Torin was starting to get annoyed now. "I will only ask you one more time to put that away." Normally people could do as they pleased, but this was something that they had planned out. "This is Important because we are all Hufflepuffs and it is our duty as a House and students to uphold the rules and show the other Houses how great we are."

He was happier yet at her volunteering to be a buddy. He smiled widely at her. "And thank you again, Cadence." He made a mental not to himself to add her to the list of those that would help. This meeting was a pretty big success so far.

Simon looked at the Prefect. "I would put it away but someone took it." Simon said seriously. "Your a bit late in that last request." Simon smiled as he looked around the room to see how many Hufflepuffs where there. "Oh and like earning many points will do that, can I just ask another question when was the last time Hufflepuff actually won the House cup?" He was sure he'd seen somewhere it was awhile back so what was the point in this meeting if all the hardwork ment there was no reward.

He turned to the girl. "-6 points, that's nothing we could make that up easily and can I ask you have you ever lost any house points?" He was hoping he wasn't going to far with these questions.

Cadence raised her eyebrows at the boy. He was quite the pretentious one, wasn't he. She looked back to Torin and then to the boy, narrowing her eyes and putting her hands on her hips. "No. I have never lost any house points," she said honestly. She had been warned in her first year about talking in class, and that had been enough to scare her out of ever losing a single a point.

"Well, we won't win the House Cup if people aren't going to work for Points," he explained to the boy. They were all capable of doing it, they just needed to take the initiative and put the work in.

"I've lost House Points. But seeing as I was under the Imperius Curse at the time, I can't really be blamed." And that was true because he never would have tried to send Kazi off to Australia if he was in his right mind.

Simon looked at the girl and blink, he was wondering who she was. "Can I have my book back please?" He wasn't going to listen until he had his book safely in his bag, since it was his Muggle Study book and he would be needing it later.

Rhea rolled her eyes at the situation. This boy whoever he was obviously lacked some serious attention and is currently trying to make up for it. She had planned on staying out of this one but he was riding on her last bit of nerve.

"Are you sure you were really sorted into this house? Because your one lazy ugh.." Gosh, what was so hard in listening for a few minutes and putting in some extra work to get points. Why did there need to be a debate, there was nothing to debate.
"Look, if you don't want to help get us any points fine, just you keep your little self quiet and don't lose us any house points because if you do..well, we'll see won't we?" She uncurled her legs from off the plushy chair and threw the boy a stern look.
"I'll be keeping an extra watch on you."

Cadence sighed and dropped the book down in the seat next to the boy. He was obviously a lost cause. She went back to her chair mumbling something about, "So much for loyalty..." and sat down, crossing her arms and legs and looking at Torin for further instruction shaking her head as if to apologize for not being able to get through to the kid.

Simon looked at the girl and blinked. "It's upto me what I do." Simon giggled as he thought about what he was going to do next. "Oh you'll keep an extra eye on me." Simon looked at the girl and wonder if she'd be able to keep up with him, he was a fast runner when he wanted to be. "So how are you going to do that?"

Simon looked at the girl and then he put his book back in his bag, he really wondered if she thought he was going to go on reading it, he had decided he'd had enough fun for the moment and that he would listen to what the prefects would say, he was verry homesick and that was why he was having difficulties with his behaver, it was the only why he could keep from crying.

Right, that was enough. "Guys, please. Let's just finish this meeting." He wanted to get back to other things that he needed to do, and he was getting tired of this boy's childishness.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cedricdiggory

Oh. Cedric forgot to introduce himself. "Ah, I'm Cedric Nicholas Leone, but you can call me Ced, yep. And I'm a fifth year." He smiled as she told him she had seen him before. He had seen her before, on classes and such. "Things happens. I've seen you before too." He stated earnestly. She'd better not know why he said 'things happens'. It would be crucial on his part.

"Seems like you like Astronomy. I like that subject. I had once lost twenty points for being late in that class when I was a first year. And I started hating the class but now... I like it." 'Nuff said. Hehe. Ced didn't like telling or confessing too many personal things to a person you'd just met and he hated interfering people too. He himself liked interfering and getting a nose of other people's businesses ages ago but he wasn't like that anymore.

"Thanks." He smiled as he gently took the damp tissue from the girl. And then he started wiping it on his hand.

"Well then, it's nice to meet you, Ced. I thought you were probably a teensy bit older then me.. I'm a fourth," Katie added, doubtful he would know that already. She smiled, giving a nod of her head as if to silently agree with what he said. Things did happen, "Hogwarts isn't exactily a quiet place."

At this, Katie laughed a little. "Not exactily.. not at all, actually. I was only a little girl when someone in my family told me this story, it's where I heard Nova." Not that she wasn't still a little girl, because fourteen wasn't THAT old and she was smaller than the average teenager girl. Her dark, chocolate brown eyes widened as he told her of his first year, late to class experience. "Twenty? I don't blame you," How was a child to NOT resent a subject after losing so many house points. The Hufflepuff kids probably weren't happy with him during that time.. just like they weren't happy with whoever lost the whole six points NOW.


Announcement? Meeting? Urghhhh. Wasn't that for Mr. Masterson to decide and call upon them for, or at least approve of?

Scooping her tan-furred rabbit up and onto her lap, Katie kept tight-lipped and stroked Nova's side in a soothing, calm manner, leaning her head in her left hand. She briefly glanced up at the Prefects, trying her best to listen intentively and be done with it once they were finished. It didn't go as she planned, of course.. Katie raised her hand, though it was not necessary. She was merely being polite. "Are the house points really all that matter here? All I've heard is about the house points, gaining and not losing them, and about showing how we're a great house - not even about being proud of ourselves and our house, but about proving to the other houses and students. That's all." the young Hufflepuff paused, "Shouldn't it be about being respectful to the Professors, our peers and our selves by showing up on time, by not talking and interupting lessons? We're here to learn and to prepare for life outside these walls, only a short journey down the road from now. I'm not saying it's not nice to have a little competition with the House Cup and stuff, but it's not that serious either.. it's not AS important as our education, which is why we're all here in the first place. And not serious enough for verbal attacks on or warning another student for losing, or potentially losing points." Katie glanced at one of the older girls, Rhea, and then back to Torin and Sarah.

Her eyebrows raised, she continued. "Someone mentioned house loyalty, but listen to yourselves.. is Hufflepuff all about the house points now? Is that what we're loyal to, now? Hufflepuffs are also suppose to be kind. So maybe someone made a mistake and lost points, maybe they're not as matured as some and didn't think twice about doing or saying something they shouldn't have, but is threatening the wrong-do-er really the way to go? The total of points we have doesn't make us any better than anybody else.. yes, the new students AND returning should learn and know better than to misbehave in class, I agree to that, but the new kids need time to learn that just like most of us had the chance to do, and adjust to the way things work here at Hogwarts. We all make mistakes, you know. It feels more like the focus is on the House Cup running, and.. that's all that really matters." Katie frowned.

Torin was glad that this girl was talking now. She mad good points and her views were just as important as anyone else's. "Of course pride and all that are still important. Those are not issues that need to be really addressed because we are all as far as I know being very good at our loyalty and hard work. The issue of this meeting related to behavior in class and House Points," he explained to her. "We're only focusing on these aspects and trying to get you guys eager about it. And yes, I agree that the new students need to adjust to things here. This is why we are bringing out the buddy system. That way the new Badgers can have someone help guide them along the way. Not just relating to House Points though. In general."

"I don't mean proving ourselves to students of other houses or showing we're 'better' then other houses. That's what's being talked about and viewed as important, what these first and second years are being made to believe. I mean truly being proud of being a Hufflepuff, win or lose - forget the house cup and quidditch all together! If we were all proud of our house, REALLY proud, there shouldn't be a need to prove anything to anyone else, because we know who and what we are. Win or lose, we're Hufflepuffs. But speaking inappropriately to another student as was just displayed, and nothing being done about it - not even being told it's not okay to call another peer lazy or anything else, - does not look very good on our part and it doesn't seem like we're acting like real Hufflepuffs should anymore." Kaitlynnh replied in the same calm, normal in-door level tone she had been using from the beginning, the hand that petted Nova tracing the same spot over and over, absently.

Taking a deep breath, the brunette added, "With all due respect, by focusing on those aspects alone is leaving one half of each side out is still only telling half the information everyone should know; if someone told only half of a story, and the listener didn't know that, would they think they're missing something at the end of that story or did they hear everything they should know? Before you said so, I didn't even know that was the idea of your meeting; I thought it was over-all behavior, so how would the younger students know either? Some of them are brand new. You guys decided these were more important topics, and again I agree that behaving and using manners in class is important, but the point that I'm getting is 'don't act this way or that way because we'll lose house points' not because it's disrespectful to the Professors or because we're in class to learn valuable lessons, but because of the house points are too precious to lose." That didn't sound like the right message to her, not one bit. Katie shook her head.

"Warning Hufflepuffs we better not lose points and making a big deal out of it is not encouraging or fun." Katie stated plainly. "As for the buddy system.. if you haven't already, perhaps you should talk to our Head of House first. If we acted like we should, like any of the other houses do, that wouldn't be necessary just as it isn't necessary for them. We should all be able to talk and help each other if help is needed, we're part of the same school, same house and shouldn't need to be paired off into sub-groups to act like it. In the very least, the buddy system should be optional for those who don't feel they need or want it."

He was starting to frown now. "We are only focusing on this because of the behaviour in the DADA lesson. And as far as Rhea and Cadence talking to this boy like that, I will talk to them about that after the meeting." He really was planning to do that, because he was aware that it wasn't cool.

"And I also mentioned before that respecting Professors is important. As I also mentioned in class when the chatting was going on. A lot of people find getting the House Cup and gaining Points as incentive to work hard. Not everyone does, but there are those who do. And a few people here have asked about winning the House Cup. Not all we talked about was involving House Points, but showing how amazing we are to other Puffs and other Houses. We're trying to get you guys eager about doing work."

"And as far as this buddy system, we will talk to Masterson about it. And it's optional as an in-House thing. It isn't supposed to be something that divides us from other Houses. Of course you can help people in any House. But this is something that we are trying to do solely for ourselves. And if anyone doesn't like the idea or doesn't want to participate, they don't have to."

Fia slipped into the common room. She'd completely missed what was going on around the school as she'd been too busy concentrating on what was going on with the job related Healer stuffage that she wanted to do when she was out of school. Now that she knew what she had to do, she was keeping to that straight path but it was really too early to begin cramming for nothing.

"Hey," she called out to Torin and a few others that seemed to be in...a discussion. She plopped down in a chair as her brain was hurting from the amount of material she'd already looked at.

He smiled as Fia entered the Common Room. She was a bit late, but she could still take part in this meeting if she wanted to.

"Hey, Fia. We're having a meeting after what happened in the DADA lesson." He was sure she knew about what had happened in that class. "We're trying to get the students more aware of how to behave in class and introducing a buddy system where older students can help the younger ones."

Katie gritted her teeth and forced her tone to come out the same, even and calm. But firm, too. She was holding her ground on this one. She had heard everything, having been sitting in the Common Room with Cedric and Emse longer than any one else had been around. "Something should have been said when they started in on the boy in the first place! It wasn't just one attack against the boy, it was multiple and it was mean; how young does he look? He's clearly one of the new students, and he's being expected to act like what? A seventeen year old? And then after being threatened, called lazy, having his book taken away and being asked if he was really sorted into this house in front of every one in this room, do any of you actually think he's going to apologize or something? Merlin knows I wouldn't! That's cruel. Since when do we treat our housemates that way? How is that rising above others who think of us as the lesser house, or even showing we're not when we treat each other with so little respect? It's hypocritical. He's a CHILD. We're all children, but two wrongs don't make a right and it's sure not the way to FIX things!" Gaaaaaaah.

He just did not understand her, did he? "That's not what I'm saying!" Katie cried out of frustration, feeling that her words, or rather concerns, were falling on deaf ears. She rubbed her forehead, turning her gaze from the Prefects to Nova. "I know that the house cup competition is fun, I know all of that and I agree. I like competitions just as much as the next person, what I AM saying is making it sound like work is not fun. The wizarding world will not end if we lose points, the game is not over; overreacting about it, especially to a small kid" She gestured offhand to the boy, Simon, "is not encouraging, fun or anything good in the least. Who wants to be part of something when they're being told their housemates won't like them anymore if they lose points?!"

"... I quit." Katie had enough of the meeting, the debating, ALL of it. He didn't seem to understand where she was coming from or what she was trying to say at all, or maybe he just wasn't listening right. But she was through. Grabbing the picture she had gotten only a couple hours earlier, she carefully folded it a few times before stuffing it into her backpack, which she then scooped up Nova from her lap in one hand stood, swinging her bag onto her shoulder. She looked to Cedric apologetically, cheeks warm, mumbling "Sorry to cut our conversation short, Ced. I'll try to find you later or something?" leaving her question hanging, the fourth year turned and marched through the lounge, exiting through the portrait door swiftly.

Okay then. He watched as the girl stormed out. Not really something that he had wanted to happen, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Are there anymore questions? Anything wanting to be added?" Or he would end the meeting and have a talk with Cadence and Rhea.

Cadence sat there the entire time in her chair, bouncing her foot and biting her tongue to keep from retorting. So, maybe taking the boy's book had been a bit much, but she was just trying to get him to listen. Other than that, she still didn't believe she had done anything except be honest with the kid. Yeah, sometimes the truth was hard to hear, but it was the truth nonetheless. Cadi sat there, taking in deep breaths and reminding herself that Torin was handling it. He was a Prefect, so she should let him handle it, right? And if Torin thought she had done something wrong, she would be spoken to and dealt with accordingly, and if Torin said she had done something wrong then she would accept that.

As the girl stormed out, Cadence just watched her go and let out a sigh of relief. What was so wrong with what the Prefects were trying to do, huh? Clearing her throat, Cadence finally spoke. "Right, well, Torin. I think the buddy system thing is a great idea if Mr. Masterson approves it. Sort of a big sibling/little sibling thing. Having someone to show you the ropes, someone you can come to with problems or questions. I think it's a good idea," she said, nodding, though her usual smile was lacking. She was still in a pretty bad mood.

Ohhhh! Her eyes widened and her brows nearly disappeared in her hair. "A buddy system, huh?" Fia looked towards the student that Torin was speaking too and she smiled, standing up and making her way over to where they were. "I'm all up to making new friends. I need someone to help me keep Miles out of trouble." And away from those firecrackers. "How are you," she spoke to the younger Huffie, trying to ignore all the negative from the other students.

Simon was still in shock, he had been asked some weird question and so he just stayed sat down in the common room, he felt like crying, he was so upset because of what had gone on in the meeting, he was so annoyed, he just wanted to leave so he could go and cry somewhere in a corner, if that is what his own house mates thought of him.

Simon listened to what this older girl was saying and then she pointed at him and he was scared, was she going to start on him but then she defended him and so he gave her a smile, he was happy that at least one person seemed to be able to look at him.

"Okay I'm sorry I lost Hufflepuff 3 points." Simon suddenly said. "I did something stupid and so had to take the punishment, but I was punished by a Professor do I really need to be treated like I have here." And with that he burst into tears.

Rhea was way happy to see the girl go. Any second longer and she would not have been able to hold her tongue. She obviously missed the whole point of the meeting. Hello, it wasn't about getting an education that was not at stake. The teachers were more than competent in that regards. What it was about was team work, hard work and loyalty. What was so wrong with that? The girl had issues, point blank and what was that look she gave her? ugggh seemed like those younger students were out to grate on her nerves this year. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Anyways. U do hope we stick to the original plan. I'll sign up for all volunteer programs we might be engaged in."

Rhea was shocked when the boy burst into tears. She certainly never expected that from him.
"Look, we're not trying to be mean. We just want what's best for the house and it's unfair to others to work hard and get points only for someone to lose them." She moved over to him and pat his back.
"Don't worry Hogwarts will be feeling like home soon."

Fia watched as the boy began to smile at her. This was a good sign and....wait. WAIT ONE SECOND! Fia's smile turned into a frown as her eyes stared at each student who seemed to be scolding the first year over THREE FREAKIN' POINTS?

"You mean to tell me that each and every one of you are freaking out over three lousy points?" She couldn't believe her ears and she couldn't believe that Torin would allow this. "So you are telling me that none of you have done anything even remotely bad as to loosing points or getting into trouble? Come on, guys."

She saw one Hufflepuff girl pat the boy on the back but to her that was not enough. "If we are going to be Hufflepuffs we need to act like Hufflepuffs. Talking to one another like that will solve nothing." She walked over to the boy and sat down next to him then pulled him into a hug. "There, there," she tried to calm him down hoping that every person felt bad at this very moment.

Simon looked at the girl that was defending him, he tried to smile but couldn't because of all the crying he was doing, he hoped that she would realise how much he admired her for standing up for him, he hoped that once he had stopped crying that he would be able to thank her.

Simon was glad that the girl was defending him, all he had done was release a dungbomb in the fifthed floor corridor and like he had said he had been punished by the Professor, why was people now asking him strange questions.

Simon was shocked when the girl sat down next to him, she was even more shocked when she hugged him, but he just clung to her saying. "I want my mummy, I want my mummy." Simon keeped on saying it over and over again.

Rhea moved over a bit when Fia came over and pulled the boy into a hug. Ok what was going on. She totally didn't get how it was cool for the kid to be rude to the prefects and they got scolded for telling him to not be rude and have some house pride.

She said nothing but got up and walked back to the plushy chair she had previously occupied. It was best they discussed the buddy system before anyone else decided to take sides.

Fia's heart was melting, though she had no idea what happened before the moment she walked into the common room, she just knew that when she walked in, it seemed as though everyone was getting onto a first year student. And now the boy was crying his eyes out and calling for his mummy. "Shhhhh, no need to cry. Everything will be fine," she petted the little boy, still not knowing his name. She then looked back to the others as she rocked the first year to calm him down.

"I'm all for a buddy system. I know that when I was a first year it would have been nice to see others help me around." They were the older students now and it was there turn to make a change.