Making the Night Yours [Open to the dateless students!]

[Nova Harte]

The Yule Ball had been in full swing for a while now, and while most students were already lost in the dance floor magic, Nova was on a mission. Not everyone had come to the ball with a date, and Nova wasn’t about to let that make anyone feel out of place.

She grinned, looking around at the clusters of students who seemed to be hanging around the edges, their drinks in hand, but not much else. The night was supposed to be about fun, right? Why not add a little lighthearted mischief into the mix?

Nova pulled out her wand with a mischievous flick, and suddenly, a series of small, colorful enchanted objects floated above the heads of the dateless students. "Alright, listen up!" she called out, a playful tone in her voice. "If you’re hanging around like a ghost, I’ve got just the thing for you to shake off those cobwebs!"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she continued, "Everyone’s been dancing, chatting, and living it up, but now it’s time for a game—the Great Yule Ball Scavenger Hunt!" She gestured toward the floating objects, which hovered in midair like small glowing stars. “You each get one clue! Find the object related to it and come back here. First to return with all their objects gets a special prize.”

She waved her hand and sent the first clue to a nearby student: "Clue one: Find something that sparkles with no magic involved." The student raised an eyebrow, but as they looked around, the fun of the challenge was undeniable.

"What's the prize?" one of them asked.

Nova scrunched her nose, "You know, I didn't think that far ahead, to be honest, but we can figure it out when someone wins," she waved her hands. A couple of people gave a laugh, considering that was right up her alley. She clapped her hands though, "Well, c'mon then! Find me the thing that sparkles with no magic! I've got other games too, like Limbo, for us to try," she said, beaming.

She waved to other students nearby who looked like they could use something to do any motioned them over, "Want to play some games? We're doing a scavenger hunt!" she said, being her usually infectiously bubbly self, even while dressed in her rather gothic attire of a black dress and a red coat, her red hair styled to match her vibe. She was all smiles and giggles, pulling others into the game.

[Katie Cromwell]

Katie didn't have a date, and had originally written off the dance, though one of the older Ravenclaw girls had encouraged her to go anyway and had further assisted her in finding a decent blouse and skirt to borrow for the occasion, by which time it was too late to back out.

Immediately upon reaching the doors to the Great Hall, however, her hyper-sensitive sense of smell was assaulted by the cacophony of perfumes and colognes that most students normally didn't bother with wearing. She reached up to cover her nose. This was bound to give her a headache. Already it seemed the event would be a write-off, but she felt obligated to stick with it at least for a while, if only because of the older girl who'd encouraged her to attend.

The voice of a seventh-year Hufflepuff caught her attention. Something about a scavenger hunt? That might at least keep her attention for a while. Intrigued, she approached the girl, then heard the clue about something that sparkles without magic. Biting her lower lip, she turned and surveyed the room, moreso the decorations than the crowd. Then she spotted a suitable object resting upon the head table. She sprinted over to the rostrum and approached the table. "Excuse me, is it all right if I borrow this for a minute?", she asked, gesturing toward a crystal flower vase.

Professor Scrivener leaned forward and arched an eyebrow. "I presume this is for an important quest?"

"Possibly?", Katie answered.

"Then, I won't tell anyone if you don't," Scrivener replied with a wink.

"Thank you, sir!", Katie uttered quickly. Taking the vase, she hurried back to Nova and presented it. "Does this suffice?", she asked.