Archive BlossomFest Bonfire

Syrah loved the night. She loved the stars even more and it was something that was always awe inspiring to her at Hogwarts. Growing up in London she rarely got to see the stars in full glamour since the cities lights dulled them. But at Hogwarts the land was widespread and silent, here the stars twinkled and flashed.

Tonight was the Blossom festival bonfire. Syrah herself had not taken part much in the festival. Most of the activities were not to her liking, although she did regret missing out on the maze. She had not yet decided, either, if she was going to the Blossom festival Ball. But the Bonfire she had been looking forward to since she first heard about it.

Syrah's parents are not very outdoorsy people. But her uncle, her mother's brother, was a little. Every year he would take his family camping, and would often bring Syrah and her mother along. Syrah herself had only missed a few of these trips since her birth. One of which being this year's trip since she was already away at Hogwarts. During these trips Syrah's favorite part was always the campfire. She didn't know if this bonfire would have food or music, s'mores especially, but she was hoping.

And so when her prefect lined up her house she was first in line. She nearly skipped along to the grounds where she could see the gigantic fire as soon as they exited the castle. Once the group got closer Syrah spotted the marshmallows. Oh yeah, now she was excited. Instantly she started examining the ground. 

Her uncle had this tradition. There were always smores during camping but the fun part was finding your roasting stick. It couldn't be a store bought, clean, metal spike. It had to be a stick chosen from the woods around them. That's what nature and camping were all about, at least according to her uncle. She always found it very fun, though, and was very meticulous is finding her roasting stick.

She picked a few up here and there but some were too bent or were too weak to hold the pressure of a marshmallow being shoved onto its tip. But it didn't take long for her to fine a perfect one. It was straight and sturdy with a few nots in the wood. It had a pointy end and Syrah grabbed up marshmallow to begin cooking as soon as possible.

It was a gorgeous, beautiful night. Rosie Parker found herself attracted and lured to the growing bonfire, a small, hopeful smile on the young Hufflepuff's face. She skipped down the grass and reached the fire, her mouth slightly a-gaped. "Wow.." She mumbled, picking up her pace down a bit. Rosie sighed happily and tumbled over the grass a bit, regaining her steps as she approached the bench with different sorts of foods. Her grin brightened as she took a few marshmallows and tossed one into her mouth.

She turned to see her Divinantion's professor standing nearby, looking proud and a bit happy. With a nervous smile, Rosie decided to go over and say hi. She trailed over to the taller woman and stood next to her, pulling at her sleeve lightly to get her attention. "Hey, this is really cool, what you did. This bonfire. Everyone's gonna love it, I'm sure." Rosie said confidently, grinning up at her teacher. She had always wanted to make good relationships with her professors, but never really necessarily put more effort into talking with them. She sat on the side-lines and squealed about the compliments they gave through her homework about her writing. Rosie looked back at the bonfire and ate her marshmallows while standing next to Ms. Barrows. Mrs? Rosie didn't know.

"BE QUIET!" Shouted Phaedra over the chattering voices of her fellow Ravenclaw classmates. It was time to head down for the school's bonfire, and they needed to stop talking so they could hear their prefects' instructions. Standing in front of the crowd, Phaedra clasped her hands behind her back, standing tall and proper to appear as much of an authority figure as possible, her prefect badge reflecting the moonlight. It was odd, bossing around kids her age - most of them even older than her - but a job was a job and she was determined to preform to the best of her ability. Once they quieted down, she coughed, before continuing strongly with, "Thank you. Now, please listen. Adam and I will lead you down to the Grounds to the bonfire we're having, as I'm sure you all have heard about by now. Please follow us and don't try ditching, either. And behave! The other houses will be there. Let's leave a good impression," she smiled awkwardly realizing how she sounded - did she seem too uptight? She most certainly didn't want to lead with that impression. "And have fun too! Of course. Hem."

She turned on one heel, and began to walk down the stone steps that led down to the large, grassy area, where they would hang out for the night. From what she could see, there were a few professors sorting out various things that needed to be done - some arranging seating, food, and others working on the firewood itself. The large group of blue eventually made their way to the event; one of the firsts to arrive.

Phaedra turned around to address her Ravenclaws. "You may make yourselves comfortable, there's food, seating - whatever you fancy. Everything will begin shortly."

Leaving her classmates to themselves for now, Phaedra took in the scenery, feeling as though this wouldn't end well, especially after the disaster that was the Hufflepuff campout. She hated fire, feared it even, but keeping up a brave face, she walked to where the marshmallows were and popped one into her mouth. Sweets, on the other hand - she had no problem with those.

It was a spectacularly gorgeous night out and Amadea decided to spend it outside, of course, because where else would she want to be on such a beautiful night? As she headed down to the grounds, she was lost in thought, remembering the night sky from the Astronomy Tower where she had met her now two closest friends. She wondered if they were looking at the sky tonight as well, filled with a multitude of stars shining bright. 

She squinted, and in the distance, saw a fire and some people. Curious, she headed over. It appeared as though there was preparation for a bonfire. A large variety of food was stacked next to the fire and some other students were already heading down. Amadea wasn't sure if she should approach or not, but it seemed as though other students were crowded around the fire, so she didn't see any reason not to go down. 

As she approached, she scanned the area for familiar faces, something that had become a habit whenever she was with a group of people. She recognized the Slytherin, Syrah was her name right? They had met in the Leaky Cauldron at the grand reopening. She also recognized her housemate and opponent in the Pillow Fort contest, Rosie Parker. 

She decided to go and stand next to Rosie, as she knew Rosie better than any of the other students there. Her fellow Hufflepuff was complimenting Professor Barrows, the divination teacher, on a job well done setting up the bonfire. Amadea had to agree. It seemed as though everything was perfectly organized and no one was stressing about anything...yet. 

"Hi Rosie and Professor Barrows," she said to both of them, hoping she wasn't startling anyone. "I agree, great job Professor! How are you guys?" She hoped she wasn't intruding into conversation, and she hoped it was okay that she was conversing with both of them. Despite being a Hufflepuff, Amadea was never one for making conversation. She hoped she was doing it correctly. 

Lucy followed after Rosie. While the small girl ahead of her was the very image of grace as she ghosted along the ground, Lucy bumbled along behind her. Lucy tripped slightly over a rock and frowned down at her feet. When did they get so big and clumsy? They felt too long for her body, and she couldn't recall ever feeling that way before.

Shrugging it off, she jogged up to the fire, stopping halfway between an empty bench to sit on and the bench stocked with marshmallows. Her heart was torn. Should she stake a spot close to the fire for optimum roasting, or should she be one of the first people to go after the food? There weren't too many people sitting or roasting marshmallows, and this made her decision all the more difficult. She didn't want to get stuck sitting next to some unsociable grump, but she also didn't know if anyone would sit by her. She scuffed the toe of her tennis shoe in the dirt, deep in thought. 

She decided to go for the food. It would give her something to do and would take away the risk of not getting sat by. After all, she hadn't met that many people yet. She had been lost in homework for most of the year; being a slow reader had its drawbacks. Surveying the bench, she took up a roasting stick and a marshmallow, spearing it deftly and approaching the bonfire. As she approached, it was clear she had not thought her decision through. Due to the heat coming off the fire, she couldn't get close enough to the fire to roast her marshmallow without also roasting herself.

With a sigh, she plopped down on an empty bench, staring at her roasting stick in disappointment. "You look so yummy," she said longingly to the pale white puff.

Mia sat down in the outskirts of the bonfire after her prefect, Kyden, had led her to the spot. They were not the first house there, and some people were milling around, exited. They ate, laughed, questioned. But she sat there, afraid.

It scared her, the flame, the open fire. Usually she was bold, brash, a little rude, but here? She was reduced to a sniveling young girl. The exact opposite of the girl she wanted to come across as.

Gathering her courage, Mia ventured closer. She could clearly see it now, the flames. They danced, pulling her closer. They really were beautiful, weren't they? They flickered, and Mia stepped back her heart pounding.

Beautiful but deadly.

Everything had an opposite side, Mia knew that. But flame? It was too tantalizing, the way it flickered and moved slowly across her field of vision. It almost called out to her, pleading with her to embrace its warmth. Mia decided not to.

She turned and walked toward the most responsible person that was there. The teacher. If she stood near the professor, she would be fine, or good enough. They were powerful, and Mia trusted them. They were a teacher after all.

Aurelia heard that she was allowed to dress casually for the bonfire. It was a luxury to be able to ditch the heavy black coats that were to thick and heavy for a spring evening. The girl slipped into her high waisted jeans and put a plain shirt. She certainly didn’t want to be called up by the professors to tell her that she wasn’t following the dress code.

The gyffindors were noisy when they stampede down the stairs. The Gryffindor prefect, a girl with red hair led them towards the ground. There were many gingers in Hogwarts, strangely, there were rarely any of them seen in the muggle town of Cheshire.

The cool night wind greeted her as soon as she stepped out of the huge castle doors. It hadn’t been a while since she went out in the evenings. The brunette tilted her head up and saw the glimmering stars that twinkled above in the vast skies. It was a perfect timing for a bonfire. The bonfire could be seen at a distance, it was glowing bright orange and students were already gathered around. She hoped the Gryffindors weren’t late. The other houses had probably went there extra early to get the limited marshmallows.

The girl pick up stick and snapped it into half, creating a pointed end which she skewered a fluffy marshmallow onto. Aurelia found a spot next to a short haired girl around the bonfire. She began turning the stick slowl. Aurelia never had been skilful at roasting marshmallows and it always turned out to be a mess, maybe with practice she’d be able to get it to the perfect coloration, a slightly brown hue which made the sweet object, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

Her Mother had always told her to be patient when roasting a marshmallows during the many family gatherings where they had a barbecue, but the impatient girl would always not listen and her marshmallows always turned out to be a disaster, maybe this time, she would take her Mother’s words into action.

Aurelia turned to the other girl beside her, she envied how her marshmallows was almost perfect. Maybe she would need a little marshmallow coaching.

“How did you manage to roast it so perfectly?” The girl asked.

At first, she wasn't too sure if she would go. Rhea preferred the mornings over nights; daytime over evenings. She wouldn't tell anyone, but she was scared of the dark. Very scared of the dark. But her fear was a peculiar one. If there was any sliver of light, no feelings of terror would rush through her. Understandable, of course, since one would be able to see what was before and behind them if there was light. Actually, if one was to be more specific - Rhea was afraid of the unknown. And the dark was a prime example of that.

This fear of hers spurred a debate of whether she should attend the bonfire or not. In the end, she decided to do so - if not for herself, but to fulfill her duties as the Gryffindor prefect. She had to make sure that everyone was following the rules to the best of her ability. And, that they didn’t get another accident like the Huffpuff Campout (more the Hufflepuff CampFire). Tying her hair into a messy bun and dressing in warm enough clothes (jeans, a tank top and a light shirt) she headed down to the fire, her prefect badge pinned onto her shirt. She hoped it wouldn’t fall off.

On her way, she stumbled into a familiar redhead. Eris Fawley, the girl who Rhea found herself become closer and closer friends with everyday. Crossing her arms and smirking, Rhea walked up to the petite redhead.

“Are you going to the bonfire?” Rhea questioned, then, without giving Eris a chance to answer, grabbed her arm and started to pull. “Well, now you are.” With a laugh, Rhea ran down to the grounds, towing an unsuspecting Eris behind her.

Soon finding herself at the grounds, Rhea looked around to spot any other familiar faces. Before she could, her eyes were drawn to the roaring fire erupting from the stacked pieces of wood. Mesmerized, the redhead walked closer to it, her eyes wide. Soon, she snapped out of it - the main source being the stacks of white sweets set up. What were they? She motioned the white fluffs to Eris and walked up to them, deciding to try some. She picked one and felt it between her fingers - seemed soft enough. They weren’t too big either - big enough so she could hold it between her thumb and forefinger. Deeming herself able to fit at least 5 in her mouth, Rhea scooped a few up and shoved them all in her mouth at once. Which was, obviously, a mistake. Rhea seemed to realize it as soon as she put them all in her mouth - but by then, it was too late. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rosie Parker, a close acquaintance, talking to the professor that seemed to be hosting this event - and tried to call out hello, but it seemed a half-chewn white-fluff went down the wrong tube and she started to cough. Heavily. She looked at Eris, hoping that she hadn’t walked away, and continued to cough harshly.

If she was going to die, it seemed this was the right way to do that. Cause of Death: Choking on white fluff. Go big or go home, right?

The blondes mouth snapped shut, her conversation about gillyweed halting as the Prefects booming voice rang out but she waited patiently with the others while Phaedra explained what was to unfold tonight at the bonfire. Of course, Dymphna didn't have to be told to leave a good impression on the other houses. It was something that she hoped to achieve with every interaction, and just like that everything Sebastian had said came back to her in a rush. Ugh, was she really that obvious with wanting to be accepted and liked? She had classmates that she didn't quite get along with and some she just flat out avoided due to their seemingly rude nature. Though Sebastian did seem a little rude too, perhaps not purposely as he was only answering her question but she could see the good qualities in him - definitely not someone that she thought so poorly of that she would go out of her way to avoid during classes and in the Great Hall.

On another note, she and Phaedra hadn't exactly gotten along but Dymphna didn't think she was a bad person either. She was intelligent in a way that the blonde felt rivaled her own - much like Sebastian really - so she tried to do even better in class but the girl only stepped up to the plate and now it was almost like they were playing a game of tug of war and both of them were tied. Maybe there was potential to become friends, studying together to better themselves. You won't know unless you try to connect with her on another level, Dymphna thought as they arrived to their destination. 

Wow! The bonfire was going to be great, she could already tell. The Professors were gathered around, the fire burning brightly. It made her feel nostalgic for home. Camping wasn't something her family did very often, only once a few years ago but they would sometimes use the fire pit on their grounds to roast marshmallows and spend time together. Marshmallows, she looked around for them, squinting when she realized that the Prefect was already there. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to make a little friendly conversation. "Hey," she began lamely as she walked over to snag a few of her own tasty treats. She didn't mind eating them plain but her favorite way was to roast them over the fire until they were nearly burnt. Perfection. "So, how are you finding being a Prefect?" She hadn't talked to her much in the first place but especially since it was announced that she would be the new Ravenclaw Prefect.