Daphne kept her hands on her laugh, having pulled out her handkerchief, she fingered it repeatedly, nodding every two or three sentences in a losing attempt to keep up with the conversation. It was just too many subjects at once. That big guy sure talked fast. All those words in one breath. Miss Hopton eyed him warily. He must have healthy lungs. Perhaps he was in the school choir.

Soprano? Amused, Daphne smiled at her inside joke and smiled to herself. Oh, how funny.

"Oh?" She whispered, glancing sideways at Jillian. Instead of appearing graceful she looked like someone had stapled an iron bar to her back--crookedly. Letting out a sigh she rolled her eyes heavenwards. "It can't be helped. Sit however it's most comfortable to you, dear."

At the mention of Mister Newell's physique, once more, Daphne nodded dumbly and found the empty goblets on the table remarkably interesting. Picking one up, pink-faced she examined it. "You don't suppose these are authentic?"

The girl who had just been sorted into Gryffindor didn't seem to be enjoying herself and Daphne shot her a sympathetic smile. "By the way, congratulations," she called from her seat not wanting to raise her voice too much and appear uncouth. "You really did get into the best house."

As she said this, she tried not to look straight at Miss Jillian. There were always exceptions.

" Jillian and Daphne, how were your summers?" Jason asked them. Jason tries not to show his unhapppiness with the remark by Anna about good behavior. Forget it, he will never try out for Quidditch again unless he becomes captain. Then see who would be on the team and who would not because of this unfairness to him. Jason looked very sad. " I am not feeling well and you tell me about being good to play Quidditch, but maybe it was good to hurt my back" Jason told Anna.

Bree started as she realized someone was speaking again and sat up as if expecting to be reprimanded for not sitting properly. Actually had her father been present she would have been, not to mention that the same girl would spoke seemed to be correcting people's posture.

"Oh, yes, thank you," she said a bit late. She smiled back wondering whether she would appear too forward to ask this girl's name. Even if you've seen someone before, if they haven't seen you it can be seen as criminal to bring up having seen them. "I suppose you aren't following this conversation either?" she asked eventually indicating the engrossed boys to her left.

Cale wrinkled his brows yet again at Daphne's strange behavior and adnormal blushing. Meh. Girls were strange. "Probably. I mean, isn't Hogwarts like a billion years old?" he wondered aloud. "Does it have a crest on it or anything?" he asked suddenly, wondering if they were special Gryffindor goblets or something.

As he reached over to examine the goblet in Daphne's hands, his luck decided to come back and visit and he knocked the pitcher of pumpkin juice over with his elbow, which proceeded to creep slowly to the edge of the table, falling onto the bench just millimeters from where Daphne was sitting.

"Don't move!" he exclaimed, jumping up and peering over the table to examine his damage. "Erm...sorry about that," he muttered, as it became HIS turn to blush at the unfortunate incident that he just occurred. Ehh, at least it hadn't gone ON her. "Just...don't move until I clean this up," he suggested, whipping his head of curls around, looking for a napkin. "Where's a napkin when I need one?" he wondered aloud.

Rats! Her name had been dragged into the conversation and she nearly looked around again for Davis. There was no butler to save her from unpleasant conversations. Taking a deep breath, Daphne plastered her best smile on her lips. "It went really well. I got plenty of new dresses not that I'll be using them here what with this unpleasant uniform and all," whined Hopton, tugging at her robes disdainfully. "It was a decent summer until I met this Thug Boy at the Leaky Cauldron. He stomped all over my robes and still owes me dry cleaning. If he wasn't so dirty he could actually be--"

Cutting herself short thinking that a boy who discusses pummeling others with pillows might have no interest in attire or dirty boys, Daphne grinned shamefully. "It really was swell," she finished in a whisper and inched towards the girl who had introduced herself as Bree to Jason. Shaking her head in response to her, the girl brought a small hand around her lips for cover. "Not particularly, no. I can't say pillow fights are my favorite topic of conversation."

"I don't know," she mumbled dumbly and was about to show Bree the goblet for her to examine it in her place when Mister Newell struck and caused some kind of catastrophe on the table. Panic ensuing, Daphne willed the liquid away from her, having been commanded by the Prefect not to move. This could present itself to be unpleasant.

Glaring at it, she concentrated. Maybe if she cursed at it in her head enough it'll stop. Raising one hand, she tried to point at a batch of napkins not too far away but not moving while trying to save her brand new school skirt proved difficult.

"You could, also, it's just a suggestion though," she spoke softly, choosing her words carefully. "I mean, you are Prefect, you know what you're doing but--you could also just...user your wand."

Bree was almost immediately grateful that she had sat up because the next moment there was a slow stain of orange from spilled pumpkin juice spreading across the linen cloths. She removed her hands from the table and unfolded her napkin to help the boy mop up his mistake. Silly uncoordinated boys.

"Oh, I thought I was the only one," she replied while balling up her sodden napkin. She put it to one side hoping that nobody would notice it. "Since we're talking: I'm Bree. What's your name?" she asked by way of pleasant conversation.

This girl seemingly was in a similar situation to herself. Unable to follow anything that was going on in any capacity. "He's a prefect?" she asked wide-eyed. This careless person a prefect. The idea seemed ludicrous. At her old school prefects had been chosen for outstanding deportment. He didn't seem to have any.

" This is going to be a hard year for me" Jason told Cale. " I am confused why people do not like me for asking about their summers or asking their name?" Jason told Anna and Jillian. "This never happened to me before espeically at Gryffindor" Jason told Cale, Anna, Travis and Jillian. " This really hurts me Jason said. Jason always loved to make freinds espeicially in his house.

Anna smiled playfully at Jason and then replied, "Hmmm, we'll just have to schedule a pillow fight one night and see who wins. I can't wait! I'm so excited to be with both girl and boys!"

"Well, I'm sorry to hear about your back," Anna said. "Maybe when it heals you can start practicing and playing again. I know how much you love Quidditch."

Anna smiled shiftily at Cale, giggling at how he'd replied. "Now that sounds more like the Cale I know. Oh, and trust me, no one mistakes you for a girl. Why do you think I want you on my team so badly? It's because you're a boy."

Anna turned her attention to Jason and gave him a confused look. "What? Huh?" Anna asked. "I was just trying to cheer up up. No harm intended."

That was when Anna heard the words "he's" and "prefect" being used in the same sentence. There was only one boy at this table who was a prefect, and that was her boyfriend, Cale. "Yeah, Cale's a prefect," Anna confirmed. "He's a really awesome prefect, too. I'm Anna, by the way. I'm the female prefect. What's your name?"

Cale blinked. Duh. Why hadn't that brilliant idea occurred to him before? "Oh, well, er, by the time I pulled my wand out it could have just caused too much damage and...it's not like napkins are inefficient or anything," he explained as he mopped the mess up on the table. There. All better. "Sorry about that," he told her with a grin, pushing another curl out of his face. "Although, I have to warn you--that happens a lot, so just be on the lookout whenever I'm around."

Just as Cale finished cleaning up his pumpkin juice mess, he heard the newcomer at their table mention him. Hmmm, what had that tone meant? Was she shocked that someone as clumsy as him was a prefect? Or that someone as amazing as him had gotten the badge?

Ok, so his imaginiation kind of ran away on the last one. Turning to the girl, who looked in shock at the idea of him being a prefect, and grinned happily, showing a mouth of bright white teeth. "Yes, I am," he told her. "Cale Newell, 6th year. As Jason said earlier, you're a first year, yes?" he asked in interest.

Cale shrugged. "Well, if they're not being nice to you, maybe they aren't worth your time. You're doing nothing wrong, Jason, you're just being polite," he assured his friend. "Don't worry, I'm sure things will lighten up soon. You've still got us! And Shel, wherever that bloke ran off too," he added with a soft smile.

"Yeah, and I can protect you," Cale added with a chuckle before taking a bite of his bread roll. "I can protect you from Jason and Travis and all the other boys--you're no match for them on your own!" he added, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up " Jason told his cousin. " I am not really in a cheerful mood because of all that has happened to me today. Cale, I think you look like a girl -NOT!!!" Jason told him. "We will whip your side in a pillow fight " Jason told Cale." By the way MJ from HufflePuff told me she would take me to the nurse" Jason said. " Yes. Shel, you , Chris and Travis are not my problem" Jason told Cale. " You know me, I like to have more girl- girl freinds" Jason told Cale.

Bree blushed, grasping at straws to come up with a response to them. Sixteen-year-olds were scary. She stared at the orange blob shape in the table cloth when she spoke. Cale. Anna. "I'm Bree," she whispered. And then corrected herself by saying, louder, "I'm Bree." She decided that if she neglected to respond to them confirming Cale's prefectual status maybe her comment would be forgotten.

"Yes, I'm a first year," she replied as her attention was moved to Cale. He sounded very interested for some reason. Maybe he liked first-years. The number of questions being fired a her were beginning to seem like an interrogation. It was bad enough when her parents gave her the third degree about not cleaning up her room before they left the house this morning but now these prefects seemed to be on her case as well.

Her lips parted ready to confirm the fact but she was beaten to it by a pretty older girl so Daphne quickly shut her mouth, straightened her posture and sucked in her stomach. Appearances, appearances.

Trying to keep up and putting a word here or there in the rapid fire chatter was becoming more difficult each time and the corners of her lips pulled downwards slightly in her frustration. She had wanted to introduce herself to Bree first and she had wanted to declare her admiration for a female prefect and she had wanted to smile and chuckle politely at Mister Newell's joke in attempt to cover up his blunder but now she didn't know which one to do first.

So she nodded, smiled and picked up the water goblet once more. "It really does seem authentic."

"Well, I am glad everyone talks to you Cale and Anna while I am ignored for being nice just like both of you" Jason said dejectedly. At least Jillian has been nice to me who is new" Jason said to Cale and Anna. " I have been alwayss taught, you do not ignore people when they talk to you or do not get mad when you are talked to by anyone- guess i was taught wrong, right Cale?" Jason asked him.

"Like always," Anna replied back. "You know, you may need a little protecting yourself." Anna nodded in the direction of where the pumpkin juice had spilled. Ahhh, clumsy Cale. She really loved the fact that he was clumsy. Like she always told him, his clumsiness made her feel like she could be his hero as much as he could be hers.

"So, erm, guess who has a birthday coming up soon?" Anna asked. "I'm finally going to be sixteen-years-old! Oh, and just think, you'll be seventeen not too long after I turn sixteen!"

"Anytime, Jason!" Anna replied. "Try not to let all that get you down. You deserve to have a good time on your first day back at our real school. I'm glad MJ is taking you to the nurse. She'll get you all fixed up in no time!"

"Nice to meet you Bree," Cale said with a softer smile. Maybe he had accidentally scared the poor girl. Cale wasn't scary. He was like a big teddy bear--or at least, he liked to think of himself like that. He never really tired to be mean to people unless they deserved it. And the only people who deserved it from him at the moment where Ellie and Evangeline. Oh, and Evolette. And Nico. That Seth kid too.

"So, was Gryffindor your first choice, or was it something else?" he asked, making polite conversation now that he had probably almost scared the girl to death. He took a sip of his water and set it back down on the table, gently this time. No more accidents for him today. No sir.

Well, ok, no liquid related accidents. The falling-over-his-own-feet thing could happen still. That one was more frequent.

They were back to water goblets. Ermm...ok. Interesting topic of conversation. Pssh. Not. It was boring. So Cale decided to change it.

"Do you like Quidditch?" he asked, asking the necessary question that he asked almost every time he met someone new. It wasn't a requirement or anything for them to like it so he would talk to him again, but it helped to bring on more conversation sometimes--especially conversation about the Holyhead Harpies. That was his favorite type of conversation.

Cale just shook his head. "Some people are just rude Jason. Ignore them. If they're going to be rude to you you obviously don't want to be friends with them, right?" he asked, trying to make Jason feel better. But he didn't know what else he could say, when he had already said almost everything he could. "But, you were NOT taught wrong--that is common decency, to not ignore people and talk to them. You know what? If they're rude to you or ignore you, just tell yourself that they aren't worth it. You're a great friend, a true Gryffindor, and an excellent student and it's THEIR loss if they don't want to talk to you."

" I just thought someone from Gryffindor would have cared enough to take me to the nurse. " Jason told Anna. " I seem not to fit in Gryffindor anymore and I do not know why" Jason told Cale and Anna."Cale seemed to get sleepy but he does not answer me hardly at all.

"Nice to meet you, Bree," Anna said, smiling at the little girl. "Welcome to Hogwarts...and to Gryffindor. If you need anything, you can always come to myself or Cale. We're good at advice to anything from dating to schoolwork," she continued, laughing at her last statement. Okay, so maybe they weren't that great at dating advice, seeing as they fought so much, but they did manage to end up with each other, so maybe that counted for something. "Cale was second place grade-wise in Gryffindor last term, too."

"Well, you and I are talking," Anna explained. "You and Cale are also talking. I'm pretty sure I heard Travis talking to you earlier, too, right? Don't worry, Jason. I think everyone is just excited to see their friends right now, and they're jumping from person to person in conversation. I think they'll come back around."

OOC: Goodnight!!

A disgruntled tone reached her and unwillingly, her hazel eyes parted from the goblet's seal. The boy was speaking something about being ignored and how impolite it was. Tilting her head, she contemplated how true this was. She had told him of her summer when he had asked but he didn't seem that interested in her talk about buying dresses and having encountered a strange boy at The Leaky Cauldron.

"I'm sorry....?" She apologized dubiously and turned her head slightly to whisper to Bree. "Do you know what he's talking about?"

Putting the goblet down, Daphne raised her hands, eyes narrowed in thought. Quidditch. "Do you mean," she hesitated waving her hands slightly. "That game with the brooms and the flying balls of death?" Her parents had forced her to participate in the company's annual Quidditch match much to her dismay.

She didn't quite make it into the ten minute mark. Bludgers were remarkably fast, and hard, for someone whose only form of exercise was going down the staircase to the dining room and up the staircase to the bedroom. "I can't say I'm fond of it."

She prayed her Prefect wasn't fond of it but the truth seemed to taunt her from his curls and abnormal sideburns. It was in the hair it was, and she glance sideways at the goblet wondering if she should just pretend she never heard him in the first place.

Bored of the Slytherin Table, Raiden had decided to wander a bit, in search of his friends he'd made in Diagon Alley. He passed by the Ravenclaw Table, not spying Elizabeth anywhere, and made his way to the Gryffindor Table. He couldn't be sure, but in his head, Anna and Cale were somehow connected to this house... and it seemed he was right. They were sitting together... and what luck! Daphne Hopton was there with them too! He took a few steps closer, then paused. That guy was there... the one Raiden had seen crying all over Diagon Alley. Something about him just made the young boy a bit... nervous. He couldn't really peg it down, but... Daphne Hopton, and Cale Newell, and Anna Greingoth... he really wanted to talk to them. He fidgeted for a second before deciding. He wanted to talk to his friends. Smiling, he moved closer.

"Hi, Anna and Cale and Daphne Hopton!" he said happily, standing a few feet away. Didn't want to intrude too much, they might have been having a private conversation that he wasn't supposed to hear or something. "Mind if I stick with you for a while? No one's really... talkative... at the Slytherin Table..."

" No, I was not talking about you, or Cale or Travis" Jason told Anna. " I was talking about two others who were talking to both of you especaily one who does not like boys or is very refined but will only talk to Cale because apparently I asked their name or how their summer was bein g so polite and it had nothing to do with their freinds" Jason told Anna. " When I was new, I talked to everyone that were older than me, so did you and Cale talk to me," Jason told her so very sad thanks to the new girls except Jillian who was nice
to him. " Gryffindor just is not the same" Jason told Anna. " I accept your apology Dahne and hope we can become friends" Jason told her.

Usagi walked into the Great Hall, her mouth and eyes wide. "Wow. Magnificent." She stared at the enchanted ceiling with pure interest. After a minute, she spotted some people she happen to know at the Gryffindor table. Anna, a boy who seemed to be her boyfriend and Jason. Usagi can't help but rolled her eyes at Anna's Abraxan's name - "Newell the Magnificent". Pshaw.

Taking a seat near the little crowd, she waved enthusiastically to them: "Hi Anna, hi Jason. And hi, you must be our Gryffindor male prefect." She decided not to reveal the mentioned flying horse's name.

Now Cale was trying to sound nicer it seemed. Maybe trying to lull her into a false sense of security. She'd never liked prefects. They were all too often teacher's pets. She watched warily in case he spilled again while he sipped his water. "I don't know. I didn't really have a choice. I don't think it matters, really." she said.

Almost as soon as she finished speaking she blushed again, turning her ears red. She'd said too much. More than she'd meant to anyway. She hoped he wouldn't mind her speaking her opinion.

"What's Quidditch like?" she asked curiously before she could contain herself again. Her parents had mentioned Quidditch and given a basic overview but neither had been very interested in it during their school years.

At the word dating Bree flinched. Her? Date? She didn't feel the slightest inclination. Boys were not to fawned over. They were to be ignored where possible and at least not allowed not to distract one.

Schoolwork. Now there was a point. She had never really liked asking for help but maybe it would be a good idea to take her up on her offer. Also to her credit she wasn't a boy.

Now, Jason was complaining. Seemingly about her to Cale and Anna. She fidgeted. Maybe she should apologize. She really didn't want the prefects thinking she wasn't nice to people based on one almost conversation. She played with the idea some more and then swallowed again. "Sorry, Jason." she said not looking at him.

"Well hello Usagi, nice to see an old friend who is really cool" Jason told her.

Turning her head at the familiar voice, Daphne attempted a smile, even through the confusion and managed to move closer towards Bree without invading her personal bubble to allow Raiden some space. "Well, I'm sure they just need to get used to you," she quipped happily at the younger boy. He always seemed to innocent she couldn't help but try her best at being amicable.

However, she was interrupted by more disgruntled noises and she looked up wide-eyed at Jason. What was he going on about now? Nodding, she agreed partially with what he was saying but wasn't all too sure what triggered such a reaction from him. "Yes, friends," she repeated just as she had done to Jillian, wondering if it was custom at Hogwarts to throw such a term around with such freedom.

Another girl joined them and still in shock and confused at what Jason was going on about, she nodded at the newcomer. Definitely, goblets were easier to talk to. Definitely.

" Usagi, have you seen our other freinds, Astrid, Sabrina or Via?" Jason asked her. Jason thinks to himself " I alwaysmean friends when I say friends because I am fiercely loyal to friends and family.