"If both her parents are muggleborn than she is actually a half-blood." Leslie said and Macbeth seemed to calm down a bit and went back to his roll at that. "Half-bloods are allowed in Slytherin, after all if only Purebloods where allowed then there would be years with no Slytherins at all." Macbeth said with a small laugh.
H.B. kept his smile, although the table manners were a bit different than he was used to. That's a lot of dead cow there, boyo, he thought to himself, and did anyone wash their hands here, eh? Great bloody Sassenachs better have put a Sanitizing Charm on all of us. He found potatoes and broad beans and greens for starters, avoiding the beef unconsciously. "Well, I'm sure a substitute will turn up," he said, full of hope. "What about Dueling, then, eh?"
Kelly shook her head. "Dueling isn't allowed." She explained. "At least not till you get into fourth year. They don't properly teach it till them but..." She leaned down and whispered to him "People still duel. Just make sure the professor's aren't around before you start flinging spells outside of class."
H.B. shrugged. "Well...I suppose that's for the best. Wasn't planning to break rules, just wondering about you know, defense. Since, erm, anyhow."
"Impressive lineage, so anything in particular you're looking forward to?" asked taking a bite out of an apple.
"Oh, transfiguration is what I want the most." she says with a dreamy voice. "I'm a metamorph like my mother, and I want to be an actress. Being able to become anybody on the outside is a great help to becoming them on the inside. And for that I need transfiguration."
"Not that charms and curses and enchanting aren't terribly useful, just not so much for me."
Vincent nodded at what the others were saying. "Me Dah is related to the Sacred Twenty-eight. Just an offshoot mind you but still. It's hard to find a wizarding family that isn't in some way or another." he said smiling.
He looked to Isabella "Best be careful, you'll need lots of knowledge of the laws or you'll end up at a Ministry hearing one day. It's a tricky road to try and live in the muggle world and the wizard world. Or so I'm told. I know a small bit but honestly, I'm excited to take Muggle Studies. I've heard interesting things about how you lot manage without magic. I know wizards that can't even tie their shoes without magic anymore." he said chuckling at the idea.
Ken nods, glad he was able to divert them. He really needed to talk to Anora after this, though - he just had to figure out a way that didn’t sound accusatory or make her think she lied. Looking to Ciaran and Greg, he asked, ”Did you have any of these potatoes yet? I don’t know that I’ve ever had potatoes this buttery and smooth.”
Eager to leave tense situations, Greg happily picks up Kenneth's diffusion. "No-no I haven't. Here, can someone pass them down?"
"Well, we didn't learn too much about that last year but then again I hear that is common with how the teachers for Defense Against the Dark Arts keep changing." Tomas said. "So, H.B. right? What do you think so far?" He asked.
Macbeth gladly passed down the bowl of mashed potatoes. "I can't believe how much food there is, Da wasn't lying when he said they go all out!"
"Potions mainly, though I would like to invest some time in Herbology as well. Being able to grow your own ingredients is a useful ability." Tory answered.
"A metamorph! That explains how you got your hair to look the way it is, amazing by the way." Olivia told her with a smile before finally turning to her plate of food. However she set down her fork and knife and said "Oh how rude of me! I am Olivia Yaxley by the way!."
"Naturally," Dragoslav says nodding when Tory mentioning growing his own ingredients,"that is absolutely pragmatic."
"So far, so good!" said H.B. "Curious about my roomies and the common room, and a bit worried about classes, but this is a good wee bit o' scran," he said, chuckling and taking another bite or three. "Where's everybody else from? I'm from...around here, actually, both Edinburgh and Glasgow, and some military forts besides. We kind of moved around," he said with a disarming smile.
Turning to Leslie, Ken asked, "So, are there any teachers we have to watch out for? What's the Charms professor like? I read the Standard Book of Spells over the summer, and I've got a pretty good grasp of the theory, but my mum and dad wouldn't let me do much practise with it - I accidentally set a chair on fire. Mum's a stickler for wand safety - she works in the Department of Experimental Charms."
She beams at Olivia, "Why thank you. It took a couple of hours to get it right, and that was with mother's help."
She nods at Vincent, "Muggles have done some amazing things without magic. I think wizards would do well to learn about those things."
"Rooms and those rooming with you will be chosen by the time you get to our dorms. They're normally on the doors written out." Tomas explains. "I'm from England, Kelly is Scottish." He said. "I can answer for myself Tomas!" Kelly said as she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Well, I only just got here myself." Leslie said with a shrug. "But it's cool that your mom works for the Ministry!" She smiled. "We could grab on of the older kids and ask though!" She suggested.
"What about you Dragoslav?" Tory asked before he politely ate some of his food.
Olivia turned up her nose at the idea of taking muggle studies. "If I took that class I think my father would disown me." She said straight out.
Hearing a bit on how Olivia talked about the class on muggle studies got Anora looking sheepish again. She picked at her meal saying little, either too nervous or unsure of what to say. This world was still new to her after all.
However she did mutter a bit saying "I think Isabella and Vincent have the right of it."
Vincent raised a brow at Olivia's words and remembered back a bit to the sorting to grab her last name. Yaxley, Yaxley...He'd have to ask his parents about the family before approaching her further.
He wasn't exactly classist against the Slytherins who believed muggles were a bane of the Wizarding world's existence but he is never surprised by it. His mother was fond of them but his father was a purist so this kind of talk wasn't exactly surprising.
"That's a good idea. Er...I don't suppose you know any of them?" Ken asked, not entirely sure how to approach them.
Dragoslav coughs as a bit of apple goes down the wrong tube while trying not to chuckle at Olivia's statement. After clearing his throat, "uh, looking forward to flying, transfiguration, and defense against dark arts..." his voice hung on the last two words a bit. Taking the last bite of his apple he turns to Olivia, "I understand your father's feelings, I think it is best if the muggle world and the magic world remain as separate as possible.... Anyways, if Muggle studies is of the table what peaks your interest Olivia?"
"I'm sure our Prefect will help us eventually. I don't blame them for not talking to us right now though, I'm about stuffed but it is hard to stop trying everything, it is all so good!" Ciaran set down his fork and pushed his plate away with purpose before glancing up and down the table.
"What are you looking forward to studying most?" He asked, turning to Leslie.
"Ha, Tomas, haud yer wheest. Kelly, gled ta meet a fellow Caledonian," said H.B., grinning at the interplay between the two. "I thought I heard a MacLachlan in there, getting sorted, or maybe it were a McLoughlin--I was a little busy being nervous about getting Sorted," he said with a laugh. "How many first years are there in each House? And what do we do for competition besides Quidditch and the er, the point system, is it?"
"Yes." Kelly said with a nod. "I think McLoughlin.... Brian I think his name was." She added. "As for how many first years, well that depends upon the Hat. Competition? Well no outside of Quidditch and the House Cup that's it."
"Someone say my name?" Brian asked as he leaned foreword a bit on the table to look down at Kelly, Tomas, and H.B.
Leslie shook her head a couple of times to answer Kenneth. Macbeth on the other hand leaned down the table and said "Oi, which of you are a second year?" He asked boldly.
A girl leading in being the closest to the first years. "I am, Ingred by the way, what ya want?" She asked.
"Oh I want to learn charms, maybe enchanting." Olivia answered as she toyed with her dark hair a bit while she thought. "But I am looking foreword to Astronomy!" She answered.
Tory seemed to nod in agreement with Dragoslav's statement. "Yes, nothing ever comes well with mixing our ways with theirs."
Anora focused all her attention on her plate, but when Olivia brought up Astronomy she perked up a bit. "We get to learn more on Astronomy? I love star watching!" She said with a small smile.
Ken swallows the bite of chicken he’d just eaten and asked, ”I was curious how rooming within the House worked. Is it assigned, do we pick roommates, or is there another hat involved?”
"Oh, I think we should definitely use the best ideas of muggles." she says, "What point is there in ignoring good ideas simply because you don't approve of the person who came up with it? That's simply foolish."
"You're already enchanting, unfortunately I am not one for astronomy, this planet here, that star there, I would rather just stare into the blackness dotted with pin pricks of light," Dragoslav says half smiling.
Hopefully that will keep us steered clear of that subject for the time being, he thought to himself while looking around the table.
"Hey Brian! Call me H.B.," says H.B., extending a hand to shake. "Ready to win House Cup points for Hufflepuff?" H.B. flashes a white grin.
"Hey H.B.!" Brian said with a firm handshake back. "I definitely plan to try!" He answered with a laugh.
"Normally it is already assigned when we get up to the rooms" Ingred answered with a shrug. "Oh and you stay with the first group you're assigned to throughout all your years so I hope you can get along." She swiftly added.
"Its more than that!" Olivia defended. "The shapes the stars make have magical properties. So much so that many of the Sacred families name children after constellations." She went on to say. Olivia started to go on and on about Astronomy, even repeating some things.
Tory sighed before he took a drink. "You got her talking stars... we'll be here all night." He warned them.
As Olivia went on and on, Anora leaned closer to Isabella and whispered "I'm glad you feel that way. About muggle made stuff I mean." She smiled before she moved away. She gave Olivia a glance to see if she was still too busy talking to actually pay attention to the table and when she was Olivia wasn't she looked to the rest and said "While I like stargazing and all... this is a bit much..."
"Well, then I definitely hope we get a long." Ken eyes Ciaran, Greg, and Macbeth. "Er, none of you snore, right?"
Ciaran laughed quietly and shook his head. "No but I've never shared a room before so I don't know what my sleeping habits are really..."
As Olivia was saying something about the mythic archetypes defines by the constellations, Izzy gave Anora a wink. "I feel lucky to have spent time on both sides." She glances over at a couple of her fellow housemates that seemed a little stuck in their ways. Her whisper is so low only Anora can hear it over the discussion, "and somebody's got to stir these guys up once in a while."
Greg chuckles. "Well, I brought earplugs in case any of you do, and it should be all quiet on the western front for me."
"I've never shared a room either. New experiences abound. Greg, just in case, you wouldn't happen to have an extra pair of earplugs, would you?"
Dragoslav looks around the table then looks at Tory wide eyed and mouths 'what have done...'
After dinner desert was served, ice cream, puddings, jellos, and the likes sat before them to eat their fill after the dinner had finished. But even that came to an end.
A young woman walked up, obviously in her teenage years. Upon her robes was a golden pin with black set in the background and across it in large letters was HEAD GIRL
"Hello first years! I'm The Hufflepuff head girl Chloe, and I'm going to be taking you all to our House dorms." She said with a bright smile "Come this way!" Chloe called as she waved the first years along.
As the older students began to leave the table, one of the seventh year students came down to the first years. "Hey, I'm Keston." He said with a simple off handed wave. He had a golden and red pin upon his cloak with large letter reading HEAD BOY. "Hey! Hey Keston! Did you see I got sorted into Gryffindor?!" A boy from the back shouted. "Be quiet Hugh! Of course I saw!" Keston called back. "Now come on, first years. I'm going to take you to Gryffindor tower."
The whole table began to stand and leave the Hall, a young man walked up and greeted the first years. "Good evening, welcome to Slytherin." He began with a nod. "I am Alcyone, Head Boy for Slytherin House." He explained as he pointed to the silver and green pin upon his cloak that said in large letters HEAD BOY upon it. "Follow me and I shall take you down into our House dorms and answer any questions you have." He said politely.
Ken was stuffed. He'd eaten as much as he'd could - and perhaps a bit more besides - and was starting to feel really drowsy. The feast was wrapping up, and he was wondering if he would fall asleep face first into his plate when Keston came up and introduced himself. Excellent. I'll bet Gryffindor tower will give me a nice, warm bed. Standing, he arranges his robes and falls in next to Ciaran, and just ahead of Greg. "I'm looking forward to bed," he says to the other two.
"Right, then," says H.B., sitting up smoothly. He graciously let several girls go ahead of him. "I've a feeling this is setting up to be the best year at Hogwarts ever," he said to no one in particular.
Ciaran grinned at Ken and nodded in agreement. "It's been a long long day that's for sure. I'll be counting sheep and won't make it to two, I can promise that!"
Izzy keeps her mouth shut at the badge. It's obvious that it doesn't man the same thing as it does it muggle America. It probably wouldn't do to point out the difference. "I've heard that our rooms are under the lake. Is there going to be a problem with dampness?"
Vincent's brain began to fog. Between all the excitement of the day, the conversations of varying interest, the mystery that landed on his lap, and the heavy food of the celebration...he was exhausted. When the Head boy showed up and announced that he'd take them to their dormitories, Vincent yawned tiredly and stood up stretching. He couldn't even utter a word of thanks as he followed the rest of his house to their dormitory.
"Lead the way, it would appear some of us are ready for bed" gesturing Vincent.
She placed her hand upon a barrel closest to the back wall. "This is how you get in." She smiled before she rapped upon the barrel's lid in tune with 'Helga Hufflepuff'. The middle part of the barrels lifted into the air and show stairs down to a stone archway. "I warn you, if you get it wrong you'll be covered in vinegar!" Chloe told them before she waved them down and in.
He lead them up a few sets of stairs before turning down a corridor and stopping before a large portrait of a hefty woman in a pink dress. The picture came to life smiling slightly at Keston as she asked "Password?" Keston sighed and looked to the other gryffindors "Take notes, because I'm only saying this once." The looked back to the painting. "Red Cap" He told her and the portrait opened to show a tight stone corridor that opened into the common room. "Come along"
[b]"Welcome, to the Slytherin common room." Alcyone said as he motioned them in.
"Ha," said H.B., getting it instantly. "Does the pattern change?" He followed near the head of the pack, rapping with one hand on his robe with variations on the 'hufflepuff' rhythm.
Ken may be full of delicious food and tired, but not so tired he couldn't see the wonder of Hogwarts, especially as they climbed the grand stairwell and other stairs to get to the portrait of the large woman. He listened carefully to the password, since he suspected that without it he'd be sleeping in the hallway. As they walked through the tight corridor, he asked, "Does the password every change?"
I guess that answers some questions about the lake... I think this will be a good year.
Greg shrugs. "Maybe if anyone outside the house ever learns it? Though they seem more like open secrets - anything like that will ricochet around the school until everyone and their mother knows it."