Just before 6 PM on Tuesday, August 7
Outside Spellpunk
Diagon Alley

She’d been to Diagon Alley a hundred times, but never by herself. Noriko let out a sneeze from the lingering effects of the Floo powder as she skittered down the street, clutching at her brand new purse and staring a little wide-eyed at everyone around her.

When her friend Allura had first proposed the idea of meeting up, the soon-to-be-fifth year Slytherin had been excited. Summer was always the time of year when she saw the least of her school friends. Sure, she and Eirene had had their share of sleepovers, and running into everyone when they were all shopping with their families in Diagon Alley to get their school supplies was always exciting — but they didn’t really meet up, not in the same way that older students seemed to. Noriko had been bursting with ideas as soon as she’d gotten Allura’s owl: visiting a book shop together, or going over to Frank’s house for a little party (although that meant dealing with his annoying older brother), or maybe even dressing up and going for high tea at Puddifoot’s in Hogsmeade.

This, though.  This was a little terrifying.

She had never been to Spellpunk before. Surprisingly, all the reasons she could think of to not let her go — she could get in trouble, she might be out late, she could get lost, she could get hurt, maybe she wouldn’t find her friends, there might be drinking — hadn’t seemed to phase her parents at all. They had laughed and just told her to be home by 11. And so Noriko had been left to worry by herself, to fret and fuss over what she was going to wear, and then, when the hour approached, take a handful of Floo powder from the urn on the mantle where her parents kept it and step up trembling to the fireplace to take her very first trip all by herself.

Getting from the Leaky Cauldron into Diagon Alley had gone better than she’d worried it would. No one had tried to kidnap her between the fireplace and the door, no one scary was lurking outside in the alley, and she’d even remembered which brick to tap with her wand on the first try. Scurrying down the cobblestones to her destination had gone okay, too. Noriko had whined and whined until her father had taken her to Diagon last weekend so that she could practice finding Spellpunk without getting lost, and just as he had exasperatedly pointed out to her, it wasn’t really that hard to find her way around when everything was either on one side or the other of the alleyway.

The last big step was finding her friends. Noriko had worried about this part of the trip, too, because there were so many things that could go wrong: she might show up on the wrong night, or they’d all forget that they were supposed to meet up, or they’d forget her and go inside before she got there.

It was with a huge wave of relief that as soon as she began to scan the scattered crowd outside Spellpunk, she spotted someone she knew.

“Oh, thank Merlin,” Noriko gushed, probably a little too loudly. She hurried over, adjusting her hair, checking to make sure she hadn’t lost her purse, nearly trembling as the relief washed over her.  She’d done it!

“Hi!” She beamed at her schoolmate as she slipped up to their side. This was so exciting! They were practically adults, going to a club all by themselves and everything! “Um. Who else is coming?”

"I thought Eirene," Frank Sellaphix replied to Noriko Wakahisa. Frank was not yet fifteen. That is to say, he wasn't even half-way through fourteen. If Noriko had nerves about being out on her own for the first time, Frank's had more to do with criminal prosecution.

He'd gotten taller over the summer and even bought some newer smarter clothes that he thought made him look grown. His blonde hair was effortlessly, meticulously shaggy, and he wore a light fashionable scarf over a blazer. His trainers were a pale blue.

"You look nice," he said to Noriko. Leave it to Frank to almost always end up in a social group of girls-slightly-older-than-he-was. It didn't usually bother him, because girls were usually more mature and less gross, but when their chosen activity had an age restriction, it put him into an ethical conundrum.

"I told my parents I was at Fig's," Frank explained. His older brother was nearly twenty, and lived on his own now. They weren't currently getting along, and Frank didn't feel guilty exploiting him for an alibi. "This is the worst thing I've ever done. Didn't Eirene say she was coming?"

He and his girlfriend hadn't seen much of each other over the summer. Both of them were busy with holidays and internships and working the shop, but they'd exchanged many owls.

Allura had been happily preparing for the evening, the idea of a night out with her friend and several other students was a great idea, especially as she'd found she didn't actually have that many friends, not that she thought she had many, even then she didn't think most were with her due to her, just her Veela charm, but even then, that should leave more then like...one person right?

She'd been excited for the night regardless, her mothers weren't too fussed with her being out, one of them were likely to appear and poke in just to check on her, or ask the bar itself, she didn't like the snooping in on her but she was happy they weren't intrusive on it given it all. It could be worse and a helicopter parent who insists on coming to the party, that would be horrendous.

Quietly she snuck up on the two people she knew, the little blond haired boy Frank, and her friend Noriko.

Suddenly pouncing she wrapped her arms around the front of Noriko as she hugged her from behind, giggling happily at seeing her finally after so long, her eyes closed at first as she gave a fake roar noise.

"Hey Noriko! Hello Frank! How are you two?" She asked gently, she was pretty sure the boy was underage, not that the club would really care and to be honest he looked like he could pass for fifteen, Allura didn't have a problem with it, she was almost sixteen, let alone passing for fifteen. She wouldn't be against vouching for Frank anyway, in the cruel part of her mind she found it amusing to see how he'd react to ladies night at the club.

She pulled away from Noriko and softly twirled on her foot. "How's my dress?" She asked, planting both blue high heeled shoes onto the floor, her legs in tights, while wearing a blue satin dress that went from her shoulders to her knees, to match with her blue eyeliner and lipstick. She knew it was far too much for a casual night out, but how often did a group of students get to go on a night out?

If wizards had the internet, Tim Pepper would have been all over it researching Spellpunk. The Ravenclaw wanted to be prepared, given he’d always been too young. Following in the footsteps of his brother Ambrose, Tim had begun to gain some inches - only in height, rather than in bicep measurement - over his fourth year. He looked to be bucking the trend of his paternal family’s modest height, inheriting that trait from his late mother. It was unlikely he’d be a beanpole, but he’d had to buy longer trousers for school again. (Thankfully this time no vampire bats were involved in the tailor’s shop.)

Tim had quizzed Ambrose about Spellpunk, anxious not to make a social mistake, but the older Pepper had been somewhat vague about it all. Their dad had always been a bit more protective of his older brother, owing to magical accidents, though in reality Tim thought more because he was the brainer of the pair. Ironically, Ambrose had explained that he’d more likely be seen in the likes of Death & Co. or any pubs with colleagues, especially now he was of age, and eighteen next month. He was also an apprentice beast handler, a dangerous job in itself.

“I dunno, wear something cool,” Ambrose had suggested the weekend before. “No, not that, not that either… er…” He’d shown dismay at Tim’s shirt and t-shirt collection. Offered a jacket of his own, only it was too big for Tim’s slender shoulders. “You could charm it?” His brother had suggested, charitably, pulling at the bulges. In the end, Tim had borrowed one of Ambrose’s tighter wizarding rock t-shirts and charmed that, throwing it over jeans and some favourite trainers. He hoped it didn’t revert to normal size at midnight like Cinderella’s dress. He added one of his shirts over it, but undone, just in case.

Before Tim knew it, he was through the queue and his hand sported a coloured stamp. Into a room full of people he recognised from school and beyond, but didn’t necessarily speak too. Also… they were looking him up and down like he’d forgotten to wear trousers, or as that just his teenage anxiety? Focus, Pepper, focus! Akira was relying on him to take notes.

Suddenly he spotted a familiar figure all in blue. Allura was no stranger to glamour. She shimmered. She had boys flirting with her at the best of times at school. Tim got on alright with her, as ravens often did with snakes, but he’d always been conscious she might just consider his friendliness for an attempt to chat her up. But to his relief the other figures she was greeting included a fellow Ravenclaw. It wasn’t a surprise Frank had snuck in there, Figaro had probably helped him…

“Heee-yy!” Tim found himself awkwardly waving one hand as he approached, and then shoved his hand into the pocket of his faded blue jeans. “You all look.. terrific…” he attempted, “sorry, first time here and…” he gave an awkward shrug. “How’s your summer been?”

Any fear of not being able to find her friends vanished in an instant. It was Frank! And then, with a sudden oomph, she was tackled from behind by a person who could only be Allura; her housemate was the only one she knew who jumped into hugging with such enthusiasm.

"I don't know. Did she say she was coming?" she said concernedly to Frank, as she turned to look at Allura's dress as commanded.

Her housemate looked -- ... Noriko blushed, suddenly extremely self-conscious about the simple green dress with puffed sleeves and a high collar that she'd chosen to wear for the night. It wasn't just because of the Veela charm that was a secret between them. Allura always looked so grown up, like she belonged in an adult club like this. She could probably pass for a recent Hogwarts graduate without anyone ever questioning it.

Tim Pepper found them then, too. Noriko flashed a shy smile to welcome her classmate, who for once was without his younger sugary girlfriend. Like Allura, he looked much older than Noriko felt; their Ravenclaw yearmate had clearly grown over the summer, and he was wearing a very cool wrock shirt that made him look at least like a sixth year. At least with Frank here, she didn't have to worry about being the absolute youngest.

"Hi! It's been alright," Noriko replied, taking a step back to widen their small circle so that Tim could join them. It was something of a relief to hear that it was his first time here, too. "How has yours been? Who else do we think is coming?" she asked, biting her lip as she craned her neck to look back at the growing crowd. "Frank, did you talk to Eirene?"

Mairead didn't know why she was here.  She'd overheard some of her former classmates talking about their virgin trip to Spellpunk while enjoying a hard-earned sausage roll in a doorway along Diagon Alley.  For some reason, she had gotten some strange, inexplicable notion to join.  Crash.  Whatever the right term was. 

Like many of her classmates, Mairead had boarded the Hogwarts Express for London at the start of spring break in their fourth year.  At the end of their week of freedom, the promise of a warm bed and a full meal had drawn Mairead back to the front doors of King's Cross station but even they weren't enough to convince her to climb aboard that train.  There she had watched the clock tick to 11:00.  Then, 11:05.  Then, 11:10.  Then, she'd turned and slipped back into the flow of foot traffic and back out onto the streets of London. 

Mairead didn't know if anyone had noticed her absence.  Keeping to the muggle Travellers community at first had made it nearly impossible for anyone to come looking for her - though she doubted they did.  But, while Gringott's would exchange pounds for galleons,  Mairead found the goblins got grumpy when asked to change a small pile of pennies and ten pences into gnuts and sickles.  Busking on both London street corners and in Diagon Alley was a far easier way to get money for both worlds. 

Yet, when she'd overheard the chatter about a pre-school gathering, Mairead had felt an inexplicable impulse to happen upon the club at the same time.  Feeling somewhat self-conscious about her slightly grungy appearance, she grunted as the stamp was pressed to the back of her hand and made her way into club.  And, of course, so far it was only Ravenclaws and Slytherins. 

Maybe this had been a mistake. 

Where was Noriko? Eirene stood in the queue outside, craning her neck to look around the taller, older teenagers. What if Noriko had gotten lost? She should have never let Noriko navigate the floo on her own! They should have met up at her house first, studied a map, and walked here together.

But the queue kept moving, and Eirene was busy dispelling the last bit of floo powder from her dark blue party dress, and then she was frowning at the stamp on her hand, and complaining to the doorman about how it was crooked, and then she hurried inside the club, searching for her friends.

It may have been seconds or minutes, but she spotted them - Noriko safe and sound, Frank, Tim, and Allura. They were all wearing a shade of blue or green in Ravenclaw-Slytherin solidarity.

"I'm here!" Eirene smiled as she sidled up to Frank, happy to overhear her friends wondering where she was - proof that they'd missed her this summer, if the many letters sent back and forth weren't proof enough!

Frank looked really nice. Taller? Tim looked like a combination of cool and like he were worrying about when the next class would start and if he had enough time to get there. Allura looked like Allura - leagues ahead of everyone, and the only unknown in Eirene's friend group. Eirene glanced at Allura a little longer than usual, wishing she had been the one to plan this cool idea to brave Spellpunk as a group.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I was working the late afternoon shift at St. Mungo's."

Though her eyes sparkled with pride, she smiled primly, as if it were no big deal. It was a big deal. After her volunteer shift, she'd gone home and torn apart her closet looking for something to wear to her first club, and when she'd finally settled on an outfit, she'd realized her favorite barrette had gone missing, and she didn't want to adorn her hair with anything dowdy, and then her mother threatened to make her stay home if she was going to snap at her over it, and then her father, always able to overhear her in her worst moment, had shouted from another room that he'd had enough of Eirene's attitude this summer.

So Eirene had left her house sans her barrette and with a trail of stress following her.

Eirene turned her head and saw someone familiar, though she hadn't seen the girl since - when was it - April? Her smile fell in an instant. Mairead ó Fearghail ruined everything, and had even plotted to land Eirene in detention last year.[1] She'd better not ruin Spellpunk.

"What is she doing here?" Eirene only lowered her voice an iota, inclining her head in Mairead's direction. "I heard she dropped out of school."

1.	According to Eirene

Frank jumped to see Eirene arrive. Summer was hard for relationships and he'd missed her - letters weren't the same as basically getting to be roommates with your best friend like it was at school. Going from seeing each other every day to a few days and miles of parchment had been a shock, but now it was nearly over.

"Eirene, you look great!" he said, having to speak loudly over the crowd. Allura hadn't got nearly the same warmth of greeting from Frank; he had found this last term that he really didn't like her all that much.[1] There wasn't anything he could do about her being there through - he was the one out of place and get the group in trouble so he itched his nose and greeted Tim.

"Really productive," Frank answered regarding how his summer went. "Awesome, I mean. My brother comes here all the time."

But something was wrong with Eirene. Frank followed her gaze. "It's Mairead...!" he gasped matching Eirene's volume but not contempt.

"I heard she transferred to America."

1.	27 Jan 2012 - Rattle Rattle! Hiss!

Allura looked over the others here, she rolled her eyes at Frank being here, although at the very least he seemed to have finally grown a little, or she just hadn't seen him for awhile which was also true, while the others were just...seeing them outside of school was weird, honestly seeing people outside of school was odd, like seeing a teacher in normal clothing at the local store, there was something wrong about people having lives outside of school.

Eirene had made it however as the others had been asking, she gave a soft smile at her, she stayed silent but looked between her and Frank, he seemed to have jumped to see her, which was certainly interesting but she didn't really care, that was school stuff and she just wanted to relax.

It was interrupted quickly however by word of one person approaching, her eyes rolled as she heard the reactions from the others, the idea she had gone to America was funny, she didn't think that would work too well for her.

She removed herself and moved back from Noriko as she stretched her arms. "I'll speak to her." She sighed.

Gently she turned and approached the Gryffindor...or ex Gryffindor student anyway, a soft and flirtatious smile on her, remembering how it seemed to make her act during their study period together in Herbology.

"Hey there girl, what are you up to?"

"My hair?" Said Ascella. Playing it cool. Why would anyone notice her hair. Was not like it was changing color. "Oh my hair! Yes. Just something I brewed up." Tossed her hair. "Not like it has taken me all summer or anything to get right." Laughed Selly. That was the truth after all. "What's the recipe? Secret! I will brew you some for two galleons. Send me the money by owl." She sauntered away. Tried to keep a lid on her glee. An older girl had liked her hair! She hoped she would have enough time to brew for her customers with her owl exams coming up this year. What a thought! Was that Tim? Was that Eirene and Frank?

"Who did?" Selly overheard their conversation. Followed Eirene's gaze. Her hair slowly changing color to blue from purple. "Mairead? Maybe she did get expelled after all." Selly shrugged. "Anyone want a drop of this? It makes you want to dance. I brewed it yesterday."

“Hi!” Noriko was the first to greet him, “It’s been alright.” Typical British response! He smiled warmly at her, “How has yours been?”

“Yeah, alright too,” Tim managed before Noriko’s questions continued to the wider group, and he left it at the stock response until proper attention came his way.

“Who else do we think is coming? Frank, did you talk to Eirene?”

“I’m here!” Speak of the witch. “I’m sorry I’m late. I was working the late afternoon shift at St Mungo’s.”

“Oh, I was on earlies,” Tim replied a little too keenly. He was shadowing on Spell Damage after his exchange with Healer Misslethorpe, the Deputy Head Healer. Tim knew that Eirene’s mum was a healer on the Potions and Poisoning floor though, and they’d run into each other while both helping out that summer.

“What is she doing here? I heard she dropped out of school.” All eyes slid in the direction of Mairead ó Fearghail.
“I heard she transferred to America.” Frank added as they all oogled. Allura slipped from the group and approached.

“Who did?” Selly Gamp asked, direct as ever. Tim double took at her hair which was changing colour. “… Maybe she did get expelled after all. Anyone want a drop of this? It makes you want to dance. I brewed it yesterday.”

“Er.. maybe later,” Tim replied, raising a hand, “thanks though. Do you think she’ll have to come back to sit her OWLS?” He asked, naturally more interested in whether Mairead could exist in the world without a set of qualifications.

Eirene's voice carried over the group and Mairead glowered briefly at her as regret for choosing to come here started to settle in.  She still wasn't sure what had motivated her to come.  But, if overhearing the gossip about this get together had made her wonder if she could just slip back into school, perhaps she was finding her answer. 

"Hey there girl, what are you up to?"

Normally, Allura's flirtations would elicit some expression of annoyance but the gratitude Mairead felt at the gesture of inclusion trumped that.  Rather than usual grunt or smart quip Mairead would have normally given, she nodded. 

"Overheard talk in Diagon about this get together and thought I'd, ye know, stop in an' see everyone.  Yet, seems I'm not exclusive enough t' be welcome.  Didn't know y' had to pass Antonopoulos' muster t' be able to show up."  She lifted her own voice, to ensure it had carried at least as much as the Ravenclaw's. 

Then, she turned her attention squarely on Antonopoulos.  "Is that what yer sayin'?  I'm not welcome and should bugger off?"

"You did just leave without saying goodbye." Said Selly. "Or were you really expelled?" She was curious and stepped toward Mairead and Allura. "Nobody believed you were dead obviously." That would be silly. Her hair changed from purple to pink.

All of Noriko's excitement at her big adventure -- she was at Spellpunk! With her friends! By themselves! -- shrank away at the newest spotting of a fellow Hogwarts yearmate. Mairead ó Fearghail didn't really care about doing well in classes or getting house points or following the rules, and Eirene was rightfully still angry that Mairead had gotten her put in detention last year.

Mairead's disappearance after spring break hadn't particularly bothered her, but she, too, had heard the rumors that their Gryffindor classmate had dropped out of school, or run away to America, or gotten sent to Azkaban or maybe gotten bitten by an Inferius banshee and then turned into a banshee. (The last was from the younger Gryffindor student who was always trying to bite people, so Noriko had taken it with a grain of salt.) Having the other witch reappear now when they were all out to have fun seemed like the worst luck.

Fidgeting uncomfortably, she looked to Tim and then to Frank -- the two boys weren't really involved in the rivalry with Mairead and the other fifth year girls as far as she knew, although Frank would obviously be admirably loyal to his girlfriend if given the opportunity to defend her honor.

"Should we...?" she ventured timidly.

But what did someone even do at Spellpunk? Suddenly, Noriko nervously realized that she didn't know.  She'd been so worried about finding everyone that she hadn't really thought ahead to what they would do once they got here.

“Didn't know y'had to pass Antonopoulos' muster t' be able to show up.” Mairead’s voice carried over the music. Tim felt himself inwardly cringing at the conflict, while simultaneously being entirely here for it the drama.

“Is that what yer sayin'?  I'm not welcome and should bugger off?”
“You did just leave without saying goodbye.” Selly put her foot straight into the disagreement. Tim wasn’t sure if she was defending her fellow Ravenclaw or just speaking out of turn. “Or were you really expelled? Nobody believed you were dead obviously.”

Noriko looked to Tim who averted his eyes, like a herd animal keeping the hunter in his periphery, he didn’t look directly at Mairead for fear of also receiving her wrath.

“Should we…?” she ventured timidly.
“I think this is a girl thing…” Tim uttered under his breath. “She’ll get chucked out if she throws a hex though.” Tim rubbed his chin. “Perhaps we should have some of Selly’s potion. Can’t argue when you’re busy dancing?”