*Those of you were were inclined to get up at "god-darn-it-it's-too-early-go-back-to-sleep" o'clock in the morning this week might be treated to a glimpse of Nanoha doing one of several things around the grounds of Hogwarts.

She could be outside, waving her wand around and trying to practice something. Which would be NOT having the wand send out a small pink ball of explosiveness with every wave of it. So far she was better than when she had first started out, but that wasn't really... saying much. Every... fifth wave of the wand or so, a blast of magic would shoot out of it, and Nanoha will just sigh whenever that happens, hoping that she'll manage to get control of that soon.

Or she could be having her eyes closed, holding out her hand and controlling a small pink ball of magic, deliberately whacking a piece of trash with it to keep it floating in the air as some sort of electronic voice keeps track of it. It'd probably be somewhere around 370-450 by the time you get to her.

Or she could be wearing some sort of white school uniform thing, just flying around the Hogwarts grounds. Without a broom or anything like that. If you can manage to see her face, she'll be having the biggest grin that could possibly fit there.

Or lastly, if it's later but still rather early for you guys, she can be in the Great Hall, at the Gryffindor table eating breakfast. Or rather, trying to figure out what to eat for breakfast. Once again it seems like they had given way too much as far as the number of options for food went and she was having a hard time deciding what to eat.*

[The first week of classes are over-and aside from a few incidents in Potions, Mir has been cruising through without incident. There have been a few screams from the fifth-year girls room in the dungeon, but nothing too bad. Life is pretty good-and pretty dull. So in the interest of spicing things up, Mir is exploring the castle and the grounds today, instead of doing homework (already finished) or furthering her studies. After all, exploring the grounds is also a form of study, isn't it?

So many places to check out after all. Gotta climb all the towers, bother the paintings in front of the other House's dormitories, delve the dungeons, and walk up to the very edge of the area beaten out by the Willow.

Though, maybe she should have worn something a bit warmer than the dress she's picked. It's thin, it's gauzy, its got frills and bows, and it makes her look even paler and younger than she usually does. It is definitely not suited for the north of the British Isles, and she'll wind up shivering slightly in the wind when she ventures outside.]

Every year, at the start of term, the students attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were greeted with a ceremony and start-of-term feast. New students were greeted with a song by the Sorting Hat and sorted into their Houses, and the whole school would take that one night to greet one another, catch up, and prepare for classes to begin.

This year was a little bit different, however. With the news that Hogwarts would play host to a number of Outsiders, the school was a hub of gossip. Students were talking about the Outsiders in hushed voices, almost as though it was forbidden. Many of the rumours sounded ridiculous - apparently, Outsiders could throw houses, fly without aid, and turn invisible at will. Some students would try to discredit the rumours by explaining how such things were impossible, but it was to little avail.

As the long line of First Years, followed by a shorter line of Outsiders, entered the Hall, many of the new students were looking upwards at the ceiling. Enchanted to reflect the outside sky, it seemed almost as though the rain should be pounding down on them even in the warmth and dryness of the Castle. Professor McGonagall, a stern-looking witch, led these students, carrying a stool upon which rested a frayed and tattered hat.

The Professor carefully placed the stool just before the staff table, where the whole school could see. As the last of the chatter died away, the rip near the hat's brim opened wide, like a mouth, and it burst into a cheerful song describing the four Founders of Hogwarts, the Houses named for them, and the qualities each sought after. As the last note died, and the school burst into applause, Professor McGonagall stepped forward.

"First years. When I call your name, you will wear the hat and sit on the stool. The Sorting Hat will select the most appropriate House, and you will then seat yourself at that House's table."

It took some time for the First Year students - a group including three Outsider girls - to be sorted. Ordinarily, this would mark the end of the ceremony and start of the feast, but there were yet others to be Sorted, and McGonagall addressed these students as the last of the First Years took their seat.

"Outsider students, we will follow the same process. I shall call your name and the year in which you are entering this school, and you will present yourself to be sorted accordingly."

It was again a long process, and by this point some of the existing students were getting bored waiting for the feast. Whispering had resumed amongst them, Outsiders were commented upon, and even after the last of the Outsiders was seated the conversations did not die away until Professor Dumbledore stood and raised a hand for silence, beaming at the students assembled before him.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as some of them are very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are here with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even invisibility cloaks.

"It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the Prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs foul of the Dementors.

"The second item of note is, as I'm sure you are all aware, the Outsiders now attending our school. We have welcomed a number of these Outsiders into our ranks. I am sure you are all aware of the circumstances that have brought them here, and ask only that you treat them the same as any other student in this school. They are here to learn, just as you are, and are just as worthy of your respect.

"On a happier note..."

Dumbledore continued with his start-of-term messages, before finally the feast began. The golden plates and goblets that lay empty upon the tables suddenly filled, a whole variety of foods laid out for students to pick and choose from. This year, some items were new and foreign, clearly catering to the Outsiders' tastes - for the most part, they remained untouched, except by the more inquisitive or daring students.

The feast would last for a couple of hours, before each House's prefects led the school-aged students to their dormitories, and each Head of House led the Adult students to their alternative housing in the Lost Wing.

The excursion to Diagon Alley took place on August 27th. Transport had been arranged via portkey, with groups of seven assigned a portkey every ten minutes from 9AM. They would be greeted by a second Ministry Rep, and given the instruction to wait until all Outsiders had arrived.

As they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, each Outsider was provided a complementary drink and an item from the breakfast menu, as the two Ministry Reps handed out envelopes to each Outsider. Contained in the envelope, they would find a letter from Hogwarts School, a list of required books and supplies, and a simple map of Diagon Alley highlighting the shops to visit.

"As you're aware," one of the Ministry reps said, addressing them all, "the Assistance Fund is unlikely to cover everything listed were you to buy them brand new, and as such we would strongly advise seeking out second-hand items where you can. For those studying adult courses, Flourish and Blotts is the exclusive provider of the course materials - these are produced at a low cost, specifically to allow the grant to cover them.

"Please keep your letter with you. On visiting the wandmaker, Ollivander, you will need it as proof of identity, otherwise you will be required to pay full price for your wand."

"Once you've all had your breakfast, we'll be moving on to Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank, where you can collect a portion of your grant. From there, you may explore Diagon Alley as you see fit. Please ensure you have all items listed before we leave, as well as any additional items such as stationary and bags."

"Lunch will be served here, at the Leaky Cauldron, at twelve thirty. We will be leaving for the Hogsmeade camp from here at four thirty."

[The weather had been awful, and the presence of that...thing made her wary as bloody hell. But Grell found a pretty good tent with a nice overhanging of branches with full leaves to protect her from most of the elements, be it scorching sun or wet rain.

Currently, she's sitting on a in front of the entrance to a tent she picked out. If she's going to share space with others, they'll have to get past her first. She's reading the Daily Prophet to catch up on what these natives are doing.

At least she's from Great Britain, and has an advantage in comparison with most of these stranded souls.]

On the whole, the weather had been temperamental lately. One minute, it was absolutely bucketing it down, and the next, it was bright sunshine. The amount of rain had turned the ground into a muddy mess, but at least the tents provided perfectly adequate shelter, and a gazebo had been erected over the community dining table to protect everyone from the elements.

Despite the temperamental weather, however, it had been fairly warm throughout the past two weeks, so the chill in the air during dinner that evening was particularly noticeable, even before the dark, hooded figure by the Ministry's representative's desk had been seen.

Nervously, the Ministry representative approached the table.

"I'm afraid we have a visitor," he said, addressing everyone at the table and hoping that anyone not there could hear him. "This is a Dementor, one of the Guards at Azkaban. It's a high security prison. He's just here to, well, ensure that a certain escaped criminal isn't hiding amongst you.

"I don't expect he'll be here for more than an half an hour, so do try not to worry too much. They can make people rather, well... uncomfortable."

Bowing his head slightly, he left the Outsiders to their meal.

[And so, a Dementor is lurking around the camp, just in case one of the Outsiders is secretly Sirius Black. They're known to sap the happiness out of the environment, and - in cases where there are true horrors in someone's past - cause traumatic memories to resurface.

The chilly, depressed feeling can be lifted by the deliciousness of chocolate, though the Outsiders will need to discover this on their own. Good thing there's dessert.]

Situated not far from Hogsmeade Village lies a newly established camping ground. A selection of magical tents, generously donated by members of the wizarding public, have been arranged in a circle. Each tent is far larger on the inside than it appears from the outside, and possesses enough room to house up to five people.

In the centre is a long table, with just enough seats for every Outsider. At mealtimes, food simply appears at the table for them to help themselves, courtesy of the Hogwarts House Elves.

To the North of the circle of tents is a desk, where a uniformed wizard sits under the banner claiming "Ministry Representative." There is always someone sitting there, throughout the twenty four hours of the day, with various duties assigned - answer questions, heal injuries, remedy problems caused by accidental magic. An owl sits on a perch to his side, having delivered the Daily Prophet.

Today, on the 19th of August, there is an article pertaining to the Outsiders.

OUTSIDERS TO ATTEND HOGWARTS
Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, yesterday announced the Ministry's plan to tackle the escalating problem of Outsiders in Britain. In a move already proving to be controversial, it has been decided to allow them to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, regardless of age. Fudge asserts that this will provide the Outsiders the opportunity to learn to control the magical abilities they have gained.

"What we ask the public to consider," Fudge explained last night, "is that these Outsiders possess the same magical ability as we do, but lack the control we have learned through years of education and experience. While we are currently providing Outsiders with communal housing covering all their basic needs, the fact of the matter is that accidental magic has become a considerable problem.

"As we are yet to discover ways to return them to their homes, and indeed may remain unable to for some time, it is in their best interests to allow them to learn in a safe, controlled environment, and in the process they will learn how to integrate into magical society."

The move is supported by Professor Albus Dumbledore, current headmaster of Hogwarts, who has been making arrangements to accomodate new students to the school.

Opinions within the wizarding community have been mixed.

"I don't see why they should attend Hogwarts," said Mrs Delilah Grimshaw, 36, of Stow-on-the-Wold, whose daughter will be starting her second year at Hogwarts this September. "The things I have heard about these Outsiders, I quite frankly think it's dangerous. And after last year, my faith in the school's ability to protect its students is not as high as it once was."

Currently, Outsiders who have agreed to the offer are being housed in a camping ground on the outskirts of Hogsmeade Village. They will be entering the school at the start of the school year, on September 3rd.

Any resident here is welcome to read the paper, which contains information about the wizarding world outside of their small campground. However, their ability to actually experience much of the world is hampered significantly by the magical barriers put into place to keep them there. Even those usually able to teleport freely are unable leave its confines.

Within the barrier, however, lies the village of Hogsmeade, which Outsiders are free to visit.

All entries below this point are from the previous incarnation of the game. As Accio is starting over, they bear no relevance to the current incarnation. They are being left intact so that anyone who played previously will still be able to go back and read their old threads, for whatever reason they choose.

Thank you.