Nicholas looked on the large banner he'd put up in the common room.  A very large semi-animated picture of  arses with PA OL OR OS SI IS AN AR SE in bright pink spelled across them.[1]  He'd been lucky with the camera at the duel.  He didn't often take pictures, but he'd bought a new magical camera over the holiday and had been trying it out.

Sadly, the original picture had also had the professors going after said arses, which was hilarious in its own right, but something happened with the enlarging spell that cut it short.  But it still had the best bits.  Which were now blown up for all of Gryffindor to see.  He hadn't stayed for the whole duel that morning, just long enough to tell that the Slytherin girl was going to hold her own against his housemate despite the age difference.  He'd had other things to do, like practice for Charms, and Defense, and to create a banner to celebrate the dueling tournament's beginning.

Pulling out his wand, Nicholas modified the colors a bit to make the pink stand out even more.  He checked the time, everyone should be coming back from dinner now.  He wished he knew a way to make confetti rain down on the common room every time someone walked in, or at the very least when their exalted dueling club president walked in.  The best he could was conjure some confetti now though and have the room already covered.  It lost something already on the ground. With a wave of his wand he shot confetti into the air with a bang and watched it settle in the room.  Next time, though, he'd know the right spell.

1.	Smoke on the Water

All sorted from 'aving stuffed his kite at dinner, Phillip was about to go retrieve his little potions box and go about making a good sickle or two 'round the school. But it was upon entering the common room that he was violently winged about the kitter with a handful of... confetti? "What the bloody hell" he sputtered with a scowl, fingers going to his tongue to wave away the tiny bits off it.

When the confetti was gone, but not the taste -blargh-, he went sken-eyed at all the pink and huge ass banner hanging about the room. It took a bit o' deaking like a complete barmpot, but when he finally got it he snorted and jokingly slow clapped. That knapper was a complete arse and then some. "Not tha' I don' agree, the minger is a mighty tapper indeed, and I'll have to tip me hat to your... redecoratin' skills. Bu' wha's with all this, Bevans?" he asked with a very amused yet confused expression. Get it? Amused? Confused? Phillip snorted at his own pure way with words.

Phillip was usually the last one in the castle to hear about... well anything that had anything to do with actual academical pursuits. And the scowler thought dueling was a funny thing. Why use your wand when you could use your body? A punch was so much more satisfying than a silly spell.

Nicholas laughed at Phillip’s reaction.  Random celebrations and banners and all manner of other things weren’t unheard of in the Gryffindor common room.  Any excuse really was all that was needed.  Which was basically the reason for all of Nicholas’s efforts.  “Because Kinsey, we need to celebrate our dueling president kicking off the dueling tournament with such a bang.”  He managed to keep a straight face while he said it.  He generally liked his fellow housemates.  Though at times, some of them could get on his nerves.

And while he generally didn’t go out of his way to cause drama in the common room.  Sometimes an opportunity can’t be missed.  “I forgot to get butterbeer and snacks.  I already ate everything I brought back from break.”  It’d been two weeks, and sometimes Nicholas missed breakfast, and charm choc’s and sugared butterfly wings made for a good breakfast while trying not to be late for defense against the dark arts or transfiguration.  He should have made a run to the kitchens.  Too late now.  “Got anything?”

Camelia had enjoyed a relatively peaceful dinner, having chosen to in fact eat with the Ravenclaws and ignore several of her rowdy House mates. It was a good thing she'd been able to have a quiet meal, because it was clear from the moment she entered the common room that it was not going to be nice and quiet here. "Oh, for the love of Merlin," Camelia declared, looking around at the confetti covered room and the two boys in front of her.

"Nicholas, not again," she groused, glaring daggers at her fellow sixth year. "Is there any particular reason this time for you deciding to turn our common room into a wreck of a party?" she asked, carefully stepping around piles of the fallen little shreds of paper. Her eyes found the banner and she swore, shaking her head. "How did you ever survive past your third year here?" she demanded.

Phillip eyebrows drew at the top of his kite, almsot intent on climbing into his hair and making a life for themselves up there at hearing Bevans' words. A bang? Was he a complete knapper? Off his trolleys? The only bang that flapper would ever manage, was if someone lamped him dead.

"I dunno if ye skennin like a whelk, bu' tha' jsut don'make no sense to me" he said, still confused and tilting hsi head to the side kind of like a puzzled dog. But talk of snacks and booze soon had Kisney forgetting what they eere even talking about. "Do I got any..." he huffed with a smirk and jutted his chin forward lookin' all of a sudden quite smug.  "Well, I'll be jiggered, thinkin' bout goin' on the lash, Bevins, mate?" he wagged his eyebrows and grinned toothily.

"Yeah, I got some" he smirked, pleased at himself. "Got meself quite a lot actually. There's a case of butterbeer, and some bottles of Firewhiskey, but I also have some left from me party. A case of Stella, some vodka, tequila, brandy, the one bottle of Jager,  some sort'a sweet liquors for the ladies and some disgusting Strongbow. There's even a bottl'o champagne" he blinked, realizing maybe it was time to get rid of some of his stash. "But food... All I've left are some Taytos, Wotsits and, err, Hula Hoops" he smiled apologetically. "Ye can 'ave the snacks, but the booze—" he inhaled, scratching his head absently. "Wha's in it for me?"

"Aw, Lyons, don't be a flappy, mate" he grinned and winked at 'er.

Nicholas twirled his wand in his hand,  "Trip jinxes.  Handy little buggers.  You don't like the decorations?"  he grinned as he moved to get  a better look at the banner.  "I thought they highlighted what an excellent tournament start we had today."  He waved his wand and a handful of confetti launched itself at Camelia.  "And besides its not a wreck of a party yet...we haven't had a party yet."

"What do you mean, what's in it for you?"  Nicholas said incredulous.  It was Kinsey, so it wasn't really a surprise but all the same.  Party in the common room was practically an official Gryffindor past time, despite Camelia's apparent misgivings.  "Beyond having fun with your housemates, you mean?   How about the look on Rossi's face when he sees his name on their arses again."

Savoring one last glorious pastie from dinner, the pint-sized second year crawled through the portal, glanced at the upper years diligently strewing decorations around the common room and plopped herself down on one of the couches.  Promptly kicking her legs up on the couch cushions, she devoured the rest of the sweet then turned to watch the boys in their work. 

So, tournament was the current convenient excuse for a shindig.  Not that they really ever needed one, but it was a good excuse.  The tournament had been exciting and Mairead was eager to see a victorious Hogwarts send the other schools packing.  Then they could get on to the quidditch cup. 

"D'you want me to just go get it?" Mairead asked, pushing herself to her feet and nodding in Kinsey's direction.  The young second year had learned early on that the magic that kept boys out of the girls' dorms was not equal opportunity.  Apparently, most girls were considered more trustworthy then boys.  "Probably could find more fun contributions to borrow.

"Arr, shite" he relented looking between Bevans and the wee Fearghail. "Fine ye can have some of it. But I expect the lot of ye will be owing me a favor, aye?"  he lowered his eyebrows seriously and smirked minutely. Oh there'll be something brewing on the Kinsey front soon 'nuff. It was his last year at Hogwarts after all... Had to go  out with a bang.

"Oi, ye better not" he warned looking at the frightful little lass with a wince. "Last I wa' there, some minger was whipping his willy about skriking some'it about the Queen. Ye dun want that in yer mind, Fearghil. Trust me" he swallowed thickly, trauma behind his eyes. "Unless ye do, but not quite yet, is it" he chuckled winking at her, grin growing bigger as his eyes move to Bevans.

"Well then, I'll be on me way and back soon with provisions. Somebody please immortalize the moment the scowler walks in on this" he grinned shit-eatingly and turned on his heels to go ravage his stash.