Blake blinked .... it was as if he was in a tranze this whole school term. One second he was in the first defense against the dark arts lesson, and the next here he was sitting on the Slytherin Table for the end of the term feast. He shook his head a few times, what in the name of Merlin even happened this term.

He looked down and around the house table to see if anyone else looked as confused as he did ... or maybe he was just being dramatic, which ever, but his 6th year at Hogwarts had come to and end regardless of how much he had remembered.

Nem had finished the term as they'd spent it: unreservedly acting as though rules and consequences did not apply to them. Which was essentially the case, and especially so today. Nobody could say anything to them as they turned up for the end-of-term feast, hours before the jurisdiction of Hogwarts staff would temporarily lift.

They'd checked in with Pax and Ez, got a few last minute things together just for something to do, and now settled in at the Slytherin table, scanning the faces of those already at their house tables and up on the staff dais. As they opened up the book they'd brought along, Nem glanced across at Ryan, who was blinking around in a manner that would put Schmoe to schmame. Kid looked like he'd been abruptly been relieved of his wits. Or maybe he always looked like that.

"Healer Peppy on the loose again?" they asked lightly, except it was unclear whether they were actually expecting a response; the next moment, Nem had turned their attention to their book - the contents of which appeared as complete nonsense to anyone who tried snooping - and began reading, drumming their fingers incessantly on the cover.

Blake turned and looked at Nem (that was their name right?) ... Blake thought there was some to do with them still. Or maybe he was remember last year? Wait what was he saying/thinking?

Blinking a few more times. "Healer Poppy?" Blake questioned, not sure what to say .... right Healer Poppy had kept them calm all year right? with the bread? pie? candles? "Dear Merlin Nem, what in the world happened to me!" Blake felt like he was awaking from the dead .. jeez.

"Right, Healer Poppy." Healer Peppy. "Yeah."

Nem was ready to sit quietly through this feast and pay very little attention to anyone, Ryan included. Might not have even turned up had they not had a good reason for showing their face.

And yet, when he spoke again, Nem looked up, and considered him carefully; his entire demeanour called to mind the events of their third year. That whole vortex situation, the loss of magic and of memory, the mass confusion and panic. Some kid flitting around suggesting a theory that it was the end of the world, scaring a few of the students half to death. Impossible now to call to mind who that had been - the details did tend to get a bit fuzzy. The point remained: what with that term and plenty of similar encounters since, Nem recognised severe lapses in memory or awareness when they saw them.

Closing their book again, Nem gave Ryan their full attention, their expression one of great concern. "What's up, Blake? You seem..." They paused, bit their lip, and leaned in, lowering their voice to speak a little more confidentially, so only Ryan could hear. "Don't freak out, but I overheard one of the professors say that Poppy was discovered testing potions on house elves, like... mind control stuff. Half of them lost their minds, and couple, like... died. What if..." What if she got you too? Another pause, and Nem pulled away again, giving a bracing but apparently only half-convinced shake of the head. "Actually, no. I'm sure that's not what happened to you. Ignore me."

Had Nem actually heard anything of the sort?

Listen. Don't even worry about it.

Isabella quietly sat down on a vacant seat at the Slytherin table opposite Blake and Nem. It hadn't been the worst term in her short Hogwarts history and definitley a step up from last years terror, but it still felt really good to be going home. After a sweeping glance around the hall to see if Apollo had arrived, the second year snakette turned her attention to her housemates. "Hey Blake, hey Nem, are you guys ready for summer vacation?" Having come in so she heard the tail end of what Nem had been saying Bella looked over at Blake now, wondering since he looked unsettled, worried even. "Are you all right Blake?" Did she need to fetch their head of house or better yet Healer Peralta?

It was the end of the term and Serena had passed the Hogwarts Survival Test. With flying colors might she add due to taking Healer Poppy down. Serena had told her parents part of the happenings and they sounded proud when they wrote back. Her mum had been reluctant to send her to Hogwarts after the war, but Serena proved she didn't need to worry about her.

She also didn't get in trouble for knocking out an adult. Cherry on top.

Taking her usual seat at the Slytherin table, Serena glanced over at the staff table and then back. Her friends weren't here yet, which was usual, so she took out a small notebook from the inside pocket of her robes and opened it to the page titled SUMMER PLANS. Because she actually had plans. With real friends. Friends who liked her for her.

Heh. That kind of rocked.

Goodbye to another year, one which was reasonably less crazy compared to the one prior. Claudine could live with this, she decided as she flopped herself onto the bench beside Blake. She was just in time to hear Nem say something about ignoring him, to which she couldn’t help but agree. All through the school year Claudine had been doing just that. “They’re right, Blake. Ignore them. Not worth your time.” She inspected Blake’s face closely. “Everything alright there?’’ Her friend looked sort of flustered in her opinion…

Oh yes… there were others at the table, right? Others whom this sixth year actually liked. “Hello, Bella. Serena. Eager to get home?”

All the hall banners went in blue and bronze colours to celebrate Ravenclaw’s house cup win. Bella would have wanted the banners to be snakey green, but alas not this year. It sucked that they hadn’t won but, at least they were in second place and not last place and healer Poppy was gone. Shaking her head she smiled brightly when Serena arrived to take a seat near her. "Hi Serena," Bella greeted with a smile. Motioning to the notebook she wondered curiously. "What have you got there Serena? You’re not still studying something? Or are you making a, what to do in Diagon Alley list perhaps?" She could keep on guessing, but it'd be pointless since the possibilities were endless.



Next year Bella was going to be a third year and she’d have to take more classes and she’d really be a teenager. Maybe she could start buying makeup and not just nail polish now? It was something to consider, the dark haired snakette pondered as Claudine came in and just dived into the conversation between Blake and Nem. Ignore who was a question that immediately came up into Bella's mind, but she didn’t ask it as her eyes briefly lingered on Blake again. Maybe Blake wouldn’t want to talk about it? Turning her full attention on Claudine she smiled sunnily. "Hi Claudine," nodding she said "Yes, I’m totally eager and ready to go home. How about you? Eager to go home too? You're almost a seventh year ,that's so cool."

It didn't seem like they waited for long for the speech. Her dad had told her it always seemed to take forever, but tonight...it felt short. And V was glad because she was hungry, but then it occurred to her that the quicker this all went, the fast tomorrow morning would come. And once she was home, she was sure to not have a good time. Alix would be furious about her grades, surely?

Ugh.

It was for this reason that she remained quiet even with being next to Serena.

And, she no longer had an appetite. So she pushed her plate away from her and stared into space. THINKING. FOR ONCE.

Wow... it was already the end of term feast, where did the time go? Last Tadhg knew they were doing that stupid therapy session with Healer Poppy. Although he had to admit that this year wasn't as bad as last year, sure he didn't remember most of it, but it was still good none the less. Walking in hand in hand with Lia, he gave her hand a squeeze before going towards his table joining his fellow snakes at their table. Taking a seat not to far from Bella he nodded at his fellow snakes before running his hand through his hair. What a crazy year it was, alot of ups and downs, but that was what made life interesting.


Sitting there waiting for the feast he sighed in relief at the sight of food, he was starving and ready to eat. One thing for sure he sure missed the house elves cooking delicious and yummy things, it was good to have them back. Loading his plate his ocean blue sapphire eyes looked around waving at his friends from other tables and keeping an eye on them and Lia.

Darius was pleased with the end of the year arriving. He completed the O.W.L's and now had summer to enjoy with U-17 and everything else. Maybe even join some community plays after not hearing any complaints about his performance in Peter Pan. Everything else, he just wanted to move past now.

Once the speech and the food arrived, Darius didn't waste anymore time before tucking into some delicious food.

Austin's last year was...interesting. He couldn't believe it was almost all over. After this, would be his last night sleeping in the castle for a while. (He wanted to teach at Hogwarts after he graduated). He started out as literally the quietest person in the school and became, well, not outgoing, but he was talking a lot more then he had been when he first arrived at Hogwarts as a quiet mute kid. He smiled and waved at his classmates and friends as he walked into the great hall.
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The food had magically appeared and the speech was done. Austin filled his plate up with food and started eating. He was never one to start conversations but he would usually talk if anyone talked to him first.

Bella certainly seemed eager to get home. It was nice seeing the second year so happy. Claudine smiled a bit, thinking vaguely about the Blaze mansion. This would be her second year not living there but she had no regrets about her new living arrangements. “Oh, yes. I’m looking forward to going home too. Not that I have plans… it’s just that there’ll be less hassle. No school work, more sleep-in days... “ And for an introvert like her, less socialising. Bella brought up a topic which Claudine hadn’t really given much thought to as yet. “I’m not sure how to feel about that.” There was a pause in which she cast her mind about, trying to decide how she felt. “I guess it’s going to be a bittersweet moment.’’ Yes, that was the perfect description.

There would be some that Claudine would miss, some that she wouldn’t. Victoria was one who fit the latter category, unless she learnt some manners. The sixth year couldn’t help but notice that Victoria looked a little off. Despite this, she offered no comfort nor asked what was wrong. This wasn’t her business. She returned Tadhg’s nod, said hi to Darius and Austin then turned her attention to Trent.

Funny… Claudine no longer felt as resentful towards the man. Holding a grudge against him because he had let himself be taken by the Neo Alliance hadn’t been exactly his fault. Whatever. It was in the past. Just as Schmoe’s time as a professor here would soon be. All this while, the Snakette had been avoiding the staff table because seeing Schmoe was just a reminder of what he had told her earlier that day: he was leaving. That bit of revelation made her want to cry, and this was something she did not do easily, but he had had such a positive impact on her. He was going to be missed. As would Reccard. Claudine hated all these changes that would come with the new term.

Blake still felt like there was fog in his head. And then he heard what Nem said ... in a whisper ... but he heard it. "Nem .... is that what happened to me." He wanted to whisper .. really he tried, but part of him was a still shook up from the whole thing.

And then more students joined him. Claudine .. who had made the effort to be nicer to him at the beginning of the term, did they talk at all since then? Blake couldn't remember much more about the term. "Hey Claudine, I think I'm alright now." Blake said grabbing a jug of pumpkin juice. Will Hogwarts ever have a normal year? Blake was certain they wouldn't!

Violet slipped in a bit late, glad that she had finally been released from the infirmary in time to get some food. She hadn't been eating properly this year and she was ravenous. Now that those headaches had finally gone away. Apparently she was allergic to one of the substances Healer Poppy had been using in her calming potions, or whatever they were, and that was what had caused her to faint. Which was a relief--Violet felt she was too young to fade away from some wasting disease.

Just as she took her seat, Headmaster Trent began his speech. Violet listened a bit impatiently, and then it was over. Really? That was it? No explanations, yet again, for a year full of strangeness? Really, if Violet didn't lurk around in corners and behind doorways, she would never know anything about what was going on. But a good writer must always be on the lookout for material! Violet just hoped that, after the Neo-Alliance thing and now this, that Hogwarts would check out new employees just a bit more carefully.

Just then the food arrived, and Violet was too busy for a while filling her plate, and then her stomach, to pay much attention to anything else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by love-for-HP

Blake still felt like there was fog in his head. And then he heard what Nem said ... in a whisper ... but he heard it. "Nem .... is that what happened to me." He wanted to whisper .. really he tried, but part of him was a still shook up from the whole thing.

And then more students joined him. Claudine .. who had made the effort to be nicer to him at the beginning of the term, did they talk at all since then? Blake couldn't remember much more about the term. "Hey Claudine, I think I'm alright now." Blake said grabbing a jug of pumpkin juice. Will Hogwarts ever have a normal year? Blake was certain they wouldn't!

Looking over Blake and realising the way he seemed out of it, Claudine wanted to slap the reality back into him. Maybe she would settle for dumping jam on his head again? The girl actually took a quick look down the Slytherin table to see if there was some close by. There was actually a dish near with what looked to be strawberry jam. However, her gaze was averted from it when she heard Blake speaking to her.

Oh?

He was okay? “Oookay, if you’re sure. Thought I might have needed to upend some jam on your head to get you back to the real world.” Claudine smirked a bit as she recalled that particular encounter a few years ago. Now that the speech was done, she dove into her dinner, feeling the need to eat her feelings away about certain professors leaving.