First Year Entrance
Place: Great Lake near Hogsmeade Station
Date: September 1st, 2026
Time: Evening, just as the Hogwarts Express is pulling into Hogsmeade Station
Mahdi faced the evening of the first of September with the grim determination of a man preparing for an ordeal. For not only did he have to interact with very many children, he had to do it while he was acting as the face of Hogwarts. At least the lake was calm.
No breeze disturbed its surface. The moonlight sat across it in a long silver strip, broken only by the small line of boats waiting at the dock. They were plain wooden vessels, freshly cleaned. They appeared ordinary enough at first glance. But a closer look revealed narrow inlaid runes. Mahdi had had the boats enchanted only days ago as a favor from one of the professors: reinforcement charms in the timber, a stabilizing enchantment beneath the hull, and a light protective ward intended to keep the boats level should the lake turn rough. The stabilizing charm was not confined to the boats. Fine lines of warding ran beneath their hulls, anchoring each vessel to the water around it so that neither current nor creature could push it off course. The charms were sensible, but more importantly, modest things. Mahdi had inspected them twice. He had also brought his old hunting dagger. Perhaps less-than-sensible, but he had not found it in himself to leave it behind.
By rights, he should be confident. He had survived things much worse than a gaggle of kids. But the mere prospect that he had to face the children left him weary.
Nothing doing. It was show time.
He took a deep breath and called out. "First years! First Years over here! Leave everything behind, they'll make it to your rooms in Hogwarts before you do!" He did not have to shout, his voice carrying over the platform noise. He waited for several minutes, repeating himself every so often while students gathered around. Once enough children had assembled, Mahdi exhaled.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," he said at last. "We will cross the lake in those boats. Four to a boat. Choose your boats. Once you board, you stay in the boat."
A beat of silence, as he looked over the lake.
"Keep your hands inside the boat. Do not throw anything into the lake. Do not feed anything in the lake. And if you drop something." Here, he paused, before turning back to the gathered first-years. "You tell me. You do not go after it.”
For the briefest moment, one side of his mouth threatened to become a smile. "The lake is deep, cold, and home to creatures that have no interest in explaining themselves to you."
Mahdi stepped aside, leaving the path to the boats open.
"Four to a boat," he repeated. "Take your places. We will set off shortly."
Boat Status
Boat 1: Mahdi Hassan,
Boat 2: Xio Arcana, Bella Light
Boat 3: Elara Whitlock, Maya Maxwell
Boat 4: [FULL] Solène d'Estienne, Casimir Beaumont, Willow Starch, Edith Phence-Moakley
Boat 5: Jen Noor
Boat 6: Núria Serra-Coromines, Marigold Wesley
Boat 7: [FULL] Kahira Valerian, Rascal Ragg, Zayn Al-Ashmuni, Zyva Hel Fae Skógrwight
OOC Notes!
- This thread is open to all first-year students in the 2026-2027 school year.
This is an "open thread," so feel free to join whenever, even if the boats are already on the move (in which case, act like you've been there the whole time). I'll keep the list of boats above up to date so that you know which boats are open for you to join. Please note in your first post which boat you are joining!- I will be posting in this thread every 10ish days to do a "mod post." If you'd like to perform a moderated action, please state the action clearly in your post. You may only perform spells if they are indexed in your trunk. And do not roleplay reactions, follow-up actions, or results to your moderated action until I have clearly stated whether you were successful or not. You get one action per chapter.
- A helpful tip for a big group thread like this is to tag the people you're interacting with (the people in your boat) so that you don't have to read everyone's posts, only the people you're talking to. To tag someone, put their name between two mention brackets, like so:
Code: Select all
[mention]Full Name[/mention]- In your first post, please state which boat you are boarding, if you wish to board a specific boat. Otherwise, I will assign you a boat at random during moderation.
- All RPG rules apply. You do not need to be “indexed” to participate in this thread, all are welcome! Word count minimum per post is 200 words of your own work, not including quotes, ooc chat or other people's words. Any "flood" messages (posts under 200 words) will be deleted after a warning owl is sent.
- dNPCs are not allowed to participate in staff moderated threads.
- Always feel free to send me any owl or DM if you have any questions or concerns.
First Year Entrance
banner by @Leo Noxley ↓
| xxxxx | Kahira Valerian could hardly wait. She had just stepped off the Hogwarts Express, practically twitching with excitement; there could hardly be more than an hour left until she would finally, finally be Sorted into Slytherin, a dream the young redhead had held so very close to her shriveled heart since before she could even visualise so much as what being a part of the snake House meant. Kahira hardly ever really smiled, but the grin splitting her round face was one of pure joy as she clicked her dark heels behind the caretaker all the way down to the lakeshore... where it immediately faded. Of course, she'd heard of the boat trip across the Black Lake from her brother @Blaize Valerian and her father Aldric; it was as much a time-honoured first-year tradition nearly as being Sorted. But that didn't mean she had to like the idea of sitting in a damp canoe, just inches of badly-carved wood away from dark, cold water and a ruination of her carefully put-together hairdo and outfit. These shoes were Gianella Gonzaga, for Merlin's sake - they could not be exposed to a single drop of liquid, let alone the shivering depths in which horrid creatures surely lurked. Still, the short first-year picked her way carefully across the pebbled shore to the closest boat (Boat 7), into which she gingerly lifted one foot and then the other before taking a light perch of a seat on one of the benches. She dared not sit too comfortably, lest she be poked by a splinter or - gasp! - get a stain on her freshly bought, perfectly tailoured skirt. Then Kahira turned at the waist to gaze behind her at the crowd of other new students who had been following with her down from the train, her gaze searching for those she already knew - both those who had fallen in with her favour (such as her longtime best mate @Nova Vancourt, or her new pureblood friends from camp @Idalia della Torre and @Caitríona MacDermott, all of whom she was sure would end up in Slytherin right alongside her for a perfectly pure quartet)... and those who had not. There were plenty more names on the latter list than on the former. Dark eyes stared viciously into the crowd, almost daring others to choose to sit with her. One thing was for certain: if someone picked her boat and then caused her to tip out into the icy waters of the lake, they would never make it off of that second list... |
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Last edited by Kahira Valerian on 2 Sep 2026, 20:42, edited 3 times in total.
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First Year Entrance
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Solène left the train with her peers, dressed in her school robes as required, her dark brown hair left free to fall across her back. While she hadn’t given her robes much thought when she had purchased them, the fact that they would soon magically change to represent her sorted house was just another fascinating feature. Before her mind could be pulled in the direction of enchanted clothing and lost in their possibilities, a voice carried over the din calling for the first years.
As directed, she made her way over with the rest of the budding witches and wizards while the presumed staff member managed to corral the excited children. His instructions were clear. Leave your belongings behind; they will find their home, choose a boat to cross the lake in, and stay in the boat. Furthermore, do not throw things into the lake, feed anything in the lake, and if something were to be dropped, he was to be notified. You were not to go into the lake. Solène looked at the dark surface water of the lake. Fair enough. While I want to meet the things in the lake, I am vastly ill-prepared for such a meeting… But what an amazing experience that would be.
She came back into the speech hearing that there were four students per boat, so Solène chose a boat close to the center of the bunch, which just happened to be boat 4. It gave what she believed to be the best view of the castle as she nestled into a seat as close to the front as she was able to. Her hands clutched the ridge of the boat as she stared up in wonder at the castle. What ancient magics you must hold deep within your walls, what knowledge there is to uncover, and most importantly, what mysteries there were to solve… I simply cannot wait.
The pursuit of knowledge was a siren song straight to her heart, and the melody left her entranced, practically vibrating with excitement.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ENCY ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ | Stamina 4 | Evasion 6 | Strength 2 | Wisdom 8 | ArcPower 10 | Accuracy 5 |
Abilities| Perfectionist
First Year Entrance
Word Count: 316
Date: September 1st, 2026
Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Great Lake, Hogwarts
When Xio and @Bella Light departed from the Hogwarts Express and were welcomed with the view of the grand Black Lake, Xio couldn't help but jump and stomp excitedly in place.
"Eeeee! I get to finally see the legendary Black Lake! My siblings seriously talked it down! That smell! That taste! It's huge! It's wonderful!"
She took a deep breath in with her arms spreading wide open as she enjoyed the smell and taste of the dense lake air.
It was almost immediately afterwards that she heard the Professor call over the students, Xio took Bella's hand in excitement and tugged her towards the dock where the boats were lined up.
"I have dreamed for this 'lake-view of Hogwarts' for years Bella! Let's grab that boat next to the Professor! (Boat 2)"
Xio exclaimed excitedly without waiting for Bella's response, she already had a foot down into the boat before anyone in the vicinity could respond, slipped once, but settled into the boat otherwise.
Once Xio was seated comfortably in the boat, and waited for Bella to get comfortable next to her, she couldn't help but sway the boat slightly side to side in excitement as she had her head on a swivel, taking in all the sights and smells. She also excitedly waited to see who else would be joining them on this first ride to the castle.
"Do you like to swim Bella? I love swimming! I learned how to swim when I was three! My family lives on a coastal town so I do often get to swim but -man- I have wondered what it was like to swim in the Black Lake! My siblings have a running bet saying that I won't be able to hold myself back and be in the Black Lake before the week is out...I'll do my best to not satisfy them but -man- this water looks amazing!"
Last edited by Xio Arcana on 5 Sep 2026, 05:00, edited 7 times in total.
First Year Entrance
Bella followed @Xio Arcana as Xio dragged her onto Boat 2, chatting the whole way.
"This is the Black Lake? It's so...intriguing! My parents had told me about this famous lake before, too!" Bella exclaimed. She turned around in a circle and breathed in, taking in the variety of different scents and the wind brushing her hair.
As Xio and Bella entered the boat, Bella noticed that Xio, in her excitement, almost slipped, but decided to not point it out, since Xio seemed fine. They both took a seat.
"I really like swimming. It's fun! Although I learned when I was seven, not three. Learning at three years old is really impressive, Xio! But are you sure you want to swim in the Black Lake? I heard that there were...what were they called again...oh yeah...Grindylows in the waters??"
Bella peered down at the side of the boat into the lake.
"Do you think we will see the Giant Squid? Or the merpeoples? Hey, Xio, if I accidentally fall out of the boat, do you think the Giant Squid would come save me? I mean, I'm not going to fall out on purpose, but if I did, what do you think would happen?"
Bella turned to look at her new friend, who was staring back at her curiously.
"This is the Black Lake? It's so...intriguing! My parents had told me about this famous lake before, too!" Bella exclaimed. She turned around in a circle and breathed in, taking in the variety of different scents and the wind brushing her hair.
As Xio and Bella entered the boat, Bella noticed that Xio, in her excitement, almost slipped, but decided to not point it out, since Xio seemed fine. They both took a seat.
"I really like swimming. It's fun! Although I learned when I was seven, not three. Learning at three years old is really impressive, Xio! But are you sure you want to swim in the Black Lake? I heard that there were...what were they called again...oh yeah...Grindylows in the waters??"
Bella peered down at the side of the boat into the lake.
"Do you think we will see the Giant Squid? Or the merpeoples? Hey, Xio, if I accidentally fall out of the boat, do you think the Giant Squid would come save me? I mean, I'm not going to fall out on purpose, but if I did, what do you think would happen?"
Bella turned to look at her new friend, who was staring back at her curiously.
Bella Light
First Year Entrance
Word Count: 290
Date: September 1st, 2026
Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Great Lake, Hogwarts (Boat 2)
Xio laughed excitedly as she hooked her arm through @Bella Light's and tugged her close to her so that their shoulders pressed.
"Its a lake isn't it? Lakes are meant to be swam in!"
She pressed a foot against the seat in front of her and leaned back slightly, wanting a better view of the vast lake that surrounded them.
"I HOPE we see the Giant Squid! Vesper made me a hand sewn plushie of it for one of my earlier birthdays and I have wanted so badly to see if it was as big as she claimed! If its merpeople, we should see how long they will stick around when I start squawking at them...either way, I won't let you fall in, and even if we did, we'll go down together!"
Xio was joking, of course, but it was all in the name of soothing her new friend and her nerves. To distract her, Xio decided to ask Bella more questions about her self and her expectations of Hogwarts.
"Speaking of going 'overboard', what is going to be your first meal you'll want to eat? Im super excited to just see the lineup of the feast they have for us! Kael said that the pot roast can usually be trusted, Nyx said that sometimes the drinks will change mid-sip, and Ren said during his Sorting Ceremony he had accidentally eaten a 'dragon-breath meatball' and he said his tongue still tastes ash occasionally. I really hope they have a good collection of soups, I'm a sucker for a good soup on a cold night! Wow--look you can faintly see the castle glow in the distance!"
Xio suddenly exclaimed as she pointed across the lake towards the Hogwarts Castle.
Last edited by Xio Arcana on 5 Sep 2026, 22:17, edited 6 times in total.
First Year Entrance
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Date: 1 September 2026
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Making memories that last
First Year Entrance
"Actually, I think swimming pools are meant to be swam in, not lakes full of creatures! But yep, I think we should maybe swim in it ONCE, together, one day before we graduate from Hogwarts. It would be a memorable experience. Perhaps."
Bella gently pushed @Xio Arcana shoulder in a teasing way.
"Yay! At least we would both go down together!" she chuckled. "Ooh, I havveeee to see that plushie Vesper made you!"
Bella listened as Xio continued talking about the food during their first meal at Hogwarts.
"I don't know what meal I want to eat! They all sound so good! I think I will just try some of everything, I suppose! My mom said that during her first meal, she ate roast chicken that tasted really good...only it made everything else she ate that night taste like sugar! I might save that for the end, though, if I do try the chicken!"
At Xio's gasp and exclamation, Bella glanced up and gasped as well. In front of them stood the majestic castle.
"It looks just like how my father described it to me during my bedtime tales...when I was younger, of course," she chuckled, glancing at her friend. "It seems so mysterious, so strange...I can't wait to GO!"
Bella gently pushed @Xio Arcana shoulder in a teasing way.
"Yay! At least we would both go down together!" she chuckled. "Ooh, I havveeee to see that plushie Vesper made you!"
Bella listened as Xio continued talking about the food during their first meal at Hogwarts.
"I don't know what meal I want to eat! They all sound so good! I think I will just try some of everything, I suppose! My mom said that during her first meal, she ate roast chicken that tasted really good...only it made everything else she ate that night taste like sugar! I might save that for the end, though, if I do try the chicken!"
At Xio's gasp and exclamation, Bella glanced up and gasped as well. In front of them stood the majestic castle.
"It looks just like how my father described it to me during my bedtime tales...when I was younger, of course," she chuckled, glancing at her friend. "It seems so mysterious, so strange...I can't wait to GO!"
Bella Light
First Year Entrance
"Ow...man alive my butt is stiff..." Rascal would stretch the second they were off the train, trying to get some feeling back into their numb posterior as they do so. Sitting still for that long ill-suited them and they were relieved to be standing out in the open air and...
Oh right, the boats. More sitting...yippee...
"Why can't we just take bloody brooms to the castle?" Rascal mumbles, well aware of the reasoning but just wanting something to be annoyed about. That annoyance faded quickly at the sight of the school's caretaker. "Wahey! Love the beard!" Rascal would compliment, gesturing respectfully to the glorious facial hair.
Best to get this over with as quickly as possible it seemed. Rascal did one final stretch just to work the last of the stiffness out of their body. As students began to fill the boats they moved to the nearest one.
"Squidge over curls..." They would 'request' of Kahira as they awkwardly shuffle into the boat, dirty shoes definitely met parts of her designer clothes as Rascal clambered over to claim what they saw as the most comfortable spot.
"Ahhhhh..." They sigh contentedly as they find a spot in the boat they can stretch out for now, at least until more students fill the empty space. If their entrance had bothered Kahira, Rascal hadn't noticed.
"How's it? Guess we're boat-buds!" They would give a gap toothed grin before pulling a light blue badge sporting a crowned fist in gold. A badge for the Martlesham Maulers Quidditch team. "Quidditch fan? Want a free Maulers badge?" They offer, holding the accessory towards Kahira.
[Boarding Boat 7 (if Kahira's ok with that)]
Interacting with: @Mahdi Hassan | @Kahira Valerian
Oh right, the boats. More sitting...yippee...
"Why can't we just take bloody brooms to the castle?" Rascal mumbles, well aware of the reasoning but just wanting something to be annoyed about. That annoyance faded quickly at the sight of the school's caretaker. "Wahey! Love the beard!" Rascal would compliment, gesturing respectfully to the glorious facial hair.
Best to get this over with as quickly as possible it seemed. Rascal did one final stretch just to work the last of the stiffness out of their body. As students began to fill the boats they moved to the nearest one.
"Squidge over curls..." They would 'request' of Kahira as they awkwardly shuffle into the boat, dirty shoes definitely met parts of her designer clothes as Rascal clambered over to claim what they saw as the most comfortable spot.
"Ahhhhh..." They sigh contentedly as they find a spot in the boat they can stretch out for now, at least until more students fill the empty space. If their entrance had bothered Kahira, Rascal hadn't noticed.
"How's it? Guess we're boat-buds!" They would give a gap toothed grin before pulling a light blue badge sporting a crowned fist in gold. A badge for the Martlesham Maulers Quidditch team. "Quidditch fan? Want a free Maulers badge?" They offer, holding the accessory towards Kahira.
[Boarding Boat 7 (if Kahira's ok with that)]
Interacting with: @Mahdi Hassan | @Kahira Valerian
STA: 5 | EVA: 10 | STR: 10 | WIS: 0 | ARC: 0 | ACC: 10
Prodigal Flying |
Prodigal Flying |
First Year Entrance
Reducio2026-09-1
Great Lake, Boat 4
Year 1
Interacting With @Solène d'Estienne
Casimir mostly kept to himself after leaving the train, content to take in the scenery as they made their way to the Great Lake. He was impressed with the size of the lake, and found a quiet beauty in the shimmering surface as he focused on the susurrating little laps of water against shore instead of the murmur of people around him. It was almost peaceful, but instead of missing what would make it peaceful there were too many additives in the way of first year student bodies.
After listening to the instructions and eyeing water that now held a hint of threat instead of simple quietude, he selected Boat 4 near the centre and climbed in cautiously so as not to rock it. He'd heard incredible things about the castle that was to be his home for the next several years, and he stepped lightly towards the front bench to take a seat for the best viewing experience when they began to move and draw closer. He may have lived a life of wealth and grandeur, but even to him there was something about the most renowned magic school in the world that sent gooseflesh rippling across his arms.
Shifting to get comfortable, he side-eyed the girl sitting next to him, internally sighing as he remembered that, just as on the train, he was supposed to be doing the socializing thing. He hadn't been the friendliest there, so he supposed he may as well make up for it here. He just hoped he wasn't accidentally talking to some muggle-lover.
"Do you - " he began, his voice low and hoarse after not speaking since the train. He cleared his throat, attempting again in what he hoped was a friendlier voice. "Do you know which House you'd like to be sorted into?"
STA 6 | EVA 8 | STR 1 | WIS 10 | ARC 5 | ACC 5
Abilities | Potions | Spells
Abilities | Potions | Spells