12th September, 1889 — Hogwarts Great Hall, Breakfast

In a little under a fortnight Hogwarts castle had transformed itself from the briefly peaceful place it had been on the morning of the feast, when the staff were settling in but the students had not yet flooded the corridors, to a realm of noise and exuberance that Connie was still readjusting to. Every year it startled her to discover quite how much she had gotten used to more relaxed company, albeit tempered slightly by the dissatisfaction with not being needed at all times for something.

Case in point:

"I think you've dropped something Mr/Miss ___," Connie said, eyes lingering on the back of the student who, like her, was leaving the hub of breakfast to face the day. She couldn't quite see what it was that had rattled to the ground unheard behind one of their young charges - and unfortunately the din meant they hadn't heard her either. Sighing she flicked her wand towards an uncovered doily which promptly formed itself into a cotton bird and flew after the student, tapping them gently on the head with it's fabric beak.

Prepare for trouble...

The following 1 user Likes Constance Sykes's post:1 user Likes Constance Sykes's post
   Elsie Kirke

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MJ made me beautiful

Hesper was still getting used to the routine of things, the structure itself had been easy to adapt to since it wasn't so different from what she was used to, it was simply all the other parts that came with it. Strict, regular lessons with a governess was one thing, timetables and navigating a huge castle, and managing everything all by herself was another matter entirely. It was all worth it though for her freedom, for the first time in as long as she could remember she felt like she could breathe a little easier. That would probably change when exams came around and the pressure to meet her great aunt's expectations settled in. That wouldn't be for a while yet though.

For now it was time to start another day of lessons. Happily fed, Hesper removed herself from the Slytherin table and headed off towards the large double doors leading out of the hall. While wriggling free of the benches a small doll had slipped out of her robe pocket. The doll's name was Esmeralda and she was currently a tenth of her original size. After her great aunt had ordered her dolls be thrown away her governess of the time had taken pity upon her and allowed her to keep one of them, shrinking it down in size so it became a sentimental trinket that could easily be hidden rather than a plaything.

Before she could leave the room something prodded her in the head. Hesper started and swatted at her head, stopping only when she caught sight of the culprit. That was a weird looking bird. Hesper frowned at it and searched about for the someone who had sent the thing. She stopped when she met the eyes of the Slytherin Matron. Oh no, had she done something wrong? Had something happened? She bit her lip and awaited whatever doom the imposing lady might be bringing with her.
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Connie sighed as she approached. Every year without fail the first years looked at her as though she was imminently about to eat them alive and no matter what she tried she didn’t seem able to make a better first impression – she consoled herself that she was far from the most intimidating amongst the staff so they soon got used to her but still, seeing the fear in the eyes of someone who barely reached her naval and knowing she had caused it wasn’t a pleasant sensation by any stretch of the word.

“Not to worry Miss Gamp,” she said kindly, flicking her wand neatly so the doll flew up into her hand. Smiling gently she handed it back to the girl, coming a little closer so their transaction wasn’t too obvious to all and sundry. She doubted Miss Gamp would want it on show for the rest of the hall but as she passed over the doll she trod on something else entirely and took a step back, concerned she had foolishly broken something valuable. Another flick of her wand and a coin flew up and into her hand. She turned it over, frowning slightly at the galleon that somehow wasn’t quite right and no sooner had it dawned on her that it was unlikely for an eleven year old, even one from a rich family, to have a galleon about their person when she felt something barrel into the back of her legs and nearly send her falling into Miss Gamp. Righting herself with the aid of the breakfast table – just about – Connie awkwardly turned just in time for a nifflers claws to dig into the front of her robes and begin to scurry up.

“What the-” And before she could censure herself the little thing jumped at her hand, missed the coin, and instead landed on Miss Gamp.

  

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MJ made me beautiful

To her great chagrin she found herself looking at Esmeralda who clearly wasn't in her pocket anymore. How embarrassing, now the matron would think she was immature. Hesper flushed with shame as she hurriedly shoved the doll back into her pocket making sure it was tucked as deep down as the pocket would allow. "Thank you, Miss."

Once she was satisfied that the doll would stay buried in her robes until she had at least left the Great Hall, she looked up again at her house matron and was surprised to see that she was looking at something in her hand. She barely had time to register that it was a galleon when all hell broke loose. The matron seemed to stumble for some reason and nearly lose her footing before something lunged at her. Hesper screeched and toppled backwards where she landed sharply on her bottom. She locked eyes with the creature - what it was she had no idea - and it was all she could do but to stare at it. Where had it come from?! It didn't look particularly dangerous but even Hesper knew it was unwise to judge a magical creature by its appearance.

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The niffler was unconcerned about finding itself closer to the ground, having clung onto Miss Gamp for all the time it took her to fall to the ground, and it continued it’s ascent up Miss Gamp before finally noticing that he was looking in the wrong place. Sat on the girl’s chest the niffler looked up at her and, unfortunately, spotting the galleon again opted to use the young girl as a launching platform.

It’s claws dug into her hand and Connie let go with a sharp cry, fortunately she had enough sense about her to drop her wand too and take hold of the wriggling niffler with her free hand. For such a small creature it was rather stronger than anticipated and Connie glanced around for help – finding that most people had given them a wide berth the moment the niffler first jumped. This was the problem with Slytherins: extremely reluctant to throw their hat into the ring at times.

“Miss Gamp, could you levitate this in the air for me please? I don’t want to let it go until I’m sure it’s under some control.”

Merlin her hand stung – who on earth had let nifflers loose?!

  

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MJ made me beautiful

Everything was happening so fast! She stared agog at the creature as it leaped from her at the Slytherin matron and it wasn't until she heard her name that she snapped out of her daze. The sound of her name snapped her out of it. Hesper sat up and placed her hand on the floor to steady herself, only there was a wand where her hand landed and before she could consider that her own wand wouldn't have been on the ground next to her but ought to be in her robes, she was pointing it at the weird animal. Swish and flick! "Wingardium leviosa!" Oh no, this wasn't her wand at all. She looked down and realized it wasn't just the feel of it that wasn't right, it didn't even look like hers. The wand that wasn't hers half complied and the creature was being bounced around in midair rather than gently levitated in place.

Hesper looked at the wand in her hand and flushed. Was this the matron's wand?

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Miss Gamp had clearly paid attention in her Charms lessons and Connie, perhaps pre-emptively and spotting nothing wrong with the intonation or the wand movement, foolishly thought that this ordeal might be over. Against her expectations the niffler merely bounced for a moment, but before she could congratulate Miss Gamp on good work under duress her wand backfired dramatically, banging into Miss Gamp with force before rattling to the ground. The niffler flew into the air, arching towards the Hufflepuff table where it landed and immediately meandered about its business as though nothing had happened.

She rolled her eyes. This was what came from communing with nature – nothing but disaster.

“Miss Gamp, are you quite alright?” She asked solicitously, trying to locate where her wand had rolled to, frowning at the dots of blood on the stone until she identified them as coming from her own sleeve. Rather quickly as it happened…

“I suspect I have come away worse off.”

  

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MJ made me beautiful

Before she could comprehend what was happening the wand exploded - at least that was what it seemed like to Hesper - and she was supine again on the floor. The wand had flown out of her hand she didn't know where to, she was more concerned with the pain at the back of her head where it had hit the flagstones and the mounting embarrassment she felt.

Not wanting to be seen sprawled on the floor a second longer than was necessary, Hesper scrambled to her feet and tottered for a moment as her vision clouded over from doing so too fast. "I'm sorry, Madame Sykes, I think I used your wand by accident!" Her vision cleared and she was able to look up at the Slytherin matron apologetically.

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Connie raised her hand to stem the girl’s protest and immediately felt the trickle of blood going the other way down her sleeve. Oh Lord this was going to be a mess. She really ought to get to the Hospital Wing before it got worse: bloody nifflers, what kind of fool would unleash something with such sharp claws into a school?!

“It wasn’t your fault Miss Gamp.” She said as the wounds began to sting. Why was it something didn’t register as being painful until one truly acknowledged it? “If you could recover it I would be much obliged.”

What was left of it, she thought grimly, already dreading the time she may have to spend without it if she needed a new wand. Hopefully it would be at least serviceable…

(OOC: Feel free to have it be in any state!)

  

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MJ made me beautiful

For split second she forgot herself and gaped in horror at the blood on the matron's hand. Tearing her eyes away from the injury, Hesper nodded obediently and began looking about the floor. Her eyes soon alighted upon a wand. Picking it up she was certain it was the same wand as she'd just held but it looked different. It was now completely black and it felt almost hot to the touch. She brought it over to the matron and sheepishly held it out for her to take. "I really am sorry, I hope it's not broken!" As she moved her hand away from it she found her palm was covered in soot. She looked back at the wand and spotted a deep crack in the wood she hadn't noticed before. She could only cast simple spells and not even a great many of them compared to older students, how had she managed that?!

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For more than thirty years the wand she now plucked from Miss Gamp’s hand had been amongst her most treasured possessions. When one was given world changing news at the age of eleven it was quite understandable to become attached to the beacon of that new life and now with the splintered maple turned black, hair poking out through the wood and the sure knowledge that it was gone for good Connie felt like crying.

“Go to your classes Miss Gamp,”

  

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MJ made me beautiful