First-Year Entrance 2024-2025

Lemon Chocolate Sprinkles suddenly drew her wand on Mister Grand Ice Lord, who immediately accused her of Threatening and Accusation!
Novalie's grin widened as the situation escalated - she was absolutely living for the playful drama! The redhead - well, now blonde - was just about to chant 'Fight! Fight! Fight!', when the old man interrupted, announcing that the boat ride was about to begin.

Well, that was exciting too! Novalie couldn’t wait to finally see a real magical school and get sorted into .. what was it? Gryffindor? The boy on the train had really convinced her that Gryffindor was the best house at Hogwarts.

As the boat began to move, Novalie bounced excitedly in her seat, looking up at Mister Grand Ice Lord, who continued to entertain them with his theatrics.
But suddenly, the boy who had been keeping to himself spoke up.

Oh.

Novalie had thought about including him earlier, but her excitement and the fun she’d been having with the others had distracted her. Now, hearing him complain, she silently nicknamed him 'Waffle' - because waffles were a nice extra you could have with ice cream, but they weren’t always around. In her mind, it made perfect sense.
And did he just swear? That reminded her of the way her brothers and friends back home talked.
Waffles must be from the slums, too! Only people like them swore like that, right? The girl imagined rich people were far too fancy to talk that way.

Just as she was about to rope him into their adventure, the boat suddenly wobbled - not from their antics though, but from something the old man had just mentioned.

Things that tried to steal rubber ducks? How… how cool was that?!

Novalie immediately climbed onto the edge of the boat, leaning forward to get a better look at whatever was swimming below. She really wanted to touch whatever it was!
That’s when she noticed Mister Grand Ice Lord nearly toppling into the water, only to be caught by Waffle just in time. Without hesitation, Novalie jumped up and rushed over to try helping pull him back onto the boat before he actually took a dive.

"Oh yes, this is what they always do on TV!", she laughed, finding the situation far more amusing than she probably should have, "Teamwork makes the dream work, right, Waffles?"
She showed the boy her brightest smile, blissfully oblivious to the fact that he was utterly seasick.

Even though Novalie wasn’t very strong, she figured their combined efforts might be enough to save their mighty king from getting drenched. She quickly made room for her other friend to join in.

"Come, Lemon Chocolate Sprinkles!"

Outfit: School Robes
Boat - Purple
Special Race: Werewolf | Stats: Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 7 | Wisdom: 3 | Arcane Power: 0 | Accuracy: 7

What a crazy day! Meyra was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of different emotions that day presented her. For her, it didn't just feel like the beginning of a new chapter, it was like walking into a new life. She woke up, like every other day, with a strong desire to be able to stay curled up in the covers for a while longer, stretching her parents' patience as much as possible until she had no choice but to hurry so as not to be late. From the moment she left home, a new adventure began and she was having one of the happiest days she could remember, it had been a long time since she felt like this, as if a fog had dispersed giving way to light. The smile that seemed glued to her face didn't want to disappear and most of it was thanks to her cousin and best friend. She missed her so much, it was as if a piece of her had return, and now nothing would separate them again.

Except the boats...they didn't have space to go to the same boat...

Mey walked with a faint smile towards the boat with purple ducks, as the last person entering it she just greeted the other occupants, "Hello," She said feeling suddenly shy, "Meyra Lancaster, nice to meet you all." Mey told them in a friendly matter.

Day gave way to dusk and now Meyra was crossing the lake, listening to her colleagues talk to each other. The outgoing red haired girl seemed to be an enthusiast of... some weird sport without brooms? Mey wasn't confident that that sport would become popular among the wizarding community, though that seemed to not be the opinion of the majority, Lemmy and Lev seemed to believe it would be fun and interesting. "Maybe we can play socc...socket? And Basketball once we get a free time?" She kindly asked towards them feeling more supportive than actually excited for it, but nonetheless, she was pretty curious about it.

The boat was sliding through the dark waters of the lake and heading towards the castle she would call home for the next seven years of her existence. Or so she hoped, if she managed to continue existing during all that time! Which seemed like a more complicated task than it seemed! Yes, because if on the first day they were already facing lake creatures that insisted on stealing the boats' rubber duckies, imagine what could happen in the future!

Meyra saw with wide eyes the boat with orange ducklings being violently shaken by the creatures below and two students ended up falling into the cold waters. A surprised gasp escaped her lips as she made a move to approach the boat and help her peers. But they were too far from her reach, instead, she tried to pull the nearest duckie, trying to get them away from the grindylows's grasp. "Just grindylows?" She murmured in disbelief at how calmly and casually the caretaker spoke about the strange and evil creatures that surrounded the boats, pulling the rubber ducks to the bottom and dragging the boats amidst all that chaos.

LOCATION | Great Lake DATE | 1 September 2024 INTERACTING |@Mamori Anezaki | @ Corvinus Schröder | @Angie Dixon

“ Edge of the World ” 00:28⠀─── ◉ ───────⠀02:36

x | OUTFIT #e63b7a | DIALOGUE @Ruckus Weems | @Meyra Lancaster| MENTIONING

Riding the Train had taken somewhat longer than Jun had expected but with Mey, it hadn’t felt half as long. Talking to her after such a long time hadn’t felt even a little bit strange. It was rather like a piece that had gone missing from her heart and soul had now connected back to her. She couldn’t help but smile while following the caretaker away from the upper years.

Once it was time to choose boats, Jun noticed that Mey and her couldn’t sit together. There was one seat left in the boat with purple ducks and one with red ones. Parting from her Cousin with a small rock in her stomach, Jun walked to the red boat and it's occupants. She hadn’t seen any of them on the train and while two of them already seemed to know each other, the other girl looked just as quiet as her.

Clearing her throat, Jun gave them a quick nod and a „Hi,“ before she got in. She carefully climbed into the boat, making an effort not to wobble around too much and not to step on the other children‘s feet. When she had successfully sat down, a breath of relief escaped her and the journey began.

It did not take long for the first mishap to occur and the orange boat near them began to wobble around, two of its occupants falling into the dark cold water. Jun‘s eyes widened, gripping onto the side of the boat she was sitting in immediately. Meeting the cold water was not something she had anticipated for this night. Her heart pounded a little faster shortly, but calmed down soon.

The Caretaker seemed to take everything lightly and waved off the supposed Grindylows with saying they were only stealing the duckies. „Lovely“ the Japanese girl muttered under her breath and followed the suggestion to pick up one of the duckies. She shook of the water and then let it slide into her lap. Hopefully that was the last of turbulences for this night.

^{Action: Joining the red boat and picking up a ducky.}

It was really cool how into basketball Lemmy was, it was definitely different from what she had expected -- the magical side of her family was generally solid fans of Quidditch over the muggle curiosity of basketball -- but if she had managed to get Lemmy interested, maybe not all magicals were like that. Even Meyra seemed interested in the sport, and other girls were never intereted to play sports like her. "As fun as single combat in basketball is -- and I love one-on-ones -- it is a team sport, and teamwork makes the game a lot more fun, I think. Still, as we're starting, you could practice with me if you're interested Lemmy? What about you Lev? Would you be interested in practice also?" As she was speaking though, she realized that Lemmy had one big, big drawback in playing basketball.

"Uhm... Lemmy." She added tenderly, not entirely sure how to say this. "Just to warn you though, you might have a big disadvantage in the game. Because of you know," Camilla felt really odd broaching this, but it was something that had to be said to manage his expectations. "Because of your glasses." She had finished lamely, not knowing how else to bring up the boy's vision in a way that would not be offensive to him. But she did not let it simmer. "It's okay, though, we can find a way to work around it! I'm sure you'll be great!"

She pinked as revealed that she had mistaken Lev's family, and that her excitement about the wedding was unfounded. But fortunately they did not have to stay on that for long, as it was at this time that the Ruckus started. The Caretaker said something about Grinning and taking ducklings, even as some odd things started emerging from the water.

Lev seemed quite scared of the things, but Camilla didn't understand. A couple of kids had even fallen into the water, but Weems seemed too threatened by all this, so it must be fine. "Ooooh, maybe these are the merfolk of the lake! My cousins tell me that the lake has all kinds of cool creatures, and even a giant squid!" She said excitedly, equal parts curios about the odd creatures that were announcing themselves, and in an attempt to calm the nervous Lev.

"Here, maybe we can feed them!" Going to the edge of the boat, she'd kneel down and reach out a hand as if she were trying to call a kitten. "Here Grinny Grinny, pspspspspsps"

Actions: Distracted from conversation by the appearance of weird water creatures. Trying to draw them to her boat to get a closer look at the little things!

@Lev Makarov, @Lemmy LaRue @Meyra Lancaster

Interacting with @Caitriona Dewine, @Eirene Tilbury & @Delaney Magindara

Although the question Colby had asked was rhetorical, she thought that maybe it would have sparked an interest with the others to talk about something. So far, it was complete crickets. Did it happen that individuals who joined her boat were shy? Was there something wrong with Colby that they did not even want to talk to her? Colby cleared her throat as a physical mechanism to clear away the thought. Obviously, there was something wrong with them.

It seemed that all the first years had finally gotten onto their colored duck boats as it was signaled to begin their adventure across the water by the Caretaker. "Whoa," Colby whispered to herself. She felt the blue duck boat pull from where it was. The natural movement of the water current began to take force as the boat began to make its way to the depth along with the others, creating a V-like formation. To Colby, this wasn't so bad. It was actually relaxing, despite the awkwardness of her boat partners.

This was it. The true beginning of her adventure into Hogwarts; a school she is going to attend for seven whole years. Granted, she would have loved something cooler than to enter Hogwarts in a duck boat, but pickers can't be choosers.

The evenness of the lake's current began to ripple out of place. Colby held onto the edge of the boat, keeping her balance. What's happening? she thought, wondering what could actually be changing the current of the lake so drastically. Colby looked around for confirmation of such a change. It seemed to not only affect her boat, but others as well. Colby tightened her grip on her boat as the ducks began to bobble energetically.

Colby couldn't help but to hear screaming and her heart raced. Why would there be screaming? What was going on? Her eyes followed the sound to find two first years in the water and another two holding their orange boat for dear life. The only light that anyone had was from the moon, and it wasn't clear enough to see anything perfectly.

Caretaker Ruckus shouted loud enough for everyone to hear, even over the screaming first years, about what was happening. Grindylows were attacking the duck boats and it seemed that those first years' boats were its first prey. Oh hell no, Colby thought, looking around the waters of her boat. Searching with her eyes was no use as it seemed the Grindylows were just as dark as the lake's murky waters. Colby decided to use a sense that was much stronger than her others: smell. She had no idea what a Grindylow smelled like, but maybe with process of elimination, she would be able to find its scent and get a focus on where they may be.

Right now, even with three other people on the boat, she felt like she as alone. And while that could bother anyone else, it did not bother her. Colby did not know any spells, but she felt that she was capable of beating the crap out of anything that comes to get her... Or her blue duck boat. She just hoped that the other girls were able to defend themselves, too, as Colby wasn't going to be a team player with just anyone. To her, they were strangers, and right now, this was survival.

ACTIONS: Keeping an eye out, and knock (punch) any grindylows away who come close to her

STATS: Stamina - 7 | Evasion - 5 | Strength - 6 | Wisdom - 4 | ArcPower - 4 | Accuracy - 4

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GREAT LAKE
2024-09-01
@Corvinus Schröder @Angie Dixon @Jun Mayumi Mochizuki

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Mamori grinned at Corvinus, who was in the middle of telling him how shaky their boat felt. He leaned forward, stuck out his arm to jab her on the shoulder and said teasingly, "Oi, don't jinx us with that kind of talk. Besides if anyone's gonna tip this boat over, it'll probably be me ᅳ I'm the one with the extra bulk here," twinkling his eyes, hoping to ease her nerves with a bit of self-deprecating humor. As he spoke, he subtly shifted his weight, steadying the boat to make Corvinus feel more secure. His eyes then flickered to Angie and Jun as they quietly settled into the boat. A ghost of a smile touched his lips, head dipping in a subtle nod. He held himself still as stone, every nerve ending pulsing with the awareness of how each tiny shift might upset the fragile equilibrium they'd struck on the gently rocking vessel. The boat had actually acquired a steady motion on the lake when, all of a sudden, a shrill scream split the air. Mamori snapped his head in that direction. Two students fell into the water, and while Ruckus claimed it was “just grindylows trying to steal me ducks,” Mamori’s mind was already racing down a different path. He knew better; as a magical creature nerd, he knew grindylows weren't just harmless little annoying beings. Under the right conditions, they could turn predatory, and he was 100% sure these creatures were carnivorous. The fact that Ruckus dismissed the situation so lightly didn't sit right with him. Was he just trying to calm the first years and prevent panic, or was there something else going on? Whatever the case, Mamori was not going to create a scene. The last thing he wanted was to be the kid who couldn't read the atmosphere. He kept his voice low, turning toward Corvinus and the rest of the group on the boat, speaking just above a whisper. “Those grindylows… if they're hungry enough, they'll go after more than just ducks. Best not to do anything that'll piss them off.” As for Mamori, he had his mind already made up. His life for a few rubber ducks? It wasn’t even worth considering. Staying still and hoping the creatures weren’t hungry seemed like the most logical thing to do. Ducks could always be replaced. Life was not a bet to be toyed with in that way.

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ACTION: Alertly observing the grindylows while maintaining a steady grip on the boat

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Action: Voyaging in Boat Red#2. Keeping watch of grindylows, prepared to knock any that disturb the boat.

Lucian paced his steps off the train. As the older students went to their appropriate carriages, Lucian kept eye on the shortest of students to eventually take notice of the groundskeeper. Walking his way over, he tried his best to not draw too much attention towards himself. A tall wizard for his age, that was the best he could explain for his nature. Good genetics some would say, but bad-blood would be the only thing his family saw. He considered himself lucky that height was the only feature that he inherited from his mother; otherwise, more explaining would be needed. It possibly seemed off to approach towering over the other students, appearing closer to the height of a 5th year. He hoped the groundskeeper wouldn't call him out; after all a child being as tall (actually taller) as the groundskeeper himself could seem a bit odd. Ruckus could have believed Lucian wasn't a first year and rather a confused student or one attempting to sneak on the boats and troll the newcomers; this was something Lucian feared to occur. A misunderstanding, an unnecessary problem that he didn't want to take time and effort in resolving. It was tiring sometimes.

Sitting upon his chosen boat, carefully taking his steps to not rock it immensely. Watching as others recklessly flung themselves and set course, it was rather... irritating a bit. Loud and annoying. A lack of peace and calm as Lucian had hoped for such a boat ride, and he could only wonder what life at Hogwarts would be. The reflection of the sky lit on the open waters. Did Hogwarts leave prejudice of giants at its doors, or did it welcome it and allow it to spread throughout it's hallways? If Lucian slipped up, would word get out to his family? He couldn't know, and the complex thoughts just made him feel frustrated and stuck. A sigh would escape his breath, a quiet "Fsaa" "Free"- Giant would escape as well. What was he to do? For now, he would stick to causing as little trouble as possible. Rely on himself, his own strengths to achieve and succeed.

The commotion of grindylows was a good way to display who Lucian was. Not his issue as long as everyone can handle it. He's not a hero, he's not someone who will hold your hand. He'll watch over his boat, and if others couldn't handle the lil critters then maybe they weren't cut out for Hogwarts. If a helping hand was needed, maybe he'd offer it. Yet everyone was a stranger, he didn't have to get along with them. More people just meant more variables for trouble, to hold him back. He didn't need their help, and isn't helping almost an insult? Everyone has to be strong. They have to be if they want to make friends, to protect them. As such, Lucian doesn't plan to intervene if other boats have trouble unless it's really necessary or asked of him to do so by authority.

Boat: Red #2
Interacting with @Lucian Allum

Gran had talked about this: the great voyage across the lake up to the school. They'd talked about how the water would glisten and the lights sparkle in the darkness. What a romantic picture she'd had painted for her.

The reality of it was different. For one thing, the fact that she knew absolutely no one cut her harder than she had anticipated. From the moment they'd disembarked from the train, it seemed like everyone had scattered. Despite this, Maisie may not have realized yet, but she was extremely lucky to have ended up in the this particular boat. That much was clear when the waters began to rock around them—grindylows.

Maisie looked down at the water and then up and around. She stared directly at him: the tall and stoic boy who sat opposite her. As someone who'd always been on the shorter side of girls her age, this fellow first year seemed to tower over her silently. In fact, she was fairly certain he'd only said one word and she wasn't even sure what that had been.

And yet, as the waters churned around them and two other students fell off into the waters—along with these duckies apparently—it was clear he was nothing short of her savior. "I don't know any spells yet," she confessed to him, somewhat embarrassed. Surely, there had to be something she'd at least heard of at home.

But somehow, in the moment the only thing she could think to do was to grab the oar. Waving at her fellow boat-rider, she tried to get a good handle on it. "Maybe I can try to steer us out of the way?" she suggested, "If that doesn't work, you think maybe you could knock them back?"

Maybe none of it would work, but that was the only plan she had: a steady hand and the tallest classmate around.

Action: Ready to steer our boat to evade any incoming grindylow attacks.