Annette Waters and the Bracelets of Devotion {HSHC} IC

[Lentrax]

Chapter One

The Journey From Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters

The trip to King's Cross went about as well as you could have hoped for. Muggles coming into the station meant a bit of a queue at the entryway to the platform, and eventually a pair of wizards from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement began distracting the muggles from students and parents as they went through the entry. As usual, you took the trip at a bit of a run, having never quite gotten used to the idea of running into a wall.

As usual, once you got to the platform proper, you are greeted by the sight of the scarlet Hogwarts Express. The train lets out a whoosh of steam that drifts across the platform. Friends call out to you, some of them coming over to you and asking how your holiday was as they themselves get their things aboard the train. Parents of nervous first years help their children get their things aboard, or are in the middle of teary good-byes. All very usual. All very ordinary.

And that is when you see her. She is lifting her trunk onto the train. Her auburn hair falls in curls behind her as she lifts her trunk into the carriage. And then another blast of steam from the engine obscures your view, and when it fades, the girl is gone.

You don't know who she is. You don't even know anything about her, except that you saw her, and you have to get to know her.

But how do you find her?

Spoiler: Scene 1

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Opposed luck roll. Winner gets +1 VP, and you will find her carriage in the order of your roll results.

[AvatarVecna]

Elizabeth sees the new face - an oddity, since Hogwarts doesn't get very much transfer students - and takes it as an opportunity to make a new friend...or hopefully, at least a good first impression. She'd see most of her friends in the Great Hall anyway, and the new girl might get sorted elsewhere. Elizabeth supposes that the girl would've worked down one direction from where she entered until she found a non-empty compartment, so Elizabeth would just do the same. But which way to go, towards the engine or caboose?

After a moment's hesitation, Elizabeth picks a direction and starts walking down the train, knocking on doors and looking for empty seats.

Spoiler: OoC

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Luck, obviously. Neutral roll, no powers modifying, so just +0 with no frills.

[Zelphas]

Faith walks quietly through the crowded, noisy station, pushing her overstuffed bag on a trolley in front of her. Everything from her posture to her gaze is cool, closed off; she nods silently to anyone who calls out her name and ignores any whispers that may follow in her wake, focusing on getting to the prefect carriages and stowing her bags. Her new prefect's badge glitters on her lapel.

The sight of the auburn-haired girl stops Faith in her tracks for just a moment. The glimpse of the girl is the only thing to cause a hiccup in her stride, but a moment later she continues on as if nothing has changed. Faith walks steadily to the prefects carriage and carefully stows her many books and accouterments away in the overhead compartments.

A few moments later, Faith knocks on the compartment closest to the prefect's carriage. Her bright red hair is swept away from her face, the prefect's badge on her chest clearly (but not ostentatiously) on display. "Excuse me, but have you seen a girl with curly auburn hair? She looked to be about in fifth year. The professors wanted a prefect to welcome her to our school on the train," Faith states to whatever student opens the door, no expression showing in her voice or her pale blue eyes.

Spoiler: OOC

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Luck; attempting to get a +2 from Poker Face, but otherwise Neutral with no powers modifying.

[Forum Explorer]

Carmen sighed as she saw the train. Another stupid year of school, wasting her time and teaching her about mostly useless stuff. Which wouldn't be so bad, if it weren't so stupid. Or taught by stupid people. Who didn't even know how to use a phone. But whatever. She's almost done, just one more year of milking whatever useful tricks she could out of the place and she can return home and start putting it into effect. Making cards invisible, enchanting dice, forcing the ball to stop on a certain number, Carmen licked her lips in anticipation.

Well, well, well, Carmen murmured spotting the auburn haired girl. She scowled at the blast of steam that let her get away. Stupid train should be electric. Whatever. Having to track her down might be fun as well. She walked down the train, keeping her ears sharp as she listened for any rumors about the exchange student.

Spoiler: OOC

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Luck, strong trait so I get a +1 to the roll.

[Esprit15]

Laura is slightly panicked as she is running late. Between traffic at home and the queue for the platform growing long enough to require distractions, the girl’s heart was pounding. As she exits the pillar, a single person seems to catch her eye among the hundreds of students and family members, and just as quickly, she's gone. Laura puts the thought out of her mind, but as she makes her way into the train, decides to see if she can find the mysterious girl - it wasn’t as though she had been planning to sit with anyone in particular on the train this year.

Spoiler

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Luck (-1)

[Lentrax]

Lauren, her panic over being late rising to a fever pitch, hurriedly gets her trunk on the train and climbs up onto the train with a hurried goodbye for her family.

Lauren begins looking for a seat, and, as luck would have it, the first compartment she checked seemed to be empty. No, wait, not empty. There is a girl in the compartment. The girl, the one she just managed to glimpse. The one who looked unfamiliar.

Yeah? Help you with something?

Her accent... American?

But before you can really say anything, another student (Carmen), shows up and walks into the compartment
***

Carmen boards the train, puts her things in the luggage car, and goes looking for the brunette. She actually isn't that hard to find, and you arrive just seconds after another student opened the very same compartment door you were looking for.

You hear her address the other girl, and hear the same American accent. Yeah? Help you with something?

***

Faith, having put her things in the prefect's carriage, decided to see if she could find the brunette girl, the one who gave her pause earlier. If she could cause Faith to miss a step from that far away, surely, she would be even more beautiful up close?

Faith arrives after two other girls, and nods familiarly at them. Once of them, (Lauren, you think,) you recognize from classes. The other is a Slytherin. You remember that, but not much else about her, since the Slytherins still tend to keep to themselves. A lurch from the engine jolts through the train as you begin to depart the station.

Umm, yes? Can I help you?

She spoke to you!

***

Elizabeth wanders the train for some time, even as the train begins to depart from the station. It takes some time, but at last she manages to find the compartment. The brunette opens the door, and asks Need something?

[Esprit15]

”Just looking for a place to sit. I’m Lauren. Nice to meet you,” she says, stepping in and setting her trunk to the side. “I don’t think I’ve met any Americans at Hogwarts before. Are you new?”

[Zelphas]

Faith pauses for just a bit too long, frozen on the door way. Finally, she steps smoothly into the compartment. "Please pardon my intrusion. One of the professors asked me to check in on our new transfer student," she answers, speaking as though her pause never occurred. "My name is Faith O'Leary, and I am a prefect of Ravenclaw House. I can answer more general questions when we arrive at Hogwarts, and give you a tour of the grounds if you so choose, but for now I simply wanted to make sure that there was nothing you needed on the trip and to answer any preliminary questions you might have."

[Lentrax]

”Just looking for a place to sit. I’m Lauren. Nice to meet you,” she says, stepping in and setting her trunk to the side. “I don’t think I’ve met any Americans at Hogwarts before. Are you new?”

Well, Lauren, I don’t have a need for all this space. Why don’t you join me?

Yeah, she goes on after Lauren seats herself. My mom got promoted by the Congress to be the US liaison with your Ministry of Magic. So, we moved to London, and someone somewhere got me transferred to Hogwarts. Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Annette.

Faith pauses for just a bit too long, frozen on the door way. Finally, she steps smoothly into the compartment. "Please pardon my intrusion. One of the professors asked me to check in on our new transfer student," she answers, speaking as though her pause never occurred. "My name is Faith O'Leary, and I am a prefect of Ravenclaw House. I can answer more general questions when we arrive at Hogwarts, and give you a tour of the grounds if you so choose, but for now I simply wanted to make sure that there was nothing you needed on the trip and to answer any preliminary questions you might have."

Annette blinked. Uhh. I’m fine? I guess? And you don’t have to lie if you want to talk to me. Professor McGonagall told me that I wouldn’t be disturbed on my ride to Hogwarts. So I doubt that any professor on board asked you to look in on me. They probably would have done so on their own.

Annette, having delivered her retort, changed her countenance to something more neutral.

Care to try again?

[Esprit15]

“Pleasure to meet you, Annette.” Lauren offers a hand out to the other girl. “I didn’t expect to be going to school with such esteemed classmates.”

”Hey Faith. Congratulations on the prefect position,” Lauren says, moving her bags to make room.

“Oh! So what was the school in America like?”

[Lentrax]

Annette blushes at the compliment. Oh, cut that out. My moms the important one. I’m just the tag along.

[Zelphas]

Faith blinks, then nods. "Sorry, that was rude of me." She thanks Lauren for the congratulations and sits down. "You seemed new, and the first trip on the Hogwarts Express is disorienting enough even with the buffer of being among fellow first-years. Part of the duties of my position includes looking out for new students, and I wasn't sure that my queries to your location would be answered by other students based upon my authority alone." She pauses to consider for a moment. "I suppose that could be considered abuse of my position; I will try to refrain from doing so in the future."

Faith settles carefully onto her seat, content to let Lauren handle the questions for now.

[Forum Explorer]

Annette blinked. Uhh. I’m fine? I guess? And you don’t have to lie if you want to talk to me. Professor McGonagall told me that I wouldn’t be disturbed on my ride to Hogwarts. So I doubt that any professor on board asked you to look in on me. They probably would have done so on their own.

Annette, having delivered her retort, changed her countenance to something more neutral.

Care to try again?

Carmen had taken a seat without asking permission, and was so far listening silently, until this little exchange happened.

Ha! Carmen laughed. So you're here with your mother? Any other friends or family come along? Oh, and I'm Carmen, it's a pleasure to meet you, she said, holding a hand out to shake.

[Lentrax]

Carmen had taken a seat without asking permission, and was so far listening silently, until this little exchange happened.

Ha! Carmen laughed. So you're here with your mother? Any other friends or family come along? Oh, and I'm Carmen, it's a pleasure to meet you, she said, holding a hand out to shake.

Annette looks over to Carmen, as though seeing the other girl for the first time. Then her manner seems to change. You can't quite figure out what she does, but you can hear the difference in her voice. Yes. A pleasure.

[Forum Explorer]

Annette looks over to Carmen, as though seeing the other girl for the first time. Then her manner seems to change. You can't quite figure out what she does, but you can hear the difference in her voice. Yes. A pleasure.

Carmen leaned forward, grinning, as she watched Annette closely, trying to figure this mysterious girl out.

[Esprit15]

Lauren backs up from the other girl, rather unnerved by her... unusual behavior.

[Lentrax]

Annette looks over to Lauren, and sees the effect the conversation seems to be having on her. Her expression softens, and she reaches over to set a hand on Lauren's knee. Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!

[AvatarVecna]

Elizabeth enters the compartment and absentmindedly lifts her things to the racks above, before flushing lightly at a sudden realization. "Oh, uh...terribly sorry, I don't suppose you'll mind if I join you?" she asks, mostly directing the question to Annette.

[Lentrax]

Annette pulls her hand back as yet another girl comes in. Why not? I mean, we’re already moving. It would terribly rude of me to tell you to take the stuff you’ve already put away and tell you to get out. Besides, she adds with a pointed look toward Carmen.

I’m not that rude.

[AvatarVecna]

Annette pulls her hand back as yet another girl comes in. Why not? I mean, we’re already moving. It would terribly rude of me to tell you to take the stuff you’ve already put away and tell you to get out. Besides, she adds with a pointed look toward Carmen.

I’m not that rude.

Elizabeth isn't sure how to respond to that, even though moving her things wouldn't be difficult. She takes a seat and her first thought comes out just as a matter of course: "What courses are you taking? I ean, what electived. Obviously you're taking core curriculum...well, probably, I've heard of some people dropping classes prior to OWLs, but only as rumors?" She shuts up as soon as she realizes she's babbling a bit.

[Lentrax]

Oh, you know... Annette says, lazily waving her hand in the hair. A bit of this, a little of that...

[AvatarVecna]

Oh, you know... Annette says, lazily waving her hand in the hair. A bit of this, a little of that...

Elizabeth nods, eyes mostly in her lap. "What's your favorite subject?" she asks, if only to keep the conversation momentum flowing. "Oh! I'm Elizabeth Dodderidge, by the way. Realized I hadn't introduced myself..."

[Lentrax]

Favorite? Oh, I don’t know. Alchemy, I suppose. What about you?

[AvatarVecna]

Favorite? Oh, I don’t know. Alchemy, I suppose. What about you?

"Arithmancy. A nice blend of more...practical divinations and elements of spell design."

[Forum Explorer]

Annette pulls her hand back as yet another girl comes in. Why not? I mean, we’re already moving. It would terribly rude of me to tell you to take the stuff you’ve already put away and tell you to get out. Besides, she adds with a pointed look toward Carmen.

I’m not that rude.

Is that so? Carmen says, leaning back, her gaze never leaving Annette's face. Well I wonder what House you'll end up in with your attitude.

[Lentrax]

Attitude? Me? Remind me again who just walked in, sat down, and started asking about my family?

Annette turned away from Carmen.

And I already know my house, thank you very much.

[Forum Explorer]

Attitude? Me? Remind me again who just walked in, sat down, and started asking about my family?

Annette turned away from Carmen.

And I already know my house, thank you very much.

That's the attitude I'm talking about, Carmen said, smirking. If you wanted me to **** off, you shoulda said so earlier. Cause your little attempts to avoid our questions has just gotten me curious.

[Lentrax]

Oh, is that all you want? My life story? Well it is t for you to know, you bi-

But before she can finish her sentence, she is cut off by the trolley woman, with her sweets.

“Anything from the trolley, dearies?”

Maybe this is a chance to change the mood to something more pleasant?

Spoiler: Scene two

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Unnoposed roll!

Allure D6: Show off your charm and bring the conversation around to more pleasant topics! +1 VP

Skill D8: Diplomacy works. Try it and see! +2VP

Conflict D6: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop this behavior now, or else... +1 VP

[Forum Explorer]

Hahahaha, Carmen laughed as if Annette had just told an absolutely hilarious joke. I see you've already got me figured out. Go ahead, help yourself to anything or everything on the cart. She said, gesturing to the treats. That goes for the rest of you as well. Enjoy!

Spoiler: OOC

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Allure I guess. No modifiers at all. But I am activating Dazzling Display, so everyone else needs to roll twice and take the lower result.

[Esprit15]

”Hey now, there’s no reason to... Ooh, anything you said?” Lauren says, quickly distracted by prospect of sweets.

Spoiler

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Skill (+1)

Will fail, but need result for potential use with Down and Dirty