Wizards Hearts Game/Fest is underway! Starting September 1, we had over 50 players sign up to deal out some serious love to our fandom creators in the form of thoughtful comments and recs. If you haven’t signed up, it’s not too late.
❤️ Signups are open until November 15.
❤️ Rules & Faq can be found here.
Players are sorted and assigned at random to four different teams. All team activities and discussions are completely optional but can yield extra points to help win the game! There are weekly team activities and longer, creative team activities where players can imagine new, fun headcanons in the Harry Potter universe and perhaps a few stories of their own!
TEAM ACTIVITY 1: Establishing Your Wizarding Casino
What is the name of your Casino? What is the location of your establishment? What is your Casino famous for?
Check out the teams under the cut!
Team 1: Loch Lomond's Treasure
The casino Loch Lomond's Treasure is located under the lake in the Scottish Trossachs. You enter by pulling a specific branch of a tree by the lake, where a tunnel opens up to lead you down underground. The Loch Lomond's Treasure casino is famous for employing Nifflers rather than witches and wizard to care for our coin vault and protect us against the cheaters and thiefs who would take our money.
Team 2: Golden Scales
Golden Scales is located in an old dragon's den inside the top of a mountain in the Dragon’s Hoard mountain range. Complete with original dragon den furnishings, Golden Scales is accessible via both a golden elevator and three monitored apparition points.
Golden Scales is famous for many of its landmarks and attractions. Most notably, the casino, bar, and restaurant floors are home to well over a thousand miniature dragons who are overjoyed to interact with and cuddle with Golden Scales' patrons. Four of our miniature dragons were loaned to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1994 and used in the Triwizard Tournament that featured Harry Potter. At the bar, make sure to order a Queen of the Night, our signature cocktail that makes the drinker breathe fire. On your way into the casino, do make sure to stop by the dragon statue in the front lobby. Rubbing the golden ace card held by the dragon has been rumoured to bring patrons of Golden Scales good luck for over three millennia.
Team 3: Vanaheim
To enter Vanaheim you must go to a small, rundown, local pub in a rainy Scottish village called Tyche's Tavern. Once there you order a "Fortuna Major" from the bartender. They will slide your drink over to you on a special coaster, that is a portkey to our Casino. It is an ancient viking ship, sunken deep underwater. It's unplottable and impossible to find without the portkey.
Our Casino has a relic named Hofund, it is the the sword of Heimdall, it is placed in the entry way. It is both an omen of good luck, and a guarantee against cheating. Once you touch it, anyone that tries to cheat or steal from us will be cursed to sprout tentacles that break out in painful boils
Team 4: Arc En Ciel Crêperie & Wizarding Casino
Arc En Ciel looks like just a small, slightly run down, crêperie. However, it is known for selling the best crêpes in Paris and inside there is a secret entrance to the casino.
It is located on the border between muggle and wizarding paris, with the crêperie entrance in muggle Paris, and the casino in the wizarding part of the city.
It is a family business and the owner of the casino is married to the head crêpe chef (well known as the best magical crêpe chef). The chef is also nonbinary and a metamorphmagus.
To enter the casino, you have to order one of the signature wizarding crêpes. When it is brought to you, there will be a special casino chip attached to the bottom of the plate, with a sticking charm. In the upstairs hall, you will find an old marble bust. You must insert your casino chip into its open mouth and a secret passageway to the casino will open up.
The selection of magical crêpes offered is really what it is most famous for. Their signature dish are the rainbow crêpes, which will temporarily change the colour of your hair after eating.
Other crêpes include:
Mood crêpes, which change the colour of your hair according to your mood
Aura crêpes, which make your aura visible
Felix Felicis crêpes, which taste like the potion without the effects of it
Amortentia crêpes, which taste like your favourite food
Romance crêpes, which can make heart, flowers, or bubbles float around you
Spark crêpes, which make colourful sparks shoot from your mouth
Dragon crêpes, which make you breath (harmless) fire, like a dragon
Wingardium Leviosa crêpes, which make you float off the ground
Between September 1 and December 31 I took part in the @gameofdrarry Wizard Hearts fic reading fest playing for Team Vanaheim. The four suits of cards (and an optional Smut suit) had a trope assigned to each card and the goal was to read and comment on fics we haven’t read before. We also had monthly team assignments (I’ve linked the Vanaheim team assignments here).
For this survey, we had the option to answer 13 of 18 questions. As this will be long, I’ll continue under the cut.
But, before I get to the survey, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the mods for all their hard work checking our comments and spreadsheets, keeping track of points, creating and checking our assignments, and answering all the questions asked on the Discord Server ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
1.What was the first fic you read for the game/fest? Why did you choose it?
The Four Doors by fluxweed. This was a story I had planned to read for a while and was actually mid-story when I realised, ‘hey, this works for 5♦️ Memory Loss.’ This was such an interesting story (I highly recommend!) and I loved the Legilimency aspects of it as well as how the relationship between Harry and Draco developed. After the fact, I was kicking myself that I didn’t use this for Smut Suit Jack ‘Power Dynamics’ because this would have been perfect for that trope and I struggled to find another suitable fic for that trope.
2. What was the last fic you read for the game/fest? How did it feel reading 52+ fics?
Tell me the end at the beginning by harryromper. I’m a big fan of harryromper’s stories and am still making my way through their posted works, so of course I was thrilled to read this for A❤️ Healer!Draco. This story has an amazing Draco. He’s hot AF in his three-piece suits, swears in French, and the staff at St Mungo’s call him McFrosty. This was written for 25 Days of Draco and Harry 2018 and harryromper has just finished a new story for this year’s fest which I can’t wait to go and read.
I read the 52 card regular deck, the smut suit, as well as 16 Go Squid fics, so I read 81 fics in total for this fest. But I also read a lot more than that during the fest including fics that didn’t qualify for the cards or were non-Drarry (I went on a Jeddy, Scorbus and Charlie Weasley bender mid-fest).
I’d say this fest made me seek out fics that I otherwise wouldn’t have found, and it’s definitely made me a better commenter. I wouldn’t say that I read any more than usual, but I did take notes while reading so I could leave a detailed comment at the end. One side-effect of this fest is that my MFL list has grown exponentially because I added everything from the Thrice Fic List, the remaining fics from the Go Squid List and anything interesting that I found while searching for fics to fit the tropes.
3. What's a fic you think is a hidden gem and deserves more hype?
Stand Back: I’m About to Perform Archaeology by Blowfish_Diaries
I can’t say enough good things about this fic. I couldn’t read it for the cards because I’d already read it and flailed in the comments so I rec’d it for Go Squid. It’s set during Eighth Year and has the perfect combination of humour, snark, banter, Harry and Draco bonding over Harry’s shitty childhood, drinking and party games, pining, and Hung!Harry. I read this more than six months ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it. Go and read it!
Passion Cake by ICMezzo
This fic was both hilarious and beautifully written. I loved it so much I immediately wrote a rec for it. I adored Baker!Draco and his process for baking. I’m still cracking up at Harry almost serving a passion-inducing cake at Teddy’s birthday.
Haunt the corner of my eye by harryromper.
This was such a gorgeous read. I’ve read several other pieces by haryromper and just knew this would be amazing (and it was). I loved the way the story unraveled and I adore fics set inside Grimmauld Place.
4. What was your strategy for choosing fic/tropes for your reading list? Was there a fic/trope you found you simply couldn’t resist?
With a few exceptions, I started with the major cards so I’d always be able to contribute towards my team’s Royal Flush hand each week. Initially I tried to pick fics that were 50k+ and that qualified for the bonus box (Fest fic for ♣️, Multi-chap for ❤️, Before 2014 for ♦️). Eventually I had to lower the word count so I could finish the deck, but most fics I read were at least 10k+. I also tried to read something each of my teammates had written.
I’d be hard-pressed to pick just one trope I couldn’t resist, but some of my faves included: Eighth Year, Bed Sharing, Roommates, Mutual Pining, Auror Partners.
5. Was there a trope that you’ve read a lot of previously that you found uniquely presented?
Three Boxes and a Scrapbook by dracogotgame. I’ve read a fair number of bonding fics and the usual format is: Draco & Harry fighting, bonding incident, getting used to the bond, and resolution (whether that be severing the bond or living with it). I loved how dracogotgame mixed it up. We started with Harry and Draco getting divorced and Draco heading off to France. Then we see the after-effects of a year together and learn about the bond through flashbacks (many as part of the scrapbook photos). The story is so beautifully presented and I loved Bill’s presence in Harry’s life.
6. What's a line from a fic that you can't stop thinking about?
There’s a passage from Writcraft’s Slice of Life that I can’t stop thinking about:
“Harry sometimes feels like those discarded jam tarts. The ones that nobody else wanted, not perfect enough to bring out in front of guests.”
This gets me every time. It’s such a perfect metaphor to describe Harry’s life at that time and it makes me tear up every time I think about it. Then the jam tarts are woven throughout the entire fic and it’s just perfect and gorgeous. I made a rec for this fic.
Also, Harry’s love confession during Names and Dreams of Futures Past by KittyAug has stayed with me since I read the fic. I can’t stop thinking about it. The whole scene was so perfect and emotional. I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t carry on, but I do recommend it.
8. Was there a trope you’ve never read or heard of before? What did you think?
OMG yes. Magic Healing Cock was a trope I’d never heard of and yet I could immediately think of the perfect fic for it, which unfortunately I had already read, To Be Out of Your Own (and consumed by another) by Cassiara. I ended up reading The Conquering of Harry Potter’s Virginity by FantasyFiend09 which was a fun story. Surprisingly, while reading for the other tropes, I encountered several more fics that could fill the Magic Healing Cock trope. I dunno, maybe I should make a rec list or something 🤣
9. Which trope did you read that pleasantly surprised you?
I was pleasantly surprised by Vampire!fic. I love vampire stories. I love Drarry (obviously). But I haven’t read much vampire Drarry. I read Midnight in the City of a Hundred Spires by Shiftylinguini and it was sooooo good. The way they characterised vampire!Draco felt so authentic and I loved the magical theory surrounding Harry and the consequences of him being a Horcrux for so many years.
10. Is there a fic that made you laugh out loud?
Ad Pavonem by Lomonaaeren, which fittingly I read for Crack!fic. Harry as a peacock is hilarious and the whole story is so well written. I love it when an author treats crack seriously and really goes for it. I appreciated the way the story was told through both peacock-Harry’s POV (a perfect blend of animal instinct yet distinctly Harry) and Draco’s POV (I adored his observations of the peculiar peacock and later his unique understanding of peacock-Harry). I made a rec for this here.
11. What is your favourite trope and why?
It’s really hard for me to pick just one, but if I had to choose I’d go with Hogwarts Eighth Year. I love it when barriers are broken down through party games and inter-house unity, and of course I adore roommates and bedsharing. Insert humour, snark and banter, plus magical theory and I’m all in. I think at least 11 of the fics I read for the fest were set in Eighth Year.
12. Which tropes did you skip? Would you be willing to share why? If you didn’t skip a trope, was there one that gave you pause?
I considered using a wildcard in place of Smut Suit Jack: Power Dynamics. One of the things I really love about Drarry is how evenly matched they are, like the opposite sides of a coin: light and dark, magically powerful and wild vs controlled and precise. They’ve both caused each other pain and both have things to apologise for. So a power imbalance takes away what I love about Drarry and it sort of rubs me the wrong way. Balance, Imperfect by bixgirl1 would have been a perfect fit for this trope and explores the power imbalance within a Healer/Patient relationship beautifully and with sensitivity, but I’d already read it and commented. I ended up reading Rebuilding Draco Malfoy by khasael, which I found through sitp’s awesome rec lists, and I did enjoy reading it.
15. Which suit did you have the most fun reading? Why?
I enjoyed all the suits. But, if I had to pick one, I’d have to go with hearts. There are so many tropes I love in that suit including Room of Requirement, Grimmauld Place, Powerful!Harry, Crack!fic, Established Relationship, Veela, and Dragons. There were so many fics I wanted to read (and added many to my MFL list) but I tried to choose those which were multi-chaptered for the bonus point.
18. Do you have any feedback for the mods of the game/fest? Would you be interested in playing again if the opportunity arose? Share more info about your experience.
Overall I really enjoyed the fest. One complaint would be that the bonus box for Spades was “not on AO3” and I refuse to read stuff not on AO3 because: 1) I don’t want to have to create an account anywhere else, and 2) I really like the formatting (especially for mobile viewing) and tagging way better on AO3. So I would prefer if there was a different bonus option next time, but of course that’s up to you.
I really enjoyed the team activities, but it was a struggle to fit them in with all the reading, commenting and getting my own writing done. Maybe we could do with one or two less next time?
I would definitely play again, but not necessarily next year. This was a big game to play and I didn’t sign up for Fan Fair commenting because it would have felt like too much (of course I realise now I could have possibly double-dipped and used my comment for both fests). So I may play again if it’s offered next year, but I also may sit a year out. I’ll have to see where I’m at closer to September. But I would be intrigued if the tropes were mixed up a bit. I don’t mind repeats but maybe swap some out. It seemed a bit repetitive to have both Soulmates and Soulmarks, and there’s already an element of Power Dynamics with BDSM and A/B/O. I’d love to see Polyamorous Sex, Legilimency, Wandlore, Sentient Houses, Curse-Breakers (or Unspeakables).
Wizards Hearts: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Wizards Hearts Game/Fest has been running for a full month! We started things off September 1, and now have over 70 players dealing out some serious love to our fandom creators in the form of thoughtful comments and recs. If you haven’t signed up, it’s not too late.
❤️ Signups are open until November 15.
❤️ Rules & Faq can be found here.
Players are sorted and assigned at random to four different teams. All team activities and discussions are completely optional but can yield extra points to help win the game! There are weekly team activities and longer, creative team activities where players can imagine new, fun headcanons in the Harry Potter universe and perhaps a few stories of their own!
Team Activity 3: Spooky Season Celebrations and Menu Items
It's that time of year... one that is special to all ancient and magical communities. It's Halloween! The Wizarding Gambling Commission is trying to take an inventory of all of the events that will be happening this month so that we can promote accordingly. We know that you all have very unique and interesting traditions this time of year that make your establishments stand out among the others. We asked an intern to help collect this data for advertising, but unfortunately Mr. Creevey came back with almost nothing useful besides photos of famous patrons and lots of autographs. We are trying to make a deadline here and we apologize for any inconvenience. Could you please provide us with the following for the travel brochure?
What does your casino do to celebrate this time of year? Tell us about the festivities and what makes it unique to your establishment.
Also, our food and culture writer is doing a piece on the most unique food and drink specialties in the Wizarding World. We know you each have very unique menus. Would you kindly provide us with what draws patrons to your restaurant?
View the first Team Activity post here
View the second Team Activity post here
View the third Team Activity post under the cut!
Team 1: Loch Lomond’s Treasure
Team 2: Golden Scales
The Dragon Scales Casino is organising a Masquerade and Bonfire night to welcome the season. This event will take place on All Hallows' Eve, so bring your best mask and your whimsy and prepare for a magical evening. Enjoy the warmth of a bonfire lit by our dragons followed by a spectacular light show performed by them. The decor for this event has carved pumpkins with little dragons sitting inside them and a lot of warm, autumn colors. For your entertainment, we have a treasure hunt for the dragon's hoard. Each vendor has a different clue, and you must piece them all together to find the hidden prize.
We also have a spellcaster who specializes in fire spells, so come one, come all to learn a new fire spell. You can learn spells that change the color of the fire or create fantastical shapes, among many others!
At the bonfire, you can order some of our special foods and beverages.
Dragon fries - Spicy fries that make you breathe fire (not literally though)
Fire logs - Spicy meats and veg or something on the grill like a korean bbq...
Boozy S'mores - A blended concoction of chocolate ice-cream, marshmallows, generous splashes of Ogdens finest and other goodies... For that sweet, warm high.
Flaming Dragon’s Blood Cocktail - A mint and dragonfruit daiquiri cocktail with a thin layer of dragonberry rum on top lit by our miniature dragons for that flaming effect!
Dragon Bite - A shot of our secret Fireball Tequila with salt and lemon.
Dragon's hoard - chocolate pudding topped with chocolate rocks and some dragon (Cadbury) eggs in a dragon scale textured cup
And of course Queen of the night, our signature drink that makes you breathe fire, is always available.
Team 3: Vanaheim
For 364 days of the year, Vanaheim is located in a secret location on the ocean floor. But once a year, on All Hallows’ Eve, the ancient Viking ship rises to the surface for a grand celebration. Extension and Buoyancy Charms are added for additional occupancy, but our Halloween celebration is still very exclusive (please be sure to book a year in advance). On this night, the gods walk among us. Expect to brush shoulders with Thor, Loki, Baldur, Heimdall, Freya or, if you are very lucky, Odin himself. At midnight, our guests will be treated to an exceptional display of fireworks - custom made from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes - to the rousing sounds of Old Norse battle music.
For dinner you are in for a treat. Our specially bred goats (descended from the goat eaten by Thor and Loki, from which our dice were carved) are rubbed with our secret blend of herbs and spices and slow-roasted over an open fire-pit located at the stern of the ship. Thinly sliced and served with a side of roasted carrots and caramelised baby potatoes, the tender meat will melt in your mouth and bring you luck for the year to come. For dessert you will enjoy a selection of lightly spiced honey cakes.
Vanaheim brews its own mead in the Old World style. Fermented with raw honey, juniper, hibiscus and infused with special herbs, our mead is stirred with a birch totem stick, gifted from Kvasir, and chanted over throughout the brewing process to invoke the good will of the gods. When you drink our mead, you may experience some of its illuminating properties. You may find yourself noticing things about your companions that you may have overlooked - perhaps they are especially thoughtful, or have a knack for remembering birthdays - and they may notice your unique gifts in return. No matter what, our endless barrels of mead will have you feeling joyous and festive into the wee hours of the morning
Team 4: Arc en Ciel
Although Arc en Ciel Crêperie & Wizarding Casino is established in France and therefore the country does not traditionally celebrate Hallowe'en, the new manager spent some time in the United States and fell in love with the holiday, and pulls out all the stops for the Casino's guests. For the entire month of October, they hire real ghosts from around the country to haunt the casino and spook the guests (although there was one year where a ghost was caught helping a guest to cheat at cards and needed to be kicked out...it wasn't a pretty sight.) The night of All Hallow's Eve, a vampire band famous for their guitar solos performs on the main stage, and the bar serves specialty "spooky" cocktails.
For the holiday season, Arc en Ciel Crêperie & Wizarding Casino has several seasonal crêpes including a pumpkin crêpe and an apple cinnamon spice crêpe, which can be paired with specialty cocktails such as the Howling Mary Sunset or the Hot Buttered Devil Tonic.
Wizards Hearts Game/Fest has been running for a full month! We started things off September 1, and now have over 70 players dealing out some serious love to our fandom creators in the form of thoughtful comments and recs. If you haven’t signed up, it’s not too late.
❤️ Signups are open until November 15.
❤️ Rules & Faq can be found here.
Players are sorted and assigned at random to four different teams. All team activities and discussions are completely optional but can yield extra points to help win the game! There are weekly team activities and longer, creative team activities where players can imagine new, fun headcanons in the Harry Potter universe and perhaps a few stories of their own!
Team Activity 2: Filing Reports and Game Rules
Now that we've all had a moment to get to know each other and enjoy our surroundings, it appears that someone in your Casino has been causing a problem. Mundungus Fletcher needs to be escorted off the property. It's very lucky that he didn’t cause too much of a disturbance to your operation. Speaking of, what is the game your Casino is most known for? The Wizarding Gambling Commission is updating our records.
What did Mundugus Fletcher do? Please provide us with a report for our records.
Describe a game that your Casino is known for. Does it involve dice? Cards? Wagers? Something totally unique and magical?
View the first Team Activity post here
View the second Team Activity under the cut!
Team 1: Loch Lomond’s Treasure
Re: Mundungus Fletcher
Re: Game Rules
Monster's Dice, a spin on Liar's Dice but the dice are furry and monster-like. They battle each other, attack patrons occasionally, and can change patrons’ rolls. The dice have a mind of their own and won't even play the game and a player can potentially lose if they can't convince the dice to actually roll.
Team 2: Golden Scales
Re: Mundungus Fletcher
Re: Game Rules
Bluffing the Dragon :
Everyone is dealt a hand of ten cards
Each person takes a turn guessing what’s in someone else’s hand (for example, “I think person A has more red cards than black cards” or “I think person B has no diamonds” or “I think person C has at least two 4s”)
If people make a guess about your hand, it’s your job to bluff/distract/convince everyone else that the guess is nothing close to accurate
After 3 rounds of everyone guessing, everyone has to place a bet (for example, “I think person A has one of every face card” or “I think person B had only two spades” or “I think person C has no cards lower than a 5”)
Whoever is most accurate wins!
Team 3: Vanaheim
Re: Mundungus Fletcher
Mundungus Fletcher has been skulking around our casino for a long time now. Our staff has observed him stealing from us on multiple occasions. Interestingly, he was stealing very mundane valueless objects. It's like he can't help himself. It was brought to our attention when we saw him stealing forks and water goblets from the restaurant, but then we observed him stealing even more valueless things, like napkins. Once he began stealing toilet paper our staff came up with a weekly betting pool on what he would steal next and in what quantities. It was fun, but unfortunately the fun ended when Charlie Weasley came in and we caught him trying to steal objects Mr. Weasley touched so that he could sell them to besotted witches and wizards with a crush on the dragon tamer. We fined and reprimanded him. We later caught him hanging around Tyche's Tavern trying to accost our more famous clientele. Most recently we caught him dressed as an old woman on holiday stealing a poker chip from Harry Potter. Its value was only 1 sickle, but he was planning on selling it to a wizard in France who is infatuated with Mr.Potter. We have since warded the premises against Mr. Fletcher and he is no longer welcome in our establishment.
Re: Game Rules
Vanaheim is well known for a game that can trace its roots to its Viking Heritage. Meir is a dice game based on chance, but that involves a good deal of skill. Much like Poker it relies on lying and bluffing to win. Vanaheim has several sets of historic dice that date back to the invention of the game. The earliest wizards in these parts used these exact sets of bone dice. Legend says they were carved from the bones of the goat that Loki and Thor once enjoyed at a farmers house as guests. Over time they have broken and chipped. But they still retain the power of Thor and the mischief of Loki. Other magical properties have been added to them over the centuries. The best of which is that to preserve their luck and to ensure a fair game, they are self rolling. Additionally, they have begun to become interested in the game they are used to play, and can develop affinities for frequent players. Some say they can be heard whispering advice to the person that wields them regarding their wagers and their thoughts about whether or not to bluff. No one is quite certain when they became sentient, but any player at Vanaheim knows it is to their advantage to make friends with the dice as they have been playing this game longer than any wizard alive and their advice is always spot on.
Team 4: Arc en Ciel
Re: Mundungus Fletcher
Mundugus Fletcher was caught in Arc en Ciel Crêperie & Wizarding Casino attempting to switch out the decks at one of the tables with a deck that would always provide him with a winning hand. However, the Charm he cast on the deck backfired on him and caused all players at the table to have the same winning hand, and he was caught while shouting at the employee at the table that they had rigged the cards, and he was supposed to win the round.
Re: Game Rules
Arc en Ciel Crêperie & Wizarding Casino is most famous for their Wizarding game of Farkle, a dice game involving six dice and the goal of the game is to be the first to reach 10,000 points. The dice will sometimes shift and change of their own accord, to the players' success or failure at equal measure. The probability of risk in either direction is a thrill, and one players who are high risk takers enjoy immensely.
Wizards Hearts Game/Fest ran for a full four months, and is now officially over, though we are ever appreciative towards our readers for spreading love to Drarry fics old and new, short and long. 900 comments were left as a result of the game.
Players were sorted and assigned at random to four different teams. All team activities and discussions were completely optional but could yield extra points to help win the game! There were weekly team activities and longer, creative team activities where players could imagine new, fun headcanons in the Harry Potter universe and perhaps a few stories of their own!
Throughout the game, creatures were directed to create their own magical casinos, including locations, menu, games played in the bounds, and other fun activities!
This is the information gathered by our Team 3, self-designated as the casino ‘Vanaheim’.
Activity 1
To enter Vanaheim you must go to a small, rundown, local pub in a rainy Scottish village called Tyche’s Tavern. Once there you order a “Fortuna Major” from the bartender. They will slide your drink over to you on a special coaster, that is a portkey to our Casino. It is an ancient viking ship, sunken deep underwater. It’s unplottable and impossible to find without the portkey.
Our Casino has a relic named Hofund, it is the the sword of Heimdall, it is placed in the entry way. It is both an omen of good luck, and a guarantee against cheating. Once you touch it, anyone that tries to cheat or steal from us will be cursed to sprout tentacles that break out in painful boils
Activity 2
Re: Mundungus Fletcher
Mundungus Fletcher has been skulking around our casino for a long time now. Our staff has observed him stealing from us on multiple occasions. Interestingly, he was stealing very mundane valueless objects. It’s like he can’t help himself. It was brought to our attention when we saw him stealing forks and water goblets from the restaurant, but then we observed him stealing even more valueless things, like napkins. Once he began stealing toilet paper our staff came up with a weekly betting pool on what he would steal next and in what quantities. It was fun, but unfortunately the fun ended when Charlie Weasley came in and we caught him trying to steal objects Mr. Weasley touched so that he could sell them to besotted witches and wizards with a crush on the dragon tamer. We fined and reprimanded him. We later caught him hanging around Tyche’s Tavern trying to accost our more famous clientele. Most recently we caught him dressed as an old woman on holiday stealing a poker chip from Harry Potter. Its value was only 1 sickle, but he was planning on selling it to a wizard in France who is infatuated with Mr.Potter. We have since warded the premises against Mr. Fletcher and he is no longer welcome in our establishment.
Re: Game Rules
Vanaheim is well known for a game that can trace its roots to its Viking Heritage. Meir is a dice game based on chance, but that involves a good deal of skill. Much like Poker it relies on lying and bluffing to win. Vanaheim has several sets of historic dice that date back to the invention of the game. The earliest wizards in these parts used these exact sets of bone dice. Legend says they were carved from the bones of the goat that Loki and Thor once enjoyed at a farmers house as guests. Over time they have broken and chipped. But they still retain the power of Thor and the mischief of Loki. Other magical properties have been added to them over the centuries. The best of which is that to preserve their luck and to ensure a fair game, they are self rolling. Additionally, they have begun to become interested in the game they are used to play, and can develop affinities for frequent players. Some say they can be heard whispering advice to the person that wields them regarding their wagers and their thoughts about whether or not to bluff. No one is quite certain when they became sentient, but any player at Vanaheim knows it is to their advantage to make friends with the dice as they have been playing this game longer than any wizard alive and their advice is always spot on.
Activity 3
For 364 days of the year, Vanaheim is located in a secret location on the ocean floor. But once a year, on All Hallows’ Eve, the ancient Viking ship rises to the surface for a grand celebration. Extension and Buoyancy Charms are added for additional occupancy, but our Halloween celebration is still very exclusive (please be sure to book a year in advance). On this night, the gods walk among us. Expect to brush shoulders with Thor, Loki, Baldur, Heimdall, Freya or, if you are very lucky, Odin himself. At midnight, our guests will be treated to an exceptional display of fireworks - custom made from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes - to the rousing sounds of Old Norse battle music.
For dinner you are in for a treat. Our specially bred goats (descended from the goat eaten by Thor and Loki, from which our dice were carved) are rubbed with our secret blend of herbs and spices and slow-roasted over an open fire-pit located at the stern of the ship. Thinly sliced and served with a side of roasted carrots and caramelised baby potatoes, the tender meat will melt in your mouth and bring you luck for the year to come. For dessert you will enjoy a selection of lightly spiced honey cakes.
Vanaheim brews its own mead in the Old World style. Fermented with raw honey, juniper, hibiscus and infused with special herbs, our mead is stirred with a birch totem stick, gifted from Kvasir, and chanted over throughout the brewing process to invoke the good will of the gods. When you drink our mead, you may experience some of its illuminating properties. You may find yourself noticing things about your companions that you may have overlooked - perhaps they are especially thoughtful, or have a knack for remembering birthdays - and they may notice your unique gifts in return. No matter what, our endless barrels of mead will have you feeling joyous and festive into the wee hours of the morning
Activity 4
Written by Vanaheim, about Loch Lomond’s Treasure
Written by Loch Lomond’s Treasure, about Vanaheim
Activity 5
It was stiflingly hot inside the infamous Vanaheim Casino, and the glamour Romilda wore didn’t help matters much since it clogged every pore of her face, making her feeling more uncomfortable. But she didn’t dare take off her glamour and risk being detected. Ever since she’d been caught bribing Mundungus Fletcher to steal things from the more noteworthy guests, she’d been banned from the premises under threat of public humiliation.
Tonight had been dreadfully dull though. She’d had high hopes for this event, with both Harry Potter and his more than questionable choice of boyfriend, Draco Malfoy, as guests. But everything was going smoothly. Too smoothly. Not even a row over winnings or counting cards or anything, just a slow hum of voices and the occasional outcry whenever someone won at that weird dice game they insisted on playing here that she could never understand or remember the rules for.
She sighed, glancing at her wristwatch, when something caught her eye. How on earth could she have missed this? She was sure she had kept her eyes firmly on Potter the entire night, but somehow she hadn’t noticed him walking up to… to none other than the literal god and eligible bachelor Thor Odinsson. Oh, this was good. This was almost too good to be true. But where was Malfoy?
It was difficult trying to scan the room for Malfoy while simultaneously keeping track of what Potter was doing with Odinsson, but when Potter leaned into the other man, placing a hand on his big bicep and whispering in his ear, Romilda felt like she had found the thirteenth use of dragon’s blood. Surely she would get promoted after writing a story about this?
Unbelievably, it got even better when she heard a cry of rage to her right, and saw Malfoy elbow his way through the crowd towards the two men. Romilda was whispering furiously to her Quick Quotes Quill while Malfoy started having a shouting match with Potter, and even went so far as to push Potter away from Odinsson. But in her haste to get everything written down, she had forgotten to keep her glamour, and she felt it slip enough that the bouncer by the door noticed her. He’d always had a keen eye, that one, and wasn’t easily distracted by gossip-worthy fights, not even a big one like this. Luckily for her, Malfoy yanked Potter away towards the loos by grabbing his collar. She took the opportunity to slink away in the general commotion that caused, grieving that she hadn’t become an unregistered Animagus like her predecessor Rita Skeeter so she could follow the two men and see the rest of the row. By the look of Malfoy’s face, it promised to get juicy.
* * * * *
Draco pushed Potter unceremoniously into the loo and slammed the door behind them. After a quick check to make sure they were alone, he cast Colloportus and pushed Potter up against the sink.
“I saw you,” Draco growled.
Potter’s eyes widened but he didn’t move.
“In front of everyone. They were all watching their Saviour. They think I don’t deserve you.” Draco took a step closer until they were inches apart. “I saw you. Whispering in his ear, touching him, and he looked like he wanted to devour you. Make you his.”
Potter exhaled, his eyes dark. “How did that make you feel?”
Draco slid his thigh between Potter’s and crowded into his space. “Incredibly turned on. He wanted you, thought he could have you.”
“The look on your face,” Potter murmured in Draco’s ear. “I was watching you the whole time. I love it when your cheeks and neck get flushed. You’re gorgeous when you’re jealous.”
“Fuck, Potter.” Draco leaned in and brushed his lips against Harry’s jaw, kissed down his neck and Harry tilted his head to the side in encouragement. “But you’re mine, aren’t you?”
Harry’s breath hitched as Draco nipped at the sensitive spot by his ear. “All yours. You’re the only one I want.”
Draco sucked a bruise into Harry’s neck to mark what was his, then came up and claimed his lips in a searing kiss. When they broke apart, Draco had only one coherent thought on his mind. “Apparate us home. Right now.”
