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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Dec 22, 2006 14:45:24 GMT
It was dinner time and Grace had arrived early. She had taken a break and gone flying for a few hours. She felt exilirated and calm. And with the prospect of supper coming very soon, she was on the edge of her seat. She was starvingly hungery and could not wait to sink her teeth into something warm and juicy.
She looked at the other tables and saw that other students and a few teachers had also decided to come early. She looked at the small groups of ravenclaw girls and smiled. She could not remember the last time she had giggled that hard and missed times like those. She could not understand why those moments seemed few and far between for her.
Putting such thoughts aside, she glanced at the teachers table and sighed. She missed seeing Prof Addis there. His death had come as a great surprise and none took it harder then his hufflepuffs. She sighed and leaned on her hands, still looking around.
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Post by Prof. Jonathan Starsmore on Dec 22, 2006 15:25:46 GMT
It had been many a year since Jonathan Starsmore had been in the Great Hall, and as he sat on the far left side of the staff table he could not help but feel the atmosphere was somewhat more disheartened than he remembered. There was heaviness in the air, a tension that seemed to pool over one particular area of the room.
The individuals in question were of course the Huflepuffs, whom had recently lost their head of house Leigh Addis in dark circumstances. In comparison to the other house tables the Hufflepuff students were spread far and few, great long gaps in the seating arrangements where those who must have had their claimed spots were not present. Jonathan had no doubt it was mainly due to the sudden fame surrounding them, and he did not blame them for wanting to keep out of the limelight.
Of course, Jonathan was not going to put up with their dreary attitudes for much longer.
Standing up he smoothed down the front of his robes, and with his eyes fixed firmly upon his new students he downed the last of his wine. One person in particular caught his eye – a girl with long blonde hair. As always Jonathan had done his homework and had found out that she was Grace Marks, the Quidditch team captain and prefect.
A few heads turned as he strode down the isle between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, his bizarre robes billowing behind him as he did so. As he approached the girl he gave an impish smile, whistling gently to catch her attention…
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Dec 22, 2006 15:45:36 GMT
Grace sighed once again. Everyone is taking their sweet time tonight! she thought, staring at the door the Great Hall. She grasped the edge of her seat, her knuckles turning white, and rocked back and forth. She looked up and down the other house tables looking for someone she knew that she could wave at or smile at or just anything.
Suddenly she noticed a professor walking by. Grace had not seen him before and was usually rather good with faces. He must be Addis' replacement, she thought unhappily. Despite her sad thoughts she locked eyes with him and smiled. It seemed the best thing to do.
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Post by Prof. Jonathan Starsmore on Dec 22, 2006 15:58:46 GMT
The girl locked eyes with him, and Jonathan slowed his pace to arrive next to her, a pleasant expression on his face. She herself was considerably less enthusiastic. With a brief glance up and down the table, he swung one leg over the bench and sat down next to her.
'Don't mind me,' he said, reaching over and pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice, although he did not intend to drink it. 'I find its far better to get to know my students rather than avoiding them like some do. I'm Professor Starsmore, you're new head of house.' He said it carefully, not wanting to appear too inconsiderate of what it probably meant to the girl. 'I never met Leigh Addis, but I know I owe him my thanks. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him.' He added respectably.
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Dec 22, 2006 16:12:28 GMT
Grace smiled in shocked bemusement at the professor as he sat next to her. She never saw that one coming. She didn't know any professor who would do that. He even poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice! she thought, giggling slightly. Then the professor introduced himself as her new head of house. She cringed slightly at the mention of Addis, almost unnoticeably. She chose to set her pain aside and concentrate on the present. "Very pleased to meet you, Professor!" she said cheerfully.
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Post by Girty Hubbles on Dec 22, 2006 16:16:07 GMT
Girty walked into the Great Hall with her bag slowly slipping off her shoulder. With a sigh she noticed the almost empty Hufflepuff table and then grace sitting in the middle with what seemed to be smart, rather elegant looking man next to her. With a small smile Girty walked towards Grace.
“Evening.”
A small voice crept out of Girty’s mouth as she sat on the bench opposite Grace. However her eyes fell onto the professor wondering what he could be doing at the Hufflepuff table.
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Post by Prof. Jonathan Starsmore on Dec 22, 2006 16:27:18 GMT
Jonathan caught Grace's small reaction to the mention of Addis, and was slightly let down when she avoided any response to it. His thoughts were churning to come up with another conversation when another girl of near the same as Grace appeared, sitting down opposite them. To Jonathan she came across as small and nervous, and he looked back at her with equal musing. He then recognised her from a recent Daily Phrophet photograph as the Hufflepuff Quadwizard champion.
He wanted to grin madly in excitement at the prospect of discussing the tournament with her, but restrained himself and smiling politely. 'Hello, Ms Hubbles,' he stated. 'I'm Professor Starsmore, you're new head of house.'
He then remembered he had forgotten to say what subject he would be teaching. 'Lets hope you're one of my star pupils in Defense Against the Dark Arts. I expect you'll be needing it...' He said the last part to himself.
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Post by Girty Hubbles on Dec 22, 2006 16:33:17 GMT
Girty looked over at him in pure surprise.
“Your our new head of house?” A rather stupid response when you think about it, simply repeating what the person before had said but Girty was so shocked to hear it. And her surprise continued when she discovered the subject he would be teaching.
“Oh yes of course I will come to your lesson. I only went to a couple of Addis and they were rather boring to be perfectly honest. He always had it in for this one particular student…ruined the lessons.”
Feeling much more relived after having a small rant she reached over and picked the shiniest, reddest apple from the fruit bowl and took a huge bite out of it.
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Dec 22, 2006 16:39:26 GMT
Grace's eye was caught by yellow walking towards her. She looked and saw, "Girty!" she cried. Girty joined them, "good of you to join us!" She smiled happily, as the professor and Girty spoke. Grace looked around the Great Hall a little bit and saw that it seemed to be filling up, it was almost time for supper. She poured a glass of pumpkin juice for Girty then another for herself. She sipped it then added softly, "Addis always seemed angry and disappointed in us so his lessons weren't fun at all!"
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Post by Prof. Jonathan Starsmore on Dec 22, 2006 16:50:33 GMT
'Really?' Jonathan frowned in genuine surprise. 'I sat in the staffroom for over three bloody hours yesterday listening to how much of a saint he'd been...' he trailed of thoughtfully. Adults never seemed to be honest in their opinions of people out of some bizarre irrational fear that they may be found out and confronted - something which Jonathan had never let himself fall foul of - and decided that he should trust Grace and Girty's judgments as far more credible. Perhaps Addis wasn't the hero the other teachers had been making him out to be.
'I could never abide by boring teachers when I was at school. I spent most of my time in detention for all the arsey remarks I came out with. I don't regret them of course - the old sods deserved them, so you're welcome to be as rude to me as humanly possible,' he confirmed, smiling toothily. 'And I hope you enjoy practicals because I absolutely can't stand theory...'
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Dec 22, 2006 16:56:11 GMT
Grace nodded. "Practicals are great!" she giggled and looked at Girty, "very helpful when you're in a dangerous situation. They're easier to recall." She had a certain incident in mind, one involving a troll and a rather disheartened Girty at the end. She sipped her pumpkin juice and winked at Girty, kind of playing to the fact that they were sitting at their house table with a professor. She simply carried on smiling.
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Post by Girty Hubbles on Dec 22, 2006 19:47:39 GMT
Girty sat looking at Grace wondering what she was smiling about. With a blank expression she looked at the professor and blinked a few times at him before looking back at Grace. With a very slow realization it dawned on her the situation Grace was thinking of...but then another came to her head.....and then another.
"Do you mean the time we were in the forest and we met that troll...or the time I got bit by a werewolf or the time when that Minster was chasing after Bog?"
Girty looked at Grace with a puzzled face trying hard not to start laughing. Perhaps Professor Starsmore did not know what was in store by taking on the Hufflepuff’s.
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Dec 22, 2006 20:06:14 GMT
Grace laughed heartily. "Ok, so maybe there were several incidents that practical lessons helped with!" She rocked back on her seat and laughed a little more. She eventually calmed down and stopped rocking. She sighed and smiled at Girty. "Good times hey, Girt!" she giggled smiling and looking around the hall once more.
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Post by Prof. Jonathan Starsmore on Dec 26, 2006 22:38:43 GMT
Jonathan stroked his chin thoughtfully as he watched the two girls converse in giggles about their various inside jokes. 'Well, I think it would be out of order to deduct points for offenses that I was not even here to witness, so I suppose I'll just have to completely over look what Ms Hubbles here has confessed to,' he sighed in mock regret, a quick wink gracing his features.
For a moment he glanced up and down the table, inspecting the thinly scattered Hufflepuffs students. He frowned cynically, they dull, gloomy faces not at all suiting the fresh bout of enthusiasm he was feeling for his first week.
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Post by Prof Grace Marks on Dec 27, 2006 14:38:06 GMT
Grace turned to the professor and smiled at him. A curious thing to say, isn't it? she thought to herself. She looked back at Girty and smiled. "Aren't we glad that he doesn't know all the details, hey Girt?" Grace gave a supercilious smile and waggled her head from side to side. She giggled like a young school girl, her eyes shinning with glee.
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