Winterlands Main Story December Winners PV Closed

@Vladimir Athanatos

What a wretched break. It should have been pleasant, meeting her new guardians, finding out that they were really rich, spending some much needed time with her brother. However, she had to pretend she was alright the entire time. And then the truth had came out messily, ruining so much of her effort and riling up a bunch of emotions. She’d been rude and dramatic and... just thinking off it had Katrina shuddering.

Katrina had been sitting at one of the benches in a compartment she’d chosen at random. She wasn’t quite sure where Bridget was and needed some more time to just process. She had stayed quiet the entire trip so far when there was a banging at the door that caught Katrina’s attention. Katrina had scored a window seat and wasn’t too keen to loose it so she bent over to look at the door. Something wrong with the train? What did this boy mean? Certainly it was a prank. Clear the compartments so that he could have the compartment to himself? Katrina hardly noticed that she had slipped her wand out of her sheath on her arm. Nothing was going wrong. Not again.

Some other girl stood up first. Peal, Petal, Opealia? Something like that. She questioned the boy, there was something between them that sounded like there was history there. Katrina didn’t recognize the boy but she certainly did. When Petal, as Katrina dubbed her until she figured out her actual name, stood up, Katrina did too. “Who is he?” Katrina asked quietly, intending the question for Petal.

The other girl left her stuff behind. Boomerang was with her brother, Liam in a different compartment (as long as that is allowed) and Katrina wasn’t super attached to anything in her trunk, so she left it behind with only a few moments thought.

Katrina hoped this wasn’t just a random goose chase. But at the same time, she was wishing dearly that it was. She wasn’t in the mood to get dragged into more chaos.

Interacting with: @Opeila Winters and technically @Vladimir Athanatos | Action: Following Opeila

Hogwarts had been filled with the cries and shouts of students as they bustled and shoved each other in a frantic bid to get home. Some weren't so enthusiastic, which was obvious really, what with the number of traumatized teenagers attending the school, and Scarlett found herself one of them, for the first time. She usually loved visiting home and spending time with her friends and family and annoying the townspeople, but after the mess that had happened so coincidentally near her birthday (she still hadn't got round to celebrating it) Scarlett wasn't looking forward to going home anymore. She had lost her friends and her mother and father had come back into her life. Her only solace was her aunt and the news that her Beauxbatons friend Cassie would be there. But it wasn't much compared to the negatives.

Scarlett had waved goodbye to Fiona and went through her usual routine of eenie-meenie-miney-mo as a way of selecting the right train car. She had the most abysmal luck in finding her friends when she needed them, and so decided to just go somewhere random, see where she ended up. After a quick decision, unusual for her, the girl lugged her trunk up in the car chosen, picked a compartment and slotted her belongings above. She waved goodbye to Fiona - though really she waved to the entire platform, a loud, smiling mess of family and friends - and sat down, legs crossed as she surveyed her compartment comrades.

She recognised some. There was that girl who used to look a bit like herself when Scarlett had straight hair. Wasn't she some third-year? The one who had been missing when Hogwarts frantically went into lockdown? Honestly, it was rather sad Scarlett was the one who noticed first, even though she barely knew the girl. Next was a girl she knew a bit better - Opeila. They had explored that mysterious room together, on the seventh floor. It was really very intriguing. The Slytherin was wearing a pretty purple flower bracelet and had a book in her hands.

The girls sat in silence, a comfortable sort of one. Scarlett went and rummaged through her trunk, starting to tinker with an Ever-bashing Boomerang (being incredibly careful, as it wasn't recommended in enclosed spaces) when a banging on the compartment door made her jump. She instinctively used her free hand to grab her wand and placed the boomerang on the seat handle, getting ready to stand up if need be.

Something wrong with the train? What was this, a joke? The train didn't go wrong. And where would he get that information anyway?

"Are you kidding me?" shouted Scarlett, dropping her wand and sitting down. "The train doesn't go wrong."

Her shouts mingled with that of Opeila and the other girl - Katrina, right? Opeila was asking questions aimed at the boy, who she called 'Athanatos' whilst Katrina was asking Opeila who he was.

"Was thinking the same thing," said Scarlett, emotionless as she glared, disbelieving, at the boy.

Interacting with @Opeila Winters @Katrina Walker @Scarlett Aden
Mentioning @Vladimir Athanatos

It was quite normal for Griseldis to visit her family during the holidays no matter Summer or Winter, but this time was slightly different. She just wanted to go back home and be in her parents' arms. This year had been very harsh and overwhelming for her.

Griseldis might be a bit late than the other students because of her feathery companion, Crystal. Her owl really, really hated being in a cage. Which reminded her a lot of Pikachu that hated being in a Pokéball. Even though it wasn't the first time that her owl not willing to be in a cage but it still kind of a hassle for her. And of course, she couldn't just leave her owl alone in Hogwarts while she was away in England. She had the responsibility to take care of her own pet after all. So again, she allowed Crystal to be cage-free and let her tag along with her on her shoulder or on her head. However, it was a good thing that owls were very intelligent animals. They wouldn't make much of a fuss, and Crystal had always been a quiet owl anyway.

When arriving at the Hogwarts Express, Griseldis didn't expect that she would meet up with someone she knew so she minded only her own business, not caring about it. She randomly picked a car and luckily found a compartment. Griseldis saw there were a few students inside, first, she was surprised to see a young Slytherin girl she knew, Opeila. Griseldis noticed she had a pretty violet bracelet, she didn't remember seeing something like that but perhaps it was a Christmas gift from a friend or family. Then the second one was a ginger girl with a turquoise highlight, she had seen her before since they were in the same House and did learn that she was a duelist but that was all. The other ginger girl with long curly hair, she recognized her immediately. She was her fellow Beater. "Hey, Opeila, Scarlett, and hi!" Griseldis greeted the girls and waved at them. Her owl simply flew inside and landed on an empty spot. Making a few satisfying hoots. She smiled at her owl then entered. She pushed her trunk up above before taking the empty seat beside the window.

While she was enjoying the peace reading a book her uncle gifted her, she suddenly heard a few loud bangs from the outside, it certainly scared Crystal just by seeing her flapping her wings so frantically. It was a boy's voice, shouting that there was something wrong with the train and needed to move up a few cars. Sensing there was something wrong so she quickly stood up from her seat and took a look outside when one of them opened the door to see what was going on. She saw it was a teenage Ravenclaw. The culprit who was banging on the door, and funny enough, Opeila seemed to know this boy. The commotion attracted a few other students to come out from their own compartments.

Griseldis watched as the girls asking the teen why they needed to move up a few cars and how did he know that there was something wrong with the train. Griseldis tried to remain calm and waited for the boy to answer their questions.

Graphic by Leonard Oaksworth

[font=Times New Roman]Interacting With: @Vladimir Athanatos
Mentioning: @Scarlett Aden, @Opeila Winters & @Katrina Walker

Going home for the holidays had been somewhat of a novel experience for Marshal. It was the first time that he had seen his parents since the beginning of the school year, and their reactions to his enthusiastic reminiscing of the past few months had been priceless, to say the least.
His mother had met the stories with skepticism and a good amount of concern, knowing that her son had the smallest of tendencies to exaggerate. But Marshal had cheerfully informed her that, where Hogwarts was concerned, there didn't seem to be any need to exaggerate the sheer ferocity of fiascoes involved.
His father had received the news with much more excitement, and now wished that he could take Marshal's place as a student at this spectacular school. Evidently, fighting raging wildfires wasn't nearly enough to stimulate the man's desire for adventure.
There may or may not have been a half-concocted plan to sneak his father to the school with him before his mother found out and put a vicious halt to their fun.
"Just how are you planning to get there undetected?" She had asked his father.
"I'm flexible," he assured her confidently. "I'll just squeeze into one of those suitcases."
"Sure you will," she replied, oddly disbelieving. "And just how do expect our eleven-year-old son to carry his luggage with you in it?"
"Are you calling me fat?"
"I'm calling you the biggest child that I've ever seen."
In the end, Marshal had come alone, much to the heartache of his father.

So here he was, missing his parents once more, but wholly looking forward to returning to the craziest school he would ever have the pleasure of attending.
His hazel gaze flitted excitedly from the window, to the others in the car with him, then to the window once more. He could hardly sit still. He did manage it, but just barely; the effort pained him greatly.
He recognized a couple of his car-mates. There was Opeila, her stunning green eyes drawing a smile from the Gryffindor every time they passed over him - well, a bigger smile than the one that eternally owned property upon his face - and then there was Scarlett, her flowing locks of curled crimson standing out among the group. Of course, another splash of red warred with that on Scarlett's head, almost appearing like a mirrored image of her hair, if it were to be straightened. He didn't recognize the other red-head, but she looked strangely familiar...
A couple of other people he didn't know were there as well.

He was surrounded by beautiful girls - and one boy, but that seemed less important at the moment. In fact, it was no coincidence that the blond Romeo in a sweater and jeans had ended up in this particular car. It had been a calculated decision - one that he simply could not be happier about.
Indeed, he felt he was in a very good place. He was content with his life and where it had led him.

He couldn't take it anymore. There was so much excitement to be let out, and so many flirtatious comments to be made. He opened his mouth, but whatever romantic form of poetry that was about to be spoken was lost forever when there was a pounding at the door, followed by the voice of yet another student that he didn't recognize, assuring the lot of them that they were in grave danger.
In spite of himself, Marshal couldn't stop his ever-present grin from widening. They hadn't even reached Hogwarts, and already the excitement had been kicked up another notch. He loved this place.

Some members of the group grew concerned at the boy's warning, while others seemed less than impressed. For his part, Marshal wanted clarification.
"Wrong as in we're about to go flying off the tracks and suffer a fiery death unless we move now, or wrong as in the car was painted the wrong color?" he asked suspiciously.
It was a joke, of course. In a terrible situation for jokes, yes. But that had never stopped him before.
The others would likely see him as foolish, with which he would wholeheartedly agree.

Mentioning @Vladimir Athanatos Interacting with @Marshal Mozor

The winter holiday had been for the most part, completely uneventful in Cade's eyes. He remembered his excitement to return home and recount all his tales to his family. But that excitement was pretty short-lived. He managed to talk to his family but they lost interest after he shrugged off their questions about exactly how he'd manage to get knocked out during the Ravenclaw Duelling club practice. Cade immediately felt cross with his family. He thought they would be proud of him. So much for that hope.

Cade refused his family to see him off, preferring to go back to school alone. Sure it may have been childish but he felt more independent being off to boarding school. Hogwarts was so much more exciting than the townhouse at Ottery St Mary. The entire building seemed to have its own heart. The castle was alive. Cade could call it home.

The first year Ravenclaw immediately fell asleep in the compartment as soon as he sat down. He was exhausted and usually disliked the long train ride. The sleep wasn't as fulfilling as he expected for it seemed this car was a little bumpier than usual. Nevertheless, Cade continued with his eyes closed and his head resting on his rucksack. It was a little uncomfortable but it beat trying to make conversation with the upperclassmen in his compartment.

Cade was startled awake with a sudden commotion. Everyone started asking questions and had worried looks on their faces. Cade sat up, a look of concern and confusion painted on his face. His eyes narrowed looking at the teenage boy who'd just knocked on the compartment door. Something about the compartment being faulty? Without a word, Cade got to his feet. Something wasn't right. If the train was broken, they would have known to fix it before departing. Surely there was a wizard powerful enough to alter whatever happened.

Cade glared at a Gryffindor kid who didn't look much older than himself. He seemed to like making fun of the situation. Cade cracked a small simpering smile. "I reckon a flying train would get us to Hogwarts faster. A few scorch marks wouldn't hurt so bad." Cade liked the kid's spirit. The situation wasn't as bad as it could be. At least that's what Cade hoped. They still hadn't gotten a clear explanation.