Feasts within the Great Hall Dinner Closed

Aurelia ran, the last she checked, it was 7.55, 5 minutes before the meal commenced. Aurelia pushed the doors to the great hall open. Light flooded the room from the windows near the ceiling. There were only a handful of students on four long tables. She let out a sigh of relief, at least she wasn't late.

"I guess Hogwarts students aren't morning people." She said under her breath. Food was already laid on the table. She crossed over to the gryffindor table. The smell of freshly baked pastries wavered across her nose. She inhaled deeply and her mouth watered as she did. There were all kinds of pastries displayed on the red table cloth. There were also a basket of fruit at the end.

"Ooh, cake!" She said when a log of cake caught her eye. She was never allowed cake for breakfast when she was home. "To much sugar!" Her Mother would say as she wagged a finger at her.

She cut out a small slice and placed it gently on on her plate. She also took some pastries. Once her plate was full, seh poured herself a hot cup of chocolate and sat in the far end of the table.

Other students were also getting their share of bread. She took a piece of cake with her fork. "Mmm..." she moaned as she tasted the rich chocolate.

It was already ten minutes had passed, her roommates have not arrived yet. She scanned around, looking for them from her seat.

Makena ran into the great hall she was 5 minutes late she pushed open the giant doors she saw all the table of students laughing and eating she was walking down the middle of the great hall tables either side of her looking for her roommates. Then she suddenly saw Aurelia looking around the hall in her seat, she was sitting quite close to the front but Makena didn't mid she liked being able to see everything. Makena then quickly walked over to her and sat beside her. "Hey sorry I'm late I was the last one to leave I'm not sure where the other two are though they left before me." she said with a confused look on her face. Makena then looked down and saw all the delicious food the toasts the pastries, a basket of fruit and ooh cake Makena leaned over and took a slice of cake along with a nice hot chocolate and some pastries."How long have you been sitting here ?" Makena asked while grabbing food to put on her plate. Makena took a bite of one of the pastries it was the best she had tasted "Mmm the food is nice." Makena said while stuffing her face. "Sorry I as just really hungry I won't be like that every day." she said wiping her mouth and then sh chuckled a little." "Oh I just realised we haven't been properly introduced my name is Makena but you can call me Kena if you want."

Aurelia was consuming her 2nd loaf of bread when a browned haired girl approached her. It was her roommate, Mekena. She plopped down beside her.

Hey sorry I'm late I was the last one to leave I'm not sure where the other two are though they left before me.

Mekana apologised. The other two probably lost their way while finding the great hall. Navigating around the huge castle was a challenge itself, the moving stairs made it harder.Earlier, Aurelia got lucky and she reached the hall just in time.

How long have you been sitting here ?

"Oh, only a few minutes. You came just in time. Else I would have to eat alone." She lied. She had been sitting for a total of ten minutes. She was starting to doubt wether her roommates were ever coming down for breakfast when she saw Mekana.
Mekana eyes lit when she saw the cake. She gingerly cut a slice and put it on her plate. She began stuffing her face as if she had been starved for days.
"Slow down or you're gonna choke," Aurelia warned playfully.

Oh I just realised we haven't been properly introduced my name is Makena but you can call me Kena if you want.

All the girls in her dorm insisted to be called by short nicknames, Aurelia however, loved her name and would never cut it short. She didn't like how Aurie or Ellia sounded. So she decided to stick with her full.

Aurelia gave her warmest smile and introduced herself, "Nice to meet you, Kena, I'm Aurelia."

Well, she had tried. Getting out of the Gryffindor Dormitories was easy. But she forgot about the stairs and got lost. The castle was so big. She didn't know whether to be amazed by it or annoyed. Her stomach growled, causing her hand to rest over it as if shushing it.

She had gotten separated from the others girls and had been wandering the halls for a bit. Then she decided to simply follow the noise. She had then ran into a couple of other students who then helped her to the great hall. She was grateful as she entered through the large doors before making her way to the table.

Seeing Aurelia and Makena she grinned, sitting across from them. "Made it! This place is huge!" She exclaimed in an excited whisper, setting her bag down on the floor next to her feet. Then a confused look came over her face, "Where's Della? Did she get lost too?" She asked. How did they all get lost? It was probably the stupid stairs' fault.

Wini pulled out the note that the owl had brought to their bedroom this morning. She dropped it onto the table in front of them. "Who wants to open it?"

She and Mekena were eating when Winifrey caught up to them. She sat cross the table.

Made it! This place is huge!

"It is, very, try the cake, it's the best dish on the table." She pointed to the chocolate cake that had only one slice left on the tray. A student walked over, stabbed a fork into it and took the last piece. Most of the delicious pastries already had been taken.

"Or maybe not... there is always tomorrow's feast." She assured her.

Aurelia looked around for Mardella. She was no where to be found. She look at the huge clock. There was only twenty minutes left.

"Mardella better come around soon, else she won't have anything to eat." said Aurelia, trying to hide her concerned expression. Did Mardella tripped and tumbled down one of the confusing staircase? Or was she just lost like how Winifrey was? She forced herself to think the following.

Who wants to open it?"

Winifrey put the letter on the table. Aurelia placed her hand on the envelope and shook her head. "I think we should open it when Della arrives. We don't want her to miss the fun." She also didn't want Mardella to feel like she had been left out.

Mardella had been convinced she was going the right way. Right as she exited the portrait entrance to the Gryffindor Common rooms, she'd followed the small figure of Wini who had darted off ahead. Of course, she'd run to catch up with the other girl and reached to tap her on the shoulder only for someone completely random to turn around confusedly.

"Oh - er! I thought -"

They'd at least been kind enough to tell her which stairs to take so hopefully she wasn't too late, she thought as she skidded through the wide doorway of the Great Hall and scanned the long tables of pupils chattering over breakfast. The Gryffindor table was already halfway full on the far left and there were a few familiar faces but it took a moment for her eyes to catch onto the group of three huddled somewhere in the middle of the table, whispering closely.

Nearly walking into someone in her haste, she hurriedly made her way over to the table and slid into the space left on the bench. "I'm here! I'm here! - I got kind of lost?" She huffed sheepishly by way of explanation. Wini seemed to be holding the plain looking envelope they'd discovered out to the others for inspection, but Mardella spotted the the other girl's cakes and confectioneries first. "Ooh, those look good!"

However, a quick look at the platters nearby showed that most of the sweet looking treats were gone and so (after a bit of deliberation) she got a bowl of oatmeal and a bit of honey, she settled down to see what the others were looking at.

It's alright. I'll be gone for the next 8 hours. I'll rp later.

Wini had finished filling her plate with fruit and some toast. She wasn't that upset when the cake went missing. It probably wasn't the best choice to have something that sweet for breakfast.

Then Mardella showed up, a smile appearing on her face. "Hey! I got lost too so no worries," She laughed lightly before starting to eat. They didn't have much time before classes started.

"So," She started, "Now that everyone is here," She pushed the letter in between them, "Who's going to open it?" She asked expectantly, eyeing the other three girls sitting with her.

With her meal finished, she felt content as she eyes the letter. Her stomach had stopped growling and now all of her focus was on the mysterious letter in front of them. What could possibly be written in it? And who could it possibly be from? Wini waited for the response from the other girls, although her curiosity only grew. She itched to open the letter and reveal its contents. Maybe it was a treasure hunt, or it was a secret riddle. Or maybe it was a love note. Wini's face curled in disgust at the thought. She hoped it wasn't. People should have better things to do these days.

Mardella's eyes widened they fell on the letter. The parchment looked heavy and of high quality, certainly finer than blank scrolls she'd thrown in her bag, but apart from that there seemed to be little giving away it's contents or clues to it's recipient on the outside.

"Is there a name on it?" She asked curiously, in between a few bites. There was a huge crystal jug of pumpkin juice a little ways down the table, amber-gold in the bright ambient light from the morningsky ceiling above. Passing over it, she checked the other side with a glance, she'd never really developed a liking to the Wizarding drink. Was there any milk?

Next to her Wini's nose crinkled. Mardella glanced down at herself, hoping she'd not accidentally dropped oatmeal on her black robes, but they were clean. There were a few other firsties she recognised now as the table continued to fill. Should they ask they other first years if they were expecting anything? It would probably save a lot of hassle. But even as she thought that, Mardella knew she wouldn't voice it. It would be simpler sure, but it seemed like a lot more fun to treat it like a mystery to solve. Surely, they had been sorted into Gryffindor for a reason?

Opening a mysterious envelope and having weird animal encounters seemed like the sort of thing Gryffindors did, after all. "Creepy doesn't seem like very well-behaved owl," She said diplomatically, eyebrow twitching a little at the thought of the loose owl still in their dorm room. "I'm pretty sure most fancy letters are sent with really well-trained animals, especially if they're from old families?"