2019-2020 First Year Entrance Finished

@Ava Hopper

AJ smiled at the compliment to her name. "Hi, Ava... Hope you haven't been waiting long... It was confusing, getting off the train and figuring out what to do." As she spoke, her voice dropped to slightly above a mumble.

The girl in the boat began to bounce her leg as she sat there. AJ smiled a tiny bit. At least she wasn't the only one who might be nervous.

AJ stepped onto the boat and sat next to Ava, offering a nervous smile. She wondered if it would be rude to ask if this girl came from a magical family. When she opened her mouth to speak, she thought better of it and turned away to look out over the water. Of course that would be rude! It would make AJ sound pretentious and impolite, even if she was really just curious. She wished her parents had introduced her to more witches and wizards when she was growing up. Maybe then she would have learned how to talk to others like her.

A light wind blew from across the water, and AJ tucked her robes tighter around herself. The castle silhouette looked so imposing, even though it was so far away. It seemed that the closer she got to it, the more nervous she felt.

"So, Ava... Did you parents go here, too?"

There we go. Much less rude.. unless the girl was from a muggle family and took offense. AJ felt her ears turn bright red and wished the lantern on the boat would turn off so she could hide.

Destiny scrambled out of the train sleepily, looking around nervously for Alarik. She couldn't find him, therefore she shut everything out and tried to calm herself, knowing he couldn't be there all the time. She brushed herself off, moving out of the train with her head down. She bumped into someone, mumbling profuse apologies. The train ride had been short for her, mainly due to the fact that she was asleep almost the entire time. She was eager to make new friends, but knew that it would be difficult for her, considering she was very shy at first glance.

Destiny looked around, trying to get a good bearing of her surroundings. Students were bombarding her, so she hunkered down right outside the door, patiently waiting for the students to have cleared out. After about five or ten minutes, she glanced around to see if there was anyone else coming, then decided there wasn't. She slowly peeked her head out first then walked at a good pace over to the crowd of students at the Great Lake. She stood on her toes to peek past, as she was very short, even for her age. She looked around once more to get a feel for the people and landmarks and waited patiently for instructions.

The first years were instructed to go four to a boat, unless there was a professor, but the professors were already taken up. This made Destiny anxious and she loitered for a bit before seeing that there was a boat with an extra seat or two. She sidled up to them.

"E-excuse me... Is this seat taken?" she asked shyly, almost at a mumble.

Interact with : @Destiny Royal | Mentioning : @Alexa Mackenzie | @AnnieJade Halstead | @Clay McGlinchy | @Cliffton Troublefield | @Meredith Ready

Cassie had not realize that they already arrived at Hogsmeade. The nearest train station towards Hogwarts. They had so much fun interact with their fellow young witches and wizard that they shared on the compartment in the train. Far ahead they saw the back heads of Alexa, AJ and Clay but Cassie lost the sight of Cliff and Meredith in the sea of black robes the First Year students mandate to wear.

Then they heard someone shouted “First years this way!”. Cassie followed the instruction. The dapper blonde hair professor said the boats will consist of four people unless one of the professors will join the said boat. Upon following the voice, a short trek later there is a number of boats in the big and wide Lake.

Cassie clambered in toward one of the vacant boats. Waiting for the others to join them. From this point of view the Castle have not seen yet but from what their Father and Mother told what Hogwarts look like, the Castle will be a sight to see and it will be magical. The soft lapped wave of the Great Lake rocked the boat gently.

Cassie almost lulled to sleep until they heard a voice. A timid voice. "E-excuse me... Is this seat taken?"The girl said so softly, almost like a mumble. Cassie had to strain their ears but they heard it nonetheless. "No. You can join me if you want"Cassie stated to the pink dye'd hair girl.

"I'm Cassandra. Do you need help getting in?"Cassie stuck their hand out for the girl to shake and ready to assist the other girl to clamber inside the boat if she need it.

Elspeth hopped off the train, waving to her compartment mates as she got lost in the throng of students making their way off the platform. She had just enough time to make out the rooftops of some of the shops in Hogsmeade before she heard a lovely yet commanding voice shout, "First year students this way!" Turning toward the sound Elspeth couldn't make much out over the sea of pointy black hats in front of her. Everything, even the earth beneath her feet, appeared to be moving ahead and sweeping her along with it. Suddenly she felt a pang of longing, she wished she'd stayed with the other first years she'd sat with. Or that she'd stayed on the train platform with her parents. She was the only familiar thing, looking out at unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar place. There was no solid rock for her to cling to, no constant point that she could reference to know where she stood. Although deeply unsettled, Elspeth still couldn't pinpoint exactly what she was feeling, because she seemed to be feeling everything all at once which was overwhelming. She took a deep breath in and continued to feel her feet moving forward to her disbelief.

The path out of Hogsmeade took a dip toward a wooded area. As the sun had begun to set the tall trees turned from deep greens into darker silhouettes backlight by warm moonlight. Many of the first years around her were having conversations with one another, and there was an occasional shout or loud laugh. There seemed to be some excitement at the very front of the group, she could make out the shadows of students jumping up and down to get a look at something she couldn't make out from where she was toward the back. Mostly it was quiet, though and she could make out the gentle crunching of boots on scattered pine cones.

Then, there was the sound of small waves lapping at a dock. It was too dark to see the inky black water ahead, but there was no mistaking the sight just ahead of her. Hogwarts seemed to be floating out in the night sky, it's windows a collection of flickering fairy lights up next to the stars. She would have stopped in her tracks, the view taking her breath away, had the force of the students behind her not compelled her to continue walking. Her mother had shown her pictures from when she was a student here, but nothing quite compares to seeing it for the first time yourself. Nothing compares to realizing that this is your new home.

The sound of crunching pine cones gave way to the scuffling of pebbles as the group made it to the rocky beach. There were adults at the front of the group explaining what was going on, but Elspeth couldn't make out their words exactly and so just followed the students in front of her. Once she made it to the shore she saw there was a long row of beached row boats awaiting everyone, lit by the glow of lanterns at the bow. She carefully stepped in, the boat rocking just a little as she found herself a seat on the side so she could dip her fingers into the water. Pondskimmers flickered around on the surface of the water, reacting to the reflected lamplight that wiggled with the waves each time someone stepped in.

Once the boat was full someone (or something? or some magic? Elspeth hadn't really been paying attention) pushed it off the shore and into the water. The pondskimmers now out of view, Elspeth had the sudden urge to help row the boat. She looked down at the floor for an oar, but couldn't spot one before realizing that the boats appeared to be propelled by something else. Oh, yeah.... right. Even though she was wizardborn, she'd grown up in a town that was overwhelmingly muggle based. Her mom would use magic at home, but otherwise Elspeth had learned the non-magic way to do most things. She could set up a tent, make a fire (well... with matches at least), row a boat. Her dad thought it was important that Elspeth grow up knowing some of his favorite past times as a kid and so she spent a lot of time outdoors appreciating the magic inherent in nature.

And now? Now she felt surrounded by a whole new kind of magic. The glassy black lake, the tall evergreens standing watch, and Hogwarts, sitting atop the cliff with her future waiting inside. She dipped her fingertips in the water as it flowed slowly by. The cold grounded her a little bit, brought her feet back to earth as she felt like she would float away. Some of the other first years were talking around her, but she couldn't catch any of their conversation - lost in her own thoughts.

The boats floated through the lake as Akina tried to run her hands through the water, the unknown people in her boat pushing her back upright. She sighs, wanting to see the magic of the water. Was that what was pushing them forward? Was there moving them below? Was there something she couldn't see around them moving it? This experience was so new and scary that she just wanted to try and figure one thing out.

After what felt like years in the boat with people who didn't understand her plight she finally sees the school. The floating lights and high walls bring back a sense of wonder that she had with the water, like a shiny new set of keys placed in front of a toddler. "Woah, we will be living in a castle?" She mutters to herself, not caring for her "classmates" ideas for it. Akina stares at the beauty of the dark lit building as the boat comes to a stop, an arm dragging her off of the boat. She doesn't notice, it could have been a teacher or student that remove her being from the small water craft, what mattered was that her legs were moving on solid ground and all she wanted to do was bolt towards doors she knew were somewhere close.

This is it! Akina could feel it in her bones. Everything that had happened to her before this point was for this moment, this exciting life that she had now. She slinked out of the grip of the person who had taken her arm before rushing to the front of the pack of students.

The ways that they walked to the grand entrance made her stop, though still brimming with energy. She looked to the other students, and deflated a bit. The girl tried to still herself with her will power but her feet just kept up with her excitement that she trips and falls face first onto the steps. "Oof!" she exclaims as her body goes splat. "Ouch, I hope no one saw that." she mutters to herself before leaning against the wall as if it will hide her by swallowing her whole.