The Lions' Den

[Roxy Black]

Welcome to the Lions' Den, where you can find all of the information you could ever want to know about Gryffindor.

This thread includes a history of the house along with comments and memories from it's current members.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart.

[SnowyHedwig112]

Hello, newbies! I am SnowyHedwig112 but you can call me Kathy.

Haha, first post in this thread! Anyways, to the point.

I've been in Gryffindor since roughly late September/early October last year, I think. I'm not exactly sure how long, too much stuff runs in my brain for me to keep detailed track.

My reaction to being in Gryffindor? Well, I must admit, I was a little dissapointed. I had thought for sure I would be in Ravenclaw, and wanted to be there too, so when I got the reply to my Sorting Quiz results from songbook99 (Karin), I have to admit I was a little sad.

But that's totally changed now. I love my house, and wouldn't change it for any other, no matter how many strange faults the Gryffindors have (e.g. being entirely too goal set, being entirely to party-like, all having a very mild mental illness that renders them not a little insane).

And I have reasons to love Gryffindor, too. There are some of the nicest, sweetest, funniest people I know in that house. We're excessively random, as you can see our mascot is a Toaster, but compared to Ravenclaw's Turnip, it's on equal footing in the level of random/weird-ness. And, though I must admit we have problems with it, when our insanity level goes a little beyond, and we are a bit too party centered, we tend to have spam problems, especially if we win the house cup for a term. Aaah...-remembers- good times...

Anyways, that's probably the same thing you've heard about the Gryffies so many times, it may bore you, but, I'm participating, and just following what Roxy told us to write!

~Kathy

[sayiansirius]

Ah, yes. The Almighty Gryffindor.

I actually joined this site when it first started and was sorted in Gryffindor, whenever that was. My biggest mistake then was not being active, because evidently I didn't know what I was missing. After the site went through contruction, I came back on May 7th, 2006 and joined again and since then, I've been an active member and I've loved every second that I spend on here.

I had actually expected to be in Gryffindor. Every online test that I've ever taken, which is alot, have sorted me in Gryffindor so I kind of expected to be a Gryffindor here also.

I love everything about Gryffindor. This house is really full of ALOT of amazing people (including the modlies who are Gryffindor). The lions are a really crazy bunch, but in a good way of course. We love to have fun but at the same time when it's time to get down to business, that is exactly what we do and maybe that's why we've won the house cup twice in a row and going for a third time.

At first, Gryffindor might seem like a hard place to fit into because of the chaos. *sniggers* Yes, we can get out of hand sometimes but this is all part of being a Gryffindor. Everyone knows each other and the unity in our house is amazing.

These are all part of being a Gryffindor and I wouldn't trade it for anything!!

~KC

NikkiSue's edit: This is one of my favorite posts by KC. It embraces his fun loving nature so nicely. Many of you probably don't know that we lost him a while back (in real life - he passed away) and so out of my respect and simply in his memory, I am leaving this post up for good.

[tc015]

Hi! I am tc015, though you can just calll me Teresa. I have an extremely long story about how I got into Gryffindor, so sorry in advance if I may bore you.

I joined the forums in August 2006. After finally figuring out who PM for the sorting quiz, I took the test. I thought I would be a shoe-in Ravenclaw. In almost every sorting quiz, I was a Ravenclaw. I didn't expect to be in Gryffindor. In fact, that was the last house I wanted to be in.

In the books, Gryffindor was made out to be some great house for all the heroes in the book. Everyone wanted to be Gryffindor because Harry was. I hated how Gryffindor got all this publicity while the other houses were left in the dark. I wanted to be a member of one of the other houses. I knew that I would be a Ravenclaw, if not a Ravenclaw then a Hufflepuff or Slytherin. I was a loyal friend so Hufflepuff made sense, and was ambitious enough to be a Slytherin. I wasn't some brave person with extraordinary abilities, so the idea that I would be sorted into Gryffindor didn't even cross my mind.

Then I got the PM with my results. I eagerly read it, and discovered that I was sorted into Gryffindor. I could not believe it. I was not brave or courageous. I did not fit the idea of a perfect Gryffindor. It amazed me that I was somehow sorted into this house. I decided to accept my fate, and have an open mind to the house.

I never realized how wrong I was. As soon as I entered the crazy hub that is Gryffindor, my opinions soon changed. I met amazing people with great personalties. I loved being part of the Lion's Den. Gryffindor was the perfect place for me. I never realized how amazing the house was.

Before I thought Gryffindor were a group of people who fought against evil. Now I now that Gryffindors are actually people who put their moral values before everything else in their life. Their courage comes not from how many battles they fought, but for how hard they stand up for their values.

Your proud lion,
Teresa

[hansolohpfrk]

I was sorted into Gryffindor as a complete surprise. I expected Ravenclaw. But I was in Gryffndor, surprisingly. And I was welcomed by everyone with open arms!

Everyone in Gryffindor is absolutely nice and happy. We are all one tight-knit family.

I have been a Gryff for EVER. About two years, to be exact.

--Hanni

[tc015]

Hi! I am Teresa, and I am back to tell you a bit about the contests on MNFF.

Gryffindor is full of amazing writers, and we showcase that talent in the various contests MNFF offers to its members. The major ones can found in the Great Hall - you have to be sorted to see them. The mod in charge is Magical Maeve(Jan). The link to the Great Hall is here: Great Hall.

The bi-monthly challenges are posted every two months. They are run by Magical Maeve(Jan). You have to write a fic based around the prompts. There are usually around six prompts, plus an extra prompt. To write something for the extra credit prompt, you must have a validated entry for one of the other prompts. The Summer Challenge is open. Here is a link to it: TriWizard Championship.

Every month, there is a one-shot challenge. These are run by Ravensgryff(Andrea). You have a one-shot based on the given prompt. They might have to do with a character, place, etc. Sumbit your one-shot to the main site. See this link for the June One-Shot: Best Patronus

In the Poetry Anyone Section of the Great Hall, you can find poetry challenges. They are run by Magical Maeve(Jan). You do not have to be a member of Poetry Anyone? user group. In these challenges, you will have to write a certain type of poem on a certain subject. The poem must be sumbitted to the main site. The newest challenge is the Rodeau Challenge. To learn more, follow this link: Rodeau

You can also find drabble challenges in the Three Broomsticks. This section of the forums is run by MithrilQuill. To see the Three Broomsticks, see here: Three Broomsticks. All drabble must be under 500 words, as they are short pieces. They are posted in the appropriate threads.

Every month, there is a drabble challenge for a certain character. The characters have been everyone from Andromeda Black to Remus Lupin. The current challenge is for Blaise Zabini. To see the June Drabble Challenge - Blaise Zabini, follow this link: Blaise

Most weeks, there is a weekly drabble challenge. The prompts range from Christmas themed to Desicions. The Weekly Drabble Challenges are taking a brief hiatus due to the Gauntlet.

The Gauntlet is one of the subforums of the Three Broomsticks. To participate in the Gauntlet, you must first pick a character. Choose any character you like and feel comfortable writing, as you will be following this character through a series of obstacles. Each Gauntlet has a specific theme. Some are dark, while others are more light-hearted. Gauntlet Round 4 has ended. To learn more about this round, click here: Gauntlet 4 Has Started.

There is also another subforum of the Three Broomstick, the Quidditch Pitch, home to the Quidditch World Cup or QWC. To view the Quidditch Pitch, follow this link: Quidditch Pitch. The QWC, run by MithrilQuill and the referees - kumydabookworm, Masked One, and Gonz. Each house team is made up of a coach and three players. The four write a Round Robin about a Quidditch match, using the prompt given. The May Challenge has begun. Sign up in your house's specific thread. The next challenge will be in September.

To learn more about other challenges, you can send the person in charge of the challenge a PM. They do not mind answering any of you questions. Feel free to ask me or any other member of Dumbledore's Navy any questions you have. We are here to help you. I'll keep this post updated with the lastest challenges and results. Best wishes, and welcome to the forums.

~ Teresa

[SnowyHedwig112]

Oh, and as a continuation of Becca's post, I just want to say, there's a thread you missed, dearie.

We also have a thread called "The Gryff Snap Cup of Love" (or something like that, forgive Kathy for her terrible memory) in which you post three good things (compliments) about the person who posted before you, and then you get three compliments by the next person who posts. It's very nice, not only because people love to receive compliments, but it develops a lot of platonic love within our house.

And yes, we tend to be a little crazy and strange when it comes to compliments, because, our house being so large, we don't know everyone. If you like, here's an example of a couple queer posts I did:

About Teresa (a.k.a. tc015):

1.) She's loves that raw fish stuff that I hate! (Shows how different we are )
2.) She sounds like a very nice person (and I'm sure you are, but I don't know you that well).
3.) Hehe...she's in Du- (KATHY'S CELL PHONE GOES OFF VERY LOUDLY SO YOU CAN'T HERE WHAT SHE'S SAYING!)

About ms weasley:

1.) Has been here longer than me, which means that she's stuck with the forums through and through!
2.) Likes...the weasley twins?
3.) A very nice person .

About Madame Marauder:

1.) Seems to be a very nice person (Sorry I don't know a lot of y'all too well)
2.) Is a PI accredited, which means she's good with grammar, which is good . Hehe, not sure if that made sense.
3.) Must love Gilderoy Lockhart very much to be standing in a line for his autograph...

Yeah. So, thought you'd like to see. We Gryffs are a little insane.

~Kathy

[hansolohpfrk]

THe Gryffs are very insane, but we have fun.

For example, the three word story is so much fun! Over there, I am known as Super Hanni and have been inserted several times. I have also developed a fetish for potatoes.

And, we are also the toasters. Yup, the toasters.

Ya see, about a year and a half ago, we (the old Gryffs will remember this) were randomly talking about the Brave Little Toaster, an animated movie where a toaster almost dies to save his friends, who are also kitchen appliances. Now, because we are just that random, and because the toaster shows such bravery, we decided to make it our second mascot.

--Hanni

[james_fanatic]

HI! *waves*

I'm Jamie, one of the newer Gryffs!

Now, for those people who are going..."Erm...yeah. That was then. But what about now?"

I'll tell you. I came here about three or four months ago, but never got it into my head to be sorted until about one or two months ago.

Really, I expected to be sorted into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. It's like me. I'm smart and dedicated to my studies. I am also really kind and a loyal friend. So, it was really shocking to be sorted into Gryffindor. It wasn't like all the other people here. They didn't want to be sorted into Gryffindor, but I did. I was really excited! I was honored to be thought brave. Because I don't think I'm brave at all.

When I made my first post in the Tower, I was sort of scared and sheepish. I didn't even introduce myself. I answered the question, and left. When I came back, there were a bunch of new posts that were welcoming me! I was really excited! It was really fun.

You guys, if you're freaked out, don't be. Some of the people in our house are some of the most kind and caring people on the Earth. If we freak you out a little bit at first, just try to push past that. (Like you could )

We are happy to have you with us, and we hope you have a good time here!

~Jamie~

[BloodRayne]

Hey there.

My story is a replica of KC's. I joined when the site first started, but I was neither social nor very active. When the new forums were made, I joined again, and now I am much more active. I'm still working on the 'social' part, though.

Anyway, my name is Hadeer. When I first took the sorting quiz, I had thought I was a shoo-in for Slytherin. I'm very ambitious, and can be sneaky when I want to. I'm a bit selfish, if I may say so. So I never thought I would get into Gryffindor. But it was a good shock. A happy one.

All right. It was April first - also known as April Fool's Day, a little fact that slipped my mind - and the Gryffindor Tower was gone. Instead, there was Sparkly-Poo. Instead of my House here, there was a huge House.

Yeah, I tried to convince myself it'd be fun to meet new people - and it would be! But I still missed the Gryffindor Tower. We're a very close group there, in my opinion, and it was hard to let all that go. (Remember, this was before I realized it was April Fool's Day.)

Did you go to MNFF and check out the prank over there? That MNFF and the Forums were closing? When I read that I almost started crying. Literally. Then I remembered it was April 1, so my heart attack didn't last long. It was a cruel joke.