Since all the students were beginning to go to their common rooms, Gwendolyn followed her housemates and headed to the Ravenclaw tower as well. When she got there, everyone was gathered at the entrance to the Common Room. Well? What were they waiting for? The seventh year took a couple more steps forward to see what was going on.

This was a joke, right?

Not a very good one... but still... a joke?

‘Erm’, she mumbled and eyed the turnstiles, but she got distracted when she spotted Beezus. Just what was the Prefect doing? Kicking the turnstiles. Wonderful. Gwen tried not to roll her eyes. ‘Are you alright?’

So now all she could think about was WHY those things were blocking their path and why they had to pay. Tsk. Tsk. With this thought in her mind, Gwendolyn took a knut and waited for the students in front of her to enter the common room. Wouldn’t it be better to ask all the questions once they got inside?

A debate on the corridor wasn’t really the best solution now, was it?

So THAT had been an awful feast. But at least they'd given everyone ice cream, so that had been a plus. The third year bounded up the stairs and managed to only quarrel with the knocker for about 45 seconds before getting past the riddle barrier. And that wasn't because she hadn't been sure of the answer, it had been to seriously tease and interrogate the knocker about its life choices. Honestly, I just couldn't believe THAT was the riddle the knocker chose. Really? What's black, white, and READ all over? Too easy. Feeling pretty good about the glorious feeling that was burying herself into her covers, she walked briskly towards the common room door. But then a crowd of people seemed to be in the way.

"Er, hey guys..." she said, glancing around her. "What's going on...?" she asked as she lifted herself to her tip toes to look around.

Which was when she saw the turnstiles. Um, what? She eyed them suspiciously. "Is this a joke?" She walked up towards them, tried to push past, and greeted with a hefty THWAMP that pushed her backwards. Force-field ey? They think they're pretty slick, don't they? Well this is just crazy! She squinted at the coin slot and saw that it took knuts only. She sighed heavily. "Well great. How do they expect us to just have money on us? Mine's in my trunk!" But now she did suppose that some people probably did carry money around, she just never personally had a use for it. Especially not at school.

She really didn't want to be a bother, but she did really want to get into the dorm, so she looked up at Ethan and gave him a big innocent smile, seeing that he had several knuts in his hand. "Pretty please? I'll get you one straight away, promise." She really hoped there wouldn't be more unwelcome surprises at Hogwarts this term, but she had a feeling there might be. And yet, as irritated as she was, her mind was focused on bed.

YAY.

Thank Merlin, Presley still had three knuts on her. She took the coins and jammed them into the turnstile. "Oi, Mo...Aidan, get inside you two." She called out to her Quidditch boys before facing Presley again, "As much as I wanted to tell you about this Pres, I, myself didn't know that this kind of setback was happening." So, again....she was getting frustrated by the fact that they weren't informed about this whole situation. She felt like her title was just a mere title now because she was as oblivious as everyone else.

Sigh.

"Yeah, I'm alright Gwen." Well, that was a fairly wrong move but can they really blame her? She was frustrated. And a frustrated Beezus either tended to become abnormally silent or irrationally violent.

Thankfully though, Ethan came and Beezus didn't feel so alone in her dilemma. "Ethaaaaaaaaaaan...." She needed a word with him asap. "They're bloody serious. One knut." So yeah. Since she had a knut in now, she was going inside.

Tora had heard whispers about a toll to get into the common rooms. Apparently those whispers were true... Ugh Tora was really glad that she still had the money she brought with her for the Hogwarts Express. She pulled out a knut and pushed through the turnstile. She hoped she would have enough money to get her through the entire year... She decided she would have to limit herself to once a day in and out.

Zyanya was utterly tired by the time she reached the common room. She found a huge crowd waiting outside. Was there some problem? She peeked through the group of students standing and found they had to pay. PAY! Everyone had to pay to pass through the turnstile. Despite being a pure blood, she knew about these. She had travelled a lot with her father. So she knew quite a lot about muggles. She remembered her having some money left from the train. She felt relieved. She wondered what Amara would do. She knew her sister wouldn't have it. She inserted a knut into the hole and entered.

After giving her best puppy dog eyes to Ethan for a knut, she looked down and saw something shiny on the floor. Ooo! What's that? She bent down to retrieve it and popped back up tall again. Leave it to a Claw to notice something shiny on the ground. Maybe they were more related to ravens than they were to eagles after all. At any rate, she saw that she'd found a knut that someone must've dropped on the ground.

She held it up like a first rate prize at the county fair and showed it to Ethan proudly. "Woop, nevermind! I found one!" She stepped up to the turnstile when she paused. "Wait, does this belong to anyone here?" She didn't want to steal it of course, so she waited and watched - but hearing no one claim it, she slipped it into the turnstile and passed through to the common room door. What a strange place Hogwarts is becoming, she thought. Or actually, becoming more...muggle. Which I guess that majority of the world population would call more normal and not more strange...but anyway. She creaked open the door to the common room and stepped inside, wary of what she might find inside.

Extremely tired, that was how Lana felt. She had never felt so tired after a feast and that kind of make her feel odd. All she wanted to do was just get into their common room and curl up with a nice book. Yes, that was just what she needed.

Not completely paying attention, she nearly ran into the person before her when she noticed the group congregating. Craning her neck, she tried to get a look at what was happening. This was something completely new to her but upon listening to everyone around her for a moment, she frowned. Apparently they needed to pay to get into their own common room.

Digging into her pocket, she fished around for any loose coins. Usually all her coins would be with her things up in the girl's dormitory, which did her little to no help at the moment, but she had remembered that she got change back from earlier at the station.

Attempting to make her way closer to the what she now knew was a turnstile, she pulled her hands from her pocket and surveyed what she had. A broken quill, a few pieces of crumbled up parchment and a few coins. Yes, she had coins!

Picking out a knut from her loose change, she paid her way in to the common room. She just hoped that she would have enough change to last until at least their first Hogsmeade weekend. She could try to get a few things then and make change or in dire straits she would just owl her family.

So far, every last thing had been PERFECT for the fourteen year old. For a starter, he thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head when he'd entered the great hall. THEY HAD A BANQUET! What school could boast of that?! Second, there had been some pretty lovely people at his table! THIRD: He'd been sorted into Ravenclaw, which, beyond everything else, had a lovely colour scheme... Or should that have been his second point?

Bounding Heaving himself up the stairs on an incredibly full stomach, Callum practically clawed his way to the top and with a massive gasp, flopped... Nearly on top of one of his new house-mates. EEP.

Wait.

Why was there a queue outside of the common room? WAS IT LOCKED?! WERE THEY GOING TO HAVE TO SLEEP ON THE COLD STAIRS?! His eyes suddenly wide and panicky, Callum looked around at the other students. WHY DID THEY LOOK SO CALM?! DID THEY NOT REALISE THEIR FATE... Ohhh. A turnstile. Right.

Feeling just the tiniest bit triumphant that no-one had seen his TOTALLY unneeded freakout, Callum shot his hands into his pockets and pulled out a selection of coins. Now, which one was a knut? Walking up to the gate, a frown etched into his face, the fourteen year old reached his free hand up to scratch his face. He was just going to have to work this out through trial and error. Selecting a coin at random, he slid it into the slot and HUZZAH. It worked. "THANK YOU MR GATE." Bounding past the toll/turnstile/gate/whatever, Callum shoved the remainder of the coins into his pocket and FINALLY entered the common room.

Carsyn was so proud of herself for figuring out her first Ravenclaw riddle and actually making it through into the common room. Except, what were these shiny turnstiles doing here? She'd never been told about anything other than the riddle. How do you get through? Is this another test? She pushed on the bar but it wouldn't budge. She inspected the turnstiles and saw a little hole. Hmmmm. Wondering if it worked like the muggle versions, Carsyn reached into her bag for her coin purse. She unsnapped the gold clasp, stuck a finger in the purse and poked around until she found the only size coin she figured would fit. Upon finding the bronze coin she was looking for, Carsyn made unhappy face in relinquishing her funds to this blasted contraption barring her way and dropped the coin through the slot.

Hoping she didn't just waste a knut for no reason, Carsyn pushed on the bar and was relieved to find it allowed her passage. Was this thing always going to be here? If so, she may need to write home to mummy and daddy asking for more money...

Nerida just wanted to go lie down but first she had to solve the riddle and now this!! She sighed please let her have money on her. She reached into her purple purse muttering to herself about the stupid shiny turnstiles. She turned she could just sleep out here no biggie..Right? Just as the thought came to her she felt something cold touch her fingertips. Grasping onto the cold little thing she pulled it out, one knut for the Poor Hogwarts. She dropped it into it and pushed through...

She would never leave the common room... Hopefully she would have enough money to get in every time...

Alright.. all Ethan was worried about at this point was making sure everyone was able to get into the common room. He nodded at a few who were able to drop a knut into the turnstile and make it inside with no quarrel. Sure, the situation wasn't ideal, but they really need to get inside and they could figure things out once they were more situated.

He was about to hand over one of his knuts to Eliza when she found one on the ground and he nodded at her to go inside. Turning to Beezus, he said, "Let's go in now and we'll talk about what we need to do then." He really felt like he needed to make sure his housemates were taken care of and they should come up with a plan to do so.

Since no one else had mentioned a need for any of his extra knuts, Ethan laid the two on top of the turnstile and said, "If anyone needs one to get inside, go ahead and use it. I'm going in now and I suggest you all do the same. I have a little more change in my dorm if anyone needs anything, then I'll be in the common room." And if they wanted to talk, that's where they could do it. That being said, he dropped his remaining knut in the slot and went inside.

After finding out about the whole galleon thing, and that they had to sleep in their common rooms, Dora finally approached the turstile and stared at it with disdain.

It was so stupid.

She pulled out a galleon, decided she didn't care about losing this one, then slipped it in. And walked through.

If she didn't have to pay the next go rounds, she would let all her friends and other housemates know the Headmistress wasn't lying to them.

Nerida unsnapped the silver clasp, stuck a finger in the purse and poked around until she found the only size coin that could be a knut. Upon finding the bronze coin she was looking for, she quickly dropped it in, annoying little thing. She pushed on the bar and was relieved to find it allowed her passage, she would have hated to be left out there all alone.....

After a long day, Ethan was excited to go into the Ravenclaw Common Room for the first time. The riddle was a bit challenging, but he had gotten through alright, so it wasn't a big deal. When he saw the turnstiles he blew out a breath of relief, he had been expecting another test. He was Muggle-Born so he had taken the Underground many times. He dug around in his pockets a bit until he finally found the bronze Knut he was looking for and dropped it in the slot. He pushed on the bar and found it gave way. He passed through and walked on.

God, what was Hogwarts becoming? Orr thought to herself as she solved the riddle and encountered the dreaded turnstiles. Every single time without fail, they turned up. She must have paid over 20 knuts in the last two weeks' alone, every single time she came back to the common room to study and sleep. She really should do her studying in the library from now on.

She removed a single knut from her purse and inserted it into the little hole. The pathway opened to the common room. Orr walked through heading to the girls' dorm. She was going to have a nice sleep after a long day.

Taking an afternoon stroll with Pebbles, Airey found himself outside the Ravenclaw turnstile and stopped for a moment. You know, he had ALWAYS wanted to see what the other common rooms had looked like as a student, but there had been that stupid rule about not being allowed in and all that rubbish.

Then again, that hadn't prevented him and Cyryl from sneaking each other in. Heh.

He hadn't been able to really look around back then though, considering how he had needed to be sneaky and ninja-like, complete with inconspicuously rolling across the floor, so the only area he really had taken a good gander at had been the boy's dormitories.

Fishing into his pocket, he grumbled when all he found was a sickle and a chocolate frog wrapper. He didn't want nor NEED to go into the Ravenclaw common room that many times...but his Gryffindor curiosity got the best of him and he slipped it into the turnstile and entered the common room.

Taking an afternoon stroll with Pebbles, Airey found himself outside the Ravenclaw turnstile and stopped for a moment. You know, he had ALWAYS wanted to see what the other common rooms had looked like as a student, but there had been that stupid rule about not being allowed in and all that rubbish.

Then again, that hadn't prevented him and Cyryl from sneaking each other in. Heh.

He hadn't been able to really look around back then though, considering how he had needed to be sneaky and ninja-like, complete with inconspicuously rolling across the floor, so the only area he really had taken a good gander at had been the boy's dormitories.

Fishing into his pocket, he grumbled when all he found was a sickle and a chocolate frog wrapper. He didn't want nor NEED to go into the Ravenclaw common room that many times...but his Gryffindor curiosity got the best of him and he slipped it into the turnstile and entered the common room.

Nerida reached the turnstiles, reaching in her pocket trying to make sure the cupcake she had got from the kitchens didn't fall it looked very yummy! With no luck in the left pocket Nerida switched hands and started to look in the right pocket, a galleon would do right? She threw the galleon in and looked down at her yummy cupcake...

The swirl she looked closer using her arithmancy she realized ha the cupcake was an example of the golden ratio!!

Lily was coming back from one of her classes when she decided to stop in to exchange her books before lunch. She had been stopping in the common room only twice a day to avoid having to spend all her spending money. So she lugged her heavy bag on her shoulder and answered the riddle to the common room. As soon as the turnstiles appeared, Lily started digging in her pocket for the knut she knew she had in there.

"Oh darn..." She said feeling that there was only the one knut left in her pocket. She'd have to owl her parents as soon as she got a chance. Luckily, she knew that she had some spare change in her trunk up in her room. As soon as she slipped her knut in the slot, she made her way into the common room.

"One knut to get in, seriously?" Jayden grumbled, shaking her head as she rifled through her bag for pocket change. "This is so ridiculous, a girl leaves for awhile because of a sick relative and comes to find that she has to pay to get into her own dang common room!" She sighed, tapping her foot impatiently as she searched her bag again.

"Aha! I knew I had one of these little buggers in here!" She smiled triumphantly, placing the coin inside the little hole at the top of the turnstile.

*click*

And then again, Erin needs to deal with the not-so-adorable-freakin'-nasty coin eater.

Even her mind-blowing over-the-top Ravenclaw thinking couldn't defeat the power of the magical turnstile. There were days Erin thought of not going out of the common room just so she could save some of her knuts. But this is just a simple gesture to help her school. That was what she was thinking the first time she went in. But every time you wish to get in of everyday? Truth be told, that was totally a pain.

Sinking her hands in her pocket, she went to get one knut and place it inside the turnstile. And then she made her way to the common room.

It was the turnstiles again. What a pain. Elise knew from experience that trying to jump over it was just going to be painful. No going under either. Only way through was to feed the machine money. Money that the school had better refund them whenever they got their funding back. How did Gringotts even plan on explaining that kind of loss?

No matter, Elise decided as she slid a sickle into the turnstile and watched as the hole adjusted to suit the slightly larger silver coin. Now, she'd be able to go through a few times without paying. Maybe enough to let her through for the last couple of weeks that term.