The Gryffindor Table 2024-2025

Interacting with @Avery Gray
Date: 01/07/25 (assuming Avery meant 25 instead of 24)

A new day in the new year. It was hard to believe the holidays were over. Haley loved being back at Hogwarts, but surprisingly missed aspects of her home life. She hadn't expressed that very well, having only written a handful of letters home during the first term. To be fair, she hadn't received an exorbitant amount of letters herself, but certainly more than she had sent. Her parents were busy, her brother just turned nine - she told herself it was understandable. She still couldn't help but be slightly jealous of her peers who seemed to receive daily letters or packages from the outside world.

Haley absentmindedly entered the Great Hall, which was already buzzing with activity despite the early hour. The Christmas decorations had been thoroughly removed, making it hard to believe they'd once covered every inch of this grand room. The absence of the nearly ceiling high tree made the space simultaneously feel larger yet lonelier. She wandered over to the Gryffindor table, looking for a break in students clustered together. She unconsciously smiled as she saw the array of breakfast foods and the smell of bacon reached her nose. Breakfast was easily her favorite meal of the day. If she ever figured out how, she was going to put in an anonymous suggestion that they serve breakfast for dinner at least once a week. Her stomach began to grumble as she meandered down the table and finally found an open section. She sat down across from a girl she recognized in her year, but they'd never really interacted.

"Alright if I sit here?" Haley asked, but she was already piling food onto her plate.

Interacting with: @Haley Perkins Mentioning: N/A Date: 01/07/25

Word Count: 201

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Avery glanced over to the voice she had heard and smiled. She knew she had seen the girl before around the Common Room before, but had never actually talked to her before. She would be happy to get to know her though. It was always nice to meet other people. Especially from Gryffindor. Surprisingly, most of her friends weren't actually Gryffindors. They were Hufflepuffs or Slytherins. Sometimes even Ravenclaws. "Sure. Feel free to sit here. I'm Avery Gray. What's your name?" Avery asked. Hoping to start a conversation with the girl. As Avery waited for the girl to respond, she continued to eat. She wanted to finish eating quickly so she wouldn't be late for class. Though, she still had plenty of time to chat. It would be nice to figure out if they were actually in the same class, but they probably weren't since Avery was going to have to go to Herbology after breakfast. Though, the only people she really paid attention to was either the professor or her Hufflepuff friend. She hadn't really explored the room to see who else was in there. Maybe she was actually there too. "Which class do you have first today?" Avery asked.

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Interacting with @Avery Gray | Date 1/07/25

Haley pulled her long, wavy, red hair back in to a low ponytail. She had a tendency to absentmindedly touch her hair and wanted to avoid this with greasy bacon fingers. She had already started eating breakfast potatoes when Avery introduced herself. She chewed and swallowed as quickly as she could manage. "I'm Haley." She smiled, covering her mouth in case there was still food. "Haley Perkins."

Taking another bite of her breakfast, Haley noticed the hum of conversation around her increased. It was probably peak breakfast time, which meant her first class was approaching. She didn't feel rushed; Herbology being in the greenhouses made it much more difficult to get lost on her way. Avery inquired about her first class. Haley took a moment to completely finish chewing and swallowing her food before answering.

"Herbology first, then I have a free period until History of Magic this afternoon. Which is nice, because History of Magic can be a little... dense? Is that the right word? Don't get me wrong I think it's important to know, my parents always emphasized," She cleared her throat and deepened her voice so as to imitate her father, "'it's so important - you must learn history so you don't repeat it - don't take it for granted!'" She half coughed and grinned, returning to her normal voice. "But sometimes it's hard to remember all the dates. Especially since some of this stuff happened a gazillion years ago. Anyways I think we're learning about Fireseed Bush this week, is that right? I try to read ahead and see if I can compare things we learn in Herbology to Potions ingredients. There hasn't been much correlation yet but I think it will come in handy down the road." Haley stopped as she realized she had been rambling and could have easily gone on a whole monologue about her love for Potions. She knew she could come across as overenthusiastic. She took a moment to pour herself some pumpkin juice and take a sip before shoveling a few more bites of breakfast in her mouth.

Interacting with: @Haley Perkins Mentioning: N/A Date: 01/07/25

Word Count: 220

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Avery smiled and said, "Nice to meet you Hailey." Then Avery listened as Haley explained her class schedule. She was surprised to find that the girl was also in Herbology with her. Leave it to Avery for not noticing. She was always so busy in that class that she rarely ever glanced around the room. "My first class is Herbology too! I can't believe I never saw you there. Well, actually, I can believe it since I am usually either talking to my Hufflepuff friend or paying attention to the lesson." Avery laughed lightly. Avery smiled as she listened to the girl talk about potions. She enjoyed potions, but not as much as she enjoyed Transfiguration. She guessed that the art of changing something into something else was just too amazing to pass up. Especially for Avery. She also loved science, so it was a win win. Right? When Haley asked if they were learning about the Fireseed Bush, Avery nodded her head. She remembered that the professors had mentioned that they were learning about that plant. "I'm guessing your favorite subject is Potions?" Avery inquired. Hoping that she wasn't being rude. She just wanted to get to know the girl better. She seemed pretty nice, so Avery was curious about the girl's interests. Maybe they could even become friends!

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Interacting with @Avery Gray | Date: Jan 7, 2025

Haley wasn't surprised to hear that Avery hadn't noticed her in Herbology. She'd kept to herself most of the first term - learning the halls of Hogwarts, ferociously taking notes during class, and studying in her free time. She would strike up conversation with anyone, but if invited to socialize she would prioritize her studies. The warm reunion with her family during the holidays made her realized how much she missed having close connections. She wanted to try harder this term to foster friendships. "I usually sit in the back." She timidly responded. "Maybe I could sit with you and your friend today?"

The buzz of activity in the Great Hall continued as students entered and exited. Haley took a few more bites of food listening to Avery before responding to her about potions. "Is it that obvious? My father is a potioneer. He works for the ministry. I'm not entirely sure exactly what he does with potions, but he experiments with them at home all the time. My mum does sort of the same thing. She's a scientist as well, but works with medicines. Muggle medicines, that is. Pharmacology. Or pharmaceuticals? I can never remember. She does a lot of research." She paused, taking another sip of pumpkin juice. "So yes, potions is my favorite! Although I like most other subjects. It's so different learning magic than muggle studies. Well, not muggle studies, but the things that muggles study." Worried she was rambling again, Haley finished by asking, "What's your favorite subject?"

Interacting with: @Haley Perkins Mentioning: N/A Date: 01/07/25

Word Count: 234

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Avery smiled and nodded her head when Haley asked to sit with her and Joseph. "Of course you can sit with us! It would be nice to know a fellow Gryffindor in that class. Joseph, my badger friend is amazing, but I really need to get to know more people in Gryffindor. It's as if I'm a magnet that only becomes friends with people from other houses." Avery lightly laughed. Avery listened as the Great Hall began to quiet down. They would have to leave soon for Herbology, but they still had plenty of time before class started. Avery had noticed that a lot of students got into class early just so they wouldn't be late, but Avery knew that she would be fine if she waited a few minutes. She was a fast walker, so getting to Greenhouse 1 would be no problem at all for her. "What's Pharmacology and pharmaceuticals? I've never heard of those before." Avery dipped her head down in embarrassment. Being a pureblood, she hadn't really had a ton of experience with the muggle world. The only things she knew about it were the things her late friend had told her before she died. Avery perked back up when Haley asked what her favorite subject was. "My favorite it all the way Transfiguration. The way things just transform from one way to another so intricately amazes me." She responded.

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Interacting with @Avery Gray | Date Jan 7, 2025

Haley smiled at Avery's comment, thinking that the only thing she'd managed to "magnetically" attract the first term were her textbooks. High marks went hand in hand with that, but it would be nice to do homework or study for exams with friends. Her fears about not being magical enough had precluded her from being her normally carefree self. The fear insidiously bubbled back up to the surface as Avery inquired about her mother's profession. "Oh, uh, it's kinda the study of medicines I think. Muggles don't have magic, so when they get sick or something they need to take medicine. Like a potion, except it's spifically made to help them get better. My mum does some sort of research to help make the medicines. She's a muggle, so I'm just really happy that I got to come to Hogwarts..." Her voice trailed off as she worried she had overshared her insecurity.

Happy at the change of subject, Haley perked back up. "Yes, Transfiguration is really cool! I never would have thought about the science and physics with it. Sometimes it seems like we just do things with magic, you know, and stuff just happens, but we're actually moving and reordering stuff we can't even see, so that's why the wand movement needs to be exactly right with the right incantation. Professor Perceval-Phelan is a good instructor too." She ate the last few bites off her plate and paused for a moment before grabbing another piece of bacon from the center of the table. It'll be nice to have someone to interact with during Herbology, she thought to herself.

Interacting with: @Haley Perkins Mentioning: N/A Date: 01/07/25

Word Count: 232

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Avery listened in interest as Haley explained her mother's job. Avery had never heard of that kind of thing, so she was curious about what else she didn't know in the muggle world. She made a mental note to herself to someday visit a muggle town and learn things from it. "That's really interesting! I never knew that muggles did those kind of things!" Avery smiled. Her curiosity bubbling. Avery nodded her head in agreement about Haley's comment about Transfiguration. Avery loved science. Especially when she was able to read muggle science books. It was all so interesting and confusing at the same time. Muggles lived so differently to the wizarding world. Avery always wondered how they survived without magic. Avery couldn't even imagine living her whole life without it. Avery noticed that it was finally time to leave. Before she left, she grabbed her last piece of bacon. She smiled when Haley did the same. What else could she say? The bacon at Hogwarts was amazing! As A very waited for Haley to follow her to Herbology, she glanced around the room. Valentine's Day was coming up soon, so she wondered if the decorations had been put up yet. So far, she hadn't seen anything that would indicate the holiday coming, but she made a mental note to herself to check more often. She couldn't wait to see the beautiful decorations.

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OOC Note: Sure! I can ask Joseph if he is up to doing it. He probably won't post as much as us though since he has a lot of threads going on. One more thing, thanks.

Asterius was curious to see the fabled ceiling of the Great Hall. As he walked inside, following the line of other First Years, he looked up and was awed by the sea of stars he could see dotting the enchanted ceiling. He smiled serenely, and then looked back down at the Professor who was reading out the names of the kids and having them step forward to be Sorted.

He couldn't help but bounce on his heels a little, impatient for his own turn. He knew that he was likely getting sorted into Slytherin, just based on his past, but that didn't bother him. He was excited to start to learn things, hoping for a good job as a magic researcher or maybe even Minister for Magic one day!

He stepped forward when his name was called and sat on the bench, putting the Sorting Hat on his head. "What do we have here... another pureblood, but not like the others, I see..."

Asterius jumped when the voice of the Sorting Hat spoke in his mind. He'd had no idea that would happen! "Yes, I can see everything in your mind, young man. Daring, nerve, and a loyalty to those who've proved themselves to you... I can see where you are meant to go... GRYFFINDOR!"

Asterius' eyes widened frightfully. "What?!" he stammered out. "But-"

"Take your seat, please," The professor nodded to the gleaming gold and red table.

'But I'm not supposed to be there....' Asterius couldn't help but think as he walked to the Gryffindor table stiffly. He sat down, unwilling to look at anyone, shock still coursing through him.

Olivia hurried over to the Gryffindor table after the Sorting Hat took over five minutes to decide which house she was in. Olivia sat down at the end of the table and dinner began. She was happy that she had ended up in Gryffindor like her father but at the same time it felt wrong somehow. As if the Sorting Hat had actually wanted to put her in a different house… Olivia avoided people's eyes the whole dinner and didn't talk to anyone. However, she noticed that the person next to her seemed to feel the same way: What the hell am I doing here?
Olivia looked up and down the tables. An unpleasant voice in her head began to question whether Olivia was actually a Gryffindor, whether Olivia didn't really belong to any house at all.
Olivia also found herself looking at the person next to her. The one who seemed to feel the same way. Olivia's imagination ran wild as it always did and she could imagine her time at Hogwarts: alone and invisible, just like usual.
Olivia thought: if my life at Hogwarts isn't going to be shit, I'll probably have to do what I hate, become a bit more social, and make a friend. The person next to Olivia seemed to feel the same way, so maybe we'd get along as friends. Olivia gathered her courage before finally saying, "Hi," with a small smile.