"I think it's fitting." Mitchell replied with a smirk. And just because she was annoyed by it, he planned on calling her that forever. Smirrrrk.

"Don't lie." he said giving her a nudge. She missed him. That's why she was here. You couldn't fool him, Goldilocks!

"Sure. Griffin Door." he said with a half shrug. "Nope. I know nothing about this place." He then looked around for what he guessed was a Hufflepuff.

"Is that... a skunk?" It looked like one.

"The thing talks?" Mitchell asked with a raised eyebrow. "What is it supposed to say?" Because he was curious now. He was also wondering if it was bad the hat didn't say anything to him.

Then he stopped worrying. He had a house thing, and that's what was important. Yay for lions. Or... whatever he was.

He nodded a little at her explanation. "The horses are strange. Just a heads up."

For a moment, Lux could have sworn she heard a squeaking sound, but then it disappeared again. Sliding so that she was under the table with Bay, she kept waving the treat in front of her and summoning the Puff. "Maybe we should try for a few more minutes and then see if someone at the Staff Table can help." It was really difficult to see or move around with all these legs in the way.

"Yeah you right…we will take a few more minutes before i really start to freak out" He started to move around on all fours. "Cucumber maybe look on the tables? while I'm down here?.. he's not hard to miss he's a blue fur ball" he tried to add a joke in but was hoping nothing happened to Ziggy.

*squeak* Ziggy moved around some more, then found some candy on the floor. *sniff sniff* it seemed alright. He moved his mouth over the candy and gave a test lick. OOHHH THAT WAS GREAT. Ziggy was getting really excited now *squeak, squeak* He put his whole mouth over the treat and gobbled it up.

SPOILER!!: Sir Nicholas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nearly Headless Nick

Head held high, and arms wide open, Sir Nicholas made his grand entrance into the Great Hall through the centre of the Gryffindor table. Or at least he thought it was the Gryffindor table, though considering he saw Badgers in front of him, perhaps he had misjudged the distance? Overshot the mark, even? But no, on closer observation he had been correct, and they were merely out of their seats.
"Hello" he beamed down at some of the newer faces, "Welcome to Gryffiindor!"

He hadn't even stopped to think he might have given them a fright before spinning mid-air to get a better look at them all. "So who've we got here then?" he asked, keenly awaiting introductions, since he had been daft enough to miss the sorting.

Ah, that was a familiar face.

Sir Nicholas had made his appearance for the feast and Benjamin was close enough to notice. "Good evening, Sir Nicholas," he greeted politely with a smile. The ghosts had certainly been something to get used to during his first term but he was alright now...had been by last term's ending feast.

SPOILER!!: Bart

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazinga

SPOILER!!: Benjamin

Benjamin had gotten separated from his train companions, including his familiar left in his cage to be handled with the luggage. So it was alone that he walked into the Great Hall though surrounded by other students as their own movements echoed his. The second year headed towards the familiar landscape of the Gryffindor House table for lack of any other destination. However as he took a seat on one of the long benches, he was reminded on how unfamiliar he was with his housemates.

Sure he had been in classes with them, and passed each other in the halls and stairwells, and shared a common room. But not to the extent of actually knowing them. Ben couldn't even remember on sight any of his dorm mates. Perhaps this had something to do with the gentle reprimand he had gotten from his parents. The one about him needing to socialize more and one of the reasons he had actually been speaking to fellow students over the summer and on the train. But none of them were lions and seemingly lost to him among the other crowded house tables.

Oh well, the twelve year old turned back to his own table and tried to think on what to do as he awaited the feast.
__________________

Well this couldn’t be right. No not at all, he was told this was the table to be at. Yes Alexa had said it was, but yet the cool girl he met on the train wasn’t over here. She was sitting at that blue table. Ravenclaw he figured. Now where was his best friend? She had to have been sorted by now, but he didn’t see her. She did get off the boat, right? He knew she was nervous, but nothing would have happened it was just a small boat.
Noticing someone sit next to him Bart looked over. The boy seemed to be his age and looked lost. Was he new as well. This could be fun, “Hey you.. you sure you are at the right table?” grinning he looked around acting as if the boy wasn’t at the right one. “I think you need over there. Yeah the sorting hat said Slytherin I heard it loud and clear.” He didn’t even remember hearing the hat for anyone but his own, but no one had to know that.

Looking over as someone was apparently trying to get his attention, Ben came face to face with a boy his age. Wrong table...Slytherin? That gained his neighbor a quizzical eyebrow. "Nope, I'm sure I'm at the right table. Been here since last September." That was the bother with being quiet and out of the spotlight, people thinking you were knew when you'd been there the whole time. "And you're thinking of someone else if you think I was sorted into Slytherin."

Merlin help him if he had been. He wasn't cut out for that.

SPOILER!!: Lex

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo

Just over a bit she spotted another new one (Holmesian Feline), one not facing everyone but out? Yeah...okay. Lex gave him a light jab in the forehead and a smile. "Welcome to Gryffindor!" OH!!!!!! A ghost she'd been missing! Lex grinned over at their House Ghost. "Good evening Sir Nicholas! Haven't seen you floating around in a while." Maybe because she'd been keeping herself busy?

Jab to the forehead?

Was that entirely necessary? Benjamin didn't think so yet he he turned the other way anyway to see the person responsible. This time was an older student...wait was she a prefect? How rude to do what she had to him especially then. "Thanks," he said to the greeting, letting her action be brushed off. Maybe she hadn't meant it entirely. "But I think you're a year late." Not a newbie here. Nope...just a little shy last time around.

Lux stopped for a moment and patted Bay on the shoulder affectionally (which was hard seeing as they were under a crowded table). She really did not want to see him upset and worried about his pet, and she was starting to worry herself even if she was trying to be optimistic about it.

"I'm sure I heard him squeaking, Bay... but really maybe we should just go to the Staff Table now." Before he started to really freak out. Smiling weakly at his joke, she shook her head. "It will be okay. We will find him, and he won't get hurt." Fingers crossed at least. :/

Fifth Year! That got a grin out of her. As much as she liked having people in the house in general, it was much nicer getting new students in her year. They hardly every got those. Usually all transfers were for the year above. Good stuff right here. "Homeschool, eh? And what was that like? Can't imagine it'd be more fun than school." You know, minus the dementors, happy!ice-cream and the like...yeah. Those tended to kill the school experience but they were already past. What were the odds they'd happen again?

Lex gave the question some thought but not much. Enough to give a fair answer. Not all classes were HARD but they weren't super duper no doubt about it easy peasy lemon squeezy either so! "Muggleborn has nothing to do with it. I'm a Pureblood, went my First Year nearly blowing myself up and not knowing answers, but looking back I wouldn't say the classes were hard...not so long as you read and keep on top of things." Advice she would never herself take. Reading was just a no. Merlin help her when her exams rolled around.

That was it? Lame and disappointing. It simply wouldn't do. "Fascinating." She said hinting that more would have been appreciated. Leaning around, again watching for Ickle Bellaire, she plopped an elbow on the table and for a moment gave him her undivided attention. Only a moment. Her attention span wasn't that great. "What else can you tell me?" She was ALL ears.

The nose scrunching was the first signal that they were no closer to getting her on the team than they were the day they met at the book shop. It was confirmed when she said she forgot. This was getting to be a slow topic for her, one that practically crawled and repeated itself. Lex didn't much like repitition. "Good. This place gets far more epic when you have a bunch of friends to run around with." She wasn't so sure the girl would get Ascanius to run around with her but the idea was there and distracting from the Quidditch talk which was the new goal. Lana said she'd ask Jake and Lex trusted she'd update her when something new happened so, yup, that was that.

"Did you run into the Giant Squid on the way over here from the boats?" She hadn't but you never know what luck other people might have in their First Year.

Well didn't he look somewhat put off. Not by much but that was all detail Lex didn't care much to concern herself about. It was just a light jab, nothing to damage his brain cells or anything, he'd live. What's this though? A year late? Is that so? Lex leaned reeeeal close to his face, but not uber close because personal space reasons and all, in an attempt to get a better look at his face. Not new. Mmk. Clearly he'd been living under a rock for the past year there. Interesting stuff.

"Right. If you say so." No arguing that logic. The kid would obviously know how long he'd been there. Lex backed up again then stuck her hand out. "Alexa and you are?"

Score! Silver wasn't the only newbie, that totally made her feel at ease.

Not only was she not the only newbie, but she also wasn't the only older newbie.

"Great! We could go scavenger hunting, sometime. Ya' know, to like get to know this school a lot better? And if we get lost, we won't be alone!" Silver smiled real BIG, after she ramble off a little. "Sweetness! I'm going into my third year." She nodded, though she was nearly 14. "I went to Salem Institute. Where exactly are you from?" Had she asked that already? -- She couldn't remember.

Silver's face lit up as she enjoyed the little show, this handsome ghost gave them all. "Hi!" She waved at him.

Her father used to tell the young lioness, about Nearly Headless Nick. From when he attended Hogwarts several years ago.

"Silver Barry!" She introduced herself and played with a strand of her thick curls.

Silver's jaw was a trooper. The third year simply couldn't stop smiling!

"Very exciting!" Silver nodded and took a deep breath before she exploded. "Good to meet you, Alexa!" She replied. "I'm Siver, newbie third year lion!"

Ah! she was talking to the Prefect! This was like meeting a real life celebrity!

"Would you mind signing--" Silver was looking around, for something to get an autograph on. "--My tie?" She had a pen in her hand and holding the tip of her tie with the other.

Silver used to know a guy named: Mitchell Mitchell. His first and last name were literally the same.

She giggled. He was new too! Yay!

Rawr. She thought to herself upon noticing Mitchell's half smirk. Unicorns and cupcakes were floating in her mind, boys were on this girl's mind from the moment she turned 13.

"Before this I attended, Salem Institute. But I'm not from Massachusetts, okay. I'm from Rochester, New York." Silver replied, nodding her head. "How about you?" She flashed him a smile and slightly narrowed her eyes, trying to figure him out. Fail. Silver, fail. Smile. Silver, likes to smile.

Oh. Um. She wanted more...? "I'm new..." he said. "From New York." That was also a fact. "And I have no idea what a Prefect is." Or why she was grilling him about facts about himself.


Mitchell couldn't help but grin. Salem? That meant she was from the States too. This was exciting. There weren't enough of them.

BETTER YET! She was from New York too! "Manhattan. Well... most of my life anyway. I was born in Brooklyn." He blinked at her narrowed eyes. Soon enough it was a smile though. That was better.

"What brought you over here?" To England.

Ben watched as she leaned closer to him, clearly inspecting him for some reason. He almost went cross-eyed in the endeavor as they moved closer and closer together. Was she trying to remember him? Would she? He tended to think he had a rather common face, lost in the crowd even before his relative shyness was added into the equation. Unless it was the floppy hair that resided on top of his head that might have a chance to stand out to anyone.

At least she agreed to believe him...for the moment, the second year relaxing in the moment. "Benjamin...or Ben," he returned, accepting her offered hand and giving it a polite shake. "Nice to meet you."

Tessa laughed sheepishly. "I've been to... seven? Yeah, I think it's been seven different schools," she told the boy, giving him a grin and a shrug. "It's been interesting. Most were in America, so at least I only had one language to know- but when we travelled it made things a little harder," she explained.

"Haha, I'm with you- I'm not much of a reader," she said, shaking her head. "Maybe we could split the book and give each other a summary," she joked, laughing.



Tessa had wandered away to give her legs a stretch- with the hope that her friends had saved her seat. Sure enough, their seats were still there... but her friends weren't. "Bay? Lux? Anyone?" she asked, looking around. On a whim, she looked under the table, only to find her two friends there.

"Everything alright?" she asked with a small frown. "I figured we would save the fort making for after all of this commotion had died down," she teased. "Anything I can help with?" After all, it wasn't every day that friends hid under a table...

There were FAR too many people here, and Alice sat quietly in the midst of them all, completely enthralled with the hat. The Sorting Hat. How many Gryffindors had it given them this term? It seemed as if a million new ones had arrived, because there were unfamiliar faces surrounding her table from every direction.

And some of those faces went with bodies that looked PERFECT for brooms, did they know?

She began scouting immediately. Comeee to the captain, little lions. Come.

"In what way is it fitting? My name, hair, or naivety?" said Marigold, annoyed. BAH. What was it about this boy that made her simultaneously want to hug him and slug him?? And that smirk did NOT look promising...

"Nope! I did not miss you. Not oooone bit." She did not, and planned on never ever missing him, nope. Smirk. She got off better this time, buckaroo.

She was surprised, even though she had known it. Who knew nothing about Hogwarts? All non muggles she knew had either heard of or attended Hogwarts. Americans. Bah humbug.

"NO. That is a BADGER, a symbol of a hardworking, loyal house!" She huffed. "Why did I even bother coming over here anyway?"

Tessa felt someone watching her and turned around, looking. Okay, so the girl wasn't watching her exactly, but she definitely seemed to be looking for something. Or hunting for something. Tessa wasn't intimidated.

"Excuse me, can I help you with something?" she asked, her tone not rude, merely curious. She was never one to be shy- you couldn't be in the career she wanted. You had to stand out, be your own person (or player)- and Tessa was quite good at doing that.

"AWW" Mackenzie was really looking forward to getting to hang out with her all the time. "Oh totally, we can hang out. And I can totally help you when it comes to classes, they aren't that bad.. as long as you do your readings."


As Mack was talking to Bri, she noticed one of those attractive boys she was just thinking about. Like seriously, how had every girl not fallen over themselves already? He also looked a tad bit confused by everything. But he was definitely the blondes age, maybe older so that didn't make much sense. How do I talk to him? "hi I'm Mack... " no that would never work... be normal. deep breath Mackenzie. "Umm.. Hello, I'm Mackenzie, and you?" She held her breath as she waited on the boy to reply.

Mitchell let out a low whistle. "Seven? That's insane." He would go crazy with that many changes. "What grade are you in?" Or year? Level? Whatever she wanted to call it. Because she probably had more than one change during they school year. That would be harder.

He then laughed. "I may be up for that if we can't convince someone else to give us a quick summary." He'd prefer to not have to read the history book at all.

"Is all of the above too general of a statement?" Mitchell said continuing to smirk. Because it was true. "At least I wasn't hinting that you'd be eaten by a bear. That's just mean."

He shook his head. "Lying isn't a good way to start the year, Goldilocks." he said. He then flashed her a teasing smile. "It's okay to admit you wanted to come over here for a visit."

"Why a badger?" he asked. He wasn't away that it was any of those things. "Aren't beavers more hardworking? Are there beavers over here?" Oooh. And now Goldie was getting all fired up. Was it bad that this made him smirk more?

"I dunno. You tell me."

Tessa nodded in confirmation of the number. She had lost track, but had recently recounted the number to a friend... seven it had been. "Yeah- mainly due to my dad's work," she explained with a shrug. "Got kicked out once or twice too," she added with a sheepish grin.

"I'm in Sixth... Sixth year- I managed to keep up with my studies despite all of the moving around," she told him.

"We should definitely try to do that- the less time I spend with a book, the better," she agreed. "Not a big reader?" she asked, glad to have found similar company if that were true. Some were aghast at her abhorrence to reading. "Which house is it that has the smart ones? We could ask them," she proposed.

Grrr. Marigold glared at Mitchell, for whom she had just come up with a nickname for. But when to introduce it...

"Better than being eaten by a lion," she grumbled. GAH. With every other person she was upbeat, but THIS one got on every one of her nerves. Oh, and she meant Gryffindor lion, of course

"I'm not lying. Do I look like a person who would lie?" She had NOT missed him. She only came over because - oh. Maybe she missed him a little. She ignored the thought and moved on, crossing her arms and banging her head on the table at the sound of her nickname. "Call me Goldilocks again, Farmer Boy, and I will... do... something," she trailed off weakly, too distracted by his forearms.

"Um, why a green statue carrying a torch, Farmer? I dunno why its a badger? Have you ever met a badger, or a beaver? I bet you haven't." Two galleons on that bet. Glarrrreeee.

"That's good!" Bri said happily, glad she get still hangout with her friend, despite being in separate houses. "Oh I am definitely going to need some help.. at least at first." The brunette said honestly.

Lux was so engrossed with the search for Ziggy that when she heard Tessa talking to them, she jumped and slightly banged her head on the bottom of the table. "Ouch!" Rubbing her head, she sighed and then shook her head, hoping the pain of it would go away soon. "Ziggy got away, and me and Bay are trying to find him. We are about to go and see if anyone at the Staff table can help." If that did not work, she had no idea what they could do other than keep searching the castle until the Pygmy Puff showed up; she was not going to let Bay's pet remain missing.

The train ride had been a kind of up and down affair. He had started out in a rather sad mood, then was lifted up slightly by Lex, Bart and he guessed Rhodes as well, only to have his mood be brought back down by Ascanius. Only he wasn't sad, he really quite annoyed. With his best friend.

Michael did his best walk casually over to the Gryffindor table but didn't quite manage it and reached his house table in no time at all. One sweep of said table told him that his BFF was not there which just made him all the more angrier.

He wanted to talk to her. No, actually he NEEDED to talk to her. Apparently that wasn't going to happen though since she wasn't here so he sat down heavily on the bench seat, not taking much notice of who he was sitting next to.

"Hey everyone."

Sarah entered the great hall. She was somewhat drowsy from the train ride... but she was hungry too. She made a beeline for the lion table... She noticed how nice the great hall looked, one takes things for granted and only after they missed it does one learn to appreciate it. She ought to thank the house elves. She hoped the prize money was put and will be put to good use. They really should have an auditer here. She sat down on the bench. Lots of new faces... yay. Alexa seemed to be dealing quite well with all their queries. Her eyes moved to the staff table... new faces. She wondered if she would even miss Lafay.
She turned to the sound of a voice next to her. It was Mikey Tousaint.
"Hey Mike" she said, "ready for third year?"
Maybe she should introduce herself to the others.
She looked around the table, at the faces both new and old, not all were lions... but lions are friendly.
"Hi everyone. Welcome to Hogwarts to all the new faces... and I am glad you are back to all the returning ones" She sounded so formal... like she was th headmistress or something. "I am Sarah Edwards and I am a sixth year lioness... If you need anything, need help, have questions... come to me and I will be glad to help."" She was like a mother hen or something. That was what being the eldest did to people.

His head turned at the sound of his name and he managed to smile at the girl beside. "Hey Sarah. Ready as I'll ever be I guess." He would be lying if he said that it was going to be the same as his previous years because already things were different.

He'd kissed a girl. Was utterly and totally smitten with the Gyrffindor Prefect and his best friend wasn't talking to him. Yep being a teenager was a lot to deal with.

But enough of that, Sarah was a nice girl and had always been friendly to him and she didn't need her good mood dampened. So turning slightly toward her, Michael gave her a genuine smile. "And how are things with you Sarah? Looking forward to your second last year at Hogwarts?"

Sarah gave him a kind smile. Why was she feeling so motherly now? Strange times.. strange times. "I guess when it comes to lions, there is no dipping toes in the water first.. we just have to jump in right in the deep end.. and take things as they come. I mean, my mom made me a poster to put up in my dorm that says.. "you can't change the wind, but you can adjust your sails", which is really true in Hogwarts with everything happening... its a nice and busy place..."

Second year at Hogwarts "don't remind me" Sarah said, pulling a face, "I mean Hogwarts and childhood is like being in a cocoon, once we leave the warmth and care of our cocoon, we go into the big wide world, as a butterfly, having to face the elements out there alone..." She was getting carried away. "oops, Sorry about getting all lyrical here. I guess I will make the most of it... or I'll try." Postive thinking and all. "So... I hope you keep being you this year, your antics make me smile" she said. Wait.. was she encouraging him.. "just stay out of trouble" she added with a wink.

"What subject do you like best?" Sarah asked. She had a theory to test out here.

Uhm...okay then.

Michael had to blink a few times as Sarah went on her...whatever it was that she was going on.

Change the wind?

Adjust the sails?

What?

"Well your mother sounds like a smart woman." Even though he had absolutely no idea what the older girl was talking about, he knew that was the kind of polite thing he should say.

And there she went again. At least this time she knew that she was going off into some philosophical state. He raised his eyebrows and bit the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing. At least she was lifting his mood. And apparently she loved his antics. That really lifted his mood and he sat up straighter and his smile grew broader. "I'll do my best." He winked back at her.

Hmm, what subject did he like best? It would probably help if he actually went to classes and paid attention. "Well I would like to say DADA but I'm really not into that yoga thing that Romanos makes us do." His mother wasn't too impressed either so she had been giving him some tips. But shhh that's a secret.

"I like Charms and Transfig." He paused. "Anything that requires using my wand."

"She is" Sarah nodded. This kid was such a cutie. "you should! Just keep out of detention and points docking... " just warning and acting grown up.

"yeah.. I don't think many people like the Yoga... I like DADA too, helps one be prepared for things. I don't know what the point of yoga is, but at least its yoga and not making us sit in one spot all lesson, with the teacher droning on monotonously..." Count your blessing and all.

"Rumour has it that Transfig happens to be a Gryffindor forte... but that is a sterotype and all. I like them too though.."Sarah liked all subjects except for potions... of course there were subjects she liked better than others.
"so, tell me about your family?Do you have siblings?" The feast was the best time to get to know her housemates. "I have seven brothers and I am the only girl... and the second youngest"