Campout Private + Hufflepuff Finished

Arceus jumped back as James fell back on a loose branch and landed on the ground with a loud thud, before getting up and screaming like a madman and waving his arms, but since it was dark he couldn't see anything so he didn't know why James was so scared, he then put his arms over his eyes as a bright light blinded him and dropped some of the sticks he was holding in the process, “ What the heck!? You scared the heck out of me!” he heard James shout while rubbing his face, but this all happened so fast Arceus was confused.

"Wha- What dude calm down I was just getting you some sticks since you were looking for some" he said holding his hand in the air to sow James but ended up dropping more sticks in the process, he kept blinking since his eyes were still shocked from the light nearly blinding him. He then got out his flashlight to see more clearly and started picking up sticks with his flashlight in his mouth.After getting up he pointed his flashlight at James location and gave him some of them,"Why did you get so scared anyway, you were screaming" he said chuckling while walking back to the fire.

Once he arrived back he threw the sticks gathered so far on the floor for the Head of House to use and sat on a log opposite two other people, he then looked at James and signalled with his hand him to come sit by him. "Sorry by the way" he said putting his hand on the back of his head and relaxing on the log.

Reid felt dwarfed in comparison to the older man, it didn't exactly scare him but his neck would have to surely strain if he talked to Solomon all the time. He thought that the Professor's name was pretty cool too, next to Professor Blackburn's name. Perhaps he could change his name into something that was pretty cool too, but he didn't know what it would be. He felt more responsible in a way, maybe that was just an instinct of his since he always looked out for his people. 

He liked being trusted enough for things like this, but it also made his nerves go on the fritz every time he thought about it. What if he messed up? He worried too much for a kid his age. "You should check on Arceus and James." He knew who Arceus was since he was the Prefect, but he wasn't aware of who James was. Since Solomon made it seem like they were together, he hoped that was the case. "I'll go do that." he nodded with a slight grin. The boy pressed his flashlight's button, only to see it wouldn't turn on. 

So as he walked away, he smacked it a few times to try and get it going. He swore he put new batteries in this thing, plus the bulb was new. Finally it came alive and pierced the night in front of him. By the time he got it working though, he saw that the boys were done. He still chose to approach them anyway, he supposed he could check. But as he got closer, he saw something on James' head. It look like a leaf, but saw that it moved. Horrified, he shined the light upon the back of James' head to see there was a spider. "There's a spider - on the back of your head."

Serena made her way down to the lake. She was a little later than most of the others but she was helping everyone out in the Common Room. They had managed to bring down most of the things, which was great. The girl was dressed in very casual clothing today. She wore a pair of red shorts and a white t-shirt. She had a sports jacket thrown on top and long socks, with her feet in sneakers. In fact, she was pretty much just wearing her exercise clothing - give or take. The shorts and t-shirt worked well as pajamas too. Of course, she had brought along an extra blanket in her bag in case she got a bit chilly.

Heading out to the lake, the female gazed around. Her eyes fell onto a group of Hufflepuff students. Grinning, she made her way over. They sat near the edge of the lake. It was such a beautiful night. The stars glittered across the night sky, reflecting in the water down below. Everything was so serene today, it was beautiful. 

The prefect made her way to the others, where a few people were busy following instructions that were given to them by the Professor. Giggling to herself, she loved seeing everyone. They looked so happy and peaceful - it was going to be a good day. Well, hopefully. She approached the group. Looking around, she spotted Professor Lear and made her way over, "Hey Professor, hey Mary, how's it going? Where do you want this, Sir?" She asked as she held one of the other boxes of food and snacks. She stood beside Mary, awaiting instructions on where to put the boxes "Need a hand with anything?" She continued, looking around. She noticed that a few of her friends had gone elsewhere, perhaps to get some more things. They had definitely made their way here before she did but didn't seem to be here yet.

Cynthia looked around at the other students setting up their tents and such.  She noticed everyone was doing a wonderful job and they seemed like they were all having a fun time.  She just hoped no one got hurt during this trip.

After asking Professor Lear if there was anything she could help with, he suggested that she go with Reid to check on James and Arceus and see if they were doing okay with the gathering of some firewood.  He handed her a length of rope in case they needed to round up the other two boys.  “I’ve never tried to… lasso… anyone before.  Is it hard?” Cynthia asked Professor Lear.  She secretly wondered how they would feel if those two boys had somehow gotten into trouble and had to be rescued by a girl.  She thought it would be funny.

Seeing Reid walking away towards the woods, she turned to hurry after him.  “Hey, Reid, wait up.  I’m coming with you.  You should never go into the woods alone.  Especially at night,” Cynthia called after him.  She turned on her own muggle flashlight and shined it around.  She knew the dangers of camping outside.  “My name is Cynthia, by the way.  Have you ever been camping before?  I’ve gone a few times with my parents in the Forest of Dean.  Of course, those were all wizard-style camping with magic and all,” she added.

Taking the professor’s words in and realizing his mistake Orion flushed briefly before shaking off the embarrassment. Taking his words to heart he observed the differences Mr. Lear explained before getting a general idea of what it was he needed to find. Thanking the professor before he hopped off to go find the “green” sticks in question.

As he made his way out of camp he noticed a pair who had just arrived, catching his “hey Beautiful.” Pulling a face at the remark before mock gagging as he went on his way he decided that if he ever heard such words out of himself he’d ask somebody to hex him real good.

Back to the matter at hand he eyed the surrounding trees trying to think of the best way to find branches of the right size. Looking to his fingers he decided if each branch was just about the size of a pencil… then it should be just fine, and when it came to school supplies he was nothing if not prepared. He was well aware that quills were the preference for classes but his notes to himself were always done in a number 2 pencil, as such he had the perfect tool for drawing comparison. With pencil in hand he set out to gather branches, it seemed he was alone in his task but that didn’t bother him much he was most at home with his own thoughts.

Finding branches that were fresh on trees he lined his pencil to them and broke them off idly humming a tune to himself, he figured one solid bundle ought to do It. Thusly he toiled merrily excited to think that sooner or later marshmallows would be speared on these very same sticks. He’d never had a smores before but from the very excited descriptions he had received it was not something he wanted to miss out on. 

Anna set her bag down on the ground and looked around at the other hufflepuffs. She heard some gossip about sneaking into the lake in the middle of the night going for a dip. Anna was delighted and wanted to join in, whether she was alone or not. She decided to get away from the noise by taking a walk outside the camp. She was by herself until she heard a cracking noise as if a small tree branch was being ripped off a tree. Anna froze, not realizing it was Orion a few feet away. Anna knew that someone could’ve been out here as well but what if there is some sort of monster? Her heart was beating so fast that she thought that whatever was making those noises would her her. Snatch the noise was there once more. She heard leaves crackle underneath the feat and realized it was getting closer. Was she to scream for help? Was she over reacting? She reached for her wand when it dawned at her that she doesn’t know any defense spells. 

She let go of her wand, leaving it in her pocket, and picked up a moldy looking stick. The old tree branch looked like it could break at any second, but it was better than nothing. She hid behind a tree, quiet and still. Her heart was beating even faster and her hands were so sweaty the the tree branch could’ve slipped out of her hands. The sound of footsteps grew closer...

Harley & Mary
Not much to say here, who am I to get in the way of love or eleven-year old lust at first sight. However their potential first day would likely fall flat on its face [read below]. 

Serena
The girl Huffle Prefect Serena would make her way down after most of the other Hufflepuff students had already arrived. They had already ran off into the woods to get wood. Most had already made camp, the coolers were stacked near the base of a tree leaving Solomon with a few stragglers that were either too lazy to venture into the darkened wood, too scared or already returned with their tithe to the flames. 

She asked if the professor needed any assistance. He was already sending two students out to search for the errant wood collectors. There was no need to send anymore, it was likely they stumbled upon his little prank. He expected more fanfare, maybe a little bit of screaming. He hoped that they did not do anything stupid. 

He might have cast a little spell, something to create the spooky nighttime ambiance of a camp out ripe for scary stories. He gave life to the shadows in the wood. They were harmless, simple creations. The creatures you see when a gnarled and twisted branch leaves a shadow under the light of a moon that takes the shape of a man, a creature or a monster. Harmless but terrifying indeed.




James, Cynthia & Reid
Solomon relinquished his lasso, the rope was heavier than it looked. It would seem to be a tremendous burden but he was not giving the young first year anything that she could not handle.

“I’ve never tried to… lasso… anyone before.  Is it hard?”

He let out a pleasant laugh, "no-no-no..." He answered as he tried to pat Cynthia on the head. "It is a magical item," much like everything else here in Hogwarts, "it will be aimed for the creature" or human "that you intend." He assured her. It was more complicated than that, but these children were in the raw, untrained state where their natural skill and instinct were the primary display of their strength. An explanation would only make the effort more arduous. 

She would run off after Reid. Solomon would not watch them as they ran off, the other students were likely not far. just far enough to trouble his consciousness.

Reid would find James almost immediately.  He was simply picking up sticks, minding his own business as he did so. He did not notice the skittering eight-legged creatures that ran over his feet and past his back. They were weightless, ethereal and they would curiously move about the ground and the trees, possibly even up James' pantleg to the back of his head.

Reid's batteries would work just as he made this discovery and announced to James what he had found on the back of his head. A bright light would shine on the back of James' head and as it did so the small leaf-sized creature would twist and grow thrice its length and girth. This monstrous shadow would take place of the curious, potentially reckless sentient darkness and let out a chattering hiss. 

Cynthia would call out to Reid, turning on her flashlight. There was a reason that Hogwarts lit candles and did not have electric lights and it was not for the romantic ambiance. Electrical devices go haywire in the presence of magic, but also not all magic responds kindly to the presence of muggle science. There was a clash of words just now as the living darkness became feral. Cynthia would see a clear path between herself and Reid and James. The light from their muggle devices would flood the area with a bright light and would draw back the darkness. There was not simply a trio of spiders darting about, there were long slithering shadows and faceless tallmen peering from around trees, all with the same malcontent for the lightness had come in defiance of their presence. Indeed these shadows had life to them, Solomon had seen to that. It was intended to only be a prank but the lights from their flashlights was more like a floodlight gone wrong. The shadows, long and unnatural as they were would let out an audible growl before they would retreat into the blackness outside of the range of their lights.

"What have you done!" Solomon shouted, forgetting their names momentarily. His formerly quiet, calm voice was bereft of mirth. "Those are muggle devices!" He had no idea what those flashlights were, a pureblood himself such muggle devices were nothing short of an oddity. After all he was not the Professor of Muggle Studies. He would draw his wand from his pocket and wordlessly attempt to cast something, sparks would erupt from the tip and he would let out a yelp of pain as he dropped his own wand. The spell had rebound, scalding his hands but that was not the only spell gone wrong. "Get out of there!" He cried out, warning them that something terrible was about to follow.

Orion:
Verily Orion would traverse the darkened wood seeking slender green sticks for the roasting and the toasting of such sweet confections. His adventure into the blackened thicket would be uneventful as he gathered his bundle. It would be more than enough if he had bothered to take a headcount and even if a few of them were dropped into the dirt or somehow burned up. 

He would be making his way back to the camp more than likely when he saw it. The bright, blinding light from a handheld device shown him what lurked in the dark. He would see something skitter away, a twisted and writhing darkness that like an unnatural, tangible shadow. 




That was not there before was it?

It let out an audible growl, its eyes empty. Tendrils of darkness would seem to reach and grasp at the air as it turned its dead gaze onto Orion.

Anna:
Perhaps it was her imagination running away from her, the woods were full of primarily mundane creatures as well as a dozen or so pre-teens. The children made almost no effort to conceal themselves  as they hurried about gathering their sticks and hauling their gear. Those that planned on sneaking off (they always try) tended to be the stealthier. They would sneak away when they assumed the Prefects and Teacher fell asleep most often but the ambitious ones always tried to sneak off early. Hormones start early for some apparently.

Anna would hide behind a tree, armed with a less than mighty stick. The rough bark would likely dig into her skin as she gripped the weapon of her choice. Something would round the tree, a shadowy figure taller than Anna by about 4 inches at least. If she darted around the tree and attempted to pummel the unfortunate with her mighty twig, it would break in twain on the very top of his, yes HIS head. 

He was no monster, if assaulted or not. In fact he was a fellow Hufflepuff or at least he was one if she would note his jacket and tie. He was tall enough to be a third year at least, but here he was among the first years. Perhaps he was held back a few years or they grew them big wherever he came from. 

James was still trying to recover from the spiderweb that he had run into, even after Arceus came and went, and up until Reid approached him. James didn’t know much about Reid. He didn’t really know anything about him other than his name and position as a Head Boy. James couldn’t even remember if he had ever talked to Reid.
In any case, Reid was walking up to him now. Of course, James figured he was probably just walking up to Arceus, and James just happened to be there too. But Reid, with his flashlight, was looking most peculiarly at James.
“Um, Hi, Reid?” James said, unsuredly at what was going on.
Reid shone his flashlight at James’ head, and James was instantly worried and maybe a little scared. Why was he acting so weird? What was he looking at? Why did he look scared too!?
"There's a spider - on the back of your head." he said.
For a moment, James was petrified, not exactly sure what Reid said, but then, once he registered in his mind what he had actually said, James slowly bent forward, making it so that the spider wouldn’t easily fall off of the back of his head. James felt the spider now, and that was because it was making some sort of movement. Squirming around.
However scared James was, however much he wanted to smack the spider away, he wasn’t going to. James bent down to pick up a large stick and held the end in his hand. He had not killed any living thing for as long as he could remember. Not even an ant or a fly. Whenever he would find them in his Muggle home, he would bend down with a piece of paper and set them outside with it. He loved animals, and even if they creeped him out, he would never want to kill them.
James reached back behind his head and slowly prompted the spider to climb onto the stick. With it, he hoped to lower it down from his head.
“What have you done!” James almost jumped at the sudden outburst ahead, from Professor Lear. “Get out of there!” he shouted.
James didn’t understand why, but he was first going to set down the spider before running anywhere.

Liz had seen the post about the camping trip and really wanted to join. It sounded like a lot of fun and when she'd written to her mamma about it earlier in the week she has encouraged her to definitely go!

So here she was. Outside and heading towards the lake. She was late. She figured that everyone else would already be there but she hoped that she wasn't too late. She had a bag over her shoulder with some supplies, a blanket and pillow and some snacks from the kitchen (she hoped that it was enough).

Heading out to the lake was slow going. Her genetic condition made her joints ache and even though she had a potion that helped a lot she hadn't taken it yet since she was rushed to get outside. So she hobbled with her cane, leaning on it heavily and feeling a bit out of breath as she made the journey across the grounds. It was a much longer trip than she would have liked.

By the time she saw the group over in the distance, she was quite tired out, breathing heavily and adjusting the heavy bag on her shoulder. She gripped her cane so hard that her knuckles were pale.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late! " she called when she was close enough. She waved her free hand to get their attention. "Can someone help me with my bag... please?" she asked bashfully. She felt bad but at the same time there were still a few meters to travel and she really wanted to just get over there and sit down.