Hi everyone! I am one of the newest additions to the Headliner team and I need you to help me with my first article! Don't worry, it's not much work.

Imagine the following...

It is Friday afternoon, right after class, in late November. Your character is walking down the corridor to... well, do whatever your character does, on a Friday afternoon in late November right after class. Suddenly, Dee pops up in front of your character out of nowhere, a skinny second year girl with lots of wavy brown hair and piercing aquamarine eyes. She's wearing a borderline manic grin on her face and holding a mechanical stopwatch in one hand, while she pretends to hold an invisible microphone under your character's nose.

Dee opens her mouth and out comes the following, without pausing to draw a breath or give your character any time to process: "Hi! Yes, you. Please state your name. What are your plans for winter break and the holidays? Please be interesting. You have 26 seconds - go."

Then she presses the start button on the stopwatch. When the 26 seconds have passed, she will chirp a quick "Thank you!" at your character, even if they are mid-sentence, and run off without another word to bother the next student down the corridor.

What I'd like from you now is your character's reaction to the situation. Feel free to be bewildered, ignore her, to write/say as much or little as you like - but note that she is running off after the allotted time so everything more than 2-4 sentences spoken is likely lost on her.

It does not matter whether we have RPed together/know each other IC or OOC, Dee gives everyone the same treatment. You can also assume that your character does or does not recognise her, whatever you prefer. Everyone is welcome, and I'd love to also get some staff responses!

Note/warning: Depending on participation, not everyone will show up in the article, and Dee might misquote you, since her only method of recording is her rather selective memory...

You can either reply here or send me an owl, either is fine! Thank you for your help!!

For the sake of you probably not wanting to read the whole post:

"I am--uhm, meeting my new guardians for the first time and we're going to do a little party thing. Presents probably, and y'know dinner. But... I'm really excited since I've only owled them and we've never actually met in person. And it'll be my first real Christmas in one year-- wait, I mean two? But--"

The whole post:

Reducio

Katrina was just minding her business, doing her thing, not worrying much about anything. Well, that's a lie, she was super stressed about the Charm that they had learned in class today that she hadn't done very well in class for and now needed to go practice on her own. Anyway, she didn't look stressed, she looked, well, average, that is until, it happened.

Out of nowhere, and yes, I mean nowhere, a girl appeared. Katrina nearly jumped out of her skin, being so surprised at the instant attention and the appearance of the girl. There wasn't time to think really, 'what was Katrina doing over Winter break'. The girl didn't use Katrina's name, she just said 'hey you' but the message was the same. Also, she only had 26 seconds... for some odd reason, but that was something to puzzle over later, she needed to answer

"I am--uhm, meeting my new guardians for the first time and we're going to do a little party thing. Presents probably, and y'know dinner. But... I'm really excited since I've only owled them and we've never actually met in person. And it'll be my first real Christmas in one year-- wait, I mean two? But--" Katrina stuttered through what she said, honesty spilling out because no one ever asked her anything.

It was only after the girl cut off Katrina's last word and disappeared again that Katrina realized that she probably shouldn't have just said the truth. However, there was some sort of commanding aura that the peculiar girl held that had Katrina saying the truth without thinking. She shook it off, starting down the corridor again, wondering what on earth had just happened or even if she had simply imagined it all.

Amara smiled at the brunette, eager to please as she is a new member of the Headliner team.

"Amara Dragamior. I will be celebrating Christmas at Snow Court, my family's main residence with my family, my boyfriend, and my cousin's boyfriend. I will then be traveling back to the UK for Anastasia's New Years' gala and will be staying at the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the holidays.
Great article idea darling, wish I could talk more but I am running late."

Serena was just wandering down the corridor after a long day of classes when she was suddenly ambushed by a girl who was maybe in her year. Startled, she let out a quick, "Oh! Hello! Uh, I'm Serena Bowen. For the winter holidays, I'll be going back home to visit my family. I'll probably bake cookies with my dad and play piano with my Aunt Elizabeth... Oh! And we might watch some Muggle Christmas movies! Uh, that's probably it, really. I hope that was interesting enough..."
Right as she finished speaking, the girl quickly thanked her and ran off. "Uh, you're welcome? I guess?" Serena responded. Continuing down the corridor, she wondered just what this girl was gathering information for.

[font=Times New Roman]Ana briskly strolled in the direction of Gryffindor tower, eager to grab her Silver Arrow and get some flight practice in before going back to reviewing for her end of term exams when she was suddenly accosted. She arched an unimpressed eyebrow at Dee. God, whatever the Headliner was doing their writers was concerning for the editor.

"I'm spending time at a friend's house, and then I'm hosting the annual Beckett New Year's Gala," Ana replied, furrowing her brow slightly at Dee as if looking for some physical sign that would explain the odd behavior. Granted, Dee had been about this level of chipper every time Ana had encountered it. "I might shop a bit as well. I've always rather wanted a yacht." On that note, Dee seemed pacified with Ana's answers, and Ana went on her merry way.[/font]

26 seconds... Margo seriously had to get a wriggle on. Forget about how nice and spunky this girl was and ignore the rather peculiar answer the girl in front of her had given. I mean- what in Merlin’s Merry Christmas Beard was a yacht? Anyway, Margo really had to get talking which, funnily enough, was something she was quite good at.

”Well we’re going to see my grandmother’s new house in England, can you believe it? I’m Scottish myself, you see. We have to floo to the house around the corner because she’s not actually a witch. But it’s all magically exciting because there’s going to be no magic. For the whole holiday! And I’ve also been polishing up my jokes for the season because, well, playing pranks on family members who’ve known you since you were born is a liiiiittle tricky - not, of course, that I won’t be trying. Wanna hear one? Here goes... what do elves cook with at a Christmas?

U-tinsels!”

Okay, so maybe she had to work on her jokes...

---

A grin like a crocodile and a bob like a funny catfish

"I'm Henry Knight I guess and uh I'm visiting my best friend over the break and I get to see my brother and twin again I guess... uh, I don't think there's anything else I told you that I'm not that interesting"

Henry was keeping his head low as classes were done for the day and everyone was already discussing the Christmas holiday's. He walked alone down the corridor as his eyes wander around at the faces before him, silently noting to himself how happy everyone looked and how simple it was for others to speak to other people. Henry tried to Bush toward thoughts away as he hoisted his messager type bag on his shoulder and continued down the corridor not expecting to be approached or stopped by anyone.

However that was when a energetic and bubbly girl with brown hair jumped in front of him as she spoke what sounded like a mile a minute with questions about holiday plans and only having 26 seconds which was when Henry recognized the girl as the ravenclaw dueling captain and also headliner member but still he looked sound quite bewildered on why she would speak to him.

Noticing that she was still there with a timer that got to his anxiety and made him panic a bit as he rambled out " uh, what? I'm sorry are you sure you want to ask me? There's nothing interesting about me, I promise maybe you should ask someone else," seeing the girl still there with the timer and as thought flew around his mind he then spoke

" I'm Henry Knight I guess and uh I'm visiting my best friend over the break and I get to see my brother and twin again I guess... uh, I don't think there's anything else I told you that I'm not that interesting."

Even before the timer was up, Henry smiled at the girl before sliding past her and going on his way. There really wasn't anything interesting about him and couldn't help but turn around and looked at the girl as he thought, why would she ask me?

@Dealla Prince

It was Friday, and life was fine. Sure, there had been a few odd mishaps here and there, some major family revelations, but nothing important. Scarlett had finished her classes and was walking to the common room when a wild-looking brunette who she vaguely remembered as a classmate of hers popped up right in Scarlett's face and with an insane (in a good way) glint in her eyes, she started to talk, asking Scarlett about her holiday plans and telling her that she had only 26 seconds to answer. Well, no harm in telling! Scarlett gathered a quick breath before readying herself for the 26 seconds and spilling out her Christmas break itinerary.

"RightI'mgoingtoGodric'sHollowwhichiswhereIlivetomeetwithmymumandmydadagainwhojustcamebackafterlike5yearsbutanywayIalsohavetogotoastupidgalahostedbymyworstenemywhoyoucanprobablyguessandapartfromthatI'mjustgoingtochillandeatfoodbecausethatt'swhatyoudoatChristmasandalsowhyareyouaskingmethisand-"

But the girl had already rushed off.