Back to School Diagon Alley Festival! – Log 1

[shnpc]

WHO: Anyone visiting Diagon Alley!
TONE: Festive and busy!
RATING: PG-13 for possible language
WHEN: August 20 through 22
WHERE: Any and all of Diagon Alley
WHAT: There is a huge festival the whole week to let students get school supplies. People from all over are flocking to Diagon Alley for the best deals. That means you might meet new people or see old friends!
STATUS: Ongoing!
NOTE: Remember that this event is semi-open! Any HP AU character can have fun here, whether you're in the game or not, so have fun!

Comments

[fuckilovebooks]

Do you need help looking for something? I can probably help you find it, if the shopkeeper is too busy.

[just1c3w1tch]

Hm? I'm looking for [insert a number of extra curricular books on hexes and hexing], in braille. I wanted to sort out the ones I don't have already, and take them to the clerk to order braille versions, but Mum is too excited to pay attention.

[The woman smiles in a distracted sort of way.] You hair is so pretty. So colorful! More kids should dye their hair. (Hehehe)

What? Her hair's dyed? ...What color? [Looks like Terezi's almost as easily distracted as her mother, sometimes.]

[fuckilovebooks]

Oh, it's blue, with streaks. I can help you with that, though. I know where pretty much everything is anyway.

[just1c3w1tch]

Really? Cool. [Which fact that's in response to, she doesn't specify.]

Great. Mum, show her the list, would you?

[The woman digs around in her pockets and produces a slip of paper, handing it to Twilight.]

That's a list of all the books on hexes we've already got. Basically, if it's not on that list and it comes in braille, I'm interested. We have got a spending limit, I think we agreed on fifty pounds, right Mum? Er... Mum, what's that in galleons?

I don't know. How should I know? That's your thing.

Shit. Hang on a sec, we had this figured out earlier. [The girl seems to be trying to remember something. Probably the conversion rate.]

[fuckilovebooks]

That's about five galleons. [Useless-not-so-useless knowledge Twilight keeps in her head.]

Let me take a look at that. [She takes the list from the woman and gives it a look over, clearly thinking.] Well, I've never had to look for books in braille, but I can recommend a few good text that aren't on this list, and we can see if they're available.

[just1c3w1tch]

I know this stuff during the school year, it's over the summer I forget... [Terezi's annoyed with herself, but hey, the other girl knows the conversion rate. It's all good.]

Can you? That would be awesome.

[fuckilovebooks]

Of course! It's no trouble.

[just1c3w1tch]

Thanks. I'm Terezi Pyrope, by the by. Have we met before?

[fuckilovebooks]

Not officially, I don't think. I'm Twilight Sparkle. I'm in Ravenclaw.

[just1c3w1tch]

Oh really? One of my good friend's in Ravenclaw; Shinra Kishitani. Do you know him? What year are you going to be when school starts up again? We'll be fourth years.

I'm in Slytherin.

[fuckilovebooks]

I'll be in fifth year. I've spoken to Shinra a few times. He's got some... unorthodox methods when it comes to researching magic.

[just1c3w1tch]

Haha, does he? How so? I never noticed anything weird. [Says the girl who learned to swim from the squid.]

[fuckilovebooks]

Last time we talked he was trying to go into the Forbidden Forest to study the creatures there. Even experienced wizards have to make careful preparations when studying wild magical creatures like that; I don't know what he thought he would accomplish as a third-year student.

[just1c3w1tch]

...Learn than he already knew? I mean, yeah, he probably wasn't going to make any groundbreaking discoveries, but practical experience is always better than pure reliance on book knowledge. [Guess who has a similar study method?]

[fuckilovebooks]

More like get eaten by an acromantula.

[just1c3w1tch]

[Terezi shrugs.] Life is full of risks. You've got to take a few now and then.

What's an acro...mantra? [Her mother looks at Twilight curiously.]

[fuckilovebooks]

Acromantula. It's a type of giant, carnivorous spider that's also highly venomous. They aren't normally native to this region, but there's a large family of them in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. Among other things.

It's really highly dangerous, which is why students aren't allowed in. Generally we study magical creatures under much more controlled conditions.

[just1c3w1tch]

Oh... Huh. [She's imagining something the size of a dinner plate. Oh Eggy, if only you knew...]

Life isn't a controlled condition. Never risk anything, never gain anything.

Sometimes you can even gain blindness! (Hehehe)

Mum! [Terezi takes a swipe at her mother with her cane. Her mother neatly dodges, cackling.]

[fuckilovebooks]

That's why it's important to prepare yourself before any task you might be facing. Rushing in unprepared and getting yourself killed never gains anything either.

[just1c3w1tch]

And what would you consider being prepared?

[fuckilovebooks]

Well, first reading up on the sorts of creatures that live in the forest, what the dangers are, and how you can avoid them or keep them from harming you. And in the case of students, being accompanied by a professor who will keep you from getting in over your head.

[just1c3w1tch]

You really think Shinra hadn't done any research beforehand?

Why's the professor necessary? If you've done the first step, what difference does your age make?

[fuckilovebooks]

Professors are fully accomplished witches and wizards, with quite a bit more experience. It's not necessarily a matter of age, but ability.

[just1c3w1tch]

So what you're saying is you should always be accompanied by someone with more experience.

[fuckilovebooks]

Well in general, yes. Even for adults, it's best to undertake dangerous research with a partner.