Head of House speech (cont. from Cascade Hall) on Aladren Commons

Professor John Fawcett

June 10, 2011 4:47 PM

Head of House speech (cont. from Cascade Hall) by Professor John Fawcett

Along the route, John pointed out landmarks that might be of use or interest to the first years as they began to navigate the school, but didn't stop anywhere until they reached the library. Outside those doors, he paused.

"This is the entrance to the Sonora library," he informed them. "I encourage you to visit it often for its own sake and for your benefit, but tonight, we are here because the Aladren common room is accessed through it. Though I suspect many of them will suspect as much, I must instuct you not to reveal that information to those who are not Aladrens." It was traditional, a carry-over, he suspected, from Hogwarts, where the Houses were much more aggressive with each other and had been at even firmer odds in the past. This was less relevant at Sonora, where the only open, bloody battles likely to erupt were between Crotali instead of between different Houses and the need for a secure fortress that the other guys couldn't place precisely was less likely to arise, but the rule still stood. "Disrespect for the library or librarian and library rules will not be tolerated. Pay careful attention to our path through the shelves as well; the library is very large."

He led them on, naming sections and turns relative to them in the hopes that one might remember the way back tomorrow, and at last reached the very back wall and, by instinct as much as sight after seven years as an Aladren in school and a few more, now, as Head of House, went to a very worn book called Birds of Prey. "Removing this book," he told them, "will cause the common room entrance to open. This spot and the nature of this book are also things you are not permitted to speak of to your friends in other Houses. Only Aladrens may come in." It was John's personal theory that the immediate area, not to mention the book itself, weren't quite noticeable if you didn't know what to look for, but he'd never had an associate outside the House he was close enough to for breaking the disclosure rule to test the theory.

He pulled the book, and the wide, rectangular entrance opened, revealing a similarly shaped room decorated primarily in deep blue and black. Comfortable chairs of different sorts, to accomodate the different study styles, were placed around the room, some tables, and the fireplace, which had in front of it a large rug mostly in dark blue and woven with a hawk design. There were a few bookshelves - someone with an interest, a category confined to the upper years generally, could go around the room and find several of John's own books on magisociology, along with other odd topics, such as the history of magical swordmaking, and a selection of some more normal, for a magic school, topics - around the room, and a large, now mostly empty bulletin board by the door.

"The common room," he announced. "This is where you may socialize with your Housemates, study and do homework, and, on the bulletin board, find announcements of school events. The Quidditch list will be up soon; first years may join the team, and questions about that -" the effect wasn't total, but Mr. Melcher had done wonders for John's precision of language, especially about questions - "may be directed to Captain Daniel Nash or Assistant Captain Edmond Carey." He looked at the first years over his glasses for a moment. "Though we are best known as an academically oriented House, we take our Quidditch team quite seriously, and won last year's Quidditch Cup." The object itself had a carefully selected place in his office, where he carefully didn't absent-mindedly put things that could obstruct a visitor's view. He hoped to have it there next year as well, along with the House Cup. Aladren hadn't had that - goodness - since the year Crotalus put on that dreadful play, but they'd come close last year.

"To meet curfew, you will need to return to the common room by ten p.m., and consequences will result if you are out after that time. Here -" he indicated a door in one wall, near the other side of the bulletin board, which looked much more door-like than the entrance to the common room - "is the door to my office. There is also another entrance down the hall from the library, which has my name on it." And, he thought, likely still one of those posters Allison favored, the ones with a quote from some piece of literature only vaguely related to the picture on, and it was a bit overshadowed by its proximity to the library, but it was easy enough to find. "If you wish to speak with me about any matter which is of concern to you - " part of being head of House was essentially acting, or at Sonora more often being willing to act if any students would actually let on anything, as a surrogate parent - "feel free to stop in and we'll see about resolving it. Other people who might be of assistance are Head Boy Daniel Nash - also, as I mentioned before, our Quidditch captain - and House prefects James Anthony, Edmond Carey, and Veronica Kerrigan."

"Girls' dorms are up the stairs there and down the corridor to the right. Boys are on the left. Attempting to enter the wrong corridor will be met by magical eviction - that is to say, you'll fall through the floor there and land on the floor here in the common room. Your trunks have already been taken up. Does anyone have a question about these things before I dismiss you to your dormitories?"

OOC: Welcome to Sonora! You may now post anywhere on the site, though your character doesn't have access to other common rooms. Be sure to follow the posting rules, and have fun!

Subthreads:

0 Professor John Fawcett Head of House speech (cont. from Cascade Hall) 19 Professor John Fawcett 1 5