Entrance Hall

[Zoe]

Whether you are brand new to Hogwarts or have been here a while, the Entrance Hall is always a breath-taking sight to see. Always memorable are the high ceilings, the colourful portraits on the walls, and the grand marble staircase. Various torches light the large room, keeping it nice and cozy at all times of the year. Arched windows atop the staircase, featuring the four Hogwarts Founders in all of their glory, bring in natural lighting as well.

This room is the gateway to the rest of the castle; however, those parts are temporarily off-limits until Headmistress Hawthorne dismisses the student body from the Start-of-Term Feast for bed. Of course, you are more than welcome to slip out of the Great Hall to use the restroom in the corridor a few doors down or take a short break from the crowded room after the speech has been given. Not much is happening out here besides the caretaker and a team of house-elves taking everyone's luggage to the appropriate dormitories. Don't linger out here too long; you have a feast to enjoy.

[DaniDiNardo]

She never thought she’d say it, but she missed Erik. It was fairly easy to get him doing both their jobs and now she felt an....obligation to pull her own weight. The new Prefect, she didn’t spend the last two years working with. She didn’t know him well, and didn’t really want to at this point so she could hardly dumb everything on him. Even more, with the badge now firmly in place, there was the feeling she couldn’t do the bare minimum; that more was expected of her and that was enough to inch the young girl closer to that anxiety she’d been trying to avoid the whole ride here.

In no great hurry to head inside and see all the “wonderful” new changes, Jessa hung back to ensure the claws were ushered into the Great Hall. She remained out in the Entrance Hall under the guise of trying to ensure any stragglers were also ushered in but really, the 7th year was dreading the moment she’d have to step inside and make it all real.

No Hirsch. This badge. Being back inside the castle had already added an edge of realism to it but going inside would cement it.

At first, she took a seat by the staircase but when the restlessness proved too much, Jessa took to a mild form of pacing about the Hall. It took everything in her to not simply head upstairs and get an early start on hiding away in her lab.

There was a lot to process in this new year and most of it wasn’t the sort of things she was looking forward to. Somehow she had to calm herself enough to move through those large double doors.

[Julian Scrimgeour]

The door to the Entrance Hall suddenly opened and an old figure slipping through, rain dripping down from his face and onto the floor. Scrimgeour, of course, wasn't fazed by this. He had endured far, far worse in his day. But he was a bit taken aback at the sight of the student clad in blue just pacing outside of the Great Hall. If memory served him right, ALL of the students were to be sitting at their respective tables. What made THIS girl so special, hmm? Even worse, why were those at the staff table letting her break ranks?

But the man did not bother asking the girl what she was doing out there in the hall by herself. He simply grunted at her disapprovingly and kept on walking, moving through the threshold of the large double doors, his former wand arm, a metal prosthesis, was digging in his coat pocket for something very important.

Was Fletcher keeping up with him? The man sure hoped so. He expected nothing less.

[Calvin Fletcher]

It was the perfect weather for change but Calvin did not embrace it with the same indifference as his colleague. Soaked and dripping was not a good look for him so he opted for an impervius charm. Simple and effective. That was the way he liked things.

Calvin kept only a few steps behind Scrimgeour, moving with a brisk pace. He also noticed the pacing girl but again was not quite so passive. “This isn’t where you should be. I suggest you remedy that quickly.” Those were all the words he would spare on the matter. The start of term feast, last he checked, was not an optional affair. The fact she felt she was above this rule was indication enough of how Hogwarts had been run and it was dismal to say the least.

The man continued his steady strides until he too was through the large wooden doors.

[Sylvia Grimblehawk]

Sylvia had just managed to make it to the entrance hall. There was a big mess of shredded parchment made by some of the students' pet cats that had some how gotten loose before she could move them. The red head was certainly in a mood because of that, and where in the world were those house elves? They needed to get these trunks to their respective dorms asap!

Soon she noticed Jessa pacing, and was about to say something to her when two gentlemen she had never seen before walked in. The younger of the two was quite harsh with the Head Girl, causing Sylvia to take pause. The usually jovial caretaker, was rather annoyed. Especially with the older man dripping all over the place. "First of all, you could be a little nicer. Being Head Girl is a lot of responsibility." She said, standing next to Jessa and wrapping an arm around her. "Secondly, could you at least dry yourself off before you come in here." She said to the older man.

She shook her head in anger, before turning to Jessa with a concerned smile, "Sweetheart, you need to go in the Great Hall, okay?" She gave the girl a wink and gave her a pat on the shoulder.

This too shall pass......she thought to herself. Hopefully these strange men would only be here for a short time. "Are you two looking for the Headmistress? The feast is about to start." She pointed to the Great Hall.

[DaniDiNardo]

The sudden opening of the door yanked the Ravenclaw from her own thoughts quite forcefully. With everyone already inside and what she suspected would be a speech happening any time now, Jessa didn’t expect anyone to be marching into the school, least of all adults with purpose in their stride.

Jessa watched silently from the spot she’d ended up with all her pacing. She’d never seen them before which made any guesses at their purpose harder to come by.

She thought to continue her pacing or move it elsewhere until the second guy addressed her directly. The 7th year blinked at him, not sure he had the authority to decide where she spent the feast but figuring his tone implied as much. Had she missed something? In the second it took her to consider the man’s words, there was an arm wrapping around her.

Well this was growing to be as overwhelming as the thought of going inside had been. Perhaps she should’ve made a break for her lab when she had the chance. Blue eyes moved from the caretaker to the men who’d now disappeared into the Great Hall before nodding at the woman’s words.

Yes. Inside. Out here she’d already received more attention than she cared for. Jessa watched the two men until they were far enough into the Great Hall before slipping out of the woman’s grasp and heading inside too. Might as well get this over with. Find out what they were here for.

[Beezley]

The little elf ran as fast as her knobby knees would take her. The studentsies were here, and she had planned to be at the Entrance Hall long before now! She ran faster, and as she finally got to her destination, she paused to catch her breath. She tried her hardest not to let anyone see her take deep breaths. She was here to serve and would do so happily!

She just had to get those trunks up to the common rooms before the studentsies got finished eating!

[Argyle]

The food all ready for the feast, Argyle popped into the Entrance Hall to help with the trunks. So many and only so many house elves to get them where they needed to go before studentses needed them. Unfamiliar adulteses caught Argyle's wide-eyed attention as she went to work, the elf hesitating in curiosity with head tilt before disappearing to drop off her load. However, it won over as she reappeared and scuffled towards the heavy wooden doors of the Great Hall.

[Quirly]

The food was ready! Yes! Now the studentsies needed their belongings in their rooms. Quirly wanted to please her masters and Algamus, so she had her hands full with the trunks. Quirly was STRONG. She can handle this with her spatula held in her mouth. She needed to HURRY!

And hurry she did as she pay no mind to anywhere but out of the Hall.

[Nimma]

Phew! Yes the feast had in fact been prepared, and there were plenty House Elves in the kitchen to make sure the Feast went off without a hitch. Nimma went upstairs to where the luggages was surely all still waiting. Nimma looked around appreciatively to the elves that had gotten here on time to help, and started grabbing bags to move. As she did so, she spotted Miss Jessa to whom she bowed. When two strangers came through the front door, Nimma let out a squeak of terror. The men did not look very happy and Nimma had not expected any one except the studentsies to enter right now. Nimma took all of the luggage she could manage and, eyes darting between Mistress Sylvia and the men, disapparated.

[Sylvia Grimblehawk]

Oh, heck no! Those two men completely ignored her! Oh, she was positively fuming! But she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She had a job to do and she had to do it quickly!

Jessa seemed absolutely dazed by the two men as well. She gave the young woman an encouraging smile before as she walked into the Great Hall. She had a feeling this was going to be a long night!

Soon enough the House elves had finally showed up to get the luggage to the dorms. "It's about time, y'all!" She said with with a huff and crossed her arms. But she knew they were just as busy as she was, and was glad to have them, even if they were a little late. "Thank you Beezley, Argyle, Quirly, and Nimma! I can't do this without you all!" With that said, Sylvia leviosa'ed a bunch of the Hufflepuff trunks, stacking them on top of each other, and headed to that common room.

In all of the hubbub, she hadn't noticed the Headmistress making her way out of the Great Hall alone. She would soon find out about the leadership change, news travels fast around Hogwarts.