Hogsmeade: Shrieking Shack

[Wilber Winterbottom]

The Shrieking Shack is positioned up a slope from the Three Broomsticks and is accessible to all who take the muddy and puddled pathway up and down the hillside to get there. Though much of its history has been revealed to wizardkind, the place is still eerie as ever and continues to hold the reputation as the "most haunted house in Britain." If you listen or look carefully, maybe you will hear a noise sound or see a flicker of light come from inside.

Still the windows and doors of the house are boarded shut with wood. No one may enter or exit the premises through those openings without breaking and entering. It would be advised to simply stand on the other side of the fence that surrounds the property and enjoy the home and its dank overgrown garden from a safe distance. You never know what could be lurking about inside that dusty run-down place after all these years...

[Holmesian Feline]

Since coming to Hogwarts, Nadia had made it a point of exploring what she could of the castle and grounds. So when Hogsmeade was to be open for students, the first year was glad she and Dy had permission to go so she could extend her curiosity to the village and its environs. Including the legendary Shrieking Shack. Wrapped in her cloak, she trudged along the path that lead past it, coming to the wire fence that obviously marked the property the so-called house resided on.

"Doesn't look all that weird..."she mused aloud as she stood looking it over from afar.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holmesian Feline

Since coming to Hogwarts, Nadia had made it a point of exploring what she could of the castle and grounds. So when Hogsmeade was to be open for students, the first year was glad she and Dy had permission to go so she could extend her curiosity to the village and its environs. Including the legendary Shrieking Shack. Wrapped in her cloak, she trudged along the path that lead past it, coming to the wire fence that obviously marked the property the so-called house resided on.

"Doesn't look all that weird..."she mused aloud as she stood looking it over from afar.

Anna looooooooooved Hogsmeade weekends and they put even more bounce into her already spirited steps that were less steps and much more buoyant skips. After spending a good portion of the morning grabbing some licorice wands and Fizzing Whizzbees to help fuel her enthusiasm during her explorations on the day, she had spent a bit of time exploring the back alley and looking for hidden treasure in the dumpster bins and shadowed corners. She hadn't found any cursed pirate gold or magical orbs, but she HAD found a couple of really pretty pebbles that were now tucked away in her pockets along with her Honeydukes sweets. She would them, the stones, to her little stone box under her bed once she got back to the dorms.

Skipping was pretty hard to do in the snow, but the second year was ALWAYS up for a challenge and the crunch of snow beneath her brown not quite knee-high boots was really nice on the ears. Her forest green knitted cap sort of muffled the crunching sound, especially since it pressed her vivacious curls down over her ears, but it was pretty necessary since it was rather chilly outside. Chilly...snow...Anna's thoughts quickly drifted to her collection of Hans Christian Andersen stories...which meant her imagination was tickled and running rampant as she happened upon another girl who she was preeeeeeeeeeeeeetty sure she had seen before but she was struggling to place a name to at the moment. Hopefully she wasn't a Hufflepuff because she would feel DOUBLY guilty about not remembering her name!

"Only weird thing about it is how they have it all boarded up!" she chirped thoughtfully as she skipped to a stop beside the girl. "Must be something pretty fantastical hidden inside...like a magic mirror...or a hive of snow bees...or maybe werewolves have turned it into their club house!" So many possibilities and the only way to know for certain would be to investigate and discover the truth...but that also meant the end of dream anf fantasizing about possibilities. "I'm Anna," she continued, turning to look at the girl. "I KNOW I have seen you around the castle before but I think a nargle or something stole your name from my memory. I'm sorry about that."

[Holmesian Feline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Anna looooooooooved Hogsmeade weekends and they put even more bounce into her already spirited steps that were less steps and much more buoyant skips. After spending a good portion of the morning grabbing some licorice wands and Fizzing Whizzbees to help fuel her enthusiasm during her explorations on the day, she had spent a bit of time exploring the back alley and looking for hidden treasure in the dumpster bins and shadowed corners. She hadn't found any cursed pirate gold or magical orbs, but she HAD found a couple of really pretty pebbles that were now tucked away in her pockets along with her Honeydukes sweets. She would them, the stones, to her little stone box under her bed once she got back to the dorms.

Skipping was pretty hard to do in the snow, but the second year was ALWAYS up for a challenge and the crunch of snow beneath her brown not quite knee-high boots was really nice on the ears. Her forest green knitted cap sort of muffled the crunching sound, especially since it pressed her vivacious curls down over her ears, but it was pretty necessary since it was rather chilly outside. Chilly...snow...Anna's thoughts quickly drifted to her collection of Hans Christian Andersen stories...which meant her imagination was tickled and running rampant as she happened upon another girl who she was preeeeeeeeeeeeeetty sure she had seen before but she was struggling to place a name to at the moment. Hopefully she wasn't a Hufflepuff because she would feel DOUBLY guilty about not remembering her name!

"Only weird thing about it is how they have it all boarded up!" she chirped thoughtfully as she skipped to a stop beside the girl. "Must be something pretty fantastical hidden inside...like a magic mirror...or a hive of snow bees...or maybe werewolves have turned it into their club house!" So many possibilities and the only way to know for certain would be to investigate and discover the truth...but that also meant the end of dream anf fantasizing about possibilities. "I'm Anna," she continued, turning to look at the girl. "I KNOW I have seen you around the castle before but I think a nargle or something stole your name from my memory. I'm sorry about that."

It was a good thing that she wasn’t lost in her thoughts enough to not notice the crunch of footsteps on the snow, else Nadia might have started at the presence of the other girl. “Maybe….” Snow bees at least might be interesting. She wasn’t actually sure she ever wanted to be too close to a werewolf…when they were in wolf form anyway. Her courage and charging into dangerous adventures only lasted soo far. “But wouldn’t they have better enchantments on it that making it just look abandoned?” Like the spell that made muggles think the school was a pile of ruins. This way the place still made people curious about it.

At least the witches and wizards you would find around Hogsmeade.

“It’s alright…” she assured her companion, turning away from the Shrieking Shack. If she herself had to remember EVERYONE’s name in all of Hogwarts, she would say it would be impossible. Even her own house. So, she wouldn’t expect someone that hadn’t been properly introduced to her to know her name right of the bat on seeing her again. The Gryffindor wasn’t even sure how the professors managed to keep them all straight over time. “I’m Nadia…nice to meet you,” she greeted before adding as an afterthought. "Gryffindor by the way." Seeing as people sometimes liked to know your house right of the bat.

[Granger Danger]

When Tadhg was young he used to believe the story that the shack was the most haunted place in Britain, but now he thought about it he laughed. Deep in thoughts about a lot of things, for one he couldn't believe that he was a seventh year at last. Years and years looking up at his other fellow seventh year friends, he can't believe it finally came. Although he did have to admit he was ready but scared as well, becoming a adult in the real world sounded scary. Like the saying and quote goes, on school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.

Looking at the shack and round the village he let out a small sigh, maybe he needed to talk to Lia about how he was feeling about things. Although he was ready to move on, there were things that he was going to miss about Hogwarts, sure there was a lot of bad but let always let the good over ride it. Smiling to himself he let the cool wind blow through his hair calming him. Although he had to admit he needed this, he needed a break from studying and animagus training to take a breather and get away from the castle.

[FearlessLeader19]

SPOILER!!: Macgyver! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Granger Danger

When Tadhg was young he used to believe the story that the shack was the most haunted place in Britain, but now he thought about it he laughed. Deep in thoughts about a lot of things, for one he couldn't believe that he was a seventh year at last. Years and years looking up at his other fellow seventh year friends, he can't believe it finally came. Although he did have to admit he was ready but scared as well, becoming a adult in the real world sounded scary. Like the saying and quote goes, on school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.

Looking at the shack and round the village he let out a small sigh, maybe he needed to talk to Lia about how he was feeling about things. Although he was ready to move on, there were things that he was going to miss about Hogwarts, sure there was a lot of bad but let always let the good over ride it. Smiling to himself he let the cool wind blow through his hair calming him. Although he had to admit he needed this, he needed a break from studying and animagus training to take a breather and get away from the castle.

“What are we smiling about today?”

Aria’s bright and cheery voice carried with the wind even as she bounded her way over to her fellow seventh year. Don’t get her wrong; she LOVED to see everyone happy and smiling but somethings, much like now, the Slytherin could get curious about the reason or reasons. Did Tadhg receive some excellent news? Was he getting a new pet? Did he imagine a bit into what his future would be like?

There were SO many possibilities!

“HI!’’ Aria beamed. “The cold doesn’t bother you then, friend?”

[Granger Danger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

“What are we smiling about today?”

Aria’s bright and cheery voice carried with the wind even as she bounded her way over to her fellow seventh year. Don’t get her wrong; she LOVED to see everyone happy and smiling but somethings, much like now, the Slytherin could get curious about the reason or reasons. Did Tadhg receive some excellent news? Was he getting a new pet? Did he imagine a bit into what his future would be like?

There were SO many possibilities!

“HI!’’ Aria beamed. “The cold doesn’t bother you then, friend?”

Letting out a small chuckle, he shook his head he knew that cheery voice from anywhere. Wow... he needed to get out more, him studying had him not able to ses his friends as much he missed it. Being a seventh year was stressful and tiring from the piles of endless homework to the long studying hours. Yeah... he definitely needed a break, a break from everything that was going on around him.

"I'm smiling for a bunch of reasons, me and Lia are going to get married over the summer and I'm one step closer to being an animagus!" He had a lot to be happy and thankful for, too much to even say. " Although I'm sorta having mixed emotions about leaving here though, like part of me is happy to go but the kid side of me is hanging on." Running his hands through his hair tugging it he sighed softly. " Like all the memories of this place and Hogwarts, it's where it all started will be weird not coming back to Hogwarts. "

Shaking his head he chuckled softly. " Nah... besides I think the coolness helps me think and definitely refreshing after being cooped up in the castle lately. "

[FearlessLeader19]

SPOILER!!: We love Tadhg! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Granger Danger

Letting out a small chuckle, he shook his head he knew that cheery voice from anywhere. Wow... he needed to get out more, him studying had him not able to ses his friends as much he missed it. Being a seventh year was stressful and tiring from the piles of endless homework to the long studying hours. Yeah... he definitely needed a break, a break from everything that was going on around him.

"I'm smiling for a bunch of reasons, me and Lia are going to get married over the summer and I'm one step closer to being an animagus!" He had a lot to be happy and thankful for, too much to even say. " Although I'm sorta having mixed emotions about leaving here though, like part of me is happy to go but the kid side of me is hanging on." Running his hands through his hair tugging it he sighed softly. " Like all the memories of this place and Hogwarts, it's where it all started will be weird not coming back to Hogwarts. "

Shaking his head he chuckled softly. " Nah... besides I think the coolness helps me think and definitely refreshing after being cooped up in the castle lately. "

Yes please, Tadhg!

Get out a little more. Even the most bookish needed to take breaks in a while. Studies, lessons and homework was enough to drive anyone cray-cray and Aria would be very sad to see such a thing happen to any of her friends - Tadhg being one of them because he was such a nice guy.

Wait. He was getting MARRIED??? And almost successful at being an Animagus?? Aria immediately lit up with a toothy grin. “How THRILLING!!” And she was actually bouncing on her feet, doing her best not to reach for Tadhg’s hands to urge him into hopping around with her in a dance. “Oh my gosh, congrats to you on both counts!!!! I’ll seek Lia out to offer the sentiments later.” Even if Aria was mostly an aromantic, it melted her heart to see those she cared about being happy in their relationships.

The girl bobbed her head. “Oh, but just think about all of the exciting aspects of your life that await you out there! That kid will eventually get into the anticipation of things. I understand you fully; I feel the same way. Seven years have certainly zipped by.” For her, it meant she’ll be with Darius and Caes. This was the only reason that prevented Aria from being sad about graduating.

“It’s those books,’’ the seventh year remarked and nodded knowingly. “They’ve got their hold on you.”

[Granger Danger]

Okay... okay he got it, he needed to get out more.

Although he wanted to make excellent grades for his N.E.W.T.s that didn't mean he had to stop seeing his friends and enjoy his last year here. He sure didn't want to go cray- cray but he knew he needed the break before he did.

Yes he was talking about marriage, while some people disagree with it like his parents he was ready for it. He basically knew Lia almost all his life, no one else he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Chuckling he shook his head. " Go ahead do your happy dance, I'll join you." He knew how she was all too well. "Thank you so much, of course you are invited to come! I'm sure Lia and you will be squealing jumping up and down like you girls do." Girls... he never understood their squeals and stuff did it mean something in girl language?

Thinking for a minute he ran his hand through his hair. " Of course freedom and a whole new world to explore! True but I'll always be a kid at heart. I know... just like yesterday we were little ickles waiting to get sorted." It was like after your third year here everything zip by like a blink of a eye. He was ready for what else life brought him, it's time to leave his Hogwarts life behind.

Laughing he nodded. "You got that right, after these killer tests are done, I'm going to go on a trip maybe take a gap year."

[sweetpinkpixie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holmesian Feline

It was a good thing that she wasn’t lost in her thoughts enough to not notice the crunch of footsteps on the snow, else Nadia might have started at the presence of the other girl. “Maybe….” Snow bees at least might be interesting. She wasn’t actually sure she ever wanted to be too close to a werewolf…when they were in wolf form anyway. Her courage and charging into dangerous adventures only lasted soo far. “But wouldn’t they have better enchantments on it that making it just look abandoned?” Like the spell that made muggles think the school was a pile of ruins. This way the place still made people curious about it.

At least the witches and wizards you would find around Hogsmeade.

“It’s alright…” she assured her companion, turning away from the Shrieking Shack. If she herself had to remember EVERYONE’s name in all of Hogwarts, she would say it would be impossible. Even her own house. So, she wouldn’t expect someone that hadn’t been properly introduced to her to know her name right of the bat on seeing her again. The Gryffindor wasn’t even sure how the professors managed to keep them all straight over time. “I’m Nadia…nice to meet you,” she greeted before adding as an afterthought. "Gryffindor by the way." Seeing as people sometimes liked to know your house right of the bat.

Anna had spent maaaaaaaaaany a minute thinking about what it would be like to spend time with a werewolf in either human or wolf form. In fact, she had BIG dreams of creating a sort of community outreach and had been collecting wolfsbane seeds whenever she happened upon them. A more organized person would have separated these seeds from all other seeds, maybe in one of those nifty little medicine cases some people had for keeping track of their monthly pharmaceuticals, but Anna was not that kind of person. Instead she had a sack tucked into her sock drawer that was chalk full of every variety of seeds. It was the absolute worst when it opened up totally of its own accord and spilled a little in the drawer only for her to walk around with great discomfort thanks to seeds imbedded into her socks. Hopefully none of them had been wolfsbane seeds - she was pretty sure they hadn't been. "Enchantments?" The second year had become entirely too distracted thinking about snow bees and the music their buzzing and humming would make, like Christmas carols, and she had only heard maybe a third of that whole thought from her new friend. "On the Shrieking Shack to make it look that way?" she asked with a very poignant jab in its direction. "I'm pretty sure it just looks that way and they keep it that way for historical purposes and authenticity. It IS a historical artifact, afterall. Which really makes all this hullabaloo about it being off limits a little nonsensical because isn't it best to live and experience our history first have rather than wave at it from the sidelines?"

Anna usually sounded like she knew precisely what she was talking about...even when she did not have the foggiest idea. Right now was...kind of sort of a little of both. Possibly.

"Nadia is SUCH a pretty name. Like...a princess..." Which she was in this one muggle story Anna had seen...or read...or something somewhere once. An Atlantean princess with a special jewel necklace. The jewel was called Blue Water, if memory served her right AND it usually did. Just a pity she wasn't meeting this Nadia near any water. Or...well...technically snow WAS water just in a frozen form, which meant that this Nadia could be Anna's Nadia of the Frozen White Waters. "Oh, I mean, it's a pleasure to meet you too. And learn your name properly, Nadia," Anna beamed while extending her hand this time to offer a hand shake. Or a high five. Or whatever Nadia fancied in greeting really. "I'm in Hufflepuff, which is a mild bummer only because our common rooms are so far apart."

[FearlessLeader19]

SPOILER!!: Tadhg! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Granger Danger

Okay... okay he got it, he needed to get out more.

Although he wanted to make excellent grades for his N.E.W.T.s that didn't mean he had to stop seeing his friends and enjoy his last year here. He sure didn't want to go cray- cray but he knew he needed the break before he did.

Yes he was talking about marriage, while some people disagree with it like his parents he was ready for it. He basically knew Lia almost all his life, no one else he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Chuckling he shook his head. " Go ahead do your happy dance, I'll join you." He knew how she was all too well. "Thank you so much, of course you are invited to come! I'm sure Lia and you will be squealing jumping up and down like you girls do." Girls... he never understood their squeals and stuff did it mean something in girl language?

Thinking for a minute he ran his hand through his hair. " Of course freedom and a whole new world to explore! True but I'll always be a kid at heart. I know... just like yesterday we were little ickles waiting to get sorted." It was like after your third year here everything zip by like a blink of a eye. He was ready for what else life brought him, it's time to leave his Hogwarts life behind.

Laughing he nodded. "You got that right, after these killer tests are done, I'm going to go on a trip maybe take a gap year."

See? Tadhg was a fast learner. Aria looked forward to seeing him out and about more. Perhaps she would do more to include him and Lia on her outings around the grounds. Yes, this sounded like a good idea. After all, friends were important.

The Slytherin girl was not going to judge anyone for getting married regardless if they were just finished with school. Those weren’t her life to live. There was a happy shriek of laughter before Aria was grabbing her Housemate by the hands and prancing around with him. “Tadhg’s getting married! Lia’s getting married! Oh, don’t you worry! I’ll find her and I’ll happy dance with her too!” Being in any sort of romantic relationship wasn’t her thing but seeing others be happy in them made her happy.

“I remember you as a firstie. Tiny thing you were.” Nod, nod. Though… Aria shouldn’t be one to talk. She’d been tiny as well. Look at them now! Adults off into the world soon! “We’ve come a long way. Being at Hogwarts was bad at times without the exams.” Killer plants, rogue board members, the Neo Alliance… boy, they had been through much and then some.

“Where do you want to go?” Aria asked curiously, but with much interest.

[Holmesian Feline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Anna had spent maaaaaaaaaany a minute thinking about what it would be like to spend time with a werewolf in either human or wolf form. In fact, she had BIG dreams of creating a sort of community outreach and had been collecting wolfsbane seeds whenever she happened upon them. A more organized person would have separated these seeds from all other seeds, maybe in one of those nifty little medicine cases some people had for keeping track of their monthly pharmaceuticals, but Anna was not that kind of person. Instead she had a sack tucked into her sock drawer that was chalk full of every variety of seeds. It was the absolute worst when it opened up totally of its own accord and spilled a little in the drawer only for her to walk around with great discomfort thanks to seeds imbedded into her socks. Hopefully none of them had been wolfsbane seeds - she was pretty sure they hadn't been. "Enchantments?" The second year had become entirely too distracted thinking about snow bees and the music their buzzing and humming would make, like Christmas carols, and she had only heard maybe a third of that whole thought from her new friend. "On the Shrieking Shack to make it look that way?" she asked with a very poignant jab in its direction. "I'm pretty sure it just looks that way and they keep it that way for historical purposes and authenticity. It IS a historical artifact, afterall. Which really makes all this hullabaloo about it being off limits a little nonsensical because isn't it best to live and experience our history first have rather than wave at it from the sidelines?"

Anna usually sounded like she knew precisely what she was talking about...even when she did not have the foggiest idea. Right now was...kind of sort of a little of both. Possibly.

"Nadia is SUCH a pretty name. Like...a princess..." Which she was in this one muggle story Anna had seen...or read...or something somewhere once. An Atlantean princess with a special jewel necklace. The jewel was called Blue Water, if memory served her right AND it usually did. Just a pity she wasn't meeting this Nadia near any water. Or...well...technically snow WAS water just in a frozen form, which meant that this Nadia could be Anna's Nadia of the Frozen White Waters. "Oh, I mean, it's a pleasure to meet you too. And learn your name properly, Nadia," Anna beamed while extending her hand this time to offer a hand shake. Or a high five. Or whatever Nadia fancied in greeting really. "I'm in Hufflepuff, which is a mild bummer only because our common rooms are so far apart."

Hmmm not so much to look the way it did. Nadia didn’t think that was the case any more than her companion did. “No I mean if they were hiding things there, I’d think they would have more protective enchantments rather than just letting it become abandoned with age, or let the rumors its haunted circulate.” Personally, that just made it more interesting to the Gryffindor. And living out their history? “Exactly!” the Gryffindor agreed. Learning history was sometimes experiencing rather than sitting around and reading about it and the first year was all for it.

“Um…thanks.” She had never really thought of her name in that way. Did it really sound like a princess? “It’s nice to meet you too.” And it was a bummer….one that she knew all too well. It was a very good thing that she and Dy weren’t the type of twins that needed to be in close proximity to each other otherwise attending Hogwarts would be just a touch tougher. At least they had the occasional class together and could share meals. “My twin sister is a Hufflepuff…her name’s Dynah.” A part of her wondering if that was why Anna thought she looked familiar. Granted they were identical twins, but they did share similarities.

[Granger Danger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

See? Tadhg was a fast learner. Aria looked forward to seeing him out and about more. Perhaps she would do more to include him and Lia on her outings around the grounds. Yes, this sounded like a good idea. After all, friends were important.

The Slytherin girl was not going to judge anyone for getting married regardless if they were just finished with school. Those weren’t her life to live. There was a happy shriek of laughter before Aria was grabbing her Housemate by the hands and prancing around with him. “Tadhg’s getting married! Lia’s getting married! Oh, don’t you worry! I’ll find her and I’ll happy dance with her too!” Being in any sort of romantic relationship wasn’t her thing but seeing others be happy in them made her happy.

“I remember you as a firstie. Tiny thing you were.” Nod, nod. Though… Aria shouldn’t be one to talk. She’d been tiny as well. Look at them now! Adults off into the world soon! “We’ve come a long way. Being at Hogwarts was bad at times without the exams.” Killer plants, rogue board members, the Neo Alliance… boy, they had been through much and then some.

“Where do you want to go?” Aria asked curiously, but with much interest.

He was a very fast learner and as smart as a whip, it's no surprise that he was almost a Ravenclaw but found him to have more Slytherin traits. After all, he was an O'Neill and half the family was Slytherin. That sounded like a wonderful idea, maybe a picnic on the grounds and visit all their favorite places? He thought about leaving something behind here at Hogwarts but he didn't know what, something his kids would look back on and smile.

Good he didn't need anymore judgement people who didn't know how they felt for one another. Sure they were young and people say they don't know what love is but whenever he was with Lia he was better, happier and stronger. Laughing he joined her in a small dance around the area. People might think they were weird but he didn't care. "I'm sure you'll do more then that Ria, you girls have that girly screamy squeals that I have no clue what's it about. " Tadhg was super smart but when it came to girl language he was clueless as a dog chasing his tail.

Laughing he shook his head. [B]"Hey missy you have no room to talk, you and Lia were short stacks and still are!" Smirking he laughed. "I'm teasing Ria, know I love ya like a sister." Tadhg shivered he remembered the room he was locked in with Lia his first year and the bread... good but dangerous bread. "So many bad ones, but hey we had a lot of good to I try to remember those more."

"I don't know, I'm just walking letting my feet guide me."

[FearlessLeader19]

SPOILER!!: Tadhg! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Granger Danger

He was a very fast learner and as smart as a whip, it's no surprise that he was almost a Ravenclaw but found him to have more Slytherin traits. After all, he was an O'Neill and half the family was Slytherin. That sounded like a wonderful idea, maybe a picnic on the grounds and visit all their favorite places? He thought about leaving something behind here at Hogwarts but he didn't know what, something his kids would look back on and smile.

Good he didn't need anymore judgement people who didn't know how they felt for one another. Sure they were young and people say they don't know what love is but whenever he was with Lia he was better, happier and stronger. Laughing he joined her in a small dance around the area. People might think they were weird but he didn't care. "I'm sure you'll do more then that Ria, you girls have that girly screamy squeals that I have no clue what's it about. " Tadhg was super smart but when it came to girl language he was clueless as a dog chasing his tail.

Laughing he shook his head. [B]"Hey missy you have no room to talk, you and Lia were short stacks and still are!" Smirking he laughed. "I'm teasing Ria, know I love ya like a sister." Tadhg shivered he remembered the room he was locked in with Lia his first year and the bread... good but dangerous bread. "So many bad ones, but hey we had a lot of good to I try to remember those more."

"I don't know, I'm just walking letting my feet guide me."

Nope!

Definitely no judgement here now or ever, Tadhg! Rest easy! Also, Aria never cared about what others thought of her and her actions. Since she was hurting no one by dancing with a friend, if anyone had an issue about it, they should keep their opinions to themselves. She found herself giggling at Tadhg’s comment. “You know us well! But I shall not spill the beans on what us girls will get up to. We’re allowed to have our secrets.” She moved her eyebrows up and down. And now she was getting slightly winded so Aria slowed her steps to the silly little dance.

Oh, Tadhg knew how to make her laugh! “Lia and I will continue being short stacks all our lives. We’re more cute and adorable that way!” The young woman knew her friend was teasing. “And I love you like a brother!’’ she exclaimed, making a heart sign with her fingers. So… what? She had four brothers if you counted Tadhg. Caes was always commenting about her ability to surround herself with guys who were her brothers, none of them related to her by blood. “That’s the best way to move ahead in life,’’ Aria agreed. “That and keeping in touch with your friends.” She stuck her tongue out, clearly making a strong hint.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holmesian Feline

Hmmm not so much to look the way it did. Nadia didn’t think that was the case any more than her companion did. “No I mean if they were hiding things there, I’d think they would have more protective enchantments rather than just letting it become abandoned with age, or let the rumors its haunted circulate.” Personally, that just made it more interesting to the Gryffindor. And living out their history? “Exactly!” the Gryffindor agreed. Learning history was sometimes experiencing rather than sitting around and reading about it and the first year was all for it.

“Um…thanks.” She had never really thought of her name in that way. Did it really sound like a princess? “It’s nice to meet you too.” And it was a bummer….one that she knew all too well. It was a very good thing that she and Dy weren’t the type of twins that needed to be in close proximity to each other otherwise attending Hogwarts would be just a touch tougher. At least they had the occasional class together and could share meals. “My twin sister is a Hufflepuff…her name’s Dynah.” A part of her wondering if that was why Anna thought she looked familiar. Granted they were identical twins, but they did share similarities.

"EXACTLY exactly!" Anna exclaimed while throwing her arms up in the air as if she were going down the first dip on a muggle rollercoaster or cheering at a quidditch match or just waking up and having a sturdy morning stretch. "So it would be best to hop over this fence sooner than later so we have plenty of time before curfew." And the petit Hufflepuff would not be wasting much time putting that incredibly impetuous thought into action as her bunch crunched in the snow before her while moving towards said fence. Sure, she could easily crawl under it or slip through the gaps in the wood in the middle...but where was the fun in that?!

"You're welcome, your majesty," she replied with a curtsey. It was official, by the way, that Nadia was now a princess in this Hufflepuff's thoughts. Nadia, the Atlantean Princess of the Frosted Waves. The hills and mountains around Hogsmeade did sort of look like rolling ocean waves, so it was perfect and would be a name that immortalized their first meeting so Anna would always remember how they became friends! And now they were off on an adventure to explore an abandoned building, their own sunken ship containing treasures beyond their wildest dreams. She was absolutely going to bring back a little phial of dust mice. "Dynah...I'll make sure to keep a double ear out! I have four younger sisters myself...well...half sisters, I should say. We have the same mom but my daddy is different from them. We share a dad though. My oldest little sister and my second oldest little sister will both be starting Hogwarts next term though!" It probably sounded a little confusing. "One of my cousins graduated last term and then there is my other cousin, Dennis, who is in Hufflepuff, and then my littlest cousin will start next term too and Eulalia really likes snakes so I just know she will be over the moon if she is sorted into Slytherin. Loads of extended family in Slytherin, like my second cousin twice removed Sophia who just joined this term too." She was pretty sure that was correct. Family tree stuff was so deliciously complicated with all its branches! "Anyway, I'll make sure Dynah gets looked after! Must be a little sad to not be in the same house as your twin, but also kind of a nice thing since you two get to go on adventures that you then can tell each other about. That's like...double the fun!"

Nadia was coming...right? Because Anna now had herself half hoisted up over the fence, chest and stomach laying atop the wood and if she were to move her arms and legs just so...she could pretend like she was swimming there. A gust of wind and her beanie was blown right off her head, wafting and swaying in the wind closer yet to the Shrieking Shack. Which really was perfect when you thought about it - now they had an alibi!

[Holmesian Feline]

SPOILER!!: Partner in Crime

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

"EXACTLY exactly!" Anna exclaimed while throwing her arms up in the air as if she were going down the first dip on a muggle rollercoaster or cheering at a quidditch match or just waking up and having a sturdy morning stretch. "So it would be best to hop over this fence sooner than later so we have plenty of time before curfew." And the petit Hufflepuff would not be wasting much time putting that incredibly impetuous thought into action as her bunch crunched in the snow before her while moving towards said fence. Sure, she could easily crawl under it or slip through the gaps in the wood in the middle...but where was the fun in that?!

"You're welcome, your majesty," she replied with a curtsey. It was official, by the way, that Nadia was now a princess in this Hufflepuff's thoughts. Nadia, the Atlantean Princess of the Frosted Waves. The hills and mountains around Hogsmeade did sort of look like rolling ocean waves, so it was perfect and would be a name that immortalized their first meeting so Anna would always remember how they became friends! And now they were off on an adventure to explore an abandoned building, their own sunken ship containing treasures beyond their wildest dreams. She was absolutely going to bring back a little phial of dust mice. "Dynah...I'll make sure to keep a double ear out! I have four younger sisters myself...well...half sisters, I should say. We have the same mom but my daddy is different from them. We share a dad though. My oldest little sister and my second oldest little sister will both be starting Hogwarts next term though!" It probably sounded a little confusing. "One of my cousins graduated last term and then there is my other cousin, Dennis, who is in Hufflepuff, and then my littlest cousin will start next term too and Eulalia really likes snakes so I just know she will be over the moon if she is sorted into Slytherin. Loads of extended family in Slytherin, like my second cousin twice removed Sophia who just joined this term too." She was pretty sure that was correct. Family tree stuff was so deliciously complicated with all its branches! "Anyway, I'll make sure Dynah gets looked after! Must be a little sad to not be in the same house as your twin, but also kind of a nice thing since you two get to go on adventures that you then can tell each other about. That's like...double the fun!"

Nadia was coming...right? Because Anna now had herself half hoisted up over the fence, chest and stomach laying atop the wood and if she were to move her arms and legs just so...she could pretend like she was swimming there. A gust of wind and her beanie was blown right off her head, wafting and swaying in the wind closer yet to the Shrieking Shack. Which really was perfect when you thought about it - now they had an alibi!

Hopping over the fence?

Nadia hadn’t thought that far ahead for this trip, figuring to scout it out first. But she supposed there was no time like the present, especially since they did have a time they were supposed to be back from Hogsmeade and the environs and safe inside the castle. That and she might not get another free chance anytime soon. She chuckled at the bow aimed her way, playfully inclining her head in acknowledgement of her ‘subjects’ action.

The Gryffindor did her best to follow the line of thought and speech that seemed to flow from her new friend’s mouth. Younger stepsisters and cousins…family in Hufflepuff and Slytherin. “Daddy was in Hufflepuff too, while Papa was a Gryffindor like me. My older brother is graduating from Ravenclaw this year,” she contributed to the conversation. No snakes, so far anyway. There was no telling where Ari would wind up when he followed them all the Hogwarts. Nadia shrugged. “Sometimes it’s a bother, especially since the common rooms are so far away, but it also lets us avoid each other’s shadows.” At least now she’d have someone connected to Dynah when she wasn’t around.

Oh right…they were climbing.

Nadia moved to follow alongside Anna, glad she had thought ahead to make sure to wear comfortable climbing clothes. With a brief look around that her brother wasn’t going to pop out of nowhere, forget any other adults that might step in, she put one foot up and pulled herself up to place the other on the bottom rung. The girl then swinging a leg over to straddle the fence as the beret teasingly flew in the direction it was going. “Guess the wind decided to help,” she mused as she swung the other leg over and jumped down to the ground on the other side.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Anna would be quite flattered that Nadia thought the Hufflepuff had planned ahead! Sometimes she did make plans, overly detailed ones with loads of doodles in the margins that may or may not be related to the detailed plan on the paper. More often than not though...these plans never made it off the paper and she ended up conceptualizing new ones on the spot.

"Oh, you have two dads too!" Anna had, in fact, entirely missed the nuance of what her new friend was sharing. In her case, she had a birth daddy and now she had a dad, which were very different circumstances and it might sadden her a bit to not have as much as a kindred bond as she had just manifested in her imagination. But only a little sad, like when you shake out some glitter but only a few flecks come out instead of a lot. There was still glitter and it was beautiful and sparkly even if there was not a lot of it...and you could always just twist off the top later and dump the rest out for peak sparkle. "Oh neat! Ravenclaw tower seems like such a magical place. I sometimes have conversations with the bronze knocker. Well...mostly they are the bronze knocker telling me no or that I am wrong, but it is still special in its own right. It must be real special to get to spend your first year and his last year at Hogwarts together though, that is a real special way of manifesting a transition."

So cute and lovely and she was sure that Nadia's brother must of taught her loads! Anna was going to need to find him and let him know that she would make sure his little sister continued to have fun and enjoy Hogwarts in his absence. The plan would be simple: she was going to make a big sign and walk through the corridor outside of the Ravenclaw Common Room carrying it. All capital letters: TO THE BROTHER OF NADIA! I HAVE SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO SHARE!

Anna's rainbow leggings caught on the fence and substantially hindered her dismount...which meant that she toppled over the wood and landed face down in the snow. Popping back up, her face doubly rosy from the cold, she began to laugh as she stood and brushed herself off a bit. Thankfully her leggings were without any tears. "I do wish it would have decided to help in another way. That hat was knitted for me and I am rather fond of it...we'll have to take off at a run to catch up with it though," she noted while reaching her hand out towards Nadia - because, obviously, they were going to hold hands and run after her hat towards the Shrieking Shack!

[Holmesian Feline]

Nadia was used to getting all sort of reactions to the news of her parental structure and she had to admit, Anna’s was by far the most enthusiastic. A kindred spirit it seems, even if not knowing it was just a touch different reality. “Uh huh,” she confirmed with a nod. “From Raj’s stories, it certainly has its special things...like their common room shows the stars kinda like the Great Hall.” Astronomy might not be a strong suit of hers, but it was still pretty cool to her. And a secret room, but she was sworn to secrecy about that, and sibling promises were the rule.

As for the transition she thought about it and how to put it into words. “It’s nice to have that built in friendly face in the older students for sure.” She already had the built in best friend with her sister right there alongside her albeit in a different house. “There has been some concern over him trying to keep us out of trouble…but Dynah and I can double team him.” Then he was putty in their paws with their innocence and kitty cat looks. For the most part anyway.

The Gryffindor gave a look of surprise as her companion tumbled, moving to assist. Nadia might have asked if she was alright but the laughter coming from the other girl as she got back up to her feet was enough of an assurance that Anna was okay. “Well then we’ll be sure to catch it,” she stated matter of factly. Lest memory of their meeting be marred by the thought of a lost treasured artifact. Taking the offered hand in her own gloved palm, she took off after the errant hat with the Hufflepuff.

[Chelliephone]

Learning how to shrink and unshrink her cello as soon as she got to Hogwarts had been the best idea. Because now even with Mama and Dad not around to do it for her, Tam could still take her instrument with her everywhere. AND she didn't have to bother any of her family for help!

When notices went up for the next upcoming Hogsmeade weekend, she'd been all too happy to put into play an idea she'd been brewing since her stringed instrument was once again mobile. Tam loved to play and playing for an audience was the most fun. But she wondered if playing for an audience that didn't know she was the musician would be most fun.

Especially when she had such a perfect setting as the creepy little abandoned shack.

Tiptoeing her way towards the building, glancing this way and that to see if anyone maybe could see her, she found a spot hidden by some brush and hunkered down into it - making her cello larger again as she lifted the bow and slowly pulled it across the strings to make a sound. Oooooh appropriately eerie, if she did say so herself! The little Ravenclaw had to keep from giggling as she pulled the bow again, getting lost in the fun of it and not taking into account the top portion of her cello was still very visible.

[Zoe]

The most haunted building in Britain? Logan was more than eager to put that rumour to the test. Since he was in his first year, he always wanted to get inside the shack to see what made it so spooky. Surely it wasn't as bad as some people made it out to be.

Of course, he wasn't going to be doing this all on his own. What if something had gone terribly wrong? While the challenge of getting through whatever obstacle came his way would have been accepted, he wasn't quite up to taking such a risk if things really went south. He was too young and handsome to let a haunted shack and whatever was within get the best of him. Plus he needed someone that was observant and rational around. So that was why the best friend was being dragged along on a little adventure to the boarded-up house.

Feet crunching beneath the snow, the blond excitedly picked up his pace when the shack was within sight. The plan was simple: hop the fence, get in, and explore. "Thoughts on how to get in?" he asked, a hand resting on the fence. There was the Gryffindor way, but he supposed there were savvier ways that didn't involve explosions.

[Kolyander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoe

The most haunted building in Britain? Logan was more than eager to put that rumour to the test. Since he was in his first year, he always wanted to get inside the shack to see what made it so spooky. Surely it wasn't as bad as some people made it out to be.

Of course, he wasn't going to be doing this all on his own. What if something had gone terribly wrong? While the challenge of getting through whatever obstacle came his way would have been accepted, he wasn't quite up to taking such a risk if things really went south. He was too young and handsome to let a haunted shack and whatever was within get the best of him. Plus he needed someone that was observant and rational around. So that was why the best friend was being dragged along on a little adventure to the boarded-up house.

Feet crunching beneath the snow, the blond excitedly picked up his pace when the shack was within sight. The plan was simple: hop the fence, get in, and explore. "Thoughts on how to get in?" he asked, a hand resting on the fence. There was the Gryffindor way, but he supposed there were savvier ways that didn't involve explosions.

Did someone say shenanigans? Not him. Yet some where bound to happen. It was inevitable. Vasco knew it was going to happen. Most of them it was something small, spur of the moment with no real possible consequences to worry about.
Other times, plans were made. Like their trip into Knockturn Alley a few summers ago.

This may or may not have been one of those times where he had come up with a plan beforehand. The Ravenclaw knew that's why he was now trudging through the snow up the hill beside his best friend and not someone else. He was the brains of their crew when ideas came along. "Plenty. You want the easy way or a really long stupid, overly complicated way? I've also got the way we we should've tried but may have gotten us caught or killed." Vas leaned a shoulder against Logan's his eyes set on the shack.

[FearlessLeader19]

SPOILER!!: Tam! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

Learning how to shrink and unshrink her cello as soon as she got to Hogwarts had been the best idea. Because now even with Mama and Dad not around to do it for her, Tam could still take her instrument with her everywhere. AND she didn't have to bother any of her family for help!

When notices went up for the next upcoming Hogsmeade weekend, she'd been all too happy to put into play an idea she'd been brewing since her stringed instrument was once again mobile. Tam loved to play and playing for an audience was the most fun. But she wondered if playing for an audience that didn't know she was the musician would be most fun.

Especially when she had such a perfect setting as the creepy little abandoned shack.

Tiptoeing her way towards the building, glancing this way and that to see if anyone maybe could see her, she found a spot hidden by some brush and hunkered down into it - making her cello larger again as she lifted the bow and slowly pulled it across the strings to make a sound. Oooooh appropriately eerie, if she did say so herself! The little Ravenclaw had to keep from giggling as she pulled the bow again, getting lost in the fun of it and not taking into account the top portion of her cello was still very visible.

Taking her violin out to Hogsmeade was something Dy began doing on her second visit to the little village. Talking to Brandon about their instruments had given her the idea, and now it had become tradition for her to take it with her since sometimes she liked to get away from the crowd and practice out in the open. Today was no different.

Buuut, this bouncy second year’s hunt for the perfect spot was interrupted by hauntingly beautiful cello sounds. Yes, Dynah could tell the difference between that and a violin almost immediately. Violin sounds were sorta softer, more refined while the cello's were fuller. The Hufflepuff did not even need the visible part of the cello to guide her in its direction; the melody was enough.

Before she made an appearance to the cello’s owner, she removed her violin from the case. The instrument was set on her left shoulder and she began to play. Having already gotten the melody stuck in her head, Dy easily was able to follow along. It was while playing that she strode slowly to meet the cello player.

She immediately blushed when it became clear that it was Tamara. Luckily, the rosiness of her cheeks could be attributed to the cold.

[Zoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Did someone say shenanigans? Not him. Yet some where bound to happen. It was inevitable. Vasco knew it was going to happen. Most of them it was something small, spur of the moment with no real possible consequences to worry about.
Other times, plans were made. Like their trip into Knockturn Alley a few summers ago.

This may or may not have been one of those times where he had come up with a plan beforehand. The Ravenclaw knew that's why he was now trudging through the snow up the hill beside his best friend and not someone else. He was the brains of their crew when ideas came along. "Plenty. You want the easy way or a really long stupid, overly complicated way? I've also got the way we we should've tried but may have gotten us caught or killed." Vas leaned a shoulder against Logan's his eyes set on the shack.

Unlike his friend, Logan's 'plan' was overly simple and did not account for anything wrong that could have resulted. He at least had enough sense to not blow up the place, but it would be best that all of the planning be done by Vasco. The likelihood of them being successful and walking away unscathed or in serious trouble was drastically higher.

"I guess that depends on what the simple way is and how overly complicated the long way is. And what was the option that could have gotten us killed? That actually sounds like a fun challenge to me," the blond commented right away.

A brief pause followed, allowing him enough time to actually consider the options as he joined his friend in taking a good look at the shack. Seemed pretty quiet in there, at least from where they were standing. "How about we do the easy way first? If that doesn't work, then we give the stupid complicated way a go." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "And if that doesn't work, we blast our way in."

[Chelliephone]

SPOILER!!: Dynah!

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

Taking her violin out to Hogsmeade was something Dy began doing on her second visit to the little village. Talking to Brandon about their instruments had given her the idea, and now it had become tradition for her to take it with her since sometimes she liked to get away from the crowd and practice out in the open. Today was no different.

Buuut, this bouncy second year’s hunt for the perfect spot was interrupted by hauntingly beautiful cello sounds. Yes, Dynah could tell the difference between that and a violin almost immediately. Violin sounds were sorta softer, more refined while the cello's were fuller. The Hufflepuff did not even need the visible part of the cello to guide her in its direction; the melody was enough.

Before she made an appearance to the cello’s owner, she removed her violin from the case. The instrument was set on her left shoulder and she began to play. Having already gotten the melody stuck in her head, Dy easily was able to follow along. It was while playing that she strode slowly to meet the cello player.

She immediately blushed when it became clear that it was Tamara. Luckily, the rosiness of her cheeks could be attributed to the cold.

If she were to have guessed what was going to happen from her playing her cello by the shack, it probably would have been that one or two people would have been scared off by the sounds of instrument given the current setting. Maybe one or two would have taken it as a challenge and come to seek her out. Or the majority just would have ignored her entirely and not cared about the music stemming from the area.

But what did happen was not something Tam had anticipated. But it was 100x better than anything else that had come to her mind.

There was music joining hers. She couldn't see where it was coming from yet, but that didn't matter to her. The sounds of the violin melted beautifully with her cello and she just closed her eyes and continued to play, letting the joy of the moment take over. She didn't get much opportunity to play with other people so this was a particularly magical moment for her.

Thinking she heard the violin getting loud, her eyes did open again and she spotted an older Hufflepuff approaching - Dynah she thought was her name. She recognized her from seeing her around Anna's table and if she wasn't mistaken, their sisters were friends as well. She grinned widely at the girl and kept playing until she reaching the last note and drew it out slowly before lowering her bow. She could spot the slight touch of red to the others cheeks, but she assumed it was the cold or perhaps the elation of music that she always seemed to get as well. "That was amazing! And I love your violin! It's beautiful!" She wasn't normally a particularly chatty individual with new people, but playing already bonded them if one was to ask Tam.

[Kolyander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoe

Unlike his friend, Logan's 'plan' was overly simple and did not account for anything wrong that could have resulted. He at least had enough sense to not blow up the place, but it would be best that all of the planning be done by Vasco. The likelihood of them being successful and walking away unscathed or in serious trouble was drastically higher.

"I guess that depends on what the simple way is and how overly complicated the long way is. And what was the option that could have gotten us killed? That actually sounds like a fun challenge to me," the blond commented right away.

A brief pause followed, allowing him enough time to actually consider the options as he joined his friend in taking a good look at the shack. Seemed pretty quiet in there, at least from where they were standing. "How about we do the easy way first? If that doesn't work, then we give the stupid complicated way a go." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "And if that doesn't work, we blast our way in."

This is where Logan would be incorrect. Always assuming that Vasco had a plan. It may have sounded like he had one but the truth of the matter was this... he didn't. Now whether or not that would become an issue wouldn't be known until all was said and done. So they were just going to have to choose one of the options of how to get in and well.. wing it.

"The easy way is just this. Easy. We hope the fence, hope no one sees us and make our way for the place." Really it was all too simple. Keep a lookout for one another and just go for it. Whatever happened, happened. Obviously they would be cautious but also it would be much quicker and more daring. "Option two takes more planning which I didn't do but it would involve charms to keep us from being seen and making sure nothing gets messed up or broken along the way. A safer route in too for sure." Which is what they did have their wands for, just saying. Now that option we passed up already. Something to do with the Whomping Willow back on the grounds at Hogwarts." So there was no real need to go into all the details right now about it since they were already here.

Still looking at the shack there was a nod of his head. Easy way it is. Look at him being agreeable and going along with things.