Session Summary

When last we met

AI-Generated Summmary:

Your first night at Hogwarts began with you exploring the Hufflepuff Common Room and Dormitories, with the password "Helga's Children." Here, you also encountered the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff.
Cassie Weasley attempted to get an autograph from fellow Hufflepuff, Lily Buttercup, for her aunt Brenda "The Bruiser" Buttercup, but Lily refused, and Basil Featherstone sensed there was more to the story. Vi Thorne offered to be a study buddy to Penelope "Penny" Perkins, another Hufflepuff first-year, who was eager to accept. Cassie, with Vi's eventual help, convinced Penny to do homework from Professor Jackdaw Finch (assigned in Session 1), only to find it wasn't required. Penny then expressed a strong desire to become a D.I.A.D.E.M. herself.
While in the Common Room, Basil experienced a vivid vision of a "busy War Room" through the face of a medieval barber surgeon, accompanied by a feeling of urgency for studiousness. He later shared a past vision of his mother's illness coming true, and revealed that his father, Major Rudolph Augustus Featherstone DSO MC (Ret.), was a Muggle-born WWI hero who discovered magic later in life. Basil also sent a letter home to his father via his owl, Selene. His wand, made of Redwood (attracted to those who "fall on their feet"), with a Dragon Heartstring core (for powerful, dynamic magic and ambitious wizards), and a length of 14 inches (haunted by dreams of the future), reflects his nature as a "Dreamer" who receives prophetic visions.
You met your Head of House, Professor Mirabel Garlick, the acting Herbology Professor for eight years. She explained this was due to Septimus Finch (Jackdaw's brother and Agnes Finch's great-uncle) disappearing from the Forbidden Forest while researching potent potions and genetically modifying Star Grass. Cassie was docked 5 House Points by Professor Garlick for rudeness about Jackdaw Finch.
Cassie confidently revealed her rare Elder Wand to Basil and Vi. Both Cassie and Basil then shared their increasingly vivid visions of an impending war, with Cassie specifically seeing barrage balloons over London and planes with swastika tail fins. Cassie possesses innate divination abilities, manifesting as practical insights and chilling flashes of conflict.
You attended early lessons, including Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, and Astronomy. Cassie was disappointed to find the Quidditch arena mothballed and no tryouts scheduled until after the October half-term, as Professor Cirrus Vane was on an "extended summer break".
In Charms class with Professor Elara Bourne, you learned Wingardium Leviosa (Cassie earning 5 Hufflepuff points for teamwork) and Lumos & Nox (Cassie and Vi). Basil, already proficient, received advanced tuition from Professor Bourne, learning Flagrate and receiving an open invitation for further mentorship, even in Jinxes, Hexes, and Curses "when he's a little bit older."
Your first Potions class with Professor Horace Slughorn was particularly impactful. You learned the recipe for Antidote of Common Poisons. While Basil and Cassie brewed flawed versions, Vi impressively produced three standard quality potions from poor ingredients. Slughorn, highly impressed, offered to teach Vi any Extra-curricular Common Potion, providing ingredients and mentorship, and extended an open invitation for her to use the Potions classroom for her own brews. He also hinted at future invitations to his prestigious Slug Club for all three of you after the October half-term.
Finally, Cassie was invited to the Divination Tower by Professor Myrddin Blishwick. There, she began to learn about Tasseomancy and Cleromancy, two branches of divination. Cassie shared her concerns about the upcoming conflict, and Professor Blishwick confirmed he had similar visions. He offered Cassie Diviner's Kit proficiency training and mentorship, even before Divination becomes an elective. A Diviner's Kit is essential for these abilities, with a 33% chance of failure without proficiency.

Session Events

Event:: Cassie Weasley, Vi Thorne & Basil Featherstone arrive at the Hufflepuff Tower and get their first experience of the Hufflepuff Common Room and go to sleep in their new Hufflepuff Dormitories. House password: "Helga's Children"

Event:: Cassie Weasley, Vi Thorne & Basil Featherstone meet Helga Hufflepuff (Portrait). A round of Butterbeers grease the wheels of the first evening before Cassie turns Helga to harder drink with questions about avoiding homework.

Event:: Cassie Weasley approached Lily Buttercup to seek an autograph for Brenda (The Bruiser) Buttercup, Lily's professional Quidditch playing aunt. Lily says she is unable to get such a thing, though Basil Featherstone sensed there may be more to the story than that

Event:: Vi Thorne approaches Penelope (Penny) Perkins and offers to be her study buddy. Penny enthusiastically accepts.

Event:: Cassie Weasley deceives Penelope (Penny) Perkins into completing the first night homework set by Jackdaw Finch. Penelope (Penny) Perkins ultimately ropes her study buddy (Vi Thorne in to helping too, eventually completing the homework and learning that it was not necessary for her)

Event:: Penelope (Penny) Perkins expresses an interest in becoming a DIADEM and undertakes to submit her needless homework anyway

Event:: Basil Featherstone zones out in the Hufflepuff Common Room, during which he experiences a vision of a busy War Room (demanding studiousness and attention to detail in coming days). This vision came via the face vortex of a medieval barber surgeon.

Event:: Cassie Weasley, Vi Thorne & Basil Featherstone meet their Head of House Mirabel Garlick and learn she has been acting Herbology Professor for 8 years since the disappearance of Septimus Finch from the Forbidden Forest whilst gathering supplies

Event:: Cassie Weasley, Vi Thorne & Basil Featherstone learn that Septimus Finch was researching more potent potions and was genetically modifying (amongst other things) Star Grass

Event:: Cassie Weasley docked 5 house points by Mirabel Garlick for being rude about a teacher (Jackdaw Finch)

Event:: Cassie Weasley plucks up the confidence to show her Elder Wand to Basil & Vi. Cassie & Basil each share their visions of the impending war (Cassie seeing barrage balloons over London and swastika-d tail fins on planes)

Event:: Basil Featherstone shares that he once had a vision that his mother would fall ill, which transpired to be true very soon after. Reveled his father as Maj. Rudolph Augustus Featherstone DSO MC (Ret.), a decorated WW1 hero who was born muggle but discovered his innate magic in convalescence in France.

Event:: Vi Thorne & Cassie Weasley (Karima) meet Agnes Finch, a fellow Hufflepuff 1st year who revealed herself as the niece of Jackdaw Finch and the missing Septimus Finch

Event:: Basil Featherstone interacts with Liam Flaherty in the Hufflepuff Dormitory, declining to eat (and instead pocketing) a Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. It was an attractive/ominous shade of caramel.

Event:: Cassie Weasley, Vi Thorne & Basil Featherstone learn - with some kindly steering from Albus Dumbledore - Vera Verto (Vi Thorne being somewhat starstruck by the Frog Card face in person)

Event:: Liam Flaherty warns Basil Featherstone that Peeves the Poltergeist is on the warpath. Peeves seeks the "pukey little first years". The "weedy skeleton boy and the two mean girls with him"

Event:: Cassie Weasley, Vi Thorne & Basil Featherstone attend their early lessons. Defence Against the Dark Arts with Prof. Euphemia Blight, Herbology with Mirabel Garlick, History of Magic with Prof. Cuthbert Binns (Ghost) and a few other more eventful ones

Event:: Cassie Weasley, Vi Thorne & Basil Featherstone attend their first Astronomy lessons with Prof. Satyavati Shah, with the tower offering commanding views across much of Hogwarts Valley. Everything appeared peaceful enough.

Event:: Basil Featherstone writes a letter home to Maj. Rudolph Augustus Featherstone DSO MC (Ret.). Largely just updates on his safe arrival and apparent settling-in. He sends this using Selene (Basil's owl) (who can make the journey to Leamington Spa and back in a a single day)

Event:: Cassie Weasley seeks some familiarity in Quidditch, but instead finds the arena mothballed because Professor Cirrus Vane, a former Bow Hammers U21, has not joined the faculty for the start of term. She has "extended her summer break for personal reasons". There will be no flying lessons or Quidditch tryouts until after the October Half Term.

Event:: Cassie Weasley, Vi Thorne & Basil Featherstone learn Wingardium Leviosa from Prof. Elara Bourne. Cassie demonstrates good Hufflepuff teamwork and earns 5pts for Hufflepuff

Event:: Cassie Weasley & Vi Thorne learn Lumos & Nox in Charms class with Prof. Elara Bourne. They see Basil's' charms prowess for the first time.

Event:: Basil Featherstone learns Flagrate from Prof. Elara Bourne who offered advanced tuition since Basil already knew (and utterly nailed) Lumos & Nox. She extends an open invitation of further Charms mentorship on request. Perhaps even stretching to a few Jinxes, Hexes & Curses "when you're a little bit older"

Event:: Cassie Weasley, Vi Thorne & Basil Featherstone attend their first Potions class with Prof. Horace Slughorn. Each learns the recipe for Antidote of Common Poisons. Over the first few lessons Basil & Cassie manage a couple of flawed versions and Vi impresses Slughorn with 3 standard quality ones, even from poor ingredients.

Event:: Horace Slughorn offers to teach Vi Thorne any Extra-curricular Common Potion as well as providing its ingredients and mentorship

Event:: Horace Slughorn extends an open invitation to Vi Thorne to use the Potions classroom for her own brews. He will carve out a workstation on the outer wall for her and undertake to care for her creations

Event:: Horace Slughorn hints at impending invites for Cassie Weasley, Vi Thorne & Basil Featherstone to his prestigious Slug Club, whose first meeting will be after the October half term

Event:: Cassie Weasley invited to meet Prof. Myrddin Blishwick in the Divination Tower. There she learns the first hints of Tasseomancy & Cleromancy and feels able to unload her concerns about the upcoming conflict on an understanding authority figure. Prof. Blishwick shares that he too has had similar visions.

Event:: Prof. Myrddin Blishwick extends an open invitation to Cassie Weasley of Diviner's Kit proficiency training. And offers to be there for guidance and training even before she has a chance to take Divination as an elective subject from year two.