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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

So teach us things worth knowing,

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)​

Dear future student,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 7 May. We await your owl by no later than 30 April.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

Bring back what we've forgot,

Setting​

The year is 1989, eight years after the end of The First Wizarding War and two years before Harry even learns he's a wizard. Though a scarcely acknowledged fear of you-know-who still lingers in the air, the wizard world is operating mostly as normal. Perhaps you are a new first year student, entering Hogwarts with the likes of Fred and George Weasley, Cedric Diggory, and Angelina Johnson. Or, maybe you are soon graduating alongside Bill Weasley, studying vigorously (or not) for your N.E.W.T.s. Either way, you've found your way to Hogwarts and are welcome. Now please, make your way to platform nine and three quarters.

Plot​

This is a Harry Potter universe role play, without the Harry Potter. The events of Harry's life, as depicted in the books, have not all occurred yet. This RP will be focused mostly on life at Hogwarts as the students come of age and attend their classes while trying to keep out of trouble. There will be certain plot points (such as feasts, trips to Hogsmeade, and Quidditch matches) to push character development and interaction. OCs, especially first years (please refer to next tab), would be wonderful, but canon characters are most welcome too. Drama between characters (romance, rivalries, etc.) is highly encouraged.

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

Guidelines & Rules​

1. All first years will be sorted upon arrival at Hogwarts, as per the Sorting Ceremony. (This means that canon characters will be sorted into their respective houses, but OCs are at the mercy of the Sorting Hat.)
2. If you've joined our RP after we've done sorting for the year, you can join as an older year (2-7) or part of the staff. All canon teachers are in place, but I will allow OC assistant professors in each subject who can teach the lower years (1-3) under the supervision of the canon teacher.
3. You are allowed 3 characters in total. They may be whatever year you like, or even a teacher, as long as they follow the above rules.
4. This will be a detailed and (I'm hoping) long-term RP. While quality is more important than quantity, in the interest of substance I am expecting at least a full paragraph (6 sentences or more) per post, at least once or twice a week. Please let us know if you'll be inactive for a while, in advance!
5. Let's all be polite to each other and work together to have a good time.
6. I'm sure you know the usual rules by now, but just in case: no GMing, Mary Sues, or controlling/harming other people's characters without consent. etc..
7. Less of a rule and more of a suggestion, but the group discord can be found here: https://discord.gg/k3k67hT. You are not required to join at all, but it's a handy tool for communication.

And learn until our brains all rot.

Hm. I don't believe I've seen you here before. I don't know you. First year, then?

[He looks you up and down before giving you a knowing smile to ease your apparent nervousness.]

It's alright, I get it. My little brothers are first years too. George and Fred Weasley. Little troublemakers, they are. Maybe you'll meet them on the train. But on second thought, it's probably better that you don't.

[He laughs.]

Here, let me help you with your bags. Don't worry, they'll be sent up to your room when we get there. Now, when you get off, you'll be looking for Hagrid. He's a big guy, you won't be able to miss him. He'll take you on the boats to the Great Hall, where you'll get sorted.

What? Yeah, sorted. You know, into one of the four houses. You don't know? Blimey, well. There are four houses. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor - that's the one I'm in - and Slytherin. You'll probably want to stay away from that last lot. Huh? Oh, no, you don't get to pick. The Hat will, at the ceremony.

[The train's whistle blows sharply, a final warning to all intending to get to Hogwarts.]

There's probably still room in one of the compartments of this car right right here. In you go. Chin up, you'll be fine. Just remember to stay as far away from Peeves as you can. What's that? Nevermind, you'll figure it out for yourself. Good luck, and welcome to Hogwarts.

In Character

The Great Hall

Student Records

The Library

 

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The Hogwarts Express

Platform 9 ¾

You arrive at Kings Cross, thrilled to finally be making your own way to Hogwarts.

The station itself is massive, crammed full with bustling travelers headed to a million different destinations. The sounds of conversation and wheels clacking on tracks reverberate through the walls, filling your ears with sound. Though overwhelming, there's something comforting about seeing all these people going about their way. You almost feel like you're being gently swept up in a river that leads exactly to where you need to go.

Somehow, without realizing it, you find your way to platform 9. Just up ahead, you see a family of red heads waving their sons off as they run straight through a pillar. This is it, you think. The beginning of your journey.

It is currently 10:32 AM on September 1st, 1989. Your characters are at Kings Cross station, platform 9 ¾, at some point in the boarding process for the Hogwarts Express. Feel free to make new friends & enemies or run into old ones. Once on board, have your characters find their way into a compartment. The train is quite full this year, so no one will be riding alone. The Express will leave promptly at 11 AM.

 

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The Journey Begins

The Hogwarts Express

After getting your luggage sorted, you anxiously board the Hogwarts Express. Walking down the corridors, you note that most compartments are filled to the brim with students just like you. Having made your way towards the back of the train, you find a cozy compartment and introduce yourself to what you hope will be some new friends. A few polite greetings are offered, followed by an increasingly animated discussion on what Hogwarts life will truly be like. The four of you chatter over the train's progressively louder hissing. The boy beside you didn't know there would be real ghosts at the castle, much less a bonafide poltergeist. Peeves, the girl across from you called him. The name sounded familiar, as if someone had warned you about him already.

Your lively conversation is suddenly interrupted by a sharp toot of the Express' whistle. The train jolts to a slow start, excitement is readily apparent on all of your faces. One of the boys sitting with you opens the compartment's window to stick his head out and wave goodbye at his passing family. They, along with the rest of the platform, slowly fade from sight. The pace of the train's chugging grows faster and faster as the Express picks up speed, making true its name.

You're off.

It is currently 11 AM on September 1st, 1989. The Hogwarts Express has just set off. Your characters are either in or heading to a compartment to dwell in for the rest journey to Hogwarts. Compartments can only sit 4 people (6, if you're all willing to squish or are small), so please do not overcrowd or the trolley lady will bare her claws at you. I will personally RP the trolley lady and have her visit each compartment as we go, if any of your characters are interested in purchasing a snack or two. I will also RP either my characters or random canon ones to fill spots of compartments that don't happen to be full yet, so don't worry if you don't feel like your compartment has enough interaction going on in it - just get seated! There is a listing of who is in what compartment, found in The Great Hall.

 

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Hogwarts Approaches

Your Compartment

A short, stocky boy with a mess of red hair walks through the corridors of the Hogwarts Express. Pinned to his chest on his robes was a giant P, for prefect. He knocks politely on each compartment's door before opening them and reminding its occupants, "If you haven't already, you'd better get changed, we'll be arriving soon." With that, he slides the compartment door closed and moves to the next.

You and your new friends turn your heads towards the compartment's window to confirm what he'd said. You hadn't really noticed it between all the chatter before, but it had gotten dark. The rolling hills and farmlands you flew by in the beginning of your journey had become mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. Heeding the prefect boy's warning, you decided to reach up to your luggage and find your Hogwarts robes. With some effort, you take off your jacket and pull the long, black robe on. The robes of the boy next to you are a bit short for him, in a slightly comical way. You exchange looks with the rest of your compartment before breaking out into laughter.

We're officially nearing Hogwarts! Have your characters change into their robes. Sometime in the next week I'll make another setting post announcing our arrival and the details on how each student gets to the school from the platform, in case anyone's forgotten. Also an FYI - due to time, we maaaay not get the trolley lady visiting all the compartments. Sorry!
@Smoaki Abendrot The Silent Z spectro Lux___Wolf explosiveKitten ThatGuyWithSouvlaki Trinket @AKKaleb Yarrow inkling Twenty1stTechno MochiHaru Armorath wdinatx @ZAuger Inactive User 002 deer SymbioticWebslinger @Aero ★ @GimmickPuppet @donaphiin Volfy n u n c h i Ravenclaw @Lady Magicae scorpiodragon ​

 

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The Arrival

Hogsmeade Station

Your compartment is surprisingly quiet. The four of you sit in your Hogwarts robes in silence, taking in the passing scenery and mentally readying yourselves for your first of many nights at Hogwarts. Your thoughts are interrupted by a voice that echoes through the train. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Your stomach lurches with nerves. The face of the girl across from you goes pale under her freckles. You all exchange nervous glances with each other before the train begins to slow to a full stop. You can head students on the other side of the compartment door rushing in one direction. You slide it open and merge into the flow of students exiting the train. As you shuffle through the crowd, you see your fellow students pushing their way towards the doors and onto a tiny, dark platform.

The cold night air makes you shiver. You realize suddenly that you aren't sure what to do now that you've arrived. In the hustle and bustle of the disembarkation, you'd gotten separated from your new friends. The conductor said you were arriving at Hogwarts, but this station didn't look like the Hogwarts you'd heard so much about. If you strained your eyes, you could see the castle out in the distance, across a lake. Were you meant to follow the stream of students headed in a different direction?

A lamp comes bobbing over the heads of other students. You recognize the girl with freckles who was sitting across from you. She stares at the man holding the lamp, seemingly in awe of his size and stature. His boisterous voice booms over all the students with a gruff warmth. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

All first years must gather around Hagrid. He will lead them down the path and to the boats once everyone is gathered. Feel free to have your characters chat amongst themselves for a few posts before we head out. Older students will be taking the classic Hogwarts Carriages pulled by thestrals up to the castle. RP that out as you like, and ride with whoever you like (in realistic numbers, of course). Once we have arrived, first years will wait just outside the hall to begin to sorting ceremony. Older years can go ahead and seat themselves at their respective tables to await the sorting ceremony.

@Smoaki Abendrot The Silent Z spectro Lux___Wolf explosiveKitten ThatGuyWithSouvlaki Trinket @AKKaleb Yarrow inkling Twenty1stTechno MochiHaru Armorath wdinatx @ZAuger Inactive User 002 deer SymbioticWebslinger @Aero ★ @GimmickPuppet @donaphiin Volfy n u n c h i Ravenclaw @Lady Magicae scorpiodragon ​

 

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The Sorting Ceremony

The Great Hall

Feeling oddly as though your legs have turned into lead, you get into line behind the boy from your compartment with the short robes. The whole line walks out of the chamber, back across the entrance hall, and through the pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

A strange and splendid place. The ceiling is a velvety black and dotted with stars, bewitched to look like the night sky. The rest of the hall is lit by thousands upon thousands of floating candles, suspended in midair over four long tables where the rest of the students were sit. The tables are laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the front of the hall you can see another long table where the teachers seem to be sitting.

The line leads you up before the head table and halts your line so that you face your fellow students with your back towards the teachers. Hundreds of faces stare back at you, like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there, you recognize the ghosts from earlier or other students you ran into on the train. The girl beside you waves to what you assume is her older brother.

Professor McGonagall silently places a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she puts a pointed wizard's hat. It looks frayed and patched, many times over. You can't tell if its dark burgundy color is due to the dye or the dirt. Everyone around you stares intently at the hat, giving it the air of importance it deserves. For a few moments there is complete silence.

The hat twitches. A rip near the brim opens wide, like a mouth. It begins to sing.

I've done this job for centuries.
On every student's head I've sat.
Of thoughts I take inventories,
For I'm the famous Sorting Hat.

I've sorted high, I've sorted low,
I've done the job through thick and thin.
So put me on and you will know
Which house you should be in...

In the interest of time, we'll be RPing each first year's sorting in PMs (which I will be sending out shortly). If your character has a convincing argument on whether they should (or shouldn't!) be in a particular house, you can tell the Hat/me in that PM. Respond to those PMs as you would normally RP, and then in batches I will post who is sorted into which house. A running list of who has been sorted where will be kept in our OOC chat. For those older years, or anyone after sorting, feel free to cheer/welcome new students into your house. In the mean time, first years are welcome to RP their thoughts on entering the Great Hall for the first time or their anxiety on being sorted.

@Smoaki The Silent Z Lux___Wolf explosiveKitten Yarrow Twenty1stTechno Inactive User 002 deer @Lady Magicae scorpiodragon sarahmickey98 The Dark Wizard ApfelSeine AldarisLordOfLight @Starfish T That_Irish_Person @AKKaleb @donaphiin​