"Oh well I am always willing to take one Harlow." he smiled at the younger girl She was so little, and reminded him of his sister Sylvia because of how sweet she was.

"A family reunion, that sounds fun." he had never really had one of those. He had met his grandparents on his mother's side only once and his mother was their only child and his father parents had had four kids but all of them but one were focussed on work and tended to keep their visits limited to holidays. "Where all did you get to go? I've never left the country...well apart from coming here. Hogwarts is in Scotland, right?"
"She's a real charmer." August said with a chuckle. He really was going to miss Tori much more than he had expected to. But it was cool that Alex had gotten to meet her before she had left.

"Oh?" Alex knew family problems? Well he did have Sierra to deal with as a sister, and not just a sister but a twin! That was too bad. "Yeah, I know about that a bit. My younger sister Slyvia really misses me while I am away but the questions about the Magical world begin to get old towards the end of the summer." he didn't know most of the answers to her questions anyways.

Could it be possible? Every house was in the negative? Daisy stood infront of the hourglasses with a odd scruntched up look on her face, head tilted to the side as she contimplated how that could be so early in the term. Was it because classes were harder? Or the new teachers? Lack of motivation on the students part, or just down right recklessness?

Mmm... "Too much thinking of baby elf names probably," Daisy concluded aloud to no one in particular.

Freeman was on his way to the Great Hall for supper. It was important to have three balanced meals a day, and lunch had been rather rushed, which Freeman had worried would cause indigestion. However, the afternoon had been thankfully uneventful (in the gastric sense). He tapped several of the buttons on his shirt- 1-2-3 No-Holes-For-Me- to make sure he looked proper.

"Hello," Freeman greeted the young lady standing by the hourglasses, so as not to pass by her and appear rude. Glancing up to see what she was staring at, his eyes widened. "Is that for real?," he mused. "Term's just started! Well- I did see some fifth-years throwing someone's underwear out the train windows. I suppose there have been a few 'incidents'." His voice trailed off for a moment. Who was the unlucky fellow who would be going commando? It could be anybody! Oh. . . that was a disturbing thought.

"Wait a minute." Freeman regarded the Griffindor with confusion. "What about baby elf names?"

"It wasn't your underwear was it?" Daisy asked, taking her eyes off the hourglasses to look at the youngling next to her. Poor boy did look a bit combuffled, as if he was going sans undergarments and Daisy should know, there was the one summer her older brother Leandor had fed her other brother Isador's underwear to the neighbor's goats...mom and dad hadn't been to happy, nor had Leandor once the goat started following him around and nipping at his behind in an attempt to get some more underwear.

"I imagine," Daisy replied thinking that he must certainly be talking about himself, but in a way that made it sound as if it was someone else's underwear so as not to embarass himself infront of a stranger. "You must be rather uncomfortable without it. Couldn't you owl home for some more? Or," she scratched at her calf right above her wool socks. "Are you afraid the owl might eat it?"

Freeman blanched in horror. "Oh no!," he started, taking a quick intake of breath. "No, it wasn't me. I couldn't possibly. . . " even think about wearing trousers with nothing in between, he almost finished. He had never been a fan of natural air conditioning. In fact, he had never been a fan of taking clothes off at all. If Freeman had figured a way to get clean without bathing, he would have. Of course, the clothing he wore had to be clean and pressed. Yes, even his underwear.

Freeman could feel his face getting hot. "I, uh. . . no, it was a big kid. The underwears were big." He held out his hands to demonstrate just how big. Why, oh why had he brought up such an inappropriate subject? Surely this lovely lady was just as embarrassed as he. He was rather surprised that his grandmother hadn't spontaneously appeared just to rap him on the head with her black cane. "I, uh. . . also, owls don't eat cotton." Oh dear Merlin, someone change the subject quick.

Angelina nodded and said, "Yeah I guess it does... but its not perfect." She couldn't be that mad, she wasn't good with naming animals herself, so she had to give some creadit to her brother for trying, so it didn't bother her too much.

"Oh really? Do you study for O.W.L all year tell it comes, or when it close?" she had no idea about O.W.L or N.E.W.T.S, she wasn't to worried about it tell she got to at least fourth year. Angelina smiled a little and said, "I'm just a second year.." she couldn't wait tell she was older. She got a lot of.. 'you don't want to grow up to fast' and 'don't grow older', but she was tired of being a kid.

"You'd be surprised what owl'll eat," Daisy replied scratching at her her calf some more. "My brother's once ate his tennis shoe." She left out that his tennis shoe had been thrown up on by a dragon with the flue so it probably had smelled like rabbit or something.

She pushed her sock down, scratched and then yanked the wool sock up. "It's not that embarassing...my second year someone tossed all my shoes up on the highest shelf in the common room and I had to go to classes in my slippers for a week before a older student would get them down for me." She paused and looked the boy up and down. He looked so embarassed. Perhaps he needed an older student's help. "Say, do you need me to owl home for you and ask for more undies? I've got a quill in my bag," she started rummaging around in her school bag.

Apparently the girl did not believe him. Freeman felt a flash of irritation. "No, I don't need any help," he said testily. "Do I look like I'm ten?" He bit back more words. Perhaps the Griffindor had deserved to have her shoes stolen, if she was always going around insulting people. Freeman pulled out his own Quikspell quill and waved it in her face, which was looking into her school bag. "I have my own quill too. Don't bother." He didn't mention that he had no owl, though--he didn't want her feeling more sorry for him than she already was.

Freeman frowned. "Do you have fleas or something?" There was an awful lot of scratching going on. Oh, that would be a perfect conclusion to this conversation--dashing away in panic to douse himself in pesticides.

"As a matter of fact..." the boy looked like he was 9, but he had to at least be 11 to be at school. She trailed off and left her thoughts unsaid. She was just about to pull her quill out when one was shoved under her nose. It tickled, and she wiggled her nose. "Mmm...ahh - ahhh..." she tried to stop it but it didn't work. "Choo..." a bit of spittle landed on the quill. She rubbed her nose with one hand while scratching at her knee with the other.

"Fleas?" mmm...she rubbed her nose one more time. "No no, just woolen socks." She really did need to remember to have that converstation with her mother about wool socks over Christmas.

Freeman regarded the quill in his hand with mild repulsion. He couldn't put it back in his pocket now. . . and he wasn't carrying a handkerchief to wipe it off with. Instead he held it out, pinched between forefinger and thumb, away from his uniform. "Bless you," Freeman stated unenthusiastically.

Wounded at her insinuation of his age, Freeman straightened up to his full height. Five-foot-two, to be exact. "I am twelve, for your information," he huffed. "And I am very mature for my age, I will have you know." (That's what Grandmother said, anyway.) He put his hands on his hips and glared. This girl wasn't following any of the proper conversational etiquette, nor was she behaving in ladylike manner. He was at an utter loss. . . and it was all her fault.

"I guess you shouldn't wear woolen socks then," Freeman scowled. "Besides, it's September."

Katie had to think about this, because it varied depending on how organized you liked to be. Katie knew what she liked, but others she was unsure, "Well I'm unsure what others may like to do but I'm going to study just a bit through all the year, and near the end I shall study more" Katie nodded, she found that was the best plan that suited her best. Second year eh? Good memories Katie had of her second year.

Oakey took a good long look at the hourglasses, not one house had gained many points. They don't show it but he felt that each house was in the negatives. He had a lot of work cut out for him then. He took out his charmed rabbits foot from around his neck and kissed it. No more flukes he won't let the bad luck out anymore.

Being bored once again, Nessie decided to take a walk around the school. She had been pretty bored, often lately and didn't know what to do with herself besides walk around like some crazy loner. It was when she saw hourglasses that she stopped. They were just soo...empty. It didn't look nice, usually they were all pretty and filled with their house colors, but today they were all just empty and dull.

A few seconds later, Ness realized that someone else had been standing there too. It was Oakey one of her closest friends, she hadn't spoken to him since the train ride and she still had tons to tell him, but she hadn't had the chance to be alone with him seeing as there was always someone there that had to interrupt. "Heyy Oakey." she said trying to sound as cheerful as she could, even though she wasn't really.

Quickly stuffing his lucky charm back into his shirt he turned to see Renesmee, Hiya Nessie! He said turning around. He was happy to see her Where have you been? we're in the same house but I never see you. This is mostly his fault, since the feast he spent hours in the Hospital recovering from candy throw up then sleeping it all off. plus the first few classes had begun.

Alex chuckled. "Well, she'll be here soon enough. My niece and nephew will be here in a few years too," he added with a bit of a shrug. They grew up so fast! Then again, Anna was so much older than him, maybe it had seemed like only the blink of an eye but felt a lotttt longer to the parents that had to actually watch over them.

Alex wasn't always sure what to talk about with people from other houses...it was easier to talk to the Huffies since he got to be in the common room and observe the drama and all that stuff, whereas he had no idea what went on in the other houses. "Bet it's nice to get back to the common room though, yeah?" he said with a chuckle. He knew his bed HERE was much more comfortable than his bed at home. He couldn't sleep well on the pillows at home. Not at all.

Sure he was mature for his age. Right….that’s why he wouldn’t fess up to the fact that some older kids had tossed his knickers out the window of the train on the way to school. It was much more responsible to go around commando and not ask for help.

Perhaps he enjoyed being uncomfortable? He sure did carry an expression of just having sniffed sour milk around in a permanent manner. Perhaps what her mom said about making faces was true.

”Explain that to my mother.” She scratched at her calf again, knocking the sock down around her ankle. She left it there. “She’s got a crazy notion that castles are cold, no matter what time of the year it is.”

Angelina nodded, "Yes, that sounds like a good plan! I don't think I could study alot months before! Just a little at a time is good, its better than nothing as well." She was really happy she had a few years tell she had to take her test! She really didn't like test at all.

Oh my! The Gryfs were in the lead, well technichley no one was in the lead cause we all had negative scores, ha! Maddy thought. The Slytherins were going to have another victory this year, Maddy could just feel it.

Freeman gazed down at the offending socks. They did look scratchy. He could sympathize with being forced to wear unbearable clothing by overbearing maternal figures. The girl's feet were probably wrinkled and soggy with sweat inside those socks. That's what had happened to him when Grandmother made him wear a tweed suit to that garden party--he could recall the tracks of sweat running down his back, with no way of evaporating through the thick weave. Instead, the tweed acted as kind of a greenhouse, capturing all the heat and sweat and boiling Freeman alive in his own juices.

"I'm sorry," he said stiffly to her feet, although his expression had softened. He looked up to meet her eyes. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Freeman Stuart. And my suggestion is to remove your socks entirely and go barefoot until November."

Daisy stared incredulously at the boy as he spoke to her toes. When he looked up at her she couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh Freeman,” A big smile spread across her face. “You are a very funny boy. But I don’t think the professors will let me walk around without any shoes on. Besides, I might step on a fangel thorn and turn purple.” It had happened to her brother Leander once and he had been purple for a month.

“Should we get some tea?” She ask as he stomach growled. “I hear the house elves have cooked up some of their famous cucumber sandwiches for an afternoon snack…and there might be some cookies as well.”

Freeman supposed it wouldn't do to turn purple, although he thought it might depend on what you thought was worse: looking like an eggplant, or looking like a raisin.

He was rather surprised when she laughed at him. He hadn't been trying to be funny. . . but it was much more pleasant to hear her call him a funny boy than to think he was immature and sans-shorts. Man, life seemed all about choosing how you wanted to look at things. Freeman had never been amusing to others before. He liked it. It almost made up for her earlier poor manners. (Almost.)

"I accept your invitation to tea," Freeman announced grandly. "I would be honored to accompany you to the Great Hall, Miss--" He paused. "Um, you never told me your name, so I can't finish my acceptance properly."

Saidy resisted the urge to make her usual face at Freeman’s manners. I am soooo glad I didn’t’ grow up with stuffy parental units. she thought. Most of the people in Hogwarts had to have had backwards old-fashioned or Asian-raised parents. At least he didn’t bow or offer to kiss my hand. She probably would have turned around and walked away if she had.

“Daisy Petrus,” she shifted the bag hanging from her shoulder and pushed her hair off her face as she gave the younger boy a smile. “Come,” she said stepping past him. “Or all the cucumber sandwiches will be gone before we get there. I’m quite fond of the cucumber sandwich.”

Ella stood wide eyed as she looked at the giant hourglasses. Hufflepuff is in third place...not bad. She hoped that they would be able to take the lead and with conviction, decided she would help them do just that. She turned around to go get something to eat when she bumped into someone. "Ooof." She fell back and landed on her bottom. "I'm so sorry!"

A sneer slipped out even though Hades tried to refrain from doing so. It wasn't because of Ravenclaw was in the first place. Well, not entirely. But it was the fact that Hufflepuff was catching up with them. Unacceptable! Arms crossed in front of him, Hades tapped his foot on the floor impatiently with his back against the wall near the hourglasses. His bad side was about to come again as he began to grin creepily. Whenever he grinned like that, it was never a good thing to anyone else (except for his accomplices and comrades).

Isabelle had been wandering around the school for a while looking for her Slytherin sidekick. Where could he be? She rounded the corner towards the hourglasses and saw him standing there. "Hello...erm...Hades," Izzy said brightly as she stumbled upon his name. Really he was named after the god of the underworld in the Muggle Greek myths or whatever. Weird. "Isabelle, or Izzy, Dupont," she said as she stuck our her hand noticing his weird grin and sneer or whatever. He might not be in the best mood. "Your Slytherin Sidekick." Yep she got this DEAD GOD named person.