Yuletide Returns and Brewing Storms (Return Feast)

[Krissy Fleming]

Krissy had kept rather quiet as everyone else seemed to arrive. Matty had said hello and Krissy had smiled back at her. She glanced to the girl Matty started speaking to, but just let her speak, Krissy knew the girls name (as she made sure she did with all new Hufflepuffs), but hadn't formally met her. Maddy had seemed a bit too distracted to notice Krissy said hello but she didn't mind. The young on seemed to have found one of the other first year puff's and told her to come over to where they were now sitting. Mike had arrived and sat next to Matty, Maddy was now on the other side. Krissy was still the only one on her side of the table (in their little area). However that soon changed.

"Hey Mike" Krissy said looking at her friend before flickering her eyes back to where Seanna and Alexander were. However Seanna was gone and Alex was on his way over. Krissy's eyes flickered back to the table quickly, trying to pretend she hadn't been watching them. However as Alex arrived it seemed almost as though he wasn't going to acknowledge her. His first words were directed to Matty across the table. Krissy glanced up at him as he arrived, as she would with anyone. Alexander then gave her a big smile, nodded his head to her and said her name. Krissy couldn't help but smile just a little. She knew him and Matty were friends and so, although she would have loved for him to say hello to her first she knew they were just friends and therefore it didn't matter whom he said hello first between her and Matty. Not to mention, she didn't know just how good of friends him and Matty were. However Krissy mimiced his actions in her return greeting. She nodded her head to him as he sat down "Alexander.." she responded. Her words didn't have her normal teasing edge to them as they normally would.

Krissy looked away from Alexander for a moment, her eyes travelling to the Gryffindor table and picking the blonde haired girl out from inbetween all the other Gryffs. Krissy wondered when her and Alexander met. He had never mentioned her before. Krissy wondered why. However she realised that she was staring off in an odd direction and instead glanced back towards Alexander quickly. She didn't want him to realise she had been watching his actions since she entered the hall. "How were your holidays?" she asked Alex, trying to give him a small smile. She pushed thoughts of him and Felicity to the back of her mind for the while. It shouldn't matter at all.

[Brenton Douglas]

The greeting was pleasant, at least she replied. Brenton would have been horrified if the she didn't say anything back, had snubbed him outright.

"Yes, I am a first year," he answered. "I've been a bit...busy," was his attempt to explain his hiding. He wasn't about to tell her he'd been having to study extra hard because he was having trouble learning magic, no that just wouldn't do. After all, he was supposed to be fantastic with magic, all the stories, all of them, the man Mrs Fortune had told him he would be was perfect, without hardly any flaws. Magic was supposed to be something he was good at, not something he had to work at.

"You are too, right? A first year, I mean." Brenton decided it was all right to take a seat, there wasn't any harm now that she was talking to him.

[kyleh]

Kyle never was a big fan of events like this, because he's bound to lose track of things. But oh well, attendance was mandatory, and he was hungry.

Sitting down in his usual spot, he looked around. Looked like the banner was attracting loads of attention. "When is the feast going to start?" he asked and looked around. Perhaps if he looked hard enough a cookie or two would appear...

[hermione7lunaroc]

This should definitely be interesting. Lily said to herself. She wasn't quite sure how many people had seen that she was back yet and they were definitely in for some sort of surprise, whether they were surprised at her being back or not. She didn't quite know. At any rate, the Ravenclaw table was still in the same place and she knew right where to head for. She didn't stop to chat on the way there, figuring anyone who might want to talk to her could catch her now or later, it all depended.

At any rate, she sat down next to a munch younger boy ((Kyle)), who she maybe had an inkling of who he was, but not a strong memory. As he asked when the feast started, she had a small smile on her face. "When the feel like starting it I suppose." This was the first time she glanced up at the staff tables, which seemed so oddly bare, as she looked for any indication of when it might start. She noticed Allegra and smiled. It wasn't at all hard to believe that she was still here after graduation.

[Vanessa Sanderson]

Vanessa decided to go sit at the table. She noticed a bunch of people from her house sitting together at one end and another person from her house sitting aways away with her head down and fidgeting with her fingers. Vanessa decided to sit across from her and gave her a warm smile and said, "Hi, how are you doing?"

She put her book down on the table and played with the pages. Vanessa didn't really want to be there, she wasn't sure why but could sense something but couldn't figure it out.

[hannah]

hiromcveil said:

"More than likely. I know what you mean, it makes me wonder what's going to happen to this place with eve-" Hiro was interrupted by quite the surprising excited call of his name.

It wasn't very often that someone could sneak up on Hiro. The general noise of the crowd helped mask her approach as well as him not listening for someone crawling on the ground. It took him a moment to realize who it was that was hugging him though he remembered quickly.

"Hannah, seems you made the train this time." Hiro said referring to their first meeting and how the year could have started really bad. "How was your break?"

Ears picking up, hearing bits of both conversations from Drew and Hiro, Hannah turned her brown eyes towards the sign. The sign was so pretty and so sparkle it reminded her of her mask that Jeremy had given to her for her birthday. What was wrong with a pretty, sparkle, sign? Maybe the Headmistress was just glad to see all of her students home again. And did she just hear that Raynor wasn't going to be there?

“My break was really good, we went to the yule for my birthday" Hannah supplied to Hiro, with a huge smile. The Yule had been pretty much the highlight of her winter break, with all of her friends being there, it had been really good fun. Especially later on when she opened up her present from Jeremy, which she found to be a decoration mask and she immediately put it up on the wall behind her dresser and she told her Dad not to touch it.

"How was your's?" Hannah asked Hiro, she was itching to ask what happened to Raynor. The first year hadn't really been keeping up with current affairs and this was news to her. Hannah tried to keep her attention on Hiro, but her brown eyes found their way past that pretty banner towards the staff table and saw only two people sitting at it. Two people she had no idea who they were.

Deciding it was probably better to ask now instead of pondering over it, she turned her brown eyes back to Hiro, suddenly feeling a little scared if the Deputy Headmistress weren't to be there. "What happened to Professor Raynor?" Hannah asked quickly, feeling kind of silly for not knowing. But everything had been happening so fast lately, that she hadn't had time to pick up any newspaper and read it.

[Rebecca Davenport]

It wasn't very often where Professor Davenport actually remembered that there was a feast happening. She was usually more concerned with other things and the school did have an inconvenient habit of scheduling the blasted things during feeding time.

But this time, things were different and Becca was there on time... even early it seemed by the empty tables and the milling students. It would have been impossible for her to forget this particular event, seeing that the fliers had been scattered all over the grounds and even (she was none too happy about it) nailed to the stable door.

Becca had fed the creatures a bit earlier than usual and walked along the table to her chair, smiling at both Allegra and a professor she hadn't met yet as she took her seat. While the animals had been taken care of, Becca still appeared as if she hadn't had time to tidy herself and the standard bits of hay still stuck in her hair and off of the skirts of her robes. Whether she was unaware or she just liked it that way, no one could be sure.

[cronon]

Alexander? Alexander's face was a bit puzzled. Had Krissy just said his whole name? She usually shortened it to 'Alex' and when she did say his full name, she was teasing of joking. Something was definitely different about the Head Girl, Alexander just couldn't put his finger on what. He smiled at her though, and turned his face only slightly to view who else had come to be at the table, when he heard Krissy ask him how his holidays were.

"Eh, other than the party we went to, they were pretty uneventful. I got a new wand hostler," he smiled as he moved his robes to the side showing her the wand holder that was attatched to a belt on his side. It's black leather, engraved with silver linning and his initials in silver as well. Of all the things magical or having to do with magic that Alexander had in his possession that he was actually proud of. And anyone who looked at the boy that very moment, could see the excitment radiating off of him. The hostler was was closed on top with a little cover that snapped to the side. "And look at this," Alexander said as he stood up from where he sat and pushed his robes back so all the girl's he sat with could see.

Standing as if he was about to enter a draw or duel with someone he quickly pushed his robes back, unsnapped the hostler, and had his wand in his hand and pointing at the back wall in less than miliseconds. It was evident the boy had spent hours in front of a mirror practicing the drawing of his wand from his new hostler. He smiled and as he looked at the girl's, especially Krissy, he could feel his cheeks start to turn a shade of pink. Clearing his throat he stood down from his position and shrugged his shoulders. "I just thought....er....I mean, some trick, huh?" Alexander replaced the wand where he had it and sat back down.

As he did so, his eye's lingered on Krissy's features and he smiled warmly. "Other than that," he softly said. "I can't really think of anything to eventful that happened. How were your holiday's, Krissy?"

[Hiro McVeil]

"Well happy birthday to you than." Hiro said with a smile. "That must have been something fun, out in the festivals on your birthday. My holiday was incredibly slow, I was one of the few students who stayed here in the castle. Though I was able to get out for a new year's party."

The last part he said a little quieter since on record he hadn't left the castle all break. Her next question wiped the smile from his face. He had heard a lot from the professors and students through the extendable ear network but really wasn't expecting to have to explain the situation. Judging by the concern in her voice she didn't have a lot if any of the facts. It was better she heard this now though and by someone she trusted rather than the rumors that flood the hallways.

"The Ministry has decided to complicate things here at Hogwarts." He began in a more serious tone. "Defense against the dark arts is no longer being taught as a class. Professor Raynor went to protest the council's decision. I'm afraid she made a terrible mistake and is suffering because of it."

[ryderh]

Professor Hailey, dressed in long maroon robes that clashed a bit with his complextion, took his usual seat at the table and promptly stuck his feet up on the wooden surface. This was unusual. Most unusual. They never had a feast at this time of year. He supposed there was a good enough excuse, with Raynor currently being locked up. It still seemed a bit odd to him. But, of course, he wouldn't turn down good food. And feasts usually meant really good food. With, perhaps, a little something special to drink. Professor Hailey wouldn't mind a bit of that. Not at all.

[seanna]

lianna said:

With her legs free to carry her away the third year quickly made her destination the Hufflepuff table but she only managed to make it approximately three steps before Seanna appeared. Normally given any other set of previously established circumstances she would’ve been grateful to see the girl, however at the present moment all she wanted to do was sit down, clear her head and get on with the feast and the rest of term. It seemed like a simple request to ask, but it was probably without a doubt going to be one that was difficult to deliver any time quick.

"Lianna! How have you been?"

She had little time to react as coupled with the words came the brief but warm and enveloping hug of Seanna’s arms. It wasn’t that the embrace wasn’t welcome, she just really wanted to sit down. Here she was not even a full twenty-four hours back from winter vacation and she’d already made a rather decent interpretation of someone who’d had their memory altered. She wasn’t sure who had rightfully noticed her staring off into the space that was la-la land – in fact she wasn’t even sure if Drew had noticed himself but she knew (or was pretty sure she did) and that was all it took.

“Can we go to the table and talk? I don’t think I can stand still another minute!” The young teen claimed as her eyes searched for a place at the table for the both of them. It was a bad night, and when the night started bad it could only get worse…

Hopefully it would wait until it was time for nightmares.

Seanna gazed at Lianna and looked at her closely. Okay, so she was the same Lianna, same pale colored tainted with pink cheeks Lianna that she knew. Maybe it was just her doing the over protective Prefect thing, but even Lianna didn't seem okay to her. What was going on with Hufflepuff? Krissy was different, Alexander was even acting strange and she was sure she heard something about Matty being with the littlest Rolen on her way over to say hello to Lianna.

And standing still close to the door, she even heard the shouts of 'get out of the way' and was shocked to see that it was one of her first years. Seanna made a mental note to talk to that first year after the feast as well. What was her name? Betty something? Shaking her head out of her thoughts, Seanna gave Lianna the smallest smile she could manage, which was hard considering she was thinking way too much at the moment.

"Sure, we should go over there before the good sits are taken and we miss out on the... " Seanna started walking towards the Hufflepuff table and her eyes had reached past that sign and towards the staff table. Miss out on what exactly? Who was going to announce the feast had started and to eat all the food and all the other necessary announcements that had to be announce? It was totally weird not seeing Raynor nor Ticloon and she wondered just who was going to say those announcements.

'Well, we should go over anyhow" Seanna shrugged her shoulders in the direction of Lianna and her eyes found it's way back to the shiny, sparkle eerie sign. Darn that sign and it's distracting ways.

[william]

Return, Feast, Moral Boosting, were the words written on Ken's calendar. He had returned to the castle the day before yesterday, and found the memo was slided under his door. Actually, there were a couple around and in the fireplace too. He didn't and knew better than to skip a mandatory feast, so he wrote that down on his calendar, in bright red ink.

He spent his holiday with his sister and her family, and for once, did not do anything remotely related to runes. So upon his return, he again found piles of letters and magazines needing his attentions. He threw most of the letters away, he would not have time for conferences. But magazines like News to Really Old Runes and Digging in You Runic Garden he definitely couldn't miss. He was reading in the library before coming to the feast, which was why he walked in with armful of books.

"Greetings everyone," he couldn't wave, so he could only nod and smile at his coworkers. "Nice holidays?"

[Krissy Fleming]

Krissy had to restrain hard from rolling her eyes as Alexander had said his holidays were pretty uneventful. She was sure they couldn't have been, afterall, him and Felicity seemed pretty cozy and she had never seen him with her before. Not that she knew everyone he knew or anything but still.. However as Alexander mentioned the wand holster Krissy glanced to look at it. It was actually rather pretty. Krissy herself had just stitched pockets into the sleeves of her robes to hold her wand. His wand holster was alot more fancy then her pockets. Krissy also noted the excitement on his face. It was different.

However no matter how much Krissy was slightly iffy with Alexander about the whole Felicity thing (even if he didn't know it) she couldn't help but smirk at his next move. "Easy there tiger.." Krissy said, teasing stretched all through her voice and her usual smirk pasted across her cheeks "I wouldn't be whipping that thing out everywhere ya go, you could poke someone's eye out with it.." Krissy grinned. Krissy noticed the pink creeping on his cheeks and noticed the change of subject.

Krissy allowed the change for the moment, however it also reminded her of Felicity and though she kept telling herself that it was a good thing, she couldn't quite shake the thought of it. Especially with his saying nothing eventful happened, unless he had met her before, but then again, she hadn't seen him so up and personal with her before.. Infact she hadn't ever even seen him with her before. "Mine were fine." she said simple "Went home. Stayed in the leaky Cauldron for a bit and the rest of the time was spent here" Krissy didn't elaborate further. The high point of her holidays had been the New Years celebration of Ari's and spending the night with Alex. She had enjoyed that.

[Drew Thornton]

Their little group had thinned out and the professors had started showing up... another oddity. Hardly any of the teachers ever came to the feasts and now it seemed like half the staff had already showed up.

"Maybe we better head to the table," Drew suggested to the Ravenclaws that were still by the door and he grabbed Jeremy in a playful sort of headlock. "I think the feast is going to start soon."

[Lianna Maylorn]

It was all odd looks and small smiles but Lianna could tell that the elder Huffle was about as lost among her thoughts as she had been a mere moment ago. Therefore when the older girl finally seemed to agree upon her request Lianna wasted no time in heading for the table. She wasn’t sure whether Seanna’s looks were of concern for her, or concern for other reasons, regardless of their motivation they were definitely concern, which made her concerned. It was a feast, feasts and merriment were supposed to concern no one. They were supposed to be fun.

And yet, she could understand why there was concern. Raynor wouldn’t be showing her head, and Ticloon rarely did. There was a New year’s Feast -- although in her opinion dinner at Hogwarts was/i] a feast -- and the year asn’t supposed to be anything special was it? It wasn’t a millennium or anything like that so, what was so important that deserved all this attention? It was time for distractions from one set of questions and to move on to another kind: positive ones.

“So um, how was your break,” The Huffle inquired once the two had claimed sufficient seats for there still to be elbow room when the food arrived, although Merlin knew when that would be. “Do anything interesting?”