Head of House speech on Aladren Commons

Professor Fawcett

August 24, 2012 11:53 AM

Head of House speech by Professor Fawcett

From the Cascade Hall, John led the first years back through the foyer, pointing in the direction of the infirmary and the adjacent Potions lab where they would have their classes with him before taking the little group up the stairs to the second floor and on from there. The actual route to their first stop, the library, was more long than complicated, but he still pointed out things that might help them remember the exact way until they got used to being overwhelmed by the large and crowded new place until they turned down a comparatively narrow hallway and approached a pair of double doors, outside of which he stopped and turned to look at them.

“This,” he said, “is the entrance to the library, within which our common room is concealed.” He looked sternly at them. “You are, of course, all expected to treat this place and its other patrons with as much respect as if this were not the case. You must never tell anyone outside of Aladren that our common room is here, or how to enter it once I teach you.” He would not be surprised if a large number of students did not have at least a general idea of where at least one other common room besides their own was, but that was the sort of thing which was officially discouraged and definitely not to be mentioned to first years if they didn’t decide to figure it out themselves. “The entrance to our commons is at the very back of the library, so you are in for a bit more of a walk.”

He led them through the shelves, pointing out landmarks here, too, both to help them find sections that might be particularly useful to them and to help them navigate the way to and from the common room, as the library was very large. At last, though, they reached the back wall, where he showed them all a very worn book with a fairly mundane title: Birds of Prey.

“Pulling this book from the shelf will open the entrance to our common room – like so.” He removed the book, which was placed where almost all students would be able to reach it comfortably, and a section of the wall moved away, revealing a rectangular entrance wider than it was tall, something John had disliked about it since at least his fifth year, since he’d been definitely taller than was average and had needed to duck to get through.

Inside was a large, comfortable room decorated primarily in blue and black, here and there sporting hawk motifs and slightly more frequently sporting bookshelves and well-cushioned seats. There were areas for group or individual study or relaxation, a large bulletin board next to the door, and, at the rear, a short staircase which led up to a landing between two hallways. John moved the first years to the area in front of the fireplace and let them take seats before he began to speak, going through the usual points of information they would need immediately in order to begin navigating their new House and school.

“Welcome, everyone, to Sonora Academy,” he said. “And to Aladren House. As I said before, I am Professor Fawcett, your Head of House and your Potions professor, and this is the Aladren common room, where you may work or relax among your Housemates. You may also visit the rest of the school except for other common rooms, but you are required to be back here in the common room by ten o’clock every night. You are not required to go to bed, but you may not leave Aladren again after that time.”

He pointed toward the bulletin board. “This board is where you can find announcements. The Quidditch sign-up sheet will probably be the first thing to go up – our excellent team’s captain is Mr. David Wilkes, of sixth year, and his assistant is Mr. Arnold Carey, they are the ones to speak to if you have any questions about the team, which you are all permitted to try out for if you wish – but other notices may appear as well. Club meetings, lost items, announcements about the Bonfire later in the year, and so forth. I recommend you check it regularly.

“Your House prefects are Miss Samantha Hamilton of seventh year, Mr. James Owen of sixth year, and Mr. Russell Layne of fifth year, and they are available to help you with any problems you may have as you settle in here. I am also available – my office is just down the hall, with my name on the door – to assist you in any way I can. Your House is like your family while you are at Sonora, so we will all be glad to help. Aladren is a small House, but we consistently out-perform the others in many areas because we work together and resolve our problems well. I expect you all to help uphold that tradition to the best of your ability.”

He thought that covered the high points. “When you go up those stairs at the back, you will find your dormitories. Boys, yours are at the end of the left hallway – “ he pointed in that direction to make sure it was clear what he meant – “while girls are on the right. Do not attempt to enter the corridor that is not your own if you do not wish to fall through the floor and land here in the common room below.” He pointed now to a patch of floor which was conspicuously lacking in carpet. “Are there any questions about the things I have said here or Aladren in general?” He still remembered Mr. Melcher well and fondly.

OOC: You may now post anywhere on the site, though your Aladren student characters will not have access to the other three common rooms. Please follow all of the posting rules (which can be found under ‘Roleplaying Rules’ on the site home page) and have fun here at Sonora!

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