Prompt: Stripped Back Celebrations

[Prof. Sky Alton]

This month in the Book Club, we’re thinking about holidays, festivities and celebrations of all descriptions. It’s little wonder: they can make for some of the most evocative scenes in literature. Who could forget the drama and glamour of the Yule Ball or the romance of Bill and Fleur’s wedding?

While it can be a delicious escape to read about a lavish party where everyone has more than enough to eat and the decorations are on point though, it’s equally powerful to read about holidays and festivities which are far simpler. Some of the most touching stories about celebrations are those that don’t go to plan, that are born out of adversity or that show people improvising from what they’ve got to hand. It’s a chance to really explore your characters ingenuity and determination to celebrate in spite of everything.

For this prompt, we’d like you to write a story/scene (at least 200 words long) about one of these celebrations. It could be a heart-warming tale of making do or just a fun account of how a character has developed their own festive tradition which might seem a bit odd to an outsider. So long as it’s HOL appropriate, it’s entirely up to you.

You’ll earn 20 beans for completing this prompt as well as it counting towards the chance to snag our shiny Quill and Ink award.

There is no deadline as such for these prompts but if you’d like it to count towards your chance of earning the award for a specific year, we’ll need it by the end of that school year. If you’re comfortable sharing, then post below. If not, email your story to us via hol.bookclub @ gmail.com (without the spaces). Oh and remember it’s a good idea to check through your piece carefully for spelling and grammatical errors as they make it harder for people to properly enjoy your work.

[Silvana Mandeville]

"Silvana." I turned slightly to the sound that came from outside my room. I shook my head and tied the letter on my owl's foot, then opened the window for it.

A hand on my shoulder made me jump up. "Who are you writing to, Silvana?" I turned around and faced the person in front of me. A girl with shoulder-length black hair, black eyes, and red lips. Her name is Aura Zsoka, my friend from Gryffindor.

"Kalel. I was just telling him that we are going now," I whispered, stood up from my seat and walked towards the wardrobe. I pulled out my cloak and got my bag.

Another friend of ours from South Korea is going to be married in two days. That's why we are going to Seoul right now, and I am going to miss the Christmas party at home.

"Let's go!" Aura said while pulling me to the door. We are going to Seoul using the Muggle way. Luckily, I grew up in the Muggle world so that I'm used to it.

"Why did he have to marry on Christmas Eve, anyway?" I asked, rolling my eyes, still wondering about Dean Park's choice of marriage date. Aura just laughed. We met Dean Park on a Summer Camp 5 years ago in London. While we may be friends, he doesn't know Aura and I are witches.

A flight to Seoul was long, I was so tired after we landed. Since Dean is rich, we are going to stay in his house.

Finally the big day came. Many people were invited to the wedding. The place was decorated with spring theme; Dean said his wife loves spring and wanted to use that on their wedding. Aside from many people and flowers which filled the room, there are also many foods. And, this is like a new experience for me as I now have a chance to try Korean Foods.

While people enjoy the party, Aura and I are sitting at our table and enjoying our foods. We didn't talk to people since we don't understand their language. We only talked to Dean and his wife. "Did you like it, Silvana?" Aura asked me while she pointed at something strange on my plate. I looked at my plate and nodded.

"What is it? I also want to try," said Aura, waiting for me to reply, and now I look like a stupid kid who can only stare at her. I eat something I don't even know its name. Actually, I don't know anything they prepared at the table, except for anything common which we also found in England. Their foods are new to me.

I laughed lightly and peered at Aura. "I don't know the name," I mumbled at her. And she nodded, told me that she also didn't like the food on her plate.

Now I have to make sure to learn more before going on to another country. Trust me and Aura to go to another country unprepared. We can make a mess of ourselves.



{Once again, thank you Prof. Tarma and Prof. Sky for being my editors.}