Opening Feast 2030

The Hogwarts Express was up and running again. That was the only thing that concerned him so far. He’d managed to find enough help to transport the train to a safer location, and once brought back to Kings Cross, everything seemed to run according to plan. It pulled in at Hogsmeade, safe and sound, and the first years boarded their boats in time to make it to the feast. At least the year was starting off relatively smoothly.

So as the older students filed in and found seats at their house tables, chatting along the way, Keiran strode up to the Professor’s table, his thoughts distracted. He and Kenna had been working on a way to help students and parents who had trouble affording supplies for the school term. Muggles had to navigate the Wizarding World for the first time when their children received letters, and while he didn’t plan on excluding those from Wizard backgrounds, he was looking forward to the first weekend of the school year, when the events would take place.

At any rate, he set aside thoughts of Quidditch and of Kenna, instead looking towards the great doors at the end of the hall, where first years began to enter. While they made their way to the front, he did his best to look serious but welcoming in case any of the little ones met his gaze. And as Selwyn donned the hat on each one, as the Deputy Headmaster or Headmistress always did, Keiran had to wonder if the other Slytherin hated it or not. Keiran would have.

After the new students had been sorted and the clapping ended, Keiran waited for Selwyn to sit back down before standing to greet them. Luckily, the talking died down relatively quickly.

“Welcome, everyone,” he began, his voice echoing through the Great Hall. “To some, this is of course a familiar home-away-from-home, but many of the students seated around you are in entirely unfamiliar place. I trust that you will all take a moment or two to assist them in the coming weeks as they learn their way around and adjust to Hogwarts life.”

He then took a minute to introduce each of the professors, but then turned back to the room. “Now, I’m sure you’re interested to see what we’re having for dinner. So let me show you.”

With a wave of his hand, Keiran watched the tables cover themselves with all sorts of food – entrees, bread, desserts – and as goblets filled themselves with water or pumpkin juice or whatever else.




[OOC: It might be helpful to mention at the start of your post which table your character is at if they leave their house table. You can also have students approach the professor’s table if they want to. It’s all up to you!]

Spoiler:

The Ravenclaw table was always the quietest, even at feasts. Despite the particularly rambunctious group of first years they had been assigned that year, they still fell into respectful murmuring, drowned out by the happy cheers from the Hufflpeuffs, the proud calls of the Gryffindors, the jostling jeers of the Slytherins. Her eyes drifted across the hall, looking for her small list of people, people that reminded her of the world she desired. The Zabinis, Longbottom, the Jerichos, even Waldorf.

But the food had arrived and she supposed she should eat. She hadn’t been eating much lately. The hams and puddings and rolls held no appeal to her. All she wanted was a night sky, a cigarette, and a  rickety little dock on a peaceful little lake.

For the first time in her life, Charlotte was looking forward to school to start. This is it. Her last year. After this year, she will finally go to college and start following her dreams. After she came to the Hogwarts, she first went to her room to put down the books she was caring with her at the train so she had something to read.
When she finally came to the great hall, the ceremony was already finished. Students were sorted and she saw few new faces at her table. It was easy to notice them since they were the loudest students at the table. Other students were silently speaking with each other, probably telling each other how much of the lectures they already read.

She saw Molly and sat next to her with the smile on her face.
"Hi Molly" it was enough to say. Molly was eating so Charlotte didn't want to bother her.

This was it.

She wasn't sure if she was excited or if she was dreading her seventh year at Hogwarts. The place she'd called home for so long now. There was a mixture of emotions floating around in her chest, making her just slightly nauseous. She wanted to be excited, she really did, but just the thought of having to be a real adult once this year was over was kind of terrifying for Anabelle Mulciber. Once this year was over, she would no longer be a student but a real working adult who would be thrown out into the world.

Good thing she had already started on her career at the Ministry. Not that it scares her any less. In fact, it should probably scare her more.

She was sure the same went for the redhead sitting beside her at the Gryffindor table. Freyja seemed to have even less of an idea of what she was going to do with herself. At the very least Anabelle had already found a department she felt comfortable with, even if it hadn't originally been the choice she'd thought of. Freyja hadn't been that lucky yet, she was still just one of the interns that ran dumb errands and went of coffee runs. She'd tried to tell her friend to intern in the magical creatures department, because of Ryo, but Freyja was adamant about not going there just yet.

She eventually gave up on trying to convince the Podmore girl. Though a part of her was sure she would end up there anyways.

"Are you excited?" Hit looked over at Freyja who'd leaned in toward her to speak.

She shrugged. "I don't.. really know yet. It's weird to think that this is our last year here."

"I know, but then we'll be real adults!"

"Yeah, I know. That's what scares me. I'm not sure I'd really trust you as a "real adult."

"Me? I think you should be worried about Cronis." Freyja laughed along with Hit after momentarily pouting over her previous comment.

Absent. It was a word she thought about a lot these days, a word she had finally recognized as one of the truest words to describe herself. She wasn't sure she could truly change that about herself, but she could change the perception, could at least be aware of work to give the impression of warmth to those who warranted it. Trying as she could be, liability that she was, Charlotte Waldorf was a good, naive girl who needed friends and needed kindness. It was that naivete that led her to try and seek camaraderie from one of the few almost incapable of giving that warmth, but Molly could not begrudge her that.

She turned to look at the redhead. "Hello, Charlotte. How was your summer?"

"WALDORF."

Margo slid out of her seat on Molly's left, spun around the two girls, and shoved her way into the seat at Charlotte's right. "Hey! I haven't seen you since - well, you know when." She grinned, acting as though Charlotte and Clair's early departure that night at Satan's hadn't bothered her as much as it truly had. "You get into any more shenanigans?"

If anyone ever asked Charlotte why she was desperately trying to be Molly's friend, she probably wouldn't have a good answer. She was aware of the fact that Molly probably didn't care, not only about Charlotte but about anything. But there was something about this girl that always gives Charlotte peace. Maybe it was the fact that Molly didn't ask many questions, she wasn't the one who will desperately try to realize who Charlotte really was.

"My summer... It was fine, I guess." Her summer was everything but fine. Strange things happened. She spent most of her time working with Christian, only to realize that they probably aren't good for each other. Charlotte wanted attention, love, and someone who understands her, but it was like Christian wasn't able to give her that. The only reason why she was still going to that store every morning was the fact that working would probably look good in her application for college.

And then, she heard her surname. That could be only one person. Before she even realized what was happening, Margo sat on her right side and Charlotte put the brightest smile on her face only to hide the shame she felt.
"Hi Margo, how are you?" Color completely left her face while she was trying to say anything that makes sense.
"Um, no. I spent the rest of my summer working. By the way, I'm sorry because I left Satan's so early but that place just wasn't for me. How was your summer?" Maybe this question would occupy blonde enough to stop talking about that night at Satan's.