Open Start Of Year Feast!

[Katherine Alicastell]

The Sorting Ceremony drew to a close in an eruption of claps and cheers resounding throughout the Great Hall, as the last remaining first year made their way to their new house table. Katherine joined in on the final applause. The Sorting Hat had done its job well, as always. While not every student may have agreed with their house placement - and indeed some looked shocked or disappointed by the decision - they'd soon learn that they were put into their house for the qualities they possessed, whether they were aware of them yet or not. Their traits weren't always so obvious as first, Katherine herself was at times surprised by where the hat placed some of the students, but as time went on and the children developed, their house attributes became more recognizable. The Headmistress was confident they'd come to understand that.

Removing the patchy enchanted hat and the stool it now sat on, Katherine levitated both to the left of the stage and returned to her place behind the podium, raising her hands to command silence. A hush fell over the hall and Katherine began to move on, her voice magically amplified with a Sonorus Charm. "Thank you, students. Now, before we begin, I'd like to introduce myself, and some of the other staff here. I am your Headmistress, Professor Katherine Alicastell, and beside me -" She gestured toward the staff table behind her, where the other professors were seated. "Is your Deputy Headmaster, Professor Montgomery Pendleton. Your Head of House for Hufflepuff is Professor Kennedy Pratt, for Gryffindor, Professor Cyndi Kingsley, Professor Jonathon Phillips for Ravenclaw and for Slytherin, Professor Kalif Styx." She introduced each of them present as she spoke, ensuring the newly sorted first years knew who to look for if they needed any assistance. After speaking briefly of key points of interest throughout the school, the hospital wing among them, she moved on to conclude the ceremony. "Another reminder to those old and new that the forest is strictly off limits to students, and those found wandering through it without supervision will be punished severely. Another announcement I'd like to make is in regards to the house elves employed here. They are members of school staff, not your personal slaves. Some of you with house elves in the family may think it appropriate to treat them that way. Let me assure you, it is not. Students are welcome to politely request food from the kitchens out of breakfast, lunch and dinner hours. You are not welcome to demand it, nor are you welcome to help yourselves to the school's food supply without express permission from the elves or another member of staff. I hope I've made myself perfectly clear. With that said, I would like to welcome you all again to another fantastic year at Hogwarts. Stay out of trouble, study hard, and enjoy your time here. Now let the feast begin!" At once, the empty tables were filled with various foods - roast meats, potatoes, salads and pies tirelessly prepared by the house elves working in the kitchens below, and Katherine returned to her seat at the center of the staff table.​

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

It had been a long, unpleasant break but being back at work didn't immediately give Professor Kingsley the relief she had expected to. It was probably because the beginning of the year was busy for a Head of House. She'd immediately needed to jump into preparations for her house meeting and then getting to the feast on time. Nodding her head in greeting as the Headmistress introduced her, Cyndi wondered for what had to be the twentieth time about keeping her surname. She had now had the name for longer than she had the surname she had been born with, and she did still want to respect Cameron's desire to keep this all quiet. But the pang of deceit, as it was, hit hard. The woman didn't hear much of the rest of her boss's speech and only nibbled on the delicious food once she had finished. She kept glancing over to her house table, hoping the students were settling in well and looking for her son. He had been avoiding her for days now.