"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Sebastian came tearing down the stairs of the Gryffindor Common Room, ducking and dodging as the firecrackers shot past his ears. Almost burning them off, no doubt! The exploded and popped just as he managing to jump onto a couch and duck for cover. There was hollering from all around the room, some students upset because they were trying to study, or have a conversation, or snog, but that only lasted a few seconds as the display of red and gold cheered everyone greatly. It was never a bad time for some House pride, yeah?

He squirmed on the couch, flipping over to stretch across and push his feet into the arm of it. Sebastian's hands went behind his head to give himself more of a pillow, and he watched the fireworks crackle and finally die down. He'd need to go back to Zonko's to refill his batch, and wondered when the next Hogsmeade weekend was, it felt like ages since they'd been allowed out of the castle, but it really must have been only a month.

The boy flipped again, stretching the upper half of his body off the couch to try and read the bulletin board for the Hogsmeade schedule. Sebastian put a hand to the ground to keep him steady, face twisting as he tried to force his vision to be better.

"Oy, when's Hogsmeade?"


ooc: Fluid time thread, open to Gryffindors (and their various guests) of all years!

Phoebe rocked back and forth on her heels, finding herself quite nervous.

"It's really late and I've been studying very hard for my exams, so if I could get a hint, please?" She knew it was to no avail, and for the third time the Eagle knocker on the door of the Ravenclaw Common Room slowly let out the night's riddle,

I'm the part of the bird that's not in the sky. I can swim in the ocean and yet remain dry. What am I?

She let out a puff of air and dropped down flat on her feet. Okay, okay Pheebs, think! It couldn't be an impossible answer, because she heard voices beyond the door, so someone must have answered it already. Knowing that the riddle had already been solved made Phoebe flush slightly; she should be able to do this, dang it, she was a prefect! Okay, okay. Let's talk this out.

"Part of the bird? I suppose the first question to your question is that how could it be a literal part of the bird if it's not up in the sky with it? It can't be, there for it's not a literal part, but what, is it its mind? Or more like the soul?" Phoebe waited a beat but when the door did not open she continued to question the question, "It's not a physical object, that's for sure---you can't swim in the ocean without getting wet, unless, again, you're not an actual....if it's not in the sky, it's on the ground, is it always with the bird?"

Her mind shot to the image of the Ravenclaw eagle soaring through the sky, and her thoughts helped her travel down to the ground; what would she see? Phoebe's eyes lit up and she puffed her chest slightly, "A shadow?"

The door clicked open and Phoebe let out a properly pleased sound as she skipped into the common room.


ooc: Fluid time thread, open to Ravenclaws (and their various guests) of all years!

The green light cascading through the windows of the Slytherin Common Room made Katerina sleepy. She wondered who had thought it would be a good idea to build dorms under a lake, let alone give it windows where the sun would only be able to reach its occupants by piercing through the water. It was beautiful, though, she couldn't deny that. And different, and unique, and she supposed not many people got to see the creatures of the Great Lake swim by. And it was secluded, away from the rest of the annoying common rooms, who had no class when it came to decor and---

Okay, she'd convinced herself. The Slytherin Common Room was indeed the most brilliantly laid out one.

Her eyes pulled away from the window and Katerina gave a long glance across the somewhat busy common room. Though, you'd never call a group of Slytherins busy; they all did things on their own time, at their own pace, in their own manner. Plotting Slytherins might work better, but contrary to popular belief, not everyone in her House was concocting a plan to take over the world.

Even though they'd manage to do it quite fast and effectively, she might add.


ooc: Fluid time thread, open to Slytherins (and their various guests) of all years!

Tim was doing his very best to be sneaky. He felt like tiptoeing around, but if anyone saw him do it he might get embarrassed and made fun of for the rest of his life. In his arms were a bundle of snacks and treats from the kitchens (what upstanding Hufflepuff didn't have a house-elf food source to help them through those tough exam weeks?), and a few bottles of butterbeer were hanging between his fingers, lighting clanging. Oh boy. He only had one more flight of stairs to go before he was Scot-free and when he finally reached the painting, Tim let out a sigh of relief. Home.

Or, at least, his home for ten months out of the year. Well---okay, this was home

The still-life painting seemed to tease Tim for a moment, not opening to him and he had to shake his thoughts away from his mini, five minute adventure to remember how to access the dorms. "Oh. I'm Timothy Greengrass, 6th year Hufflepuff. I have snacks."

He waited for the painting to determine if his statement was true, and as he indeed was a sixth year Hufflepuff, it shifted to the side and allowed him through. The Common Room was brightly lit, even at a somewhat late hour, and student lounged on the cozy, over-sized arm chairs. Most of them waved a hello to Tim, and he grinned, making a beeline to an empty couch.


ooc: Fluid time thread, open to Hufflepuffs (and their various guests) of all years!

"I'm keeping an eye on you!" Professor McGonagall shouted at a group of mischievious looking Gryffindors. Always her Gryffindors. What the woman would do for one group of well-behaved young men. Was that so hard to ask for?

Minerva really hated Hogsmeade weekend. Instead of being excited for their studies, getting an education and becoming proper young wizards and witches, all these students wanted to do was snog at Madam Puddifoot's or buy some tricks at Zonko's. And she, just like every year, had to play chaperon. With a great big sigh, Minerva dropped down into a sit beside Filius, and across from Pomona. Those two always managed to have a splendid time on the weekends, and eying the poorly conceived bottle of firewhisky under Filius' cloak, Minerva now understood why.

"I do hope you intend on sharing some of that with your Gryffindor counterpart, Filius," she said snootily, waving her glass toward the Charms professor.


OOC: OKAY, this is meant to just be a general post---any time/year could take place in the comments, the common theme is just HOGSMEADE WEEKEND. So...the person who starts the thread would put MONTH, YEAR. Weekends are like...third weekend of each month? So have fun :)

How had he let Derek convince him that this was a good idea?

Vinny stared aimlessly across the literal sea of people and crowds covering the vast land of his backyard. Sure, sure, he had a ton of land because he lived on a farm, but that didn't mean throwing an End of School Year bash was a brilliant idea! Just because his parents were going to be out of town for the next week, did not mean he should take advantage of it! Oh, hell, at least they weren't getting in the house (where he'd all but locked Davy inside of).

It was a pretty good party so far, though. There was a barbecue, girls in bikinis, torch lights lining the pool area, a volleyball net, girls in bikinis, lots of loud music, girls in bikinis...

"HEY there is no need to be littering!" Vinny said with a loud huff, using his wand to send the paper cup shooting back into the perpertrator's face. Merlin, oh Merlin. Derek better stay over tonight to help him clean up, tomorrow. There was no way he'd be able to clean this mess up all by himself. As much fun as he was planning to have, he still needed to be somewhat in control of this bash!

"Who the hell invited the sixth years!" he shouted, eying a couple of students who were definitely not part of the Hogwarts class of 1977.

For fuck's sake, if he was named Head Boy this year it was going to be hell.

( OOC! )

Entertaining came naturally to Rachel Englewood. If you knew her, in fact, she'd sultrily tell you that many things came naturally to Rachel Englewood, including being the center of attention, being able to produce a good time for anyone out of any circumstances, and throwing the best, most elegant parties. Perhaps it was the French flair inherited from her mother, or her simple determination to be the best, brightest, and most affluent, but parties were her forte, and that needed no explanation. The seventeen-year-old balked at the prospect of her last year in school passing by without so much as hosting a lavish high tea! Successful events were not borne out of nothing, however, and the sly brunette mulled over the various occasions which might warrant celebrating. Debutante balls had come and gone early in the summer, and regardless of how successful hers was, it was a new season, and therefore a blank slate. Winter proper was fast approaching and with it, the perfect holiday; after all, what better occasion to go all out for, than Christmas? Thus, their graduating year was, fortunately, not void of any contributions to the social calendar by Miss Englewood, who was fully confident that the Christmas of 1976 would be remembered by all.

Having gone through great lengths to ensure her parents would be unreachable for the duration of the party, such as packing them off to Canada in the form of an early Christmas present they had to take advantage of before her father's work detained him (naturally, she had taken special care to double-check dates with his secretary, to avoid potential conflict), the lack of supervision allowed the girl to plan what she wanted in peace. She need only have contended with the House-Elf, whom she had sworn to secrecy, and the other help, which had been given paid leave for the duration.

By five-thirty in the evening, everything had been set. Food aplenty was scattered amongst elegantly draped tables, and though the girl looked down on alcohol as a harbinger of bad attitude, it was found amongst the drinks. The drawing room was dimly lit by the roaring fire, which cast its orange glow against all the walls. A large, decorated tree towered near to the high ceiling in one corner, the fire glinting off the glass trinkets hanging from the limbs. Classic Christmas cheer was rampant in every corner, and there was little Rachel found disagreeable as the soft strains of the WWN's holiday program lilted across the expansive room. The hostess herself was decked in elegant black dress robes, the short length of which was a pervasive style that she could not come to an opinion on, but tried, nevertheless. As was written clearly on the invitations, formal dress was the only acceptable attire and it was for the benefit of everyone that they heed the warning. By six-thirty, guests began arriving, and the soirée crept towards its crescendo.

Wrapping a curl around her finger, the one physical vice her mother had never quite beaten out of her, she took a moment to stand back and survey the goings-on of the class of 1977, goblet of pumpkin juice in her unoccupied hand. A slow smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

( OOC )