First-Year Entrance 2024-2025

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

Meyra blinked at the other girl in her boat, not quite sure what to make of everything she was saying. Apparently, basketball was a team sport and not a game you could play with glasses? It was becoming, more and more confusing to the young witch but as the other girl seemed more kin to play with the others, Mey just fell to her silence, half listening to what was being spoke, while letting her gaze hovering through her surroundings.

It was a beautiful view, it promised to actually be a very relaxing moment, as the boat cut through the dark, almost still waters of the lake. But that promise was short-lived, as chaos soon ensued among the first years on their ride to the castle. It seemed that rubber ducks were not only fascinating to some of those travelling in the small, enchanted boats, those living in the depth of that vast, dark lake seemed to also feel very curious about that muggle, simple object.

As the boats began to rock with the movements caused by the creatures reaching the surface Meyra found herself not knowing what to do to possibly help her peers and ensure her own safety. She immediately looked after her cousin, to see if Jun was okay and was relieved to noticed she was still safe in her boat holding one of the red duckies.

But she didn't felt relief for long, as her own boat suddenly was also under the attack of those nasty, evil creatures. Especially because Camilla decided to start calling them instead of looking for a way to keep them at bay! What in the name of Merlin's old, lustrous beard was she doing? "Stop!" Mey yelled at her, feeling astonished with the other girl's attitude and at the same time panicking with the whole scenario, "The only thing you can offer for them to eat is yourself!" You idiot! those last words left unsaid.

Mey saw and felt with increasing fear that four Grindylows started to try to enter their boat, crawling through its side making the boat suddenly seem too much fragile to endure such attention from those creatures. She just tightened her hold on the edge of the boat, trying for her dear life to stay inside of it, not really wanting to personally experience what it's like to take a dip in that lake. Specially as she felt the cutting, cold drops of water that were being sprayed towards her as the creatures fought to conquer their space at the boat.

But her luck, of keep being almost dry and safe, was not shared with all her peers in the purple duckies boat. "Lemmy!" She called for him, as she saw him fall overboard. She quickly moved and reached a hand towards him, "Take my hand." She told him, hoping she would be strong enough to help him.

The duckies, as if trigged by something in their surroundings, or through the caretaker's magic, - Meyra wasn't sure, - started to glow, and luckily that seemed to scare the Grindylows. "Thank goodness" Mey thought, as she saw the creatures go away, diving deeper into the dark waters.

"There she is! Hogwarts! Your new home!" the caretaker's voice reached Mey's ears, and she could not believe how relaxed and nonchalant the old man seemed to be in face of what was happening. The young girl briefly glanced at him, with judgement written all over her face. Her attention just diverted again towards Lemmy, as she saw a strange movement at her side. "What the..." She gasped, not believing her wide open eyes. "What. Is. That?" She didn't ask anyone in particular, seeing a huge tentacle, or what she thought was a tentacle, holding Lemmy and the other two students, bringing them to safety inside their respective boats. "Are you okay?" She asked with worry, to the now drenched boy, before Ruckus turned around from his spot at the yellow duckies' boat, and dried the poor boy off with a warm wind spell.

For a while, Meyra let herself be lullabied by Ruckus tale and by, the now smoothly, rocking of the boat. A yawn began to form in her, her eyes felt heavy, all the excitement and energy spent on the Grindylows little chaos, and a full day of travel were starting to exhaust her and take its toll on the young girl. She crossed her arms on the side of the boat and rested her head on them, she was in the process of briefly closing her eyes when suddenly and unexpectedly one of the boats was pulled from the waters and now was being held high in the air. Meyra was awake and ready in a second, her hand instinctively reached for her wand, even though she wasn't yet able to cast a proper spell. Students started to yell, some throwing threats at the caretaker, and others...were...having fun?!

Honestly, Mey was feeling completely out of place, was this all even real? It looked like a silly dream where she was finding herself being caught and unable to act in response to all she was witnessing. Meyra looked down at the lake, it was barely impossible to see what was below. It was already dark, and the glowing duckies were not helping. In fact, they seemed like a beacon to whatever creature that decided to come out and play. On the other hand they had helped frighten the Grindylows. "Guys...please just hold on..." She told to the others around her. She knew she wasn't giving any new advice, but what else could she do?
@Ruckus Weems | @Lev Makarov | @Lemmy LaRue | @Camilla Carter | @Jun Mayumi Mochizuki

@Lev Makarov | @Camilla Carter | @Meyra Lancaster

The idea of a new friend like Lev having a family wedding left Lemmy tingling with excitement. His family had hosted quite a few marriages at their property in Wales and it never failed to be a wonderful time. However, Lev would be left with a look of confusion and again offered an apology. The other boy was quite to beg pardon, but Lemmy would again attempt to reassure him. "No worries, Lev! I often have no idea what I'm talking about either!" He offered with another huge smile.

However, before the conversation could continue, one last occupant would hop in the boat just before it got too far away from the dock. "Hello Meyra! It's a pleasure to meet you!" The short lad offered a warm welcome before turning his attention back to Camilla. "Yes! We'll be the best magical basketball team in all of the U.K.! We can practice every weekend! You just say the word captain!" Lemmy was more than happy to sign up as they all continued to hit it off. This first experience with his peers couldn't be going any better! The boy sat with a silly smile on his face completely unaware that Camilla was questioning his ability to thrive at a sport more designed for the taller folks of the world, but she spared him a let the blame fall on his poor eyesight. "Not a problem! I'll tape them to my head if I must!" He would too, but soon enough this group would have a more pressing problem at hand.

Their attention would soon be drawn to the bubbling coming up around the boats and when the caretaker identified them as Grindylows, Lemmy's curiosity and excitement overwhelmed any sense of danger. "Yes! I may have something!" He rummaged through his robe pockets for any crumbs left over from the snack cart from the Hogwarts Express. "Don't hide Lev! They're not monster! They are..." Lemmy's tall friend had the right idea of crouching low in the boat as Camilla's call to the creatures was soon answered. The Grindylows swarm the side of the boat which soon began to rock back and forth. "Woah...Woah!!" Lemmy's little legs buckled from the motion and soon his world was sent spiraling!

The cold waters of the lake left his little body in quite a shock as he began to kick his legs and splash his arms around. Yet before he could reach for Mey's helping hand the waters soon lit up with a beautiful array of colors before he was lifted out of the water by some mass from below. With a plop Lemmy splashed back down into his seat and was left sputtering and shivering from the experience. However, before he could even utter a word a blast of warm air came out of nowhere that left him mostly dried. After a few hard blinks he would turn his gaze back to his friends as Mey inquired about his health. "That...was...awesome!" Lemmy blurted out as the smile returned to his face. They had just arrived and he already had a great story to write back to his parents about.

For a few moments peace would take place of the chaos as the caretaker spoke of Hogwarts and all its wonder, but the lake was not done with them yet. Out of nowhere the green boat was lift several feet into the air. "Oh my goodness! Would you look at that!" Lemmy could only stare with a mix of trepidation and excitement. "Perhaps you're right, Mey." As curious as he was to see what new thing or creature had joined them, he held tight as he could to the side of the boat. "If we make it to the castle, I'm having second helpings!" The experience left the young lad feeling giddy and he couldn't help but to fall victim to a fit of giggles.

Date:	Sept 1st
Dialogue:	#011d57

Lev kept his head buried in his knees for the duration of the attack. He heard terrible, horrifying sounds: Camilla encouraging the monsters to come closer, a splash indicating someone from their boat had stumbled into the water and, worst of all, the chattering of the grindylows becoming louder and louder with every second (thanks Camilla) until Lev was certain they were closer than ever. Even with all that, the tall boy didn’t look up, completely frozen in place. He was terrified of what he’d see if he did.

It was only when Meyra’s clear voice rang out and the waters had calmed down at last that Lev moved away from his cowering state, raising his face from his knees. The scenarios he’d imagined in his head were worthy of being in a gory horror movie so when he only saw Lemmy sat in the corner with a giddy smile, Meyra fussing over him and Camilla looking completely unbothered he couldn’t help but think he’d maybe overreacted. Just a bit.

“I-Is everyone ok?” He forced himself to stammer out. He didn’t want his future classmates to think he was a total coward after all. Lemmy had literally fallen into the water and he was laughing like this had been like any other day for him. That was really admirable. The newer girl, Meyra, had immediately taken charge, trying to keep everyone as safe as possible which Lev thought was very impressive and Camilla… well at least Camilla hadn’t panicked like he had!

“Sorry I wasn’t of more help…” Lev looked down at his shoes, his face flushing but he didn’t even have the time to feel sorry for himself, or notice the beautiful scene happening around him that another wave sent the boat jerking. The tall boy immediately looked up, his eyes widening in fear at the sight of the green boat in the air. “Are you kidding me…?” Why couldn’t this just be a nice, normal boat ride?

@Lemmy LaRue,@Camilla Carter,@Meyra Lancaster

Oonagh grinned as the boat shook, attracting the anger and a scowl from one of the girls sitting within the boat. Well look like she had made the right choice about which boat to jump into. The other girl reacted more chill after initial shock toward her dramatic entrance. Oonagh turned her grin toward the girl with the wavy hair, "I don't think I am on the menu, but perhaps you could make acquaintance with the lake monster? Do you reckon it has a name like Nessie?" She perked up and thrust a wooden stick she had found on the shore up into the air, like a make-belief sword.

"But fear no younglings, I shall protect ye from the monster o' this lake!" She then threw back her head and laughed, before throwing her stick like one would launch a harpoon or spear into the clear surface of the waters. "Well a' am sure that at the very least the monster is intimidated now," she spoke with a shrug towards the inhabitants of her little pirate ship, "You are very welcome!" Turning to Ruckus she crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking very determined. "As thanks for rescuing you from possible Lake Monster attacks, I expect that you will never give me detention to express your gratitude," she explained her demand with a nod.

Chapter 4: New Kids on the Dock

Ruckus stared ahead at the looming figure of the Hogwarts castle. They were almost there. The students in the rocking, "flying" boat were raising hell. He'd let them go on for just a few more seconds while he pretended to not hear them.

Three.

Two.

One.

He turned around to face all the students—a big Cheshire grin plastered across his face. "Ah, cool it, all of ye! It's just a little prank! I wanted to make your first day memorable!" Seemingly on the command of his words, the duckies grew just a bit brighter. The tentacles wrapped around the green boat were now visible to everyone. As if also on a cue, the boat was brought gently down and landed with a soft plop in the water. All of its inhabitants were perfectly safe.

"Just a little show me and the giant squid devised. He's a bit of sweetheart if you get to know him properly." Now the tentacles would reach into the boat and give @Aodhan Shaw, @Vera Caird, @Novalie Moon, and @Sanguinius Demarest a little tickle.

Next Ruckus turned to a student in his own boat @Oonagh Brown—"And thank you, little lass, for protecting us. But unfortunately I can't make any promises about detentions; maybe a few more defeated lake monsters and we can make a deal."

Once again, right on cue (but this time it was a cue that Ruckus had not planned!), the giant squid's tentacles quickly relinquished the children they were bothering and disappeared into the black waters. In fact, Ruckus had never seen them move so quick. It seems the squid had sensed something the humans hadn't, but after a few moments of tense quiet later, an eerie sound suddenly filled the air—and it was clear (to Ruckus) what had made the squid retreat.

"It can't be … not here …"

For the students, the source of the sound may not be apparent. In fact, the sound may not be overly alarming—it may blend in with the sound of the water lapping against the boats, or it may sound like distant thunder. On the other side of the lake, there may be a shadow of something large in the water, but it will absolutely be difficult to tell if anything is there in the cover of night. For Ruckus, on the other hand, the sound and the figure transport him back to those moments on the ship in the Bermuda Triangle from his tale. He is now a man frozen in the past.

Whether students were invested in the mysterious sound, the eclectic behavior of the only adult present, or their own conversations—no one would see any signs of immediate danger. In fact, the boats continue their easy journey toward the castle, weakly bumping into the docks, and eventually coming to a standstill so that students may disembark. The Hogwarts caretaker will have not realized the group has arrived; he will be still focused on the water.

suggested action for next round: steal a ducky as you disembark because Ruckus is not looking

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Final Chapter

Red Boat (4/4): Mamori Anezaki, Corvinus Schröder, Angie Dixon, Jun Mayumi Mochizuki [FULL]
Red Boat #2 (6/4): Lucian Allum, Maisie Gemmell, Yakim Nëlo, Saunders Napier, Sao Weide, Ady Dog [FULL]
Orange Boat (4/4): Alyss Gilmour, Aria Wright, Kim Mirroz, Rainy Castlee [FULL]
Yellow Boat (4/4): Ruckus Weems, Mila Woodland, Erlea Bevensworth, Oonagh Brown [FULL]
Green Boat (4/4): Novalie Moon, Vera Caird, Aodhan Shaw, Sanguinius Demarest [FULL]
Blue Boat (4/4): Colby Vidler, Caitriona Dewine, Eirene Tilbury, Delaney Magindra [FULL]
Purple Boat (4/4): Lev Makarov, Lemmy LaRue, Camilla Carter, Meyra Lancaster [FULL]

I WILL NO LONGER BE UPDATING THE BOAT LIST. If you wish to enter the thread, please pick whichever color you would like and you may sit with other new students who join. Do not roleplay sitting in the same boat as the students listed above.

OOC Notes!

• This thread is open to all first-year students in the 2024-2025 school year.
• This is an "open thread," so feel free to join whenever, even if the boats are already on the move (in which case, act like you've been there the whole time). I'll keep the list of boats above up to date so that you know which boats are open for you to join. Please note in your first post which boat you are joining!
  
• I will be posting in this thread every 2ish weeks to do a "mod post." If you'd like to perform a moderated action, please state the action clearly in your post. You may only perform spells if they are indexed in your trunk. And do not roleplay reactions, follow-up actions, or results to your moderated action until I have clearly stated whether you were successful or not. You get one action per chapter.
• My mod posts will also be guiding you through the story, so you may only describe seeing what I've laid out so far. For example, if only the first chapter has been posted, you cannot see the castle.
  The moderation of this thread has concluded. You may continue to join the thread and RP seeing all the above happen, but your character will not have interacted directly with any magical creatures nor may they steal a duck.
• All RP rules apply. You do not need to be “indexed” to participate in this thread, all are welcome! Word count minimum per post is 200 words of your own work, not including quotes, OOC chat, or other people's words.
• Always feel free to send me any owl or DM if you have any questions or concerns.

Novalie felt Ice Lord’s grip on her hand tighten, which she took as a sign that he was just as thrilled about crashing into the water as she was! His shriek only added to her excitement, making her squawk in anticipation as well as they hovered precariously above the lake. She couldn’t wait for the thrill of rushing down into the water, just like the water slides at the funfair. Memories of scrambling together spare change with her friends for a single exhilarating ride filled her with glee!

The girl was too lost in the thrill to pay any mind to Waffles’ shouting, something about someone turning into a bird? Since she’d never heard of the term 'Metamorphmagus', she didn’t make the connection to herself. In her mind, Waffles must’ve been so overstimulated that he’d gone a little bit crazy, maybe screaming at himself just to keep calm or something. If that helped him, fine - Chocolate Sprinkles was there for him anyway, right?
Meanwhile, she and Ice Lord could enjoy the ride down in style!

But then… they were gently lowered onto the water with nothing more than a soft splash. Novalie blinked in disbelief, the glitter on her skin fading as the excitement quickly drained from her face.
“Aww… man!”, she groaned, letting go of Ice Lord’s hand as she slumped back, feeling utterly deflated.
After all that buildup, there was no final thrill, no big KACHU or BAM!
What a bummer, really..
But just as disappointment started to settle in, however, her mood was lifted as playful tentacles surfaced from the water out of nowhere, tickling them and lighting her face up once more.
“Woah - that’s wild!”, Novalie exclaimed, trying to pat one of the tentacles while chuckling, only for them to vanish as quickly as they’d appeared.
"Oh...?", her shoulders slumped a bit as the second wave of disappointment washed over her.
Why did they leave??

Finally, Novalie fadely noticed they’d arrived at their destination, the grand castle looming over them. But she barely registered its presence, still fixated on the disappearing tentacles. Even as the old man’s attention turned toward something larger and ominous in the water, Novalie remained oblivious, determined to find the mysterious tentacle monster!
So, without hesitation, she stood up - but not to disembark. Instead, she climbed onto the edge of the boat and then leaped into the lake with a small plop.
Surely it was fine - the old man had a spell to dry off students who ended up in the water. She had seen that earlier. He’d do the same for her when she was done, right?

Gripping the side of the boat with one hand, Novalie took a deep breath and plunged her head underwater, hoping to spot the mysterious, friendly creature, even though it was dark. She would have loved to chase after it, but she couldn't really swim, which is why she had to stay near the boat and hold onto it tight.

@Vera Caird @Aodhan Shaw @Sanguinius Demarest @Ruckus Weems

To say she felt bewildered would be an understatement. After getting off the Hogwarts Express, the wild shepherding of first-years away from the upperclassmen had gotten Sao isolated from the other nice students that she had been able to acquaint herself with during the train ride. Now, walking along a dirt path through a forest of skinny, looming trees for what felt like hours, Sao couldn't help but wonder when they would arrive for the Sorting Ceremony, and more importantly, dinner. The few pumpkin pasties that she had purchased while on board were now unfortunately digested, and her stomach would grumble every few minutes to remind her of her poor oversight in the gastronomic aspect of this journey. She was also mildly annoyed by the amount of dirt that was making its way all over her sneakers and shoe laces - they would be a hassle to clean by hand, as her mother had always done for her (although maybe she could learn the right spell to do that soon!).

The other first-years around her seemed to have already found their cliques; Sao's fingers thrummed nervously against the side of her brand-new Hogwarts robe pockets, then fiddled with the hem of her sleeves. She didn't do well in such social situations.

Still, with every step she took forward, the sun seemed to descend closer to the horizon, its beams intermittently blinding her as it burst through the cracks between the forest trees. She made it a point to not face west, her head angled awkwardly throughout the walk. But the sun still touched the woods with a warm light, painting their walk merry gold. Even if the sun was saying goodbye for the day, there was so much more to look forward to for the night.

By the time they reach the Great Lake, it's past dusk. Mellow lanterns levitate above the boats in the water, and in the distance, the castle that is Hogwarts stands proudly, beckoning. Sao was overcome with a strange feeling: the kind that one feels when they see an old friend. The first-years were now being ushered into the boats, single file line.

Sao took a deep breath. Balled her fist in determination. Breath out. Step by step, she walked closer to the edge of the lake beach and the boats that would ferry her to the place she would call home for the next 7 years. And she was determined to not let any moment go to waste. As she settled into the unsteady, wooden seat of her assigned boat, she turned to another girl in the same boat.

"Hi, I'm Sao. I really love your hair pins. What's your name?"

There had been a plan. It wasn't a great plan, but it existed and that was far better than the alternative. Maisie had been bracing herself in case she went over again. And if they did, at least her and the boy were both interested in survival and helping one another. In a world of new people and uncertainty, that was something.

Maisie had been keeping a sharp eye in the water when all became clear: this was a joke. One put on by the caretaker no less. Suddenly she felt a shiver up her spine. "Do you think it was the squid got us out of the water?" she asked the tall boy who'd down over with her. Some other girls her age might have screamed or squirmed at the idea of a 'gross' set of tentacles having been their savior, wrapping themselves around her. But not Maisie. To the Scottish girl, it was, well, kind of cool. A city girl, she'd never been this close to nature—literally wrapped up in its arms. A curious smile came over her.

Hands on the edge of the boat, Maisie would spend the rest of the boat ride looking for the squid—or any other creature the lake might hold. And, well, perhaps danger too. There was still that lingering feeling of being slightly on edge as the wind brushed her cheeks and the plait of her hair.

But the castle grew ever larger in her vision as the boat moved on its way. As it looked like they were soon to disembark, she looked across to her partner, "Some ride this is, isn't it?" And what was next inside, she didn't know. The sorting ceremony, yes, but that was only a piece of the journey—no, the adventure.

Interacting with @Lucian Allum
Action: Continuing to look out for anything awry in the water.

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