Where do you go when you want to start anew?

[Arri Faltskog]

To answer the question of this thread, one must go back to where all the magic started, happened, and prospered. Others may believe that to go back to the place where it all started, and later eventually ceased to exist, would be not quite starting fresh, or anew. But how could one deny such a location where everyone congregated for generations? Decades, centuries even. This place, this one single location was the site of where everything seemed to occur. The drama, the friendships, the fights, everything. It only seemed fitting that to come back to this location would be a sign of the possibilities of a revival? Or perhaps the continuation of ruin.

It is hard to say what will become of such a place but one never knew. Thusly, one must go back to what they know. Back to the basics is what they always say, right? Therefore, I start here; at the location where everyone was free to be themselves and free to be here, no matter who they were --- The Lake.

Oh the lake, how many memories one has here. Deep within the depths of the enormous lake, miles down below, deep in the darkness where only those who knew would remember. Memories are so precious and what keep people coming back for more. No matter how difficult life has been or how much one has tired of something. Somehow, and in some way, they always seem to come back. That's what this place means and what it was always known to be. A place for escape, a place to call your second home, or perhaps even your first. Escaping of reality and escaping the drama was what was given here, although at times people wonder if this place was what caused the drama in life. Never the less, this place is still here. Those few who were dedicated enough to continue to come here, those who had lost there way who finally return. Maybe, just maybe, this time it was for good? People always come and go, even those who founded such a place, but still, like always.... no matter what happens, one always returns to the place they call home.

[Arri Faltskog]

After the dust had finally settled, and the upholstery having long been faded, it seemed that there may have been a small, almost insignificant, spark coming from the castle above. Was it possible that there was life inhabiting the castle once more? One was never quite sure. None the less, if one knew anything, if there was any life at all at such a location, it could be found at one location.

The Lake.

And so it seemed, eager readers, that there was some form of small life living among the swaying trees. The breeze slowly wafting through the leaves. Through the air and skies the rustling of plants filled the skies. The sound of birds and other creatures could be heard speaking among themselves. And within all those things a tiger lurked.

What on earth was a tiger doing in such a location? A white tiger to be precise with smoldering green eyes and a seemingly peculiar silver ring around its tail. What sort of alluring creature was this? The creature seemed quite so out of place. Still, if one were to observe the animal closely, the tiger seemed to fit in so perfectly after all. The beast, if one could really call it such, walked through the trees and, from time to time, stopped and glanced around its surroundings. It almost seemed as if the creature was remembering something from its past. But how could that be? Was this creature always a part of this location? Certainly not, a typical person would think. But to those who know, those few who know about this particular creature, one would know that this creature belonged just as much as anyone.

As the tiger continued its trek through the trees, it finally came upon the edge of all the foliage, now presenting itself to the edge of the glorious and enormous lake. The tiger seemed to have a smile on its face, and if one listened closely, sounded as if she had sighed. A tiger sighing? Was that possible? Oh yes, the tiger would answer, most certainly. It had been a long time since this tiger had set foot on this land, on the edge of the lake. And with little thought to it, in the tiger went, strolling quietly into the water, feeling the light waves being made touching its soft fur, dampening it before the creature finally submerged itself into the cool blue water.

Another sigh seemed to escape the tiger as it swam through the water. It almost seemed if the tiger even spoke in a human voice, a feminine human voice. "I am home," the tiger whispered to no one in particular, since it seemed at the time no one was around. Who knew if there were people around, it may have been possible, but it would seem odd that a creature of this type would talk at all.

The tiger was soon finished with its swim and was slowly going back toward the shore. But something odd happened as this creature walked toward the edge of the lake. The water around the creature started to glow. Glow? Why would water glow, one wonders. But it did. And as the tiger was walking out of the water, it seemed to transform. Its large paw, covered in fur was suddenly transforming into a foot, a long slender leg continued on as the tiger started to stand on the two feet that formed. Moving further up, the fur of the tiger slowly vanished, leaving behind tanned skin of something not animistic but human. Finally, after the tiger was out of the water, in its place was a human, a woman to be exact. A particularly familiar woman. How long it had been since this person's face was seen on these grounds.

And so there she stood, turning as she looked out at the lake smiling to herself as she repeated once again, "I am home."

[Brian Garrett]

Brian had been back at the school for near three months. He had seen the castle go from scarcely populated to completely deserted. Just last night he had been walking the halls, for memory sake, and passed not even a ghost. The ghosts had always been such an integral part of Hogwarts. After a few minutes of strolling, Brian immediately knew that the castle was going to fall to complete desolation if immediate action wasn't taken. But, Brian being Brian, did not know what to do. He had slept in the Slytherin common room the that night and planned to do so again. Ever since the headmaster and headmistress had left, the dormitories had been unlocked. He obviously knew the location of his old lodging place, so he took advantage of it.

Today, he had spent the majority of the day in the trees. The forest and the lake had always been second and third homes to him. The castle had always held the top position. He inhabited the trees by the lake at this particular point in time. Every once in awhile it was nice to know that a part of the grounds was still awake and lively. The lake was certainly that. Fish swam, the squid lurked, and the occasional mermaid could be seen poking its head out for a view. Brian laid back against the bark of the tree and his eyes fluttered closed. As soon as his lids had nestled over his eyes, his brain did something of a double take. Had he just seen a tiger by the lake?

After a few seconds, he realized that he certainly had seen a tiger. A white tiger. A rather familiar white tiger. After he had seen the beast a second time and had heard a faint whisper, he knew the reality of the sight that sat before him. A smile crept upon his face. Arri had returned to the grounds of Hogwarts. Was this the first step in the return of the students and professors? Arri certainly had the power to draw in the students. Abba could certainly not be far behind. The two were pretty close. After a little bit, the tiger finally transformed and the figure of Arri appeared near the lake. With the site finally confirmed, Brian slipped out of the tree he had been sitting in for hours. He had a little bit of a crash landing, but he got up pretty cleanly onto his feet.

"Arri?..." he asked quietly, almost in a whisper. With a tinge of caution, Brian walked up to the newly transformed Arri and smiled. "Are you...are you back for good?" he asked her. You could never be quite sure anymore. People tended to come and go. He wanted to know if Hogwarts would last as an institution. Arri was certainly essential to the school as it was. Brian looked back up to the school and turned back to Arri. "Well...are you going to stand here? Or are you going to head back up to your office and get this school started up again?" he asked her, beginning to walk towards the school. "I'm not going to let Hogwarts die off. This place is home to me, Arri. I'm going to help bring it back to life. Are you in this with me?" he asked her softly.

[Arri Faltskog]

Standing there at the edge of the lake, with a content smile upon her face, Arri felt the light breeze coming across the lake as she softly spoke again, summoning the items that she had needed at the time. "Accuse towel," she said while watching as an object suddenly came flying toward her. A soft and plush green towel was now flying in her direction before she caught it mid air, wrapping it around her body. Drying herself off she then called for the rest of her clothes that were at the house in the muggle world. As she was pulling on her thin strapped sun dress she heard a whisper. She could have sworn it was someone calling her name. Looking around, Arri quietly scanned her surroundings before her eyes fell upon a very familiar face.

The content smile that was present upon her soon turned into a brighter and more welcoming gesture. "Brian," she said in an equally quiet tone, seeing him cautiously moving toward her. "How are you?" she asked. Soon hearing his next question, Arri's smile vanished, now being left with a questioning and unknowing look. "Honestly, I do not know. For now I am at the least. I have missed this place, and you too of course," Arri said with a sigh. Hearing Brian's next questions and almost commands of what was going to happen put a smile back on her face, along with a chuckle coming from within. "Oh Brian," she said. "I have indeed missed you."

Suddenly engulfing him in a tight hug she soon let him go and looked up at the castle. One particular window on the fifth floor that overlooked the lake seemed to be illuminated. "I don't know if I am going to head to my office just yet," she stated while looking out at her surroundings again. "I too do not want Hogwarts to die. This place has been my life. This was where I lived for a majority of my years. This place is also my home, or at least it was," Arri said with a quiet sigh. "I would love to bring this place back to life, but its very difficult. It has been closed down for so long, Brian. Where would we begin. On top of that, this venture will be time consuming, even life consuming, like it had been to run the school. Even with all the help it soon became so overwhelming. I don't know if I really want to go back to doing all that again..."

Arri's voice soon trailed off as she looked out at the lake again with a sigh, crossing her arms across her chest as she stared at the location they were at. She then looked toward the castle with another sigh before looking back at the lake once more. So much was here, or at least was. Her old life and friends, everything she knew was here. She left so long ago to get away from it. All the horrible things going on, the terrible life that she had been living because of it. It was not healthy, it was not good. Times were not the best that they should have been, and mostly she had not been having any fun. Her job here had been fun, enjoyable very much so. At least, till it had become so unbearable that she had finally just walked away. Would it be that bad again? She truly hoped not, but who knew. Besides, it took more than just two people to start up a school again.

[Brian Garrett]

Brian turned toward the lake and sighed, as if to question whether it was really worth the time and effort to take back this school. He had never been one to really come through and prove his spiritedness about anything, but he was certainly going to fight for this school. The place had been his home away from home. He had lived with his uncle for nearly his entire life. When he left for Hogwarts, he left that life behind. He had been around the school for around fifteen years. Brian tended to come and go, not really staying in one place for a long amount of time. This was a hard time for the school. Brian knew that this was a 'now or never' type of situation.

After a few minutes Brian was pulled into a tight hug by long lost Arri. He smiled and hugged her back, patting her back. "You know, we're all in this together Arri. I know that Hogwarts cannot be put back together with only two people. Professors have to be summoned, letters have to be sent to students, the school has to be cleaned. The extent is much more than that. But we can do this. We'll just have to think of ourselves almost as...founders again" he said, looking up and smiling at her. "This school has so many years left under its belt. It isn't ready to fall just yet, Arri. This school needs you. You're the heartbeat of this school." Brian looked back up at the school and saw the light in the window. The school was waiting for the two of them. "I've missed you too, Arri. But we have work to do" he smiled.

"Arri..." Brian started, looking up at her, but back down to the ground. "Do you really think that this school is worth saving?" he asked, not because he really wanted to know. The question was about as rhetorical as a question could be. He wanted to put the thought in her mind. An answer was not really expected. Brian started towards the school. Maybe if he gave her a tour of the school as it was now, she would know how much it needed her. He knew what had pushed her away from the school. He knew about all of the drama that the students and external factors had caused in her life. He tried to understand what it was like to run Hogwarts, but he was obviously unable to do it. He was willing to help in any way that he could. He had been talking to Jadeian for awhile about the future of Hogwarts. They both knew that the responsibility had to be shared, and they were both willing to help get it back on track, at any cost.

[ABBA]

........Abba could certainly not be far behind.

That perhaps could be true. But until that could officially be determined, the spirit of Abba and his undying love would always remain here at OH.

Always Watching

[Arri Faltskog]

"Do you really think that this school is worth saving?" Brian had asked.

A pause filled the air.

Despite it being a rhetoric question Arri stood there and thought for a moment, looking out at the vast lake. It was hard to say quite frankly. Hardly anyone inhabited this land anymore. There were no students playing or laughing on the lawns, no teachers in the classrooms. But with no students to teach, why would a teacher want to stay around here? More than likely, many had gone on to find another school to work at. Or at least that was the hope. With Muggle America's economic downward spiral it could very well have affected all the professors who chose to inhabit that world, the Muggle realm.

Was this school worth saving? Did a fish have gills? Of course the school was worth saving. It had been her life, her livelihood. And perhaps that was part of her downfall with the school. Or perhaps it had been other things. None the less, how is a school worth saving if there is nothing else within it to save... or someone to save it for. For? Who could this place be saved for? Those who had graduated long ago? Or those there trying to keep it alive now? It was difficult to say. Everyone had their reasons to save this place. It was a second home for many, if not the first real home they truly had. And now, that too was gone.

At least, for now...

"Brian," Arri said with a sigh. "I think it is worth saving. This place truly is. But it needs an ungodly amount of work. It can't just be people lurking around like they may perhaps do at times. Everyone needs to work and be around. To do something, not just stand around and wait for a leader. We need multiple leaders. Those around now need to be those leaders, don't you agree?"

[Brian Garrett]

As Arri was talking, Brian took out his wand. He looked at it and he knew. Hogwarts had built him into the man that he was today. Without this school he may not even know about his wizarding heritage. Magic may not have been a part of his life. Jadeian, Emily, Arri, Carma, Rosie, Kelsey...he wouldn't even know the names. Even if he hadn't seen it before, this school was more a part of him than the place where he was educated. He almost felt as though he was a shadow of the school. If the school went, he would as well. He knew his opinion. He would die for this school, from labor or defense. Let's all be honest here, Brian was no gift to the wizarding world. He had no special talents that set him apart. Dumbledore would have taken him out in a nanosecond if he had been around in his time. But Brian was a part of the magic of Hogwarts. The magic of Hogwarts lived within him. There was a bond that couldn't be broken, not by life or death.

"Arri" Brian sighed. "If you're willing to lead the fight, I'll stand right by your side. No amount of work frightens me. I'd die before I saw this place fall, whether on its own or by the hand of another." Brian looked towards the school and felt a connection. He saw more than an institution. He saw more than a home. He saw himself. He saw his only reality. There would be no wizarding world without this place. "I know that I am not a natural born leader. People would more likely laugh at me than follow. But I know that if it meant saving this school, I could do whatever was needed of me. You know that I'm not doing anything important anyways. My life is a wash without Hogwarts" Brian smiled. He held out his hand for her to shake. "Let's save the school?" Brian was a determined man. He may not be the brightest, but was he ever bloody determined.

[Perrin De'Orden]

A soft voice filtered on down on the chariots of the whispering winds.." The school may feel tha passage of time and its current glory may be less than what it once was but the is not lost...Our Hogwarts hasnt died...it lives on ..in memories...in each of us..touched by the experiences and people met on these hallowed halls. It lives in us...the students.. the faculty...friends...loves...children..We are its legacy..You want to fight ...then fight to keep what Hogwarts meant to us for those not fortunate enough to experience such a wonderful environment to learn magic the right way..the way Dumbledore meant it...the way Headmaster and Headmistress taught us...not in what we learned of the magic but how we applied it to everyday life....the beauty of Our Hogwarts is in us...the alumna Full Circle....Return to beginning...for a new class....The roads may be long and each of us may travel to distant lands but Our Hogwarts will always be home for all of us...whether it holds people close or stands empty..with only the ivy growing on the brick..."

Perrin walked forward then stopped a couple feet away from them...

then looked out over the Lake and towards the the castle that was Hogwarts.

[Kelsey]

kelsey, not wanting to read all those paragraphs of what should be most awesome writing, burst from the lake screaming something about leeches... "LEEEEECHES"