An Introduction
Author: Majandra
Date: 06-22-04 18:59
Ginny, who's now joined the others in the hall, Blossom, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Majandra move towards the head table area to cheer on the twins. Behind them, the noise of preparations to set up the game booths is almost drowned out by the encouragement being called to the six about to be face down in pie. Movement at her elbow momentarily draws her attention.
"Hi, Natalie! Just in time. It's about to start."
In the few seconds they have before the contest begins, Majandra introduces Blossom to Natalie. "This is Blossom Wedgewood. You've heard me mention her I'm sure. She dates Fred Weasley."
Majandra points out Fred at the table then points to George next to him. "You've seen pictures of him and heard me talk endless about him, but I don't think you've gotten to meet George yet. I'll introduce you later."
Further conversation is useless as Professor Miller shouts, "GO!" and the level of cheers raises considerably.
Hearts and Stuff
Author: Alexis Black
Date: 06-22-04 19:30
"Happy Valentine's, Alexis, my friend," Pyrrhus’ voice cut through the common room, bringing her face up from her book to stare at him. He presented her with a candy heart plant and, with a smile, walked away. He greeted Isolde at the entrance with a chaste kiss and with a wave from Isolde they departed, leaving Alexis staring blankly after them. She turned back to the small pot in her hand and plucked off a small pink heart.
'Be mine' it said. She scoffed and popped it in her mouth.
She turned back to her book, occasionally breaking off another heart-shaped candy to gnaw on, and on rare instances she could be caught looking slyly at what they said before they disappeared into her mouth.
She sighed and flipped the page, glancing at her watch to see when this blasted holiday would be over. Not soon enough, she figured.
But it really was nice of Py to give her a present, even if it was sappy pastel hearts on a vine.
And the Winner Is...
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 06-22-04 21:35
After making sure all the pies were at hand, that the anti-cheating charms were in place, that the participants understood the rules and were ready to go, Aaron starts the Pie Eating Contest. Carefully timing the event, Aaron notes that at the halfway mark, all six of the guys are still eating thought a couple of them don't seem to have the gusto they did at the beginning.
At three minutes in, Aaron can see suddenly-this-doesn't-seem-like-a-good-idea looks in all their eyes as pie after pie is placed before each contestant. By four minutes into the event, Aaron's thinking they all are starting to look green and is glad there are containers handy in case any actually get sick.
Aaron loudly calls time at five minutes. Each and every one of the six males at the table look extremely relieved. They all lean back in their chairs, hands going to stomachs as the small crowd gathered continues calling out to their favorites. Aaron moves from place to place, talking to the house elves helping with the contest. Each stack of pie plates is counted three times and the house elves and Aaron put their heads together to confer over the tally. A moment later Aaron steps around the table and stands near one end so he can direct his comments to both the participants and to the spectators.
"As you can see from the piles of empty plates, these gentlemen put a real dent in the number of pies Briar's Bakery donated. Coming in sixth is Drake Bennett! Drake, you receive a certificate for the Quidditch poster of your choice from Dervish and Bangs! Thank you Dervish and Bangs for your wonderful donation!"
"Tying for fourth place are the Weasley twins, Fred and George! You each receive two tickets to a professional Quidditch match of your choice! Thanks to our very own Viktor Krum for obtaining this donation!"
"Third place goes to Pyrrhus Fine! You win a meal from The Spinning Horn in Hogsmeade and five galleons! Thank you, Spinning Horn for the wonderful prize!"
"Second place goes to Jared Wynbourne. Jared, you receive two meals from The Spinning Horn and ten galleons! Since you can't go into town on Hogsmeade weekends, the restaurant will send the meals to you or you can wait and go when school's out. Once again, thank you, Spinning Horn!"
"By now, you've all figured out our first place winner," Aaron chuckles. "The honor goes to Kody Reese-Emerson! Kody, you receive four meals from The Spinning Horn and fifteen galleons! Next time any of you are in Hogwarts, be sure to thank the Spinning Horn for their excellent donations!"
Aaron goes on to add, "Each of you also get an engraved pie plate trophy. You'll receive them in owl post next week. The trophies look like this." Aaron holds up a bronzed looking pie plate. "Briar Rose wanted everyone to know she would have donated the prizes for this contest but after eating all those pies she wasn't sure any of you would appreciate certificates for bakery goods."This is met by laughter from the six at the table and from the crowd. Once it subsides Aaron makes one more comment. "Thanks go to all of you for participating and to all of you who came to watch. Enjoy the rest of today's activities!"
Arriving
Author: Rikku
Date: 06-22-04 22:56
There was snow everywhere! Everything was all white and cold! It was very very cold! Never in my travels had I been anywhere near this cold. Even the lake had been frozen solid! Well, maybe not solid, but it was frozen at on top.
As I made my way to the really cool looking, snow covered castle, I couldn’t help looking at the lake. There were people on it! It was not fair! I never skated on ice before… I want to try that, but I can’t, I have to go do important stuff.
So, I finally made my way to the huge wood doors of the castle and walked in. An old woman stood there, she kinda reminded me of my great-grandmother, just nicer.
"Hello," she said in a kind voice, "You must be Rikku…" She trailed off when she looked at my last name.
"Eye a nom E!" I told her with a bit of enthusiasm, almost jumping on the last syllable. "It's a bit weird, I know, but oh well."
"Well, Miss Ayanami, let's get you sorted and settled in," She said. It wasn't ten minutes later I was sorted into Gryffindor House by a funny talking hat. The hat was in a really cool office with all sorts of really cool things that I wasn't allowed to touch. The Headmaster, introduced as Professor Dumbledore, was really cool too. He reminded me of my great-grandfather, all nice and all.
Professor McGonagall was leading me up the stairs into one of the towers after the visit to the cool office and the hat. There were a lot of stairs to walk up. Some of them were mean stairs that tried to steal shoes! Luckily I was able to keep my shoes on my feet away from the shoe stealing stairs.
The old lady, whom had introduced herself as Professor Minerva McGonagall, showed me how to get into the common room and let me in to take a look around. It automatically reminded me of some of the older fancy libraries I had been to. It even had a fireplace! I ran over to heat up a bit.
The professor let me stand next to the fireplace for a minute or so before calling me back and showing me up to the dorm room. It was a circle! It would be the coolest room to sleep in with no corners and stuff. The professor pointed out my bed, which almost immediately had my stuff dropped on it. I wasn't ready to unpack yet, I wanted to go ice skating!
Somewhat Alone Again, Naturally
Author: Professor Belladonna Sinistra
Date: 06-23-04 02:40
"I was wonderful! Absolutely wonderful. I took care of five hundred people at his father's funeral, spent the whole time being an elegant and poised rock of strength. How does he reply me? He calls off the wedding one and a half months before it was scheduled. Find another pure blooded witch who has an affinity for nature and is an aristocratic heiress. Just try it, John Spencer-Churchill, just try it. Did I mention it was Valentine's Day?"
Bella put her face into the couch and continued sobbing, a letter clutched in her manicured hand. She had expected a note about dinner or some sort of love token by letter. Instead John had said that he just couldn't go through things and that she deserved better.
"Calm down, Bella. Just calm down. Please stop crying. No on can stand it when you cry. What can I do? Anything, I'll call your parents, buy you jewelry. Anything, just stop crying. Bella, darling."
"I want you to get Luc and Dylan. I want you three to beat him into a pulp for dishonoring someone who never did a thing in her life to him other than act perfectly. I was perfect. I did everything that one was expected to do, and then some. Why me, Liam, why?"
"Please do not get hysterical, Bella. Maybe a little trip to the spa? Hmmm? Greece! You love Greece. You could spend a few days in the sun, watching the water."
"What, and maybe I can stay on the island Da bought as my wedding present? Maybe I should just slit my wrists and really give the gossip columns something to talk about. Besides, my life's over and I have nothing to live for, except maybe another broken heart."
"You're not going to get suicidal. You might go mad, again, though. That all your family needs, to see you roaming Avonford like a ghost, your hair all wild and talking no sense. Your parents are going through enough without you adding to it. It's a broken engagement, nothing more. You will not kill yourself and you will remember the fact that there are people starving out there."
"Oh, I see. A woman with diamond bracelets on and a billion galleons in the bank isn't allowed to have problems? Money can't buy happiness, you know? All I want is to have someone who appreciates me and loves me. People living in hovels have love, but I don't. I'm going to turn into a bitter spinster and be all alone."
"Hysterical, that's all. Within a month, you'll be nightclubbing with your prettiest smile and be the lovely Bella everyone knows you to be. As for love, you have your family. No one is more clannish than the Sinistras, and you'll always have that. Someone once told me that family was all that matters, and I believe that was you.
"Oh, lovely Bella, a tribute to the fairest. The chap I bought it from said it belonged to some Muggle queen. However, we'll say that the B is for Bella, not for whatever it was before. What do Muggles know anyway? Must be the Muggle blood that made His Gracelessness give away such a treasure. His loss and we'll all kick his ass right after a decent interval laspses."
"Don't start. You'll always be like a brother to me, albeit the best of brothers. Boleyn, that's what the B was for. I'll treasure it forever. Sorry I'm not good company. Might we go to dinner some place nice tonight. Promise I'll be good."
Bella gave a brave smile. Dear Liam, being so sweet to come to her aid when she was in the dumps. Maybe he was right. Besides food might do her some good. She'd been drinking all morning and her blood might actually get pickled for once.
Slytherin Romance
Author: Santhea Fennally
Date: 06-23-04 04:33
Covering the initial shock with a smile, Santhea glanced back at the box in her hand. "I don't know, Malfoy... I thought you liked the fact that most of our dearest housemates were placing bets on the two of us." The smile turned to a smirk. "Then again, I saw Parkinson bet a rather large sum on us not getting back together, ever. So..."
Draco raised an eyebrow at her, callenging her to continue.
"You know of course that a romantic gesture like this might lose you your precious reputation..."
He shrugged, "They wouldn't dare comment on it." Well, he did have a point. He was, after all, Lucius Malfoy's son...
"Hmm, alright then. Just promise me one thing. Next time you intend to make such a public display of your affection," Draco snorted at that, "warn me to get a bucket so I can dispose of my breakfast..."
"Oh, if you feel that way, Fennally..." He pulled back a little.
"It's not. I'm just afraid that certain Gryffindors might get a wrong impression of our House..." Pecking him quickly on the cheek, she added, "So, how would you like to make things official?"
Iron Grip
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 06-23-04 08:38
Bronwyn had her hand clamped in an iron-grip around Desi's wrist, who looked plainly miserable as she was forced to wander the castle with her seemingly jubilant friend. They'd watched the pie-eating contest, Bronwyn cheering loudly for all save the Slytherin contestant and Desi finding the laces of her combat boots more interesting than anything else.
"Oh, come on!" Bronwyn finally exclaimed, pulling Desi up from the bench at the Hufflepuff table. "Smile! It makes the world a better place!"
"It's Valentine's Day," Desi muttered moodily. She tried to jerk her wrist free from Bronwyn's tight grasp but failed. "I hate Valentine's Day."
Bronwyn led Desi out of the Great Hall, smiling at some younger students who were entering. Then she asked, "Why? Valentine's Day means candy and flowers and boys."
Desi looked disgusted. "It's not like you've got a boyfriend to give you candy and flowers this year. I don't see why you're so happy today."
Bronwyn said nothing for a while, pulling Desi outside into the snow. She never let go of her friend's wrist, even to deftly slip a coat on to keep warm in the cold.
"I miss Toby," Bronwyn admitted finally, "but just because he's not around and just because I don't have another boyfriend or any love life at all right now doesn't mean I'm going to be depressed about it."
"You? Depressed?" Desi made a noise in her throat. "When pig's fly."
"You missed Hagrid's class, and flying pigs aside, even I am not always happy-go-lucky. You of all people should know that I'm not always as I seem." Bronwyn thought about the Bianca incident and started to laugh.
"Now, let's go skate for a few minutes before the maze opens. Or would you rather go on the Tunnel of Love Ride with me?" Bronwyn shot Desi a playfully grin and tugged on her arm.
Races and Another Contest
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 06-23-04 14:23
After posting announcements that the scavenger hunt is rescheduled for another date, Aaron heads down to where the Three-legged Race, Sack Race, and Catch The Water Balloon contest are to be held very soon. There he helps Professors McGonagall and Vector set the courses for the two races and check that the sacks and balloons are ready. Soon the contestants for the first race, the Three-Legged Race begin arriving and a spectators are already gathering to watch.
Conjointius
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 06-23-04 16:22
Fritz and Coco make their way outside after having bundled up in their warmest coats. They chat animatedly about the upcoming races and contest, their involvement in them and their desire to kick some serious butt! Fritz, whose signed up for only the team activities, tells Coco, "You could win all three. Wouldn't that be an achievement!"
Coco, smiling broadly, nods her head enthusiastically. Soon the Ravenclaw pair are congregated around Professors McGonagall, Vector and Miller, who start to give instructions to the competitors. When it's time to take their mark at the start line, Fritz with McGonagall's guidance, flicks his wand to use the Conjointius spell on one of his legs and on one of Coco's. The spell joins them together to create a single, rather silly-looking leg.
Stowing his wand back into his coat, Fritz shoots Coco a lopsided grin. "Ready to win?"
