November Cleaning the Owlery pv HVC vol 1 finished

time: 2:30 pm	interacting with:
date: October 5th, 2025	Members of the @Hogwarts Volunteer Club @Cassie Jiang
outfit: Reducio	hair: Reducio

Scarlet nervously paced outside the owlery. She had never been a huge fan of group events but was passionate about volunteer work. When she saw the advertisement for the Hogwarts Volunteer Group, she signed up without actually thinking through the fact that she had to show up and interact with other people. Scarlet took a few deep breaths and tried to talk herself into walking through the doors.

Come on, Scarlet. It is just a few hours of your time. You may actually meet some cool people who share your passion for helping others. Remember how excited you were that day you signed up. Just focus on that.

Scarlet adjusted her Hufflepuff-designed 'Hogwarts Volunteer' badge before pushing open the doors. When she stepped inside, she saw a tall girl with wonderful blue hair. She was holding a bag of what seemed like cleaning supplies. Scarlet knew that the task today was to help clean up the owlery, which was in desperate need of cleaning, as Scarlet noticed now. She saw everything from owl droppings to dead mice. On the less disgusting side, there was also a ton of trash left from the letters the owls delivered. The room was in such a mess that it looked like it would take days to properly clean it. It seemed to fuel Scarlet's need for perfection and gave her enough confidence to walk up to the girl and say, "Hi, I'm Scarlet! I'm ready to help whenever you are!"

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Mentions: Reducio @Cassie Jiang @Scarlet Payne

Quote: Reducio Curiosity always leads somewhere.

Outfit: Reducio

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Diana wasn't one for huge group gatherings, but when she heard about a volunteer club, the young Seer decided to sign up for it. It'd allow her to interact with other people in different houses, and hopefully allow her to meet people who aren't in the same year as her. On the first Sunday of October, there was a meeting of sorts to go and clean the owlery. Diana has been to the owlery a few times, especially since she has her own owl, Khione, and most of the time she went up to check on her snowy owl, so Diana knows all about how messy the owlery can be. However, this time the spiral staircase seemed to stretch higher than Diana remembered. As she climbed the last few steps, the soft sounds of hooting and rustling feathers echoed through the tall circular room. She paused in the circular entrance, a small smile on her face. She always felt connected to owls, or maybe just to Khione, but she loved them all the same.

When Diana entered, she was hit with the faint smell of straw and feathers, though there was also the unmistakable scent of something less pleasant lingering in the air. Bits of straw and feathers were scattered along the floor, and a few abandoned pellets sat near the walls. Diana saw a bag filled with gloves, towels, and what looked like disposal bags, which made Diana guess the work would start soon.

That's when she noticed two other girls, an older one with a blue 'Hogwarts Volunteer badge', like her own, and the other girl was around the same age as Diana, but she was wearing a yellow badge instead of a blue one, which made the young Raven assume that the other girl was a Hufflepuff. Diana approached the two girls and decided to introduce herself. “My name is Diana,” she added after a moment. “If there’s anything that needs doing, I can help.”

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Word Count: 324/200

The sun was still warm on Zephyr's face as he made his way toward the owlery. He was going there not to send letters to his family but to clean the owlery. It's going to be a difficult task to think that there were a lot of feathers and birds droppings in there but with the help of other volunteers, he thought it would be feasible. It may be sunny but the wind was as cold as ever it's still making him shiver to the bone. It was not a surprise that he woke up early that morning again and before anyone can stand up and eat breakfast, he had already done a lot from doing some warm-up exercises to helping around wherever he could in their common room. Thinking about that, he really liked providing his assistance, whether one was in need of it or not, and maybe it was also the reason why it was easy for him to join the Hogwarts Volunteer Club. He liked the feeling of helping people and taking care of things around him.

He was made the deputy of the club and instead of feeling pressured about the role, he would like to think he was responsible enough for this, even though he was still very young. Ignoring any negative thoughts, he said yes, and being a deputy meant his presence would be required and expected, but besides that, he wanted to help better. Growing up on the farm taught him hard work and responsibility; it was all part of his life. Even a small task is important and the Hogwarts Volunteer Club have the same mission.

Reaching the top of the owlery, he stopped by the doorway for a while as he caught his breath. It was a long way up. He was immediately welcomed by the smell of hay, feathers, and bird droppings which only reminded him of what they needed there. "Hello..." He greeted the students who were already in attendance including their leader Cassie. The two students was telling Cassie they're ready to help.

Cassie made volunteer badges which they will hand over to those who are willing to volunteer. As a member of the club, students would receive a member badge, and for every task they join and complete, they would receive additional badges. It was a small thing, but it conveys that a little recognition and appreciation go a long way. Also, don't you find it nice to see people proud after a day of helping. "Is there anything you need me to do Cassie before we start?"

While Cassie is checking her bag for tools, she notices a few other students enter the owlery. There is still five minutes before the volunteer activity begins, and Cassie, as an extrovert, is thrilled to meet new friends. They only met once before when they were signing up for the club. To be honest, Cassie finds it hard to remember their names, so she is relieved when they introduces themselves again.

She looks around, and finds two girls, from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and the deputy head of the club, Zephyr Deakin. 'Hi Scarlet, hi Diana. Hi Zephyr!' she says with a warm smile. 'I am so glad that you guys arrive early for our first ever volunteer activity! As you can see, we'll be cleaning this owlery for the next two hours! And yes, Zephyr' she turns to the Hufflepuff boy, 'can you please help me distribute those tools?' she says as she pulls her things out of the bag.

She also explains them to the other club members, while handing Zephyr the things. 'Each of you can take a pair of gloves, which are used not only to keep your hands clean, but also to prevent you from getting ill in case you've got a wound or something on your hands. These towels are used to clean the walls and the floor, you can dip them into water to make it wet here' she says as she raises the water bottle a bit. 'And these disposable bags are used to hold any litter you find, just throw them here!'

She smiles at the rest. 'And, as I promised when you were signing up for the club, you will each get a small badge after each volunteer activity you participate in! So I've brought some cute little badges for you, which you'll get two hours later.'

She checks the time. 'Oh, it seems to be two thirty already, so take your tools and let the activity begin!'

Interacting with: @Zephyr Deakin
Minor Interactions: @Diana Roberts @Scarlet Payne
Mentions: the rest of the club
@Julia Evans @George Calder @Marcella di Angelo @Mirada Johnson @Denise Yarbrough
OOC note: any new members posting after this post would be in character A FEW MINUTES LATE

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Mentions: Reducio @Cassie Jiang @Scarlet Payne @Zephyr Deakin

Quote: Reducio Curiosity always leads somewhere.

Outfit: Reducio

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Diana listened quietly and carefully as Cassie explained the instructions. They'd be there for two hours. It seemed like a long time, but once they got working, the time would pass faster than one would know. It seemed, for now, there are two Ravenclaws, herself and Cassie, and two Hufflepuffs, Scarlet and the deputy of the club, Zephyr. Diana was pretty sure she had seen the two Hufflepuffs before, possibly in classes or around the school. Diana watched as gloves, towels, and disposable bags were handed around. The explanation seemed simple enough, but Diana still listened carefully. She liked to be certain she understood things before starting. She also knew what all the supplies would do, but she still listened carefully, since she didn't want to make more of a mess.

When the supplies reached her, she mumbled a thanks before she put on her gloves. She then put the towel on her arm and held the disposable bag. It was easier that way, since one hand was free while the other held the supplies. Diana wasn't thinking about rewards, but the badge for helping clean the owlery seemed nice. Soon, it was time for the activity to begin. And once it began, Diana moved toward a quieter section of the owlery wall. Then, the young seer and owl mother dipped her towel into a bit of water before gently wiping at a dusty patch of stone. The cloth quickly picked up feathers and dirt. Diana glanced around out of habit as she worked.

She was mainly glancing around to make sure she wasn't under any owls, since she didn't want them to poo on her. But then, she noticed a familiar shape perched a little higher up. It was a snowy owl, her snowy owl to be exact. And how Diana knew it was hers because the snowy owl’s white feathers stood out easily among the darker birds around her, and she calmly sat on the wooden beam, her golden eyes focused downward. Diana looked up at Khione, and she blinked slowly before letting out a soft, pleased hoot. Hearing the hoot, Diana smiled softly. "Hello, Khione," she murmured, careful not to disturb the other owls. "I'm just cleaning," Diana added before she returned to her work, with Khione watching her. Diana figured that Khione was happy that her mother was so close to her, and Diana would be too if she were an owl or any animal.

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Word Count: 409/200

time: 2:32 pm	interacting with:
date: October 5th, 2025	@Hogwarts Volunteer Club @Cassie Jiang @Diana Roberts @Zephyr Deakin

After introducing herself, Scarlet watched as first a Ravenclaw girl entered the owlery, followed by a Hufflepuff boy. The two individuals looked fairly familiar, but Scarlet hadn't properly met them before. The head of the Hogwarts Volunteer Club, Cassie, welcomed us and began to explain the task at hand as the boy passed out some supplies.

Scarlet made sure to listen intently to everything Cassie said, worried that she might make a mistake somehow. At the end of the explanation, Cassie mentioned the badges that she will pass out at the end of the event. Scarlet was looking forward to the badge but was more excited to help out. That had been her intent for joining this club.

Scarlet put the gloves on right away and threw the towel over her shoulder. She then picked up the disposable bag and took a look around the room. Scarlet watched as the Ravenclaw girl walked towards one side of the owlery. Feeling too shy to interact with others yet, Scarlet found a spot a little to the left that was especially dirty.

Ready to get to work, Scarlet put the bag down and bent down to the ground. The amount of owl droppings on the floor made her gag, so she held her breath as she cleaned them up and put them in the disposable bag. Once the floor was clear, she took her towel and poured some water from her bottle onto it. She wiped the floors until she could actually see the stone pattern. Wow, I wonder when the last time this floor got cleaned, Scarlet thought. She knew she would be here for quite a while, but she was truly enjoying the hard work.

Cassie explained that they would be cleaning for the next two hours, and for Zephyr, that seemed reasonable enough, he was prepared to work that long. Turning to her, their leader asked for his help to distribute the tools which he gladly answered without hesitation. "You got it." And accepted the tools from her, and whilst she explained each item, he went around the owlery to distribute them to the students who were present. It’s important to stay safe while working. It was a simple but effective method that the girl showed with the towel.

As she described the disposable bags for litter, he began handing them out to the others one by one. While walking around, he spoke to the students: “Here you go.”, "Welcome to the club.", "I'm Zephyr." making sure they received what they needed before keeping one for himself. Cassie proceeded explaining the volunteer badges, that each participant would receive one after completing the activity and this was different badge from the ones they already received as a club member. Honestly, it would be nice to collect the badges too. Not only they're proof that you help with a lot of cleaning activity around the school, but they just looked cool to have. The girl really did a good job creating them. He appreciated the effort she put into organising the club and preparing small rewards. He knew the badges were not the main reason students volunteered, but he also understood that recognition could encourage others easily, and personally, it was a thoughtful gesture.

Checking the time, it's time to begin He adjusted his gloves, picked up a towel, and moved toward one section of the floor. Inside, he felt focused and ready to work. As Deputy, he also felt responsible for helping the activity run smoothly, so he made sure everyone had their tools before beginning his own cleaning. He started with the floor closest to the entrance since it was the area very dirty. It was better to begin there before moving deeper into the room. Using his gloved hands, he picked up larger pieces of trash and old nesting material and placed them into the disposable bags. With this, he also ensure to separate litter from the owls’ nests so nothing important would be thrown away by mistake.

Cassie happily sees that everyone has started cleaning. She picks up a towel too, soaks it in water, and cleans the nearby floor. It seems that not many has come to clean the owlery before, since some of the dirt is sort of like it's stuck to the ground. Only ten minutes have passed before Cassie feels a sense of tiredness. She supposes that others are feeling the same. It is indeed too tiring to do such cleaning nonstop for two hours.

Cassie has thought of this question before. Thus, she has designed a game for the club members. She waits until everyone has finish cleaning a small patch of area and says, 'Hi everyone! Please stop what you are doing right now for a minute, I have something to tell you!' she waits until everyone is listening.

'One week ago, I came to the owlery and put six golden keys in different corners. Now, I suppose they are already hidden by owl droppings and dust. Each key is of a different design. Whoever finds the key can keep it as a gift. While there are six keys in all, only one can open this treasure box.' Cassie takes a small wooden box from her bag. 'While cleaning the owlery, look for the keys! Now off to work!'

OOC Game Rule Everyone who posts after this post can roleplay looking for the key. If you wish to participate, your post must end with your character spotting something shiny. Do not roleplay that you find the key or the key opens the treasure box. You can look for another key once your last post is moderated Two 6-side dice will be rolled. The first dice decides if you have found a key. If you get a number over 2, you have found the key. Then I'll roll a second dice. The first person whose dice shows 6 will get the key. If the first five people who got the key all did not get a 6 in the dice, the last person will get the right key. The result will be shown in my post. Any questions please owl me.

Mentions: @Zephyr Deakin @Diana Roberts @Julia Evans @George Calder @Marcella di Angelo @Mirada Johnson @Denise Yarbrough @Scarlet Payne @Kylie Nguyen @Harumi Everdane @Natasha Blackwood

Reducio Word count: ≈480

Reducio Mention: @Zephyr Deakin, @Cassie Jiang, @Scarlet Payne, @Diana Roberts

Reducio Outfit:

Who would have expected Harumi to actually join a club? Initially she didn't want to join anything that'll require her to interact with people, because what if she messed everything up and people started to hate her?!

----But when she saw the volunteer club she felt the need to join and help everyone, she kept ignoring that feeling, but then, in a brave moment she signed herself up, now she can't back out! Everything will be fine, right?

----Well, she's running late, which is fine, but she didn't want to be late for their first meeting, it leaves a bad impression! She's blaming her past self for everything she did, from signing her up to waking up late today.

----She's wearing wearing simple clothes, mainly to be able to move easily while cleaning, the volunteer badge attached to her shirt, proof she actually joined, she was actually very happy with the badge. She started running half way to the owlery, hoping to arrive a bit less late, if she can't be on time, at least she won't be too late.

----Finally she arrived, she quickly glanced around to see who's there, they're all mostly first years, except for Cassie, the club head. Zephyr, her friend, was also there, she was glad to see a familiar face, but soon, all the club will be familiar faces too. They seemed to have already started the cleaning already.

----"Hi, everyone! I'm Harumi! Sorry for being late!" She introduced herself. "I'll start right away!" She added enthusiasticly. In her head she was screaming, why did her words seem stupid? She's probably overthinking, nobody cares, right? On the outside she seemed pretty normal, maybe even excited, nobody would have guessed her thoughts.

----Harumi went ahead and took the cleaning supplies to start working, she didn't want to just stand awkwardly there, the more time she's doing nothing, the more she'll feel awkward.

----She quickly went to the furthest spot from everyone, and started to clean, perhaps because she felt too scared to interact with anyone, or perhaps because she wanted to help cover the most amount of area possible, maybe it's both.

----She picked up the dirt and garbage, she was really glad to have gloves, because the amount of dead rats here is concerning. Harrumi quickly loosened up, maybe picking up rats made her realise talking with people is ten times better.

----Hearing Cassie talk about the hidden keys, Harumi became curious, she didn't care about the treasure much, but she was curious where the keys could be hidden. Anyhow, she wasn't going to go out of her way to find them, she'll just make sure to pay attention for anything shiny.

----She returned to cleaning, picking up feathers and dead animals, Harumi liked owls, but cleaning up their mess was definitely a tiring job. While wiping a dirty spot on the floor, Harumi noticed something shiny.