Opening Speech ((Main Plot))

[Trixie]

Having heard several proclamations, Trixie turned to see what the noise was about. She saw a student jump on the table and could have sworn she heard screams. Trixie was very worried indeed, and craned her neck in order to see what all the fuss was about. She hoped with all her heart that someone hadn't put a frog in her bangers and mash. Why she would box the ears of whatever prankster pulled that cruel joke when the house elves had worked ever so hard.

Suddenly, Trixie felt something very cold and slimly crawl around her legs. She gave an "Ekk!" of distress. Why those rotten, good-for-nothing, terrible people not only must have put a frog in her bangers and mash, but also spilt salamanders all over the fall. She violently began slapping her little handkerchief and shaking her legs, like she was doing the hokey-pokey, trying to get the little monster out. Why when Trixie caught those little monsters, she swore she would stuff them in her casserole and pass them off as smelly trout.

"Can you see where the fog is coming from" Her mistresses voice gonged like a bell of reason in Trixie's head. Almost at once, Trixie realized that there was a cold mist covering the room and it had just about sallower Trixie's entire body. Trixie gave a nod and squeaked to her mistress " Mistress Schwartz does not need to worry. Trixie will find all the little monsters. Mistress Schwartz must take care of the students, yes she should. Trixie will be very quiet and sneaky like a cat and solve this for the Mistress." With that, Trixie shot off like a bang: crawling under people's chairs, around their legs, and bumping into table legs.

When Trixie had come to what she thought was the middle of the Great Hall, she found it very hard to see, and she was completely gobbled up. The dense fog was up over her head, and Trixie then began to hear very strange voices.

[Rafael Ochoa]

Rafael Ochoa clapped for the speech given so eloquently--albeit with a little bit of personality thrown in at the end, there, he thought--by the Headmistress, Miss Adrian Schwartz. He saw her whisper to herself at the end, and then after the feast began one of his new colleagues--Miss Viola Grey, Transfiguration--leaned over to the Headmistress, engaging her in conversation.

Ochoa turned to his plate, and decided to dig in. It had been years since he'd had a feast in Hogwarts, and he was hoping to discover that they were as good as his memory told him they were.

He then saw, out of the corner of his eye, a student leaping from his seat. He immediately looked up, and realized that there was fog leaking into the room from without.

That was unusual.

Still, no one was panicking, though everyone looked fairly confused, so he put his utensils down, turning his eyes to the Headmistress, to see if she was prepared to do something about this.

Ochoa was fairly disappointed when he heard Miss Schwartz' explanation of mood-setting, and saw her and Miss Grey stand and exit the Great Hall, he decided that it was in his best interests to go along after them.

So, he did.

[Viola Grey]

Viola spun around when she felt another presence behind her.

"Rafael!" She gasped, slightly surprised that he had begun to follow them. She was internally greatful that he was following and tried to show it to him through a somewhat comforting smile.

"You don't have any idea what is causing this fog do you?" She asked, pulling back to keep in step with Rafael and trying to keep the nervousness from her voice. It would not be beneficial to let it slip through. She needed to be strong for her Headmistress, show that in the face of potential danger she could be counted on to keep a calm exterior. She pushed a strand of hair from her face as she tried to keep her face impassive and business like.

It was true, this mysterious fog was somewhat of a concern and hopefully it would be solved quickly. Something however was preventing Viola from entirely believing that...

[Rafael Ochoa]

About time someone noticed him following the two women from the Great Hall, he thought. He returned Viola Grey's smile, although his was more confident. He wasn't sure what the fuss was about; it was fog.

"I'm afraid I don't, Professor," he said. He was not immediately comfortable with addressing her by her first name, they had only just recently met.

"Though it certainly doesn't seem to be living up to the standards Professor Schwartz set in regards to the mood, does it?" Ochoa asked, looking to the Headmistress.

Usually, in his experience, fog did set the mood, although it was likely not the mood proper to the Opening Feast. If he was at all correct, fog was usually much more foreboding. He'd never known Hogwarts to be either of those, not at any point during his attendance had he felt such a way.

[Abagail "Abbie" Dreyer]

Adrian walked as Professor Grey gracefully followed slightly behind as the made way to the exit of the great hall. She found herself at the foot of the stair cases right outside the hall but out of reach of preying ears. As she turned around to find Grey and Rafael had followed along. She heard the end of their own discussion and was quite right that people would probably not believe her. Whatever the case she didn't want the whole school in a fuss until she could figure out what was going on.

She wore an expression of complete confusion and wasn't the slightly bit pleased with the situation as she turned to face them. "Hello Professor Ochoa, hope you are liking our first day... though today wouldn't exactly be the best example of what we have to offer I suppose." She tried for a smile and failed miserably. "Oh, what the hell. Do either of you have any idea what is up with the fog? Do you think it's a joke or something more?" She asked using the word 'hell' she was most likely never to use brought a little bit of surprise even to herself but being this unhappy seemed to bring a side of her out that hardly ever showed.

She personally wasn't sure, she supposed it could be a joke and was going to highly punish for whomever it was, outside of the fact that it would be quite the feat for a student to produce that much fog and not be getting caught. She sighed in displeasure. "I'm not quite sure what to think. Viola, can you try to find a spell or a charm to counter the fog? Ochoa can you try to watch over for any pranksters or watch for students entering or coming in... I don't want anyone leaving the hall until this dealt with."

She looked around for Trixie which she thought would be on her way to find her by now with some sort of update. She could see her short being anywhere in the mist of the fog. She gave a deep frown and her eye brows were sure be sealed with serious doubt of the nights happenings. The fog seemed to be lightening up slightly but she was still afraid of any more details trying to embrace themselves into everyone's presents.

[Trixie]

Trixe, who had become increasingly more frightened by the second, covered her very large ears with her delicate hands. Her mind was filled with terrible voices saying just the upmost tragic things. The voice was that of a male's and there was distant malicious laughter in the background. Trixie staggering from the calamity around her, fell to her knees, and quite nearly fainted.

She tried her very hardiest to stumble out from the fog, but it was as if it has enclosed her like a fist and would not let go. Trixie felt as if she was drowning, drowning in these echos and the mist. However, quickly remembering that she could escape this sticky situation, "popped" right next to her mistress. With her hands still over her ears, she began to tell her tale.

"Oh Mistress", she started," It was just about the worst thing Trixie has lived through, it really was. Mistress must get far from here." And she placed her little hands on the back of the Headmistresses knees in order to propel her forward.

[Abagail "Abbie" Dreyer]

Adrian searched through the fog as much with her eyes as she could and still could not find Trixie in the mess. The fog was a lightening up and a line of fear crossed her mind as she felt anxiety building up inside. Where is Trixie She thought too boldly in her mind. But then as soon as she thought her name, she popped in by her side. Oh, thank you. She thought to no one in particular.

Adrian looked down to see Trixie as she exclaimed her tale. She tried to give her a smile to keep her calm. "Trixie, Trixie, it's okay. What did you see?" She asked hoping the creature wasn't too far scared to answer her still. As Trixie gaped on to her knees she took a step forward to balance herself. She squat down to her level and pulled her from her deathly grip. "Trixie, calm down. Everything will be okay." She said in her most calming voice. She patted her on her head and looked into her eyes to get her most attention. "Trixie... what happened, explain what happened." She asked once more.

[Rafael Ochoa]

Ochoa turned his eyes from Professor Grey, and to the Headmistress as she turned, and smiled again--after all, to be hostile was not to endear oneself to others. And Ochoa didn't particularly practice open hostility, he just kept a very cool demeanor, mostly.

"No," he said, noticing her brave attempt at a smile. "I'd say it's quite a good example of Hogwarts; though it's been years since I've been here for a feast, it's just as unusual as I remember it. I'm fairly glad about that."

And he was, as were most people whose nostalgia didn't overshadow reality too violently. In the case of Hogwarts, it was very difficult to imagine something too unusual.

"I would imagine it isn't a joke," Ochoa said, answering Headmistress Schwartz' question. "Merely an unusual case of the weather." As if to illustrate his point, he flicked his arm quickly, his wand suddenly in his hand, and a small burst of air issued from his person, down into the fog. He didn't take note of her use of the Muggle word 'hell', because he was familiar with much more vulgar slang from others.

Watch for students leaving and entering the Great Hall? "Of course I can, Miss Schwartz," he said, and stopped in his tracks, turning and heading back to the door to the Great Hall, wand still in hand.

He didn't see this as being terribly difficult, though he also wasn't terribly worried about the fog itself. After all, it was just mist.

[Viola Grey]

Viola nodded at Adrian and pulled out her wand. She began to whisper various vanishing charms and ways she could remember to transfigure smoke and air. However nothing she seemed to be doing worked. It neither lessened or vanished the fog, it stayed the same.

She saw the little hous elf appear and frowned at the poor thing's frightened behaviour. A cold draught seemeed to creep up her body, it reminded her of something but she couldn't seem to put her finger on it. Glancing around the Great Hall she caught sight of a pearlescent figure hovering above the Gryffindor Table. Nearly Headless Nick seemed to be looking straight at her. Viola gasped and turned to the headmistress and Trixie the house elf.

"Ghosts? Trixie were the voices that you heard coming from ghosts? Or some kind of spirit?" She asked.

It would explain alot, if the mysterious fog was coming from an other-worldy figure it would be impervious to whatever charms she was attempting.

[Abagail "Abbie" Dreyer]

((Just want to let y'all know I haven't forgotten about this thread.. waiting for Trixie (Katie) to return from the holidays and what not to post back before continuing this. ))