CL Open 2/4 Back to School... Magical One!

september 1st 2023; interacting with @Zach Zaphiere

After eating enough food to stop her stomach from grumbling, Alyssea excused herself from her compartment and headed out. Her frustration at almost missing the train faded.

She had originally got out to go find the bathroom when she spotted someone dancing in their compartment. Alyssea squinted out of confusion and blinked many times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

She wasn't.

How odd, she thought and decided to say hi after she'd gone to the bathroom. It was only a few more steps away and, if it was not a hallucination, she could still ask what was going on after. So, she kept walking to the end of the carriage and did her thing.

Soon enough, on her way back, the guy was still dancing to some song and Alyssea's confusion skyrocketed. He didn't have headphones on nor did he have any sort of speaker (electrical devices didn't work from Kings Cross Station onwards, anyway) playing any music. From the glass doors separating them, she could only hear a quiet tune coming from the boy's voice.

Was there a music playing charm? Or did he smuggle in some sort of iPod that didn't need an electrical charge?

With a newfound resolve, she walked up to the glass doors and knocked. She opened the door and leaned in, not putting her whole body into the compartment yet. "You okay?" She asked with genuine concern.

September 1^st, 2023

Outfit	Inventory
Reducio Silver Aviator Glasses White Shirt Black Trouser Brown Enchanted Satchel	Reducio Plain Black Robes School Uniform (Ravencalw attribute) Tyty Potions Reducio Burn Healing Paste, Antidote to Common Poisons Papers A bottle of mineral water Chocolate Bars

Thought | Said

He stopped for a while and thought, "What are the next lyrics again?" He hummed and tried to recall the rest of the lyrics, bouncing his head from left to right. Finally, his memory caught the lyrics also the tunes.

Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling,
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.

The song flowed into his head like a fresh river water. It said that Hoggy Warty Hogwarts was sung to the students' favorite tune. At first, Zach was confused and asked himself if it was okay to sing it freely. In the end, he just followed the catchiest tunes from his seniors and eventually liked it. Even his head sung this song for him for several months because it was so catchy to hear, especially the first two lines of the song.

Zach looked at his surrounding to see if there was anybody would join him in the compartment and saw no one. "What moves were interesting to add next?" Actually, making choreography was not his thing but that day was different. His mind just wanted to make choreography. Maybe because he was alone in that compartment.

He moved like an old man, then scrubbing his head. He also did dove gesture with his fingers that flapped everywhere. The finishing move was punching up the air. He satisfied with his choreography and did it again from the start while singing the song. Suddenly, the sound of a knocking door was heard. The door was then opened, which startled Zach. A girl with short, wavy, brown hair stood from the outside and asked if he was okay. Zach froze for some seconds before he answered, "Uhoh... Nothing. I-I mean, I'm okay." He felt so embarrassed. His cheeks turned red. "Do you need a seat? This compartment is empty," he said while giving an awkward smile.

Open Interaction
Interacting with: @Alyssea Brown

Oh, how good it feels to finally be going back to Hogwarts, Simon thought. Usually summer breaks felt too short, but this summer break had felt way too long. He missed pretty much everything about Hogwarts at this point – his friends, the teachers, the classes, spell-casting, the moving portraits, talking gargoyles and the food. To his own surprise, he even missed potion brewing and the pestering poltergeist.

As he was walking down the corridor he noticed a familiar face – Alyssea Brown from Hufflepuff. He was not sure if he was imagining, but she seemed to have grown an inch or two since they last saw each other. Or it was just the realization that they were no longer first years, going back to Hogwarts as second years this time.

"Hi, Alyssea!", he said with a smile and gently put his hand on her back to greet her before noticing another familiar face in the compartment. "Oh, hi Zach! You guys had a good summer?"

A warm feeling spread across his belly at the sight of them.

"My summer has been all good. We went to Greece in the beginning of August. And I was in London, celebrating Madison's birthday." He looked down the corridor. "Anyway, I'll leave the two of you to it then. See you at the Sorting Ceremony!"

He smiled to them before heading back towards his compartment.

september 1st 2023; interacting with @Zach Zaphiere and @Simon Tilia, mentioning @Madison Bennett

"Uhoh... Nothing. I-I mean, I'm okay," the guy said.

Alyssea nodded. She fought the urge to raise an eyebrow or any incriminating facial expression that made him think she thought he was insane (he probably was). "Right."

He asked if she needed a place to sit and shook her head. "I have a compartment, don't worry. I have a friend to get back to, as well."

"You waiting for anyone, though?" She asked the guy.

"Hi, Alyssea!"

Alyssea turned around and smiled. "Simon! It's good to see you."

Simon turned to the guy in the compartment who had, previously, been dancing. Zach, Simon called him. Zach? There was only one Zach in Second (previously First) Year and he was on the duelling roster for... Ravenclaw? Considering Simon knew him, his house being Ravenclaw was a safe bet (she hoped).

Simon asked them about their summer and Alyssea beamed. She had so much to say. "My summer was good! I went to summer camp in July, then went to the Czech Republic in August for two weeks with my family. How was your summer?"

She listened as Simon recounted his summer and raised an eyebrow at the mention of a name. "Madison? As in Madison Bennett from Hufflepuff?"

She breathed out a light laugh. "I just met her today! We're sharing a compartment, actually. I just left to go to the bathroom."

Soon after, Simon headed back to his compartment and Alyssea waved. She turned back to Zach. "What were you listening to? Or were you singing?"

September 1^st, 2023

Outfit	Inventory
Reducio Silver Aviator Glasses White Shirt Black Trouser Brown Enchanted Satchel	Reducio Plain Black Robes School Uniform (Ravencalw attribute) Tyty Potions Reducio Burn Healing Paste, Antidote to Common Poisons Papers A bottle of mineral water Chocolate Bars

Thought | Said

The girl said that she already had a compartment. Zach nodded in understanding. However, it also meant that what he had been doing in the compartment had caught the attention of the brown-haired girl or worse all people who just passed his compartment. Zach became more red after realizing that.

The brown-haired girl also asked if he was waiting for someone. Zach shook his head and said, "I'm not. I have been alone this whole time." He heard the voice of someone he knew when he just finished his words. It was Simon, his bunkbed friend from Ravenclaw. He seemed taller and looked charismatic as always. Zach smiled when Simon greeted him.

Zach listened to the response of Alyssea, the name of the brown-haired girl that he heard from Simon. "I also joined summer camp for a month then join another camp from the church and visited a friend," his answer to Simon. Zach listened to Simon's summer holiday. "Oh? It seemed that she also knew Madison, Simon's friend," he thought. It was somewhat he could not relate to. Zach didn't have many friends and often spent time alone. After that, Simon went somewhere that Zach couldn't guess it. Maybe he went to his compartment or somewhere else.

The girl turned back to Zach and asked what he was listing to or if he was singing. Zach's face turned red again after it had returned to normal when Simon approached them earlier. "Uhm... Yeah, I... I was singing. I sang Hoggy Warty Hogwarts." Zach just wanted to disappear. "Did I look weird from the outside?" He actually already knew the answer. Who would not find a boy dancing alone in a compartment weird?

Open Interaction
Interacting with: @Alyssea Brown @Simon Tilia

september 1st 2023; interacting with @Zach Zaphiere and @Cicely Woods

“I also joined summer camp for a month then join another camp from the church and visited a friend,” Zach said.

Alyssea raised her eyebrows. “You were at summer camp, too? How come I never talked to you? I felt out of place since most of my cabinmates were from overseas. What cabin were you in?”

She hoped the sudden string of questions wouldn’t scare Zach. Did she even introduce herself?

She internally gasped at the realization that Zach had been left in the dark about who she was. “I’m so sorry,” she said, “You probably don’t even know who I am. I’m Alyssea Brown. Hufflepuff.” She bowed her head as a greeting. Was he the type to shake hands? Better not risk it.

Alyssea frowned when he said he wasn’t expecting anyone. He didn’t have anyone from First Year with him in the compartment yet which she found hard to believe. Then again, she found an empty compartment to settle in rather than find people she knew, so maybe it was the need to prepare himself for endless socialisation.

Did she ruin that peace by knocking on the door and coming in? He was probably uncomfortable now that he realized people noticed his odd dancing.

“Uhm... Yeah, I... I was singing. I sang Hoggy Warty Hogwarts.” There was an awkward pause where Alyssea’s brain was just confused. What was he singing? She had never heard the tune before.

"Did I look weird from the outside?”

Alyssea bit her tongue. “Kind of… I couldn’t hear loud music, so I was just curious.”

Then, a girl came in from behind her and hugged Zach after she put her trunk away. Her energy was vibrant in the best way. If only Alyssea had that energy when she woke up. Maybe she wouldn’t have missed the train to King’s Cross if she was more upbeat about Second Year.

The girl finally took notice of her and smiled. “Hi! I’m Cicely!”

Cicely? Man, if Simon had stayed, she’d at least have one familiar face. It seemed she didn’t know as much about the Second Year cohort as she thought.

Alyssea smiled. “Nice to meet you, Cicely. I’m Alyssea.”

Cicely was handing out sweets to everyone in the compartment. Alyssea shook her head and waved her hand. “Thank you, but I’m really full. I practically had breakfast on the train, today.”

“By the way, what house do you happen to be in?”

September 1^st, 2023

Outfit	Inventory
Reducio Silver Aviator Glasses White Shirt Black Trouser Brown Enchanted Satchel	Reducio Plain Black Robes School Uniform (Ravencalw attribute) Tyty Potions Reducio Burn Healing Paste, Antidote to Common Poisons Papers A bottle of mineral water Chocolate Bars

Thought | Said

Zach nodded when the girl confirmed what he had said about summer camp. "I am in Occamy cabin. And yeah! There were many people from the other school, more than Hogwarts. The atmosphere in my cabin was tense. So I seldom in my cabin and always at the outside. I also wonder how could we never talked. "

The girl then introduced herself as Alyssea Brown from Hufflepuff. Zach knew some Hufflepuff but he was not that close to them. "No! Don't be sorry. My name is Zach Zaphiere from Ravenclaw. I guess you are also in your second year like me." Zach gave her a smile.

When he asked if he looked weird from the outside and heard her answer, "Kind of..", Zach wanted to throw himself to the outside. It meant that he actually looked weird from the outside earlier. Zach couldn't imagine how many people had seen his ridiculous dance.

Zach didn't know how to respond anymore. His head was just filled with the thought that he was doing embarrassing things in front of many people before. Fortunately, a voice of a girl was heard from the outside of the compartment. It was Cicely, his friend from Gryffindor. "H-Hi, Cicely!" he said with a red face. She hugged her and Zach hugged her back. Then she introduced herself to Alyssea.

Cicley offered them some sweets. Alyssea said that she was already full and asked about the house. Zach thought the question was meant for Cicely. "Thank you," Zach took some of it. He just hoped the sweet could make him relax because he was still embarrassed. Every food from Cicely always tasted good. Zach wondered if it was made by her. "Did you make it yourself? I mean the sweets?"

Open Interaction
Interacting with: @Alyssea Brown @Cicely Woods

september 1st 2023; interacting with @Zach Zaphiere

"Ah, you were in one of the avian cabins as well. Didn't know anybody from Occamy, though. I was in the Phoenix Cabin and the only person I knew before entering was Professor Baird," she chuckled, "Still, I participated in a few things. One of the Mahoutokoro students hosted a spin-the-bottle game, one of the Gryffindors (Estelle, if you know her) hosted a tag game, and I know one of my cabinmates did a small celebration for the Fourth of July. He was from Ilvermorny, so you know, an American."

She smiled as she remembered summer camp. Much of it was spent admiring what the organisers planned for the day and making impulsive decisions to try something out. The sports days were particularly fun to watch, too, though she didn't play any of them.

Alyssea hummed at the thought. Should she try a sport this year? There was duelling (maybe), Quidditch (automatic no), and broom racing (again, maybe... once she read the rules). Despite the injuries a few of the Quidditch players and broom racers endured during their events, she found it quite thrilling to watch.

She stopped dwelling in her own thoughts and refocused. "Hey Zach," Alyssea began, "You duel, right? What's that like?"

"I'm thinking of trying out sports this year. That is, if they even have any free spots left," Alyssea said. She imagined the sports were quite popular or were very elitist.