What is a Game?

Chapter 29 - Calm

The very next day as I head out of my room to get down for breakfast, I'm stopped by the Ravenclaw Caretaker - Lysa and the three career counselors who work in Ravenclaw with Flitwick to help students attain their dream jobs. They pull me into the main room - which is the only room large enough to handle the 200 odd number of Ravenclaws.

I figure Flitwick is handling the top door, then.

"This is about yesterday?" I ask, seeking confirmation. I get a nod - firm and more than a bit upset. These Ravenclaw Alumni aren't happy with the number of misdeeds being done in the dorm, clearly.

With that, I settle in, and am delivered, by what must be the house elves, my normal breakfast. It's a large dish I call the 'Farmers Breakfast'. Hash Browns, with a couple over easy eggs, bacon, juice and milk. I'm surprised when my morning tea is sent as I finish.

I notice, as I finish, that not everyone who arrives gets food. Specifically people who show up after 7:45. It's clear why, when at 8:00, Howard and Xyla, the two councillors who normally help with complex magic job preparation, head out, and come back 15 minutes later with the rest of the house.

As you can imagine over 200 bodies in a room like this isn't exactly comfortable. Flitwick casts a spell, mutters something to Xyla and then claps his hand. I can feel the magic in his hands as he does, which amplifies the sound.

It sounds like a thunderclap ripping through the room.

"Hello! Usually I don't call house meetings, at all. However, you've become the first class in twelve years I've needed to do a whole house meeting, save for the three of you who were apparently out of bounds last night and weren't in the tower - everyone is here." He starts, sounding more than a bit angry still.

The look of shock on a number of people's faces is amusing.

"I warned everyone when they came to this school that I would follow the rules to a tee, and if you broke the rules and I caught you, I'd punish you to the greatest extent of my capabilities. Well, bad news for a number of you - I've caught a thief, and found an utterly destroyed room. I will give the rest of you - who I know exist and know how to find - until the end of today to turn yourselves in, and return what you have stolen. If you do so, I will see you only suspended for a week instead of expelled, and your wand snapped. The ringleader - or the one I assume was - has been taken into custody. He will never return to these halls, and indeed, he may never set foot outside of Azkaban again, due to the nature of his thefts, and some of his... attacks." Flitwick grinds out at the end. Glaring around the room. "When midnight strikes, I will be going through the whole of the tower finding all misplaced things, as promised. To further this, I've instructed the Elves to tag everything in every room, so it cannot leave the tower, except for the clothes on your backs - so don't think it's going anywhere else." He completes. I'm a bit shocked at that.

I didn't know you could create boundary items and couldn't leave. I raise my hand. He calls on me.

"Just to clarify - what if, in theory, I had something that belonged to someone who was not in this house? How should I return it?" I ask. He nods, it's a fair question, though I assume the answer is to get the stuff to him, best to be sure.

"You'd bring it to myself or Xyla. We will handle all such items." He tells me. I nod, lean back and wait for the other questions to be answered.

It's thirty minutes later Everyone is out of the room, and I give it an extra two minutes to allow me an easy walk out.

No need to be crowded, after all.

"Ah, you're the cause of the sudden loss of Wrackspurts, I see." A little first year - Luna? I think? Says up to me. I blink.