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**Wilber Winterbottom** · #1 (**permalink**) 12-27-2022, 12:45 AM

For those who belong in Hufflepuff House, in the middle of the Great Hall is where your table awaits. Gold banners containing an embroidered black badger float above the polished table in honour of the loyal Helga Hufflepuff. Already placed on the tables are silver plates with accompanying cutlery and goblets. All that is missing right now are the mountains of food and pitchers containing your favourite beverages.

Though your stomach might be growling as you take a seat on one of the long benches next to the table, it is important to not get hangry -- gnawing your arm away or jabbing your fork repeatedly on the surface of the table will do no good whatsoever. Give everyone some time to get settled in and wait for Headmaster Winterbottom to deliver his speech. Keep yourself preoccupied by catching up with your fellow housemates or those who are visiting from the other tables until it is time to sink your teeth into the hearty and delicious meal prepared by the house-elves.

*Nordic Witch* · 01-01-2025, 02:01 PM

Ariadne left Tiffany's safe, and solid side and headed for the table in the middle of the great hall with the embroidered badger banner floating above it. To sit on a stool in front of the whole student body to get a hat placed on her head had been scary but also exciting. Ari had within moment's of a voice talking inside her head been sorted into Hufflepuff house. A quick scan over at the snake table showed that Tiff was safely there and up at the staff dais she had aunty Melia to count on if the need arised. Willing her feet to move the dark haired Rose girl made her way over to her new home, at her new school.

Taking a seat on one of the benches, assuming it was safe to sit Ariadne didn't see the water baloon that exploded right under her before it was too late, showering her in a pool of ice cold lake water. "Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiick! It's cold!" She screamed out, in sudden shock.

FearlessLeader19 · 01-01-2025, 05:24 PM

Dynah was already seated at the Hufflepuff table, all too well aware that this was her final Start-Of-Term Feast. Though the thought made her a little sad, she couldn’t help but be excited for the careers that lay gloriously ahead of her as a violinist and a possibly a professional Gobstones player. For the latter she aimed to be recruited by the Hippogriffs, just as papa Adi had been. As for her continued path as a violinist, her stage mentor - Jude Anders - was going to let her participate in his next concert.

Life was going to be great!

Dy shifted her gaze to the Ravenclaw, seeking out her girlfriend. Should she have joined Tamara at her Table? Before she could think too much about the question, there was a loud screech {or so she thought} that made her jump. A brief survey of the situation told her that some sort of prank had taken place. “You okay?” Dy asked {Ariadne}, shifting in her seat. “Do you need help with a Heating Charm?”

Whereas Dynah had been wondering whether she should have gone over to the Claw Table, Idris knew that he wanted to be at the Hufflepuff Table. So that’s where he was, sitting next to Paul and occasionally shoulder bumping his bestie just for fun. His gaze was on the group of firsties since his sister was among it. He hoped she would be a Gryffindor like him but it would be fine whatever House she was Sorted into.

“If Zen’s a Hufflepuff, you’ll look out for her, right, Paul?” Bump. As he bumped him, he took his gaze from the Sorting Ceremony to swing it to the guy beside him. Id gave him a warm smile. “Yep, I’m sure you would.” Paul might seem mean to others but Id didn’t see that; it was Paul’s caring side that he saw everyday.

Charely Potter · 01-01-2025, 06:37 PM

Paul couldn't help rolling his eyes. All the dramatics to be happening. And shoulder bumping. Nope, he was not going to bump back as he folded his arms. He couldn't understand after three years of trying to ditch him, Idris seemed to just come right back faster than a rash. Not that he was as bothersome. But still. He didn't deserve a friend like them.

Zen... right. Her. She was okay, he guessed. "...and what if she's in Gryffindor? Don't you want to be there ready to greet her?" He asked. They weren't going to be allowed to leave the table until the food arrived. Yep, I’m sure you would. His head turned to face, ready to glare and tell him there's no way he would and that he can just go away and figure it out on his own. But that stupid face of him and his smile. The thought immediately vanished. It was annoying that he couldn't be mean to this guy for long and he didn't understand why.

Instead, Paul looked away again, unintentionally bumping his shoulder in doing so. "Well, if you already knew that, why ask?" He thought it was weird when people asked questions that they likely knew the answer to. "So... where's Nesquik? Did he find himself another girlfriend already?" Mainly because it was also weird to not feel those claws sinked into his skin after some time.

sweetpinkpixie · 01-03-2025, 08:03 AM

It had taken all of last term to accomplish it, but Nyle had finally figured out which spots along the Hufflepuff benches were safe and which were not. That was the good news at least, the not so great news was that this knowledged somewhat contributed to his Hufflepuffs enigma-ness - though that was a bit of an unfair presumption about the house as well. Though his heart was as warm as a sunlit greenhouse where he spent most of his free time outside of the castle walls, the second year's shy and overly polite nature often kept him from venturing far beyond his comfort zone. As a second-year, he’d gotten the hang of navigating Hogwarts' labyrinthine hallways, but still, the bustling corridors and crowded common rooms made him feel small. He longed to connect with others with the same ease Iris had, to share his fascination with the magical plants he so adored, but he worried incessantly about becoming a burden and forcing his perspective and interests onto others...like he often felt Iris did. What if I’m interrupting? he’d think, glancing up shyly at passing students with a small, hopeful smile while said students made their way to their own friend groups and settled in at the Hufflepuff table. Even around him now, conversation flowed easily between housemates older and younger than him and all he could muster was sheepish rosey glances over at his charismatic peers.

Hands shoved deep into his robe pockets, Nyle fidgeted with the fruits of his curiosity—small vials of herbology specimens, pressed leaves from magical plants, soft petals of flowers he’d picked here and there, and a couple of twigs he had plucked from the ground while waiting for the carriages. He hoped these little pieces of nature might be a conversation starter, a way to bridge the gap between him and the other students, but the thought of forcing someone to look at a particularly interesting shaped bit of oak felt daunting and embarrassing, keeping him hesitant and hovering on the outskirts of the ongoing conversations. The scent of fresh mint and wild lavender particularly followed him this evening since he had rolled around in the herb garden with mum prior to their departure to King's Cross so at least he was confident that Iris' teasing of him smelling like mooncalf dung was false and that wasn't why people didn't immediately strike up conversation with him - because he smelt fine and floral this evening.

And then came the shriek which bolted Nyle into action. In spite of someone else already offering kind words and permission to act, Nyle was reaching into his pocket for his favorite bit of hickory to act and...ask forgiveness later if it was seen as overstepping. Giving his wand a little whirl to cast a quiet Drought Charm followed by an even meeker Tergeo to remove the puddle and siphon some of the excess water off the ~~slightly~~ older girl found herself in and then offered her a ~~slightly dirty~~ handkerchief from his pocket to dry herself with. Out of the corner of his eye, the blonde spotted remnants rubber, torn down the middle of sorts which left little to the imagination as to what had happened here. "...I'm sorry you had to endure such a...a cold greeting," he apologized on behalf of the faceless coward who had played such a prank and knelt down to pick up the bit of rubbish, releasing a small breath when nothing else happened. "You know, the material of a water balloon comes from the sap of the rubber tree. Its scientific name is Hevea brasiliensis and it is native to South America and specifically the Amazon Basin and is a renewable resource and...well...I...suppose you'd rather accept her offering of a Heating Charm than be lectured..."

Cheeks growing riper and riper by the second, Nyle took a couple stumbled steps back from the scene and nearly tripped over his own feet in beginning his side shuffle back to where he had been sitting on the bench.

NiallNIP · 01-03-2025, 08:04 PM

Felicity glided over to the Hufflepuff table, the tumble she took in front of the entire school already forgotten from her mind. And she found the table in...well a bit of chaos, actually. A girl she had met on the train was shrieking, and a couple others were trying to help her out. She saw a somewhat familiar face in Idris, who she hadn't actually seen yet but knew he would be at Hogwarts with her. She had seen a lot of Jan this summer while they were on the U-17 Scotland team together, and she was glad to be seeing them both again. She was a little confused as to why he was at the Hufflepuff table, though, because from what Jan had said he was in Gryffindor. She still gave him a little wave as she approached.

She sat on the other side of a boy she didn't recognize (Paul), wondering if he, too, was sat in the wrong place. "Hello. Is the feast always this...rowdy?" Beauxbatons was a much calmer environment, comparatively. Not that Felicity minded so much, she had a delightful time people watching, and there was a lot to watch.

FearlessLeader19 · 01-03-2025, 10:52 PM

Wasn’t that younger badger {Nyle} the kindest? Dy offered him a warm smile because he seemed so timid {and timid she understood since she sometimes got that way due to stage fright no matter how often she played her violin in Hogwarts’ orchestra}. “That’s fascinating, that information about water balloon materials. What other plants are native to the Amazon Basin?” Maybe talking to the kiddo would have some positive effect on her memory for Herbology NEWTs. Noticing that he was stumbling away, Dy called after the retreating figure. “You’re welcome to sit with us, by the way.”

Dy couldn’t help but overhear Idris and Paul conversing. Sometimes she felt that Id really should have been a Hufflepuff and Paul… well, he should have been anywhere but in Hufflepuff. While she hadn’t really been paying attention to their words between daydreaming of her stellar future and checking on Ariadne, Paul’s question about Idris asking something he already knew. She shot her Housemate a scornful gaze. “Must you always be so rude, Paul? Considering that Idris is the only one who puts up with you, I would have thought that you would be nicer to him.” Dy’s gaze shifted to Id now morphing into one of pity. “I dunno how and why you put up with him.” The seventh year would have thumped Paul on the head if he were her sibling or bestie.

Id didn’t mind that Paul wasn’t bumping him back. He had enough of those to share for the both of them! Too bad, Paul! He couldn’t be gotten rid of that easily, not when Id knew you needed a little friendliness to lighten up your life!

Of course his sister was okay! She was more than, actually. She was the best and right up there with Jan, sharing the title of ‘The Best Siblings In The Whole World’. The Gryffindor waved a hand. “She’ll be fine. She’ll probably be more interested in catching Dad E’s attention in her excitement. I’ll give her a little time to settle in then join her when we’re ready to eat.” Id bumped Paul’s shoulder again. “Sorry I can’t stick around if that’s the case.” Obviously he had no clue that the Hufflepuff had been about to refuse his request.

His gaze remained stuck to the other guy, mistaking the bump he received for a returned one, even if there was a chance of it being a reluctant one. What a question; there was a reply which already came to mind. “Because, silly head, sometimes words can go a long way in reassuring someone.” Smiling happily, the Gryffindor turned his attention back to the Sorting. “Probably. Do you miss him?” He resisted giggling but couldn’t stop his smile from turning into a grin. “I can let him stay with you tonight if you want.”

The third year grinned good naturedly at Dy. “It’s okay, Dy. Paul just needs a little extra friendliness his way to help melt that rude personality away.” And Id was happy to be the one to help with that. So it wasn’t him ‘putting up’ with Paul as Dy and others may think. It was him being patient and a good friend to the other guy.

There was a familiar face approaching the Puff table. “Hi, Felicity!” The urge to call her ‘Feli’ was real but Id didn’t know his brother’s teammate that well. “Always! The joy of being back and seeing each other again is what gets everyone that way, I reckon,’’ Id said wisely. “I hope you love it here. Oh, this is my best friend, Paul. Paul, this is Jan’s teammate on the Quidditch team.” He bumped Paul’s shoulder again, a reminder of sorts for him to be nice.

*Nordic Witch* · 01-05-2025, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

Dy shifted her gaze to the Ravenclaw, seeking out her girlfriend. Should she have joined Tamara at her Table? Before she could think too much about the question, there was a loud screech {or so she thought} that made her jump. A brief survey of the situation told her that some sort of prank had taken place. “You okay?” Dy asked {Ariadne}, shifting in her seat. “Do you need help with a Heating Charm?” [/COLOR]

Turning her gaze to another girl Ariadne shook her head in response doing her best not to start crying. "No, so not okay. I'm so cold. Maybe she should have stayed at Beauxbatons with her brother. It would have been safer. Shivering in her cold robes Ariadne nodded in response to the kind offer. "Yes, please cast a heating charm over me. Thank you for the kind help. I'm Ariadne." Or she may not survive this feast, plus Ariadne didn't want to use magic on the first night when she wasn't totally up to speed on what the school rules for magic were.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

And then came the shriek which bolted Nyle into action. In spite of someone else already offering kind words and permission to act, Nyle was reaching into his pocket for his favorite bit of hickory to act and...ask forgiveness later if it was seen as overstepping. Giving his wand a little whirl to cast a quiet Drought Charm followed by an even meeker Tergeo to remove the puddle and siphon some of the excess water off the ~~slightly~~ older girl found herself in and then offered her a ~~slightly dirty~~ handkerchief from his pocket to dry herself with. Out of the corner of his eye, the blonde spotted remnants rubber, torn down the middle of sorts which left little to the imagination as to what had happened here. "...I'm sorry you had to endure such a...a cold greeting," he apologized on behalf of the faceless coward who had played such a prank and knelt down to pick up the bit of rubbish, releasing a small breath when nothing else happened. "You know, the material of a water balloon comes from the sap of the rubber tree. Its scientific name is Hevea brasiliensis and it is native to South America and specifically the Amazon Basin and is a renewable resource and...well...I...suppose you'd rather accept her offering of a Heating Charm than be lectured..."

Cheeks growing riper and riper by the second, Nyle took a couple stumbled steps back from the scene and nearly tripped over his own feet in beginning his side shuffle back to where he had been sitting on the bench.

I'm not crying. I'm not crying. Ariadne chanted in her head to herself when a boy suddenly was in her space, casting spells to remove the water puddles, and excess water from her clothes. Taking the offered slightly dirty handkerchief to dry her face with Ariadne said kindly "Thank you,for your help. I'm Ariadne by the way. Who are you?" It was nice to learn that at least two hogwartians could be kind and friendly when you were in distress. That the boy though felt the need to shower her in information about where water baloons originated from was a bit odd though. Smiling despite her cold state Ari said in response hoping the boy wasn't going to flee away. "Interesting, I didn't know there was something called a rubber tree. Are pranks like this one normal at hogwarts?"

sweetpinkpixie · 01-06-2025, 11:58 AM

His steps stuttered as he wasn't shunned nor on the receiving end of speculative looks, at least not at first, but instead asked more about his interests AND invited to join this particular section of the table. It almost seemed too good to be true but Nyle certainly wasn't about to turn away the hand trying to feed him!

"N-Nyle..Nyle Harden," he introduced himself, to Ariadne, technically, because she had asked but also to those involved in these moist shenanigans. And he wouldn't offer to assist in any Heating Charms because he had the tendency of setting things aflame when he tried. Shoulders far more relaxed now and the hints of a smile tugging to the edges of his lips, the second year looked back and forth between both girls as he ... elaborated. They both had asked and he was extremely happy to deliver! "Well, you see, there are over 14,000 known species of plant native to the Amazon Basin and of those over 6,700 are trees and there are more species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem we know of! In fact, some herbologists estimate that there are upwards of 80,000 plant species! Brazil nut trees are also pretty famous...as are cacao tree which pretty much every confectioner, magical and muggle, rely on! And there are also Victoria amazonica, which get so big that you can actually sit on their leaves!" He paused, reaching into his pockets for some sample or another to share with the duo when the Headmaster rose to make his speech...which meant he ought not be standing anymore. It was really thanks to his want to be polite that he ultimately accepted the offer to join this section of the table and, blessedly, did so without thinking about the choice too much.

Ish.

It felt a little awkward once it became obvious he was an outsider to the group dynamic. No one's fault and a true que sera sera moment but still quite awkward for the now rosy cheeked and rosy eared third year. He did pick up a few additional names while he sat here, observing, while rolling around a pod in his robe's pocket. There was a Paul, who was apparently as rude as a Blast-Ended Skrewt in a teashop, an Idris, who seemed the Pygmy Puff in a room full of Blast-Ended Skrewts, and a Felicity, who had JUST joined before the speech and had not left any real visceral impression on him just yet but sort of had this feel to her like a sprig of lavender in a tense potion class.

Looking back to Ariadne now, Nyle shrugged his shoulders. "I'd say pranks in schools are as common as branches in the Forbidden Forest." Everywhere and easy to step on, snap, or be unfortunate and have fall on you. "Though I reckon some would look at it as pranks being as common as Dittany in a first-aid kit...Dittany as quick fix for injuries and pranks ... quick fix for a laugh... depending...on the person..." And certainly not for Ariadne who had been uncomfortably soaked - but at least it was just water?

Food was here though and Nyle very much wanted to tuck into some cauldon-baked vegetable pie.

NiallNIP · Today, 10:49 AM

Felicity nodded as Idris explained. This was a very different energy from the Beauxbatons start of term celebrations, but she could see the charm in it. Everyone laughing and having a great time. It was definitely an experience she wasn't opposed to having again. "Well, that's very sweet. I'm glad everyone seems to be getting along so well...for the most part, at least," she giggled a little in reference to the water balloon shenanigans. "Hello, it's nice to meet you," she said to Paul, giving him a little nod. Any friend of Idris's would be a friend of hers, surely.

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