03-16-2016, 11:36 AM
SOCIAL EVENTS
Attending any of these is free, as in no tickets sold.
HALLOWEEN DANCE is an annual social event made up for this roleplaying game's universe, and held since 1920. It commences at 19:00 on the 31st of October and ends at 01:00 the following night. It's in the Great Hall where of course the House tables have been removed. This event is open for students of all ages. So this is the one night of the year when no one has to be in their House by nine, but instead by 01:30 – a half an hour after the event has ended.
During the event there's at least three staff members supervising in the Great Hall area at all times.
Students and the staff members may dress up in Halloween costumes as long as they're appropriate, meaning not overly sexualised or ethnically or religiously offensive. A costume is not mandatory - but if you want one and are one of those who never get around to anything early, there's countless of costumes being sold in Hogsmeade around this time of the year. (But remember that only third-years and older are allowed to attend the trips to Hogsmeade and even them only if they provide a permission note from their parent or guardian to their Head of House.) The school does not offer any costumes.
But all kinds of creepy snacks are available, but only snack food as we already had a full-blown Halloween Feast earlier this evening. They're normal eatable snacks, just either cooked or enchanted in various ways to suit the theme of Halloween. Free candy, too, of course.
There's no live music unless a talented student wants to provide some. (The school's Choir already performed a song at the beginning of the Halloween Feast so they won't perform here.) But a big pile of vinyl records, (and compact cassettes & compact discs if set in the appropriate era), are available next to an LP player and a stereo system. Most of the selection is from wizarding artists, but also some muggle artists' recordings are available – most self-made mixed albums to keep the music appropriately themed. The records are protected with several spells, against stealing.
There's also magically arranged entertainment all through the event, which I leave up to players with a guideline that don't vision anything a responsible Headmaster & staff wouldn't allow. The school does not offer tools for tricks or pranking, so if you want to do any of that you must arrange it yourself.
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SPRING DANCE is an annual social event made up for this roleplaying game's universe, and held since 1850. It commences at 18:30 on the last day before Easter Holiday and ends at midnight. It's in the Great Hall where of course the House tables have been removed. Formal dress is recommended but not mandatory. Snacks and music available, though not live music.
This event is open only for third-year students and older. First and second year students aren't allowed in, they can't even be invited and should be and remain inside their Houses by nine-o-clock as usual. (Of course it doesn't mean they couldn't try and crash this party.) This because it's highly unlikely a pre-pubescent child would be interested in a normal dance event anyway plus the school wanted to dedicate an event for the teenagers alone.
During the event there's at least three staff members supervising in the Great Hall area at all times.
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YULE BALL happens only in relation to the Triwizard Tournament. Which was discontinued in 1792 because of the high death toll it caused. It was reinstated in 1994, the year Harry Potter was tricked to compete in it. From that year on the Tournament was held every five years just like it used to be, each time in a different school rotating between the three largest wizarding schools in Europe.
Thus, the Yule Ball is held every five years on Christmas Day, in the evening from 20:00 to 02:00, and does not always happen at Hogwarts. Unless the two other schools are unable to host the event, it's unlikely that the same school would be doing so twice in a row. So unless stated otherwise here, the Yule Ball is held at Hogwarts every fifteen years from 1294 until the discontinuation of the whole thing in 1792. And after the reinstatement, the modern day Yule Balls at Hogwarts would be in 1994, 2009, 2024, 2039...etc.
It's a dance, snacks are available, and usually one or two of the more or less popular artists or bands in the wizarding society has agreed to perform for the night. Only fourth year students and older are automatically allowed to attend. Younger students are let in only if they provide an invitation from an older student. Of course the Triwizard Champions, the students who are competing in the tournament, are obligated to attend with a partner. The Ball commences with them beginning to dance.
Any student not attending/invited, should be and remain in their House by nine-a-clock as usual.
At Hogwarts it's held in the Great Hall where the tables have been removed and a stage has been set. Wearing formal clothing is mandatory for attendance.
During the event there's at least three staff members supervising in the Great Hall area at all times.
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Feel free to suggest more social events, be they annual or not. Of course, too many annual social events is too many - but there might be room for one or two more if it was different enough from the others as in certainly not another dance. As always, suggestions can be left in the Suggestions & Questions board, Chatbox or Discord.