here?" One of his housemates asked and Arionas beamed at him before enganging in an in-depth conversation about how different Kelpies were from Hippocampuses, how frigging cold the water was in the Black Lake and how he had still not managed to swim with the Giant Squid and he had no idea where it would be hiding when he was diving.

Of course, the news that the guy with the ruffled black hair and blue eyes was half-mermaid, almost brought a heartattack to a lot of first years that soon tuned in to the conversation. "Hey Ondine! No blue cupcakes for us weary swimmers?" He jested to the blonde as he looked at the tower of cupcakes steadily decreasing in height.

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

GLESNI CARROW

Starting off fresh with breaking a simple rule like that right off the bat was certainly not ideal. Mentally, Glesni prepared herself for the extensive questioning and repercussions would she be caught red-handed and almost burried under the pile of books she ballanced on the table. Regardless of what Madam may have done to turn it into a lesson, miss Carrow barely battered an eye at the thought. Wouldn't be the first time and most certainly wouldn't be the last that she took a shortcut throught the whole painful procedure in pursue of knowledge.
The Feast made it as ideal as it could have been to use the librarian's absence as one such opportunity. With light step and quickened pace, Glesni crossed the length of the library, going upwards and between the rows of books, he targets already well defined in her mind. Approaching the first shelf of interest, she swiftly pulled out her sleek black wand and with a flick, a robust worn-out book followed after her, floating mid-air.

Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six and to the left; another one.

For everything she hated about it, Durmstrang surely had its library much to one's disposal. So much so, that getting used to the rules applying to the Hogwarts' library was bordering a genuine culture shock. Then to be fair, unlike Durmstrang, Hogwarts had more titles to boast about, and then some that certainly justified being restricted. It was unfortunate, however, that some of those that were restricted could have saved Hogwarts' collective a lot of pain and hardship if they were only able to see them as useful. But as she learned the hard way, wizarding schools had their principles carved and beaten deep into their foundations and such principles were hard to bypass.

Soon after, a decent pile of books was scattered on the table in front of her, mostly consisting of historic literature, newspaper registries and several memoirs involving both contemporary events and incidents involving fiendfyre and similar curses, as well as those well before her time. Releasing them from the spell, Glesni laid her wand on a side with a sigh. What the hell was she even looking for? The very first thought that came through her mind dictated the entire ordeal. It was decently familiar to pinpoint, and it was enough. It had to be. If nothing else, then she could have trusted her mind not to play tricks on her. After all, people did not simply go on magic sprees on a daily-basis. They were exceptions possible to track, regardless of how little she had to go by. It was not a far-spread knowledge these days and that right there made it more intimidating to think about.

And if nothing, it was a useful distraction. The Feast brought her no fulfillment and because of it, her time was better used anywhere else.
Time seemed to be flying by her as she was nose deep into various pages, taking notes on the side with swift movements that still produced clean cursive regardless of the haste. After a while, her hand halted in the middle of the line written and she tapped the quill in place a couple of times before terminating the primary mission to rustle few things around in her bag before she pulled out a smaller worn-out notebook, wrapped in a messy and unappealing brown leather. Even though it seemed to be used quite a bit by the state of it at the first glance, its pages were yellow but empty.

Choosing a random page, Glesni laid some of her neat cursive across both sides with little to no care she usually showed towards the rest of her notes. The ink seemed liquid even in moments after it had been laid on the paper. The words 'We need to talk' lingered for a while, black liquid floating back and forth never escaping the lines of each letter, before it started sinking into the page all the way in, until the page turned blank once again. Wasting no time, Glesni got back to her notes expecting it to take a while however, the response arrived after only few moments, making her smirk and nod at the pages.

'Strange way of saying hi, but I'll take it...'

She never failed to somehow exactly be there when she as needed, and it was no different this time around. She was probably excited enough to hear all of the news, but unfortunately they would have to wait for a bit.

 

[Nemopedia]

August Yilmaz

Just as the male had suspected the door to the Room had appeared. Sighing August pushed against the door with his elbow and back, deftly letting him and his many plates in.

As predicted Caleb could be found here as well, quietly working away on what he liked best. It was a shame, really, for everything that was contained within the room was a symbol of Caleb's brilliance. Brilliance that the male was disallowing himself to show, hiding from the world and from his work. Stubborn as the Gryffindor was August knew he had miles to go to convince him of that.

"Thought I would find you here," August sighed, finding himself a table to which he could leave a few plates. "I brought some food before all of the bests were out," he continued, as he couldn't help but pick one last grape from the plate.

Warm savoury dishes, a bowl of soup, a plate of cold cuts and a dessert plate. The male had tried to grab from everything on the table something, but realised he had forgotten the drinks. At least there was soup.

With still more plates floating behind him for Glesni the Ravenclaw then waited for a response from the other. Even if Caleb didn't want to speak to him, August hoped that the Gryffindor would at least come to eat, though even that was hard to determine. And then there was also Glesni who hadn't showed up at the banquet.

Somewhere inside of August a deep sigh could be heard.

Ondine Fear

The first years kept Ondine busy enough as it was, what with her trying to assign them all a special cupcake, but there was a surprising amount of other-years as well who fought for her attention. Not that the girl minded, enjoying the fact that they all enjoyed the pastries prepared she didn't think too much of it. Or at least she didn't try to let it get to her, even when a few of the seventh years slyly tried to pull her closer to ask her something privately.

No, she pulled a definite line at that. Senior or not.

The piping of a familiar voice through the crowd had her forget all about her mission, however. Whipping around the blonde's eyes widened and beamed before she leaped up to give Arionas a good hug. Jealous glares and gasps could be heard all over the table, though Ondine either was oblivious to them, or pretended to ignore them as she gave the male a hit to his shoulders.

"What you need, Arionas," the girl exclaimed with a tut as she turned back to the diminishing mountain. "Are warm spices!"

Picking up a nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla combination the Hufflepuff was delighted to find that the pastry was still warm before turning to hand it to the other. Pulling out her wand the female then pointed at the item, a confident smile on her lips.

"Colovaria."

And the cupcake turned blue, just as Arionas so cheekily had asked for.

 

[Sailor Arti]

Wilbur Langley​

That cup of coffee had managed to do wonders for the young professor. Alert he watched as the students filed into the hall to take part of the feast he knew all too well at this point. He managed to steal a few glances at Adelaide from his seat, the corner of his mouth quirking up ever so slightly. He understood what she was feeling for he had experienced the same when he first made his transition. Nothing served to make him feel old than watching as the younger generation walked where he had once walked. Pushing his frames further up his nose, this history professor grimaced. Whenever thoughts such as those managed to surface he could only imagine how Caia would gladly bop him one over the head for it. Or tease him even more, either way it was at Will's suffering much to his dismay. Still, it managed to bring a small smile to his face. Some things just don't change.

Speaking of not changing, it seemed that one could truly never teach an old dog new tricks. His azure eyes scanned the hall as it erupted into chaos due to the same old mischief. Pranks were always a part of the welcoming feasts. A tradition, passed on from generation to generation. Being a teacher now he shouldn't encourage such behavior but secretly he enjoyed every minute of it. It was part of the charm that this place held for him.

Madison Westenberg​

The brown haired female with plenty of greetings as she made her way into the hall. Familiar faces brought her heart at ease for the first time since this summer. Despite the train ride here it wasn't until her feet had touched this familiar soil that a lot of the burden she was carrying had been lifted. A lot, not all however. She did notice that there was no sign of Caleb anywhere which concerned her. She had spoken with him before but she didn't want to be overbearing. The guy had enough on his plate as it was and she didn't want to agitate him further. For fear of chasing him away and for fear of inadvertently causing more trouble in the long run. This summer had truly done a number on the young Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. Those that new her best might have been able to spot the difference but she truly did her best to hold it all together. She couldn't fall apart, she just got here after all.

Grin and bear it. Somehow a concept that used to seem so foreign to her had now become her new party trick. Madi laughed with friends as she began to pile on goodies onto her plate. She'd check on Caleb later, for now she'd give him some space and try to relax herself. They both needed it after all.

Ainslie Morrison​

"Ready to see the Beanstalk again?" Caleb's last words to her on the trained echoed in her ear as the small hobbit approached the hall. Of course she was, she missed him after all. Especially after the awkward train ride to get here. But she was also terrified, scared shitless because she had no idea what to expect here. Ainslie was the tough guy, the bad type, the bad guy. Okay maybe she was being dramatic but it wasn't so far fetched to say that Ainslie was a little rough around the edges and always found herself in trouble one way or another. Now she managed to hook and get herself a boyfriend. But not just any boyfriend no, an openly gushy boyfriend. What would everyone think?! Gods she could hear the teasing now. Her face flush prematurely as she held her head low making it to the table.

She also felt bad that she had left Caleb up to his own devices but after that train ride she knew she need to leave him alone. She felt bad for him, she truly did. But she also knew that was the last thing he wanted. She also needed to warn Fee not to be....well...Fee when he approached him. Ainslie knew already that would be a lot for Cal to handle right now. Loud sounds of locomotives, farts, and animal noises reached her ears even before she entered into the place and she just knew it was the work of a certain beanstalk. Sighing she shook her head but even she couldn't stop the grin that formed on her features. The ginger hobbit's steps unconsciously quickened as made her way to her table. Laughter could be heard among the noises in the hall but she also caught glances of a few annoyed ones. Ainslie made her way to Felix and her heart fluttered a bit before a wicked grin played on her lips. "So this is what you've been up to while you were away. I should've known." she teased him.

Sabrina Runeswell​

The half-veela was met with the usual greeting once she stepped foot within these halls. Some things just never changed, and she was okay with that. Her lackeys were the first she made contact with, following her loyal fans (the more bold ones at least), hell she even caught the attention of some of her haters. She performed for them all of course. Yes, this was the freedom she missed. This was the legacy she had built for herself. Here she wasn't just some nobody forced to hide due to the shame her birth brought to the family. No here she could flex her tired muscles and rest on the throne of her own making. "Ah, feels good to be back," the veela said in a sing song voice. This year would be interesting for sure. Garaile had already managed to fill the pink haired girl's head with ideas and dreams. All she needed was to carry it out. "Good to have you back," her most trusted lackey, Andrew replied.

Unlike her other lackeys, Andrew was here not because he was infatuated with Sabrina, but because Sabrina had dirt on him so bad it might get him expelled if he didn't comply. Sabrina wasn't all just glitz and glam that was for sure. Rome wasn't built in a day and it surely wasn't built by playing nice. Despite blackmail being the thing that held Andrew close to her their relationship wasn't one of hatred. Sabrina had made sure to treat him well. 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine darling~' Had been her words to him in the past. So far those words rang true. Whatever Andrew needed Sabrina could make happen, as long as he was ready to get down to business whenever Sabrina called. The half-veela grinned at him before flashing him a wink and sauntering off to the Slytherin table. Sabrina was sure where her sister was, she'd gotten lost in Rina's welcoming entourage. She'd see her eventually anyway so she wasn't too concerned. Besides she had prefect things to attend to. She'd be busy and wouldn't notice whatever mischief Sabrina managed to get herself into now.

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

FELIX BUTLER

"You're a dead meat, Butler, you hear me?! Dead!"

"Watch your back, ay? Watch it good!"

The Avery twins, identical in appearance and identically loud, continued to shout from the Slytherin table across the hall. The sound of a screaming sheep under her bottom launched one of the first year Slytherin right back up with a shout, even though she at this point expected something to happen. Her sudden jerk then triggered an ultimate chain reaction of small disasters at the Slytherin table; the one Fee never dared to dream of. A cup was launched straight into Darcy's lap... Or was it Draven? No, no. It was surely Darcy. Darcy always sat on the right... Or was it Draven that always sat on the right... Were that even their names?

Oh for heaven's sake...

A cup was launched straight into lap of ONE of the Avery twins that then launched his onto his sibling. Ah yes, he was certain now, that was surely Darcy. Darcy Avery had that specific tendency to look even dumber when mortified, and even though they were identical in any other way, it was more than obvious which of the two was the dominant one. At first angrily eyeing his brother, Draven soon turned towards the Gryffindor table, propping up to find the Gryffindor beater looking at both of them with borderline provoking flashy grin then proceeding to threaten to BEAT the crap out of him.

The sixth year pair was still at it even when Felix replaced grin with slightly bored look on his face, throwing another piece of cheese in his mouth, his head propped lazily against his hand. The more they shouted, the more often did he shrug, pretending to try to understand what they were telling him across the hall. "I am sorry buddy I... I can't... What are you saying?!"

"I said I will make you eat your-"

"I honestly don't know, sorry mate!"

"How about I bloody come there and-"

"Whaaaat?!"

"I bloody HATE YOU!"

"Oooh NOW I hear ya. Okay! I hate stew too!"

And while the dominant twin finally gave up, possibly swearing something under his breath as he demonstratively abandoned the table with his brother hurrying after him, Felix waved at them innocently.

"Nice talking to ya! See ya later!"

The Gryffindor table still rang with laughter and comments even after the twins left the room.

"Uh... Which one is which, again?" Felix asked abruptly once there was no more need to wave at the duo, and while it sent another wave of chuckles around the table with those closest to him patting his back generously, Felix this time truly wanted to know. He couldn't remember for the life of him. Instead of answers, he got some more amused shouts and comments tossed his way and he just grinned at them slightly confused, dropping the topic. Even though fully aware of himself being a clown all the time, he could not help but feel just a tiny bit frustrated when even him being serious was often disregarded in such way. But that was alright. Not like it mattered anyway.

"So this is what you've been up to while you were away. I should've known."

Now that was the voice his ears would recognize even if it now did not linger somewhere above his head. Although the close proximity certainly helped. It quickly smashed his messy thoughts into one coherent streak, slapping himself back into paying attention to his surroundings. In what seemed a bit of an awe, the Beanstalk tilted his head up and all the way back, coming face to face with Ainslie standing just above him. She was just as wonderful upside down. Fee blinked a couple of times before he flashed her a genuine wide grin full of glee.

"How long has it been, Teddy Bear? Holy molly you've grown since I saw you the last time", he teased with a chuckle, tugging lightly at her ginger locks. Enough for those closest to eye them curiously before they've spread the word in whispers and chuckles down the table, with heads soon popping up to see better from all the way to the bottom, once the Beanstalk stood up, again towering over the small ginger.

"Oh no. Never mind", he chuckled, patting her head. "As tiny as I left you. Perfect", he nodded with a grin. I wasn't too long after all. It was awesome and all but, glad to be back however!" Fee blabbered briefly, scratching the back of his neck. "Because now I can do this again!" With a grin just as vibrant as the previous one, Felix grabbed Ainslie's wrist and tugged her forward, pulling her close against him in a tight, caring hug as he swayed her back and forth. "Oh I've missed you so, so MUCH!" he exclaimed, landing a vigorous and loud kiss on top of her head.

(All the bitches be like this)

@Sailor Arti

 

[DayDreamer]

Caleb O'Neil​

The Room of Requirement took many forms to suit its user's needs. At the moment it had been a mixture of workshop and common room. Caleb was comfortably seated in an armchair, focusing on the block of wood at his hand. His carving knife was carefully chipping away on wood as he tried to create a stylized ravenhead to serve as his broomhandle's main decorative piece. Nevermind that the broom prototype was not exactly flying yet, working on the handle decorations helped him relax. Accoustic guitar was calmly playing in the background.

Then the door opened. He really hoped this was not Felix and a sideglance confirmed it was August, coming in with enough plates to feed an army. Guilty washed over Caleb for the way he had treated the Ravenclaw back on the train, but he said nothing. He just turned his head in a way to hide his scar from August's view. A table appeared to allow him to put down his plates.

"Hey August." Caleb finally spoke up as the Ravenclaw was about to exit the door. "Thanks.... and sorry for being a buzzkill." That final part was mumbled up, but Yilmaz was not known for being hard of hearing, quite the opposite. He didn't really move from his seat or anything, but he was side eyeing August directly this time around.

Arionas Nikolaidis​

"Heyyyy, it's good to see you again." Arionas greeted the blonde, replying to the hug in kind as he too tried to ignore the gasps and jealous glares. "Oh, I love me some spices!" He agreed as he watched the cupcake from the pile of treasure being handed to him and his eyes lit up in glee as the cupcake turned from golden brown to a briliant shade of blue as per request. Originally he had been joking, he wasn't expecting he would actually get to have one of the sweet goodness, but Luck always favored the bold.

Taking a bite, he sighed in bliss. It really was what he needed, sweet gooeyness with that warming factor and the smell was music to his nostrils. "Αυτά είναι...." He commented in greek before looking from the cupcake to Ondine again. "Let me know what you need for the next dive. I owe you one." He said, raising his cupcake as if toasting to her.

----------
Αυτά είναι = This is the real deal!

 

[Nemopedia]

Adelaide Rosier

No, it did not seem that Adelaide could close her eyes without anyone noticing. Clear blue eyes were observing her, though by no means waiting to judge her, or judgemental at all. That was the type of person Wilbur was. Unassuming, too observant in some moments, oblivious the other times. It had been a good while since she had last met her senior, but it seemed that time made no difference in recognition, or change in character.

Raising her glass the female flashed the man a grin, making sure the peer from Gryffindor knew that she knew that he had been stealing looks. Hopefully, --and this was her mischievous part thinking-- he was as awkward and shy as he had been before. Though, she assumed, with looks like that it would be no wonder if the man had grown into confidence himself.

Good thing Adelaide wasn't the type to feel flustered over appearances and men and women alike. Though, she could still not imagine the other to be the flirtatious type. That was just… wrong.

"Seeing anyone you like?" Pyre's voice popped up, a smile playing around his lips as he leaned forward. "Faculty members are allowed to date, you know?" he continued, grinning to himself as Adelaide shot him a strait-laced look of incredulity.

"No need to look so scandalised, just saying. We don't have a cute couple in the faculty yet. Though, remember, students are off-limits!" the headmaster continued, to which his hands quickly went up into the air at the quiet glare that the newly appointed professor send his way.

"My, oh my, how the young ones grow, but change little in character," the headmaster continued jovially. Though he wisely spared the woman with the rest of his thoughts, instead gearing over to another:

"I do say that Caia and Virgil make quite a pair," he continued unabashed.

Adelaide hummed in agreeance, not thinking much of it, or registering the names mentioned, other than recognising that of her hot-headed friend. Caia would make quite a pair with anyone, the female found.

However, upon finding the headmaster's eyes still trained upon her, amusement glittering in his eyes as he counted the seconds, Adelaide finally realised who the other name was that had dropped from his lips.

"But that is professor Hildegard?!" the female exclaimed to which Pyre only found the greatest delight in.

"Yes, yes that is indeed professor Hildegard, or as most in the faculty call him: Virgil," he smirked amused.

"He is --was-- our professor," the female continued, playing straight into Pyre's hands who had to work hard to keep his giggles down.

"And so is Caia now, she is professor Watkins and you are professor Rosier, are you not?" he continued.

Realising that she had been played Adelaide let go of a heaved sigh, and she knew, she just knew, that her freckles along with her cheeks were lightening up.

August Yilmaz

What was there really to say in a situation as such? August wasn't someone of many words, or someone with smart words at the ready like some other types in the school.

"Just a thanks is enough, that is all you owe me anyway," the male grinned at his friend.

It didn't escape him how Caleb was still hiding half of his face. A feat that would make it seem like the Gryffindor was still avoiding him. Should he ask and pry? Force it out of his friend, or wait? August wasn't too sure, but he decided against asking, not wanting to be a cause of discomfort when there was so much good food to go around. Caleb would have to face the crowd and him sooner or later, it was inevitable.

"I'm going to look for another meal-skipper. We can talk another time," was all he said before leaving the Room once more, a trail of plates following after him.

Glesni was somewhat harder to find. August hadn't known the Slytherin as long as he had known Caleb and with the female's reservedness it was hard to make sound judgements anyway. However, there was always one place where all those curious enough could always be found. He just hoped that he wasn't going to be kicked out with all the food he brought with him.

A figure bowed over the table, writing away in a notebook of some kind. At least the figure was easy to recognise, even if the character was hard to crack. Heaving a sigh August approached the Slytherin, keeping a safe distance so that he wouldn't accidentally catch anything she was writing down, in case it was private.

"Food delivery, for one skipper of meals? To the name of Glesni Harrow," the male spoke up, flicking his hand as the plates set themselves out on the table.

"Hard at work, I see. Should I start as well?" he grinned in a jest.

Ondine Fear

"The ones you owe are the elves!" Ondine exclaimed, hands planting down on her hips as she huffed. She could never take away their shin, not in this manner and like. "They had promised me a tower last year and I never imagined to actually get one!" she continued, her excitement brimming as she clasped her hands together. "And so many as well and with so many flavours," she continued in one breath, though stopped herself as she felt that she was getting too far ahead of herself.

"Oh, but I did bring some pastries from my trip!" she announced, turning back to Arionas. "Ash already had some and she was very positive about them. You simply have to try them out yourself!" she continued, slowly going down that hill of rambles once more.

Again, it was the question whether Ondine truly was so oblivious, or that she chose not to address it. Her infectious excitement over sweets and pastries had the Hufflepuff table (and those who could hear over the general noise of the Hall) all green in envy over what she promised.

 

[Sailor Arti]

Montserrat; Montserrat;

art by: still looking...

Ainslie Morrison

Location: Great Hall
Interaction: Felix Butler @Ritual Lobotomy
Mood: Flustered

Ainslie's brown orbs stayed trained on her favorite beanstalk as he immediately straightened up at the sound of her voice. Tilting his head up and back to steal a glance at her, Ainslie flashed him a quizzical glance. Surely that was uncomfortable. Just what was he doing anyway? It wasn't long before a wide grin stretched across is features coaxing one of equal measure from the ginger. "How long has it been, Teddy Bear?" He began as he called her by her nickname. 'Too long' Ainslie thought to herself as Felix continued, "Holy molly you've grown since I saw you the last time"

Just as quickly as her smile had come it melted into a frown and she looked down at him. A couple of chuckles could be heard from her other housemates around the table but a quick glare in each of their directions quieted them down. Felix didn't seem bothered either way, which was to be expected. He quickly turned around and stood up to his full height, towering over the girl once more. "Oh no. Never mind", he chuckled, patting her head. "As tiny as I left you. Perfect" Ainslie's eye twitched as a forced grin played on her features. "Oi, you trying to fight?" She hissed at him. A twinge of jealous washed over her as it usually did any time height was brought into the equation.

Felix once again, a master at dodging conflict, pushed forward. Ignoring Ainslie's little threats, "I wasn't too long after all. It was awesome and all but, glad to be back however!" Fee blabbered briefly, scratching the back of his neck. "Because now I can do this again!" Ainslie didn't have long to question what he could be referring to before Fee grabbed her wrist and pulled her in close to him. Almost instantly the ginger hobbit's features became beet red, all the way to the tips of her ears. "Oh I've missed you so, so MUCH!" Felix loudly exclaimed as he hugged her tightly before kissing the top of her head. "B-B-Butler release me right now!" She hissed at him. What she had feared was coming to pass. Felix truly was too predictable.

"I've missed you too now let go.." Ainslie muttered as she tried to wiggle from his grasp. Whispers at their table started to pick up once more which only caused the red-head to become even more flushed. "Aw how cute," one of the students spoke up from the table to which Ainslie snapped her neck to glare at them instantly "Stuff it Jeffery unless you'd like a formal introduction of my boot to your face!" she growled. This only caused others at the table to erupt in laughter which only further embarrassed the ginger hobbit. "Keep it up and I'll fight all of 'ya" Ainslie hissed while still being trapped in Felix's arms.

 

[Sailor Arti]

Cormorant Garamond; Metamorphous;

...

Rei Scurlock

Location: Great Hall
Interaction: --
Mood: Hungry & Tired

"Ah it feels so good to be back!" an energetic 'puff said loudly to her other friends as they all made their way into the Great Hall. "Yeah! I've missed all of you guys! I thought I was going to die of boredom back home!" another responded to the 'puff's earlier statement. Rei just rolled his eyes as he made his way to the Ravenclaw table.

He kept his head low as an indicator he didn't want to be bothered. It was loud, way too loud for his liking. Someone had decided it was a good idea to play pranks on the returning and fresh students. Obnoxious if you asked Rei. 'Just keep to yourself. Get in and get out, real simple.' He thought to himself as slid into a seat at the end of the table where it was more vacant.

Rei hated this part of the routine 'go-back-to-school' day's the most. He wished there was another option for people like him that just didn't enjoy crowds, loud noises and-- "Beeeeeeelllllllch~" an abhorrent Gryffindor let out the most repulsive of burps that could be heard above even above the hustle and bustle of conversation. The dark-haired Ravenclaw did little to hide his disgust as his facial expression matched what he was thinking. "--and people." he finished his earlier thought aloud as he sighed. Cheers from the Gryffindor's mates could be heard but Rei had already moved on.

Pale slender fingers reached forward to grab a plate as he began to decorate it with the assortments laid bare before him. The only benefit of this feast was the food. It's why he was here and not scuffling about in the Ravenclaw common room already. He had to admit, the house elves really outdid themselves every year. As much as he hated to say so, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Rei wasn't all brood and no play. He did look forward to the meal every year.

Then again who could blame him? Back home he was the one that prepared the meals, lest he die from Darling's cooking. Honestly, he wasn't sure if she was serious or seriously not trying when it came to her culinary skills, or lack thereof. After getting food poisoning from her food back when he was 8 he had taken it upon himself to learn how to survive, all Darling had to do was provide.

Since then their teamwork has been flawless if he was being sincere. Still, even Rei deserved a break every now and then and this was the only chance he got. The faintest of smirks played on the raven-haired boy's lips as he wondered how Darling would survive without him. He couldn't help but feel bad even if it was only slightly. Darling was a strong woman, he was sure she would think of something in the meantime.

Rei pulled out a small notepad from his pocket and began to sketch in it while he ate. It would help to pass the time before he could sneak off to his room before the masses could.

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

GLESNI CARROW

Location: Hogwarts Castle - Library
Time of day: Evening welcoming feast
Interactions:
Ravena Fawley - NPC
August Yilmaz - @Nemopedia

"Well, how the bloody hell should I know?!"

"Okay, okay, calm down! I've hoped for a little more information considering he is uh-"

"I don't have time for this!"

"Right! Right. Let's see…"

As if she just battled a dragon, Glesni huffed the unruly raven tuft off of her face, staring daggers at the quickly scribbled writing that was fading off the pages. She was upset, exhausted, hungry, and Ravena insisted on making all of that more complicated than it should be. It was nothing quite new. Her unruly aunt hardly seemed to be taking anything seriously at any time. This however did not mean she did not understand the seriousness of the situation. This only meant that she was making her niece's life harder than she'd like it to be.

"Mention the guy once. Once! And she goes flailing around about it like a whomping willow. Bet she is doing it right now," Glesni proceeded to muster to herself, tapping the pen impatiently.

"And don't you roll your eyes at me, young lady. I can see it through the paper," the following scribble stated and quickly disappeared just before Glesni actually rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the papers in front of her, proceeding to work with her notes while the notebook was blank for a while.

Her cursives maintained a healthy amount of readability as she scribbled on as much as she could before she'd undeniably be encountered for addressing the materials that were questionable at the very best. Her background certainly wouldn't help her case in front of an already overly judgy librarian. What was that lady's issue anyway?

"I got it," Ravena's handwriting finally emerged from within the pages, and Glesni's attention immediately switched back to it. "But I think you should see it for yourself. In-person."

Letting out a groan of frustration, Glesni scratched the top of her head and quickly responded.

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"I will come to you. Two nights from now at the witching hour, Great Lake, Dumbledore's Tomb. Best I can do."

Regardless, it was a feat to reckon with but if that was the best she could get then…

"It's a date," she wrote.

"Goodie! I'll bring us some bagels!"

"See you, Ravena!" Glesni wrote back, smirking at her aunt's playfulness.

"Right. Yes. And you! Get me some more information. It could be useful."

Pausing briefly with her eyebrow raised, he thought a bit before she responded. "...You just want me to mingle, right?"

Pause.

"Well, you know. If it happens it happens, might as well. I mean he avoided getting burned to a crisp by the bloody nightmare spell, you could learn a thing or two." The statement itself made Glesni scoff defiantly, her posture becoming more stiff and defensive on instinct, much like a rooster that had his feathers ruffled.

"Absurd! He is no prodigy. He's an idiot. A lucky one."

"Honestly, coming from you, it doesn't say much…"

Somewhat scandalized and very amused, Glesni widened her mouth in shock which quickly turned to chuckle. She did not just call her own niece pompous, did she? Bet she did.

Before Glesni was able to lay down more words in writing, a sudden presence she had completely and involuntarily ignored until that moment made her jerk.

Busted.

"Food delivery, for one skipper of meals? To the name of Glesni Harrow," the familiar voice spoke up and somewhat threw her into even more of a panic.

"Gotta go!" She scribbled quickly before shutting the notebook without waiting for an answer, as well as rushing to gather her scattered notes.

"August!" Glesni addressed him hastily, throwing all of the materials onto the incoherent pile, and covering the rest with her arm. Now, she knew better than to expect August to tell on her, but with such a specific topic, it felt awkward to beat around the bush and so she simply decided to deny the knowledge completely.

"Hi! Hello," she greeted him with a confident smirk, eyeing the plates he had laid on the table. The smell of fresh food immediately made her mouth water and her demeanor to soften.

"You really shouldn't have. I'd find something later on. Thank you," she spoke sincerely, observing the dishes before she grabbed the bread and bit into it hungrily. Now there was a benefit of having a friend with no complexes over appearance; eating like you mean it, and she was hungry enough not to even attempt to pretend otherwise.

"Hard at work, I see. Should I start as well?" August jested, and she darted her eyes his way, food stuffed in one of the cheeks, allowing her to speak half properly in her own defense.

"This? Oh, this is nothing. Just boredom. Had to find something to do. You know how much I love parties," she doubled up on sarcasm before she turned back to her food.

"But, I suppose it is never too early to start catching up with me," she jested with a wink. "So tell me, Yilmaz. What have you been up to? Any big plans this year?"

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

FELIX BUTLER

Location: Hogwarts Castle - Great Hall --> Outside corridor
Time of day: Evening welcoming feast
Interactions:
Bunch of Gryffindor NPCs
Ainslie Morrison - @Sailor Arti

"B-B-Butler release me right now!" Ainslie fussed on as she usually did, but it hardly did much to relieve her of Felix's generous embrace. "But I've missed you," he whined, although he maintained a wide grin on his face. His sentiment was true, but there was no doubt that he also daringly pushed it further. What was the point of not being fully honest and fully engaged in what you were doing with a person you care about? And why did it matter who saw it anyway? For Felix, it never made any difference, and perhaps it is why he was so easily desensitized to the reactions of the people around him.

"I've missed you too now let go..." It was met with a row of contagious chuckles coming from the tall Irish lad as he seemed to finally comprehend Ainslie's request. "Okay, Bear. Your wish is your lad's command," he snickered, finally allowing her to land both of her feet to the ground, while he still stubbornly kept his long arms wrapped around her, maintaining a safe circle for her to move in.

"Aw how cute," came from somewhere down the table, and Felix grinned like a dork, rubbing the back of his neck with one and still holding Ainslie tightly against him with the other, even when she twisted around, eager to teach the loud-mouth a lesson. "Stuff it Jeffery unless you'd like a formal introduction of my boot to your face!" As she threatened, Felix waved off with his hand towards the guy. "It's fine. You're fiiine. She didn't mean that."

Ainslie's temper was a known staple of the tiny ginger, and often the prominent one in any situations that were even remotely out of her comfort zone. It was a quirk of hers he always admired her for. If only he had so much fuel, he'd be doing wonders!

"Oh...okay…", came out of him once the table erupted into laughter. "That's...one way I did not expect this to go," he admitted to himself, darting his eyes back down at the partially contained explosion waiting to happen.

"Keep it up and I'll fight all of 'ya," Ainslie grew exponentially more upset as the rest enjoyed themselves. That just wasn't right now, was it? This was her moment and they have completely ruined it! Sighing with a smirk that showed he was neither upset nor disappointed, but merely over the joker that even wasn't one. It was one thing to laugh with you and a completely different one to laugh at you. And as far as Felix could tell, it came just a bit too close to the latter.

"Guys," he finally addressed the table with a cheeky smirk as now loosened his grip on Ainslie, but still kept his arm around her as a barrier towards the table full of unruly teens. "Guys, come on. What's so funny?" Felix shrugged, looking innocently through the faces at the table.

The laughter continued in streaks, bit more insecurely, and from fewer people. With nobody responding, he shrugged his shoulders more vigorously. "What? I don't get it."

It seemed to be catchingthem off guard as, obviously, nobody wished to explain how and why their relationship was so hilarious. Not even to the good lad Felix. Nobody wished to be handled the hot potato.

"It's okay, man. Don't worry about it!" Came awkwardly from one of the Gryffindors.

"Sorry," sheepishly said the other, getting back to tossing the food around her plate.

Grinning, Felix straightened up fully, releasing Ainslie and ruffling her hair. "And we forgive you! Isn't that right, Teddy Bear?" Right at that moment, the sound of a very realistic and loud fart sounded somewhere among the tables.

"Now that is a good joke," he snickered at it like the mature person he was, which sent the table roaring with laughter once more, this time with no badly interpreted malice. And while everyone became busy looking for the unfortunate soul that was assigned to the sound and gradually got back to their talks, Felix leaned down towards Ainslie conspiringly, his voice dropping down a level to add to the mystery.

"Confuse them, distract them, run," he noted quickly, grabbing her hand and leading her away from the table and out of the Great Hall. Behind its doors, it was incomparably quiet and it was only briefly disturbed by the chuckles as he stopped running a bit down the corridor, leaning against his knees to catch his breath. Running and chuckling at the same time did not go well together.

"Ah... Watkins' heh… gonna kill me. I haven't run a mile during the summer. Pooh!" he huffed briefly before straightening up. "It's silly if you think about it," he digressed. "Running in order to fly properly. The logic of it is beyond me and not many things are," he made a jest on the account of his height and laughed at his own joke before his eyes dropped down to Ainslie and immediately, his heart felt like it was swelling. He felt very warm inside, and it was not the run.

"Well, this is much better, ain't it?" He asked her with a wide grin. "So how was your summer, Hot Head? Tell me everything!"

 

[Sailor Arti]

Montserrat; Montserrat;

art by: still looking...

Ainslie Morrison

Location: Great Hall - Outside Corridor
Time of Day: Evening
Interaction: Felix Butler @Ritual Lobotomy
Mood: Flustered

Ainslie felt her anger radiating off of her in forms of heat waves. Her brown eyes were wild as they darted across each of the faces of her housemates. They wanted something to laugh at? Fine, Ainslie could arrange something sufficient. The ginger's muscles flexed and tensed as Felix finally let her go, despite still holding her close. She took a step to close the distance between the table and herself but Felix kept a hold on her, while speaking up.

"Guys," Felix began, his tone different yet the smile plastered on his face was typical Butler behavior. "Guys, come on. What's so funny?" The laughter still continued which caused Ainslie's blood to boil still but some parts of the table began to stop. Which is what kept her from honestly lunging at the table and causing a scene bigger than the pranks Felix set up. "What? I don't get it." Ainslie frowned as she stared up at him. He really could be an idiot sometimes huh?

Still it seemed an awkward feeling and befell those seated at the Gryffindor table and the taunting laughter that had been directed at her soon came to cease. "It's okay, man. Don't worry about it!" Came awkwardly from one of the Gryffindors. "Sorry," another sheepishly apologized. Ainslie's eyes widened as she stared back at Felix. That contagious grin of his was back as he laughed heartily before continuing, "And we forgive you! Isn't that right, Teddy Bear?"

Perhaps, he wasn't so stupid after all. Ainslie stood up properly, straightening out her hands since she had them balled into fists at her side. Suddenly an obnoxiously loud fart sound erupted from the other side of the Great Hall. "Now that is a good joke," Felix snicked which was quickly followed by bellows of laughter from her fellow housemates. Ainslie herself couldn't hide the small grin that played on her lips as she shook her head.

Felix then bent down and whispered in her ear causing her to freeze and her eyes to widen. His voice was lower, in a mischievous sort of way as he addressed her. "Confuse them, distract them, run," he admitted before quickly taking her hand and leading her out of the Great Hall. Was this all part of the 'plan'? She frowned as she followed after him. "Where are we going? A-and what about the food?!" she hissed after him as her shorter legs tried to keep up in stride with Felix's clearly longer ones.

The odd pair dashed through the hallways before stopping after they rounded a corner. Felix let go of her hand to catch his breath while leaning on his knees. Ainslie herself leaned against the wall, panting while glaring daggers at him. He knew she hated physical labor, especially when she didn't have to do it. "Ah... Watkins' heh… gonna kill me. I haven't run a mile during the summer. Pooh!" he huffed before standing up straight. "Not...if I...kill you first." Ainslie threatened as she ran fingers through her hair.

"It's silly if you think about it," he digressed. "Running in order to fly properly. The logic of it is beyond me and not many things are," The ginger hobbit rolled her eyes as she finally straightened up after catching her breath much later after Felix. It was obvious she was still the one more out of shape out of the pair. "Well, this is much better, ain't it?" He asked her with a wide grin. "So how was your summer, Hot Head? Tell me everything!"

Ainslie felt a blush creep on her cheeks as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What's there to tell? You were there for some of it anyway..." She muttered thinking about how bad summer had started before it got really good after they cleared the air of their misunderstanding. "Nothing interesting happened. There was nothing to do so...I was just...lonely after you left." Ainslie admitted at the end, her words trailing off into a mumble as she scratched her cheek with her nail.

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

VIRGILIUS HILDEGARD

Location: Hogwarts Castle - Great Hall
Time of day: Evening welcoming feast
Interactions:
@Nemopedia - Adelaide Rosier & The Headmaster
@Sailor Arti - Rei Scurlock

*********************************************************************

"Oh, they will be so proud!"

"Yes! I knew it!"

"Better start studying…"

Of course, he had the utmost faith in the Sorting Hat. In all the years he had been in Hogwarts, the old thing was truly never wrong, and yet, he had a hard time resisting taking a peek himself. It left him pleased with the clever fresh minds joining the Ravenclaw table, and perhaps slightly yearning for some others chosen for different houses. All things considered, it would be a productive year and Virgilius looked forward to it, even though his face expressed it only in traces, as it usually was the case. The year promised to be one of many challenges for the professor; perhaps the most challenging one yet. And while the challenge on its own bothered him little, the background on which it grew on made him restless enough to matter.

Time and place. There was time and place for everything, he had to keep reminding himself, even if all of it was blended enough to hardly be able to tell the difference or what caused what. All the new dents and cracks in the lives of the wizards were an inspiration enough to try harder and cultivate better minds, and that was arguably his most important task of them all. Leaning back against his chair, Virgil threw a quick glance up and down the teachers' table; wonderful, great minds just like those.

Barely noticeable, his ears twitched as they picked up the conversation in development down the row with Pyre's unmistakable voice, and young miss Rosier as fresh blood to be poked and tested. Either the old man kept forgetting Virgil was able to hear him better than the average, even with the voices of excited youngsters reaching him from all over the Great Hall, or he simply wished for him to pay attention. Based on years of experience, he would bet his galleons on the latter.

"My, oh my, how the young ones grow, but change little in character," Pyre prodded further at the young woman. "I do say that Caia and Virgil make quite a pair." And there it was. Virgil sighed inaudibly, throwing a quick side glance at the fire-haired colleague that was already digging into food spread out in front of her, shouting at the Gryffindors for their unimaginative prank. Whatever gave him that idea, he thought to himself.

Undeniably, miss Watkins was a wonderful person and a very capable witch. Her appearance added to it, but… Really? With all due respect to all of her qualities, Virgil couldn't imagine a reality in which he would be able to handle her flaws well. Madam Watkins was too much like a walking definition of too many "too much", not to be tiring in the long run. Humans and their emotional imagination where every act of kindness meant affection beyond the presented limit. He both admired them for it and pitied them on occasion; mainly those occasions that would lead them towards an inevitable emotional hurt. One would think they'd expect something like that, wearing their hearts on their sleeves, he reckoned. But alas.

"But that is professor Hildegard?!" Came as a shocking realization to Adelaide, and Virgil found it very amusing. Pyre was absolutely right; her character seemed to be barely changed with time. "Yes, yes that is indeed professor Hildegard, or as most in the faculty call him: Virgil," the Headmaster amused himself further. And while miss Rosier's confusion and disorientation added fuel to Pyre's tease, Virgil stood up, pardoning himself to the colleagues sat next to him, and made his way around the table, passing the Headmaster and miss Rosier as he went.

"And so is Caia now, she is professor Watkins and you are professor Rosier, are you not?" He heard Pyre's rhetorical question and spoke up in passing.

"And you should be the grand wise Headmaster and yet here you are, behaving as if you still belong to one of those four tables." The jest came out dryly; a typical way for Virgil that Pyre would surely pick up on. "Welcome to the other side, miss Rosier. You will get used to him, worry not. Excuse me." He cracked a brief smirk before distancing himself.

As soon as he stepped down into the main part of the Great Hall, he attracted the attention of many, but more particularly, of his own table that now rustled with excited whispers and students attempting to get a better look while others were on their best behavior, addressing him properly. Both proud and self-conscious about the attention those young people were giving him, he responded just as politely, slowly making his way around the Ravenclaw table, asking and responding to questions of those confident enough to ask them.

Even though he was equally fascinated with each new face that Introduced themselves to him, as well as seeing how others have grown over the holidays, a bent figure caught his attention. Eirwyn Rei Scurlock was one of those faces that hardly changed over time, save for the obligatory physical maturation with the passage of time. He proceeded down the table until he found himself standing behind the boy, observing his work in silence for a few moments while his housemates giggled and whispered around him. Virgil, however, prevented any attempt of them interrupting the work with a simple lift of his hand, which Ravenclaws knew very well. Mister Hildegard never once raised his tone at any of them and yet, they all learned to respect his silent authority. While still amused by it, the students toned down quite significantly, and once the atmosphere was disciplined enough, Virgil moved his arms behind his back, allowing the work to continue as he observed, towering over the boy at a respectful distance.

Only when Rei decided to pause briefly, he spoke to him in his typical, soothing amusement. "Mister Scurlock. Lovely to see you again, as creative and as tall as ever," he mused. "You will be giving mister Butler a run for his galleons soon enough if you continue on this path," he jested with a polite smirk, throwing a quick glance across the room at the rowdy Gryffindor that created all the ruckus, as per usual. It was met with the loud approval of a few competitive Ravenclaws and confirming nods from the others.

"Looking forward to a fresh start?" He asked with measured out eagerness. It was not a secret that Rei was one of the students he laid the most hopes in when it came to his own field, and while he held all of his students in high regard for one reason or the other, he tended to harmlessly nudge those excelling in potions just a bit further. And Merlin's beard did he have things to teach them this year.

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

FELIX BUTLER

Location: Hogwarts Castle - Outside corridor
Time of day: Evening welcoming feast
Interactions:
Ainslie Morrison - @Sailor Arti


"What's there to tell? You were there for some of it anyway..." Felix's grin faded just a bit at her response. As much as he looked forward to the adventure that was waiting for him, he never failed to express how much he wished to show all of it to her too. There was a small disturbance in her aura as she trailed off into her own thoughts. "Nothing interesting happened. There was nothing to do so...I was just...lonely after you left."

Even though he knew her words have no ill intention and were just there as an honest response to his question, Felix couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving her alone. "Well uh I-I am sorry, Teddy Bear. Wish I could have taken you with me but… I promise, I made no detours and went straight here to wait for you!" He grinned with slight insecurity. Man! Was he bad at all this relationship stuff, or what? Sure, he understood that girls are always right and he should apologize, but then what?

"But I am here now so, let me make it up to you!" He added excitedly as he tapped around his uniform, an expression of utter terror crossing his face briefly.

"Uh...it's… Somewhere. I-I could have sworn I brought it in with me… Dammit!" He mumbled, flustered, and confused. "Oh. Wait!" It occurred to him finally. "Of course!"

Quickly, he reached into his sweater and further into the pocket on his chest to take out a compactly reduced box, neatly wrapped in a colorful paper, with an insecurely tied bow on the top. Happy that it was there the whole time, Felix grabbed his wand with the other hand and brought the tip of it against the box. "Left it there so it doesn't get lost in all the mess, you know. That would have been a damn shame; considering I've climbed all over the Grand Canyon to find the right one. I can hardly get back and find another one, eh?" He jested and paused briefly, digressing once more. "Well...I suppose climbing IS an exercise… guess I am good after all. But anyway!" He rushed back to the point, casting a confident "Engorgio" at the box that shook briefly on his palm before popping back to the size of an average muggle cellphone, now covering his entire hand.

"You may notice that the bow is a bit messy," he chuckled, pointing it out in advance. "I, uh, Know I could have just charm it, but I wanted to do it myself and as it turns out, I am really bad at it." He admitted with a sheepish smirk, holding the box in front of Ainslie, free for taking while his cheeks turned tomato-red to parry hers once it dawned on him. This was the very first gift he would give to her as his girlfriend. Was he sure it was good enough? Would she like it? Is it too late to bail? Yes, it most definitely was. She's already seen it.

"A-all yours. But if you don't like it, t-that's okay. I'll figure something else!" Granted he had no idea what else could he be gifting, and the feather seemed like a good idea in his mind, but he was sure he could figure something out. "Sky- uh, professor Anderson agreed to let me bring this back for you so I figured, why not?" He elaborated with a nervous chuckle. "I also couldn't really give it to you in front of everyone. It's a mess in there! I wonder how that happened?"

Clearing his throat, he again focused his chaotic train of thoughts into one coherent stream, still blushing at his own action. "And I know this does not make up for me going away, but I hope it's a start so… There you go. Open it up!" he grinned, ushering her to take it. "As close to the heart as it can get! I-I was also told it can alert of danger. Guess that's a nice bonus!" Felix added excitedly, fairly proud of his own finding.

What's In The Box?

The box contains a silver necklace with a transparent oval pendant and a thunderbird feather in it. The feather is smaller than those on the wings since it comes from the bird's chest area (hence the "close to the heart" comment). It looks soft and iridescent, and will occasionally switch colors from various shades of gold to electrifying blue, to grey and silver, to white, and even to deep navy. It is less potent than tail feathers and will not actively react to deflect the danger, but it will alert of it by vibrating and flashing within the pendant.

 

[Sailor Arti]

Cormorant Garamond; Metamorphous;

...

Rei Scurlock

Location: Great Hall
Interaction: Virgil Hildegard - @Ritual Lobotomy
Mood: Hungry & Tired

The sounds in the hall only continued to grow louder and louder, which might have irritated the Ravenclaw had he not mastered his selective hearing. Rei hadn't really been thinking about what he was drawing, he just let his pencil dance across the page. By the time he figured he should really take a look at what he was drawing he saw the workings of a raven. A small smirk formed on his lips at the sight, ravens were his favorite bird after all.

Besides it reminded him of Burra, his pet raven, or rather Darling's pet raven. Burra wasn't a normal raven, but when was anything normal in the wizarding world? Still, Darling had paired Burra and Rei up since he had gone to live with her. Rei's first impression was something sort of comical. He remembered being scared shitless when Burra spoke to him the first time. It got a bunch of laughs from Darling and later Rei himself. Since then the pair had grown rather close. They bicker like siblings but Rei knows Burra's looking out for him.

Chuckling to himself he began to clean up his sketch as he nibbled on a piece of bread. Another round of laughter erupted in the hall which managed to get Rei's attention this time. Repeated 'fart' sounds could be heard popping up from around the hall which caused Rei to roll his eyes again. If this kept up he'd wind up with a headache the first day back at school. Rei bent down, hunched over his drawing as he tried to focus on his drawing.

Rei decided he didn't just want to draw a typical raven picture, he'd add some flare to it this time. Whatever started to look good he would stick with. He drew the raven as if it was beginning to take flight. Some of it's wings seemed tattered and old and it's eyes he left ghostly white. In the background he sketched out lines that made it look as if the raven had flown in front of broken glass. Thorns wrapped around it's legs and sprouted from its head. He wasn't quite sure whey his pencil led him to this but it started looking good as he continued.

Once Rei had finished the piece of bread he was eating he looked up to grab another and noticed some of the students sneaking glances his way. Frowning Rei flashed him a look after several others started before quickly looking away to continue what they were doing. Rei almost spoke but as he turned to face them he saw from the corner of his eye something behind him. Turning his head to see he jumped when he saw Professor Hildegard.

"Mister Scurlock. Lovely to see you again, as creative and as tall as ever," he mused. "You will be giving mister Butler a run for his galleons soon enough if you continue on this path," Rei practically chocked on his bread from the scare the head of his house gave him. "Looking forward to a fresh start?" he asked him once Rei had recovered. "Erm...y-yes," Rei answered awkwardly at first before placing his dinner roll back on his plate and turned back to face Professor Hildegard. "If anything I'm looking forward to your class the most. I'm looking forward to challenging my abilities further." Rei said with a small smirk.

Potions was his favorite class. Rei didn't even really consider potions a curriculum and more of a hobby for himself. Still, it offered him a mental break from the rest of his courses. Potions allowed him to express himself creatively in a way he couldn't really do in any other class. He hoped to learn more challenging recipes and skills from his teacher. Rei always worked hard in his classes, he had to since he had a goal he was working towards, but potions came naturally to him as well.

Rei's Drawing

 

[Sailor Arti]

Montserrat; Montserrat;

art by: still looking...

Ainslie Morrison

Location: Great Hall - Outside Corridor
Time of Day: Evening
Interaction: Felix Butler - @Ritual Lobotomy
Mood: Flustered + Flattered

"Well uh I-I am sorry, Teddy Bear. Wish I could have taken you with me but… I promise, I made no detours and went straight here to wait for you!" Felix immediately apologized after her confession. Ainslie's eyes widened as she began to wave her hands and shake her head. "N-no no, I didn't mean to make you apologize..." she admitted as her cheeks burned more before she dropped her gaze, "I know you would've taken me. I'm sorry...I just....meant...........that I missed you." She finally admitted. Her voice only got quieter as she continued her confession thought. She was still sure that Felix would be able to understand.

"But I am here now so, let me make it up to you!" Felix exclaimed as he continued as he began to pat around. However after moments of patting his facial expression shifted into one of horror. Ainslie frowned as she tilted her head to the side curious as to what was the problem. "Uh...it's… Somewhere. I-I could have sworn I brought it in with me… Dammit!" He mumbled, flustered, and confused. "Oh. Wait!" It occurred to him finally. "Of course!" He exclaimed as he reached into his inner sweater pocket now.

Felix pulled out a compacted gift box wrapped in colorful paper and tied with a rather sloppy but oddly cute bow. Ainslie looked from the box in his palm back to him then back to the box again. For some reason, as smart as she was, it was still taking a second for her to realize that the gift was for her. "Left it there so it doesn't get lost in all the mess, you know. That would have been a damn shame; considering I've climbed all over the Grand Canyon to find the right one. I can hardly get back and find another one, eh?" Felix joked as he flashed her one of his signature goofy smiles.

"Wait...get what?" Ainslie asked softly before Felix continued further. "Well...I suppose climbing IS an exercise… guess I am good after all. But anyway!" He flicked his wand at the box and casted "Engorgio" at the box in his palm. It then grew in his palm to become a longer rectangle about the size of a cellphone. "You may notice that the bow is a bit messy," he chuckled, pointing it out in advance. "I, uh, know I could have just charmed it, but I wanted to do it myself and as it turns out, I am really bad at it."

Felix's shy smirk caused her face to flare up in a rather vibrant blush once more. So obvious that it reached the tips of her ears. Ainslie's heart fluttered a bit and she fidgeted nervously where she stood. This whole relationship thing was pretty wild. It was nothing but an emotional roller coaster the whole time but Ainslie would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it. This was the first gift she'd received from Felix since becoming his girlfriend and the things that did to her heart left her feeling like some lovesick heroine in the anime's she would watch.

Fee held the box out to her, a blush coloring his cheeks now as he did so. Ainslie couldn't help the little chuckle that as she took the box from his hands. "A-all yours. But if you don't like it, t-that's okay. I'll figure something else!" Ainslie frowned, "Why wouldn't I like it? It's a gift from you." She said as she began to untie the ribbon. "And the ribbon is cute," she said with a giggle. "Sky- uh, professor Anderson agreed to let me bring this back for you so I figured, why not?" He elaborated with a nervous chuckle. "I also couldn't really give it to you in front of everyone. It's a mess in there! I wonder how that happened?"

Fee cleared his throat before gesturing towards the box again, "And I know this does not make up for me going away, but I hope it's a start so… There you go. Open it up!" he grinned, "As close to the heart as it can get! I-I was also told it can alert of danger. Guess that's a nice bonus!" Ainslie managed to unwrap the gift and opened it. Ainslie's brown orbs widened as she stared down at the beautiful silver necklace. At it's base it was adorned with a transparent oval pendant with a feather on the inside that was iridescent in color.

Despite her reputation of being a tough girl, there were a few people that managed to pierce through her thick exterior and get straight to the softness of her heart. Ainslie's face shifted as she blinked back tears. She was touched that Felix, even while working hard, had thought about her so much that he worked to get her this thoughtful and one of a kind gift. "You..." she started but her voice cracked, "You did this all for me?" She said as she clutched the necklace to her chest.

She was sure, this was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. Ainslie bit her lip as she shuffled her weight from side to side. She thought about how much she had missed him over the summer, even shedding a few silly but lonely tears. Still she didn't say anything and she wouldn't, she wanted to support his dreams because he always did the same for her. Now holding this gift in her hand she just realized how lucky and blessed she was. It made all the lonely nights she spent without him worth it, in her eyes.

"I love it Fee, thank you." She said as she continued to cradle her gift. "No one's ever done this for me before..." she whispered softly. Once again it felt like her eyes were threatening to betray her and shed some tears but she held them back. "C-could you help me put it on?" she asked as she turned her back to him and pulled her long red hair to the side so Felix had access to her neck. His fingers snaked around her neck as he worked the clasp open to slip the necklace on Ainslie.

Once the ginger felt her weight around her neck her slender fingers touched the cool pendant that rested on her bare skin. "Look good?" she smiled at him flashed a silly pose for him before closing the gap between them. She stood on the tips of her toes and pulled on his tie to make him bend down further for her so she could reach his lips. She quickly gave him a kiss in the middle of the hallway before pulling away from him. Her face was the same shade of red as her house colors and she shifted her feet nervously afterwards. "Thank you," she said again, "I'll cherish it, I promise."

 

[DayDreamer]

It has been quite the ordinary feast. Of course that was not to say it was boring. On the contrary, the meals were hearty, the enchanted ceiling had the brightest of stars and the gossips, laughter and good times were making the Great Hall buzz. Even with their stomachs full to the brim, the kids did not seem to be ready to settle down just yet. Dessert was fast approaching however.

"Boohoo, get creative!" sounded from the teacher's table as Caia picked up bits of food and swallowed them hungrily one after the other, looking somewhat like a hamster.

Eventually the last of the savoury dishes disappeared, leaving empty tables and clean new plates. Or perhaps they were the same ones they had eaten just moments ago and House Elf magic made for one hell of a fast dishwasher. Skylar couldn't tell, but did it really make a difference? It was time for her charms to do their job.

She side-glanced at Caia, barely containing the impish smirk that threatened to show at any moment as the faintest of white smokes began to appear from the tips of the flame-haired menace. At her own shame, it took her a while to notice, and even when she did, a bit of smoke in the hall full of pranks blowing off one after the other hardly did anything to deter her from her plate. But after a while, even being as oblivious of it as she was, she soon had realized that the smoke, funnily, came from somewhere around the rich feathery collar of her cloak.

"What in Merlin's name…"

Turning around herself, madam Watkins caught a smug side-eye glance down the table. Their resident American-head had all too much fun with it not to be implicated. After all, that was her for seven years of her studies. She knew a prankster when she saw one.

"Anderson, you dork!" She managed to shout out amused before the prank truly took off. A brief feral grin was the only confirmation that she received from the newly identified dork.

It was a love hate relationship indeed. The smoke was growing more prominent by the second and soon the curls of hair exploded in glorious fashion with Caia wincing more of a surprise than the sound. The tips of Caia's curls went off in the most glorious of miniature fireworks, creating the words MADAM FIRECRACKER before dissipating, escorted by the thundering sounds of firecrackers, leaving madam Watkins standing bent half-way and squinting her eyes at the whistles passing near her ears. How appropriate that just as the entire situation registered fully, dessert materialized in front of everyone.

The room fell silent for a brief moment and then erupted in a wave of cheers and claps over the show presented. Opening one eye and then the other, Caia straightened up with a groan, coughing and waving her hands madly in front of her face, clearing up a thick trail of pyrotechnic smoke tickling her nose.

"You!" She frowned towards Skylar, letting her angry face brew for a minute as the claps continued. "Me?" Skylar parroted back with that challenging innocent tone that was all too familiar among pranksters. That smug yet utterly textbook innocent attitude that could drive people crazy.

"Not bad, Anderson", she continued after the dramatic pause, her face switching to a mischievous smirk as she offered a clap of her own. "Not bad at all, newbie. It is on," she squinted her eyes in a playful challenge, and it caused another wave of ovations among the students. "Magic is still not allowed in the hallways." Was Skylar's audible response, but her eyes were gleaming. This was only the beginning. War was about to return to Hogwarts and it promised to be the most creative yet.

---------------------
OOC: I apologize in advance for waking up Addie so rudely XD

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

FELIX BUTLER

Location: Hogwarts Castle - Outside corridor
Time of day: Evening welcoming feast
Interactions:
Ainslie Morrison - @Sailor Arti

******

Yes? No? Yeees? Nooo?

Both questions kept switching around in his head as he observed her reaction. A warm, pulsating aura she radiated gave away her excitement. It was good enough not to have the boy flip off entirely right then and there, waiting for her answer. But even so, he needed to hear it.

"You..." She spoke up finally, making him focus entirely once again. "You did this all for me?"

"Well, I thought that Caleb might have liked it, but then I figured you probably would've appreciated it too," he jested. "Of course I did it for you, Teddy Bear. And it's the least I could do. Really." It wasn't something that was ever brought up openly. Still, he was endlessly grateful for her never-ending patience with his shenanigans. The fact that she not only tolerated him but liked him as more than just a friend still blew his mind even after both of them agreed on it being a mutual feeling. He always sometimes felt a bit of nervousness. Or perhaps a pinch of fear. One of these days, she may as well get too tired to cope, but not today!

"I love it, Fee, thank you." She said finally, and the sense of relief surged in with a wave of blush. "Eh, don't mention it. Really! It makes me happy to see you happy, silly." He admitted with a wide grin, fidgeting.

"No one's ever done this for me before..." His grin dimmed down into a sympathetic smile, even though the words like that tended to hurt his soul more than he gave away. That was unfair. She deserved so much more. It should've only been a trinket — something of a souvenir. It was relieving that she found so much love for his gift. However, understanding the lack of appreciation of the world towards her also felt bitter.

"Good!" He exclaimed with excitement. "That means I get to spoil you myself." He didn't mention the tears building up in her eyes, although he hadn't failed to notice them. He understood them, and pointing them out would have been unnecessarily redundant.

"C-could you help me put it on?" She asked, adjusting herself in front of him and handing him the necklace. As soon as it touched his palm, the feather in it turned the color. Pale pink mixed with a sky-blue; a swirl of colors you could see on every fair in the cotton candy drum or a soft sunset on the horizon. But it wasn't a subtle change that made him hesitate for a moment. He had already touched, hugged, and even kissed her a respectable number of times until that moment. Still, something about all that felt more intimate. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the feeling of pleasant discomfort lingered.

He obliged, of course. Quite well, for that matter. His focus heightened, and the clasp opened and closed on the first try. Small victories. Even though his face still maintained streaks of red just above his cheekbones, Felix flashed a confident grin. Supporting hands against his hips, he observed her with enthusiasm. "Well, look at you!"

"Look good?" Ainslie shot him a question as she struck an exaggerated pose, and Felix laughed out. "Looks gorgeous. Well… The necklace is okay too, I guess." As soon as the words slid from him, he bit his tongue and squinted his eyes. "That was so very. Unnecessarily. Corny. I am very sorry you had to hear that." He blabbered out as she approached, redness flushing over his face again. "I am allowing you a free eye-roll on that one…" The sentence was brought to a halt when their lips connected. It was only for a moment and, to be fair, completely unexpected. If there was one thing he had learned early on, it was: Ainslie didn't do affection in public. Ever.

Indeed, she didn't have much choice but to comply back in the Great Hall partially, but this one - the more direct and more obvious one - was all her. Even a brief moment like that was a big deal when you placed Ainslie into the equation.

"Thank you," she said as she stepped away from him at a safe distance. One on which no one could ever assume anything else of the two students holding a conversation. "I'll cherish it, I promise." The beanstalk straightened up slowly. He retrieved hands into his pockets and held back a grin with his head bowed down, as a pair of Hufflepuffs passed mere seconds after their little moment. A close one. He had to admit that something was exciting in hiding it from the prying eyes, so he did not mind it.

"Don't mention it." He waved it off in a carefree manner, comically overplaying the confidence of a jock hitting on a girl. "You love it, you love me for it, and that is what matters." He smirked charmingly.

"Oh!" It came as a thought that did not occur to him until that moment, breaking the charade. "I also have a bunch of very awesome sweets to share, but…" Right on queue, his stomach sounded loud and angry. "But first," he rubbed it over his sweater with a grimace. "Let's not starve. Race you to the table." He challenged her, adjusting himself for a running start. But instead of actually running, he casually strolled forward, one foot in front of the other, whistling happily. Oh, he really had so many things to tell her… But in just a minute. An empty stomach made it hard to think, and a growing boy like him needed all the fuel.

His step was moderate enough for Ainslie not to hate him for breaking a sweat but dynamic enough to have her make some effort.

"If I get there first, you know I will eat from your plate first!" He jested as he walked away.

If there were two things he had learned early on, they were: Ainslie didn't do affection in public, and Ainslie never shared her food willingly. Not even with him. Ever.

 

[Sailor Arti]

Montserrat; Montserrat;

art by: still looking...

Ainslie Morrison

Location: Outside Corridor - Great Hall (again)
Time of Day: Evening
Interaction: Felix Butler - @Ritual Lobotomy
Mood: Flustered + Flattered

Ainslie caught the blush that formed on Felix's cheeks and smiled a little. Good to see she wasn't the only one flustered. A pair of hufflepuffs walked past them giving the pair a glance. Ainslie caught their eyes which quickly made them avert their eyes and go on their way. Turning back to Felix, the ginger watched him smoothly lift his hand and shove his hands in his pockets.

"Don't mention it." he waved it off, "You love it, you love me for it, and that is what matters." He smirked charmingly. Ainslie sputtered at the notion but couldn't very well deny the fact. So for once instead of arguing it she just turned her head from him and pouted, taking a piece of her long hair and picking at the ends with her nail.

"Oh!" Felix exclaimed pulling the ginger hobbit from her thoughts, "I also have a bunch of very awesome sweets to share, but…" Ainslie practically perked up at the mention of sweets. She was going to ask what kind but was interrupted by the loud grumble of Felix's belly. She chuckled and nodded "Same." she agreed with his stomach. "But first," he rubbed it over his sweater with a grimace. "Let's not starve. Race you to the table."

Now Ainslie might not have been a fan of physical exertion but when food was involved you could be sure she became quite the willing participant. The way Felix quickly turned and waltzed off caught Ainslie off guard since she wasn't ready yet herself. "H-hey!" she called after him and quickly sprung forward.

Felix had several advantages, the main one being his longer stride. But one thing Ainslie had on her side was speed and it wasn't just something she saved on the quidditch field. She quickly caught up to Felix, not showing the earlier signs of lethargy that she had when he led her out here. "If I get there first, you know I will eat from your plate first!"

Ainslie quickly flashed him a glare before pointing at him. "Felix Butler. You know better than to come between a woman and her food. Besides worry about not tripping on those undone shoelaces first before worrying about my plate." she snickered as she skipped away towards the hall. Ainslie turned back to face him as she did so waving her wand in his face to signal she may or may not have tampered with his shoes. His choice to find out for himself. As for the ginger she would be enjoying feast from the victor's seat.

***

When the Gryffindor pair made it back into the hall they didn't seem to be missed, which was great. She wouldn't need to come up with some excuse as to where they had gone. Ainslie couldn't help but glance around the Gryffindor table once more to see if she spied Caleb, but alas he was nowhere to be found. As Ainslie began to pile up her plate she turned to Felix. "That reminds me, I need to talk to you about Caleb." Ainslie whispered in a hush tone to him. Her facial expression and tone made it clear it was serious.

"Not here though. After we finish eating we should leave quickly." She said popping a piece of dinner roll into her mouth, "To check up on him and all and beat the crowds." She continued before piling even more food on the mountain that was resting already comfortably on her plate.