Who: All students and staff, plus a few spirits and perhaps an uninvited guest. Please tag your character when you comment.
What: The annual Halloween party
Where: The Ballroom.
When: 7PM to 1 AM. While the party officially ends at 1 AM, celebrations don't have to.

The hallway leading to the ballroom was dark, only dimly lit by floating candles held by ghostly hands, a levitation charm wrapped in conjuration magic. Decorations lined the walls, everything lending a still, ghostly air to the already dark and quiet school. The doors at the end of the hall opened into the decorated ballroom, swathed in tones of red and blacks, again sparsely lit. Light concentrated by the food, so attendees would be able to see what exactly they were eating, though perhaps that wasn't for the best. The food had been carefully made and cleverly charmed to look positively questionable.

Charmed ghosts hung around corners of the room, pale shadows and translucent white images that were meant to unsettle, not terrify. Along one wall lay the carefully crafted image of rows broken dolls, mingled with what looked like skeletons and a few fleshier bodies. The staff had clearly gone all out this year to infuse the room with the creepy air of Halloween. Some things looked a little too real.

The doors opened precisely at seven PM, as smoky fog rolled along the floor and eerie laughter echoed from somewhere in the rooms. Sounds and screams punctuated the halls, setting the stage for what was going to be one hell of a party.

OOC: We will be putting up time stamps for students to arrive when they wish and interact. After a bit, we will post a new thread with plot bits. Anything posted beneath that post will take place chronologically afterward, and students can react accordingly. Everyone is encouraged to attend, mingle, and be prepared.

Who: Kirsten Nordlund and OPEN
What: Kirsten takes a quick break from running.
When: Friday, after classes
Where: Outdoors
Rating: Worksafe

Not being required to try out for the Quidditch team this year was no excuse for Kirsten not to stay in shape. There wasn't much time between tryouts and the start of the season, anyway. Most of her training involved flying, but she knew that she had to do more than that to be at her best. Dressed in a bright blue hoodie over matching leggings and a fitted black tank top, she ran across a "safe" area. While the danger of the forest was intriguing, she didn't need any distractions. The Grey Path team needed to be at their best this year, and that included her. She didn't take much seriously, but Quidditch was always an exception, especially now that she was team captain.

Stopping for a minute, she took a deep breath and unzipped her hoodie. The weather was cool, but she was used to the cold, and felt kind of hot after all that running. She took out her water bottle and sipped, leaning back against the castle.

Who: Heinrich Kronenberg & Lidia Gorski
What: Pretty much have a huge fight
When: After classes on Monday.
Where: Lidia's room
Rating: PG-13. May Will get violent.

Heinrich was pissed off. Lidia had been outright avoiding him now, there was no question of it. Heinrich was incensed and immediately following his last class on Monday, taught by none other than new professor Vincenc Reznik, Heinrich stalked out toward the sixth year Dark Pat tower. He would have been pleased Vincenc was teaching, especially teaching his class, if not for the ire at Lidia crowding his mind. He knew he had to take care of this now, before it got further out of hand.

He brushed past classmates as he strode past his own room and headed for Lidia's. He didn't knock, just pushed the door open and growled two words at Lidia's roommate. "Get out." He turned dark, unfathomable eyes on Lidia, and spoke with a low cold fury, only after the roommate scuttled out. "Tell me why you've been avoiding me, and it had better be good."

Who: Matthias Fettkenheuer and OPEN
What: Matthias is getting some fresh air.
When: Thursday, July 9, after classes.
Where: Durmstrang grounds.
Rating: PG-13 for the time being.

It was five minutes after 4 o'clock and Matthias had finished classes for the day. As such, he now found himself on the Durmstrang grounds, sitting beneath a large Oak tree and relaxing against its trunk. His brain felt waterlogged from his previous hour of required study, not to mention three hours of Poisons that morning. It seemed the entire school was in crackdown mode with exams fast approaching and no matter how hard Ti tried throughout the year, the last month was always unbearably brutal. If it wasn't his studies, it was the people around him; everyone was on edge and even the most courteous words could be misconstrued.

The weather at Durmstrang today was not particularly nice; just barely 14 degrees with a cold wind blowing. Matthias repressed a shiver and looked down at the book of Magical Languages that Dahlia had given him. It had been an excellent escape for him (and a much appreciated gift), but he did not feel like opening it today. Instead, he picked up Secrets of the Darkest Art and began reading where he'd left off. It was an old book, but the magic was hardly outdated - it contained some of the darkest forms of magic known to the wizarding world. As none of the information was required for any of his courses, he didn't have to focus too hard on what he was reading, but he found his brain absorbing the words like a dry sponge; he never could quell his interest in the Dark Arts.

Who: Heinrich Kronenberg and the other fifth years!
What: Discussions about Thestrals
When: June 2nd, during Care of Magical Creatures.
Where: Outside on school grounds.
Rating: PG, maybe PG-13 depending.

Heinrich knew he'd be able to see Thestrals. The amount of times he'd watched - or assisted - Liesl in the torture and subsequent murders of half-bloods, mudbloods, or Muggle filth made it plain he'd seen death. He'd caused it. But he wasn't prepared to see how many other students in the class could see them. It stood to reason, honestly. Durmstrang was a dangerous school. People died in duels, in accidents, all manner of things. There was now an entire class of Combative Magic students who had seen Professor Radomira die, for instance.

So instead of paying attention, Heinrich spent to first few minutes of class, as the Thestrals were brought out, to scan the faces of his classmates and see who could see them, and who could not. So far his discoveries where unsurprising. He was curious to know whether Lidia could or even Dahlia, but for now, his attention was nearly everywhere at once.

Who: Heinrich Kronenberg and Brynja Aridottir
What: Practicing a bit of Combative Magic
When: Sunday afternoon
Where: One of the empty Combative Magic classrooms.

Heinrich had learned many a lesson from Vincenc Reznik. One included bewitching the dummies in the classrooms to be able to fight back. Usually he used them for swordplay, but Heinrich decided to practice Combative Magic the same way. He'd learned quite a few offensive spells and tactics through various means, including Vincenc himself. Now that he'd signed up for the dueling club, he was eager to try them out, to see how advanced he could be before he even managed to take any real classes.

And so far so good. The dummy was quick, firing a volley of unpredictable spells at Heinrich, and Heinrich was learning quickly what worked and what didn't. He had on him a bit of powerful healing potion, brewed by Lidia, just in case he was a bit too slow. But t he dummy wouldn't cast anything lethal. Heinrich wanted to practice, not die. He was doing a splendid job as well, as was evidenced by teh sounds coming from the classroom.

Who: Everyone who wants to attend
What: Annual Valentine's Day Ball
Where: The Ballroom.
When: 7PM-12 AM, Friday February 13th

The ballroom of the Durmstrang Institute was lit with perfectly achieved mood lighting. Tables were set up, but the dance floor was clear. There was a spread of food and drink, mostly leaning towards snacks and light refreshment. Dinner had only been an hour before, and the students would likely be well fed already.

Most staff members were already in attendance, setting up or otherwise making sure everything was set to go. Several students had already started trickling in, the habitual early-birds who could never arrive at any kind of event late. Some were too eager to wait after dinner, and, instead of finding ways to kill time, showed up just as the doors opened. The party would last several hours of music, dancing and food, for every student and staff member at Durmstrang to enjoy.

[OOC: Attire is semi-formal. Professors keep a watchful eye out for mischievous students. The punch will not be spiked, and any student who tries will be ejected from the party. There are children as young as eleven theoretically attending [doubtful, but possible]. Mischief is acceptable so long as it's something that won't get someone in too much trouble. I will tag this as people show up, since I'm not sure who's going. Feel free to add a tag if you get to it first].

During lunch, a gift is dropped off for Dahlia Kiesl, by school owl. There's a note that reads, "Happy birthday, Dahlia, from Heinrich."

Who: Traian Hasdeu & Heinrich Kronenberg
What: Traian is cleaning his wand in the Common Room.
When:January 29th, Evening after dinner.
Where: Fifth Year Common Room.
Rating: PG?
Status: Incomplete

Traian was bored. He was so bored, in fact, that this was the second time today that he has cleaned his wand. His school work was done to his satisfaction, his room was clean and all in order, the few pieces of weaponry he owned and dared to bring to school had not a speck of dust, nothing needed to be done. So he sat by the fire, leaving himself open to approach in a rare hope of a diversion.

He paused and held up his wand, turning it this way and that, eying it for any imperfection in the oak that should not be there. There was none, but that did not stop him from continuing to rub its length with the polishing cloth. After he was done he would be quite certain that if there was a person more of a perfectionist than himself they would be completely satisfied.

Who: All invited guests and some unexpected, those of whom can be found here.
What: The Reznik New Year's Eve Party.
Where: The Reznik Estate.
When: 7 PM to 4 AM - Wednesday, December 31st through Thursday, January 1st.


The Reznik New Year's Party was one of the social events of the season. Almost anyone who was anyone, the best and brightest of the wizarding families, would be attending and the grand ballroom was decorated accordingly. All the wreaths and boughs were freshened up and strung with fairy lights - made with only the best and brightest fairies, of course - to give the large room a soft, whimsical glow and clean winter scent. Tables were set about around the perimeter of the room to allow guests to sit and eat if they wished, while trays of hors d'oeuvres floated unobtrusively around the room to serve mingling guests.

Dalibor and Hedvika Reznik had been making the rounds through the growing crowd for about an hour, chatting with guests and greeting others as they arrived. Vincenc, dressed in staid but formal black, had been doing much of the same, while keeping an eye out for the arrival of anyone interesting. Considering who was supposed to be attending, he didn't expect to be disappointed.

Who: Heinrich Kronenberg and Dahlia Kiesl
What: Have a little discussion about privacy
When: December 9th during lunch.
Where: The dining hall

It wasn't exactly difficult to find Dahlia. She and Heinrich had the exact same schedules, the same exams, the same free time. It was easy to gather she'd be taking lunch at their usual time, and so when he spotted her at the fifth year table as he entered, he went straight for her with no hesitation.

He sat down across from her, his expression serious. "Dahlia. I think we need to have a little talk." There was no lead in, no preamble to him conversation, no opening gambits. He got straight to the point, but lowered his voice as he did. "About Lidia Gorski." He kept his hands folded in front of him, his eyes level with her nose. He wasn't taking any chances. Legilimency usually required eye-to-eye contact, or a physical connection. He wasn't giving her either.

A black owl delivers a package to Heinrich in the evening, after dinner.

Who: Heinrich Kronenberg and Ion Django Laieshi
What: Heinrich gives Django his Christmas gifts
Where: In the dining hall
When: At dinner, Wednesday December 10th.

Heinrich wasn't sure what possessed him to decide to give Ion Laieshi his Christmas gifts in person, rather than just sending it off by owl. There was no reason to need to speak to the gypsy, honestly, but Heinrich, in the spirit of the season, had tried rather hard to pick out a suitable present. Lidia had suggested getting the Rom something red, as he wore it frequently. Heinrich had heard a few rumors that the boy claimed to see spirits. His opinions aside, he used what he knew to buy something suitable.

He had to admit part of him wanted to see the expression on the boy's face when he saw his presents. Part of him just wanted to see the boy's expression when he realized Heinrich was the one who'd been given his name for the gift exchange. He was certain the boy would expect an unpleasant gift and the thought made him smirk.

Heinrich approached Laieshi at dinner, leaving his place at the table to walk down to where he sat by himself. He cleared his throat by way of introduction, and announced, "Happy holidays, Laieshi. I'm your Secret Santa." He waited for the other boy's response, as he stood there holding the gifts.

Who: Sirja Kuuluvainen, Heinrich Kronenberg (OTA)
What: En route to study
When: Sunday, 29th, After dinner
Where: Hallways for starters
Rating: So far, PG.

Knowing she had a paper to put the final touches on, Sirja had eaten with the intention of heading somewhere quiet. Rarely was she ever side tracked by distractions when she had such a goal, but at this point, the paper was done well enough to the point where she was confident in the grade so a distraction would not be disastrous. She left shortly after the quick diners had made their getaway, her bag slung over one shoulder while a few books that did not fit rested comfortably in the crook of her arm.

She wasn't sure as to her destination yet; the Atrium seemed an interesting place to start. If she were to get any work done at all it had to be somewhere fairly quiet. Worse came to worse she would simply hide herself in her dorm, but the unchanging view of the dorm room did eventually lose its charm.

Who: Heinrich Kronenberg and Lidia Gorski.
What: Maybe a day of doing the dirty will help clear the air and get each other out of their systems.
When: Today, from noon until whenever.
Where: The Blaue Bären, Durmstadt.
Rating: It'll start off mild, but will definitely end up being NC-17.


Lidia arrived at the Blaue Bären inn precisely at noon. Despite never having been there before, she didn't have much trouble finding the place. It was the only inn so close to the edge of town, the large white structure framed by the forest, and the thick, towering trees gave the impression of seclusion, privacy. Which was exactly what she and Heinrich were looking for that day.

Taking a deep breath, Lidia tried to calm the fluttering of nerves in her stomach as she approached the front desk. No one knew who she was. She'd gone out of her way to dress down and change her appearance just enough to not look like herself. So there was no reason at all for her to think that anyone would recognize the girl who'd asked for a key under the name Braunstein.

All the same, with the look the witch behind the desk gave her, Lidia felt more at ease when she finally got to room 35. She was a little surprised to find that Heinrich wasn't there already, but perhaps he was running a bit late.

Trying not to dwell on the possibility that Heinrich had possibly intended to make a fool out of her from the start, Lidia decided to make herself comfortable while she waited.

The Blaue Bären, tomorrow at noon. The room's in the name of Braunstein.

I need to request a favor from you. It seems I need to find a place to rent for a day - or night - in Durmstadt. Someplace nice but not too expensive, where privacy and discretion is honored. Since I've never had occasion to seek an establishment like this, I'd need a few suggestions. Do you perhaps have any favorites you'd recommend?

--Heinrich

Who: Heinrich Kronenberg and Lidia Gorski
What: Spiked punch leads to incredibly close encounters.
Where: The atrium
When: After the Dark Path party. Initial flirting at the Halloween party led to this which led to this log.
Rating: SEX HAPPENS, pretty much right away, so let's go with NC-17.

( Awkward sex is funny and hot. xD )

Who: Heinrich Kronenberg and Vincenc Reznik
What: Have a sparring session
When: Saturday Nov 8th after lunch
Where: One of the Combative Magic classrooms.
Rating: PG. Smashing of swords, but no gore. One can only hope.

Heinrich had been off all week. He knew exactly why, and that had him even more irritable. Lidia Gorski was a constant presence, both in class and in his head. It didn't help that Johann seemed to actually like her. Johann liked precisely three people: himself, Liesl, and Vincenc. Well, four now, including Lidia, and that didn't sit well with Heinrich.

But it was Saturday, and that meant sparring with Vincenc, with the sword he'd been given for his birthday. Dressed and ready, Heinrich headed to the Combative Magic room Vincenc told him to meet him at. He needed to blow off some steam and this was a good way to do it.

Who: All Dark Path students and staff who wish to attend, plus any invited guests.
What: Dark Path party, yo.
Where: The Ballroom.
When: 11PM to 4 AM, Friday October 31st/Saturday November 1st.

One hour after the ballroom doors closed at ten PM, making sure every last student had left, Headmistress Eberhardt cast a spell on its doors and on every entrance in. No student or staff member who wasn't invited could enter the room. It didn't matter what spell a clever student tried to cast, by what method they tried to circumvent the spell, there would be no way in without an invitation. The decorations were taken down, changed, for a darker theme. The room rearranged, and in less than an hour the ballroom had been transformed.

The dance floor was still open and clear, but there was more food set up for students who would undoubtedly grow hungry before the party's end. Any dish student wanted would appear, just like in the dining hall. The doors reopened precisely at eleven PM, but would only admitted those who belonged there. As the party got under way, music filled the rooms as the night's guest showed up.

[OOC: Okay, so again the people who can attend are: Headmistress Eberhardt, Ambros Pakhunov, Mikhail Baikov, Liesl Kronenberg, Vincenc Reznik, Judita Radomira, Taavi Suullinen, Kristof Yurkovic, Heinrich Kronenberg, and Lidia Gorski. If anyone else wants to attend, feel free to come up with a way they got invited (NPC, sibling, friend, etc) and join in].