Grab Bag Writing Challenge - October 2015
- amber - brisk - chilly - crunch - feast - harvest - introduce - migrate - orange - pile - rake - rustling - spice - squash - transform -
by Arianna Stonewater
Arianna stepped out into the chilly autumn air. She could hear the rustling of the piles of orange and red leaves that hadn’t been raked yet. As she followed the other students to Hogsmeade, she thought about how much she loved the fall. It wasn’t too cold, and it wasn’t too hot. All she needed was a warm sweater to be comfortable.
As they reached Hogsmeade, she was amazed to see how the town had transformed from the bright hues of summer to the bustling harvest colors of fall. Arianna noticed she had fallen behind and briskly walked to catch up with the rest of the students. During this trip she was going to introduce herself to the rest of the town. Last time, she spent all of her money at Honeydukes and didn’t get to visit anywhere else! The leaves crunched under her feet as a flock of geese migrated south overhead. Her first stop was feasting at The Three Broomsticks. She was excited to taste that amber-colored Butterbeer and hopefully sneak some of that spicy firewhisky!
As Arianna headed towards the door, she bumped into a young man, scattering his packages to the ground. As she helped him gather his items, she introduced herself. “So sorry! I was just so excited I forgot to pay attention! I’m Arianna.”
“It’s okay. Would you mind lifting your foot?” Arianna looked down and noticed that one of the packages was getting squashed and lifted her foot.
“Oh! So sorry! Can I buy you a drink to make up for it?”
“Certainly. My name’s Damon.”
Arianna stepped out into the chilly autumn air. She could hear the rustling of the piles of orange and red leaves that hadn’t been raked yet. As she followed the other students to Hogsmeade, she thought about how much she loved the fall. It wasn’t too cold, and it wasn’t too hot. All she needed was a warm sweater to be comfortable.
As they reached Hogsmeade, she was amazed to see how the town had transformed from the bright hues of summer to the bustling harvest colors of fall. Arianna noticed she had fallen behind and briskly walked to catch up with the rest of the students. During this trip she was going to introduce herself to the rest of the town. Last time, she spent all of her money at Honeydukes and didn’t get to visit anywhere else! The leaves crunched under her feet as a flock of geese migrated south overhead. Her first stop was feasting at The Three Broomsticks. She was excited to taste that amber-colored Butterbeer and hopefully sneak some of that spicy firewhisky!
As Arianna headed towards the door, she bumped into a young man, scattering his packages to the ground. As she helped him gather his items, she introduced herself. “So sorry! I was just so excited I forgot to pay attention! I’m Arianna.”
“It’s okay. Would you mind lifting your foot?” Arianna looked down and noticed that one of the packages was getting squashed and lifted her foot.
“Oh! So sorry! Can I buy you a drink to make up for it?”
“Certainly. My name’s Damon.”
by Arielle Lemoyne
Arielle sat down to her morning feast of crunchy breakfast cereals: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Raisin Bran Crunch, Captain Crunch… she mixed them together and crunched away. She tried to enjoy the morning, but the pile of papers she had to read was sitting on the table, just beside the boxes of cereal. “Waterfowl migration in the Mississippi Flyway” read the first one. It wasn’t even Arielle’s field of study, but she was supposed to take a look at the data transformations they used, or something like that. She sighed, pushed her cereal aside, pulled out her orange highlighter, and started reading through the paper. Okay, at least this relates to hunter harvest, she thought, highlighting an intriguing sentence in the introduction. She continued through the paper, highlighting important points and scribbling down some comments. Once she had finished, she cleared away her breakfast, stuffed all the papers into her backpack, then headed out the door to work. It was a chilly morning. She contemplated running back inside to make some cinnamon spice tea to bring with her, but she was already running late (as usual), so she hurried down the street at a brisk pace to catch the bus. She hopped aboard just in time, and as the bus headed towards campus, she watched people raking the amber leaves in their yards. She also watched the cyclists as they headed to campus, as well as the students heading to class. Soon, the bus was at Arielle’s stop. She pressed on the door, stepped towards the ground, and SQUASH! She was suddenly on the ground. Arielle wasn’t quite sure what had happened. She sat up, rubbing her head, and shoving the rustling papers back into her bag, along with everything else that had fallen out. A few feet away from her, a cyclist was also gingerly picking himself off the pavement. I guess that’s what knocked me over, Arielle thought. She sighed. The week was off to a great start...
Arielle sat down to her morning feast of crunchy breakfast cereals: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Raisin Bran Crunch, Captain Crunch… she mixed them together and crunched away. She tried to enjoy the morning, but the pile of papers she had to read was sitting on the table, just beside the boxes of cereal. “Waterfowl migration in the Mississippi Flyway” read the first one. It wasn’t even Arielle’s field of study, but she was supposed to take a look at the data transformations they used, or something like that. She sighed, pushed her cereal aside, pulled out her orange highlighter, and started reading through the paper. Okay, at least this relates to hunter harvest, she thought, highlighting an intriguing sentence in the introduction. She continued through the paper, highlighting important points and scribbling down some comments. Once she had finished, she cleared away her breakfast, stuffed all the papers into her backpack, then headed out the door to work. It was a chilly morning. She contemplated running back inside to make some cinnamon spice tea to bring with her, but she was already running late (as usual), so she hurried down the street at a brisk pace to catch the bus. She hopped aboard just in time, and as the bus headed towards campus, she watched people raking the amber leaves in their yards. She also watched the cyclists as they headed to campus, as well as the students heading to class. Soon, the bus was at Arielle’s stop. She pressed on the door, stepped towards the ground, and SQUASH! She was suddenly on the ground. Arielle wasn’t quite sure what had happened. She sat up, rubbing her head, and shoving the rustling papers back into her bag, along with everything else that had fallen out. A few feet away from her, a cyclist was also gingerly picking himself off the pavement. I guess that’s what knocked me over, Arielle thought. She sighed. The week was off to a great start...
by Ashley Margaret
Hot summer days began to turn into chilly evenings and Lola became worried. One brisk morning as she watched dozens of young children boarding the bright yellow buses, she knew the end was near.
The spring was a beautiful time of birth and hope. Summer was bright and full of promise. Then the air began to get colder in the evenings and the birds started migrating south, for even they knew that times were changing. Fall was the transition from summer into winter, the period of time when the cold weather began to be introduced.
Mother had been cruel to them and Lola knew, having been warned by her brothers and sisters, that she would have to undergo a complete transformation before the end.
Humans loved autumn for many reasons: pumpkin spice tea and pumpkin pie, harvesting squash and corn, plentiful feasts, and, of course, watching the leaves turn into vibrant shades of orange, amber, and gold. Lola dreaded the leaves changing colors because she knew that it was any day now that the leaves would begin to fall. Lola felt the same as adults who, while they loved watching the leaves change color, also hated leaves falling because that meant endless hours of raking the leaves into piles.
Lola hated the fall because it meant the end of the year – a time when leaves fell from the trees and onto the ground. People walked on by with leaves crunching under their feet, without any care in the world and without any notice to the rustling of the leaves under their feet.
Lola hated the fall more than any other time of the year. For her it was not a time of new beginnings, but rather the end. Lola hated the fall because Lola was a leaf.
Hot summer days began to turn into chilly evenings and Lola became worried. One brisk morning as she watched dozens of young children boarding the bright yellow buses, she knew the end was near.
The spring was a beautiful time of birth and hope. Summer was bright and full of promise. Then the air began to get colder in the evenings and the birds started migrating south, for even they knew that times were changing. Fall was the transition from summer into winter, the period of time when the cold weather began to be introduced.
Mother had been cruel to them and Lola knew, having been warned by her brothers and sisters, that she would have to undergo a complete transformation before the end.
Humans loved autumn for many reasons: pumpkin spice tea and pumpkin pie, harvesting squash and corn, plentiful feasts, and, of course, watching the leaves turn into vibrant shades of orange, amber, and gold. Lola dreaded the leaves changing colors because she knew that it was any day now that the leaves would begin to fall. Lola felt the same as adults who, while they loved watching the leaves change color, also hated leaves falling because that meant endless hours of raking the leaves into piles.
Lola hated the fall because it meant the end of the year – a time when leaves fell from the trees and onto the ground. People walked on by with leaves crunching under their feet, without any care in the world and without any notice to the rustling of the leaves under their feet.
Lola hated the fall more than any other time of the year. For her it was not a time of new beginnings, but rather the end. Lola hated the fall because Lola was a leaf.
by February Fortescue
Let us welcome the season of autumn, as it makes its annual grand introduction, transforming our world from warm summer sun to clear, brisk skies and windy weather. Let us revel in the returning chill in the air, awakening us from our drowsy napping to the excitement of the season and the preparations for the future, which the migrating birds remind us to do. Winter will soon be upon us, but for now, orange is the color of the day!
Gather the bountiful harvest and sing songs of praise for the abundance of foods we will have for today and throughout the upcoming frost. Let us set the table and garnish it with spices. Let us feast upon squash, melons, and fowl. Allow the life giving milk to flow. These are joyful times.
Can you hear the crunch of the amber and brown leaves as we trod on them? Time to rustle up those leaves, rake them into a large pile for composting, and then...oh....let's have some fun before the day is done! We jump, belly-first, into that pile of leaves. Let's live life to the fullest first, and then later pile the dead leaves for compost to fertilize future seedlings.
On our walk home we will travel, hand in hand, each lost in our new memories. How many autumns are each of us granted? Many of our elders have had only seventy seasons. Seventy seems so few in number. Of those seventy, how many were spent truly savoring those special times? How many were ignored or viewed as boring and repetitive? What would our elders advise someone experiencing his thirtieth autumn? Or who never experienced any autumns beyond the age of twenty? Live. The moment is here. There is no other, and you'll never get this moment back.
Let us welcome the season of autumn, as it makes its annual grand introduction, transforming our world from warm summer sun to clear, brisk skies and windy weather. Let us revel in the returning chill in the air, awakening us from our drowsy napping to the excitement of the season and the preparations for the future, which the migrating birds remind us to do. Winter will soon be upon us, but for now, orange is the color of the day!
Gather the bountiful harvest and sing songs of praise for the abundance of foods we will have for today and throughout the upcoming frost. Let us set the table and garnish it with spices. Let us feast upon squash, melons, and fowl. Allow the life giving milk to flow. These are joyful times.
Can you hear the crunch of the amber and brown leaves as we trod on them? Time to rustle up those leaves, rake them into a large pile for composting, and then...oh....let's have some fun before the day is done! We jump, belly-first, into that pile of leaves. Let's live life to the fullest first, and then later pile the dead leaves for compost to fertilize future seedlings.
On our walk home we will travel, hand in hand, each lost in our new memories. How many autumns are each of us granted? Many of our elders have had only seventy seasons. Seventy seems so few in number. Of those seventy, how many were spent truly savoring those special times? How many were ignored or viewed as boring and repetitive? What would our elders advise someone experiencing his thirtieth autumn? Or who never experienced any autumns beyond the age of twenty? Live. The moment is here. There is no other, and you'll never get this moment back.
by Hanna Inari
Hanna woke up. It was unusually calm. The campsite had always been filled with noises and voices, so she felt alone without them. Of course, she wasn't... or, was she? The thought immediately made her become more alert. She crawled out of her tent – the rustling of leaves broke the silence – and looked around. The trees were shimmering in all shades of amber, lit by the setting sun. Migrating birds were silently flying south. The campsite was filled with neatly arranged tents. All the people, however, were apparently gone – as well as all the food. Immediately noticing how chilly the wind was, Hanna returned to the tent at a brisk pace.
Half an hour later, she found herself in a nearby forest, trying to find something to eat. She was never good at harvesting, and the darkness only made things worse. Sometimes she noticed the mushrooms only after they crunched under her boots. On top of that, she could never tell the poisonous mushrooms from the edible ones.
After an incredibly long hour, Hanna finally decided to return to the campsite, only to remember that she would need something to start a fire. Unable to take anything else with her, she decided that she would use a pile of leaves nearby and the handle of a rake to start the fire. (Who needs a rake in a campsite anyway? She certainly didn't.) And if someone happened to ask where the rake was, Hanna would introduce a new method of collecting leaves that was she was yet to invent. Nothing mattered then and there except for one thought: she was going to cook the mushrooms she had found. She decided to use the berries she had found in place of spices. With the help of fire and water, the food was (hopefully) going to be transformed into a tasty meal, and hungry Hanna would finally have a little feast of her own. No one else was allowed there. But honestly, where were they?
"Hanna!" she heard someone call from nearby.
"I'm here!" She finally left the forest and stepped into the campsite. All of her friends were there, unpacking the big bags full of food and other supplies. Hanna noticed that she was starting to drool. The results of her hard work suddenly felt unsatisfactory, unnecessary even, but she couldn't let her state of mind drastically change.
Hanna was cold and dirty, but felt even more enthusiastic. "I found some berries!" she exclaimed, giving one of her friends a bowl of squashed orange... something. "And mushrooms!"
She failed to notice the rake and stepped on its teeth. The handle immediately collided with her face, making her drop the bowl. "Ow..." she whined, rubbing her forehead.
"You're lucky we're here," one of her friends answered after inspecting the berries and mushrooms, "These are not edible."
"Oh my..."
Hanna woke up. It was unusually calm. The campsite had always been filled with noises and voices, so she felt alone without them. Of course, she wasn't... or, was she? The thought immediately made her become more alert. She crawled out of her tent – the rustling of leaves broke the silence – and looked around. The trees were shimmering in all shades of amber, lit by the setting sun. Migrating birds were silently flying south. The campsite was filled with neatly arranged tents. All the people, however, were apparently gone – as well as all the food. Immediately noticing how chilly the wind was, Hanna returned to the tent at a brisk pace.
Half an hour later, she found herself in a nearby forest, trying to find something to eat. She was never good at harvesting, and the darkness only made things worse. Sometimes she noticed the mushrooms only after they crunched under her boots. On top of that, she could never tell the poisonous mushrooms from the edible ones.
After an incredibly long hour, Hanna finally decided to return to the campsite, only to remember that she would need something to start a fire. Unable to take anything else with her, she decided that she would use a pile of leaves nearby and the handle of a rake to start the fire. (Who needs a rake in a campsite anyway? She certainly didn't.) And if someone happened to ask where the rake was, Hanna would introduce a new method of collecting leaves that was she was yet to invent. Nothing mattered then and there except for one thought: she was going to cook the mushrooms she had found. She decided to use the berries she had found in place of spices. With the help of fire and water, the food was (hopefully) going to be transformed into a tasty meal, and hungry Hanna would finally have a little feast of her own. No one else was allowed there. But honestly, where were they?
"Hanna!" she heard someone call from nearby.
"I'm here!" She finally left the forest and stepped into the campsite. All of her friends were there, unpacking the big bags full of food and other supplies. Hanna noticed that she was starting to drool. The results of her hard work suddenly felt unsatisfactory, unnecessary even, but she couldn't let her state of mind drastically change.
Hanna was cold and dirty, but felt even more enthusiastic. "I found some berries!" she exclaimed, giving one of her friends a bowl of squashed orange... something. "And mushrooms!"
She failed to notice the rake and stepped on its teeth. The handle immediately collided with her face, making her drop the bowl. "Ow..." she whined, rubbing her forehead.
"You're lucky we're here," one of her friends answered after inspecting the berries and mushrooms, "These are not edible."
"Oh my..."
by Matilde Rayne
Hedwig flew low, barely clearing the tops of the trees of the Forbidden Forest. A brisk wind glided over her wings. The morning air she had been out in for her return flight from London had a chilly bite to it that made it clear that summer was on its way out. The forest canopy had transformed from thick and green to a patchy orange, red, and yellow, which showed that autumn was very quickly taking over.
The snowy owl tilted her head, catching the sound of rustling leaves just below her. Slowing down, she fixed her amber gaze on a gap in the canopy. She swooped down through the gap and settled on a bare branch of a nearby tree. Something or someone appeared to have raked together a pile of leaves, and Hedwig could hear something shuffling beneath them. She watched the leaf pile with interest for a few moments. Some of the birds she sometimes hunted had already started to migrate, but there was still plenty of prey around – but now wasn't the time. The letter she still held in her talons reminded her that she had somewhere to be!
A few minutes later, Hedwig glided into the Great Hall, seeking out Harry. There were squashes dotting the House tables. It was only lunchtime, and there certainly wasn't a feast that afternoon, but the sight of the freshly harvested vegetables and other spiced dishes looked intriguing, even to Hedwig.
Spotting Harry, she swooped down, landing on the table just in front of him. Harry had just started to crunch down on a toasted sandwich, but he cheerily took the letter from her all the same. Hedwig let out a satisfied hoot, but after Harry tried to introduce her to one of the vegetable dishes, she quickly took off again. The dishes were interesting enough, but 'interesting' only went so far!
Hedwig flew low, barely clearing the tops of the trees of the Forbidden Forest. A brisk wind glided over her wings. The morning air she had been out in for her return flight from London had a chilly bite to it that made it clear that summer was on its way out. The forest canopy had transformed from thick and green to a patchy orange, red, and yellow, which showed that autumn was very quickly taking over.
The snowy owl tilted her head, catching the sound of rustling leaves just below her. Slowing down, she fixed her amber gaze on a gap in the canopy. She swooped down through the gap and settled on a bare branch of a nearby tree. Something or someone appeared to have raked together a pile of leaves, and Hedwig could hear something shuffling beneath them. She watched the leaf pile with interest for a few moments. Some of the birds she sometimes hunted had already started to migrate, but there was still plenty of prey around – but now wasn't the time. The letter she still held in her talons reminded her that she had somewhere to be!
A few minutes later, Hedwig glided into the Great Hall, seeking out Harry. There were squashes dotting the House tables. It was only lunchtime, and there certainly wasn't a feast that afternoon, but the sight of the freshly harvested vegetables and other spiced dishes looked intriguing, even to Hedwig.
Spotting Harry, she swooped down, landing on the table just in front of him. Harry had just started to crunch down on a toasted sandwich, but he cheerily took the letter from her all the same. Hedwig let out a satisfied hoot, but after Harry tried to introduce her to one of the vegetable dishes, she quickly took off again. The dishes were interesting enough, but 'interesting' only went so far!
by Niniel Sanders
Amber walked briskly through the courtyard. She didn't want to spend more time outside than she absolutely had to: the evening was chilly and she wasn't dressed for it. Nor was she really dressed for walking briskly. Gowns did not really lend themselves to any activity that could be described that way, but no one could see her right now, so she didn't care.
She was on her way to the feast celebrating another successful harvest. In ancient times, this had also been a time to ask the gods for a merciful winter and a plentiful harvest again the following year, but nowadays the celebration was more a chance to meet old friends and share good food. She hoped the filled squash would be there again this year. It was her favourite. The squash was spicy and made her tongue tingle just a little, and this was usually the only time they would normally get it served this way.
She heard something crack beneath her foot, so she stopped in her tracks for a brief moment, pulling the thin scarf closer around her shoulders. When she saw the broken shards of ice, she shuddered. Earlier that day it had probably been a small puddle, but now that the sun had already set, the puddle had frozen over. She breathed out purposefully and as she had guessed there was a small white cloud in the air. It really was getting cold. It was the first night with frost. How fitting in a way.
She sidestepped and felt the grass crunch slightly beneath her shoes. It was definitely cold. It wouldn't be long before the frost remained throughout the days as well, she guessed. She looked up at the large clock and pulled herself from her musings – and stepping on grass for the sheer pleasure of feeling it crumble in that special manner only crisp frost on fresh grass did. She'd be late if she didn't get moving.
Inside the hall it was warm and she gratefully closed the door behind her. It was decorated with all the things that belonged to the season; pumpkins of course, although Amber never really liked those much. They seemed almost a little too... American, but at least these weren't carved which made them a little more stylish in her opinion. She supposed they were to be carved later on though. She wouldn't begrudge anyone their fun either. She just wouldn't be participating.
There were sheaves with decorative bands tied around them, laid out on the tables as well as hanging on the walls, together with leaves that had probably been picked out of the piles the groundskeeper had raked together earlier that day. The leaves were warmly coloured too: reds, oranges and yellows, smattered with greens of those leaves that had not yet given in to the cold completely, but had still fallen from the trees regardless.
"Amber!" her best friend Susi came up to her, "I've been looking for you." she sounded almost like she was chiding her.
"I am not late," Amber defended herself quickly.
"No, I know, I know," Susi said just as quickly, "but there's someone I want you to meet. Come..."
"But we will be late then," Amber protested.
Susi just rolled her eyes and pulled her along. "Don't you think there'll be enough food anyway?" she asked playfully and Amber had to concede the point. The harvest feast was always an elaborate affair and they would likely be rolling out of here by the end of the night.
Susi pulled her out from the main hall and Amber wondered why she had decided to wear a gown anyway since it seemed she was destined to be moving too fast for it to really be elegant.
"Amber, I'd like to introduce you to Ulv," she said. The boy stepped out from the recessed alcove and bowed elaborately. His smile and the twinkle in his eyes, however, said that he was not entirely serious and did this as much for the fun of it as out of sincere politeness.
"Milady," he said and reached for her hand to kiss it.
"Where did you find him?" Amber asked her friend in a stage whisper, "Did he step out of one of the history books in the library?"
"Nah," Ulv answered for her, "It's more like a migration really." Amber looked confused. "I just travel a lot," Ulv answered the unspoken question. "Not quite every season though, but it is warmer here than where I come from, and winter is coming. I can smell the frost." he sniffed the air for emphasis.
"His father is an old friend of the family," Susi explained. "He was looking for a safe place to... you know..." The transformation wasn't usually something they talked about, but Amber understood what Susi meant and looked at him in a slightly different light.
So his name wasn't Ulv for nothing. He was a wolf as well. Just as both she and Susi were. And if his father was a friend of the family, then he was also one of those who refused to be registered, and as a consequence had to hide who he really was from the other witches and wizards. It probably explained the frequent travelling too.
"You're not going to be a danger, are you?" she asked. She lived comfortably here and didn't want anyone new disturbing that. "I won't let you bite anyone and make them start hunting us." She might as well get that out of the way.
"Amber..." Susi was clearly not comfortable with this, but in this instance Amber didn't care. She refused to let him destroy their chances of staying here by making all the inhabitants wary.
"Don't worry," Ulv said, "I am fairly well-behaved." Again that glint in his eyes. "I won't give you trouble. I just want a safe place to stay. And to learn..."
Amber looked at him and nodded very slowly. "Alright," she said, admitting to herself that she wasn't really being fair, accusing him before even getting to know him. And there was something about him that made her want to get to know him. The cheeky expression in his eyes... maybe.
"We should really get inside though" she said, "They'll wonder where we are." With that, she turned around to head back inside to the feast, walking for once, the way this dress really demanded, hearing the slight rustling sound of the fabric against the floor as she moved.
Amber walked briskly through the courtyard. She didn't want to spend more time outside than she absolutely had to: the evening was chilly and she wasn't dressed for it. Nor was she really dressed for walking briskly. Gowns did not really lend themselves to any activity that could be described that way, but no one could see her right now, so she didn't care.
She was on her way to the feast celebrating another successful harvest. In ancient times, this had also been a time to ask the gods for a merciful winter and a plentiful harvest again the following year, but nowadays the celebration was more a chance to meet old friends and share good food. She hoped the filled squash would be there again this year. It was her favourite. The squash was spicy and made her tongue tingle just a little, and this was usually the only time they would normally get it served this way.
She heard something crack beneath her foot, so she stopped in her tracks for a brief moment, pulling the thin scarf closer around her shoulders. When she saw the broken shards of ice, she shuddered. Earlier that day it had probably been a small puddle, but now that the sun had already set, the puddle had frozen over. She breathed out purposefully and as she had guessed there was a small white cloud in the air. It really was getting cold. It was the first night with frost. How fitting in a way.
She sidestepped and felt the grass crunch slightly beneath her shoes. It was definitely cold. It wouldn't be long before the frost remained throughout the days as well, she guessed. She looked up at the large clock and pulled herself from her musings – and stepping on grass for the sheer pleasure of feeling it crumble in that special manner only crisp frost on fresh grass did. She'd be late if she didn't get moving.
Inside the hall it was warm and she gratefully closed the door behind her. It was decorated with all the things that belonged to the season; pumpkins of course, although Amber never really liked those much. They seemed almost a little too... American, but at least these weren't carved which made them a little more stylish in her opinion. She supposed they were to be carved later on though. She wouldn't begrudge anyone their fun either. She just wouldn't be participating.
There were sheaves with decorative bands tied around them, laid out on the tables as well as hanging on the walls, together with leaves that had probably been picked out of the piles the groundskeeper had raked together earlier that day. The leaves were warmly coloured too: reds, oranges and yellows, smattered with greens of those leaves that had not yet given in to the cold completely, but had still fallen from the trees regardless.
"Amber!" her best friend Susi came up to her, "I've been looking for you." she sounded almost like she was chiding her.
"I am not late," Amber defended herself quickly.
"No, I know, I know," Susi said just as quickly, "but there's someone I want you to meet. Come..."
"But we will be late then," Amber protested.
Susi just rolled her eyes and pulled her along. "Don't you think there'll be enough food anyway?" she asked playfully and Amber had to concede the point. The harvest feast was always an elaborate affair and they would likely be rolling out of here by the end of the night.
Susi pulled her out from the main hall and Amber wondered why she had decided to wear a gown anyway since it seemed she was destined to be moving too fast for it to really be elegant.
"Amber, I'd like to introduce you to Ulv," she said. The boy stepped out from the recessed alcove and bowed elaborately. His smile and the twinkle in his eyes, however, said that he was not entirely serious and did this as much for the fun of it as out of sincere politeness.
"Milady," he said and reached for her hand to kiss it.
"Where did you find him?" Amber asked her friend in a stage whisper, "Did he step out of one of the history books in the library?"
"Nah," Ulv answered for her, "It's more like a migration really." Amber looked confused. "I just travel a lot," Ulv answered the unspoken question. "Not quite every season though, but it is warmer here than where I come from, and winter is coming. I can smell the frost." he sniffed the air for emphasis.
"His father is an old friend of the family," Susi explained. "He was looking for a safe place to... you know..." The transformation wasn't usually something they talked about, but Amber understood what Susi meant and looked at him in a slightly different light.
So his name wasn't Ulv for nothing. He was a wolf as well. Just as both she and Susi were. And if his father was a friend of the family, then he was also one of those who refused to be registered, and as a consequence had to hide who he really was from the other witches and wizards. It probably explained the frequent travelling too.
"You're not going to be a danger, are you?" she asked. She lived comfortably here and didn't want anyone new disturbing that. "I won't let you bite anyone and make them start hunting us." She might as well get that out of the way.
"Amber..." Susi was clearly not comfortable with this, but in this instance Amber didn't care. She refused to let him destroy their chances of staying here by making all the inhabitants wary.
"Don't worry," Ulv said, "I am fairly well-behaved." Again that glint in his eyes. "I won't give you trouble. I just want a safe place to stay. And to learn..."
Amber looked at him and nodded very slowly. "Alright," she said, admitting to herself that she wasn't really being fair, accusing him before even getting to know him. And there was something about him that made her want to get to know him. The cheeky expression in his eyes... maybe.
"We should really get inside though" she said, "They'll wonder where we are." With that, she turned around to head back inside to the feast, walking for once, the way this dress really demanded, hearing the slight rustling sound of the fabric against the floor as she moved.
by Prof. Amy Lupin
The leaves crunched under Amber's feet as she briskly made her way through the forest. The forest was eerily quiet. Not even rustling leaves were to be heard. A chill went down Amber's spine and she drew her orange cloak tighter. She was now even more eager to get to the Great Feast before dusk.
Amber muttered to herself that she really ought to have accepted Thomas's offer to escort her through the forest. At the very least, his incessant chatter would have helped transform a dreary journey into a more lively one – and, if she was being honest with herself, she already missed spending time with him. She had fond memories of how they would race each other through the forest, dodging trees and seeing who managed to harvest the most berries by the end of the day. Regardless of who was deemed victorious, they would both divide the berries into more or less equal piles to take back home to their families, minus the berries that allegedly disappeared into thin air as if by magic. Or so their guilty-looking berry-stained faces seemed to suggest to their families.
Amber raked her fingers through her hair, letting out a heavy sigh as she tried to squash her thoughts of Thomas and those that she had left behind in the village. She was – or rather her mother was – hoping for an opportunity to be introduced to the prince of the realm, who was hosting the Great Feast. Even if nothing came of the encounter, Amber, as the eldest child in her family, was due to migrate to the city the following moon, where she could start afresh.
Amber heaved another sigh. Without realising it, her strides had shortened until she came to a complete stop. Judging by the sunlight, she had only been travelling for an hour, and she still had a long day ahead of her. She closed her eyes and slowly spun around once and then twice more, trusting the forest to guide her in the right direction. She opened her eyes and started walking forward, hardly daring to look at her surroundings.
After some time, she came to a forest clearing and smiled. Not only was this place so familiar to her, but there was Thomas – her true prince – sitting on a tree stump with a broad grin on his face.
"You came back," he said, opening his arms to draw her closer to him. It was all she could do to hold in her tears as she breathed in the familiar spicy scent she had come to associate with him.
The leaves crunched under Amber's feet as she briskly made her way through the forest. The forest was eerily quiet. Not even rustling leaves were to be heard. A chill went down Amber's spine and she drew her orange cloak tighter. She was now even more eager to get to the Great Feast before dusk.
Amber muttered to herself that she really ought to have accepted Thomas's offer to escort her through the forest. At the very least, his incessant chatter would have helped transform a dreary journey into a more lively one – and, if she was being honest with herself, she already missed spending time with him. She had fond memories of how they would race each other through the forest, dodging trees and seeing who managed to harvest the most berries by the end of the day. Regardless of who was deemed victorious, they would both divide the berries into more or less equal piles to take back home to their families, minus the berries that allegedly disappeared into thin air as if by magic. Or so their guilty-looking berry-stained faces seemed to suggest to their families.
Amber raked her fingers through her hair, letting out a heavy sigh as she tried to squash her thoughts of Thomas and those that she had left behind in the village. She was – or rather her mother was – hoping for an opportunity to be introduced to the prince of the realm, who was hosting the Great Feast. Even if nothing came of the encounter, Amber, as the eldest child in her family, was due to migrate to the city the following moon, where she could start afresh.
Amber heaved another sigh. Without realising it, her strides had shortened until she came to a complete stop. Judging by the sunlight, she had only been travelling for an hour, and she still had a long day ahead of her. She closed her eyes and slowly spun around once and then twice more, trusting the forest to guide her in the right direction. She opened her eyes and started walking forward, hardly daring to look at her surroundings.
After some time, she came to a forest clearing and smiled. Not only was this place so familiar to her, but there was Thomas – her true prince – sitting on a tree stump with a broad grin on his face.
"You came back," he said, opening his arms to draw her closer to him. It was all she could do to hold in her tears as she breathed in the familiar spicy scent she had come to associate with him.
Autumn in SQT Land - by Prof. Opal Curare
"Hey! You lot! Get over here and let's get started!"
Captain Bagel called her team together in the courtyard and together they crunched through the fallen leaves and walked briskly toward the pitch through the chilly autumn air. The pitch was covered in the same crunchy fallen leaves, and Kels insisted that the team rake the leaves into a neat pile before starting practice.
"Guys! Seriously! How can we focus when there is such a mess on the ground?! C'mon, it'll only take a few minutes!!"
Rolling his eyes, Cody grabbed a rake from the tool shed and got to work. "I promise she'll be happier if we just get this over with..." he whispered to Scarlet, who had raised a skeptical eyebrow in response.
The entire process really would have only taken a few minutes (seven, if you want to be magical; 20 if you want to be more accurate), BUT THEN Aly leaped into the neat orderly pile and made a miniature hurricane of amber, brown, orange, and gold leaves. "Oh man, you've GOT to try this!" she yelled, flopping into the pile again. Within seconds, Cara, Hope, Artemisia, and Darcey transformed the beginnings of an orderly pile of leaves into the next great attraction at Harry Potter World.
"Well, I suppose that could be fun..." Kels muttered, then snuck up behind Bagel and SQUASH landed the both of them into and rustling up the Great Pile of Leaves.
"Hey!" Bagel exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Will was flying around the pitch, throwing the Quaffle to himself, determined to get in at least some semblance of practice before it was time to return to the castle for the Harvest Feast. Noticing the rest of his team frolicking in the fallen leaves, Will decided some acrobatics practice was in order. As silently as a snake, he Wronski Feint'ed his way to just above the pile of leaves.
Scarlet ducked out of the way, then immediately grabbed her broom to try the maneuver too. And with that, the game migrated from Play in the Pile to Divebomb My Teammates in the Pile. The teammates would take turns answering homework questions (that's the best way to study – while playing Quidditch!) and whoever got an answer wrong had to make a leaf angel while another teammate practiced Wronski Feints right above their nose. It was the best invention since the introduction of the Golden Snitch!
Finally, with smells of holiday spice and baking pumpkin wafting toward the pitch, SQT decided to call it a wrap. Kels waved her wand and muttered a charm and the leaves magically created a sign across the grass which read "SQT FTW." Happy to be a part of the oh-so-incredibly-typical-yet-somehow-productive chaos of practice, she jogged ahead to join her teammates at the feast.
"Hey! You lot! Get over here and let's get started!"
Captain Bagel called her team together in the courtyard and together they crunched through the fallen leaves and walked briskly toward the pitch through the chilly autumn air. The pitch was covered in the same crunchy fallen leaves, and Kels insisted that the team rake the leaves into a neat pile before starting practice.
"Guys! Seriously! How can we focus when there is such a mess on the ground?! C'mon, it'll only take a few minutes!!"
Rolling his eyes, Cody grabbed a rake from the tool shed and got to work. "I promise she'll be happier if we just get this over with..." he whispered to Scarlet, who had raised a skeptical eyebrow in response.
The entire process really would have only taken a few minutes (seven, if you want to be magical; 20 if you want to be more accurate), BUT THEN Aly leaped into the neat orderly pile and made a miniature hurricane of amber, brown, orange, and gold leaves. "Oh man, you've GOT to try this!" she yelled, flopping into the pile again. Within seconds, Cara, Hope, Artemisia, and Darcey transformed the beginnings of an orderly pile of leaves into the next great attraction at Harry Potter World.
"Well, I suppose that could be fun..." Kels muttered, then snuck up behind Bagel and SQUASH landed the both of them into and rustling up the Great Pile of Leaves.
"Hey!" Bagel exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Will was flying around the pitch, throwing the Quaffle to himself, determined to get in at least some semblance of practice before it was time to return to the castle for the Harvest Feast. Noticing the rest of his team frolicking in the fallen leaves, Will decided some acrobatics practice was in order. As silently as a snake, he Wronski Feint'ed his way to just above the pile of leaves.
Scarlet ducked out of the way, then immediately grabbed her broom to try the maneuver too. And with that, the game migrated from Play in the Pile to Divebomb My Teammates in the Pile. The teammates would take turns answering homework questions (that's the best way to study – while playing Quidditch!) and whoever got an answer wrong had to make a leaf angel while another teammate practiced Wronski Feints right above their nose. It was the best invention since the introduction of the Golden Snitch!
Finally, with smells of holiday spice and baking pumpkin wafting toward the pitch, SQT decided to call it a wrap. Kels waved her wand and muttered a charm and the leaves magically created a sign across the grass which read "SQT FTW." Happy to be a part of the oh-so-incredibly-typical-yet-somehow-productive chaos of practice, she jogged ahead to join her teammates at the feast.
by Sirius Fudge
It was one autumn afternoon. Tom made his way through the piles of leaves scattered around, crunching them along the way. Half an hour later, he arrived at his favorite place, which only he knew about. Tall trees surrounded a small clearing that was covered with smooth grass, which was perfect to sleep on. He gathered piles of leaves to use as a cushion to lean on. The sun's orange rays provided light and warmth for him, which he needed at that moment.
The magic of the place introduced itself to him, as it always did. There was a squash sitting majestically undisturbed in the corner. It looked like it had been a plentiful harvest. If only life was always as plentiful, as happy as this place right here, he thought. Next to the squash, resting on a tree trunk, was a rake. He acknowledged that its presence may be the cause of the relatively neat forest clearing. He thought that whoever was in charge of this place was doing a great job of it. The transformed place made him wonder why someone would clean a forest clearing, only for it to be disturbed again by falling leaves and roaming animals.
Tom not only saw the magic of the place, but also felt it. The rustling wind felt fresh to every inch of his body. That much needed chilly presence wiped out the many worries he had in the past minutes. It was as if all his problems migrated away, never to come back ever again. The place had served its purpose once again. He was renewed for another day at least.
The amber sunlight reminded him of the call of the outside world, which was just a brisk walk from his magical place – his own personal feast of the senses. For him, the spice of life was re-awakened and he was ready to explore again.
It was one autumn afternoon. Tom made his way through the piles of leaves scattered around, crunching them along the way. Half an hour later, he arrived at his favorite place, which only he knew about. Tall trees surrounded a small clearing that was covered with smooth grass, which was perfect to sleep on. He gathered piles of leaves to use as a cushion to lean on. The sun's orange rays provided light and warmth for him, which he needed at that moment.
The magic of the place introduced itself to him, as it always did. There was a squash sitting majestically undisturbed in the corner. It looked like it had been a plentiful harvest. If only life was always as plentiful, as happy as this place right here, he thought. Next to the squash, resting on a tree trunk, was a rake. He acknowledged that its presence may be the cause of the relatively neat forest clearing. He thought that whoever was in charge of this place was doing a great job of it. The transformed place made him wonder why someone would clean a forest clearing, only for it to be disturbed again by falling leaves and roaming animals.
Tom not only saw the magic of the place, but also felt it. The rustling wind felt fresh to every inch of his body. That much needed chilly presence wiped out the many worries he had in the past minutes. It was as if all his problems migrated away, never to come back ever again. The place had served its purpose once again. He was renewed for another day at least.
The amber sunlight reminded him of the call of the outside world, which was just a brisk walk from his magical place – his own personal feast of the senses. For him, the spice of life was re-awakened and he was ready to explore again.