2019-2020 First Year Entrance Finished

Interacting with @Janus Lumley, @Quinn Prescott, @Alaric Equinox & @Daniel Booker

"I'm just from Durham which is in the North-East, not far from Scotland actually. It isn't a big town but it gets plenty of visitors because of the cathedral and the university. I've always lived there, never moved around like you so not much to say 'bout it really.”

Piérre nodded as Janus explained his background.  ”Must be nice to stay in once place and get to know people, though, right?  I mean, I meet new people all the time, but after a month, POOF!  I’m gone.”  Piérre flicked his hands outwards to show the imaginary smoke which had whisked him from place to place while with his first parents.

“But you said you have a twin right? Is he here too? That sounds fun, always having someone else beside you on this... adventure I guess.”

Janus motioned to the lake, which would eventually lead to the great school of witchcraft and wizardry.  The school Piérre had been waiting to go to for his entire life.  He couldn’t believe he was so close.  He and his brother to boot!

”Yeah, Romeo.  He’s on another boat.  He left so that I would have to make new friends instead of talk to him for the entire boat ride.”  Piérre shrugged before throwing out his arms.  ”So... ta-da!  I am here, talking to you.  It’s been pretty awesome thus far!”  Piérre smiled in a way to hopefully convince Janus to smile as well.  Maybe they would be classmates, after all!

After Janus reacted accordingly (however that is), Piérre listened to the next question presented to him.

”Oh and since you know things about Hogwats, do you know why our professor looks like that? You know, red eyes and white skin?"

Piérre looked between Janus and the professor, who was not focusing on them in the moment.  Before Piérre could respond, a giggling woman leapt into the arms of another Professor and both fell to the ground.  Before he realized, Piérre laughed aloud, being distracted for a moment by the silliness of the what Piérre supposed were a dating couple.  Eventually, he looked back at Janus, and the curiosity on the boy’s face brought Piérre back to the present.

”Oh, um...”  Piérre looked uncomfortably between the Professor and Janus again.  ”I_I don’t know if I should talk about it now...  It’s kind of a delicate thing for some people, but I suppose he would tell you the same if you were to ask him.”  Piérre finally shook his head.  What was he talking about?  The school wouldn’t hire a Dhampire unless they knew that he was alright with being known as one and wasn’t evil like many full blood vampires.  ”Okay.  So, the reason why the Professor looks a little paler than normal and has eyes like that is because, and I’m pretty sure, but don’t quote me unless he says as well, that he’s a Dhampire.  He’s part vampire.  Either through a human and vampire parents or from a human getting bitten by a vampire, I don’t know, but I know a lot of Dhampire are very sore on either or both subjects, so I don’t really want to assume any more...”  Piérre hoped and prayed the Professor wouldn’t look at him and begin to judge.  He didn’t want to ruin anything quite yet.

A flicker of movement by the shoreline caused Piérre’s gaze to flick back to the side of the boat, where another student stood.  He looked rather nervous and almost out of place, but he was able to manage a small ‘hello’.

”Hi!”  Said Piérre, waving happily.  A third buddy!  Their boat would be a full one!  ”Come on in and join us!  What’s your name?”  Piérre wanted to bring the kid out of his shell.  This was the most fantastical moment in his own life, and he wanted to share it with others.  At the bare minimum, he at least wanted to provoke a smile from the boy, enough to lessen the nervousness which seemed to cover his features.

The Professor helped the young boy in the boat and then boarded himself, turning to the female Professor and telling her that they were ready to leave, before turning back to the three boys in the boat.  He smiled warmly again, and Piérre smiled back, putting the tips of his fingers in the cool black lake.  It was a beautiful night.  The water would be perfect for swimming.

Despite himself, Piérre’s mind started to run rampant, thinking of the best way to slip out of the boat and end up exploring the glassy depths, when the Professor began to speak and Piérre listened with half of his attention.

“So I know you are Piérre and I overheard your name is Janus correct?”

He spoke directly to Piérre and Janus before continuing to the boy who hadn’t just boarded, who had not said a single word yet.

”I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name.”

Piérre leaned in.  He wanted to know the name of the shy boy as well.

When the boy stated his name, the Professor continued and Piérre leaned back against the bow of the boat again.

“My name is Alaric Equinox you may call me Professor or Professor Equinox and I teach Astronomy. Which for you will be Friday evenings. Do any of you have any questions about Hogwarts? We have a decent amount of time before we get there.”

Piérre grinned.  This was exactly the moment he was waiting for.  ”First of all, your name is super awesome, second, do merfolk really live in the Hogwarts lake?  And if so, can we meet them sometime?”

As Piérre waited for an answer, he saw a fourth student come close to the boat and introduce themself to Mister Equinox.  Piérre barely made out ‘Quid Pesscrot’.  Funny.

“I’m dearly sorry I can only have three students in my boat at one time and it would seem the final spot was filled up just a moment or so before you approached. However, you are more than welcome to get into another boat with students close to me and we can still converse.”

Piérre looked at the individual.  They certainly looked masculine at first glance, with short, dark hair and firm cheekbones, but Piérre couldn’t get over the feeling that this person was in fact, if only slightly, female.  Their lips were fuller and their eyes seemed to sparkle with ladylike allure.  One thing was for sure, if Piérre was the individual on the street, he would have probably thought that even if this was a girl, she certainly wished to play the part of a male.

Almost as soon as the girl/boy heard Mister Equinox’ answer, they grew visibly upset. 

"Surely there must be room in the boat, we can squeeze together,”

At first, they sounded hopeful as they looked at the small boat, probably gauging that it could only fit four individuals if one was lucky.  Piérre saw their fists clench as an irritated voice, unlike the slightly cheerful one before, left them, low and threatening, as if fishing for a fight.

"One of you get out of this boat, I picked it, I have as much right to be in it as any of you. So. Who's going to swap boats?"

Piérre shook his head at this outrageous demand.  Uh, who had been the last one to show up here?  Not him or Janus certainly, and this individual had shown up only a minute after the third boy.  If anything, they should be telling the new person to ship off.  What did it really matter anyways?  The ability to talk to a professor?  Why was it such a big deal?

So caught up in this train of thought, Piérre stood in the boat, putting a foot on the side of it and causing it to slightly rock without tipping.  ”Um, excuse you, nobody’s swapping boats.  We three musketeers got here first.  I’m sorry that you feel like you have to barge in and demand seating, but it’s really not fair to the rest of us, is it?”  Piérre’s voice was lacking the playful tone now, completely cold and convicted as he stood up to the person.  It wasn’t often that Piérre felt convicted to say or do something, but now he felt he could make an exception.  It was the least he could do for the boy who seemed the shyest and was the most likely to get kicked out.

Piérre looked at the boy, pointing at the boat.  ”You stay.”  Piérre turned back to Quid.  ”You wouldn’t like that to happen to you, would you?  If you were sitting at a table with friends or your family or whoever, and I randomly came in and demanded that you leave so that I could talk, would you stand down?”  Piérre let the words settle.  ”But if you want to keep complaining and moaning about not being in this boat, by all means go ahead.  I’m not here to judge, but you could be making some other friends in the other boats and still talk to all of us if you’re nearby.  As one renowned phrase says, ’un giorno di ritardo e un dollaro in meno’.  You are a day late and a dollar short.”

Piérre paused.  Maybe he was being too harsh.  Maybe this kid would remember him and come back for his blood.  After all, he was a rather easy target, and he didn’t stand much chance in his own in a hand to hand fight.  His previous life in Muggle school easily proved that much.

Still, maybe his words would be taken seriously.  Maybe they would see reason.  Piérre saw no reason to back down, so he should keep kicking and biting for what he believed in.  If it came to blows, Piérre would fight.  It was the way of the world.  That was to be expected.

One hand in a fist, Piérre stood with his right arm at his side, his left at his hip, inches from the chiseled white handle of his wand invisible to the causal eye.  He didn’t know any spells, but it was the bluff that counted, and if they wanted to make a move, they would have both Mister Equinox and Piérre to deal with, wiry frame, scrappiness, and all.

Normally Emerly would have been content to sit and quietly observe everything, but the newness of the whole situation gave him a little bit of friendliness. It was like getting on a water ride with a bunch of strangers, or being in a warm house in a rainstorm during Christmas. Speaking of that...
Still squinting for any sign of the castle, he inquired to those in his boat (though for all he knew others might have overheard), "Anyway, what are you all looking forward to the most at Hogwarts, if you don't mind me asking? I love Christmas... it might be a bit silly but I've heard a lot of interesting things about the Yule Ball. I wonder if they still have them. You don't have to answer... My name's Emerly Pine, by the way. It's nice to meet you all." He then cast looks at the teachers, wondering about each of them. They seemed like very nice, good people. He was glad that the academy seemed to be careful about choosing their instructors. That being said, at the moment there appeared to be an event going on by the darker-haired one's boat. Emerly sat watching the exchanges with his chin in one of his hands, and abruptly straightened when he saw one of the students hop in the professor's boat despite protests from another student. He pursed his mouth, again fighting the strong urge, a much stronger one than last time, to warn people to be careful.
He watched in dismay and wondered aloud yet again, "You reckon the rule about four to a boat's tradition or an actual safety concern to prevent them from sinking?" He simultaneously hoped that things would sort itself out, as the boats were already moving, after all. They should all be trying to get along, right?

Open to interactions!

When the train came to a halt, Aphrodite held her breath as she hugged her copy of Hogwarts: A History she had perused between discussions with peers. She had met people, and as quickly as they had come in contact, life seemed to have taken them apart. The trunks were being taken away, to be found in dorms later that evening after the sorting ceremony. While the older kids were comfortably chatting as they made their way in the opposite direction, the brunette stood on the platform, taking in information, and yet not quite capable of motion beyond a quiet nod.

Soon she was ushered with the other first years to the edges of the lake, nestled in small boats. She had managed to sit on the side, her gaze falling on the darkness that was the water. She could have sworn she saw movement and if she hadn't read about the Giant Squid living within the waters, she might have been scared rather than fascinated. It was odd, she wasn't enjoying being on the water by any means, in fact, she seldom enjoyed the feel of her feet not being on solid ground, yet there was too much data going about for her to overthink her situation. There would be plenty of time for that, but right then, it was all about seeing what she had read about and being mesmerized by the lights ahead.

The castle perched on a small mound in the distance, looming over as they drew closer. The lights were warm, inviting, a sight she wasn't quite familiar with. The amber of the lights held a promise within them she hoped was true. She thirsted for knowledge and power, and Hogwarts had produced some of the world's greatest wizards. Some of the darkest, but mainly the greatest, footsteps she hoped she could follow in. Footsteps she would pursue at any cost in her quest to prove her worth in her father's eyes.

On the train ride, Robbie found himself uncharacteristically quiet. He was never overtly social, but after finding a secluded corner of the train and a near silent person to sit by, the boy spent the majority of his time staring out the window. The rest of the transit followed in similar fashion; even after getting off the locomotive Robbie trudged along silently next to his peers. Excited chatter filled the air, and he took no part in it.

In truth, the boy didn't really want to be here. While there was a certain amount of excitement associated with the future, he was a wizard for crying out loud, Robbie was already experiencing some serious homesickness. There was something rather off-putting and peculiar about the atmosphere among his classmates thus far. Everyone seemed to be fairly posh and put together, neither quality was something he shared in. He overheard some of his fellow first years talk about their parents, apparently they too were wizards, and they grew up in this sort of environment. Idly, Robbie wondered how different his life would be if his parents were of similar status; it was a train of thought driven by curiosity, not by envy of course. Robbie was a rather content kid growing up, and despite the figurative wrench Hogwarts threw into his otherwise ordinary existence, he missed home away from all of the magic and wizardry afoot.

Watching the gentle wakes the boats created as they moved, Robbie pointedly ignored the other passengers. He was a fish out of water amidst a group of people who had seemingly been waiting for this moment for years. If there was something he certainly didn't appreciate, it was feeling like the dumbest one in the room. Turning his wand over in his hands, careful to not drop it in the lake, he made a promise to himself. Once he eventually arrived at the school's gates and settled in, he was bound and determined to work hard and do what he had to in order to be on level playing field. Of course, Robbie hadn't yet been exposed to the concept of wizard bigotry, and was totally unaware of how uneven the playing field supposedly was.

Janus' ears perked up when Piér told him about the professor. A "Dampire"; an almost-vampire. Once he'd reassured himself that if the Italian talked about it so calmly, there was no danger, curiosity took over. What powers did he have? Did he need to drink blood? Did a vampire bite hurt a lot?

Before he could actually ask these questions to Piér though, the other boy turned towards another student who had apparently boarded without Janus noticing. He looked shy; Janus hadn't in fact even heard his "hello", but he followed Piér in greeting the quiet dark haired boy. As the professor prepared to get in as well, Janus noticed some ruckus and a woman's shrieking coming from the other professors' direction, but his attention was brought back to the Dhampir as their boat dipped slightly when he boarded.

Janus nodded with what he thought was a polite expression when he heard his name, then tried to remember the information the man threw at them. Equinox-Astronomy-Fridays; he' expected him to teach something darker or dangerous, but he was curious about what had the stars to do with magic. At Equinox's offer, Piér barged in with questions in a way Janus already found familiar, and he got interested as well as the Italian mentioned strange creatures in the lake. The faster someone could fill him in on Hogwarts and the magical world, the better.

Suddenly however, a new boy (or girl? It was too dark to understand, even with his glasses) appeared near the boat asking for a place in it; Janus guessed they just hadn't seen it was already full. After Prof. Equinox politely explained the situation to them though, they decided to go off on a mad tangent instead of looking for a different boat. They reminded Janus of one of those spoiled brats he sometimes had to spend afternoons with when he was younger, so he acted as he had back then; he ignored them.

Piér however wasn't of the same idea and he stood up to them fiercely, making sure they knew they were completely in the wrong. Janus smiled at his performance and he would have given him a pat on the back once the boat finally began to move, if not for the mysterious student's stare locking onto the boat as they started running towards it. Janus let out a snort of laughter as he saw them threading in the water like a mad dog, but his smirk died as the student reached the boat and heaved themselves onto it, landing over Janus' feet with all their wet weight. He quietly grunted in pain while quickly tucking up his feet; if the boat hadn't been spacious before, now it was uncomfortably tight.

After they managed to find a place, Janus cast a glance at the newly-boarded before looking away. "If one of us has to end up in the lake, we know who it'll be," he muttered.

Gracefully Madeline hopped off the train, glad to not be lugging the trunk along with her again. The train ride was more eventful than she originally pictured. Madeline looked around at the station they've stopped at. Sadly she didn't see the castle she was told about. The older students seemed to be heading straight through a gate to where she assumed the castle was and she took a step to follow--

"First years this way!" Came a voice clearly through the crowd, causing Madeline to jump. Pitching on to her tip-toes to see through and over the crowd, she sees a group of what she assumes are teachers. Probably some sort of orientation? A wave of anxiety prickled through her as she hurried over to the group that had just started walking. They were going a different way than the other students. Did I join the wrong group of first years? I hope not.

The darkness swallowed them, keeping a tight hold around the group with the only light nearby bobbing ahead of them. Madeline deftly swept into the front of the group, just behind the teachers. All three teachers were interesting in their own way. The woman was giving off an energy that Madeline was not used to. She felt wary and already exhausted at the thought of talking to her. One of the men was very regal looking with incredibly pale skin. He reminded her of a vampire. Was he one? The magical world was one of many mysteries, but her family used to know a well known Vampire family in Canada. Her father would always hover a little closer when they had that family over. She wondered if there were safety concerns to having a vampire teacher? The final teacher was more unassuming than the others. Seemed to be very straight forward and practical so far. Suddenly the creepy trees broke into an opening at the shore of an inky black lake. Still, except for the lapping waves the little rowboats caused, idling close to the group.

"Rowboats? More muggle transportation?" Madeline whispered under her breath. "Why would they use such flimsy methods instead of something more impress..." She trailed off as her eyes traveled upwards to the castle, barely visible against the night sky except for flickering orange light in tall slim windows. The massive silhouette of the castle against the stars was quite a sight to behold. Madeline stood in wonder, her lips slightly parted, the deep golden-brown of her eyes reflecting the gold flames in the far distance. Suddenly a loud crash snapped Madeline out of her awestruck gaze, as two of the teachers crumpled to the ground. Reaching for her wand when she realized they were merely flustered. The man bristling, yelling for the woman to get off him.

Madeline tucked her wand back in her pocket, and frowned from the sight of the professors detangling themselves. Mentally scolding herself. I don't even know any spells if someone was attacking us. I can't wait to start going to class. She listened to the woman in pink as she brush off the event like it was nothing. She was already getting into a boat full of students. She really seems a bit... desperate for attention? Madeline quietly giggled to herself and turned to the boats. Most of the boats were already filling up. She yelped and rushed forward before the boats started moving. Gracefully Madeline hopped into an empty boat nearest and gently sat with her legs crossed. She was used to boats. Her family came to England from over the sea and she spent quite a lot of time on smaller boats while young. Madeline looked around to the others finishing picking partners for their boats. I really hoped they didn't expect the students to row.

Interacting with @Madeline Doe; and a mention of @Olphie Bercegeay

The train ride had been everything Evelynn had feared. Had she had her way, she would have liked to have taken a good deal of time to survey this new breed of people. She would very much have preferred to stand on the peripherals as little more than a wall flower; to observe their mannerisms and their ways; to take a moment, or several as the case may be, to attempt to understand their jargon and grasp the reality of this strange world.

That was not what happened, of course. Instead, she was confined to share small cabins with other students of this enigmatic school, she was left completely unable to do as she would normally do. Sitting there next to and across from those she would come to call her peers, she couldn't readily ignore them. To do so would be rude. And more than that, would probably give her a peculiar aura since neither could she very well ignore them. They were so... strange. The way they talked, the words they used, the references they made to things she couldn't even begin to understand. But that's also what made them so fascinating, and now that she was presumably a member of their ranks, she wanted nothing more than to fit in.

Thus as it was, she kept to her little group of newfound acquaintances. Try as she might, however, she could never seem to stand any closer than a step or two away. Every time she parted her lips to speak, the voice inside her mind piped up. You're only going to get hurt, you know, it would say. You're not like them...They'll only laugh at you. It was enough to keep her quiet. Just like she had on the train. She smiled politely at the right time, and laughed when one of them made a joke.

“First years this way!”

Evelynn pulled her attention away from the nearby group and fixed it upon an approaching professor. Or so she assumed, at least. As the elder students departed from the train leaving her and the rest of the first years behind, she had seen him in the distance with a pair of others. By his proximity and conversation with the familiar Professor Bercegeay, she deduced his role easily enough.

Almost immediately, the air around her intensified. This proclamation and the procession down a descending path marked the start of a new journey, not only for herself, but everyone present. The excitement was evident. Even Evelynn felt its effects, butterflies fluttering in her belly with marked anticipation for the unknown. The darkness only seemed to heighten that sense of anticipation as she craned to see any bit of detail that could be gleaned from its meager illumination.

And when the trees parted enough that she could finally see their eventual destination, she couldn't suppress the silent gasp. Lips parted while eyes went wide. Before them, across the pristine glass surface of a lake, rose a castle without compare. She had seen castles in photos and paintings. Had dreamed of living the life of a princess in one of her very own. But this... this was something else entirely. And she was going to live here. For seven long years, this would be her home. It was unreal. Or rather, it seemed unreal, as it very much was a concrete manifestation of true existence. Still, she had a difficult time reconciling that apparently what she thought was imaginary was very much the opposite. Despite what eagerness she felt within, however, her face maintained a calm facade but for the brief moment of shock.

“Four to a boat! Three boats will have three students only as a teacher needs to be in there as well!”

It was the voice of Professor Bercegeay this time that interrupted Evelynn's musings, drawing her back from fantasies of scouring the halls and searching every nook and cranny of the impressive fortress. Evelynn flashed the pro-turned-teacher the hint of a guilty smile and moved forward with the rest. It was in that moment that she decided to try for Bercegeay's boat. It was the professor who had come to deliver Evelynn's letter, after all, and to help her in preparation for the school year. A familiar face in a sea of the obscure. And perhaps the boat ride would allow the opportunity for Evelynn to finally pin her down to answer at least some of the questions that had been piling up since their last parting.

"Hello Professor," she greeted the flying instructor, speaking for what must have been the first time in several hours. "May I join you in---"

Three. There were three students already there. Evelynn hadn't seen the third since they had already boarded the small vessel and seated themselves. There wasn't any room.

"I.. uh.. Sorry. I'll find another..."

She was already back-tracking, head turning about in an effort to spot the group from which she had just recently peeled away. She spotted them almost immediately, but they, too, had already filled their boat. How is everyone so quick? It had only been a couple of minutes, or so it felt, but most of the boats were already full, or close to it. And those that had space available were occupied by no one that she even vaguely recognized. Not that that was surprising, but it would have been nice...

With a faint huff and a tug at the corner of one side of her mouth, Evelynn resigned herself to take up temporary residence in the nearest available boat. With balanced strides, she covered the distance swiftly, black robes billowing in the lake breeze. So, too, did someone else. From the opposite direction, Evelynn spied another girl with dark hair en route for the same boat. The other student got there first. Something about her gave Evelynn pause. Perhaps it was the way she had effortlessly entered the boat. Or perhaps the way she sat. Maybe it was a trick of the moon giving the girl a haughty expression.

But the boats were quickly becoming limited, and Evelynn couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of initial culling. What if they left regardless of whether everyone had found a seat? Would you have to swim there? It was an awfully long way to the castle....Biting down on her lip, Evelynn reined in her galloping thoughts and suppressed the racing of her heart. You can do this. And so she took a step, and then another. And finally she found herself abreast of the boat.

"Just about all the other ones are taken..." Evelynn felt the need to explain as she clambered delicately into the hull.

Her voice was soft, almost alto, and decidedly not Scottish. Nor quite British. In fact, it was quite possible Madeline may recognize it as Canadian. She seated herself properly, legs together with ankles crossed to the side. As she folded her hands, one palm over the other in her lap, Evelynn lifted her attention to the girl who sat opposite her. Steel grey eyes flicked then from the stranger's face, to the line of her nose, to the way she sat, to the angle of her chin. And then to her neck and hands, curious to know if she wore anything that might give evidence to her character.

"I'm Evelynn..." she finally said. It had taken her longer than she would have liked to work up the courage to offer even that simple little greeting, but she had done it. Then added, with a brief glance towards Hogwarts, silhouetted against the sky, "It's.. pretty impressive, isn't it?"

Madeline was looking at every feature of the area not covered in shadow. The flickering castle had caught her eye again when she suddenly felt the boat rock slightly. Terrified that a student was going to launch themselves into her boat like the teacher's boat experienced, Madeline snapped her attention back the student joining her. A wave of relief washed over her when a girl slid gently onto one of the seats and sat so properly, it was like looking in a mirror. Except she was much more on the warmer palette than Madeline.

"Just about all the other ones are taken..." She said. It was soft but immediately Madeline's ears perked forward, her nerves faded away as a puzzle just took its place. Something about her voice was so familiar. Madeline's brows furrowed in thought, as the girl gracefully finished adjusting and quickly sized up Madeline.

"Oh, don't worry, I had the same issue." Madeline replied, pulling her legs closer to give room to the new passenger, but still looking intently at her while in thought.

"I'm Evelynn..." She said after a moment. Madeline finally blinked away the intense gaze, worried she was making Evelynn uncomfortable. Madeline's shoulders relaxing slightly as she realizing what it was. Her family never had a strong accent, with Madeline only slipping on a few words that really hinted at her own Canadian heritage. She couldn't visit the muggle town and was always home so she didn't hear it often. But when her Father had dark magic item dealers and family come over, they usually had thicker Canadian or foreign accents.

Abruptly, Madeline realized that she hadn't introduced herself yet either. "I'm Madeline. Madeline Doe... It's nice to meet you, Evelynn." Madeline said assured, tilting her head slightly. Absentmindedly running her finger over a delicate and ancient blacken bracelet, as she remembered her father. Madeline composed herself and gave a quick smile to Evelynn. She didn't want to appear rude. The last thing she needed was to get tossed off a tiny boat into the icy water.

"It's.. pretty impressive, isn't it?" Evelynn continued. Madeline's eyes flicked over Evelynn before glancing at the castle again. This girl seemed very sharp but also a bit nervous and Madeline could relate to that.

"Oh, quite. I'm very used to castles, but it's very grand even compared to my family's old castle... I can't imagine how large it truly is. You could probably hide a large mansion's worth of secret rooms in there or get lost finding a washroom." Madeline mused, straightening her skirt and blouse. Both top quality- as was everything else she was wearing- the shirt tailored with a small custom crest of a silver stag that can be seen peeking behind her robes occasionally when Madeline moved. "Though I'm not sure why we're using these tiny boats. I've only seen muggles really use these. Do you know anything about Hogwarts? I didn't really get to learn much about it after I moved here from Canada. I think Mother bought me a book about it, but she packed it before I could read it..." Madeline said. She was getting more social exercise than ever before. 'Hopefully I'm appearing a bit more confident than I feel...' She worried.

Interacting with @Evelynn Decipio. Boat still open to 2 others right now if you want to join

Interacting with @Madeline Doe; and there's still room in the boat for 2 more!

Evelynn couldn’t help the loft of one brow as Doe commented so nonchalantly on the grandeur of the castle. Very grand, even compared to her own old castle? The notion that a family could simply have a castle in this day and age was one Evelynn had not anticipated having to contemplate. She knew, of course, that some were owned privately, and that some even served as residences. But that was typically for European royalty.

She blinked, wondering for a moment if she sat across from royalty. With a quirk of her brow and a slight incline of her chin, Evelynn reassessed her new acquaintance with renewed sense of scrutiny. It was then that she noticed the delicate vintage looking bracelet. It looked old; too old to be a recent gift, she surmised. An heirloom perhaps? And what was that? It only showed in brief flashes, but eventually Evelynn was able to visualize the presence of a crest hidden behind Madeline’s robes. A representation of a family coat of arms, maybe? No...she couldn’t be… Naturally, Evelynn had to consider the alternative, the possibility that Madeline could be lying… She didn’t seem the type though. Normally, such a story would be filled with embellishment, the status or gain played up. This had been such an offhand remark…And one that she decided to stow away for later consideration when Doe made mention of secret rooms.

This notion of the unexplored managed to draw forth the hint of a grin from the slight redhead, and Evelynn glanced back over her shoulder to gaze across the still waters to the fortress. There had been mention of a Chamber of Secrets in Hogwarts: A History, as Evelynn recalled. This recollection -- coupled with Madeline’s query as to whether Evelynn knew much about the castle -- sparked a sudden desire to find that chamber, as well as to determine if there were other yet hidden, or long forgotten, rooms in that labyrinthine structure. She wanted to hurry up and get there. To walk the halls, explore the shadows, and play in the grounds. It was all well and good to know something from a book; but it was one thing to read about it, and quite another to experience it.

She had pulled her attention back to Doe, lips parted to speak those thoughts, when Madeline finished her own. Once again, she found herself at a momentary loss for words, wondering if she had heard correctly.

“You’re from Canada?” Evelynn inquired, her interest obviously piqued, but trying in earnest not to sound too eager. Somehow, she had expected to be an odd one out in terms of nationality. She couldn’t deny that it was a surprise to share a heritage. Not an unpleasant one, either, as evidence by her growing smile and slowly waning sense of nervousness, and the string of word vomit that followed. “I am as well! I’m from Vancouver. Well, actually a nearby town a little bit outside of it, but most people in England only recognize Vancouver. Where abouts are you from?”

“And it’s Hogwarts: A History,” she added after a moment’s pause, her expression sheepish once again with the realization that she had somewhat inadvertently derailed the original topic of conversation. “The book, I mean. It talks about all sorts of things to do with the castle. Like the different Houses, how the ceiling of the Great Hall is enchanted to look like the night sky, how electronics don’t work in Hogwarts grounds… which was honestly pretty disappointing. I was planning to bring my tablet before I read that part…” The latter part was spoken more to herself than to Doe, but she continued without missing a beat, “It even talks about the past Triwizard Cups and the Chamber of Secrets! You should really give it a read. It has all sorts of information.”

The more she spoke about the book, the more Evelynn realized just how much information she had been able to absorb during the summer months. It gave her a sense of pride in a way to be able to speak so knowledgeably on something she hadn’t even known existed. And it showed, both in her posture and the cadence of her voice. With every passing moment, she was getting more and more excited to watch this new journey unfold.

For a moment, Madeline worried if she was talking too much. Her nerves on the journey to Hogwarts had been a bit high, maybe she rambled too much. She felt her cheeks warm up from embarrassment and flicked her hair out of her face to shake off the feeling. A glint had flickered in Evelynn's eyes after Madeline's last question.

“You’re from Canada?” Evelynn asked. A smug smile crept onto Madeline's lips, mentally congratulating herself for the correct guess. Not the most difficult puzzle to solve, but she was surprised to find anyone from Canada here. “I am as well! I’m from Vancouver. Well, actually a nearby town a little bit outside of it, but most people in England only recognize Vancouver. Where abouts are you from?” Madeline took a moment before responding, a little surprised at how quickly Evelynn seemed to warm up to her.

"Well, usually I wouldn't be so specific but we won't be going back there so..." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, "We used to live in Northern Quebec in a more mountainous area- so we were hard to find from other families and muggles. We were sort of near a tiny muggle town near us, not too far from the coast, but we weren't allowed to visit it. That area was much quieter than London..." She said lightly, noticing that the lake was also pretty quiet, despite the chattering students and teachers. "I've actually been to Vancouver, but only to stay briefly for a-" Madeline caught herself, remembering that her parents were being very careful not to suggest anything dark about their family. After all, they were new to the area and they didn't want an infamous reputation again. Not 'without the backing of other families' as her father would say. Madeline wasn't sure how to feel about all of it, but it was probably better to wipe that history away for now. "... holiday. So I didn't get to see much of it. They weren't too close to towns either." She said, waving away the comment with her hand, and took a moment to shake off the heavy feeling from remembering her family.

Luckily, Evelynn started mentioned a book about Hogwart's history and some interesting tib bits from it. Madeline's eyes got a bit wider while leaning in slightly as Evelynn spoke, excited to learn more, though her brows knitted in confusion on 'tablet'. "Wow, that's really interesting! We had a few electronics in our house, mostly just lighting and tv. Is a tablet like a TV? My father only watched the local news on our TV. They always had some interesting electronics on there as well. But we relied more on books and toys for things to do. We did a lot of studying... my family is a pretty old-fashioned magical family, so they have a lot of expectations. They didn't want us distracted..." Madeline glanced to the side uncomfortably and leaned back again, realizing maybe she had been missing out on something other kids had?

She welcomed the change in topic and thoughtfully listened as Evelynn continued. Madeline's gaze was once again growing intense as she hungrily took in all of the information. "I'll definitely have to read Hogwarts: A History. I wonder if there are secrets that haven't been discovered then? I wonder if they give you an award for finding new things about the castle?" She laughed softly with her hand over her mouth. A bit surprised at how relaxed she had become. Her legs were still crossed and her hands always returning to her lap, but she wasn't nearly as stiff as usual. "You seem to know a whole lot despite not being from around here. I feel a bit embarrassed to be so ignorant. I did hear that you get sorted into houses and they all kind of have different requirements, I think? What house do you think you'll be in?" Madeline asked, thinking that this girl seemed so similar to her, Maybe we'll be in the same house? Madeline thought eagerly. "I wonder how you're sorted? I think if it's a test I'll do pretty well." Madeline beamed.

Madeline was surprised at the sudden talkative nature of Evelynn. She seemed more nervous or reluctant before. But now Madeline shared the changed mood. The icy temperature of the lake drifted over her but she wasn't as bothered as before. Going into the unknown was terrifying, especially without the strict regimen of her old home life. But she was feeling a bit more confident now. She wasn't quite as bad at talking to people as she feared.

Interacting with @Evelynn Decipio . The boat is still open to 2 others right now if you want to join