| Details for Halloween Feast |
| Summary: | The Feast portion of Halloween 1940 events. |
| Date: | October 31st, 1940 |
| Location: | Hogwarts - Great Hall |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Great Hall
It is a fall night. The weather is warm and stormy.
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.
Mounds and mounds of candy is spread out over tables. Layered cakes, red gelatin molds in the shape of brains and gore jiggle with the spooky vibrations sent through the Great Hall. Chocolate Frogs hop about the tables free from their boxes. Cauldron Cakes ooze and bubble with green frosting and sprinkles. Acid pops are spiked into small pumpkins to keep them upright. Caramel cobwebs span spaces between platters and pumpkins. It is certainly quite the junk food feast.
Sweet foods and drink as far as the eye can see! A throng of activity mauls itself through the Great Hall this day, with nary a student missing out on the fun and games. A constant buzz of chatter and movement can be heard as they chat, devour or swap spooky stories from this year or those gone by.
For Oliver, this is his first time experience anything like this. The first year Gryffindor sits on the edge of one of the huge long tables, chewing on the inside of his lip as he contemplates what to reach for next. It seems, at least for the moment, that he's on his own. The spaces next to him are vacant, as the the seats opposite him. It doesn't seem to bother him though; his hands reaching for cakes and deserts and pulling them back onto his plate with a victorious smirk.
Madeline is seated near a few of her friends - dressed in a blue, checkered dress with slim, strap sleeves over her shoulder, worn over a white blouse. Her hair is divided into two braids which hang over the front of each shoulder, and are tied with blue ribbons. She lets out a squawk, however, as someone at the table causes a pitcher of pumpkin juice to spill, and she hastily slides down, bringing her plate with her, to get out of the way of the spill - putting her right across from Oliver. "Oh! Hi!" she greets him - seeming to accept her new position at the table as she catches a chocolate frog, and pops it into her mouth.
Poor Oliver is almost lost in his own little world! His eyes are transfixed on the sweets and delectables in front of his brown eyes. Licking his lips, he moves forward to reach for something ELSE to add to his plate, but then? Madeline comes sliding in! With a huff of surprise, and a small cry to boot, Oliver turns to look at the more senior student with mild surprise.
"Hey Mads," He greets, throwing some sort of gelatin in his mouth and chewing down on it hard. "Good thing there was a seat empty, or you would have just run over someone!" The lad laughs a bit, before taking a swig of some sort of drink from his cup. "Happy Halloween by the way. Are you doing anything for the Costume contest?"
Madeline giggles at the thought of ploughing someone down. "I guess I would have!" she agrees. She scoops some more gelatin for herself as the clearly-out-of-uniform girl deadpans, "The contest? Nah. I mean, what's the point of costumes?" She grins though - Madeline loves costumes. "Hogwarts sure knows how to throw a party, don't they?"
"To dress up? Don't we get House Points if we win or something?" Oliver answers rather bluntly, unsure if that was a question designed for him to even answer to begin with. "Sometimes we used to have Halloween parties back home in the orphanage, but it was never anything like this." He agrees, a glance around. "I guess magic is pretty great! With a wave of his wand, Professor Dumbledore can just… poof! Do anything! Do you think he made all of this food from nothing? Just conjured it out of thin air?" The boy looks at the ceiling in some thought. "If I could do that I'd never be hungry again!"
"You know, I was talking to Anthony about stuff like that - about how wizards could just make all this food out of nothing and help the Muggles with the war and everything and how no one would ever have to be hungry anywhere in the world - but apparently it doesn't work like that. I don't remember what all he said, but apparently it isn't just that easy…" Madeline muses in a thoughtful voice, her forkful of gelatin paused in midair.
"Anthony?" Oli asks, head tilting with unfamiliarity. "Don't think I have met him before." Sniffling suddenly, the boy rubs his nose with the edge of his palm. And then, a heap of cake is stuffed into his mouth without abandon. "Is that why the Wars are being fought?" He asks quietly. "Because of food?" A small frown graces his expression then before a subtle sigh. "I guess that makes sense. If wizards and witches could just create /anything/, then… maybe the world would be pretty different." Chewing on the inside of his lip, he then finishes off his cake.
"So Mads, you never said. What subjects are you really good at, anyway?"
"He finished school last year - he was a Seventh year Ravenclaw," Madeline explains. "He helped me a lot with a lot of stuff. He's pretty nice," she explains in a cheery voice. She eats that bit of floating gelatin then adds in a puzzled voice, "You don't know why we're fighting the war? It's because Germany thinks they can just walk into whatever nation they want and take it! So of course we have to fight to stop them. They're not being fair." As for her favorite subjects… the girl shrugs and adds, I'm pretty great at potions. One of the best 3rd years in the whole school! But I'm terrible at transfiguration."
"We never really learned much about it…" Oliver begins, though an 'ah' is given just prior in regards to Anthony being a graduate. "They do? Why do they think that they can do that?" He asks, sounding non-bothered by such a topic of conversation over such a lovely set of desserts. "Well, I hope we win then! I hate bullies. Do you know if wizards and witches are helping out with the War effort? Or do they stay hidden like normal?"
Chewing on some chocolate now, he swallows hard. "Potions! You should show me some tips and tricks, Mads! Maybe you could brew a potion to give you really icky skin, and use it for a costume?" The lad grins, before reaching for more food.
"Ummm - I'm pretty sure they stay hidden. Most wizards think Muggle problems are only for Muggles." Madeline rolls her eyes a little as she says this. As another chocolate frog hops nearby, she skewers it with her fork triumphantly. It continues to move while impaled - until she puts it in her mouth, of course. "A potion for icky skin?" she muses thoughtfully. "I probably could make something like that. And I'd be glad to help you with potions - potions are fun!"
"Are you sure?" Oliver asks, a smile tugging to the side of his face. "I'm pretty bad at potions, y'know! This isn't like Charms, where you can show me something awesome like the wiggling ears hex. Every potion I try and mix up tends to go… uh, well black. And sometimes they spill over the edge and melt the table some." Oliver purses his lips, before he shrugs. "Maybe later, though? Oh, you said you were a third year, Mads? What extra subjects have you taken?"
"I'm sure," Madeline agrees, gesturing towards the Hufflepuff table where her friend Adam sits. "Adam is pretty helpless at potions, too. But I think he's been doing a little bit better. He still needs a looooooot of help, though." After a bite of cake - and without having swallowed all of it - she answers, "Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes… and Arithmancy."
"Magical Creatures!" Oli beams at that response. "That's the subject that I really want to do! I love hearing about all of the different magical animals in the world. Stuff that I never knew existed before. What's your favourite animal so far? Have you seen any dragons yet?!" Oli fires question after question, though is never one to forget the sweets on offer. His right hand smoothly goes over to the bowls of chocolate and cakes, and then straight into his mouth for a quick chew.
"Oh, dragons are my favorite creatures," Madeline answers. "But I think merpeople are my favorite beings. I'm trying to learn Mermish! Mister Gamp - he works in Hogsmeade - he's been giving me lessons," she explains enthusiastically. "It's reeeeeeally hard!" She lets out a sigh, then adds, "I didn't really want to take three electives - I don't want to be in Arithmancy at all - but I was thinking of being maybe a Curse Breaker, like Colton, so I need to take the class. Being in three electives is hard, though. It's a lot of work."
"You must be so smart." Oliver admires in a sullen tone, drooping a bit on his elbow. "Taking three electives on top of your normal classes sounds really difficult. I'm flat out just doing the classes in first year!" The boy laughs a bit nervously. "Billy explained Arithmancy to me just last night. It uses maths, right? And numbers? To try and predict and solve problems. Do you use those skills as a a Curse Breaker?" He asks, not entirely sure what that profession is.
"Merpeople? Are those people that live in the ocean, like a mermaid?" The boy deadpans. "You can learn to /speak/ their language? Wow!"
"The first year's hard - especially for Muggleborns, I think," Madeline answers. "I mean - we have so much to get used to. And all the wizard-born, well… They spend their whole lives seeing their parents brew potions and do spells, right? They're heard spell words used, and wandwork, and all that, and we never have. Of course it's hard for us. It's not so bad your second year, though." She takes a bite of a cookie, then nods as she adds, "Yeah, Gringotts requires all their Cursebreakers to take Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Ancient Runes is at least interesting - after seeing what Flint did with it last year… it's obviously useful."
"Merpeople live in the lake, too," Madeline adds. "But yeah. That's them."
"The lake? With the giant squid?" Oliver munches on some more cake. "I had to go there for some detention a couple of weeks ago." His face sours. "That water is /cold/." His expression then changes. "Yeah! Yeah! That's what I think too. It's WAY harder for us muggle-borns. Just learning that all this stuff exists! That's why I love the Mud club so much. I think it really helps." He chews some more on some sweet food, before finally putting his fork down with a satisfied sounding sigh. "Gringotts… that is the famous bank, right? What exactly is a Cursebreaker? I mean, what do they do?" The boy furrows his brow in thought. "And what did Flint do, anyway?" Alas, Headmaster Flint was before his time, so all he had to go on was rumours. "I've heard some pretty crazy stories."
"Curse Breakers are like treasure hunters," Madeline explains. "Traveling the world, going on adventures! Tracking down lost cities, and having to get past ancient curses and such to find gold, and gem, and magical relics. I'm going to find Merlin's wand," she says with confidence.
She takes another bite of her cookie, then continues. "And Flint - well, he set this trap down in the dungeon. He was trying to hide the contracts he'd made the Magijugend sign, you see. So he had one of the students hide this locked box in this room. And me and Colton, we followed the student down into the dungeon, and tracked him through the tunnels, and found this door… and Colton stayed while I back-tracked and found some of the Aurors who'd just arrived, and showed them where the box was hid. But the door - it had all these runes written on it. And when the Aurors tried to open the door, the room they were in sealed up, and it started to fill up with poison gas, and all that was done just by writing the right runes on a door! It's pretty neat stuff."
"Merlin was an actual person?" Oliver states, sounding surprised. "His wand must be super mega powerful. That sounds like great fun! You could travel all over. Maybe I'll be one of those too." Oliver grins a toothy grin. "So, why… do they call them Curse Breakers then?" The lad sniffs again, rubbing his nose. "I mean, if they are treasure hunters? It doesn't sound like they break curses or anything."
Adjusting himself on the bench, Oli listens intently to the story of Flint. Licking his lips, his eyes widen as he hangs on the edge of every word that Madeline speaks. "You mean the Aurors didn't know enough about magical runes to open the door?" It seemed they had flaws too! "S…so what happened next?" He asks. "Did… they die? From the poison gas? And what happened to Flint? And what was in the box?!" So many questions!
"Because ancient wizards usually protected their treasures and artifacts with curses," Madeline explains. "It's actually a pretty dangerous job! I think it'll be fun. I'm just not sure I wanna work for the goblins, so I hope their some way to do it without them."
She takes her time with her food before she continues her story about Flint, and the door. "Well - the Aurors got trapped inside - with me just outside. I pounded on the door, and shouted, and even tried spells - but I couldn't get it open. So Rena - she was Auror Odori then, but she's Auror Faulkner now - she yelled at me to go get help, so I went running to go find Dumbledore and bring him back. Meanwhile, the room was filling up with poison, so they all gave themselves the bubblehead charm (which is just about the best spell you can learn) but the poison was soaking into their skin and they were all starting to get woozy, while the door was spouting a riddle at them. Luckily, they figured out the riddle, and it opened the door - so they could get the box - and it opened the room, and the poison started to go away. By the time I got back with Dumbledore, they were ready to go talk to Headmaster Flint."
Oliver slowly nods as Madeline explains the finer details of the job. Leaning forward, he feels he must whisper the next part: "What's wrong with goblins?" As if saying the very name will cause one to sprout from the earth!
Listening to the whole story, Oli finds his jaw loosening in anticipation and excitement. "That's amazing! I mean, answering a riddle in those sorts of situations is really impressive. Why did Rena's name change? To Auror Faulkner? Did she get married or something?" He licks his lips again, mouth going dry by the story. "And then what happened? Was there a huge duel with Flint and Dumbledore? And you still haven't told me what was even in the box!"
Madeline shrugs her shoulders. "Well, it's just… if I work for them, everything I find will belong to them," she explains. "And I'm not sure I want that. Especially if I find Merlin's wand. That shouldn't be theirs. It should belong to all of the wizards of Great Britain! Or to the Ministry, at least."
She takes a teeny, tiny nibble of her cookie, then another, seeming to relish dragging this out. Finally, she puts the last bite in her mouth before continuing. "She did - and now she's having twins!" she explains cheerfully. "And, well, Rena never showed me what was in the box, but she took it into Flint's office, and then she came out, and everything was settled, and none of use ever saw Flint again - so I figure it must have been what she was looking for. The contracts all the members of the Magijugend had signed," she explains. "I don't think Flint and Dumbledore fought - if they did it was in the office, and Rena's never mentioned it to me. But Flint 'resigned' a few days later, and Dumbledore was named the new headmaster."
Of all the possible endings, that is perhaps the most least-dramatic of them all. Yet still, Oliver is suitably in awe. "That's so amazing." He breathes, finding that he held his breath through parts of that tale. "I wonder if something like that will happen at Hogwarts again this year! I mean, I wouldn't be able to do anything to help. I can't imagine so much stuff happening in a school though, you know?" Resting hands on the table, he looks at a few sweet treats on the table before him.
"So Merlin actually had a wand, and it's supposed to be mega powerful or something like that?" His fingers tap against his chin in thought. "What sort of other mega rare things are out there to find? I bet lots of the exciting things have already been discovered?"
"He must have had one. Wizards always have wands!" Madeline answers. "And I'd think it was a pretty special wand. But I don't know. No one really knows. I mean to find out!" She shrugs her shoulders, then adds, "I'm sure there's loads of stuff. I mean, anything that has to do with the founders of Hogwarts is worth a lot. But there's loads of other famous historical witches and wizards."
"I read the other day that not all wizards use wands?" Oliver asks. "It's meant to be some sort of really hard magic. They don't even need to say the name of the spell! They just wave their hand and… fwoosh! Something happens." The Gryffindor boy seems proud of that bit of knowledge he wields, leaning back then. "Merlin must have been something else! I mean, if even muggles know about him still after all these years, he must be super important. Did he do magic first?" Wrinkling his nose in thought, he shrugs. "I'm sure we will cover all of the important people eventually in classes. Eventually."
"First? No, he went to Hogwarts, same as us. He was just really, really, really good at Magic. And he worked with King Arthur - though I guess witches and wizards don't care about that part as much as we Muggles," Madline answers, her tone thoughtful. "I don't know if he could do wandless magic - but I think even witches and wizards who can do wandless magic, don't generally. I mean, it's a useful skill to have, but magic works better when you do have a wand. Or that's what I've heard."
"That makes sense to me." Oliver observes. "Something to help channel it, right? That's what a wand is. A focus." With a huff, he folds arms across his chest. "I always thought Merlin was before Hogwarts. Shows you what I know! The Founding Wizards and Witches of Hogwarts must have been really, really good at Magic then. Just makes you wonder, you know? About the differences in skills and abilities between everyone." Oli shakes his head in some disbelief, before having a drink of some apple juice nearby.
"Oh, Mads, do you know much about… flying pigs? Do you cover that in Magical Creatures?"
"Flying pigs?" Madeline asks. "Umm - I know there's a pair of statues of them outside the front of the school - you know, flanking the gate. I guess it makes sense that they're real. Why?" She looks curious as she looks at Oliver.
"In the Gryffindor commons, someone left behind a paper they got from Hogsmeade. Well, I think it's from Hogsmeade. There's a store there that is selling flying pigs as pets. They're apparently really small! I asked the Professors, and they said I'm allowed to have one as a pet at Hogwarts." Oliver shifts, "I was just wondering if you knew anything about taking care of them. When we go to Hogsmeade over Christmas, I think I'm going to try and buy one somehow." Somehow being the key word, as he has no money!
"I just wondered if you had touched on them in your Magical Creatures subject. But you haven't even heard of them?"
Madeline shakes her head. "Not yet. You know who you should ask - Josie. She lives on a farm in Hogsmeade and Camilla - that's her mum, sorta - breeds all sorts of magic animals," she explains. "Winged horses - including thestrals - and owls, and kneazels, and all sorts of stuff. Josie knows just about everything."
Followed by a little cloud of black bats is Wren, looking wholly delighted and just a bit wired. She practically bounces down the tables, parting ways with a tall Ravenclaw girl who looks a good bit like her as she spots her friends. "There's so much stuff! How can they get better! Lalie says that Christmas is even more, though!" Is her greeting, spoken in one breath, as she throws herself down next to Mads and Oliver. The bats go to flock somebody else pacing the aisle. She's quiet for a moment, having dragged a cauldron cake to herself, but her eyes widen a little at the idea of tiny flying pigs. "…Merlin, that sounds great." The girl breathes, sounding delighted. Then her brow wrinkles, squinting sidways at Mads around a mouthful of the cake. "Josie — the seeker? woah."
"I think that was it!" Oliver cries. "Camila, that was the name on the article. I didn't know it, but you say that it's Josie's Mum?" The boy nods, already starting to hatch a plan. "That's awesome. I wanted to speak to her anyway, tell her how well she went in that quidditch match last week. Thanks Mads, you're the best." Grinning at her, he picks up an idle cookie and tries to nibble on it. "I think I've eaten a bit too much," He begins with a groan. "My mouth feels like it's a rainbow after all these sweets."
With Wren's sudden arrival, Oli lifts a hand to wave. "Hey Wren! Where've you been? I was looking for you for ages just before." Leaning forward, he nods in excitement. "Wana come and see Rosie and Camila with me? Over Christmas we get to go to Hogsmeade! So I'm trying to save up all my money and purchase one. I don't think flying pigs come around very often, so I hope no-one else buys one before I get there."
Madeline gets a thoughtful look on her features. "There's got to be a way you can earn some coin off some of the richer students around here…" she muses thoughtfully. "I mean, not doing their work for them or anything like that - that'd be dishonest." And really - it's probably not a good idea to let a first year Muggleborn do your homework for you. "But there's got to be something. Taking their books back to the library for them or something like that."
She grins as Wren joins them, waving a fork at her in greeting. "Those bats are neat. Are they real, or an illusion or something?"
Blissfully at least partially unaware, caught up in the glory of unlimited candy as she is, Wren spaces just a little. "Imagine! Having 'nough'fa all those to breed 'em and make more." She sighs, wistfully, not seeming to notice that she's speaking with her mouth full. How uncouth. Her mother would faint, and then perish of the rudeness of it all. "Eulalia made me meet all of her friends." Nosewrinkle. "I was looking for you guys, but she went on and on and on." The girl sighs dramatically, but brightens quickly enough. Hogsmeade, after all, is always cause for a smile while it's still a novelty. "Yeah! I do! I didn't know we could." She wiggles in place, bright-eyed and gleeful. She considers Mads' suggestion for a few, staring thoughtfully at the piles of candy, but eventually blinks out of it to laugh. "They're Lalie's, she transfigured some mallow bats! I don't know what the charm was though."
"Are you serious?" Oliver asks, his face screwing up like he just sucked on a lemon. "People will give me quid if I take their books to the library?" He huffs. "Is that a bit odd though? I mean… a first year muggle-born? Doing a job like that? I tell you what, I'm DEFINITELY not going to carry Walburga's books!" The lad chews on his lip in thought, before he looks up to the magical ceiling once more. "Maybe I don't really have a choice."
Resting his head on his palm, the boy looks to Wren with a quizzical expression, though one that shows a hint of amusement. Speaking with a mouth full of candies is not an easy task. "Great! That'll be awesome. Billy told me last night that we should get some Butterbeer too. I dunno what that is, but sounds good."
Oli's eyes widen, "Wait, those are REAL bats?! Awesome!" A glance goes to the winged creatures again.
"…I wouldn't carry her books, either," Madeline agrees, making a face. "Could be worse, though. Could be Lucretia." Of course - which of those is actually worse is debateable. "Still can't believe she made prefect," she adds in a quiet mutter.
"Butterbeer's pretty good," Madeline says in a musing tone of voice, as her attention turns towards the bats once again. "That's a pretty good transfiguration," she adds. "I couldn't pull that off."
"That Walburga. Which one's Lucretia? She's worse?" Wren's face goes stormy, indignant, but then she catches herself and takes a breath and smiles sheepishly at Mads. "Poor books. Maybe there's a Christmas allowance?" The girl considers, curiously. Her wondering is, of course, occupied with throwing back a handful of buzzing humbugs, which she grins around when she catches Oli's eyes. "Butterbeer's great, isn't it?" The girl directs that at Madeline, grinning delightedly at the other girl's slightly-less-excitable agreement. "It's, well. It's sweet, and warming, and it makes you feel happy." That's a terrible description, bless, but she doesn't appear to notice. "Is it? Well, Lalie's always been real good. I couldn't do it either. Maybe she'll teach us, if we ask!"
"I know!" Oliver gushes to Wren. "And it's terrible that she beat Josie in that quidditch match! Most of the time she just followed Josie around anyway." He grumps, before tilting his head a bit to Madeline. "Dunno much about her," Oli admits when the name of Lucretia is brought up. "I'm going to try and be Prefect and Head Boy!" He boasts. "Then I'll be able to take away points from the nasty Slytherin students like Walburga. How do you do it, anyway?" He looks to Wren, and then Madeline. "Do you have to be really good at school work and the teachers vote you in?" Throwing a few more pieces of gelatin candy in his mouth, the first year grips his stomach. "There's no way I can eat anymore food. Ugh."
At the very least, he can appreciate the idea of learning a new spell. "I'm always keen to learn new tricks and tips."
"Dunno if your Lalie'd be able to teach it to me," Madeline says wryly. "I'm horrible at transfigurations." Despite Oliver's stomach ache, Madeline is still picking idly at the food in front of her. "She's worse to me. Lucretia and me have just… never got along. Not since the train ride home my first Christmas. She's called me a mudblood to my face. But I generally counter by being ridiculously cheerful at her, and sending her Christmas cards, or invitations to muggle parties and things."
Madeline continues, adding, "Well, to get to be a prefect, your head of house has to choose you. Usually when you turn fifth year. I think all the teachers vote on the headboy and headgirl. Or at least - Dumbledore and the four heads of house, maybe."
Her attention shifts to Wren. "I like butterbeers - but the sweets shop, they have this malt called a 'jolt.' It's cold, and it has little sparks and smoke coming off from it, and when you drink it you get all tingly like electricity - umm, which is a Muggle thing. But anyways, it's great."
"Are you, then? I bet you could! That'd show all the toads who look down on your lot. Mads, you should, too." Wren giggles, finally pausing in her devastation of the candy to stretch out a little. Maybe she can feel her stomach's point of revolution coming up. As for how, though, she just looks mildly perplexed until the older girl answers. "Sure you can. You just gotta believe it, Oli." Sagely, the brave Gryffindor responds, shoving a whole pumpkin tart in her mouth and sighing blissfully. "Transfiguration is hard, isn't it? Good though." She muses around the mouthful, and if either of them can understand her, well. Impressive. The train story has color rising on Wren's cheeks, and she glares angrily at a passing group of students. "My mother would scour their mouths with soap." It's an angry mumble around the rest of the tart, then she's subsiding into silence for a few. "…'lectricity? Is that like those lights without the fire?" The girl squints muzzily, considering. "Fizzy light drink. Woah."
Oliver nods slowly at that. "So I guess you /do/ have to be good at lots of things."
That train of thought seems to take a halt for the moment though, where he laughs at what Madeline does to get back at her. "I… I didn't even know what that term was until Wren explained it." A glance goes to Wren, before back to Mads. "I think that's really smart! I mean, you sending her Christmas cards and invitation to parties. That must really rub her the wrong way!" He snickers again. "If Walburga ever learned about my heritage, I don't know what she'd do." Oli frowns.
"That's right, Wren." Oliver confirms. "But it's dangerous! Once the Headmistress told me to swap a light bulb, and I got electrocuted." Oliver admits. "If this 'Jolt' is anything like that, I don't want a lick of it! It was an awful pain and experience. One I would never wish on anyone. Maybe I'll stick with Butterbeer for now. It sounds much better to my stomach." As if in preparation, he has another swag of drink. Again, it's apple juice.
"Are you going to dress up for the costume competition, Wren?"
"It can be real dangerous," Madeline agrees. "My parents don't want me messing about with the electricity at all. But jolt doesn't hurt - it's more tickly and tingly. It's fun! You should try it," she encourages Oliver. "And my mum always told me - if anyones being mean to you, you don't stoop to their level. You show 'em how folks are supposed to behave. You're nice at them, at least three times for every time they're mean. Which is hard, because Lucretia can be awfully mean. But I do enjoy sending her cards and invitations and such. And I think it confuses her." She pokes at a bread pudding as she adds musingly, "Dunno if I'll be a prefect or not… the other girls in my year - they're pretty great."
Wren makes a happy kind of humming noise, drooping over the table like a mouse on the end of a haystalk. "Plenty of time to get good at everything." She says stoutly, meeting her fellow first-year's eyes with a weak smile. She's not proud of her pure-blooded peers; but angry, and scornful. "Tell 'er she can be the guest of honor, ey? Right up by the roast." The girl smirks a little, leaning back on the bench and crossing her ankles. She considers electricity for a moment, eyes widening at the story of the wayward electricity. Wren looks a little wary, like she thinks Oliver might start smoking or sparking at any moment, and glances sidelong at Mads. Just. In case. "…is it catching, then? Electricity?" She asks, wide-eyed. It sounds terribly painful, after all, that stuff. "I'm glad you're okay, Oli. No wonder your parents don't want you messing around with it, Mads, it sounds frightening." The girl nods, wide-eyed still. She nods, though, still looking a little startled. "That's right. It's hard, though, not to hit 'em right in the mouth. The nerve! The utter nerve." And finally the eyes narrow, nose sticking up in the air haughtily. Harrumph. "You're pretty great too, though." The girl adds, grinning.
Entering into the Great Hall is Billy. He glances around the large chamber with.a smile, taking in the piles of candy and festivities and then moves over toward the Gryffindor table. On his way he raises a hand and waves to Oliver.
"Psh! But YOU helped save all of the Aurors, Mads! And got Flint kicked out. I bet every student loves you and won't forget your amazing deeds." Oliver grins, though still looks unsure at the notion of drinking this electrical drink. "What would you do if she actually attended any of those events that you invited her to? How weird would that be!" He laughs at such a notion. "Would never happen though, I bet."
"Sort of. I don't know much about it, but if you're holding onto something metallic that connects to electricity, it will extend up the object and into your body! That's how it got me. It arcs out too sometimes." Oliver purses his lips. "I'm okay now. At the time I felt really sick."
"Billy!" Oliver stands to wave at his new friend, looking as the third year approaches. "Oh hey, you're probably in the same classes as Mads, huh?" A grin goes to Madeline, before he looks to Wren. "That's Billy. He's a third year. Billy, this is Wren."
Madeline lets out a snort. "Except for the ones that hate me!" she counters. "…still. Professor Pettigrew seems to like me well enough. She did hang my bow and spear in the common room…" A miniture bow and spear - about a quarter the size they should be - had been added to the decor of the Gryffindor common room, following the field day fiasco. "And really, the aurors saved themselves. All I did was lead them into danger! But that's basically their job. Danger."
"Billy! Hi!" Madeline greets her fellow third year, before turning her attention to Wren again. "Don't worry. You can't catch it without touching electrical wiring or the like. And there'd be none of that around here."
Billy slides onto the bench with the rest of the group, offering them all a friendly smile and wave. He looks slightly uncomfortable in his Hogwarrs robes, but not distractedly so. Looking to Madeline and Wren he says, "Hey guys," and then to the group at large, "What are you guys talking about?"
Wren nods enthusiastically along with Oliver, a grin blooming out of the dour expression she'd been wearing. "Exactly! They'd be mad not to give you it, wouldn't they?" She nods a few more times, then subsides, eyeing the still-towering mountain of squirming chocolate frogs and picking one up out of habit. "All you have to do is touch it?" Both muggleborns confirm, and the girl looks stricken, horrified. "How are they not all dead, then? Remarkable." She sounds like she's imagining some sort of Frankenstein situation, eyes a little hazy as she stares ceiling-wards. "Wow. So…it doesn't still hurt, does it, the electricity?" Horrified, still. Bless. "Professor Pettigrew is fantastic." The girl adds as an aside, grinning widely, and wiggling the chocolate frog card at Billy in greeting. "Hello, Billy! It's nice to meet you. You're on the Quidditch team, aren't you? We're talking about muggle electricity. It sounds terribly dangerous." Among other things, but.
"I was thinking of becoming an auror." Oliver intones, looking to Wren. Something he had already confided to his fellow first-year. "But now that you've told me about these Curse-Breakers Mads, that sounds like a great way to work. Well, except for the goblins. Right?" As if just to get confirmation from Madeline, he will look back to her.
"Electricity." Oliver replies to Billy, a small smile on his face. "Saying that there's definitely none of it in the castle. And no, it doesn't still hurt." The smile broadens across his face. "There are special ways they keep it contained. If you're careful, you're normally fine. You just have to know what you're doing. But it can kill you, if you're not. If too much electricity runs through your body, it stops your heart." How gruesome! Though perhaps that fits the theme of the eve'.
Yeah, I like Professor Pettigrew. She's really nice, but sort of wild at the same time. I don't know how to explain it."
"I don't ever want to be an Auror," Madeline says quietly. "That sort of work - it's way too hard, and way too scary, and I couldn't ever do that. Not forever. Not for my job." She shifts in her seat, then adds, looking back up at Oliver, "But I really admire Aurors. Rena's just the greatest. And - umm - I could show you the Junior Aurors badge she gave me sometime - if you like. I'd introduce you to her sometime… but I'm not quite sure how." Since he's a first year and can't leave the school.
"I do like Professor Pettigrew," she adds - addressing both Wren and Oliver.
Billy smiles and nods to Wren, "Yeah, I'm a beater." He falls silent and listens to the conversation for a few moments before he says, "I always thought it would be fun to have one of those shops that deals in old magic stuff. Like antiques, stuff that has a lot of cool history. Maybe open up a shop somewhere."
Wren grins at Oliver's ambition, bouncing a little in her seat. The news of Curse-Breaker leanings has her head tilting to the side, considering. "Y'know, they do get more exploring in 'em. Curse-Breakers." A beat, and she wrinkles her nose delicately. "Goblins are rude and unpleasant. I don't think I like them much." She opines, nodding. However, goblins afre not nearly as unpleasant as your heart stopping. Wren gurgles around another frog, eyes gone wide again. "Stops it." She repeats, weakly, absently taking out her wand and setting it on the table. If anything calls for a security blanket, it's that! "You'd make a really good one, 'least." The girl does say, admiringly, of Madeline — but she doesn't argue further, smiling weakly. The smile grows a little more, for Billy's Quidditch admission. "Dangerous stuff, too! Loads of dangerous old stuff, isn't there? Could put it up and tell people about it. That'd be great."
"I think so too, Billy! Old magic stuff seems really cool." Oliver can only begin to think of what could be discovered. "Do you think it would being an Auror much more dangerous than being a Curse-Breaker?" He asks. "… I guess it would be." The follow-up isn't immediate, but certainly not far off so. It just requires a bit more thought! "It's alright, Mads. I bet someone like Rena and other people like her are pretty busy all the time. And she gave you a badge? Yeah! I'd love to see it!" He exclaims, sitting up straight.
With that, he actually stands up. "I feel really ill," Oliver admits with a weak laugh. "I'm going to head back to the commons and try and settle my stomach down. There's a potion I saw in my book the other day that might help, actually. I might give it a go." With a hand, he waves to those gathered.
"Happy Halloween, guys. I'll see you around no doubt." And with this, he begins to shuffle off, leaving the table and heading for the Entry Hall.
Billy nods his head in agreement with the others and says, "Not just dangerous stuff, but even like… stuff like the sorting hat. It would just be so fun." He frowns as Oli stands up to leave and says, "Feel better, buddy!"
"They're both pretty dangerous," Madeline answers. "But it's the… making enemies thing that harder on you, I think. I made a lot of enemies helping the Aurors, so…" She shrugs her shoulders - then turns her attention to Billy. "Hey - if you had a shop like that, maybe I could be a curse breaker for you - instead of the goblins! Find things for your shop!"
Wren waches Oliver go with a snort and a wry twist of her lips. "Poor thing. Could've put more down, if he'd tried, I bet." She grins to herself, like she's not one frog away from harking up her guts all over the first person to shake her a little. "I reckon if you could find something like the Sorting Hat, you'd make a good bit, eh?" Thoughtful, the girl nods. Focusing on Madeline with an even more wry kind of smile, Wren nods. "Maybe it'll get better, give it a while, yeah? Or you could hex the grimy toads into next Sunday." Chin jutting, the kid nods, and then barks a laugh. "I bet you're way better to work for than them, Billy!" She chuckles, and then stands, looking very dignified for a girl who's paled considerably. "I think I'll fetch some ginger cookies. For…" Reasons. Which she is not going to admit to. "Don't eat all the sweets without me." She grins at her housemates, and ambles off, managing a stately kind of pace.
Billy nods and looks to Madeline curiously, "Rather than work for Gringotts?" He chuckles and says, "I'm not sure I could pay as well as a load of Goblins could! Honestly I've never been in there. My sister and I just kind of keep our gold close to home." He shrugs his shoulders and says, "There has been one occasionally in the Three Broomsticks, they are…. didferent."
"I'm not supposed to hex people - remember? My mum'd get awful cross with me! And Rena too." Madeline looks amused at the idea of hexing folks, though. Her attention turns next to Billy, as she shrugs her shoulders. "No," she agrees. "Probably wouldn't pay as well. Unless I'm really good at it. I'd be able to keep a bigger cut that way - instead of the goblins taking it all."
Billy nods slowly and says, "I heard that Gringotts was a dangerous place. That you would just about be signing up to die if you tried to rob it. Do you think that's true? That the goblins are like that?"
"I… guess. I don't know?" Madeline answers uncertainly. "I mean - I hadn't really planned on robbing any banks. Can you just imagine what Rena'd do to me if I did?"
Billy smirks and says, "I wasn't meaning you should go try to! I was just wondering how much you knew about the Goblins that run the
"I think it'd be fun. Going around finding last treasures! And exciting. And I could find out more about ancient witches and wizards. And besides, Colton's one, and he's great," Madeline explains.
Billy nods his head and then pushes himself up from the table and says, "I think I am going to go check kn Oli and make sure he's okay. I'll see you around Madeline!" He smiles and waves and then heads for the exit.
"See you, Billy!" Madeline agrees. In classes at the very least. With the spilled pumpkin juice mess long since cleaned up - the girl scoots back down the table to the group of students she'd been sitting with earlier in the evening.