The Hogsmeade Harvest Festival

[Ricky Vanderhyde]

Ah Hogsmeade…a proud little village and the very village where Ricky had set up shop himself. And his shop had done well. So as the air around them got cooler…and as Halloween came and passed them by…Ricky began to communicate with his fellow shop owners.

This year…they’d give back to the very community that funded them by hosting a harvest festival.

Everyone seemed excited and the air around him buzzed with activity. Ricky couldn’t help but grin. There were stalls set up along the walkways. Shop owners and residents alike had set up displays to sell their crafted goods.

On the outskirts of the left of the town, there was a corn maze. And to the right of the town, an enchanted cart to serve as a scenic hay ride around the outskirts of the village as a whole.

There were stands to buy food…dear old Rosmerta had set up a stand for butterbeer, cider, and cocoa.

All in all…everything seemed perfect.

So Ricky smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets before wandering about to explore the stalls.

[Rory Calderhead]

Hogsmeade village had put together a little festival and the whole school was buzzing about it. Rory was excited for something to break up the monotonous routine he settled into this year. Getting back on the pitch was pretty amazing, of course, but the rest of Hogwarts had gotten kind of boring. At least now he had something to look forward to. Rory got himself dressed that morning in something warm and followed his friends down to the Great Hall for breakfast. The great room was filled with excited chatter, the students of all houses pumping up for the festival. He could hardly contain himself, either, leg bouncing underneath the table. His eyes flicked over to the Hufflepuff table where they landed on a pretty brunette laughing with her friend. Last year he first took notice of Lydia Bradley and he had to say she intrigued him. She was fun, kind-hearted but feisty, too. Rory smiled to himself before digging into his plate.

Rory leaned back with a satisfied sigh, patting his full belly. “Ah, that was good,” he told his friends before pushing off the table and standing. “I’m gonna get a headstart on that corn maze. See you guys later.” The lion saluted them, glancing down at the table where his little brother sat with his own friends. Rory smiled and waved to him then turned and headed out of the Great Hall and straight toward Hogsmeade.

The November air was crisp and cool, wind nipping at him as he walked down the path leading to the village. Rory pulled his jacket closer to him, squinting ahead. He could make out a variety of stalls lining the streets, all sorts of goodies on display. He put his hand in his pocket, feeling around for the small bag of coins, a slow smile tugging at his lips. He didn’t plan on leaving empty-handed.

After grabbing an apple cider from Madam Rosmerta, Rory ambled around the streets, stopping every now and then to check out what the shops had. He got some candy from Honeydukes, a Fanged Frisbee from Zonko’s, and a miniature model of the World Cup for Alfie. There was just so much to look at! He munched on some jellybeans as he walked, not paying attention to anyone around him.

OPEN

[Willie Vanderhyde]

Their first outing as a family. And how fitting that it was to a cute little harvest festival in Hogsmeade? Changing into a cute and casual outfit, Willie proceeded to strap Duri to her chest, letting Erin take Hana.

Once they were all ready, the little family left the house and popped into Hogsmeade. And everything was so cute and aesthetic and fall. Slipping her hand into Erin’s and using her other hand to gently rub Duri’s back, Willie let her eyes wander.

There was so much. She stopped by a small stand selling hand jarred preserves and she smiled. They looked so perfect. Purchasing a few different flavors, Willie paid the lady and slipped the jars into her bag before looking to Erin with a smile.

”What would you like to do, darling?”

[Lydia Bradley]

Lydia couldn’t be more excited for the Harvest Festival. It was all she could talk about lately. She was sure Cy was sick of hearing about it, but she couldn’t help it! There was NOTHING going on this year. No parties, no balls, nada. Liddie was going out of her mind with boredom. She loved Ophelia, but she didn’t think she could take another tour through the forest collecting mushrooms. “Oh!” she exclaimed, suddenly remembering something. “Did I tell you Ryder made the team?” She and Cy were eating breakfast together before they ventured to Hogsmeade. “Honestly, I didn’t think he was going to go through with it. It’s not like he wants to play professionally like -” she almost said Noah’s name, but stopped herself, glancing up at her friend to see if she noticed. Since her father arranged Noah to marry Avery Darling, she’s been avoiding talking about her older brother around Ophelia. Her best mate’s heart had been broken when he told her and it took a long time for Lydia to pick up the pieces. The last thing she wanted to do was remind her of it. “Anyways, he probably just did it to please Dad.” she concluded with an eye roll. The witch was not a fan of her control freak father. Neither were her brothers, but that was old news. Lydia continued to chat her friend’s ear off as they ate, as per usual.

When they were stuffed, Liza grinned at Ophelia. “Ready?” Of course she was. The brunette stood from the table and walked arm in arm with her best mate to Hogsmeade. “I’m thinking we should do the hayride first,” she said for probably the fiftieth time that week. They were getting closer to the village and Lydia could see the stalls in the distance. Excitement filled her small body. She couldn’t contain it anymore so she broke out in a skip. “Come on! There’s no one on the hayride!”

Ophelia Kenny
outfit

[Matteo Cappello]

When Matteo married Poppy, he didn’t think life could get any better than that. But he was happily mistaken. Once they both graduated and were free to chase their dreams, life just kept getting better and better. Matty secured a job as a Magizoologist where he got to work with magical creatures forty hours a week. He brought in a stable income as Poppy got her shop started and before long they were both making enough money to be perfectly comfortable. Oftentimes Matty would arrive home before Poppy had closed up and he’d cook dinner for the two of them. They’d eat and sit by the fire or take a walk down the beach before going to bed together. Life was so good.

The only downside was that they were so busy with work and each other that they hadn’t gotten the chance to get out of the house lately. Luckily for them both, Hogsmeade was hosting a festival. Matty took the dogs out early that morning, letting them run around in the yard while he drank his coffee. He watched them play with the nifflers for a while before calling them back inside. Poppy was still sleeping, or so he thought, so he started making breakfast for them. Nothing fancy, just some eggs and bacon with toast. He poured a cup of coffee for his wife and made it the way she liked it. Matteo sat her plate and coffee down at the table just as he heard the creaking of the staircase. “Morning,” he greeted her with a warm smile, coming forward to kiss her softly on the lips. “I made you breakfast.” He took his seat next to her and started digging in.

Matty cleaned up the kitchen while Poppy got ready. Rocco and Luna got the leftover scraps, which they were thrilled about. When the light of his life returned, he took a moment to bask in her beauty. “You look amazing,” he breathed, reaching forward to wrap his arm around her. “Ready to go?” When she confirmed she was, he turned on the spot, Apparating them both to Hogsmeade. He was surprised how much warmer it was without the sea breeze, but still he was glad for his sweatshirt. Matteo led Poppy to a nearby stall, bags of seeds on display. “See anything you like?”

Poppy Thomas-Cappello
outfit

[Poppy Thomas-Cappello]

Graduation hadn't come soon enough. It was hard being married and being in different houses, only able to see Matteo when neither of them had class. Thankfully she was able to spend time with Ari, and on off nights, Jazzy and Pais. But she knew what she wanted to do post-Hogwarts and couldn't wait to get started.

The summer was busy - Matteo got a job as a magizoologist and she was so proud of him, thankful he was willing to work so hard while she got her shop up and running. Her first customer, Annika Hart, had been thanks to Finn Harrison, one of her classmates who came to her frequently for fresh potion ingredients outside of class. But once she got it up and running, things were perfect. She lived for those quiet nights with Matty, their pups playing happily at their feet.

The seasons changed quickly, and when Matty brought up the harvest festival, she was quick to agree. Autumn had always been her favorite season. Heading down the stairs after Matty had already been up and cooking breakfast, she greeted him as per usual and once finished, they apparated out. Matty led her to a stall and she squeezed his hand in excitement. "I thought these were only available in the US!" she gushed, looking up at him. "Ugh, when did I get so old and excited about seeds?" she giggled.

outfit

[Ophelia Kenny]

Ophelia these days was at her happiest when the people around her were happy, so more often than not that meant that so long as Lydia was excited about something, Ophelia was also in pretty good spirits. It had been hard keeping up face after everything with Noah and to top it all off she hadn’t been feeling the best in her own head recently. More trips to the forest, more time outside, more drawings, more anything to distract herself from the strange vivid dreams she’d been having recently. It was like the more she tried to brush them aside the more they shot forward. 

That being said, the excitement practically radiating from her best friend was helping lift her mood as they ate breakfast. Even at the mention of Noah, she only smiled, perhaps a tad bit bitter, before adding a soft. “You didn’t tell me, but I hope that he finds some joy in it. I love it when he’s happy.”  She followed easily after Liza when she got up from breakfast, a smile on her lips. 

for once she was glad she was more sensibly dressed, still in a white dress but with a long sleeve underneath and a green sweater to keep her warm along with some black tights and leg warmers. And shoes! She was wearing shoes! They were good for when it got cold but sort of got in the way when trying to just connect with the earth. Whatever. She giggled as Liza brought up the hayride again, nodding along because yes, they absolutely were doing the hayride first when she was so excited for it. 

when Lydia started skipping towards the ride, Ophelia followed, a smile on her face as she let herself almost absorb some of the joy seeping off her friend, following her up onto the back of the ride and settling them together on some Hay bales, her arm still linked tightly in her friends as she scooted herself closer. This would be fun, today was going to be fun. “Im really glad we decided to come.” She said after a beat. “I missed… doing things.” 

Lydia Bradley

[Erin Park]

]blockquote]

This was the first time that he and Willie had brought the girls into the world socially, and Erin had to admit that he was a little nervous. He kept a protective hand over Hana's back as they walked through the village, filled with Hogwarts students and graduates alike. This was a new festival, but Erin was pretty impressed with the execution. And he was happy to be out and about with Willie, watching her with a small smile as she purchased some preserves.

"What would you like to do, darling?"

"Hmm," Erin hummed as his eyes floated over the entire scene. "I do think they should get some pumpkins, but I'm good doing whatever you'd like, or nothing at all," he said with a small shrug. "Just enjoy the aesthetic?" he offered with a raise of his brow, teasing.

[Kaden Meadowes]

I'm sitting on a park bench ...I'm effing freezing!

Fall was in the air and Kaden shivered at the thought. The lion was more of a summer guy but the A*sbutts had been talking about going down the festival for some time now and so there he was in his fleece-lined jean jacket waiting in the Gryffindor common room for the rest of his friends to meet before they all went down together. As he was leaving his dorm, telling Jon he wasn't waiting for him as a joke, he noticed that the other guys were gone. Maybe they were at the festival already

It took maybe five minutes before their little group assembled. Kaden smiled as the girls made their way down. He didn't know what he was going to do once they graduated and didn't see each other every day. "Ready to go?"

The festival was in full swing by the time they got down there. Adults and students alike. Kaden's eyes were darting around at all the things to do, shops. "Mind if we make a beeline for Madame Rosmerta? I'm freezing!" The lion was hoping to grab a cider or cocoa to warm him up. "Anything you guys wanna hit first? Or should we just roam?" he looked around and saw Rory headign for the corn maze. "Bet I could beat you lot in a corn maze race," he said wiggling his eyebrows.

Tagged;;Mattie Mae Schraeder  Raelynn Cox  Jon Davis

[Raelynn Cox]

A harvest festival. Rae was incredibly excited and while she was just a little bummed that Jay would have to meet her there a little later, she was still glad to get to spend time at the festival with her best friends.

Finishing her makeup in the mirror, Rae grinned. Over the summer she had spent time with Ari and a few other chasers and she’d perfected her craft with a quaffle and managed to make captain this year. In addition, Ari had shown her how to work some magic with a makeup brush. And with her usually alternative style seeming to be in season this year, Rae had accidentally found herself to be a bit of an “it girl” in her seventh year.

Keeping it simple and throwing on one of Jay’s hoodies and a pair of jeans, Rae waited for Mattie Mae before they headed downstairs to meet the other half of their friend group.

The festival itself was…amazing.

Rows and rows of crafted goods for sale. Good stands…Madame Rosmerta had set up a beverage stand…there was a magical hay ride and a corn maze. It was just fantastic.

At Kaden’s suggestion of hitting Rosmerta’s stand first, Rae voiced her approval. A warm cup of cocoa sounded amazing.

And as the idea of hitting the corn maze came up, Rae grinned. She sort of hoped Jay had joined them by then. He’d definitely get a kick out of it.

”I’m along for the ride, my comrades,” she laughed happily, looping her arm in Jon’s.

[Willie Vanderhyde]

Erin mentioned pumpkins and Willie grinned. Halloween had passed but the harvest time was in full swing and she most certainly associated pumpkins with harvest time.

Just enjoy the aesthetic?

Willie nodded with a smile, leaning in slightly to press a soft kiss to her fiancé's cheek. Wandering forward a bit more she removed a hand from Duri briefly to wave at her cousin Ricky as they passed by each other. The two weren't incredibly close. Ricky had been the youngest son of the eldest Vanderhyde boy. And Willie had been the first born to the youngest. They had lived very different lives and Ricky's family seemed to value their blood purity a bit more than Willie's.

But still. Ricky wasn't a bad guy.

"I need to remember to invite him to Christmas this year," she commented absentmindedly. Her eyes danced over the crowds of people and she smiled. "Notice any of your brothers yet?"

[Matteo Cappello]

He loved to see her happy. Matty let out a chuckle at her question, handing the shopkeep a few sickles, pointing to the seeds she was excited about. “The same time I got so old and got excited about my morning coffee,” he teased, nodding his thanks to the stall owner as she handed over the seeds. “I would have thought we’d see Jazzy and Pais here.” Matty looked around trying to see if he could spot one of them. If only Jasmine had opened her shop here in Hogsmeade. When it was clear he wasn’t going to find them, Matteo looked back to his wife with a bright smile. “How about some butterbeer?” They made their way down to Madam Rosmerta’s stall, stopping at various stalls on the way. “Oh neat!” he stopped walking and picked up a miniature statue of a Hebridean Black. There were other dragons, too, and many more creatures. “This one looks kind of like Arizona,” he mused, showing Poppy a statue of a crup.

Poppy Thomas-Cappello

[Veronica Park]

A harvest festival was one thousand percent up Roni’s alley. And once her study group had called it a day, she had rushed home to her doting husband to change and head out to it.

Keeping it pretty lowkey with her outfit, Roni was ready in a flash. Slipping her hand into Ben’s, she gave him a quick kiss before they apparated out to Hogsmeade.

And oh the sights around them.

”This is so cute,” she mused, looking around them. Wandering a bit, she noticed Rae with her friends and offered the girl a wave. But then she noticed Rosmerta’s stand. ”We can’t come to something like this and leave without some of her apple cider, now can we?”

She shot Ben a teasing smile before pulling him toward the stand and ordering up a couple drinks. And once they were in hand, she smiled happily. He always indulged her when she wanted to do things like this. She was certainly a lucky lady.

Glancing around, she noticed Erin and Willie with the baby twins and she cooed in adoration. ”They brought the girls,” she cheered…making no movement towards them yet. She didn’t wantto interrupt a moment. ”Do you think Lexa will feel up to coming?”

[Jon Davis]

Jon -

Jon was taking a little extra time getting ready than Kaden it seemed - perhaps it was the cold making him not want to leave the house. He wasn't quite sure what it was about the Harvest Festival that just didn't seem enticing to him, but he wasn't really interested in going outside of spending time with his friends. A part of him wondered if Bo would be there, but he wasn't about to dwell on it. Surely he would be with one of his dates, or one of his siblings. Jon tried not to think about it.

He wasn't far behind Kaden - and the girls weren't far behind them. And once everyone was situated, they made the trek down to Hogsmeade, Jon resisting the urge to complain the whole time as he kept his hands shoved into his pockets. "I'll second Madame Rosmerta's. I'm also freezing," he followed up Kaden's request, hoping the girls wouldn't oppose. They could do the corn maze or the hay ride afterward...and then head back to the pub to get more warm cider when they were finished with that. It was going to be a day and Jon was probably going to be a pain in everyone's ass, but.

Mattie Mae -

Oh, of all the cute things that could be done, the Harvest Festival was definitely something that Mattie hadn't ever thought would come to Hogsmeade. Things felt like they were coming up Schraeder lately, what with she and Kaden figuring out whatever was getting so jumbled between the two of them over the summer, and she felt like she was doing better in her classes...it probably helped being able to sit with Kaden (or Jon, or Rae depending on the class). It felt like less of a distraction that way.

The blonde slid into her outfit and followed Rae down the staircase, meeting the boys in the common room. From there, they went down to the festival. Mattie didn't say much - she tended to just be a back burner this year, but she didn't mind. She piped in when she had something to say. So yes, she agreed to getting some cocoa, and the idea of hitting the corn maze floated in the air. Mattie Mae could never say no to a challenge! "You're on, Meadowes. I think you're gonna eat your words - loser buys the next round of cocoa?" she teased, hoping he'd play along. It still felt weird and new being with him - a good weird and a good new. Always good.

[Ben Park]

Naturally, Ben indulged Roni's every whim. When they'd first been together it was quite the game to banter back and forth to see who gave in first, but after they'd gotten married, it was clear who wore the pants in the relationship. Ben would bend backwards and back again for her - hang the moon and collect the stars if he could. So when she mentioned that she wanted to go to the Hogsmeade Harvest Festival, of course he said yes. And of course they were apparating out, Ben happy to not be on call for the first time in ages. This day was all about Roni.

Rolling his eyes playfully when she mentioned the apple cider, he followed behind her dutifully, pulling out the money to pay for them as they were doled out, Ben happily taking a sip of his. It had been some time since he'd gotten something from the Three Broomsticks...and he was happy that it still did not disappoint. He was sipping at his cider when Roni started cooing, Ben following her gaze over to Willie and Erin. The younger Park waved to his eldest brother and looked toward his wife, wondering if she'd like to go and say hello. But instead...she mentioned Evan and Lexa. "I'm sure - she's not so far along. I suppose it depends on how her morning sickness is," Ben mentioned, casually. He was, of course, her doctor and from what he understood it was quite the smooth-sailing of a pregnancy so far, thankfully. Ben glanced at his wife, partially wondering when they were going to have their own little nugget, and also happy to just have Roni - it was kind of nice to just spoil her whenever he wanted.