Hello Jasmine I' m Lucy!
Maybe we should take some measurements to know how many planks to use..what do you think about?

"Hello Ethan," Cris smiled greeting the newcomer to their team before turning to Lucy, "Thanks, Lucy. We can stop collecting the wood now as the other group is assisting with that." Cris thanked Lucy as the first year brought over more planks.

Cris waiting eagerly for Professor Culloden's input on what they were going to do next. Okay definitely no screens and definitely no roof. Hammers and nails were provided.

When the Professor reminded them about the size of the planks and beams, Cris mentally smacked himself on the head. Turning to the rest of his team. "I was thinking, if we use these planks for the base it might take us a while to build it up to the level we need. Maybe we can rethink using the beams for stilts and once those are up, we can place the longer planks on top of them and create the base of the porch?" Cris suggested to the rest of his team.

"I can start putting up the beams by pushing them deep into the ground for everyone," Cris volunteered as he picked up first one beam with one hand and then the second with the other.

Then as he looked at the beams he was holding in his hand, Cris began to grin. Turning to his friends, he called out to them, "Hey everyone. Look here. Giant chopsticks,". Balancing one beam under each of his arms, he began to use the beams to pick up a stone, just like he was using actual chopsticks to pick up food.

So judging by who was doing what, Benny decided firepit was going to be his goal. That way he stayed out of the way of the two that he wanted to, or rather it would be best to avoid at the moment. Namely a certain Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Definitely feeling the effects of the potion now, the third year figured it was best to get a move on, some of the other students were already getting into it. The other groups even getting playful in their activities.

He had to get to Grayson since Professor Culloden had named him as their group's leader. So he grabbed a stone from the supplies, much easier because of the potion, and headed over two where group one seemed to be gathering. "So...the firepit...how's it gonna be?" Like how big and rough shape?

Could they decide and actually do it?

Cutty had just finished putting down his own brick-stone thingy when he heard some kid calling him. Oh, he wanted him to see something. Alright. Couldn't hurt. The Slytherin turned his frigid gaze toward the tiny Ravenclaw boy and watched as he...was he rubbing his hands against the surface vigorously? Was that what was going on here? No. Noooo. He was trying to move it. Cutty's stone face was soon home to a mouth, the corners of which were curling upward into a smile and he began boisterous laughter with a, "HA!!!"

Remembering the fine example, though, of Cassia Somerlad, his laughter soon relaxed. Kid was gonna impede their progress and hurt himself in the process most likely. Cutty gave this some thought as he went over to the bag and again drew out another stone for building the firepit. He moved it over to the site of their project where it joined the other he'd brought earlier. "You didn't take your potion? Okay. Let me talk to Whitty and see if we can't make yer a specialty duty."




Aaand Caleb was here now too. Alright. Time to earn points for Slytherin! He hadn't seen a terrible lot of his dorm-mate since the term rang in aside from the usual encounters in the common room and of course the Slytherin boys dorms. What was he up to, h'mmm?

Anyway, he was here now and it was a perfectly look opportunity to observe how Caleb and Whitty interacted. Cutty considered them the top two contenders to take Kinsley's place when the year was up. Merlin. Where was Kinsley? NEWTS really did eat him, didn't they?



Oh, Circe! It was Tora Gallaway.










And she'd been given strengthening potion.




Cutty returned the smirk when he'd seen Grayson be elected leader by Culloden. He knew it. He wasn't surprised at all as a matter of fact. Grayson was leadership material.

Coming to stand again near the little Ravenclaw boy (Kyroh), he offered up something else as well, "Oi Whitty, this kid didn't take his potion. Maybe he could make a good stone fuser instead of having to lift 'em." Cause you know, they kinda wanted to make PROGRESS. "We can teach him and another first year the sticking spell and let them fuse together the stones once they're laid by the builders." Cause that kid was gonna hurt himself and how would that look on Whitty's record in his first go at leadership at Hogwarts. Cutty was incapable of thinking about anything else but his own schemes and plans, apparently.


"Yeah! A big-bad amazing one that will be the firepit of Mr. Kirkby's life!" He gave this somewhat vague answer in reply to Graysons question. "We should make it tiered. So that he can cook multiple things with it all at the same time." He gave suggestions that he thought he'd find most useful. Not because he was considering Orsino, but because he himself was planning on using it from time to time.

"Oh! And maybe round in shape. And a bit sunken like an amphitheatre!" You know, nothing too...complicated?

Zander turned his attention to Mr. Leader (Grayson). Yeah the design would be pretty important, huh? And then another kid (Cutty) spoke this time with an ACTUAL idea! What was his name again? Either way, an amphitheater sounded kind of cool. "Oh I SECOND THAT! The ampitheatre thing," he said with a small nod towards Cutty's direction.

"And I think we should make it a medium, more on the larger size? That way he could do a lot with it," Besides they had a pretty big group so there'd be more than enough people to make that happen.

Sophie turned to Adi, who'd spoken up about an idea Lux had had. Apparently, she'd had an idea about a beehive, but in the commotion, it looked like she'd missed it. Hmm. Well, they had a plan now, it seemed. Sophie glanced over at Jasmine when she spoke up. "Looks good," she commented. "We just need to find a way to fix them all together before we start the actual porch."

What screens? ... Sophie turned her attention to the professor. Oh. He was right. There were no screens. "Oh, ...right," she said. No screens. Got it. Then... Hammer and nails only? No way could one person do all the nailing and hammering themselves. "Looks like we'll be helping Toby then. I'll go gather some nails and a hammer and start putting the base together if anybody wants to help," she said.

Apparently, Cris had a better idea for the base, so Sophie turned to him then added, "Let me know when you've got something in place that needs to be hammered together." She then turned on her heels and went to gather a handful of nails and a hammer.

Cris nodded at Sophie as he first studied Bay's drawing before picking up the first beam. He placed the first one right next to the existing top stair and pushed down on it as hard as he could into the soft ground. With his super strength, he was able to push the beam of wood, about mid-way into the ground, leaving the remaining portion about ground.

"Would anyone like to help me to place the beams into the ground?" he asked his fellow team members even as he quickly drafted how he planned to align the beams on a piece of paper.

"Do you think this will work?" Cris asked the others as he showed them what he had in mind. "I think that once we have the beams up, we can all help to place the planks of wood across them and then hammer them into place," Cris suggested to everyone

Nails and hammer! Good old fashion way of doing stuff. Yes, Adi wouldn't mind using those because he didn't want any uncertain wand work from himself that could cause the whole porch to collapse or something. He nodded at Sophie. "I'll help you with that,'' he told her.

In the meanwhile as Sophie got nails and hammers, he could help Cris. "I can help you place beams in the ground, Cris.'' Lead away, dude! Adi would follow. Because he didn't have much experience with this sort of stuff.

Cris smiled warmly at Adi when he came over to help. "Of course you can. Thanks for the assist. This task is going to take some time to complete," Cris thanked Adi.

Picking up a beam, Cris knelt down to demonstrate how he had planted the first stilt. "Place this beam vertical upright and then just push down on the top until it starts to sink into the grass. Don't push too hard because we only want it down midway. You use a plank of wood to align the height of yours with mine. Just like this," Cris explained to Adi as he pushed down the beam he was holding into the grass before pausing to place the plank of wood on top of both beams.

"See this one is a little higher, so we can push it down a little further until the plank of wood is lying horizontally balanced. Here why don't you try it?" Cris reached over and pulled another beam towards them before handing it to Adi and then pulling over another one for himself to plant into the ground.

When he was done inserting the third beam, Cris turned to his fellow porch builders. "Anyone want to help us here? The more people we have setting up the stilts, the faster we'll be able start working on placing the planks for the floor," Cris asked holding up another beam.

THE SWORD FIGHTING WAS A GO!

Els was all for her own idea to do with carrying five planks of wood. Five of them. C'mon. C'moooon. Maybe she'd even give Sophie a piggy back if she carried five of them. PIGGY BACK RACES WITH PLANKS. C'mon. She even tried to convey her idea to Sophie with looks and gestures and NOSE WIGGLES. Sword fighting was just... it looked fun, but y'know... even with this potion.. these rugrats were still kids and Elodie was going to have some sort of panic attack if she dared tried to joust with one of them.

HEY MOTOWN. HEY.

She couldn't sword fight with him in case she caught his face and Cat got mad with her or anything, so he just got a wave and looks to get moving with those planks. C'mon Motown. Move the planks, move 'em. From A to Z. From here to there. All the places, all the planks. Go, go, go! "We're carrying nine thousand planks at a time. Your turn, Motown!"

BUT HEY. She didn't want to be a bumbling billywig and so she dumped the plank she was holding on her shoulder where she was supposed to and bounced after the other little rugrat. Coop, was it? Maddie? Something? Human? Whatever. She hoped her name was Maddie and not Coop. Coop was an odd name for a girl. And in general. NOT A BILLYWIG, HERE. And Ethan! Ethan was giving her LOOKS and she gave him looks right BACK. Hello there, Ethan. Hi kid. Hello there. Wassup, pirate kid? But then he was nudging her with the plank he had and she was going to RETALIATE.

YOU'RE GOING DOWN, RUGRAT. Els picked up a plank for herself and put on her best pirate stance. Rawr. Battle faces for you, RUGRAT! Okay, she could totes get into this if she wasn't going to kill the little one. She couldn't get into trouble for that, right? Would she? It would be an ACCIDENT.

The others that joined their group, including Leah, got smiles and things and LOOKS to get moving with planks. TEAM EFFORT, GUYS. Go, go, go!

Move the pile from one place to the other? Mo opened and shut his mouth a few times in response, but it seemed the younger Slytherin was already on the move. What were they putting in the water, and why did it seem more potent on all the RATHER energetic younger students?

"Erm, thanks. I'm Mo, by the way. Any rhyme or reason, or is it just a matter of moving quick as possible?" Mo headed toward the pile and began to gather planks under one arm.

And his buddy was here. HI BUDDY. Mo shifted all his planks to one arm and waved wildly in Maddie's direction. She was a cute lil fluff, wasn't she? He'd been under the impression that girls were very complicated, and so it made it hard for him to know how to approach the first year, but it helped that she was excitably and endearing. And excitable. And endearing.

"Come hold on to one of the planks, and I'll carry you for a ways?" In fact, Mo sort of wanted to carry all of everyone on his planks. Or maybe they were being pirates.

Nine... thousand? Mo tried to pick up a few more planks, and although he could EASILY carry more, it seemed like his hands were just full. How was he going to manage all that nine thousand, hmm? "I think I'll settle for ten, okay?" Okay.

He followed along as a fast clip, carefully trying to avoid hitting anyone with the planks or tripping and impaling himself or otherwise being a danger to himself and others, which made him well and truly last.

"I'm... a bumbling billywig." Yaaaay. [/sarcasm]

More names were being said, and AJ was trying her hardest to keep everybody straight. "Hey Coop." Yup, Coop was much cooler sounding than Maddie. AJ was a major fan of nicknames and Maddie sounded way too girly anyways. Then the pirate Slytherin kid introduced himself. "Sup Ethan." He seemed cool. Maybe he would get a nickname soon as well. She was pretty sure that she was all officially introduced to everybody.

Coop seemed taken aback when AJ came flying through with her planks. Elodie didn't look like she wanted to play either. "Not game ladies?" Most likely she just didn't wanna get whooped by a firstie. It was okay, AJ understood. Ethan on the other hand was all game. Clank, Clank was all you could here from the two of them. AJ noticed Angel whispering to Leah, but she didn't pay close attention to her. There were sword fights to be won over here.

Thinking that she should most likely contribute something, the first year dropped the four planks that she was carrying off to the pile that was already accumulating. Look at her being all helpful and stuff. She could have fun while getting her work done.

okay so the screens and what not were a no go.. "thats alright Professor, just wanted to do a good job for you" this after all was homework for Potions right.. so now things were simple.

and right now he really liked this Sophie girl, she wanted to stick with his plan or he thought she does. shrugging he went by the deck that everyone was working so hard with right now as he stood by Sophie.. "I'll go get some of those planks over there and put them together for you to hammer?" why not try to help right. He looked over at Lux and gave her a smile, see he was helping other people.

Seeing the rest of the group work together was great, soon enough the groundskeeper will have his porch.

"I can help with the stones," Caleb said with a grin as their leader - some dude that he was PRETTY SURE was in his house but he wasn't totally sure - told them to break up into two groups. Stones seemed easiest. At least until Cutty started brainstorming ways to build a veritable leaning Tower of Piza out of the thing instead. They were aware that it RAINED for like, half the year and he probably would never really use the thing, right?

"Let's be sure the thing will actually stay UP," he reminded them all, since they were getting a bit crazy with it all, in his opinion.

Jasmine had just finished laying down some planks when she heard a little voice calling her name. Looking around, she saw a young girl first year? and smiled at her. "Hi Lucy. It's nice to meet you. You may have a good idea there. I'm not sure if we have anything to measure with in our supplies, but you would think that we would."

Just then, there was a change of plans. Now they were going to place beams into the ground to build a base. Cris was asking for volunteers to helps with this task. Adi had volunteered and Jasmine was right behind him. "I'll help you two as much as I can. Lucy had a good idea that maybe we should get some measurements so we can sure about the sizes. Has anyone seen a tape measure around?"

Jasmine listened as Cris explained his plan to Adi. Ready to give it a try, she took a plank, stood it upright and tried to push/pull it down into the ground. When Jasmine felt that it was close in height to the others, she asked Cris to check it for her. "I think this is pretty close. Can you see if it is even with the others?". She hoped that she had done things correctly, because if she hadn't it would be hammer and nails for her.

Why was Cris thanking him? No need o do so, dude! Adi watched and listened intently to what Cris was telling him and nodded at intervals. Yes, he understood. And even if he didn't, he could always ask along the way. Oh and look! Jasmine was pitching in too. Awesome! "I think I got it. Let me have a go.''

Following Cris's lead, Adi easily picked up a beam and and gently pushing down on it. He felt it sink into the grass. As best as he could, he leveled it up to the other beams. Hmmm. They seemed to have equal height but just to be sure, Adi used the idea of measuring them with the plank. "I did it!'' he said to Cris, feeling pleased. So far so good! The Puffer wasted no time as he picked up another beam and set to work.

…my gosh. This one was adorable. Marigold wanted to hug him. So she did, kinda patting his hair down as well but restraining herself from squeezing his cheeks. She let go of him, just in case he didn't like hugs. Which would be weird, but she liked him anyway. "It's okay," she said about the dragon heart bit. "If you need help, I can always help lift the rock with you." ADORABLE LITTLE DRAGON LOVER.



She liked this one too. "Hayden, if you help - what's your name, sorry! - I will go bring this rock over and then come back if you guys need anything." Which she then did, using her awesome strength powers to make a large hunk of stone feel like a feather. Well, not a feather, but like… many feathers.

Hello there, Lucy! A wave was sent over to the young Lion. She was so adorable.

Okay, things seemed to be going fast now, and Lux had nooooo idea how to build anything. Returning Bay's smile, she wished that she was good at this type of thing like he was. But at least he was there to help her if she needed it.

Seeing Cris and Adi pushing beams into the ground, she decided to do the same thing. "Let me help you guys!" Placing one vertically on the ground, she pushed it into the grass like they had done. Trying her best, she levelled it with the other beams before placing the plank on top. "I did it!" And she was proud of herself too.

Ethan placed his foot on top of the plank pile he made in front of the builders and gave Professor Cosgrach a double thumbs up. Delivery boy doing what he does best. Uh. Delivering planks. Yup. The Slytherin heard his name being called out and gave a left and right waves to Cris and Jasmine. “Hey guys! Er…if you need more planks just ask. Okieday?”

Ethan turned to his team and smiled at them: “Smartley there, men!” Er…that means, hurry up. The Slytherin gave Coop the thumbs up of approval as he watched her dash off from the pile of planks to where the builders were. Returning he turned to the older Ravenclaw. “Nice to meet you, Mo! I’m Ethan.” Aaaand yep, that’s pretty much the task. Transfer the planks from Point A to Point B. “Well, the floor is open for us to show off our strength.” So the task wouldn’t be so boring? Ethan then placed longer and heavier planks up his shoulders.

“I AM NOT A SLOW POOOOOOKE!” The Slytherin dashed off without waiting for anyone. He’s fast. Okay? Fast. Good. “Hello lovely builders. DELIVERY!” Planks for you…planks for everyone. Ethan dumped at least ten long planks to the plank pile near them and dashed off again to his group.

Now. Where are his pirates? “Arrrr!!!” Pirate stance. Ethan eyed AJ and Elodie with a playful grin on his face. Those girls are cool. Did they know?

She was here. In a coat, jeans and boots. Even her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail. As it was, when she got there it looked like...well, a mini construction zone. With the exception of really big, tough-looking men, and lanky, no-muscles-at-all teenagers rather.

And they were all building and she wasn't and where does she GO?!

Stifling a scowl, she downed the potion in a quick go. Ugh. Why couldn't it taste like pumpkin juice or something more pleasant? Shoving the phial back into her pocket, she raked the area for--

There he is!

"Hi, professor Culloden," she said, mildly breathless. No, she hadn't ran to him the moment she saw him. Okay...she didn't run THAT fast. Keeping her cool though, AND flashing him a shy grin, she asked, "How can I help? Where can I start?" Cool it, Wayne.

Coral-Bay was all snuggled up in her winter coat, her off-white wool socks sticking out from her brown boots, the top half of them folded over to reveal a red flannel on the inside. Mmm. Everything was warm and cosy. Just how she liked it. No gloves though. It probably would have been a good idea though.. Oh well.

Still kind of nervous around most of the professors, CB slid past professor Culloden, not really wanting to stop and chat or anything. She was still feeling that whole 'stranger-danger' thing with most of the older people here. Professors, mainly, but the occasional seventh year kind of scared her too.

Spotting Sophie involved in a group, Coral headed straight for her and that gathering of kids. Who seemed to be.... sword fighting? Huh. Desperately wanting to link arms with her dorm mate, CB resisted the urge. Were that at the stage? Was Hallie the only one she could cling to? Probably. Eh. Either way, she nudged her with her elbow when she got close enough and whispered "What group is this?" What are we doing. Can I join? Hi Sophie. Hi. Help me out? She should probably ask why the sword fight was going on with the planks, but instead she knocked back her strengthening potion and shuddered. GUH. Gross. Ew ew ew.

Cute boys everywhere though. Hi. Hi boys. Hi.

THANKS FOR THE CHEERS, MADDIE. CLING, CLING. Those were the sound effects Sophie was trying to make with Ethan during their pretend sword fight, but soon enough Ethan had a new challenger, and Sophie didn't mind - she just bounced off to the back of the hut and dropped off her plank with the porch-builders. NO BIGGIE.

Their group had grown considerably ever since she had been the self-declared founder, and she laid off to the side in the grass, watching them all be pirates and do weird things. LEAH WAS THERE. "Hi Leah!" Soph waved at the second year as she joined the group, then MO SHOWED UP, TOO. "Mooooooooo. You chose wisely. All the fun people are plank-carriers." Except for Tobes.

As Mo got welcomed by the rest of the group, she went back to watching and relaxing and secretly spying on the other groups. Tobes was over yonder with the porch-builders, talking to Culloden - she smiled at that, but had no idea what was going on with them - and she spied the future dark wizard Cutty in the other group doing the whole stone-carrying and fire pit-building thing. She watched him from afar for awhile, totally not subtle at all, and looked between him and Tobes every now and then with a frown on her face.

Made her sick to her stomach.

Or maybe that was the potion churning in her stomach.

It brought her back to the present, though, and she hopped back to her feet, just in time to hear Maddie declare a race. She was pretty much situated directly between the porch area and the plank pile, so she had no chance to not be the last one and opted out. Good thing she did, too, because CORAL-BAY ALDRICH HAD JOINED THEM. "See-Beeeeeeee," Soph grinned when she saw who nudged her. "We're plank-carriers. A bunch of nutters, but all in good fun. Our job is just to carry the wooden planks from the pile there to the back of the hut where another group's working on building a porch."

Still smiling, she let her dormmate have a moment to down her potion - gross stuff, she knew - before nudging her gently, "M'gonna embarrass you." Just a brief warning before she launched into, "HEY COOL KIDS OF THE PLANK-CARRIERS: if y'don't know, this is Coral-Bay Aldrich. She's super cool - obviously, 'cause she's joining the cool group." Sophie was looking pointedly at Mo and Elodie, two people she definitely wanted CB to meet.

RUUUUUUNING! She ran as fast as her tiny legs could carry her, giggling to herself as she heard other footsteps getting closer to her. She was going to be FIRST, YUP! And she totally ignored the fact that she got a head start.

Pretty Mo WAS a bumbling billywig on account of the OTHERS in the group had been a BIT quicker but he came LATER and was still being caught up on everything so she'd take THAT into consideration, MAYBE. PLUS he'd offered to carry her a ways on his plank! That was something she could be okay with. UH-HUH. So after catching her breath, she wandered up to the seventh year and smiiiiiled. HI.

"Can you REALLY carry me on a plank? Do you think that after maybe I could carry YOU? I AM feeling quite strong, y'know." The twelve year old held up her arm to showcase her SERIOUS MUSCLES and looked to Mo for a reaction. SEE, MO? SEE HOW STRONG?

To PROVE her strength, Maddie went and grabbed THREE planks this time. YUP, THREE. She wobbled a bit but NOT because they were heavy, because carrying planks threw her balance off a bit. Shifting the planks, she heard that Sophie person introduce someone new to group. THE COOL GROUP. She could learn to like that title VERY much.

"Hi Coral-Bay person." HELLO. WELCOME. GET TO CARRYING SOME PLANKS.

This is why Cutty loved Gryffindors. They were doers. Made things happen and full of energy.

It would be so dangerous if he were ever to team up with one.

"Yeah! YEAH! Bigger is better!", said the Slytherin in a generally encouraging tone.

Just when Cutty thought he was at the pinnacle of spreading chaos and insanity, the voice of reason or Caleb Newell (whichever comes first) made itself known.

But he didn't say they shouldn't or even couldn't proceed with the current BIG!idea project. Only that it should be quality.

It would be. Oh, it would be.

Cosgrach listened to his idea too and liked it.

"BUILDERS! Like he said: push the beams deep into the ground and build the floor over those, yeah. His idea. Good one." Did everyone hear?

"If it'll be too hard with nails and stuff, nail some and leave the rest to me. I will complete with a spell." He was even being a nice professor, see?

Beverlyyyy!

Cosgrach beeeeaaaamed at one of his BEST students. "It's good to see you, Ms. Wayne. Currently, there are three groups: first one is building the fire-pit, the second one is carrying the planks for the builders and the third one is making the porch. Pick any you like and have fun."

Of course he heard it as well, although he was by the builders. Because it was impossible not to hear Sophie, and also because he wanted to hear her in the first place.

"YO, COOL CORAL-BAY-ALDRICH!" he greeted the girl and laughed. If she was Sophie's friend, he also liked her.