WELCOME

[Charles Edmund Johnson]

Charlie hadn’t eaten at all that day. There was no real reason for this; he could have taken time to eat. He simply had not. So sans his usual feeding mates, the Seventh Year strolled into the Great Hall for an early dinner. As he walked to the center of the fairly empty table, the Hufflepuff caught sight of a few second years who seemed to be practicing spells. “I wouldn’t do that at the table, you lot. Professors don’t like interrupting their meals to come cart you to the Infirmary.” The small gaggle looked up to him, two were crestfallen; the others couldn’t care less. Charlie shrugged, “Burn all your body hair off then, but don’t say Cousin Charlie didn’t warn you.” He sure had warned them. The blonde was only trying to help. Sitting down he wondered if he and his friends would have stopped because some older boy had advised them against it. Nope. With a smile the boy waited for his food to appear.

He and his friends never had any burn incidents, but that wasn’t to say they hadn’t had their fair share of mishaps. It didn’t bother them though. They would write it off as a ‘learning experience’, regardless of whether it actually was. Usually it was not a learning experience but it would serve as a comical story later in life, if not the next day. Charlie put his napkin on his laugh and wondered how long it would be before either his brother or Quintus Lovegood came in. He and the latter had an interesting conversation via note that resulted in the prospect of gathering knowledge about birds and the like. The three of them were going to write down what they know, and Charlie even figured they could pose questions and experiment in order to answer them. Charlie had even found them matching leather diaries. One for each of them, and then one big one for them all to scribe in at the end of the night. Then one day, they’d be the masters of love – or at least able to get a date.

A loud ‘boom’ sounded from the left of him, Charlie turned to see that one of the second years had exploded the pheasant on their plate; the table around still smoking, pheasant hanging off their robes – no eyebrows in sight. And Charlie was sure if he went over to look that their arms would too be hairless. One of the little ones caught his eye. Charlie lifted his glass and sent him an ‘I told you so,’ look. Maybe Charlie should be compiling a book about baffles at Hogwarts. But the fun wouldn’t be there, nor would it serve use to him. Besides, those kids didn’t listen to him, so why would anyone else? No. Let them burn themselves, fall in holes, skin their knees, relocate their fingers. No one told him. And in the end he turned out alright. Charlie was sure he’d always turn out alright. Alright wasn’t as good as ‘great’ but alright worked. It was…alright.

After setting the journals on the seats of where he wanted his friends to sit, Charlie scribbled out an ‘come for the early bird special’ note for both Quintus and Chase. He waved down one of the owls that sat at the front of the room for deliveries. “Alright, Chase Johnson,” he said holding up one note, “Quintus Lovegood, peck them until they look like they’re heading this way.” He tied the notes to the owls legs and sent it on its way. They’d come soon enough, and he was ready.

[CHASE BRYANT JOHNSON]

Chase Johnson was absolutely tired. He had three exams back-to-back, two essays to write in advanced Transfigurations, and he had a headache the size of a Noregian Ridgeback. Dropping his quill and the book on the ground next to him, he rested the back of his head against the tree trunk and began massaging his temples. Now he knew what it felt like to leave things to the last minute. He was hoping that he could save the current essay he was working on for the weekend since the professor said it wasn't due until Monday, but since the professor was going to be gone on Monday, he expected everyone to turn it by tomorrow morning. Eyes fixed on the three foot essay about the Euphoria Elixir and how to make it, Chase grew mad because he had about another three or so feet to go and his stomach was growling because he hadn't eaten since lunch and had planned on not eating again till the paper was complete.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Johnson grabbed his quill then his book, opened another book to a folded page, and began writing again. Times like this he wished his brother was in the same class or someone he knew so he could have some help with the essay, but it wasn't like that, so Chase had to suffer alone. Mumbling and grumbling the entire time he wrote, the brunette barely noticed the owl flying his way. When the winged creature landed in front of him, the seventh year Hufflepuff just waved the bird away, having no time for distractions right now. Still the animal persisted, taking to the air above Chase's head and began pecking at his shoulder. Being easily annoyed, Chase continued shooing the owl away, not bothering to look up and notice the parchment tied to its talon.

Finally, with the pecking becoming harder and Chase's temper rising to the point where he wanted to kill the delivery animal, he looked up, grabbed the note attached to the animal and read the rolled up parchment. It was a note from his brother asking him to meet him in the Great Hall. Rolling his eyes, baby Johnson gathered his things in his book bag, stood up and dusted his bottom before heading back inside. "This better be worth it," He mumbled to himself walking along the gravel path. As much as he adored his brother, sometimes Chase wished his brother didn't have such shitty timing. Of all times, when he was in the middle of doing homework, Charlie wants to talk to him. But he didn't stay mad at his twin for long because as soon as he stepped inside the castle, walked across the vast foyer towards the Great Hall's entrance, and made his way down the length of the Hufflepuff table he felt his brother had something planned, especially when he saw three matching journals.

"And you send an owl to pull me away from homework - very important homework I might add - so we can gather around like little girls to write in journals because ...?" An eyebrow arched as he dropped his bag on the tabletop and sat in his assigned place. "Really, this couldn't wait ... oh, you invited Quintus as well. This has got to be good, right?" A smile crossed Chase's face as he glanced at his brother. With the three of them, surely whatever it was they were about to do was going to be exciting, it usually always was. Whenever the Johnson twins and Quintus Lovegood were together, no one ever knew what to expect with them, only that it was going to bring great laughs and memories not to forget.

[Quintus Curtis Lovegood]

“Very important home work? Merlin’s balls, you would think that you were serious about getting good marks on your N.E.W.T.S or something,” Quintus said with a smirk as he took up a place at the third journal at the Hufflepuff table. The young man’s tie was askew, his shirt untucked, and someone might think that he had been up to some very naughty activities if they didn’t know that Quintus was just a slacker when it came to getting ready for class. Truthfully it had been a really rough day in Care of Magical Creatures, which was one of two subjects that the young man actually excelled in. The blond daydreamer severely missed the days when baby unicorns were the hardest creature that they worked with. His shirt had been scorched by Fire Crabs and his fingers nibbled on when the tortoise like creatures had become greedy in taking the offered fruit from his hands. Still, it was an enjoyable class and Quintus rarely found himself daydreaming or dozing off during it. His marks were usually at the top of the class even. Sadly there was no grade for Music Club otherwise Quintus might not lower the Hufflepuff average for marks quite as much as he did.

Quintus gave the owl a treat before sending it back to its perch at the front. Each of the Johnson twins received a manly slap type hug before Quintus opened his blank journal, considering it with far more seriousness than he had ever eyed any of his text books. Soon his grey cat, the knobby kneed creature missing half of one of it’s ears and being blind in one eye hopped up onto the table as well. Quintus picked up the demanding creature and put it in his lap as he looked at the pages waiting to be filled with the lessons each of the boys learned this year.

“So, you explained the plan yet Charles? I mean, it’s bloody brilliant. It might get us killed, or at the very least slapped once or twice, but it’s fantastic really. No one has done a study of the mysterious and elusive creature known as girls before. Not like this. This is going to be on par with the greatest studies of Newt Scamander for its scope and usefulness. If I had a guide like this, I wouldn’t be single right now, I’m sure,” Quntus was still a little down about Nora and him not being a couple anymore. He had almost gotten used to the idea that he was back in the game when it seemed like it was all falling apart again. The young man tried to not show it in front of the Ravenclaw beauty though. It was still too much a sting to his pride at the moment to admit that they had broken up again. These were his two best friends and he was allowed to have a bruised ego in front of them.

[Charles Edmund Johnson]

The blond Hufflepuff waited quietly for his two companions. Every once in a while he’d reach out to straighten one of the leather bound diaries. He had already drawn a title page for them, something he hoped they admired when they folded the cover back. Drawing little things for his friends was something he enjoyed. He liked drawing comics or little scenes whenever the situation permitted. It was like a fast present. Charlie usually patient, was anxious and excited as he continued to await his friends. It was almost unbearable. So when he spotted a boy who looked remotely like him Charlie was elated; the smile on his face serving as proof. His hand beckoned Chase toward him, silently asking the boy to hurry. As the boy neared, Charlie directed him to the spot marked with the journal Charlie had already picked out for him. “S’yours,” he said. It had taken Charlie a few moments to decide which journal belonged to whom – and even longer to decide to switch them. There wasn’t much different about them. In fact you couldn’t spot any difference; still Charlie had switched them at least three times.

Charlie smiled as his brother compared their newest endeavor to a girly party. “This is a good thing. Besides, I bet your homework is nearly complete, if it isn’t just flash those pearly whites. You’re always getting away with murder, or haven’t you noticed we Johnsons has a knack for slipping out of things? And I don’t mean clothes.” The blond Johnson smiled, “Quintus and I brainstormed today, unknowingly of course, and - well I’ll explain it more in a second, because here he comes.” Just like he’d done with his brother, Charlie flagged down Quintus and directed him to his left. The air around his friend was not the one he was hoping for. It was obvious that he wasn’t as high in spirits as he. Charlie pushed him slightly, “Get in the mood.” Then he began the spiel, his eyes going from one boy to the other. “Right, these journals we guard with our lives for they are the next great experiment. We will do things each day – life and lady related things. Mainly lady related things. Each night we will decide the tasks for the following day after recording the results of that day’s experiment. It can be anything from, repeatedly complimenting a girl or offering to buy her something. We record it in our journals, and then once all of us have done that thing – doesn’t have to be on the same day just eventually – we will record our results in a professional format in our main book.”

Charlie was beaming, he felt like a ‘take charge kinda fella’. People usually didn’t see him as that sort of person but he liked playing leader; and if the books did well, he’d feel even better. Who knew the things they’d learn? “Right I’ll allow questions now but I can’t see how you’d have them. That was a pitch perfect for a king if I do say so myself.” The Hufflepuff opened up the journal placed in front of Quintus and pointed to his drawing. “That’s us, and that’s a lady walking by. Look, I’m the one with the large smile, Chase is the one with the predatory look in his eye, and you’re the bloke that looks really uncomfortable.” He nodded, another triumphant smile stretched across his face. “I even titled it too,” this time he reached across and opened Chase’s journal. “Just three blokes. S’what we are, just three blokes learning by doing. Cutting edge, boys!” Charlie wrapped his arm around Quintus’ neck and pulled the boy into a brotherly love side hug.

[CHASE BRYANT JOHNSON]

“Very important home work? Merlin’s balls, you would think that you were serious about getting good marks on your N.E.W.T.S or something,"

"As a matter of fact I am serious about getting good marks on my N.E.W.T.S, like you two should be ... instead of trying to ... whatever it is you two plan on doing with these journals..." He motioned his hand towards the journals laying out on the tabletop before grabbing a plate and piling it with his favourite foods. As the other two guys talked, he busied himself with his evening meal, listening intently to the purpose of the journals and what their task was. An eyebrow arched as he heard Quintus talk about study of girls. Study of girls? Chase tossed the other Hufflepuffs a "what the bloody hell are you talking about" look before shaking his head and looking around the Great Hall that seemed to be filled with nothing but the fairer sex all of a sudden.

"Single? When did this happen?" Last he heard, Quintus was off the market by this nice Ravenclaw lass, his ex from the previous year if the Quidditch player could remember correctly. "Nevermind that, we'll discuss it later." He added spotting the look that the crooner tried to cover up. Just as he had finished downing half of his pumpkin juice, his brother started talking more about their experiments with girls in the future. Girls - a species he tried his hardest to avoid; not because he was scared of them (maybe just a little, well, some of them at least) just he found them to be more confusing than necessary. Instead of just giving them a treat like an owl, you had to perform all these difficult tasks to please them, and sometimes the efforts you put into making them happy are taken for granted.

Chase just found, at this age, being in relationships or what have you, quite unneccesary. He preferred to concentrate on schoolwork and Quidditch, then once he graduated he'd focus on love. Looking between the two boys that sat across from him, the brunet made a puzzled face. "When are we actually going to start this little ... project? And for how long?" Of course, the youngest Johnson had to be the one to question the older blokes about their ideas and plans. Someone had to do it, otherwise the trio would have had the castle turned inside-out by now, he was sure. Dark glance scanned the dining hall once more, kind of feeling a tad bit sorry for the unsuspecting girls that would soon become their guinea pigs. At the thought of comparing the pretty girls to the small, furry creature, Chase couldn't help but smile. "Right, so ... now we move on to ...?"

[Quintus Curtis Lovegood]

“Why do I got to be the bloke who looks uncomfortable? Merlin, only in the name of study I swear,” Quintus grumbled, but the twins would know it was mostly a show. Deep in his heart, Quintus really wanted to be the suave and sophisticated crooner who could dance and sing his way into a woman’s heart. Right now Quintus was still a bit awkward and just too nice a guy. He wasn’t the sort of bloke who could tell a woman, ‘You’d regret it. Maybe not today sweetheart, but someday soon, and for the rest of your life’ or any of the other swoon-worthy things that the leading men in the movies always seemed to say at just the right time.

“Oh well, I just don’t think it’d work out with Nora. First off, she’s smarter than me. Way smarter. Which probably means she’s too smart to date me? Anyways, let’s not talk about that. This study is about finding out what girls like and how successful at chasing skirt. We’re going to singlehandedly change Hufflepuff’s reputation where it comes to the ladies. With the knowledge found in this book, or that will be found, nothing can stop us. So, what’s our first experiment and who is our first test subject?” Quintus shrugged and looked between the twins. There was something just a tad cynical in his tone. It wasn’t much, but it was there.

“Did I tell you I sang to our new T.A. for Transfiguration, Miss McGonagall? It was bloody brilliant, you should have seen me. I mean, I was good, but really I thought I was going to get detention. She didn’t seem upset though at all. Can that be an experiment? Does that count? Sadly, she didn’t flirt with me either. So maybe that’s a failure?” Quintus broke out into a grin and suddenly he was his old laughing, joking, singing self.