seventy-first labyrinth

[lord_wizard]

I don't think a crystal ball is required to realize we have a bit of a situation on our hands.

As such, I will be moving today's divination classes from the North Tower to a classroom at the base. I strongly recommend that Gryffindors and Ravenclaws not linger in their dormitories any longer than necessary, and that no student be out on the grounds until further notice - that means no flying lessons, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, and especially no Quidditch practice.

I would like to remind my NEWT level students to bring their dream diaries, which you were instructed to collect over the summer, to class today, in our continued investigation of oneiromancy, or dream magic. For my beginning students, napping in class in fact not a valid form of study of that topic. That suggestion was only creative the first time it was used on me.

[Hogwarts staff]

I think a meeting in the staff room at lunch would be prudent. We can't have a dragon wandering the grounds and disrupting things.

[Until then, Professor Harrowgate, as he is known as here, can be found settling at his temporary classroom on the ground floor. Crystal balls and packs of cards are scattered on the velvet-draped desks, though what you'll be learning with today depends on what year you're in currently. He's likely scrawling notes on the blackboard in preparation for the lecture as you enter]

14 Truffula Seeds

[findatree]

[Ted is sitting outside with various spellbooks open and spread out around him. Now and then he lifts his wand and tries out a spell. Every time he gets it right, his face lights up. If the dragon is around he doesn't seem to mind]

This is the most incredible thing we've done yet! I got to pet a hippogriff and now I'm reading about magical plants. Some of them sound really scary, like Devil's Snare. And that Whomping Willow on the grounds is incredible.

Oh! Oh! And did you guys know there's a car in the forest? I saw it! There wasn't anybody driving it.

My House is in the Quidditch finals. Quidditch is awesome! We should keep playing it when we get back to Paradisa.

[Twenty-One - Right Through The Eye] [Dictated]

[the_effect_she_has]

[Katniss has the journal flipped open, as she ties up her boots for practice, making sure the laces were good and tight, before speaking into the journal.]

Calling the pitch for Slytherin Practice. If you don't have it reserved, too bad.

[She paused for a moment, before saying a little more distinctly.] You can't miss us. Green. Silver. Some pink.

[Just a remind - she knows. She knows one of you did it. And she doesn't like being humiliated.]

Filtered to the Slytherin House

Did you all know that certain combinations of herbs and vegetables in a high dose will change a person's skin color? Fascinating stuff, Herbology.

14th Sortie

[diapason]

[And finally Pixy decides to do a dictated entry, and he sounds quite younger. Ten years younger, in fact. He can't quite wrap his head around it either. But he's sounding quite smug. Y'know. Like a usual Belkan.]

I can't help but wonder how that Ravenclaw party went. Seein' that it wasn't a victory party at all.

That Cup'll be ours soon enough. So long as that dragon doesn't decide it wants in on the game too.

[He still doesn't really know why he's into this bizarre game, but hey, at least it's a decent pasttime in the air.]


[Filtered to the Slytherin Quidditch Team]

Sounds like our next match is tomorrow. Care to meet at Hogsmeade later to discuss strategies? We can't lose to a group with a name like 'Hufflepuff'.

Speaking of, do they even still have a team in tact anymore?

(no subject)

[wolfchild]

[ backdated to morning.

at the gryffindor table, one of the school owls drops a perfumed, bright purple envelope before zelos. there is no outward sign of a sender. upon slipping open the plain wax seal, the letter unfolds by itself. a shower of hearts and sparks explode into the air before purple letters appear in mid-air. more hearts cascade behind them.

and then the letter begins to sing. ]( cut for obnoxious text )

[ the words and hearts burst into a beautiful fireworks show that soon vanishes. the letter itself collapses into heart-shaped confetti.

happy morning, zelos. ]


((ooc: feel free to use as a reaction post or for general breakfast shenanigans. arya won't be replying, she's too busy laughing at her (and ino's) prank. ))

WROR - The Voice of Hogwarts

[hard_talker]

( Cut for introspective emote spam.... )

[so tonight, Monday night, just prior to 10 PM, he snuck out of Gryffindor tower with Nora in tow, and set everything up. he didn't need any broadcasting equipment, but the rest of it was all there: a stereo, stacks of CDs and cassettes he'd culled favorites from back in Paradisa, a table to sit at with a comfortable chair ... perfection. flopping down in the chair, he pulled a sheaf of notes out of his robes, undid the invisibility charm he'd cast on the ink, and made sure the journal was closed before pulling out his wand and speaking the two words he'd made sure to practice to perfection ever since he'd found the spell in one of his textbooks:]

Vox dissimulo. Testing, one, two, three ... o-ho-hoooo, perfect. [he grins - his voice now a bit deeper and a little more gravelly than usual: certainly not recognizable as the voice of everyone's favorite castle DJ, or of erstwhile Gryffindor Mark Hunter. satisfied with his anonymity, he cracks open the journal and lets the stereo play]

It's ten o'clock, do you care where your professors are? This is Hard Harry, hexin' away those Hogwarts blues with a little attitude for your evenin'. So shove that homework off to the side, and if you've got a wand out, you'd better be usin' it to turn your housemates' frowns upside down.

You know, yours truly has been making the rounds of our hallowed halls these past few days, and I gotta say, I haven't seen this many hookups between faculty since Clueless came out. Everywhere I look, someone with a roll call roster's makin' goo-goo eyes at somebody! Listen to this: I found not one, not two, but five attempts at love notes in Professor Harrowgate's desk. I'm not one to read and tell, but he's got more History with their intended recipient than we do on Thursday mornings. The groundskeeper's keeping more than just the Quidditch pitch in good working order, let's put it that way ... and oh, while we're at it, let's talk about professors and some of those Seventh-year students! A couple of you can't even wait for them to graduate before you give 'em your ... eheh heh ... "accolades". So, kids, if you're lookin' to suck up and get better grades in Herbology or Ancient Runes, you're barkin' up the wrong tree, and you'd better just give up the ghost now and do your damn homework. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

I could give you the latest on that dragon on the grounds, or even on the upcomin' Quidditch match, but you all talk about that enough on your own. Let's think a little bit about magic, shall we? I mean, it's important, ain't it? It's the reason we're all here, in more ways than one: and more than a few of you out there know what I'm talkin' about.

I know some've you are half-Muggle, or if you ain't, some of you've at least had to sit through what Professor Crowley thinks passes for Muggle Studies class... and if you have, you've heard that Muggles think that magic is this fantastic thing that'll just instantly make everyone's lives easier. I knew a guy who used to read book after book after book about magic, and wizards, and witches, and think "hey, that's the way to go. Just the right spell, just somethin' to get me goin' in the right direction, to make this one little problem go away, and I'm set".

Thing is: you get here, in these great big ridiculous halls with the movin' tapestries and the portraits of great wizards, and all the books and the learning and the charms could give you any spell you ever thought possible ... and we've still got dragons, and people playin' pranks and curses on each other, and Assistant Professors with debt up to their eyeballs, and petty little rivalries and stories about old wars and Death Eaters ... and it turns out, no matter which side of things you're on, whether you're a Squib, a Muggle, a pureblood, or a half-blood ... or none of the above for whatever reason? ... Life's still eventually gonna suck.

Food for thought, folks. Turns out sometimes a magic wand actually just makes life a lot more complicated. ... And a lot more interesting. No matter what we get outta this education we've got going, here? ... I don't think I'd trade it for anythin'. And we should all be pretty glad to be here, if you ask me.

Now, how 'bout a little night music ... those of you who were with us last go-round, I know I promised someone a little Zappa to zap the blues away ... so here's that and a few surprises, plus a classic by the Weird Sisters for you die-hard wizarding rock fans.

[annnnd on go the rest of the tunes. happy Monday, Hogwarts.]

13th Owls Nest - Action

[well_assembled]

[Ok, so not everyone gets to be cool star athletes or brainy students or fight dragons. Some people have to wind up being other things too.

Natasha was currently preening her pin feathers in preparation for flight, there was mail to deliver after all and that was her job. Though if she found out who was maxing out the shipping weight for the unmarked box from Honeydukes she was going to claw someone.

So get ready folks, incoming mail! Just raise your hand if you are expecting a letter and remember it is considered polite to tip the delivery owl. She likes mice, or a nice biscuit.]