With the capture of Verandi Farley and several high-ranking Trossach members, the British wizarding world has finally caught a break. The rate of rogue werewolf attacks have started dropping at a steady rate and, hopefully, things will stay that way. The Ministry is starting to loosen some restrictions, like not arresting werewolves standing on the street for loitering, however there’s still an obvious power imbalance between wizardfolk and werewolves.
The Cotswolds pack are continuing to advocate for the rights of werewolves and petitioning to change the legislation that has been set in motion by the current Minister for Magic, whilst the remaining Trossachs members are trying to stay out of the spotlight and keep a low profile… for now.
Whilst the British wizarding world seems to have calmed down, the same cannot be said for over in Northern Europe where a rebellion of magical creatures has risen. The state of things has gotten so bad that the European Ministry has enacted protocols to protect those under eighteen whilst their adult witches and wizards fight to keep control of their countries.
Students from Durmstrang have been sent to Hogwarts to keep them safe and those not old enough to attend school have been sent to live with relatives or designated British Ministry officials outside of Europe for the time being.
Will the low rates of werewolf attacks in Britain continue? How long will Durmstrang students stay at Hogwarts? Will the creatures usurp the wizardfolk in Northern Europe? Only time will tell.
SEPTEMBER 2019 It's been a very long, eventful summer in the wizarding world. A baby was stolen, several high ranking Trossach members were imprisoned, and werewolf attacks have drastically dropped as a result. What will happen now school has returned?
MAY 2019 An attempt to capture the beta of the Trossachs has been launched. Were the Aurors successful in their mission? Go read more here!
Post by ROSALIA CAPONE on Jul 3, 2019 17:03:40 GMT
It wasn admittedly, strange going on dates still. She and Grey were always together, so going with anyone other than him was wierd. She knew neither Grey or Felix liked one another, which only complicated matters further. She could only assume something would blow up as usual, but for now, she just wanted to get to the Ball and have a good time. She wanted a dance with her two favorite people, and no fighting with anyone. Was that too much to ask? Probably, but she could at least try to get a dance out of the both of them.
She arrived, waiting for her date or her best friend to show up. She made her way over to the punch bowl, getting herself a cup. She furrowed her brows a bit as she sipped. Well, it wasn't spiked yet, so she could safely assume that Greyson hadn't arrived yet. It wasn't half as much fun, but at least it was a drink... She sighed, taking another drink as she noticed Felix's sister. She knew for a fact the girl hated her, so she simply quirked a brow and nodded to her-- a bit of a smirk formed at the corner of her mouth as she took another drink. She was just going to love seeing her with Felix. Rosa was the bad influence, after all.
Post by VIKTORIYA BACHOVA on Jul 3, 2019 17:15:14 GMT
Viktoriya was actually pretty excited to go to the ball. Maybe she hadn't clambored for a date, but she was a bit indecisive anyways-- finding some guy to spend the entire night with? She generally just kicked it with Grace, and maybe a few others and generally played the role of the calm friend that talked all her other friends out of trouble with the professors. She didn't know who she would've taken, minus maybe Cooper if he wasn't so damn full of himself.
He was fun to banter with no doubt, but she knew there was certainly a fine line between basic banter and fun versus someone who was simply acting full of themselves... And he had a tendency to cross way over to the concrete side. It was a shame really. She waited behind Rosalia, getting a glass of punch. She turned a bit quicker than she had thought-- not noticing someone behind her. She bumped into another student, quickly reacting to keep the liquid from hitting the person in front of her.
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
A dance and Felix was actually looking forward to it. He hoped it would be for once a drama free scene, which he would doubt could happen. Whenever he entered the room people caused shit to happen and he got the blame but the night was young so he hoped he could be the hell out of there before shit went down. The boy walked in a blue suit right for the great hall and had his hands in his pockets as he looked for his date.
Felix spotted Rosalia and with a smile on his face he walked over to her. Felix took his hands out of his pockets and reached for a drink.
"Hey you, care for a dance?" he asked as he took a sip and put the cup down.
Post by ALMIR VILGOT ASKELAND on Jul 3, 2019 18:54:38 GMT
“Valkyrie! Are you ready for Juul? Or ehh.. The winter ball? There might not be singing but there will be plenty of dancing, I hope. If not we’ll just have to do all the work,” he winked at his best friend who was also his ‘date’ for the night. The bound between them was stronger than that of most siblings. Many students and teachers believed they were a couple. Which was odd to Almir as well Runa was like a sister to him. She looked rather stunning in that dress.
“I'm sure you’ll charm the dancefloor. Don’t worry, I won’t stop you from dancing with a man, haha,” he tried to tease her. Usually Almir was the one who was inviting guests over in their house. Sometimes he felt bad for doing so. What could he do about it? In his head giving Runa an equal chance was the most logical thing. “Everyone will be so adorable,” he grinned, excited for this little feast. “I hope they have made. If not, I secretly bought a bottle. Don’t tell our boss,” he whispered before offering his hand and leading her into the big room.
Almir scanned for colleagues but so far aside from them it was just Jack and Zoe. He headed straight towards them. “Dear friends! Look at you all dressed up,” he greeted the both of them. with a hug before pouring Runa and himself a drink. “But seriously man, coffee? That’s not a party drink.”
Were they supposed to bring a date to the ball? Mark stopped in the middle of the doorway as he realized that unlike many other students who passed by him as if he was made of air and who were arriving in couples – he was all alone. There were pairs everywhere; on the dancefloor, by the drinks table, chatting with others… couples, couples, couples. It was like a lesson in the freaking two table for first graders. He hated this! And what he hated the most, was that it made him feel left out. He had not picked up some sad sobbing princess on the staircase to escort her to the ball. He would much rather have ten DADA lessons in a row than asking someone to be his date.
Yes, Mark knew it was his own fault, and even though he hated being left out, he was fine being on his own. The boy walked down the stairs, trying to avoid any possible interaction with some Slytherins he recognised on the dancefloor. Swiftly, he made his way towards the table with refreshments, and quickly grabbed something to hold in his hands. Holding a drink would prevent any moron from asking him for a dance – as if someone even cared to do so to begin with.
Mark dared to lift the glass he was holding and taste whatever troll piss it contained. Well, it was actually fairly good, aside from the mere fact that it tasted like it was made out of cupid laughter and fairy dust. To explain this to the mortal reader: it tasted too sweet. He boy preferred normal sparkling water with a bit of lime – nothing else. All of the other fancy stuff that was served at the ball was not for his liking.
Faith didn’t have a dress to wear. Because she had come to the realisation all the dresses she owned were given by her grandma. Merlin be damned if she ever got involved with her dad’s side of the family again. It might have been half a year since the divorce but she still hadn’t forgiven him or her grandma. But she managed to creatively put something resembling a suit together. “This will do,” she nodded to herself.
She joined the party, perhaps a little late because she was indecisive. Better late than never, she said so herself. The ball was quite lively already. She spotted Liam with a lady. Well well, little puff got himself a date?
Then she saw Grace in a beautiful lilac dress with a friend of them both. Little Sam, her favorite Slytherin. “Graciee, you truly look like a little Princess. That colour is too adorable on you. And you Sam, looking like a true lad already,” she said as she stood beside them. “Hey did you see Liam and his bird. Do you think they’re well you know,” she made movements with her head. “An actual date?” @sam , GRACE LONGBOTTOM ,
Post by JUNAID ZALAYAT on Jul 3, 2019 20:24:20 GMT
Junaid was actually quite nervous. This was the night. His friend Roxanne had agreed on going to the ball with him. This was the first dance he would have with a lady. Things were starting to get really official. The Hufflepuff wasn’t sure if he was ready for such a big step but he was turning seventeen real soon which was a normal time for people in his culture to get engaged. He’d have to wait till Roxanne was an adult too but he had the time. Being disowned by his family would mean he’d have to work extra hard to provide and convince her family. There wasn’t much he could offer. At least Greyson taught him the cherry trick. Apparently women liked that. So he had to go.
Junaid wasn’t sure if he was in love they were good friends. But in his culture men and women rarely were friends and spoke one on one. So she had to be the one, right? Too bad for him he no longer had an adult in his life to ask for advice. Else he might know that this was not really how things went in Britain.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Junaid nervously smiled towards his friend. “I-I’ll do my best to keep my prefect duties at a minimum and give you the evening you deserve,” he told her, wanting to be a good date despite his responsibilities. Okay now what? He probably should’ve asked Gabe or Grey. They were better with girls. Jun had no clue how to handle these kinds of situations. He hoped to spot them and ask them for help tonight at the ball. “Eh… S-shall we go in?”
Even though Runa hated social gatherings, there were those which she tolerated, because she honoured tradition very much. The Yule Ball was one of those. So in honour of the occasion she actually made an effort at making herself look socially acceptable, 'be less herself', as her grandmother had told her on numerous occasions. That woman was also the reason she had exactly one dress for events like this in her closet. It was a few years old now, but still did the job when she needed it. It was a silvery grey dress made of some slightly shiney, flowey fabric Runa didn't know the name of and went all the way to the ground, even pooling behind her in a small train. It was cut to fit her figure, which made her uncomfortable if she thought about it for too long, so she tried to avoid that as much as possible. The top flared out into short sleeves that fell down off her shoulders. To make herself feel less naked, she put a chain around her neck with on it a multifaceted lepidolite, a purple gemstone helping her focus and worry less. Her hair she braided into a crown around her head while she tamed Almir's hair in a simple ponytail to make him look more civilized. To top it off, she put on a wide silver belt adorned with a stylized depiction of Frigga's great-horned owl, to which she could also attach her wand.
Throwing on a black cloak for the walk up to the castle, she turned to her friend. "I'll let you have one dance with me, storebror. But let's not scare the students again," she commented with a kind smile. Their own traditions might sometimes be rather strange to the mostly British students and especially seeing the quarter-giant dance in any way in an enclosed space might make some of the students nervous, Runa knew. But for all her seriousness, Runa could not deny that she did enjoy dancing with Almir, no matter how strange or frightening it might look to others.
Runa rolled her eyes when her 'brother' gave the permission for her to dance with other men. She really didn't fancy dancing with any of her colleagues, or with anyone other than her friend. "I need no man, Al, you know that. You're quite enough man for me," she joked. She wasn't even going to argue about 'charming the dancefloor'. It was pointless to discuss that with Al. It would just make it worse. She wasn't going to charm anyone. Her scowl made sure of that.
The Herbology teacher simply took her friend's hand when they were about to enter the great hall, hoping that it wouldn't end up too bad and that maybe Al could spare some time for her before chatting up one colleague or another. Reaching two of their colleagues, she nodded to them in greeting before accepting a drink from Almir. She turned to look around, seeing some of her students dressed up in quite frisky dresses, which weren't all that fitting in Runa's opinion. But she could not hold it against them, for thus were teenagers, always eager to impress.
Roxanne had never been on a real date before. Neither had she ever worn a dress this long, or this difficult to keep on her body the way she intended it to be. She really should have picked something with straps. And she had never worn real high heels before. She had been so happy when Junaid had asked her to the ball--her first date ever! She was nearly fifteen; it was about time. But with the number of staircases she had to walk down from Gryffindor Tower, she was starting to regret going to such a fancy occasion, or at least regretting the outfit she had chosen. She was going to trip over the hem of the dress any moment now...
Phew. She'd made it outside the Great Hall safely, spotting her very own Hufflepuff prefect waiting outside the door. Well--alright, maybe not hers yet, as this was only their first date, but hers for the night. That is, if she didn't break her ankle on these shoes. She steadied herself with a hand on Jun's elbow, giving him a soft smile. She liked him a lot; he was always so kind. Last year she had spent more time with him when he'd first arrived in Britain, and she was glad they seemed to have remained friends.
"Yeah, let's hope nobody causes any trouble. It's supposed to be a fun time for all of us, even the prefects!"
Ollie ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip as she waited for Gabriel. She knew he would want to pick her up at her dorm but she was so excited to see the great hall she really couldn't wait. With a smile she looked at the snow falling but not hitting a single soul. There was this feeling about Christmas that made Ollie's stomach flutter.
She turned around to look for Gabriel and smiled when he approached her. He looked so handsome in a suit and Ollie for a moment just wanted to hug him. "Hello Gabriel." she greeted him and looked him over.
"You look very handsome yourself! You should wear suits more often." she said with a giggle and took his arm. "You really like the dress? Parker picked it out."
The dance, the only time Frankie Evans would wear a stunning dress that was bought for her by her adopted parents when they heard of it. At least she got to pick out her dress, and not worry about her adopted mother going a bit overboard. She was thankful to have her family being supportive, and being her guide when she was at a loss. There was a tiny smile when she walked down the steps, heading toward the Great Hall, bypassing other students and then she spotted her. The female had stopped in her tracks when she saw Rose, and for a moment all the other students disappeared and she swore she stopped breathing as she laid eyes on her.
Frankie moved toward Rose, her mouth open and she was at a loss of words. This was....surprising to see. "Holy crap!"
The male was in no mood for a dance, but if his sister's were going to be raging hormonal women, he had no choice but to make an appearance. And the fact that his father wrote to him saying that he should go, that it'd be good for the image of the family - Ozzy found he had no choice but to go. He had dressed up as best as he could, even putting a thing of mints in his pocket in case someone decided to spike the punch but he highly doubted that would happen. As tempting as getting half the school drunk, he wasn't going to get people into trouble. Hell, his older sister was here somewhere.
The man had decided to take his classmate, and friend as a date to the dance knowing damn well that her boyfriend or his girlfriend can join them on the dance floor. He made a promise to himself that he would have a good time, dance with this girl who seemed to be catching some sort of stomach bug. Perfect timing.
Oswald looked at his date as they walked in, smiling a bit more and chuckled. "And you look beautiful. I'll punch anyone if they get handsy with you." he said before he looked around the Hall for Ariella.
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Cassidy took a sip of her drink and looked around. She couldn't find her mother which is fine she didn't need a mother daughter dance per se. It would've been nice but Cassidy was adaptable. The girl ran a hand through her hair and looked at a boy near her. She missed her camera, he looked so aesthetic. Still he seemed a bit sad and lonely and she knew exactly how that felt.
"Hey." she said softly as she approached him, handing him a cup of punch. "I'm Cassidy." she said with a small smile on her face. She was usually shy with new people but the boy seemed like he needed and friend and Cassidy wanted to be his friend.
Mark got eye-contact with a girl, and he was certain that she was not looking at him, even though it seemed like it. He therefore quickly looked away, assuming that Cassidy Mason was glancing at a person behind him. Great, Mark… Don’t get your expectations up. There was no way someone would randomly walk up to him and start talking. After all, he did everything he could to be invisible. Although, something deep inside of him wished it was otherwise. He felt more awkward standing with a glass of whatever it was in his hand than if he stood in a group or with someone else, like the rest of the students did. If he had someone to talk to, it would be much easier to blend in.
The girl that had looked at him was alone too, but he assumed that she would find her partner in no time. He was probably out there somewhere, while she was here to grab something to drink. Mark noticed from the corner of his eyes that she poured herself some punch, and then walked in his direction. Automatically, he stepped out of the way, but the girl stopped. Mark looked directly at her. What did she want?
“Er… Hi!” He said and was amazed by how easily she could start chatting with him. “Mark Grimstone.” He introduced himself and politely accepted her punch.
Suddenly realizing that he was now holding two beverages, the boy quickly emptied the glass of sweet “troll piss” from before. He made a grimace and busted out.
“By Merlin’s long beard that stuff is nasty! Please tell me the punch is better?!” He formed a grin before realizing he had actually spoken out loud. “Err…” His cheeks became slightly red. “Are you here with someone?”
Jack's eyes swept over each person as they entered the Great Hall, making sure that they were wearing the appropriate attire and weren't looking particularly suspicious. Of course, when Professor Savage entered, his eyes may have lingered on her for a second longer than necessary, but when she moved to the other side of the room to supervise, he was promptly reminded of the fact that he desperately needed to get his eyes checked. Looking that far made him want to squint.
Jack's line of thought was interrupted a moment later as suddenly, a student was paying him a compliment. Thankfully, he could see him and Jack quickly donned a friendly smile. "Thank you, Mr. Valentino. The staff have definitely put their best foot forward in decorating this year... and will put their best foot forward later on the dance floor, I'm sure," Jack joked, chuckling. "Mr. Wagtail quite a good singer, I believe. Takes after his father that way."
A few moments later, two familiar Professors made their way over to him and instantly, Jack's smile grew even bigger. He gave Almir a brief pat on the back before drawing back. "The both of you look great... and Almir, coffee's a drink for every occasion. Surely you know that by now," Jack said, before a teasing smile slid onto his face as he addressed the both of them. "Are we going to be blessed with your dancing this evening? A repeat of last year?"
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
Were they supposed to bring a date to the ball? Mark stopped in the middle of the doorway as he realized that unlike many other students who passed by him as if he was made of air and who were arriving in couples – he was all alone. There were pairs everywhere; on the dancefloor, by the drinks table, chatting with others… couples, couples, couples. It was like a lesson in the freaking two table for first graders. He hated this! And what he hated the most, was that it made him feel left out. He had not picked up some sad sobbing princess on the staircase to escort her to the ball. He would much rather have ten DADA lessons in a row than asking someone to be his date.
