Raising Galleons! Good Cause!

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

Stood in the courtyard beneath a big cardboard sign that read, 'RAISING MONEY FOR IPP', Mervyn rattled his galleon collection tin, hoping to attract a few passers-by and persuade them to donate to his and Leda's frankly excellent cause. "Just a few knuts or a sickle will do, me good sir!" he said, shaking the tin in the direction of an older pupil. "Every little 'elps! It's for a very good cause, I guarantee that. Oi - you, there! Got any change in them pockets for the IPP? Go on, I know you 'as."

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda quite frankly thought that most ideas Mervyn had were excellent, but this one was particularly special and held a space dearly in her heart. As she stood with her best friend, small cauldron attached to her arm, she caught up with Mervyn under the sign, a little out of breath as she'd been chasing a first year into the castle, determined to try and scrounge something from him. "We need to do something. Something exciting. Get their attention." she said quickly to her friend between breaths, rattling her cauldron that had only a few coins in it under the nose of anyone passing by.
​

 

[Diana Hollis]

Diana liked being back at Hogwarts. The house seemed small now after being at the big school, and she liked the fact that she could avoid her sisters here. She liked being seen as her own person, and liked not being in the shadow of Phoebe and Rose all the time. At school she was starting to make her own mark, and she was enjoying herself greatly.

Her walk was confident and purposeful as she crossed the courtyard, as she was on her way to the Great Hall, hoping to catch Domi there so they could eat together. But she was soon distracted by an annoying rattling noise, and looked up to see a boy and a girl standing underneath a sign. Curious as usual, she approached, though she was already judging them both. It was hardly classy to ask for money like this, and Diana was certain this 'IPP' thing was something they made up just so they could get some coins. "What are you doing?" She asked them, looking between them with a raised eyebrow. "What is IPP supposed to be anyway?"

 

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

Mervyn was proud of Leda's enthusiasm, though his own was starting to wane. It was looking as if they were never going to get a bite when suddenly a girl approached. "That is a good question!" said the Gryffindor, giving his tin another shake. "The IPP is 'ere to 'elp make the school a better place by ensurin' we are taught top quali'y lessons. All proceeds raised will go straight to Professor Alicastell - and you can go and see 'er afters an' ask, if you don't believe us." Admittedly, the Headmistress didn't know about any of this yet, but Mervyn had no doubt she'd be thrilled when they told her. He turned to his associate. "Anyfin' to add to that, Leda?"

 

[Anabelle Williams]

Anabelle had enjoyed her break back home. Though she felt like she was constantly under scrutiny, there was nothing like sleeping in your own room, in your own bed, without four other girls around you. She didn't have to fight anyone for the bathroom, and she was able to visit her sisters. Being back at school meant she could relax a bit more, but she still got up earlier than the other girls so she could get ready first.
The Slytherin girl thought that maybe the Courtyard was a good place to read the latest fashion magazine. She had her sketch book with her, so she could jot down ideas and inspiration to try later. However, she was finding it hard with two little twerps yelling and jangling coins. Anabelle tried her best to ignore them, but she heard someone ask what IPP was, which was a very good question. The blonde looked up when the boy said that their money would go to the Headmistress. "And why would she need our money?" Anabelle asked, rolling her eyes, before folding her magazine and setting it aside, slowly getting up and walking towards the ruckus. "And why should we believe you?"

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda barely had any any time to tell Mervyn about her greatest idea before they were approached by a student, finally. She nodded her head excitedly as the Gryffindor explained their cause, "We're a community. It's time we started acting like one. You have to look out for everyone you know." She added, jingling the cauldron under her nose. Leda only spoke to people when she had to, and despite thinking she recognised the girl in front of her she had idea who she actually was. As a second student, and older student, who hopefully had more money than sense, joined their gathering, Ledas smile widened even more. "It's not a need, it's to help. Like my good friend here said, if you don't believe us you can speak to her yourself" Although she really hoped no one would just yet, "All donations go towards making lives better. We're just the middle men. If you want to do something worthwhile with your time then you have to do this. It's too important to just ignore it," she stressed, her Arizonian accent flaring as she glanced between the girls.
​

 

[Diana Hollis]

Diana scoffed at the boy's explanation, rolling her eyes. "That's ridiculous. I bet you're lying." She accused, pointing a finger at him and then glaring at the redheaded girl too. An older Slytherin seemed to take the same side, and Diana felt more confident. "It's not our job to give the school money, and it's definitely not your job to collect it." She said haughtily. "I bet if we speak to the headmistress she won't even know what you're talking about." She grinned, clearly gleeful at the prospect. "And you'll be in so much trouble."

 

[Sophie Wilson]

Sophie was crossing the courtyard when she heard a commotion. Though she usually avoided crowds, this confrontation was interesting to her. She approached silently, listening to the back and forth between the boy and girl that were trying to get money from two Slytherin girls. There was probably a story here. Sophie stuffed her hands in her pockets, making sure not to look too interested. it seemed obvious that the two were full of crap, and it was only a matter of time before a teacher came to stop this. But by then maybe some gullible firsties had already parted with their galleons. Sophie took a sickle out of her pocket, as if considering a donation. "If you're claiminig to make the school a better place with this money, do you mean to say you're not happy with the way the school is currently run?" She asked, addressing the boy with an even stare. "Why is that?"She hoped they were more likely to give answers if they thought they might get a coin out of it, though she kept a tight hold on her sickle just in case.

 

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

Mervyn was starting to get worried. A crowd was gathering, but rather than giving the duo money, they didn't seem to believe their cause was legitimate at all. He nodded along with Leda, grateful for his friend's assurance that everything was above board, but nervous about one girl's threat to go and speak to the Headmistress. "Well - she's at a meetin' at the moment, innit?" he lied, acting casual. "Anyway, we ain't gettin' told off for 'elpin the community. If anyfin, I fink we should get some sort of award, right Leeds?" Mervyn got the feeling he was digging them a deeper hole. Fortunately, another girl arrived at just that moment, giving him the opportunity to talk about his passion again. He held out his tin, encouraging her to donate the sickle as he spoke. "Nah, nah, we's not saying we isn't happy. But there's always room for improvement, don't ya fink? Adults are always tellin' us you can do somefin' more or learn somefin' else, so why shouldn't our professors 'ave to an' all? The IPP - the Improving Professors Programme - will pay for our professors to go on trainin' courses so they can teach us the very best classes possible." The young Gryffindor was oblivious to the implications behind their charity, and by this point couldn't understand why more people weren't donating.

 

[Isaac Kain]

Isaac's holiday had gone no better and no worse than expected. The only perk he could have considered was that for the first time he felt as though he had something worthwhile mentioning to his elder sister, someone whom he looked up to when it came to breaking away from the ideas of their parents. When he was headed across the Courtyard during his first week back however, he spotted a small gathering of students underneath a large sign. The third year was about to pass it by until he spotted Sophie, and taking a detour he wandered up to her side, listening as she began to ask the students questions about the school. He turned a way a little and rolled his eyes, knowing that this was probably just another failed attempt at getting change in the castle. He really had no desire to get involved at all, although he was curious to hear what other types of classes the boy thought he could persuade them to do. "Why do you think anyone has any money on them? Not like you can buy anything now we're back here," he called out with a smirk.
​

 

[Anabelle Williams]

Anabelle's eyes narrowed somewhat when the boy stated that the Headmistress was in a meeting, so they couldn't go and ask her. Another boy joined the group, asking who would have money on them, and Analei nodded, agreeing. She didn't take her coins around with her while she was at school, there was no point. She supposed if someone really believed in the cause, they'd go and get their money and bring it back, but she had a feeling the two younger students were fighting a losing battle. "And besides, who's to say you're actually going to give the money to the Professors? Maybe you're just trying to get them for yourself?" She suggested. Though Ana wasn't usually mean to people, she did stand up for what she believed was right, and the two scamming people, was not right. "Wouldn't we have heard about it from our Heads of Houses?"

 

[Diana Hollis]

The older Slytherin girl at her side seemed to agree with Diana's stance, which made her feel powerful. The girl was even older than Rose, probably. "Right!" She said, nodding vehemently in her agreement. "I BET they're just keeping it!" She scoffed, rolling her eyes when she noticed one girl was actually holding a sickle. She must be stupid if she considered giving these strange students her money. "We should tell on them, don't you think?" She glanced up at the older girl, wondering what she would think of that plan. It was too bad the girl wasn't a prefect, the other two students would probably be in a lot of trouble if she was.

 

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

Of course, there were bound to be sceptics. Mervyn rolled his eyes, wishing somebody would give them the benefit of the doubt for once. Was it so hard to do something nice for the school community? "Now, why would we do somefin' like that?" he asked the crowd. "We're tryin'oo 'elp the school, 'ere; if you goes and tells on us, it'll be you who loses out! Nah, nah - our 'eads of 'ouses don't know about it. It's meant to be a surprise! You lot ain't 'alf suspicious of us. What did we ever do to you?"

 

[Sophie Wilson]

Sophie was glad the guy actually seemed to talk to her more when he saw the sickle, but she still kept a tight hold of it. There was no way it was actually going into that tin unless she could get a really good story out of it. "Really? So you already have training courses picked out?" She asked earnestly. "I wonder if the professors appreciate this. I mean, I get that it's for a good cause, but they might feel like you're saying they're not doing the best they can." She said, a slight frown on her face. "What would you say to those professors?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Isaac arrive and she smiled at him. His question made sense, but she shrugged. "Some may have leftover money from the holidays just burning in their pockets for an occasion like this." She said innocently, wiggling the sickle slightly. A part of her wanted to casually flip it in her hand, but there was a good chance she would drop it. Something told her she would never see it again if she dropped it in front of this kid. She tore her eyes away from her boyfriend to focus on the scene in front of her again. The Gryffindor seemed really offended by how suspicious the Slytherin girls were being. "So it's a surprise?" She asked, latching onto the new information. "But the Headmistress does know about it, at least, that's what you claimed before. So how much of a surprise is it really?"

 

[Katherine Alicastell]

The Headmistress had merely been on her way back to her office when she passed by the entrance to the courtyard, noticing immediately the small congregation of students beneath a cardboard sign. Her curiosity piqued, the woman detoured, approaching the youths and catching on to the tail end of whatever conversation it was that they were having. "And what is it exactly that I know about?" A surprise of some sorts, from what little information she'd learned, but as far as she knew, there were no surprises happening anytime soon - at least, none the students would know about.
​

 

[Leda Layton]

What had started out as a simple good deed was quickly piling up against them, but that didn't stop the chirpy Slytherin from doing her best at crowd control. "Look, either you give us money or you can leave. All we're trying to do is give the Professors a little helping hand. Obviously we're not the ones who decide what happens with the money. Courses or treatment, who knows. The point is it's going towards making your lives better." Leda stated, confident in her approach. Or she was until she heard the voice of the Headmistress. She turned her head to the old woman, a pleasant smile on her face despite the fact her heart had begun racing a little faster due to the fact she knew that praise was inevitable. Improvisation was one of Leda's favourite things to do, and while it may not have been a perfectly true fact that Professor Alicastell had known of their plans ahead of time, the red head believed she had what it took to convince them all. "You know how hard the Professors work." she started, her smile never leaving her face. "We just thought it would be a good idea to give back." Perhaps now that she was here, people were more than likely to hand over their spare change, no doubt in her mind that they'd be supported in their endeavours.
​

 

[Sophie Wilson]

Sophie couldn't fight a delighted smile as Professor Alicastell showed up as if on cue. She turned to the older woman, though she let the redheaded girl talk first. There was no doubt in her mind that the professor would see straight through the girl's fake charm. But just in case, she decided to steer the conversation a little. If there was no conflict, there was no interesting story. "Professor, these two claim to be gathering money on your behalf." Sophie said, gesturing to the collection tin the Gryffindor boy was holding. "They also claimed, at least up until a few seconds ago, that you knew about it." She paused pointedly. "Is any of that true?"

 

[Katherine Alicastell]

Katherine listened to the redheaded girl explain, though it did little to enlighten her on what it was supposed to be that she apparently knew about, since this was all news to her. Her question hadn't been answered, but another student spoke up to lay out their claims, and the Headmistress frowned. "No, this is certainly not true at all." She stated, turning to the students under the cardboard sign. Her eyes trailed to the bucket which, thankfully, appeared to be far from full. "It sounds to me as if this may well be a con. Care to explain further, Miss Layton, Mr Strangeways? And what, pray tell, is this meant to stand for?" The woman gestured towards the I.P.P sign, looking pointedly at the two running it.
​

 

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

This Ravenclaw was getting the wrong end of the stick. "Nah! I said the 'eadmistress knows, not the 'eads of 'ass. Are you even listenin', or what?" At that exact moment, to Mervyn's horror, the Headmistress herself arrived. "All righ', Professor?" he asked, shifting from foot to foot in an attempt to look casual. "Back from your meetin' already!" The situation was going downhill, fast. It was so unfair! All Mervyn and Leda had wanted to do was give back to the school community. Why did everybody have such a problem with that? He groaned inwardly as the Ravenclaw grassed them up. Well, none of their donation money would be going to her professors! When the Headmistress asked what IPP stood for, Mervyn perked up again, sensing his opportunity to get her on board. "It's the Improvin' Professors Programme - we're 'elpin' raise money to send our professors on teacher trainin' courses. You always says there's somefin' more we can learn; now you can keep on learnin' as well! 'Ow about that, Professor? Good idea, innit?"

 

[Leda Layton]

"We never said she knew," Leda added, glaring over Mervyn's shoulder at the brunette who seemed intent on causing them the most grief. All this because they wanted to do something good. As Mervyn proceeded to tell the Headmistress what exactly they were doing, she couldn't help but let a small smile slip as he opened up about the meaning of their acronym for the first time, "Right. Like Professor Pendleton could take a course on how to dress properly. Or you. You could take a course on Charisma," she looked up at the Headmistress with a genuine smile, hoping that she would be able to see where they were coming from, and perhaps even get them off the ground with a donation.
​

 

[Katherine Alicastell]

Katherines lips were a firm line. Children came up with the most ludicrous ideas, yet sometimes they surprised even her with how misguided their intentions were. She never thought she'd be lectured on charisma by a thirteen-year-old, who no doubt barely understood the very concept of the word itself. It was concerning how it almost seemed as if they genuinely believed themselves to be doing the right thing, despite the lies and insults. She may have forgiven it in younger children, but these were teens. It was time for them to grow up. "I see. An interesting idea. Unfortunately, I'd have to disagree. My staff don't need training courses - they've been trained. Taking money from fellow students under false pretenses shows that the two of you still have a lot left to learn yourselves, before you can have an opinion about educating others." The Headmistress turned her attention to the Slytherin girl, whose justification was far more absurd than her Gryffindor friend. "I fail to see how the way a professor dresses impacts his way to do his job. I believe you, Miss Layton, would do well to take a course about respect. Professor Styx can help you with that. Head over to his office. Now. And you, Mr Strangeways. Find Professor Kingsley and inform her of what the two of you have been doing. I'll let both Heads of Houses know to expect you. Perhaps you will both think twice before pretending to run a staff-endorsed fundraiser, whatever your reasoning may be. Afterwards, you can personally return any galleons you received. Understood?"
​

 

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

Even Mervyn knew Leda had gone too far with the charisma comment. He nudged her hard in the ribs, but it was too late. Trying not to let his head hang in shame, but unable quite to meet Professor Alicastell's gaze, Mervyn zoned out, most of the lecture flying straight over his head. Oh, no. He had to tell Professor Kingsley about this? Well... maybe she wouldn't mind - maybe she'd see it his way! Fat chance. Professor Alicastell was bound to paint him in the most negative light possible, thanks to Leda. "That is well unfair," he mumbled, but he didn't argue as he took himself off to find his Head of House. The best he could hope for was to find her before the Headmistress did, so that he could get his side of the story in first.