"Here at Kingsridge, we hope to have a wonderful year with all of the returning students this year, it was a long vacation, and we know that some of you are ready to find new experiences here."
To Reuben, the speech sounded like a familiar chant with all the upperclassmen seated in the auditorium, he hadn't expected all of them to even give half as much attention to the speech as they did when they first came here, maybe not even then, but perhaps it was nice to be reminded that they all had a purpose here, that the chance they were given to attend this school was something that should have been precious considering the circumstances prior. Reuben only had to look out at the crowd to see a few familiar faces and if he was right, every student that wasn't newly enrolled should have been there. His dark brown eyes followed the crowd before walking from the podium, after which the students were dismissed. For him, the auditorium and the stage had a familiar dint to it, the dint of 22 years gone past. Once he graduated, it took him on a journey across the world. Unlike some of the graduates from his year that went straight into the workforce and tried to survive in a world that disenfranchised their kind, he decided to travel. For that took him to the most dingy Burroughs of some countries, to the most beautiful mountains. For him, it was a time of growing, a fortune passed from him to his family. Yet, for all that traveling, he realized that he was essentially running away from his problems, from an early age, Reuben was ashamed to be a wizard, scared even, he would often masquerade as a human, and hope that he wouldn't be found out. Usually he wasn't, but when he came close to the flames of Civil War in a typically peaceful country, Reuben was reminded that he had to take the initiative to change this for both the Wizarding World and Muggle World.
When he returned to his home country, he found that the things were just a smidgen better than when he left ages ago, but even then people would rather spit, and mock magic as it was, people practicing street tricks getting assaulted, children who had yet to control their own powers growing out of the control of their Muggle superiors, abuses at every level to expose those who dared to practice magic in the general public. Here, Magicians were forced to be 'labeled', at the cost of having everything snatched from them. As far as Reuben could tell, this was a time when potential Wizards and Witches were kept from Magical Schools because of fear. Fear pushed the Muggles to their limits, and our kind pushed back. Reuben came together with the alumni he knew best form the Academy and even some of the very teachers who took the time to teach him all he knew, the point for them was to teach Muggles that there was no harm in Magic. That campaign led him to this very stage, to the survival of Magic, and Kingsridge itself, his actions and that of others secured the students safety here, and while it may not have nearly been as dangerous as it was in the past, he couldn't say the movement smoothed itself out incredibly. He took off down the small sets of stairs on the right, and while it was still the first day, students usually spent that reconciling with old friends, finding their roommates, or even preparing themselves for the first classes of the year.
That was simply how Commencement Day usually worked, and then by the evening, a nice little congratulatory supper for all students, a way to link the new and returning together before their studies started. The Headmaster once off the stage walked in the middle of the aisle, excusing himself and greeting the students who acknowledged his presence, he already received word that his his old colleague was seen drinking around campus, not that he was in a hurry to find him, but he hoped that he wasn't intoxicated, that could truly bring out the worst in the man, but even then Rueben knew he took care of himself. So it wasn't exactly a pressing issue or anything, as he made his way out into the Main Halls of the school, he found himself smack dab in a large expanse of students mingling with one another, others excited at having a new roommate and such, among other things teenagers were usually excited about. Watching the excitement made his journey rather slow, along with students wanting him to stop for conversation. Most notably some of the budding new Journalists from the newly formed Student Council.
"Sir! Mr Grayson sir? Do you plan on implementing any new changes to the Quidditch brooms being used this year, also we had reports of there never being enough paper towels in the girl's bathrooms?? Sir?!" A quill wrote at lighting speed as the students notepad was nearly shoved into his face, he said nothing, but he could tell that the utensil was probably writing about the expression on his face.
Ruben smirked at the comments, and stayed to talk with the students, something about the experience made him wondered if this is what it's like being President, making all the promises you can, while hoping to fulfill most of them.
Balthazar already had Scotch on his tongue, too early for his tastes, but it was always nice to feel a bit more relaxed before things got ahead. Not that he normally drank, not around his students, and definitely not around his superiors, but something had called him to the bottle more than anything else. For a moment he relished in the thought of his younger self, as an Agent, one of the best in the Congress of Magic, or maybe he'd like to think so. Those times having to rally behind people who wanted nothing more than safety from the humans they despised. Honestly, he wouldn't have blamed them, things became so hectic here in comparison to his stay in Europe, at least there before here Wizards had the decency to not care as much as they did. Hell, most Muggles laughed at the thought, and Casper would be right there laughing with them, hoping to ease off of their intoxication as he did his own. His years at the Congress were nothing but hell, nothing like his father used to boast about. Those times were simpler he always had to remind himself, everything he remembered left a taste more bitter than the liquor in his mouth. He raised his slumped arm over the chair he sat in, grimacing at the long scar on his forearm, the way the scar mismatched his skin tone, there were many others like it, but nothing caused more pain then this deep, gnawing injury he sustained from years past..This one gained after being tortured in some kind of muggle prison for Wizards, a place were inane experiments were born so humans could come to 'understand' just what they were.
Reuben would often comfort him by concluding that his past with humans would reasonably lead to unfathomable rage, and sometimes Casper caught himself off guard, hating Muggles and their world from a distance despite how integrated they all were now, but that hate was only kept for those purely human, a lick of Wizarding blood in anybody was for him at the time better than being that. Yet, even then, when the time came for him to support the uprising of Wizards who sought to be off with these weaker individuals, Reuben drug him off from a drunken stupor, literally, and figuratively. The stupor of anger, and the long battle he had with the bottle. After which, he taught him that the anger he harbored would lead to his death, and Casper found many reasons to believe him. Many would say that his colleague Grayson was like the calmest of storms, Casper hadn't a reason not to agree. He was perhaps too sober to be thinking these things, but as soon as he heard the entrance to the Lounge open, he laid his bottle of Scotch on the ground, and the cup slowly, he took maybe a shot before realizing his mistake and how easily he could be lead back if he dwelled on painful things. It was just another staff member, supposedly grasping some books they left before leaving the Lounge area. Casper had to suddenly wonder just where he got the idea to start drinking out of nowhere. Instead of even explaining why he was drinking like he could get away with it, he stood from his chair, dusted his pants and moved for the door, before mumbling a fairly unapologetic sounding,
"Apologies. "
For now, he would find other things to be worried about before the berating he would get at the hands of Rueben for drinking on school grounds, something about 'being a role model' for future students, and how he was "worried about his health' things he normally expected from the overly caring man. Casper just scratched at his scalp and began a bit of walk around school grounds, thankfully that small glass wasn't enough for him to feel any intoxication.
Rylan twisted her neck in mock display as Mr.Grayson finished his little speech, as if she'd just woken up from a nap and hadn't heard the same speech about three or four times before at the beginning of every school year. Cloud who was in her lap was also yawning with her, surprised this time that it wasn't yipping at every little living thing that moved this year, especially since Famillars became so popular at the school a few years ago. She twisted a lock of her hair as she groggily acknowledged that everyone was standing and leaving elsewhere, for here there was no need to rush into the crowds for anything that is until Cloud became far more motivated that she was to start moving, and then barking at the backs of students, and running straight into the crowds. Rylan thought nothing of it as she leaned back into her chair waiting for the canine to return, she even lazily whistled for it. Then she heard the very noticeable yelp of the dog, and a student struggle to free something from it's grasp, with all the students still filing out, she ran towards the scene, where a good number of students were too scared to pry the hyper active dog off the victimized bag. Cloud's teeth was ensnared on the students belonging, and it was long before Rylan got out of her slog and pulled her dog's small body away from the bag.
'Ah-Rr-Really Sorry! "
She struggled to say as her dog started to wrestle with the bag, and the other student was simply scared that their things would be spread across the floor for them to pick up, further embarrassed by the fact that attention had been brought to them that they didn't want. They recognized Rylan too, and from that it was easy to assume that maybe they were a target for some juvenile bullying. They certainly hoped not, the other students concern seemed genuine though. "J-Just leave it alone." with one final tug the girl, and the dog's teeth pulled apart, Rylan caught Cloud in her arms, as the other girl fell over on the floor, her friends helping her up as she looked at Rylan with a rather confused, and panicked look. Rylan never felt more anxious, but she had more people asking if her and her dog was okay, than the other girl, for that she felt sorry, she wasn't supposed to bring Cloud here anyway, but it wasn't as if most people cared about following the rules, especially not her. Even then, she put it in the back of her mind to apologize to that girl later if she ever saw, but she could see that her posse typically paid no mind to the situation, as the student rushed off as quickly as the situation died down. Cloud on the other hand kept licking her arm, the agitation gone from it.
"Goddamnit Cloud, if you keep doing this they'll force you to stay in the kennels, and I know you don't like it there."
Cloud whined slightly, knowing that what she said was a semblance of a threat, the dog knew better, but sometimes even it's own instincts trumped it, she petted it affectionately before putting it down.
" Rylan, you'll probably need a leash for that before it starts biting other people."
Yeah, no shit." she laughed before gathering her own things. "You think they're still serving breakfast right now?
Someone responded with a yeah, before Rylan had her stuff collected and ready. " Well, then I'll be there stuffing my face." she smiled brightly and walked her way out of the auditorium with the waning crowd, making her way to the Cafeteria with a small group of her old friends, reminiscing about past schools years and all. It felt good to be back.
A guitar strum, and a snake dancing next to him probably made Salem look like a peddler of some kind. He hoped the snake was dancing, or maybe it was having some type of seizure, he couldn't tell, although the reptile did tell him that it was enjoying the tune, all the while slithering around in the shade of the several autumn trees around campus. He was no snake charmer, but he could probably make good money if he became one. A worthless thought that passed through him as his snake slithered around. Salem wasn't one to listen to the same speech given to all the students, he liked Mr.Grayson enough but didn't think he could endure hearing him say the same thing he did nearly every year. For that, Salem enjoyed the peace he got from the nature around school grounds, the Autumn trees swayed slightly, and gave way to a beautiful swirl of multi-colored leaves, too bad that Salem was a summer type of guy, before he enrolled here he had no concept of just what snow was so, his first year here came with a few more surprises than he was ready for.
He put his guitar down and let his head rest on the tree for a moment, just appreciated the fact that he had some sun in his face, and not his relatives. It was funny how sour things turned once he was found to be a wizard, in that moment he swiftly became a liability, even his parents found to the time to blame must of their misfortunes on his powers, but what was he to expect from such a community of people? Superstitions played a strong role in his childhood and it still did today, and while most people were accepting of Magic in their society, smaller settlements like where he was from became an echo chamber of unadulterated hatred and supremacy. It was up to him to keep his mouth shut, and his hands off his wand during vacation. He wondered if this is what it was like back then for his teachers, if so, he could most definitely sympathize with them and their struggles. All that inactivity, usually made him rusty with his spells, forgetting basic things, even having spells misfire, but he took it in stride either way, and wasn't going to let old world views bring down a peg or anything, that just wasn't the way Salem was at all. Either way, after this year he was looking forward to adulthood, moving away from that wretched small town, and it's citizens to something far better. Here he would spend his last two years making sure that his degree in magical studies was put to good use, and hopeful that he would pass those frustratingly hard tests.
For him it was all a matter of time, and surely it would come, if he could visualize why shouldn't it happen?
