Participants:
| Scene Title | Summer Plans |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Last-minute discussion of fun in the sun. |
| Location | Great Hall, Hogwarts |
| Date | June 26, 1995 |
| Watch For | The Yank |
| Logger | Egbert |
Lastday Feast. There is a speech from Dumbledore, presumably equal parts cautious and hopeful, but then the students are invited to feast. The tables are laden with food, so much that if they had voices, they'd groan from the weight on their backs. At first, there's a tendency to stay resolutely with one's housemates, but as the supper continues, people start drifting to different tables, the constraints of House left behind by some in preference of those who are simply their friends.
Pandora is seated with a portion of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, a slice of juicy red roast waving enthusiastically from her fork. "And then I said, after the first time we beat Gryffindor next year, he and George aren't allowed to call me kid anymore! And we shook on it."
Egbert has a textbook still perched under his arm, and is arguing about it with a first-year girl in Slytherin. "No, I did pass the exam, it's just it's an old copy and I don't want it getting damaged. And I haven't had time to pack it away yet." The girl looks unconvinced, but then she's distracted by the smell of turkey legs. Even the ambitious gotta eat.
"Well, here's one person who believes you," Melissa says, leaning on the table beside Egbert with a smile. "I wasn't all that hungry," she explains to him. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"
Kalleigh is still sitting very much in Hufflepuff land, next to her friend Jackson, picking at her plate of food. It's her second, so it's not being inhaled quite as quickly. "Well, there's this quidditch camp, see, and I'm going to talk to my da about going. It's pretty expensive, but the ad did say something about discounts. Seems the closest I can get to magic otherwise. What are you doing this summer?"
"Oi, Quidditch Camp?" this from Pandora, as she peers down the table at Kalleigh. "Where they gonna have it, when's it going to start, do you know? Is it for beginners only, or all levels? When's it start?"
Jax's plate is piled high with dessert rather than any actual food, and he munches it happily, gesticulating with his free hand as he talks. "Well, my ma wants me to take regular Muggle summer-school classes, but it's only two weeks — I'm hoping she'll let me go to that, too! If we can afford it." His legs swing beneath his seat, and he turns towards Pandora, animated and excited. "Don't quite know where it is, but it's happening this summer and it's for all levels. Just gotta be at least twelve!" He sounds thrilled about this.
"Do I ever?" quips Egbert, looking up at Melissa and easing out a chair for her. (Upon which the Slytherin promptly turns toward a Gryffindor classmate, of all people, and starts whispering a fresh rumor. House unity in action!) The mention of Quidditch camp does catch his attention - right up until 'expensive', at which point his face falls. But only a little. "Why Muggle school? I thought they only made you go to summer school if you missed one of the other seasons."
"The ad was in the Daily Prophet. I can bring it to the common room later - before we leave?" Kalleigh looks to Pandora, curiously. "Costs ten galleons." This is the part that Kalleigh has memorized. She draws in a deep breath before looking at Jackson sadly. "Sorry to hear about that. I'm just going to ask my brothers if I missed anything important. Whatever they remember will have to be good enough for me."
"Cor, I thought I'd be stuck in Bristol helping my Mum in the shop, and having to go on holiday with her and Dad!" Pandora says eagerly, then pauses. "Ten galleons…my dad promised me a new broom this summer."
Melissa takes a seat next to Egbert, offering him another kind smile. "I might want to try that camp," she says. "But 10 galleons is an awful lot," she notes. "It'd probably be more worth it for people who are really serious about Quidditch… maybe it's not for me then. I'd only be doing it for fun…" She sighs a bit. "I wonder if anyone else is doing any practice over the summer…"
"Well, I missed the whole year," Jax explains to Egbert with a wrinkle of his nose. "Since I was here learning wizardy stuff instead. She wants to make sure I learn the stuff I woulda learned there, /too/." He shrugs a shoulder. "But Quidditch is way more fun than /maths/ so maybe if I ask realreal nice, and if we can see about the —" His hand waves vaguely. "Discountthing. Ten galleons is a lot."
"Yeah, I don't know if we'd be able to afford both." Pandora looks temporarily glum at this, but then someone passes along a bowl of spotted dick, and she heaps some onto her plate, all smiles again.
"Oh. I'd need a broom." Kalleigh looks quite sad at this. "I suppose that would be too much. Broom and camp. Can a person fly on a broom and not get caught by the Tracer spell?"
"You should find out if they have brooms on supply." Pandora suggests. "Like the ones Hogwarts keeps for Firsties. Then you could still go."
Egbert squints at Jackson. "Really? What do they do in there that you wouldn't get in Arithmancy anyway, I wonder. And really, how much can you get done in two weeks? Sounds like a waste of money to me." He arches a brow as the ten-galleon figure is batted around, but doesn't say anything right away, unsure just where the family budget stands. Especially with the family having recently, ah, decreased in size.
Jax chews on his lip uncertainly, his brow creasing. "The notice didn't /say/ anything about needing your /own/ broom," he offers hopefully. "Prob'ly they keep some on hand for people who don't got 'em. Most kids don't have their own yet." He nibbles on a piece of pie and shrugs again at Egbert. "They learn loads of things in Muggle school that we don't learn here. 'specially stuff like Muggle history and current events and things that we don't cover much."
Melissa nods, agreeing with Jackson. "My mum tries to teach me a lot of that herself," she says. "It helps that she teaches at a Muggle school already, so she knows what to do," she adds, tapping her foot on the floor a few times. "I know I gave some people science books from home," she notes.
"I'll have to send an owl…" Kalleigh considers absentmindedly before picking up a roll and munching on it. Her gaze travels between all the interested faces before turning to her plate.
"Well, if we can afford it, I'm going." Panda declares, "But not for giving up my new broom. I've been waiting years for my Dad to tell me I could get a new one." She looks around. "So anyone gonna be about Bristol during the holiday?"
Jax shakes his head. "I live way over in Brighton. But I think I'm gonna have a party or something cuz all summer is /way/ too long to not see everyone." He grins at Melissa. "My ma's a Muggle-school teacher, too. I think it makes her kind of obsessy about making sure I'm studying everything she thinks I /should/ be studying."
Egbert shrugs, turning his chair to better face the others. "Well, we usually take a ferry back from home at some point, if you're having a party then I might be able to talk them into something…"
Melissa looks excited as she addresses Jackson. "Oh, I might want to come," she says. "It'd be worth any kind of trip to see everyone," she notes, glancing toward Egbert as she says this.
"I'm near Cork," Kalleigh announces. "I dunno how I'd get to visiting, but if there's a party involved, I could make a special effort." She stuffs the rest of her roll in her mouth. Nom.
"There's always the Muggle train." Pandora says. "I know it'd be an adventure if for most here, not being used to Muggle transportation and all."
"Or magic," Jax tells Kalleigh cheerfully. "I'm sure my grandpa or grandma would be able to help arrange for folks to get there who can't on their own." He munches another bite of pie and grins at Melissa. "Good! I hope you come. I hope lots'a people come. We're right on the beach so it'll be /fun/."
Pandora peers over at Jackson. "A party?" she echoes curiously. She sounds a bit dubious. After all, he's twelve. That's a different caliber of partying for a fifteen year old!
"The beach?" Melissa asks with interest. "I haven't been to the beach in years!" She pushes up her glasses as she thinks about it. "I did have fun though…"
Kalleigh says, "I'll come, Jax. I promise. I'll make sure da knows this is more important than quidditch camp." Kalleigh smiles warmly at the other firstie and jostles his shoulder. "I have beach too, but it's not as exciting.""
Egbert grins, leaning back against the table. "Well, if we aren't all piling on with Quidditch, at least we could put together a good volleyball game, right? But you have to watch the water, it moves faster than you think."
Jax smiles happily at the other firsties, and nods eagerly to Pandora. "A party! Like with food and games and music and… beach… ing." Just in case anyone was unclear what a party is. "I've never played volleyball," he adds to Egbert. "I bet I'd fall in the sand a lot."
"It's a lot like Quidditch!" Pandora volunteers, and pauses. "Well," she says awkwardly. "There's two teams. And a ball!"
"I'm much better at football. That also has two teams and a ball… and a net." Kalleigh smiles and looks at Jax. "You've played football before, right?"
"Football?" Jax's nose wrinkles and his head shakes. "Nah, football's for the kids who — oh, wait! Yeah! Soccer! I like /that/." He cleans the last of the dessert off his plate and sets his fork down, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Lotsa things have two teams and a ball, really. Personally I think we should play Calvinball."
Pandora peers at Jackson a moment, and then remembers: oh right, Yank. Continuing to gorge on pudding, she listens the the conversations around her.
Egbert blinks, trying to follow along with Jackson. "I haven't heard of Calvinball, how's that work? Is that the one where they use calfskin for the outside of the ball? No, that doesn't sound right…"
"Calvinball?" Melissa asks. "I've never heard of that one either. Is it wizard or Muggle?" Do they even print that comic strip in the UK?
"Er. Yeah. Soccer." Kalleigh purses her lips. "We could play that. I guess. What is it?"
Jax's eyes just widen, astonished. "Y'all ain't never read /Calvin and Hobbes/?" He looks shocked. "Well, /that's/ gotta be remedied soon as possible! It's only the best comic /ever/."
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