She nodded eagerly, looking up at the ceiling once more. It had changed slightly since she had last looked up- the clouds had moved off to the side, revealing more stars. "Wow," she breathed. "Truly a masterpiece!" she said, smiling over at the boy.

No one had really asked her that question before. "Well," she said, thinking for a moment. "My mom and I travel a lot, so I like that," she said with a small smile. "Yeah, I've seen all sorts of sports, they look like fun!" she replied, glad to be on a semi-familiar topic. "I'm still getting familiar with quidditch," she told him with a sheepish smile. "But I want to learn!"

Adrianna shook her head, her dark hair moving with the movement. "Nope, my first year," she told him with a small smile. "Mmmmm..." she said, turning her attention to the food. "So, what year are you in?" she asked him as she pulled in some of the boy's recommendations.

"We'll see what I can get away with," she told Kurumi with a cheeky wink.

Lauren's jaw dropped, hearing about Walnut's incident and that she was in the prefect's compartment. She didn't know much about Hogwarts, but she knew what a prefect was. Her mother had been one... "He what?! Is this a thing he does often? Do I need to be concerned about being peed on?!" she exclaimed in shock. "Oh, and prefect?" Lauren added, "Is that what the badge is for? Congratulations!" she grinned broadly at her friend.

Presley had watched Adrianna get sorted, and had seen her talking to some of the older Gryffindors, so she hoped the girl was okay. But still, she felt so bad for just plowing her over on the train. She stood up and crossed the hall to the Gryffindor table. "Congratulations on you sorting," she smiled. "You're sure you're okay? I feel so bad!" She really did. What if Adrianna really had a concussion or something? Then when she was sleeping she slipped into a coma? That wouldn't be good at all. Pres hadn't really seen how she'd fallen, but she could've hit her head, she didn't know.

" You will be great at magic' William told Ivan." This food is better than the trian food" William said to Ivan."Do you like to swim?" William asked Ivan.

" You could have fooled me" William told Adrianna. "Wait, you did fool me" William laughed." This is my second year" Willaim said to Adrianna. " Od course all my family includig by marriage has gone to HogWarts, one of my younger sisters jsut started her first term here as a RavenClaw and their are more family to come to HogWarts" Willaim explained to Adrianna. " You probably will not believe this, but the men in our family are Gryffindors and all the females are RavenClaws" William smiled.

"I had a pet pygmy puff that I tried to take with me to classes, mostly because Walnut and him don't get along, but that was kind of a disaster." Like she had spent most of potions panicking that the little guy was going to hop right into her cauldron.

"He does it when he is upset about something," Kurumi said with a sheepish frown and a few quick glances at the floor. "I tell Walnut everything you see, and I think that he can sometimes feel my pain and sadness, you know? Having a familiar is one of the most mysterious experiences I think a witch or wizard goes though."

Maybe Walnut would pee on Adam for her...

Her attention was drawn back to Lauren congratulating her on her badge. Oh yeah, that. "I-It is..." she stammered. "S-S-Sorry for not telling you when we meet in Diagon Alley...I...I didn't want people to think any differently of me."

"I hope your right William. I usually swim as a form of exercise but I do like it. What about you, what do you like to do?" Ivan was hoping that he and William would become good friends thought the school term.

Adrianna looked up to see the girl that she had, quite literally, bumped into on the train. "Oh, hi!" she said, waving and scooting over so the girl could join her. "Thanks! I think I'll fit in well here," she said, smiling at the others that she had been talking to.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine!" she told her friend. "I've had worse than that just traveling around! Some people on buses really know how to use their elbows," she said, rubbing her arm with a soft laugh. "Thanks for asking though. Are you alright? You fell just as hard as me!"

Adrianna laughed with William, glad that she seemed to be fitting in so well already. "Second?" she repeated, placing her chin on a hand. "What was your first year like? Is there a lot to take in? Is there even more stuff like the ceiling, or is this just their big thing?" she asked. THen, she winced, realizing how many questions she was asking. "Sorry, I know a little about Hogwarts, but it's been a long time since my mom was here..." she said with a sheepish smile.

She giggled as William explained out his family. "Really? That's so cool! I wish I had siblings so I could see where they would end up!" she said, wondering what a brother or sister would have been like. It would have made getting around a lot more difficult, that's for sure. "Do you know why that is?" she asked, looking over to the primarily blue table.

Gideon could see even before she spoke , his words had had the desired effect on Kurumi. The boy simply nodding in response as he caught her wink. As she spoke of the house-elves he look confused, following her gaze to the silverward and only then noticing the state of everything.

"Hmm. Odd...I wonder what's up..." Surely they hadn't forgotten when school would begin. It did happen every year on the same year for centuries after all.

Caroline decided that she go sit around with some of the Gryffindors. Maybe she'd make a few new friends, chat with some old ones, and annoy some first years. She had had stayed away from the Gryffindor table at the end of term feast. But it was the first table she went to after leaving her own. It was first place she wanted to go, of course. She just hopped that things would get to weird with what happened on the train, and over the summer. All she knew was that she really needed to think, about a lot things. She did enjoy spending a bit of time with Carter on the train. It had all felt surreal like nothing in the past few months had changed. But they had, a lot. She was kind of seeing someone else. And he had spent the whole summer with her cousin Mariyln which she didn't find out about until after she and Carter's little run it by the food trolley. But what could she say she didn't have much room to talk, she'd spent most of the summer with Jai.

She found a place to sit looked around there were actually a lot of new or first year Gryffindors this term, mostly younger ones. She sat down with a sigh. Still a bit annoyed over having to clean her own silverware. What it the name of Merlin did the house elves do all summer? Apparently not polishing the silverware. She had hers that she had cleaned by herself in her pocket no way she was letting these babies out of her sight. What did those house elves do? Take a vacation over the summer. Caroline got this mental picture of house elves on a beach chair with sunglasses sipping a drink with a toothpick unbrella. She laughed to herself.

Presley laughed, relieved. "Healer Moretti and I are like, best friends because I'm in the hospital wing so often. No, I'm alright." She sat down on the bench, mostly because it seemed rude not to when she'd scooted over. She sipped her ever-present apple juice, and looked around. She knew a couple Gryffies, but not many. So it was really pointless to look for people she knew. Much as she tried, she had never really made inter-house friendships. Seeing noone, she stood up again. "Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay! Enjoy the feast!" She waved, and skipped her way back to the Ravenclaw table.

"I don't know," Kurumi said with a slight frown. Merlin! What if all the house elves were gone? What if Headmaster Tate had decided to dismiss all of them with a pair of Hogwarts crested socks and sent them on their way?! Would Twinkle have stayed behind? Kurumi hoped she would. "But...we can't eat with these." She picked up a spoon...and SOMETHING brown and fuzzy fell from it and onto the table. "Help me?"

And another new lion, this one looked like a nervous first year, so Kurumi charmed one of the dancing cookies above the table to dance right in front of his face before going over to greet him herself. "Welcome to Gryffindor," she smiled with a bow. "My name is Kurumi, one of your prefects. If you have any questions at all please feel free to ask myself or Jai, the other Gryffindor prefect. I am sure he will be along soon."[/QUOTE]

"Thanks," Aaron replied shyly. He thought about the girl he met on the train, mabey he'd see her again. He was glad to know that someone was helpful and kind to him. He glanced around the great hall at the other tables. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables had students that looked simmilar to Gryffindor, but the Slytherin table was giving unfriendly looks to the Gryffindors.

Adam was about to take another sip of his water when he felt two hands slam rather forcefully into the back of his shoulders. The motion jumbled the goblet in his hand, the water within pouring out onto the table. Turning to look, but already knowing there was only one person that he'd met that showed this much enthusiasm, Adam gave Louisa a little smile.

"Yes, that I am," Adam said with a chuckle, moving over slightly so that there was room for Louisa to fit in. He hoped that Paulie didn't mind, but honestly Louisa didn't really take up much space on the bench. "Yeah...it looks like I won't be seeing the Ravenclaw Common Room after all," Adam said with a little frown. From what he heard people weren't allowed in the common rooms of houses that weren't their own. "I just hope you'll still be willing to associate yourself with a Gryffindor," Adam said, in a mock-concerned way.

Upon Louisa's comments about the silverware Adam picked up his spoon and looked at it. "I believe the word is rustic," Adam said with a little chuckle. "Perhaps they're just trying to make us feel like we're living in the castle during the time when it was first built and they used...rusty spoons," Adam said, setting the spoon down and giving Louisa a little smirk. Adam noted a vibe in Louisa that made him feel like maybe she was avoiding the Ravenclaw table.

"So...um...how are you doing?" Adam asked, lowering his voice incase she wanted to talk and didn't want all these random people overhearing. "Have you run into the pair yet?"

Gideon wasn't too close to the house-elves but he certainly didn't take them for granted. He made a face at the grime before looking back up at Kurumi. "Okay," he agreed with a nod. "Scorgify should work on it...wouldn't you think..." he mused, taking out his wand from his pocket with one hand while the other picked up one of his own utensils.

"Scorgify" Gideon cast careful to aim at the fork and nothing but seeing as it was a small item and he figured starting small was the best way. Thankfully the spell worked and the silver item was clean or at least a lot better. "One down...however many many more to go."

As Ariella sat down at the Gryffindor table, she noticed her fellow Quidditch friend Kurumi chatting to a few other students. Not wanting to interrupt, she waited until she was finished talking to say hi. "Hey Kurumi!" Ariella said with a grin. "How have you been?" She was overjoyed to be back at Hogwarts - finally away from her boring life at home and back to her friends who really understood her.

Josephine looked at the boy and remembered his face immediatly "Yup! You're Jordan, right?"

"Thanks," Aaron replied shyly. He thought about the girl he met on the train, mabey he'd see her again. He was glad to know that someone was helpful and kind to him. He glanced around the great hall at the other tables. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables had students that looked simmilar to Gryffindor, but the Slytherin table was giving unfriendly looks to the Gryffindors.[/QUOTE]

Josephine looked at the shy boy and smiled at him "Hi! I'm Josephine, this is my brother, Joseph" she gestured at her twin, who was sitting next to her "Are you excited for Hogwarts?"

"I think that will work," Kurumi nodded, noting some sort of congealed green goo on one of the knives. She didn't even want to think about what that might have been previously. "You can perform Scourgify, I'll back you up with Tergeo." She looked back at the goo. They were going to need more wand power if they were going to get the Gryffindor table back to the way she remembered it being during the opening feast. Especially if they hoped to get it done before Headmaster Tate's speech.

"Tergeo," she said and the green goo was removed. The knife was still dusty and, well, not fit for anyone to use. "If you would be so kind."
Kurumi spun around when she heard someone call her name. "Oh, Ariella! Hello," she chirped, returning the girl's smile. "I've been fantastic." Only a slight hint of sarcasm there. She had been fantastic until about 30 minutes ago at least. "Better than these forks." She held one up for emphasis. There was something that looked like it MIGHT have been mold at some point...but it had evolved now.

"Um, would you mind helping Gideon and I try to clean up the table? I don't want any first years getting sick their first night at Hogwarts..."

Meeting other new students, even if they were younger, made August feel not as weird about not knowing much about Hogwarts. Nathan may still know more about the school but he had never attended it either. So they were even.

"Oh Hobbies? Well I really enjoy reading, and riding my bike with my friend Peter." he sighed, he hadn't forgotten about his friend, who was a Muggle and wouldn't be joining him for this school year like they had every single year since Kindergarden. But he had promised he would write to him. "I also really enjoy football or soccer, whichever you call it." he chuckled continuing to look around the massive hall.
"Nice to meet you Carter!" he nodded. This was his first older Gryffindor student encounter and it seemed to be going good. "I guess they can." he nodded, not really sure if they could himself but he wasn't about to tell the guy he had no idea what a House elf even looked liked. August had just heard another kid say that.

"So what year are you?" he was definately older, it would be good to be friends with an older kid in his house just in case he was ever lost, needed help, or.....couldn't find a lavatory.
"Oh well, maybe I will get to see one then!" he said his eyes growing wider as she spoke about all the things they did around the Castle. So they were like maids? That made their name make a little more sense. But he was really curious of what they looked like. Part of him imagined the little folks that helped out Santa at the North Pole but didn't want to get his hopes up.

"Oh..." Auggie was about to ask if she was a Muggleborn too but kind of figured she wasn't, the way she said it had been a long time ago, as if her parents didn't make her continue to go for some reason, she was younger than him. "Umm I think so. I got Gryffindor but I really don't know much about the houses to be honest."

At that moment he noticed the yellow and black on her school robes badge and tie and spoke excitedly. "Oh you are a Hufflepuff?! A met a girl in the bookshop named Sierra....uhh...Greingoth, that said I would make a perfect Hufflepuff!" he of course didn't get the negative connotation the snake had been implying about the house of the kindly badgers.

Sunddenly another older student approached him, this one a girl. The one that was passing out the lion cookies from earlier. "Oh hi there. Kurumi? It's nice to meet you, I'm August Goldstein."

He followed her eyes back to the silverware, the center of this feast's attention it seemed. "Well it's good to hear that it's not a common theme for here." he chuckled nervously, if it was his mother would surely have a panic attack and send for him to come back home.

"Scorgify, really?" She mentioned this Scourgify and turned his head looking around the room. "Is he one of the Professors?" the boy asked pointing towards the Staff table. "Which one is he?"

Ariella smiled. It was still the same old Kurumi. Cleaning up the table? Now that was interesting. But she shrugged to herself and nodded. "I can see what you're saying. I'd be happy to help!" She took out her wand and gazed around the table. It was a mess. "Scourgify!" she shouted at the plate and goblet across from her.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

"I think that will work," Kurumi nodded, noting some sort of congealed green goo on one of the knives. She didn't even want to think about what that might have been previously. "You can perform Scourgify, I'll back you up with Tergeo." She looked back at the goo. They were going to need more wand power if they were going to get the Gryffindor table back to the way she remembered it being during the opening feast. Especially if they hoped to get it done before Headmaster Tate's speech.

"Tergeo," she said and the green goo was removed. The knife was still dusty and, well, not fit for anyone to use. "If you would be so kind."

Kurumi spun around when she heard someone call her name. "Oh, Ariella! Hello," she chirped, returning the girl's smile. "I've been fantastic." Only a slight hint of sarcasm there. She had been fantastic until about 30 minutes ago at least. "Better than these forks." She held one up for emphasis. There was something that looked like it MIGHT have been mold at some point...but it had evolved now.

"Um, would you mind helping Gideon and I try to clean up the table? I don't want any first years getting sick their first night at Hogwarts..."

"Alright...sounds like a plan," Gideon said with a nod, going to work on more of the items directly in front of him using the spell. Frowning as one scorgify wasn't enough to a particularly nasty spoon, he was about to add another but instead looked up as Kurumi asked for his assistance.

"Certainly m'lady," he said taking the knife from her and handing her the spoon in exchange. The fourth year nodding politely at the other girl and boy who came up to talk to Kurumi, but remaining silent as at least the girl seemed willing to help. The boy seemed a bit clueless.

"Scorgify!" he cast on the knife this time it came out better so the boy placed it back on the table near his companion. Maybe now the other Gryffindor boy would understand what Kurumi meant by the word. "Guess some might need both or a double dose."

Adam was walking around the Gryffindor table an didn't see many people he knew.Then again,after being gone for a year,probably more than half of these people were second years he never had the chance to meet.But it was odd seeing the old faces,new faces,it was odd being back at home for him.

Finally,after scanning the sea of red an gold colored robes he spotted one set of robes that stuck out from the others.A silver an green one.At first he hoped it wasn't that girl..But,as he strode closer he realized it wasn't,but rather Caroline.

He made his way to her,standing behind her so that she had no clue whom he was an then tapped her shoulder.

Nodding to the second year as she set to helping, Kurumi's attention was back on the boy. "Nice to meet you too, August," she nodded. She had the urge to ask him if he had been born in the month of August, but Kurumi wasn't sure she wanted to know if there was another reason for it. Maybe get into the too much information zone?

Kurumi found herself blinking. Professor Scourgify? Well, she didn't know everyone at the staff table, so she supposed that it WAS possible to share a name with the Cleaning Spell. Hopefully, if that was the case, it wasn't an ironic one and they were a complete slob. "Not...exactly," Kurumi giggled. "Scourify is a spell. It cleans things, but itsn't too good against liquids. There is another spell for that." But this probably wasn't making much sense to him. "You...aren't too familiar with magic, are you?" That much was obvious, and it was adorable. "Don't worry, I didn't know anything when I came."

She picked up a plate with...erm...something on it.

"Want to give it a try? The plate can't get any worse than it already is." In fact, even if it broke in half that would be an improvement.

Then her attention turned to Gideon as he cast the spell to clean the eating utensil in her hand. Her cheeks flushed. M'lady? Kurumi's cheeks burned a bit brighter repeating the word in her head.

"Y-Y-Yeah..." she said, looking back at the state of the Gryffindor table. At least they were making a small dent in the disaster, right?

Adelyn wandered over to the Gryffindor table, ready to join her House once again for the start of the year feast. She looked around, trying to spot someone that she knew, or hoping to meet some new people. After not finding anyone, she found an empty seat on the bench, and sat down, looking around for someone to talk to.

The closer she got to the Gryffindor table, the less she saw of Paulie. Or what she had thought she had seen of him. Frowning as she lost sight of her Lemonade Knight completely, Tori dropped onto the nearest open bench with a sigh.

"So the silverware's dirty over here too, huh," she sniffled a little, picking up a fork and dropping it back onto the table with a clatter. "Laaaaaaaaaame."

Jai spotted Caroline at the Gryffindor table. He headed over to her and sat next to her. "This is an interesting seating arrangement. So are you ready for this year?" he asked as he turned to her.

He wasn't sure why but he somehow felt a shift. he couldn't explain it but things were a bit up in the air between the two of them since there trip to Africa during the summer. He wanted to know what exactly was going on but he knew better than to push her.

He had made a promise to her and intended to keep it.