| Details for Gobstones in the Great Hall |
| Summary: | To chase off some boredom and to spare some library books some abuse Tom Riddle decides to introduce on of the Slytherin First years by teaching him how to play Gobstones. |
| Date: | November 14th 1938 |
| Location: | Slytherin Common Room and the Great Hall |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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The Slytherin Common Room
The Slytherin commons room is a low-ceilinged, dungeon-like affair illuminated during the day by a multitude of greenish lamps and a roaring fire which also works to partially ward of the perpetual chill of the dungeons. The common room is filled with low-backed, black and dark green leather sofas and armchairs accented with buttons that create dimples deep in the upholstery. For the decorative carvings of the dark wood cupboards, the columns, the mantelpiece, and other architectural details of the room run strongly towards snakes and skulls motif. All these details combine to create a quite grand atmosphere with a touch of spooky and cold.
Day or night the enchanted windows are filled with an eerie green glow from the water on the other side. Occasionally the Giant Squid and other residents of the Black Lake will swim by the portals. Over all the common room has a sunken ship feel, though is oddly enough also gives a strange cozy sense as well.
Vincent sits still pretending to read his book, his hands shaking slightly as he thinks about his cousin. He turns pages in the book quickly. To an observer it would be obvious the book was simply a distraction, something to focus on whilst he was angry. As he continues to mindlessly turn the pages, he tears out one of them and looks at it.
Riddle drolls out from his own location in the spot that the second year has claimed for himself and oddly for a second year, the older students allow it. "If that's a library book, Patil will hand you over to Pringle by the ankles and he'll force feed you those pages. And then they'll rip out of you when they eventually re-join their mother book. It takes a lot of work to get a page truly ripped out of a library book…near death experience."
Vincent looks up not realising he'd actually torn the page out "What?" he says "Oh Sorry, I didn't realise….Oh yeah, this is a library book!" he says placing the page back in and closing it "You won't say anything will you?" he asks "Who are you anyway, I don't think we've spoken before. I'm Vincent. Vincent Goyle."
Riddle shrugs very apathetically looking a touch insulted, like he doesn't have better things to do then tattling on his house about something that mends itself. Indeed when the page is replaced and the book is closed there is a soft glow from the book as the page mends its way back in. "Tom Riddle." He offers with a charming enough smile and he leans and stretches out his arm to offer to the boy. "If you're truly that bored - do you have gobstones?"
Vincent looks down when Riddle mentions Gobstones. "No, I don't have any." he says looking annoyed "Daddy said he had better things to spend his Galleons on than me." he looked to Riddle "I don't even know how to play!" he continued as he smiled uncomfortably at the boy.
Riddle looks a bit derisive at mention of the neglectful father. "Well, you don't need parents to do things for you. They're worthless, parents, once you know how to feed yourself. You've got to make your own way, show them that you don't need them, and they are lucky to have you. I have an extra set. The rules of Gobstones is that if you win, you get the gobstones of the loser. Just the ones in play of course, that's how you aquire gobstones after purchasing your first set. Come on, let's go get my set and we can challenge some others." Others not being in House Slytherin. "You game?"
Vincent looks really happy as he is invited to play. "That sounds great fun!" he says jumping up and leaving the library book on the couch. "Thanks Tom!" he smiled again "Glad I'm not the old one who seems to have parents that don't seem to care, everyone else's seem to be really nice to them!" he stands and waits to follow Tom, wherever it is they are going.
Riddle closes his own book and slides it into the cushions of his chair. "Very welcome Vincent. It's not their fault really. It's just hard for them to understand that people don't all have it as good as they do. It's just a natural defense mechanism for humans." He says as he crosses the common room to disappear into the Boys Dorm, "I'll be right back." When he returns he has a large sack, a gobstone board and a wooden box tucked under his arm. "There's a purple pouch in the sack, that will be your loaner." He passes the sack to Vincent and then he heads for the exit. "Let's find some doops."
Vincent looks to Riddle "Am I bringing the whole sack, or just the pouch?" he asks and then looks to Riddle "Thanks for this. It makes a change for people to be nice. They are better here than in the rest of the school, but then that's the effect that mud-bloods and half-breeds have on proper wizards isn't it!"
Riddle nods along with what Vincent says, "It's not their fault either." His tone sounds like he's talking about some beast that can't help it's bad feral instincts.
The Great Hall
Braziers that hang by chains from the beaks of griffin gargoyles that line the walls where they meet the high vaulted enchanted ceiling offer warm illuminating blazes. Four long tables are evenly spaced with the heads of the table at the north and south of the room. Each table has a cloth runner down the center and a plush rug underneath of the different House colors indicating to which house the table belongs.
The most westerly table is the Slytherin table. Beside them is the Ravenclaw table. The Gryffindor table is then between the Ravenclaw table to the west and the Hufflepuff table which is the most easterly table. One other table along the northern wall up on a dais for the Professors to sit at and look over all four of the other tables. Also on the dais is one lectern gilded in gold with an owl spreading it's wings at the top of the lectern. Candles line the tops of the owl's wings to illuminate anyone speaking at the lectern. A stool like protrusion comes out of the lectern as well as that's where the first years sit when they are sorted.
There are three sets of doors in the Great Hall. The main exit and entrance that leads to the Entry Hall is a large set of double wooden doors carved with vines and flanked by high stone pedestals each set with a small brazier above the stony 'H' carved in the pedestal. On the eastern wall is a much smaller door just next to the dais that's attached to the antechamber the first years come up from the lake through. Lastly one other door is set into the northwest corner behind the High Table.
As always high above within the obscured stone and wood cathedral like buttresses and crockets the outside weather is reflected in an illusion with all the sound and visuals of the weather, just without the actual effects of it.
Riddle has set up the gobstone board, the board itself is pretty swanky. Not just some plank of wood with a hole in it. It's sanded smooth and has gold and silver lines embossed into the wood. The hole is even lined with a bit of gilding and a large velvet pouch lines the hole to catch the gobstones. "The rules and history are rather simple…" Tom goes on to explain the rules and the game history in quite the educational clear manner. ((Info on Gobstone))
Vincent nods as Riddle talks, holding the small purple pouch of Gobstones that Tom has lent him. "Cool. So which game we playing Tom? Classic?" he says as he takes a seat at the Slytherin table, still facing the others.
Gresham wanders into the room, following the sound of voices.. and his 'someone has Gobstones' sense tingling. He makes his way into the room, spies the group, and wanders on over, keeping quiet and observing.
Est is laying across a bench at the Hufflepuff table, dramatically not reading a textbook. He's been at it a full five minutes and is throughly bored of it. He perks up at the sound of gobstones being set up. In a show of characteristic pureblood grace, Est drops the book, pages down, and tumbles off the bench. "I've got next game, alright?" he says, scrambling off the floor.
Riddle gestures, "Go grab your stones quickly. You and I can have first match. I'm teaching Vincent here how to play." A nod of acknowledgement is sent to Gresham before he adds to Est, "Drum up more people maybe as you go…" Make this really interesting.
Gresham fires off a return nod of acknowledgment, and parks himself close by, on Tom's side. "Mind if I watch the master at work?" He grins.
Vincent looks confused. "So are we playing first Tom, or you and…..What's your name?" he says to Gresham.
Gresham smiles. "Gresham Lawrence Ollivander." He pauses. "You two go ahead, I'll watch." He shrugs lightly.
Est hops up on the bench for a better stance from which to shout "Gobstones at the Slytherin table!" which perhaps is not what Tom meant as far as 'gather more people as you go,' but to be fair if there is someone you want to hollar something, Est is your man. His shrill voice pierces through the hum of the Great Hall as he ducks out for his common room.
Riddle seems to be very impressed with Est upon his return with the Gobstones. "Nicely done Prince." A praise for Est's Gobstoning skills come easy from Tom as they play three very 'intense' rounds of gobstones and it's still a stalemate. Finally, finally after Tom places the stone near perfectly it spins about and the SPURTS! Green putrid liquid erupts out of the gobstone directly at Est.
Vincent giggles as he sees Est get squirted. "That looks really fun! Not sure I'd be as good as you though, seeing as I have never played before!"
It's several long minutes before Est returns. Longer than it should, given the rough location of the Hufflepuff common room. Est's gobstones set is ornate, clear marbles with liquid swirling inside like tiny galaxies. He's a decent opponent, but prone to risk-taking. Naturally, he talks throughout the entire match, meaning his mouth is open when Riddle scores the winning point. "Pbbbt, eugh. Well done, Riddle. Ptui."
Vincent's eyes widen. "Can I have a go?" he asks excitedly. "I've never played a game like this, which is sad considering I am from one of the finest wizarding families there is!"
…Fade…