It was 1600 and a brisk evening. The sky was grey, a storm was coming and the winds had picked up. The grass was overdue for a trim, at least it was here. There was not much use for the train after the Hogwarts Express had delivered the student body to the Scottish castle a few weeks earlier. The year started off simply enough, the hidden threat of a "masked boy" persisted in barely a whisper but it was just a rumor without proof but it fed the old man's paranoia. Someone was there. He knew it, he could feel it in his bones and it kept him awake at night.

It also ate away at his sanity. His white hair unruly from the wind, white wisps standing on end, his cheeks rosie and partly covered by a full beard. He was like a turtle, his neck as short as it could go into his heavy honey-hued armor. He was dressed for battle, but he dressed like this every day. Today was however different, after all today these students would leave and none would return. The only hint that could betray the truth of his intent was his somber expression. Some of the students might have seen the change over these past few months. Last year, before the mask, he was jolly and of course old but he was more a father figure. But his expression had gone cold, his words shorter, his eyes dull. Even now his voice, almost monotone. 

He could not lose his resolve. 

"Come on... Each and every one of ya. One by one. Don't forget your stuff. Make sure you leave nothing important behind!" He reminded them as he guided them inside the massive car. "I need a head count," he called out for one of the Prefects. Yes, they were taking a prisoner count, this was a kidnapping.

Once he was certain that everyone had boarded the train, he would seal the door behind him without a word. The door would disappear behind Solomon. Was the door supposed to do that? No, it wasn't. "Security measures," Solomon declared in an uncharacteristically gruff voice as he took in a sharp breath.

If a student asked where they were going, Solomon would answer them simply. "I do not know." Indeed his flier suggested that they were going to go someplace fantastical. But what sort of amazing place could one be taken to by train? Well, Hogwarts for one. The train would rock, then a shrill noise could be heard. The brakes had released their grip on the wheels. The train was moving, yet nobody made an announcement over the speaker. 

He would look out the window, Hogwarts was getting smaller in the distance and he let out a sigh. They were really going to let him get away with this weren't they?

'Guilt...' he muttered barely audible.

He took a hard swallow and forced a smile. The train car had two exits the students could see -- one towards the caboose and the other toward the engine. The doors were simple and made of wood but there was something written on each. More riddles. More games. Hopefully a student body that remains intact in well... body.

Towards the engine it read:

Plummeting from the heavens
T'is more lovely than rain
So unique there are no two 
That are ever the same.

And towards the caboose:

Buried beneath I am deadly, 
A rock, shell and bone medley. 
A brickless castle, bringer of a dream. 
Countless I am by the stream.

For those that opened either door, the next car would look just like the first and the knob would open without difficulty. "You should join them," Solomon said with a somber tone to the nearest Professor (if any besides himself came). "They might need you," he would point to the engine or the caboose, depending on which direction the most children went and if a Professor had already wandered off in either direction.

This is a Hufflepuff Adventure thread.

Feel free to post in here, explore. I am not strict on post order. I post in these threads approximately weekly so feel free to interact with each other. For the most part my job is to moderate the environment and to roleplay this old man. 

Waiting in the common room, Arthur had been getting increasingly anxious about their school 'field trip'. Maybe he was reading too much into it.. What he saw could just as easily be explained by anxiety over a forgotten summer homework. And yet... Was it just him, or was the mood a little off for a group about to go on a fun vacation? He'd have thought that if anyone looked nervous or uncertain, it would be the first years who were still getting used to things. Instead, it was predominantly the older students with worried looks on their faces.

There wasn't much time left to doubt, however, as the deputy headmaster soon came to get them from the common room. Somehow, he found himself surprisingly unworried. Maybe it was the rush of this crazy new school, but he felt the excitement in the air and was ready for an adventure. Plus, with so many of them together, he felt like things would surely turn out fine.

Piling onto the train again so soon felt decidedly odd. Heading towards the back, he hoisted his duffel bag onto one of the overhead racks that lined seats, keeping his backpack with him (since it had all his snacks and things to do on the train). By the door to the caboose, a small notice, or poem perhaps, was posted on the wooden door. Wandering over curiously, he read it to himself.

Buried beneath I am deadly,
A rock, shell and bone medley.
A brickless castle, bringer of a dream.
Countless I am by the stream.

"Rock, shell, and bone..?" he muttered to himself softly. He'd always liked riddles, his mother asked them to him frequently, and this one didn't seem like too much of a challenge. "It must be talking about sand," he said. He turned to the others with a grin. "Do you think that means we're going to the beach?"

Action: Enters back of the train. Guesses answer: Sand

Laila was so excited about the field trip. Although, she does not know what to expect. Laila got into the train really excited to meet new people. Laila put away her luggage, and sat down on a seat across a boy who Laila did not know. Laila looked around hoping that there was something to read.

Laila looked at the boy sitting across from her. He seemed to be reading something. Laila just stared at him. Waiting for him to finish reading whatever he was reading so she could read it. 

"It must be talking about sand" He said. He stared grinning. "Does this mean we're going to the beach?" He asked. Laila did not know what he was talking about.  "Excuse me.But what are you talking about?" Laila asked him looking confused. Laila figured he was talking about what he was reading and that made Laila even more curious about what he was reading. 


Laila slouched on the chair and looked out of the window. She stayed silent. Laila then started daydreaming about the trip. All the new things she might find, all the new people she might meet. It all made Laila excited. Laila likes trips, especially ones on trains. But what would make this trip better, was if Laila had at least one friend to talk to. 

Laila rested her head on the armchair. She then, started hitting her feet on the ground quietly. She hummed her favourite song, and made quiet noises with her mouth. Laila faced the floor, and wriggled her hands. Laila just knew this was going to be a good trip.












 

Well this trip would certainly be a bit of a treat now wouldn't it. He had paid attention to how their former head of house was acting. Something about the expressions he was making just did not sit right with Quinn. It gave him an uncomfortable sinking feeling in his gut...it was rather brutal. "Right then...well this should be rather interesting now shouldn't it. Hopefully this doesn't go the way of the camp out..." He quietly mumbled to himself looking around at some of the familiar faces.

He gripped his suitcase and heaved it up with a hefty grunt and made his way to the front of the train. "Well either one we pick somethin's bound to happen right?" He was still mostly talking to himself at this point though. Maybe some would follow him to the front, or maybe none would. Either way he would trek forth unphased. He had to be strong on this trip, and not just for himself.

Plummeting from the heavens
T'is more lovely than rain
So unique there are no two
That are ever the same.

Quinn walked up to the door near the front and then carefully read the riddle a few more times before he was absolutely sure. "Well this a very simple riddle now isn't it?" He set his suitcase down, analyzing it once more before he was unequivocally sure. "Quite simple then, the answer is most likely snow flakes, it has to be. They from the sky, are more beautiful then rain, and every one is completely unique." He was certain it had to be it, it fit the riddle perfectly, and made the most sense when one thought deeply about this simple but effective riddle.

He wondered though, did anyone else have other guesses aside from him?

Scared? Of course not! Amadea wasn't scared. She had nothing to be scared about, anyway. What a silly thought. Scared. As she breathed in and out, trying to steady her shaking breath, Amadea pushed away any thoughts of fear out of her head. She couldn't afford to be afraid. Even though there was plenty of things to be terrified about, including going on an adventure with Professor Lear of all people, Amadea reassured herself. She would be with all of her friends and they would have a good time. This was supposed to be a celebration, wasn't it? It was supposed to be a celebratory vacation for Hufflepuffs after finally winning the House Cup. It wouldn't be scary. There would be no fatalities. 

Even as Amadea reassured herself of this over and over, a little voice in the back of her head reminded her that many of the other events had gone wrong. Amadea tried to ignore it, but as she hauled her suitcase over to the train station, it became difficult. She saw a few people had already arrived and were getting situated on the train. Amadea followed them to the front of the train where people were starting to board. She picked up her suitcase and heaved it onto the train, sweating from the exertion. It wasn't like Amadea was weak, but she had crammed so many items into her suitcase that she was surprised it hadn't burst yet. 

Amadea smiled at Professor Lear as she stepped onto the train. She could feel a somber vibe coming from him, and was a bit confused as to why he didn't have more spirit and pep about their upcoming journey, but Amadea wasn't going to question it. She just nodded along to his instructions about taking a head count, which she would try to do, but most likely fail at. She wasn't the best with numbers. 

She set her suitcase to the side and smiled at the few people that were in the compartment. She only recognized one of them, but couldn't place his name. She knew he was on the HufflePost staff with her and Amadea was fairly certain he had partook in the pillow fight that had emerged in the Hufflepuff common room during their first year, but other than that, Amadea came up short. She didn't know anyone, but this did not deter her as it would have during her previous year. Instead, she felt excited that she would be able to get to know some of her fellow Hufflepuffs better. 

It seemed as though all of them were crowded around the doors, and as Amadea approached, she realized it was because there was writing on them. Amadea read one of the riddles, muttering it to herself under her breath. "Plummeting from the heavens, T'is more lovely than rain, So unique there are no two, That are ever the same." Amadea's brows knit together in confusion as she looked at the words. What was the answer? Before she could think any more, the redhead next to her answered it, saying it was a snowflake. As he said the answer, Amadea immediately felt dumb. Of course it was a snowflake! It was such a simple answer; Amadea really should have been able to figure it out. "Ah yes! A snowflake, of course!" 

Amadea suddenly had another thought: did the riddles have anything to do with the mysterious trip they were going on? Most likely, she assumed, otherwise why would Professor Lear have put them on the doors? Amadea had many unanswered questions and it was beginning to make her brain hurt, so she stepped away from the door and took a seat.

Laila looked at the caboose and realized what he was talking about:
Buried beneath I am deadly,
A rock, shell and bone medley.
A brickless castle, bringer of a dream.
Countless I am by the stream.

"I don't think it is a beach" Laila said "Because I'm not sure if a beach has a lake." Laila said trying to sound polite. "It also says a brickless castle. Whatever that means. But we can just say for now that the riddle is not  talking about a beach. I'm not that good at solving riddles anyway." Laila said

" I'm Lailaflora Ruby by the way but you can call me Laila. I'm pretty excited about this trip. Who knows what will happen. If we do end up going to the beach, I'm going to try to collect every sing seashell I can." Laila said. "Or what if we end up in an ancient  unexplored castle with a stream right infront of the entrance, and then we have to swim our way across. That would be cool." Laila kept on talking.

"What if that is what the riddle is talking about? An ancient unexplored castle? With a bunch of shells. It all adds up doesn't it? To the answer of the really difficult riddle" Laila said.  Laila was not sure that they were really going to an ancient castle, but she still hoped that they would.

One of the first ones in the train, other students slowly filtered in behind Arthur. Some came to look sat the poem themselves in turn, while others simply stowed their luggage and at down. His interest in the riddle seemed to catch at least one person's attention, however, as a blonde girl from behind him asked;

"Excuse me. But what are you talking about?"

Arthur turned towards Lailaflora and read the riddle out loud: "Buried beneath I am deadly, a rock, shell and bone medley. A brickless castle, bringer of a dream. Countless I am by the stream... I think it's telling us where we're going to go." he said, though that was merely an assumption. Still, why else would it be posted here? Except perhaps to give them something to talk about during the trip.

He was happy to see other people take an interest in the riddle, since he really did like to solve puzzles, but he wasn't sure he agreed with her conclusions; "I don't think it is a beach. Because I'm not sure if a beach has a lake. It also says a brickless castle."

Arthur frowned slightly and looked back at the posted riddle. "Um.. I mean, I think the 'castle' probably refers to sandcastles, don't you think?" he said delicately, not inclined to give up on his first idea just yet, but also not wanting to be rude and contradict her directly or say that she was wrong. "Anyway, where are you getting 'lake' from?" he asked, wondering if he'd missed something.

Moving aside so others could see the poem behind him, Arthur sat down beneath where he stowed his bag. "Sand is made of the fossils of ancient crustaceans and stones that have been worn down by the sea," he explained. "It's deadly to be buried underneath it, and there's countless grains of sand by the shores of rivers or streams," he said, explaining the reasoning behind his answer.

"Of course, it doesn't have to be a beach. There's lots of places with sand. It could be a desert or a river too." He'd only suggested a beach because this was supposed to be a vacation after all.

Reaching over to her seat, he held out a hand. "I'm Arthur. Nice to meet you!" he said.

Dragging her suitcase with her as she boarded the Hogwarts Express, Ami stowed it in the appropriate location and glanced at her best friend worriedly. They all knew how the Lock-In had turned out, with a girl almost dying and a massive fireball that had traumatized most of the students that had been in the general area. The second years had gone through their fair share of fire and danger, and yet, they seemed to crave more.

What an insane bunch they were.

The Lock-In had taught Ami a bunch of things that she never realized she needed to know. For one, it was also important to take in your surroundings, and to take stock of your allies. Glancing around the train car, she mouth dropped open as the door behind Lear simply disappeared. She didn't buy his explanation of security, but shrugged it off as just an overdramatic, old-man thing.

The two doors seemed to have words on them, and two first years went to one of them. At the other door stood her best friend and her confidante- hmm, what a hard choice to make! Walking over to join Amadea and Quinn, she neared them just in time to hear Amadea say, "Ah yes! A snowflake, of course!"

Not bothering to formally announce her presence (they both knew her, after all), Ami peered over the heads of the two shorter kids. Eyes flicking across the words on the door, and taking in the general consensus of the group, she nodded to herself. Yes, a snowflake seemed appropriate, and certainly seemed to be right- and certainly, the last two lines of the riddle would give the answer away.

Stepping forward, Ami would attempt to try the door handle, to see if it would open.

Interactions:
Ami, Amandea, Quinn

Marian stepped abord the Hogwarts Express for the second time in her life, trunk clutched in hand. It was very light, not holding much, but Marian hoped it would be enough.

She had never been on a field trip before, but nevertheless, she felt like something was familiar. It was probably the train, but it was something.

When the door dissapeared, Marian almost took no notice. She was used to magic, and a little more wouldn't hurt.

Marian had to choose one door, one of them had older students, the other younger students, so she followed the older students. Marian felt it was easier to make friends with older students, but then again, this might not be the case.

As she read the riddle, the answer popped up. She had accidentally read the last lines first, so the riddle was even easier. A snowflake. What did that have to do with anything? Perhaps Professor Lear had just put then on the doors for the fun of the students. But from what she had heard about Lear from other students, that didn't sound like him.

Marian decided not to announce her presence, to just let them notice her. Other students might have made different choices, but Marian wasn't going to brag about her being there.

Inventory:

Reducio

Wand
Locket *wearing
2 sweaters *wearing
3 t-shirts
1 cold shoulder top
2 tank tops
2 pairs of leggings
3 pairs of jeans (high waisted skinny, skinny, boot cut) *wearing one
3 belts *wearing
2 pairs of shorts
2 pairs of pj pants
1 pair of long black robes
1 pair of short red robes
1 pair of long yellow robes
swimsuit + cover up + towel + goggles
winter coat
herbology gloves
Hufflepuff pin
undergarments
10 pairs of socks
Hufflepuff scarf
beanie *wearing
straw hat
Sandals
rain boots
boots
sneakers *wearing
flats
2 quills
1 inkwell
excessive amounts of paper
sketchbook
3 muggle pencils
1 muggle pocketknife
toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, hairties, ect.)
Sleeping bag
quilt
sheet
pillow

Outfit:

Reducio

*click