Rayna took a deep breath as she walked across the old bridge towards the grounds. There was a nice strong breeze blowing through the slats, and the view from the mid-way point on the bridge was lovely. Really helped that today was perfectly clear of clouds, and had a good temperature to boot.
The girl stopped for a moment, leaned her elbows against the railing and looked down. A few small creatures were moving around in the valley below, probably scrounging for food or materials for their homes. And a few birds perching in the trees towards the 'grounds' side of the mountain slope were sounding off their alarms. Probably because they saw Rayna peering over at them with keen eyes.
"I'm not going to bother you." Rayna said to the birds, "I swear." She turned her attention back to the valley below, and took another breath. True, she was only eleven, but actually being at school had her thinking....'What job would I be best at?' The girl hadn't so much as thought of that before coming to Hogwarts. It just wasn't her thing to think about that kind of stuff while she'd been at home with her parents. And if there was a time to really start preparing for her future career, it would be now. At school. As soon as possible.

Just as Rayna's nose began to wrinkle from being lost in thought, her owl Silvano, a mature tawny, landed next to her on the railing. "I don't suppose you have anything from home, right?" She asked, looking to both the owls legs which didn't have any mail tied to them. "That's alright." Rayna stroked the owls feathers. 'Mum and dad mentioned every few days. Not every other.' She thought to herself. "Good to see you're settling in here well, though."
Rayna smiled lightly and reached into her bag, pulled out an old biscuit and broke it into several pieces. A good portion of which she fed to Silvano.

Daniel had never seen such a huge place before and it was scaring him, the problem was that he didn't know many people and boy was that a massive problem here.

He decided that the best thing to do would be to explore the place. So taking out a piece of paper he decided to have some fun. "Day 1, the group have finally arrived at this massive looking palace, the place is nice and huge, though it can take months to get your dinner if you get lost in the many rooms."

"Day 101, I unfortunately got lost in one of the many rooms and it took me 100 days to find my way out, luckily I had enough food to ration, though my supplies are dwindling and I'm sure I'll have to leave sooner than I had hoped, with many places left unexplored.

"Day 110. So the last 9 days I have been exploring places but still the one room I want to find I can't..." Daniel was about to continue when suddenly he noticed he was standing at a wooden bridge.

"I have no idea how I have missed this bridge before but I..." He stopped when he noticed a girl his age standing there and his eyes lit up. "Rayna, come and join my exploration party." Daniel ran over to her.

Silvano let out a shriek of a hoot at the sudden sound of another students' voice. Rayna turned and spotted Daniel headed towards her, and tilted her head a little curiously, "Exploration party?" She smoothed down her owls ruffled feathers. "I was just headed to drop off my creature companions slip." The girl thought for a moment and gave a small smile, "But I could go for a little exploring. It'd be good to get more familiar with this place."
She hadn't exactly gotten lost heading anywhere yet, but aside from a few classrooms, her houses common room, and the Great Hall, her mental map of the school wasn't where she'd like it to be.

Daniel smiled as Rayna said she would go exploring with him, how great was that. "I wonder if this place has any dungeons, you see you hide down there for weeks without anyone finding you." Daniel was already thinking about things that he could do. "Like you could have a midnight feast and unless someone knows where you are heading then I'm sure that by time they find out where you had been the sun would be up and you, yourself would have been long gone."

Rayna chuckled a little and gave Silvano one last pat before he took off. Hopefully not to pester the critters in the valley below. "How much do you know about Hogwarts?" She asked Daniel, looking at the boy from the corner of her eyes.
She swept her strawberry blonde hair away from her face; the wind was really doing a number on it from up on the bridge. "My brothers mentioned a room that's hidden away." Rayna pursed her lips a little while she tried to remember- "They never told me exactly where it was, though. So maybe they never found it, either." Go figure. The one bit of information Rayna could really use right now, and her brothers decided not to divulge it to her. "Some of our study books may have more information on it. Or in the library, even."
Studying. Pah! Perhaps she could put that on hold for a little longer. Rayna had time to worry about her career life when she was older.

Daniel smiled. "I know a little bit, I didn't realise how huge this place was until I got here though." Daniel let out a quick laugh as he tried to imagine actually getting lost in this place. "Oh awesome, I am totally going to find that room." He would spend the next one hundred years if he had to." He then heard her mention books.

"The only books I like reading, have pictures and they are in comic form." Daniel would have to try and find some information on the whole room though, maybe he could get someone else to do it.

"True." Rayna replied to Daniel's comment about how big the school actually was. "I'll admit, it's a bit more difficult to get around than I thought." She grinned at the mention of the comics.
"You mean actual comic books? And the strips from the muggle papers?" Rayna beamed, "That's one of the only reasons why my family gets the muggle paper, so that I can read the funnies." That's what they were called, right? Sure. That sounded right.

She turned to head back towards the Courtyard, "If we do manage to find that room, what then?" Rayna situated her bag over her left shoulder, ready to head out.

OWLs.

Nasty creatures.

Katherine had already started studying (since July ahem), and she was already ahead of her schedule. She was doing fine at classes, but... it was never enough, you know? No matter how littleshe slept, she always worried and it was evident on her face as she came out specifically to this bridge to without anything at all - she was here to watch the distance and clear her mind...

Which were the ingredients of Invigoration Draught?

Daniel looked down at the wooden bridge before turning back to where Rayna was already getting ready to leave. "We throw a massive party, where we can all read comics and have loads of fun." Yeah that would be a massive party, and come to think of it. A super hero party would be epic.

"Where do you want to go first?" It was only polite after all to ask the lady of the group what they wanted to do and Daniel might be a bit cheeky but he had been bought up right.

Rayna grinned, "I'm not one for parties really...but a getaway to have loads of fun is just my style." She began to head towards the castle with Daniel in tow just as another student arrived on the bridge. Definitely older than Rayna and Dan. And looking perhaps to not be bothered?
Rayna gave a small smile, not wanting to be rude to the older girl and walked quietly past her so as not to disturb anything.
"Maybe try the second floor?" She brushed her hair out of her face again as a strong breeze whipped it in front of her, "I think there's a bunch of suits of armor there, that's probably pretty cool. And if worst comes to worst, we can check the library if we need on the floor above if we run out of luck." The armor would be pretty neat to look at regardless.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarShine

OWLs.

Nasty creatures.

Katherine had already started studying (since July ahem), and she was already ahead of her schedule. She was doing fine at classes, but... it was never enough, you know? No matter how littleshe slept, she always worried and it was evident on her face as she came out specifically to this bridge to without anything at all - she was here to watch the distance and clear her mind...

Which were the ingredients of Invigorating Potion?

Levi had already compartmentalized his NEWT worries for the second half of his term; it wasn't that he wasn't already preparing for them, but he was determined to keep himself from getting stress rashes too far in advance. He'd developed a system, too; every time his mind began toying with the prospect of the taking the most important exams of his academic life, he had to focus on something. Breathing, walking, jogging, brewing a sleeping potions.

He'd chosen to go out for a walk, instead, his feet unconsciously taking him to the grounds as his mind worked on counting hos just how many square shaped objects he could see.

So far, he'd spotted seven.

Oh, and there was a familiar face. Good. More distractions. He grinned, remembering their first meeting. "Katherine Mary Moss, Fourth Year Ravenclaw." Of fifth year now, he supposed.

Katherine was only halfway down on the list of ingredients of the potion when someone called her full name. Only one person did that, and she turned to the boy with a big smile.

"Levi Kenning, sixth year Gryffindor." Hehehe. Although a part of her was annoyed that she couldn't get to count the whole list, the part that was concerned with her wellbeing was relieved: He would be a good distraction for sure.

"How are you?" she asked as she studied his face.

Kennings were beautiful people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarShine

Katherine was only halfway down on the list of ingredients of the potion when someone called her full name. Only one person did that, and she turned to the boy with a big smile.

"Levi Kenning, sixth year Gryffindor." Hehehe. Although a part of her was annoyed that she couldn't get to count the whole list, the part that was concerned with her wellbeing was relieved: He would be a good distraction for sure.

"How are you?" she asked as she studied his face.

Kennings were beautiful people.

Levi grasped the railing, looked at the immensity below. He knew better than to think there was any danger of the bridge crumbling or falling apart while he was there, but it was hard not to imagine just how high the fall would be. Cushioning charm, maybe? He turned around, leaning against the railing, in time for Katherine's greeting.

She was trying to throw his nickname for her back at him. How cute. He grinned, reached up to tap his chin for a moment. "Yes. Sixth year. OWLs did not, after all, end me." An honest relief, really. "I've been very well. How about you? How was your summer? Fun? Informative? Educational?" His had been all of the above.

OWLs, yes. Katherine's face fell at the word. She was trying her best not to freak out or die, but it was hard. She looked away in the distance.

"Tense, boring and full of studying for OWLs." She glanced at her. "How did you survive? Is the result as you desired?" Was she going to survive?

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarShine

OWLs, yes. Katherine's face fell at the word. She was trying her best not to freak out or die, but it was hard. She looked away in the distance.

"Tense, boring and full of studying for OWLs." She glanced at her. "How did you survive? Is the result as you desired?" Was she going to survive?

Levi wasn't always the most observant of the boys; something about being a little self-absorbed and then also struggling with occasionally healthy doses of hyper-focusing. But it was hard to ignore what was staring at you in the face; especially when it came in the form of a girl he'd always found to be very sweet, despite her very own admission of having been anything but, in the past.

He didn't touch her but he did move close enough for their arms to touch. His way of giving comfort for those he wasn't sure would welcome more direct displays of affection or whatever it was called when you consoled someone. "They're not so bad," He assured her, though it wasn't wholly true. "I like being able to see a clear finish line, you know? Knowing OWLs were a sure thing gave me structure I didn't know I actually needed." He tried for a grin, choosing to ignore her question for now. "I'm a very good study partner, by the way. If you ever need one."

The gesture of moving closer was appreciated, although Katherine still looked stressed. He thought OWLs were a sure thing, and she wished she was as comfortable as he was about it. "Yeah..." she muttered. Her mind worked in a different way - she needed guarantees, but she was glad he managed to do it... or so she hoped, if he talked so easily about them. He was the first person to say they weren't so bad, though, so maybe to great minds like them, they truly weren't that bad.

She glanced at him again, leaned on the railings, and smiled back. "That's such a nice offer, thank you!" She bet he was. "I'll keep it in mind and might ask for help in the future." Good? Good.

"So, what's up besides OWLs?" Especially if he didn't want to share his results with her.

Olly hauled his bag with him out to the grounds. He needed to find the perfect spot. He stopped by the courtyard but, no, too much grass. He tried a few of the pathways but those were rock. Not the correct surface type. He was getting a bit frustrated and almost ready to give up when he stepped onto the wooden bridge. Concrete would have been best but the wood wasn't too bad. He was going to have to take what he could get, anyway. And it seemed this would be his best bet.

About halfway down the bridge Olly stopped and made himself comfortable. He sat off to one site, so people could still get past, and revealed the contents of his bag. It was a box of brand new chalk that his dads had just sent him. Olly had been looking for the perfect place to break them in. He selected a light blue one and started drawing. The box was sitting not far from him in what he hoped was a welcoming position. He was definitely willing to share and hoped that others might want to draw too.

Doing art in the grounds of Hogwarts was one of Harriet's favourite things about the school. She loved art. It ran through her veins like blood. And the scenes, and views at Hogwarts were just too amazing to not paint or draw. It was why she spent so much of her time in the grounds. She wanted to experience as much art and doing it in the grounds before it did go too cold.

She was heading along the wooden bridge, when she spotted Olly down the way. She was tempted to just say hi, and then walk on, but she noticed that he was drawing. And that perked her interest. "Ooh... Hi Olly!" The fourh year beamed. "What are you drawing?"

Well, originally Natalie had set out to find a good, quiet place to read. The Slytherin common room was still buzzing with excitement about the arrival of the Ilvermorny kids and she just couldn't concentrate in there. And it was a GOOD book. About MERMAIDS. Obviously.

But in the end her search to find a new spot to read just turned into a desire to wander around and search Hogwarts once again. The castle was huge, yes, but Natalie thought she knew it fairly well from her first year. However, things seemed to have changed a little over the summer break. Hmm.

She ended up outside, glad she had put a coat over her sweater before she left the common room. It was starting to get chilly, but it didn't bother her. Walking across the bridge, Natalie stopped halfway through and peered over the edge. Hmm. Scary. Nice view, though.

"What'd you think's down there?" Jessa had been by the bridge as well, peering down into the ravine that both promised amazing discoveries and a bit of danger if you didn't know what you were doing. If you asked her, that was the best sort, even if it did leave her up here on the wooden structure seriously contemplating her next move.

The young girl was currently sat on the railing, feet dangling on the inside of the bridge while her body twisted to give her a better view of the rocks below. In truth, she hadn't noticed the approach of the Slytherin--the one from the train, hiiiii--until she'd gotten onto the bridge and was also looking down.

"What sort of plants d'you think grow down there?" Any that could be used in potions? Or fed to the plant in the greenhouse that preferred other plants. As it so happened, that one was one of her favourites. Cannibal plant, how often did you see one of those?

Blue eyes searched the terrain below, attempting answers to her own question, hoping something would convince her to go down and have a look herself.

The sound of another voice startled her. Taking a step back, she saw the girl on the railing that she hadn't noticed before. Maybe she was too unobservant. Or maybe she was just hiding behind the railing posts and Natalie just missed her. Either way... her current position on the railing looked dangerous. But her question of what could possibly be down in that ravine was intriguing, so it took precedence.

"I dunno," she said, her gaze going back down to the long drop down to the ravine. "Maybe there's... like, monsters and stuff." Natalie didn't know much about wild creatures or plants, so she stuck with "monsters". "And some man eating plants, probably." So if anyone fell off the bridge, they'd be eaten by one thing or another, for sure.

Natalie stepped back and looked at the girl again. She seemed familiar. "Aren't you afraid you'll fall?" she asked. Because Natalie was afraid she'd fall. And she wouldn't be able to save her.

Monsters and stuff.....?

Man-eating plants....?

The Ravenclaw's eyes seemed to light up at the mere suggestion, the cogs in her head now turning in ways they hadn't done for at least the last hour or so. Again, Jessa spared a glance down below, thoughts of brilliant discoveries resuming the dance they'd begun when she'd first set herself on the railing. "Wooow...." There was no mistaking the awe in her voice. "All that in one ravine? Fascinating. I think I'd like to see."

She looked back to the girl, only somewhat taken aback by her question. Falling?

"I suppose it would be a far way down." She conceded. "But I don't think I will. If nothing else, I'm positioned to fall onto the bridge." It was the whole reason her legs were on this side of the railing. Caution.

"Wouldn't you like to see what's down there?"

The ravine was far down there. Who knew what was in it? It was entirely possible that Natalie was right, but it was entirely possible that she was also.. very wrong. Who knew?

Natalie judged the distance between the girl's rear end and the bottom of the ravine she was sitting over. "Not if you fall backwards," she commented, her mind playing the unfortunate, hypothetical situation. "If somebody pushed you, you'd fall backwards." She was just saying. it was possible.

As for what was down there... Natalie peered over the edge again. "I suppose. It might be cool." It might also be SCARY. But cool.

...

....

Both very good points. Once more, the Ravenclaw would concede. "I would, yeah and I reckon it'd be painful when I hit the ground--unless I died or immediately went into shock." Then it wouldn't be so painful she supposed...or if it still was, she wouldn't remember so maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

The idea got her thinking. "What'd you think happens when someone falls from so high? Internally I mean--I guess otherwise too but..." What an interesting thought.

"I say we find out both things." Jessa said, now hopping down from the railing. Consider her fully intrigued.