Wonderland Waltz 2026 Spring Ball

@Novalie Moon

Harvey continued to fidget around, his stance swaying from one foot to another, his eyes darting around for an exit. There was just something about her energy that made him squirm. In reality there was nothing wrong with Novalie. Perhaps she just saw the world through a different lens or maybe her brain was simply just wired a different way than his. Regardless of what it may be, it was probably just the fact that she disrupted his incessant need for structure and order. It said more about Harvey than it did Nova, but goodness did it rattle him to the core.

"It does not mean what you said! What you've said is nonsense!" His voice was still a bit higher than usual. "Yui'ra o kruvar! Yui'ra o kruvar! (you're a flower) That's how you say it!" Harvey quickly smoothed out a piece of hair that was attempting to shake out of place. A vein in his forehead started to pulse when she referred to his people as dwarves. It wasn't the first time he had heard that one. Harvey came from a real life magical people. Not some muggle fantasy! "My family are goblins, not dwarves. You simply have no idea what you're talking about." The boy did his best to keep his voice down as to not care a scene, but now his words were coming in more of a hiss than a whisper.

Out of nowhere Novalie would begin to sway to the music. This truly was nightmare fuel. "No, of course I don't think that. This is in fact a formal ball. We have them four times a year!" Why he was trying to reason with her was beyond any logic really, but neither of them could stop if they wanted to. However, Harvey's expression would shift from one of frustration to slight curiosity when she offered her retort.

The mask would come off and for the first time since they had met each other, Novalie would shoot him quite a serious look. The sincerity in which she denied his claim took him back a bit. It didn't stop her words from being utter gibberish, but there was no way to fake such real honesty. "Oh, I'm sorry. I've just been targeted like that before is all." A rare apology slipped his lips as he finally found his normal speaking voice. Could it be possible that Novalie wasn't doing all this just to get under his skin? Was she just...like that? If that were true, perhaps Harvey had simply just met the oddest of people?

"Please don't call me Harv." He whined as a mix of pleading and exasperation crossed his face, but her words were true. She was able to se right through his false facade and somehow know he was miserable. Wacky as she might be, Nova surely had a good read on people. Yet as her hand extended towards him his eyes would fall in confusion. Was she going to shake his hand? What an odd thing to do. Then spoke words of true horror! Dance?! With her?! Harvey's eyes popped around. There were people watching. Was it worse to be caught dancing with such a lunatic or to deny someone a dance when the mood around them was so festive?!?! Perhaps he could will himself out of existence if he just focused hard enough. Merlin strike me down!!!

However, extraordinary things do happen in such a magical world. As much as Nova may unsettle poor Harvey, it was not the gentlemanly thing to do to deny a young woman a dance. He swallowed hard, cleared his throat and soon enough his rather large hand had taken hers. "But I'm fluent in Gobbledegook..." Harvey mumbled as he allowed her to take the lead.

Reducio Lily - #651a1a Others - #700000 Thoughts-Italic

Reducio Outfit:

Reducio Mentioning -@Ryder Hawke

Reducio Word Count - 395

After finishing the Red Queen Labyrinth challenge with her friends, Lily was hoping for nothing but a shower and a quick nap. But she was looking forward to going to the Spring Ball this time. She had not attended the last few balls, even though some of her friends were going to them and had been trying to convince her to come with them.

But this time was different. This time, Lily was actually excited to go to the ball, especially since she was going with Ryder this time. She was nervous, not even the normal kind, but the kind where her heart was out of her control.

She decided not to waste any time; she needed to get ready, and knowing her, she would most likely take more than an hour just to get ready. She took a quick bath (how though, she didn't know), and took a dress out of her trunk, the one her parents had gifted her. It was a midnight blue dress, with some layers enhancing its beauty. This was the dress that had really caught Lily's eye, and when her parents saw that she was captivated by it, they brought it for her without a second thought.

Now this was her dress, not Nova's, not Isabelle's, not anyone else's. She held it out proudly, admiring its beauty for a moment, and then slipped into it. She looked in the mirror and actually looked at herself. She found herself pretty, something she hadn't thought about herself in years. She opened her hair, which flowed at shoulder length, and gave it a light brush. Then, wearing her newly bought high heels and finishing off with some accessories and the necklace she had gotten from her grandmother, she stepped out of the common room and headed for the courtyard.

As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she was enchanted. It looked nothing like what she had imagined. The trees were adorned with fairy lights, and there were tables of food, drinks, and games at the sides. The music was already playing, and she couldn't help but smile.

She waited for her date at the entrance, still vibing along to the music. She was feeling really happy this time, even though her heartbeat was still high at the thought of being at the ball with Ryder.

Maybe it was time she stopped believing in Nova's words and start by her own.

Stats: sta • 7 | eva • 5 | str • 5 | wis • 7 | arc • 5 | acc • 6 Abilities: Prodigal Charms Learner

Action: Entering the courtyard

Word Count Reducio 342

Action Reducio Casting Quarzicum at the red hearts table

Stats/Abilities Reducio Stamina: 4 Evasion: 6 Strength: 5 Wisdom: 8 Arcane Power: 5 Accuracy: 7

Interacting With: Reducio @Cinder Blaze

OOC note:

Reducio

1) At this point in the school year, Dido is not thinking at all clearly about people (especially Ravenclaws) and while everything said is true in her own belief, she is often very wrong/skewed.

Cinder. The girl’s name was Cinder. Not that Dido was judging, after all, how could she with a name like her own (though Dido was secretly quite fond of it)? But why hadn’t her mums, when choosing to name her something unusual, chosen as cool a name as Cinder Blaze?

As Dido would shortly see, the name proved quite fitting for the situation.

One of the Professors made their way up to a platform, calling for attention. Dido glanced at Cinder before listening to the teacher announce that they would name the Spring Royalty. Despite Dido’s discomfort since the maze and despite her not having paid any attention at the time the Pageant had happened besides voting for a couple of people with nice names, she was swept up in the excitement and, turning to Cinder who had a knowing look on her face, she suddenly recalled that she recognised the name from the list of students who were organising the ball.

“You know- don’t you?!” Dido whispered in excitement as the professor began to announce the winners and-

What was that? Why was the chandelier-what-why? Boom!

The vials hit the ground and suddenly fire was everywhere. It was a blaze, not dissimilar to its namesake’s dress and hair.

In response to the panic, which Dido instantly tried to convince herself was planned, just like the “danger” of the fake axes in the maze, Cinder groaned. So it wasn’t intended. Great! Dido chuckled, somewhat manically.

Cinder swiftly pulled out her wand and cast the best possible spell in this case: Extinguo. Of course, Dido could not cast that spell. It had been one of the ones she had struggled with most in class.

Thinking relatively quickly despite the havoc around her, Dido remembered her school’s advice on how to deal with small amounts of fire. She emptied her glass, threw it towards the fire and, praying that she could finally cast spells well, she shouted out, “Quarzicum!” in the hopes that the produced sand would smother some of the remaining flames.

Erast hadn't managed a reply before someone else had joined them. Vera's eyes widened when she heard another voice, immediately turning around and saying "Ah, sorry!" as she made eye contact with them.

For a moment, the back of Vera's neck grew hot. Not even a minute into the ball and she'd already imposed in a way that would've made her father tut. She hadn't meant it, of course, but still. Hanging around an entrance and blocking everyone's way in was rude.

But the way Milica greeted them was... interesting. What did she call the two of them? Lovebirds? Vera was sure her face matched the same shed of red as her outfit now.

(Since coming to Hogwarts, Vera hadn't really given relationships much thought. Her first priority had been, first and foremost, to establish herself in the wizarding world. Get good grades, do some sports and win a few games, get into some leadership positions—however unlikely it may be because of her age—and make good connections.

Well, connections could include romantic connections, but she knew her father would much prefer business connections.)

"Vranekova," Vera finally said, a polite smile gracing her face. She looked the Slytherin girl up and down, humming at her simple outfit. Simple, not in a negative way. If anything, it was exactly her style. "You look well."

Not long after Milica's arrival came Rosaline and Leo. Vera visibly beamed upon finding them, getting on her tip toes (or, at least, as high up as her heels would allow without falling forward) and waving her hand enthusiastically.

"Rosa! Leo! Hello!"

But much like Erast, they hardly got a word in before the entire ball exploded. Quite literally.

Her duelling instincts had definitely made their mark. While the trajectory of the chandelier debris, whatever it was, had been a ways off, Vera still jumped into action. Knees bent, one foot slightly behind her, and shoulders low, she was ready to dodge.

When the flames erupted by the entrance, she stumbled a few paces back. Then, as she stood straight, she sighed. "Really?"

She turned to Erast. "Did someone hex the decorations while you were away?" She meant it as a lighthearted jab, evident by the way she chuckled as she reached for her wand in her robe pocket. Thank Merlin she even thought to bring it.

Fire didn't scare her as much as it did when she was still just a Muggle, unable to do anything to put them out except dump a bucket of water on it or wait for firefighters. Hell, she'd been set on fire multiple times during duels. So, without thinking too much of it, she threw out the only spell she knew would douse the nearest explosion.

"Extinguo!"

Action: casting Extinguo near the entrance (since I'm already here...)
@Erast Yan | @Milica Vranekova | @Rosaline Everhart | @Leo Noxley

|Stamina:6 | Evasion:6 | Strength:7 | Wisdom:9 | ArcPower:4 | Accuracy:10|

Balls had always been a kind of background commotion for Elisa, a disturbance that came with fancy laughter and gowns. It was ephemeral yet one where everyone remained extremely fastidious to details, judging dresses, and nearby actions. It was nothing more than a fleeting sort of disturbance in the hallway that left long impact with atrocities each year.

She groaned as she felt the tension in her scalp due to the bun that her usually free and frenetic hair had been molded into, it was a style she couldn't remember when she'd last worn, not because she held any kind of hatred towards it, this was just the staple style her mother favoured, the very woman due to whom her whole life started to seem like a jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece.

As much as she tries to deny it, in the end, she has always looked like that woman.

Outside the heavy oak doors, the susurrus of the crowd rose and fell, different fragments of conversations trying to overlapse the other while the laughter remained unstoppable. She felt her lips twitch to form a scowl, 'What the hell am I even doing here?', the thought hit her, it was not like her to attend a ball just because someone asked, a certain someone whom she hadn't even met before, but then again curiousity kills the cat, and so did it wreck her.

Verona Andréas, the name is much associated with the usual neat handwriting from the countless letters they shared, rather than bringing up a face to mind, it wasn't like Elisa didn't know how he looked, thanks to the photos he'd sent, but then again, a few writings were nothing in front of a face-to-face meeting.

Banner made by: @Madeline Tomlinson

Interacting With: @Lily Clarke

Ryder wasn't planning on coming to this event today.
Not because he didn't want to. It was exactly opposite to that.
He remembered his last ball at Hogwarts. It was....something. He had actually enjoyed it. Maybe because the company wasn't bad or maybe it was because it wasn't a ball that his parents hold. Probably the former.

Tonight, his mind kept going somewhere else entirely.
To her.

How he had managed to come here was surprising. She just randomly asked him to accompany her to the ball since Maddy wasn't going and surprisingly he had agreed.

This irritated him alot. But, all that irritation went away when he saw her.

When he saw her, his brain genuinely stopped working for a second.

…Oh.

That was the only thought he had.

The lights caught around her blue dress making it look ethereal. Her hair rested softly over her shoulders. This was the first time he saw her with loose hair and he quite liked it more than he would care to admit.

She looked beautiful.
Dangerously beautiful, actually.
Ryder stared a second too long before catching himself.
Merlin.
He was done for.

He walked toward her, trying to recover whatever remained of his composure.

“You know,” he started casually, even though his heartbeat was absolutely not casual right now, “I was planning on pretending I looked decent tonight.”

He stopped in front of her, eyes flickering over her once more before meeting hers again.

“But now you’ve made that impossible.”
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
And there it was again...that stupid feeling in his chest that only happened around her.

Japanese -English - Thoughts

Akari led Hikari down one of the multiple pathways in the courtyard, and as Hikari followed a step behind with quiet ease. As they walked, he found himself remembering the previous ball, where Akari had been drawn to the dessert assortment.

This time around, he seemed far more interested in to explore the venue first.

Or did that have something to do with the fact that he'd ended up with a spiked drink at the last ball?

Hikari let his thoughts drift away as they continued through the courtyard. Around them, students streamed under the hanging lights, conversation hushed under the evening light.

The two neared the rose bushes lining the edge of the pathway. Akari commented on the clock etched into the floor, and Hikari hummed softly, agreeing with his words. The boy didn't pay much attention to the thought though, having slowed slightly to study the flowers, and the changing colors, committing them to memory. Light gathered strangely against the petals, and the metallic sheen made Hikari wonder if they were sculpted rather than grown.

They were beautiful. He would be able to sketch those sometime.

Perhaps.

As he studied the flowers, Hikari vaguely registered the music stopping, drowning the place in silence before a voice echoed across the courtyard. Hikari only half-listened, finger lifting to graze against a white petals, soft and cool under his touch.

Then—

BOOM.

The sound tore through the courtyard violently, forcing Hikari out of his reverie and he started away from the roses, pulse spiking rapidly as instinct forced his eyes to immediately seem out his friend.

Thankfully, he only a few steps ahead.

Hikari caught up to the black-haired boy quickly, eyes scanning the venue for the course of the disruption. What had happened?

Hikari smelt the smoke before he saw anything at all.

It cut through the sweetness of flowers and expensive perfume, curling through the night air in thin waves that stung unpleasantly in his throat. Around them, confusion had already spread through the crowds in uneven ripples, voices rising over one another as students turned in search of the source.

He saw it then.

Crimson flames licked violently up the edges of the courtyard, bright enough to overpower the soft glow of the chandeliers. Flames climbed up in bursts, devouring decorative fabric and flower arrangements at an alarming speed. Hikari watched in disbelief, reminded unpleasantly of the fire they had faced at their previous ball held in the very same courtyard.

What was it with Hogwarts and fire? Hikari was beginning to suspect that the school was developing a deeply concerning attraction to setting important events on fire.

Hikari, fortunately, was more composed this time around. He drew out his wand and pointed it at the nearest fire, coincidentally the one at the entrance.

The irony was not lost on Hikari. Was the purpose to create some sort of an illusion of being stuck in the venue. The fires were not as large as it had been last time, even if they were larger in number. But smaller fires were easier to extinguish than larger ones.

"Extinguo." He said easily, wand pointed at the fire. He glanced back to check on his friend, "You okay?"

Action: Casting Extinguo at the fire
Stats: Sta: 6 | Eva: 7 | Str: 4 | Wis: 8 | Arc: 3 | Acc: 7
Abilities: Metamorphmagus: Skilled Transfigurer| The Keen Eye

〚 •• ✎ •• 〛

| Location: Courtyayd | Date: 19/04/26 | Word count: 879 |
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The sun was already setting when Frederick realised he was late for the Spring Ball. Normally, he didn’t have problems with schedules. He had been born and raised in a typically British family, after all, where punctuality was a deeply ingrained cultural trait, and arriving on time was considered one of the most basic forms of respect. This time, however, Fred had a good excuse, or at least he thought so.

A few days earlier, on the fifteenth of April, his twelfth birthday, Frederick Buckley had received a brand-new Silver Arrow from his parents. Naturally, the boy could hardly wait to spend the entire weekend outdoors testing out his new broom. He knew the Spring Ball was happening that same weekend, but in his mind, he could easily do both. In fact, he had planned for it. On Sunday, he headed to the Quidditch pitch with his formal clothes already packed into his bag, intending to change in the locker room and head straight to the event afterwards. What Fred hadn’t accounted for was completely losing track of time while flying around for hours, practising moves for Gryffindor’s upcoming match against Slytherin.

The moment he realised how late he was, the boy rushed to get ready, wondering whether his friends had already arrived at the ball. In little more than fifteen minutes, he showered, changed clothes, and stuffed his things into his locker in the Gryffindor locker rooms. Buckley was just about to store his broom away as well when an idea struck him. What if he simply flew to the courtyard? It would definitely be faster than walking. The sun had already disappeared below the horizon by then, and the castle grounds were wrapped in dusky twilight, which would help him get there unnoticed.

Impulsive as ever, Frederick rarely let a thought pass through his head twice before making a decision. And so, without further hesitation, the boy mounted his broom once again and took off toward the ball, sincerely hoping he wouldn’t end up in detention for it later. Riding his Silver Arrow while dressed in full formal attire made for a rather unusual sight, dress robes and broomsticks were not exactly things people tended to combine. Even more unusual was the second elegant figure soaring across his path on a broom of her own.

A red-haired girl flew past him, apparently heading in the same direction. Frederick let out a disapproving laugh. “Oi, Merrick! You nearly run me over and still don’t even say hello?” He sped up to fly alongside her, raising his voice so Cecilia could hear him over the rushing wind. His tone made it obvious he was teasing her, and he flashed her a mischievous grin as he matched her pace, glancing between the girl and the open space ahead to keep his flight steady. “Since we’re both late for the ball anyway… fancy a race to the courtyard? Last one there has to dance alone in the middle of the dancefloor!”

The moment Cecilia answered, Fred accelerated sharply. The echo of his laughter trailed behind him as the Silver Arrow surged forward, leaving Merrick in the dust. The race was already won. Ahead, Frederick could see the illuminated courtyard decorated in the Wonderland Waltz theme, with its enormous clock-shaped dance floor and tables arranged according to the suits of playing cards. As he drew closer to the entrance, already preparing to celebrate his victory, he suddenly slammed on the brakes.

“Fire?” he blurted out, staring down at the flames spreading across several different spots. Instinctively, Buckley tightened his grip on the broom with his left hand while pulling out his wand with the right. Flying over the entrance to the ball, he pointed his wand toward the growing flames nearby and shouted firmly, “Extinguo!”, hoping his spell would help put out the fire. He knew his friends had put so much effort to make this night happen, he could not let anything ruin it.

Before he could attract too much attention, Frederick quickly scanned the crowd below and guided his broom down toward the ground, landing smoothly and accurately. He had imagined a far more discreet entrance than this, but with fires breaking out everywhere, perhaps he would still go unnoticed. Buckley tucked away his wand and kept hold of his broom while waiting for Cecilia to land beside him. Distracted by the chaos, he completely forgot to tease the girl for losing the race and instead found himself looking for his friends. “Have they already gone inside? Are they alright?”

A second later, Fred spotted Rosaline and Leo standing nearby alongside Erast, Verity, and another girl he didn’t recognise, who he assumed must be Milica, the girl Merrick had invited to join the six of them. Without hesitation, he raised the hand that wasn’t holding his broom and waved toward them while calling out loudly in an attempt to be noticed. “Oi! You lot are still here! What’s going on?” Fred hurried over to the group, stopping beside Rosaline and Leo. "I was only a little late and the ball is already on fire? I mean, literally." He managed to crack a small joke instead of giving a proper introduction, something that already said a lot about who he was.

Action: casting Extinguo near the entrance
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| Interacting with: @Cecilia Merrick @Rosaline Everhart @Leo Noxley
@Erast Yan @Verity Engels @Milica Vranekova |

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Riley smiled brightly. As she and Tina were talking, new faces began to pour in. And there were new snacks on the tables, most likely entrées. There were pizzas, a duck, some lamb, and many other foods Riley couldn’t name. Tina turned to Riley, after it seemed they were both in awe of the new decorations. “In Chinese muggle culture,” She started, “Who ever’s finger a butterfly lands on, they’re the butterfly queen.” Riley smiled. It was a lovely sentiment, but it seemed both their thoughts were interrupted by a Mad-hatter dressed teacher. Or she supposed it was a teacher. There was so much paint on their face, it was hard to even tell who they were. They were wearing a peculiar and colorful suit, and they began to talk at once. “Welcome, welcome. Here is Wonderland Waltz.” Whoever it was, they had a strong and clear voice. “It’s time to reveal who has won the titles of Spring Royalty.” Riley let out a small gasp. She had competed for Spring Queen, and this was the moment she would find out who won. Compared to the others, Riley thought that her performance was pitiful. Sure, she added four acts. But even then, the other performances were as equally good. Even if she didn’t win, it was quite fun. The figure took off their hat and bowed. “The royalty goes to…” it seemed that the whole crowd was holding their breath. But before the figure could finish, a terrible cracking sound emitted from above their heads. Riley’s eyes shot upwards, and she realized that one of the chandeliers had began to sway. Soon enough, the others began to shake too, until they all came crumbling down. Riley shrieked a bit, and Tina began looking around madly, then she turned her head back to Riley. She seemed not to be thinking clearly, but to be fair, Riley wasn't either. There were some students who were brave enough to try and put out the fires, and some ran. Riley just stood there, panicking. Tina came to her senses and yelled “Someone call the fire department!" She picked up a glass of water and threw it on the fire. Riley realized she should do that too, so she grabbed some water and threw it at the fire too. Tina turned back to Riley with an unreadable look. It was somewhere between sadness and horror. Riley began to feel even more scared, and the two started trying to put the fire out faster.

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Word Count: 409/200

Actions: hanging + getting drinks w Tina & Fawkes, approaching Kylie Stats: Wisdom: 7 • Evasion: 6 • Arcane Power: 5 • Strength: 5 • Stamina: 7 • Accuracy: 5 • Abilities: Lovely Creature | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6

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