Drabble Babble Challenge: Snow Edition

February 2015

It's Cold

by Iris Ixchel

It’s cold, but that’s the way I like it. As I flutter and flurry, dancing with my brothers and sisters, I drift down, down, down. It is my dream to feel the earth beneath me, to lay, crystalline, in the grass.

A gust sends me this way or that, I have no say in where I will land and instead I fall on the upper most branch of a sapling.

So close, if only a breeze could lift me and settle me on the earth.

Alas, the Sun rises. As I melt, I know I will never fulfil my dream.

Snow Day

by Prof. Scarlet Leslie

The alarm beeps obnoxiously. Your hand flops around lazily attempting to hit the snooze button. It is still dark outside... Is it time to get up already? Your phone starts ringing. Who calls this early? As you mumble a hello, an automated voice tells you that school is closed for inclement weather. It takes a few seconds to register, but then you bolt out of bed and peer out the window. A fluffy blanket of snow covers the ground. Now your dilemma of the day is whether to crawl back into bed or to head outside and build a snowman!

Snow Drought

by Polaris Black

December through February is meteorological winter and the United States is currently in the middle of a snow drought. Most cities are below average for snowfall because the coastal storm track is not conducive for big snowstorms. The big impact in the short term is on the ski industry. Snowcover also insulates crops like winter wheat from arctic cold snaps, keeping soil temperature closer to freezing rather than subzero. And mountain snow that melts in the spring and summer replenishes the water supply. One notable exception is Buffalo, New York that received more than 70 inches of lake-effect snow in November.

Element of Winter

by Prof. Silmarien Szilagyi

The snow falls from the gray sky in white flurries, resting on the ebony hair of a woman. She walks through the knee-deep snow as if it were mere air, her voluminous cloak billowing behind her in the breeze. Her pale hand upon a tree causes it to ice over. Her breath upon a blue lake freezes it. For that is her power--part of it, at least. She is the Element of Winter, cold as the ice and snow she brings.

A small smile while she admires her handiwork. Yes, this winter shall be particularly harsh for Cornwall, England.

The Snow Language Game

by Sirius Fudge (Hufflepuff)

The first day it snowed marked the dreaded day for many students. It was because of the 'snow language' imposed by the headmaster requiring students to speak cold-related terms in every sentence. Minus one point is a penalty everyone wants to not be part of.

"It is hard, like freezing hard, for everyone to speak today". Sirius spoke to Fumei.

"So you want to do this, Sirius? I can see a challenging look in your ice". Fumei responded.

"Oh, this is fun. Let's not do it fast. Let's do this snow." Amy joined in. And the three of them laughed.

Let It Snow

by Iris Ixchel

This drabble is to the tune of 'Let It Snow'

The weather outside’s delightful, though the heat can get quite frightful
In December in Oz you’ll know, there no such thing as snow
There’s no chance of it sleeting, so the last line bares repeating
In December in Oz you’ll know, there no such thing as snow
In the sweltering heat of the sun, you’ll feel like your melting away
It’s too hot to go out for, in the air conditioning we’re going to stay
When the sun goes down, the heat just sticks around
In December in Oz you’ll know, we all wish it would just bloody snow

Why I Love Snow

by Lamia Brickley (Hufflepuff)

I love snow. It looks nice when it falls down. Big snowflakes which softly falls down. It nearly floats in the air and gently touches the ground. Everything is white and looks nice. Even the dirtiest cities and places get a white and shiny cover. All the dirt is covered and the white lets everything look innocent. Sounds are attenuated and a silence lies upon the world. The only sound you hear while walking through the snow is the crunching sound of pressing snow together. Snow also is perfect to play with, building snowmen and fighting snowball fights with friends.

Magical Snow

by Prof. Tarma Black (Hufflepuff)

Magical snow. So white and clean as it falls from the sky. 'What if it didn't fall from the sky' asks the little girl as she tried to catch a flake on her tongue. 'What if it just appeared out of nowhere, not from clouds and way up high?' 'Nonsense' said the thinking adult who tried to keep snowflakes from her shoulders and hair and thought the whole thing a bunch of nonsense. 'Snow falls from the sky and from clouds.' But 'what if' said the little girl, stubbornly. They went into the house and, inside, the snow kept falling.

Playing With Snow

by Ashley Margaret (Squib)

When I was young my favorite thing to do in the winter was to play in the snow. My little brother and I would get bundled up in all of our snow attire and then we would head outside to our large backyard. We spent hour upon hour outside frolicking in the snow. We sled down the steep hill, attempted to build a snowman, made snow angels, and even had snowball fights. It was not until we could feel the freezing cold snow through our gloves that we would go inside to have a nice warm mug of hot chocolate.

The Sett Problem

by Sirius Fudge (Hufflepuff)

There were many superstitions surrounding the Hufflepuff Common Room. From being the only common room Harry hadn't entered to being warm all year, many would not be sure what's true and what's not. There is one thing to be sure and that is to test it yourself. I wish I didn't.

It was one winter last year when we decided to test the level of warmth of the Sett in the winter. I carried heaps of snow into the castle. The moment I stepped inside the common room, the snow became water and I was soaked. Never again, I thought.

Not Your Usual Snowboarder

by Polaris Black

Amy Purdy was 19 years old when she lost both her legs below the knees to Neisseria meningitis, a bacterial disease that affects circulation. The avid amateur snowboarder was devastated until she discovered a life-changing prosthetic leg equipped with shocks and springs. After she met Daniel Gale, they founded Adaptive Action Sports, a non-profit that provides training and opportunities for disabled athletes. And last year she danced her way to the finale of Dancing with the Stars just weeks after snowboarding to a bronze medal at the Sochi Paralympics. She writes, “My legs haven't disabled me. If anything, they've enabled me."

Snowfall Logic

by Prof. Scarlet Leslie

One night, friends wearing unique color and patterned pajamas discuss snowfall received back home (21 inches was the most.) The five are Charlotte, purple pajamas, tartan pattern, and recipients of 14 and 18 inches of snow. Argyle pattern received two more inches than the person in orange. Sophia wasn't the girl wearing plaid - neither received 16 inches of snow. Two wore paisley: Zoe and the one wearing blue. The girl in green got four more inches of snow than the one in orange. Grace had less snow than Julia, but more than Zoe. Red pajamas got 19 inches of snow.

Snowflakes

by Ashley Margaret (Squib)

Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some say that no two snowflakes are alike and that each one has its own unique design that makes it special. Humans are very much like snowflakes. Just like every snowflake is different, every individual is unique. Every human is a different shape and size. People are of different religions and ethnicities. Everyone has different thoughts, feelings, perspectives, and characteristics. These differences are what make everyone who they are. Every human, just like every snowflake, is original and unique. It is these differences that make every snowflake, and every human, special.