Sledding and Tubing Galore! on Quidditch Pitch

Amy Fox

March 26, 2007 4:08 PM

Sledding and Tubing Galore! by Amy Fox

With Christmas around the corner, the holidays had officially begun. Students and professors alike had either chosen to remain at the school or return home to their friends and family for the duration of the break. Snow now covered the grounds and pitch with the help of weather charms.

Shivering, Amy placed yet another heating charm upon herself. Frowning, Amy questioned her reasoning in having chosen to remain at the school for the holidays. At least the weather in Florida did not include below freezing temperatures and snow.

It was the better of two evils, she sourly reminded herself. Although her parents were always more than happy to see her, she highly doubted that the rest of her illustrious family would feel the same. In fact, she had been snubbed on more than one occasion at and she didn’t want to deal with the condescending looks yet again.

Tilting her head upward, Amy used a gloved hand to cover her eyes as she surveyed her handy work. The pitch had been practically turned into a ski amusement park of sorts. Extensive charms had been placed around the pitch in order to erect courses, both sledding and tubing, which had been placed on opposite sides of the pitch. Various drops could be found, from simple slops to nose dives, allowing participants to choose the course of their choice.

Signs had been placed at the beginning of each course, informing students in particular of potential dangers. Students were particularly reminded to refrain from trying to flip their sled, or tube, and to avoid any funny business. THIS MEAN YOU!, the signs ended in flashing red letters.

Sleds and tubes could be found at the beginning of each course. Each had been charmed to return to the beginning of the course once it had reached the end through a complex version of a summoning charm. The course could be taken either individually or in pairs.

Coughing, Amy blinked her eyes as she shivered again. Although she had worn various layers, a hat, earmuffs, gloves and a scarf, the chill was still getting to her. Snow could still be seen falling from the sky, filling in her footprints. The snow was already thick on the ground and she more than expected it to only get deeper.

With a shrug, Amy dropped her hand and stuffed it into her pocked. Hearing the ring of excited voices, she turned and sighed. It was time for the events to begin.

OOC: Alright, everyone have fun and enjoy. Sleds and tubes can be found near the beginning of each course and people can get on in one's or two's. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Subthreads:

Too early to think of a subject...*yawns* by Irene Liddowe with Zack Dill, Irene

I see snow in my future... er, present. by Niobe Yuma, Divinations Professor with Aaron McKindy, Charms Professor, Niobe Yuma

0 Amy Fox Sledding and Tubing Galore! 0 Amy Fox 1 5

Irene Liddowe

March 27, 2007 6:30 AM

Too early to think of a subject...yawns by Irene Liddowe

Irene looked around the pitch in awe. Every inch was covered in the fantastic sparkling snow she was use to seeing up in Michigan. She felt a small sense of home as she examined the way the snow shimmered in the sunlight.

Sledding was her specialty. After all, she had lived with Uncle Mike for about 5 years now and if you live with him, snow equals sledding. Irene trudged up the hill, her shoes slipping on the snow once or twice. She wished Renaye was here. She would love this!

Irene grabbed a sled and looked around for anyone who might be in danger of being hit. Declaring the situation safe, Irene lay down on the sled and pushed off with her feet. She shot down the hill, her brown hair wiping around her face. Her blue-green eyes were watering due to the wind.

Irene slid to a stop at the foot of the hill and headed back up. She reached the top of the hill and was readying to go again...\n\n

0 Irene Liddowe Too early to think of a subject...*yawns* 106 Irene Liddowe 0 5

Zack Dill

March 31, 2007 6:20 PM

Why am I here again? by Zack Dill

Zack hated the cold. His undersized frame was bundled up to twice its normal width and weight from the number of shirts he wore underneath the too-large winter jacket that had been his brother's. His arms did not fall flat to his sides but sort of puffed out like a penguin's wings.

He wore a hat and earmuffs and a scarf around his head (it was a very large scarf that he wrapped around him until he was very nearly mummified). He could see between the top of the scarf and the bottom of his hat, but only barely. Breathing was done through the layers. On his hands he had one pair of gloves beneath two pairs of mittens such that he could barely hold onto anything nevermind employ fine motor control.

He had thermal underwear on beneath both a pair of jeans and a pair of snowpants. He had three pairs of socks on and a pair of boots. He sort of waddled when he walked because the layers of pants were so thick.

By time he made it out of the library (anyone who didn't already didn't know the Aladren commonroom was through there probably had a good idea after seeing him bump between the stacks) and reached the door outside, he was sweating. This problem swiftly reversed itself by opening the door, however. He stepped out into the cold and readjusted the scarf to make the eye opening even smaller.

At the Pitch, he finally reached his objective. He'd seen the slopes set up from the windows inside and, being a city boy, he'd never had the opportunity to sled or tube or ski before. An intense curiousity had overwhelmed him, so much so that it overcame his hatred for the cold.

He'd picked which slope at random, mostly chosing this one because a little girl had chosen it first and it therefore probably wasn't completely terrifying. At the top, though, he felt his stomach clench as he looked down and he cleared his throat before the little girl had pushed off.

"Um," he said, "Is this entirely safe?" \n\n

1 Zack Dill Why am I here again? 40 Zack Dill 0 5

Irene

March 31, 2007 6:43 PM

Well, there was a rumor about snow around here... by Irene

Irene threw her Pecari scarf around her neck as she sat at the top of the hill, her breath coming out in smokey puffs. She had been sledding every winter since she was seven and Irene planned to keep this tradition.

She had put her brown hair in braids today to keep it away from her face as she flew down the hill. After her first test run she had decided it worked. Her gloved hands clutched the rope attached to the sled, taking a few breaths and absorbing the view. A noise from behind her made Irene turn around.

A boy in heavy winter clothes stood behind her, looking cautious of the hill. She almost laughed at his odd attire (it wasn't really that cold, but, yet again, she gew up in Northern Michigan) but held it back. He was just being prepared. It must be very warm under all those layers...

"Um," he said, "Is this entirely safe?"

Grinning, Irene replied truthfully, "No, but that's what makes it fun!"

Irene pulled her hat over her head as she looked down the steep hill she had chosen. Irene supposed it was because of it's sharp decline.

"Want to join? You look like you haven't gone sledding before," She said, hoping not to offend him. Irene brushed a snowflake away from her hazel eyes and realized she hadn't introduced herself.

"Oh, my name's Irene Liddowe," Irene said holding out her hand. \n\n

0 Irene Well, there was a rumor about snow around here... 0 Irene 0 5

Zack Dill

March 31, 2007 9:44 PM

What a perfectly strange rumour by Zack Dill

Zack's eyes widened in alarm (not that anyone could really tell with the scarf and hat barely parted as they were) when the girl said it wasn't entirely safe. The least she could have done was lie to him. He gulped a little and looked down the pretty steep incline one more time and wondered if maybe he should just go back to his warm library.

Then she asked if he wanted to join her. Zack stood a little straighter (this brought him nearly up to five feet precisely, especially counting the puffed top of his hat). With all the winter gear covering him up, he feared only his voice suggested he wasn't as young as his height and bundled appearance made him look.

"Zack Dill," he told her when she introduced herself. He doubted she recognized the name from the prefect announcement at the beginning of the year since he was pretty sure she wasn't an Alderaanian, but she'd probably heard he'd been the Seeker who fell and broke his leg in the last Quidditch match.

He took another wary look at the hill and the contraption they were supposed to ride in. Drawing in a stuffy breath through his scarf, he marshalled his courage and nodded. He'd done freefall not too long ago, surely this couldn't possibly be worse than that. People claimed it was supposed to fun after all.

"Yeah," he agreed, "First time." One more deep breath through the scarf. "Born and raised in Detroit," he added by way of explanation. While the city probably had parks with hills, they weren't near his neighborhood and he'd never felt the inclination to walk that far with the wind and cold. He was far too prone to pneumonia, what with his complete lack of natural insulation. The only reason he was risking it today was because his recent research into magic medicine indicated it only required a simple potion to cure that.\n\n

1 Zack Dill What a perfectly strange rumour 40 Zack Dill 0 5

Niobe Yuma, Divinations Professor

March 31, 2007 10:04 PM

I see snow in my future... er, present. by Niobe Yuma, Divinations Professor

Niobe appeared on the scene wearing long turquois overrobes -- with the hood pulled up, of course -- and a troubled expression. Her mind was still back in her rooms. When she left, her music box was in the middle of swearing at her. Well, not quite swearing, but something with the same general bad kharma generating feeling to it. It was a music box! It played music. That was what music boxes did. She wasn't obligated to leave it open at all times so the magical people inside -- who don't even breathe! -- could have fresh air. Same went for the portraits she'd neglected to hang up until today. Some people were into that Magical Creations Are People Too stuff -- she used to be -- but when you knew how to make them (or at least knew people who knew how to make them), they stopped being so impressively human-like. Either way, the muggles had it right: practical objects should provide good service without the back-talk.

It might be time for a new music box. Maybe one with one of those memory clearing features or with multiple alternate personality functions.

Niobe spotted Amy Fox across the way and wondered if she should volunteer to help out or just try the slopes and be around in case something went wrong. She could use some fun. But was it okay to have fun? She was supposed to be a teacher. The kids might not take her seriously if they saw her having fun. Or, alternatively, maybe it would vanquish a little of her... whatever kind of persona that comes with the territory of being a Divinations professor. Show that that's she's not all predictions and contemplation.

Easily convinced, Niobe trudged up to the nearest sledding line, thankful she wore her knee-high boots and grinned at whoever was standing in front of her. Gheee! There was a steep and curving path in her future!\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Niobe Yuma, Divinations Professor I see snow in my future... er, present. 0 Niobe Yuma, Divinations Professor 0 5

Irene

April 03, 2007 6:33 AM

I was thinking the same thing! Snow? Here? by Irene

"Zack Dill," He said, introducing himself. Irene smiled and looked back down the slope.

Zack nodded in reponse to her offer. He told her he was born and raised in Detroit. Irene grinned broadly.

"Oh! You're from Michigan! So am I! I live in the northern part of the mitten, though," Irene said excitedly. Maybe her homesickness was getting to her more than she thought...

"I sled every year and I thought I would keep the tradition. We get tons of snow up there," she explained, scooting forward on the sled to make room.

"Okay, just climb on and hold on tight. This is best slope I've been on in a while!" She said. It was true. This hill had no bumps or hills that make a sled go flying and there wasn't any trees to avoid crashing into. Irene looked around to see if Zack was set.

"Nervous?"\n\n

0 Irene I was thinking the same thing! Snow? Here? 0 Irene 0 5

Aaron McKindy, Charms Professor

April 04, 2007 7:31 AM

And here I was, doubting your Divinatory talent by Aaron McKindy, Charms Professor

It was snowing in Arizona.

The first day of midterm, Aaron had awoken, wandered outside, and had been stopped dead in his tracks by the completely uncharacteristic appearance of snow. After a few half-muddled thoughts revolving around possible explanations for this strange bout of weather, he had finally determined that this was the weather charms at work. Still, it still gave him a shock when he wasn't fully paying attention. In places like New York, it snowed. In places like Arizona, it didn't. There were just a few simple life rules that Aaron felt should not be changed around, even with proper application of a few fairly complex and well executed charms.

Still, in the hopes of appreciating this more home-like weather, Aaron had bundled up and gone outside, only to return and shed a few layers. Snow there might have been, but the Arizona air was a great deal less humid than that of New York. Consequently, the temperature felt considerably warmer than that of the more eastern states.

'Bundling up' now meant crimson overrobes with odd, light-absorbent patches. Aaron hadn't quite intended for the robes to absorb light, but the effect was rather nice. In addition to the robes, he wore high black boots, charmed to retain heat, and similarly coloured gloves with the same charm on them. His hood was down and bubblehat conspicuously absent when he got into the sledding line. Granted, he was a bit old for this, at thirty six, but it wasn't as if his students had much respect for him left to lose. Several had already made their opinions on his lessons quite clear.

Someone situated themselves behind him in the line. When the charms professor turned around, he was amused to see Niobe Yuma, the Divinations professor, grinning up at him. She seemed very excited. The professor was also considerably younger than himself, all told. A good few of those who taught here at Sonora were.

"Hello there, Niobe!" he said jovially. The words came out in a vague mist that one's breath generally makes in the cold. "Have you had a lovely midterm thus far?"\n\n

0 Aaron McKindy, Charms Professor And here I was, doubting your Divinatory talent 0 Aaron McKindy, Charms Professor 0 5

Niobe Yuma

April 13, 2007 11:10 PM

Never doubt that! by Niobe Yuma

Niobe was pleased to find herself looking up at Aaron McKindy. So. She wasn't the only teacher out to try this sledding thing. Sweet! That had two big advantages: first, she had someone to talk to on line; and second, if Amy Fox saw her having a good time and disapproved, McKindy would share her disapproval.

That would be a line of reasoning her students would take. Fah on that.

Anyway, she liked McKindy. He didn't take himself too seriously and she could respect that. In fact, as a Divinations professor, that was sort of her own life goal so McKindy's level of not seriousness was really something to aspire to. Sort of. She would never be as flagrant about it as he generally was.

"Hello there, Niobe!" he said with that maybe in another life you were my kid sister way that he had aout him. Well, that didn't really explain it, she was still trying to work it out. It was friendly, patronizing, and rougishly stylish all at the same time. "Have you had a lovely midterm thus far?"

Niobe hesitated for a second, uncertain whether to bring her magic object issues into it or not. She decided on not, "I am now. This is awesome. I haven't been sledding in years! How about you?" She tried to curb her enthusiasm just a bit, reminding herself that she was an adult now.

An adult talking to another adult who happened to like to wear a large pink bubble hat most of the time (not today, though). Yeah, well, she didn't curb it too much.\n\n

0 Niobe Yuma Never doubt that! 0 Niobe Yuma 0 5