Errand Bubbles n' Troubles PV Finished

James ran down the long Hogwarts Corridor, and barged through the Kitchen doors. He was almost certain that there was a spell for cleaning dishes, so he was unsure why there was any need for the students to be washing dishes by hand, but Lark had mentioned that there’d be sickles in it for the two of them if they completed the task and he was extremely interested in getting his hands on some more Fizzing Whizbees if he could. He’d also heard about a variety of other wizard sweets that sounded incredible that he just had to try.

He’d quickly changed into an old t-shirt with Captain America on the front, staying in his uniform trousers and shoes, so that he didn’t get his uniform shirt dirty. He hoped such a thing would be ok, but the Hogwarts professors didn’t seem extremely strict about such things. There was a lot more to worry about at Hogwarts than mismatched clothes.

He grabbed an apron off the wall and sidled up next to the girl at the large metal sinks. The pile of plates was precariously high, and he figured there must have been some kind of layover from the summer camp, as some of the plates looked crusted with food so old James figured it might be able to apply for its driver’s licence.

He filled a large bucket full of dishwashing liquid and hot water and started grabbing cutlery from the pile and placing it into the bucket to soak. He left one knife free to use a scraping implement. He then began to organise the dishes into piles. Dinner plates, cereal bowls, dessert dishes, pots and pans. Everything started to look significantly less daunting when placed in order. James wasn’t usually one for order. Not that he didn’t appreciate a tidy space, but his mind was usually elsewhere and so when it came to ordering his room or his study-space he turned into a cyclone, things would be strewn across the room in minutes.

He took the opportunity to talk to Lark, “So, uh – have you thought any more about this Order of the Dawn idea?” he said, as he scraped nearly an entire cake off the top of a plate and it landed with a satisfying SPLAT into the bin bellow him, “Like, what do you think we should do? I don’t know if Savannah and her friends have actually done anything yet, except for yell at a couple of student in the Library. I was wondering if we should go seek out anybody feeling lost and afraid. First year at any school can be hard, and here it’s especially difficult, you know?”
He grabbed a breakfast bowl that was filled half-way to the brim with gravy, which also had a few stray sausages floating around in it. James made a mental note to find the owner of the bowl and befriend them.

“We could be like the anti-bullies. We go out and find the weakest kids, the outcasts and stuff and just make them feel welcome, give them a sense of belonging…”

He thought back to his Mum, of all the kids at the special school and before that the adults at the Homeless shelter. Life was tough for many different people, and he knew that people like him could do something about it. He wanted so desperately to do that.

He felt like Savannah was wrong. Wrong that wizards needed to set out to protect their own. People like his Mum would be more than willing to offer services to Wizards and Muggles alike. If the Wizards didn’t have any proper social service infrastructure they could always share what was already there with the Muggles.

He wasn’t so niave to think that to repeal the statute would be easy or even necessarily very peaceful, but he simply believed that it was right.

@Lark Flaer

Word Count: 647

Almost losing grip on one of the bowls she had been scrubbing, Lark heard James burst through the doors and enter the kitchen. Rinsing the dish and placing it to dry she glanced over her shoulder and gave him a smile in greeting. When he found his way next to her she gave him a bit of a nod and wide eyed look.

"I know.. look at all of it." She huffed a bit. Truthfully she felt a bit bad having it be this much, it had been her idea to offer up the chore to her friend. Returning to the bowls in front of her in the sink she watched out of the corner of her eye. Was it okay to just bring it up, what had happened with Savannah? Friendships were so new to her Lark had no clue how to really go about any of it all. There had to be some sort of protocol. Opening her mouth hoping to break the silence, James spoke at the same time she started to ask him a question as well.

"So-"
“So, uh – have you thought any more about this Order of the Dawn idea?”

Lark watched as the boy exiled a cake from the plate he was holding. How could someone NOT finish that? What a waste. Listening to James as he continued his thought, Lark scraped a fingernail at some sort of cereal that was stuck inside of a bowl. It flung off onto the wall behind the sink. A slight dry heave as she picked it off the wall and tossed it into the drain in the other sink.

"Maybe we can keep an eye out in classes.. or even visit the library more ta study instead of in the common room? That way if anythin' does happen we can be there, even if it's ta comfort them after. Since who knows how the librarian might take us escalating it in the Library anyway." Lark thought for a moment. "Be good to have a spot for all of us to meet even? Sorta like anyone can go there if they need something or need help?" Knowing if the Professors got involved it might end poorly for both groups... let alone anger Savannah more and possibly make her want some sort of retaliation? Who knew! She had never met the girl and was rather nervous to do so.

"We could find a good spot in the library ta use? Maybe in one of the upstairs sections." Recalling the layout of the library in her mind she tried to think where would be the best place. Out of the way but easy to get to if anyone needed to sneak off without being seen or having to go too far into the library and risk running into anyone they might not want to. Lark scrubbed harder and harder at a plate as she thought about it. Why should they have to sneak about? They shouldn't have to hide... they have just as much of a right to be at Hogwarts as this Savannah.. "She should be ashamed making others feel like this..." Lark murmured through gritted teeth. Scrubbing harder and harder on the same plate almost as if she were trying to wear a hole right through it. She stopped when she realized how red her fingers had gotten, the skin starting to look a little scratched from the cloth.

"What do you think we should do?" Lark took another pile of dishes and placed them carefully into the sink, some soap bubbling up and splashing onto her apron.

WC: 583

@James McMurtrie

James thought for a moment. “Yeah, let’s meet in the Library. I don’t know what Savannah plans to do, but I’ve been hearing all these rumours of a group…”

He was silent for a moment, and grabbed another plate scraping the contents of an old roast dinner into the bin bellow him and placing it into the sink. He let himself think for a while. He wouldn’t just let himself be passive in all of this. If there were kids out there who were intent on exploring dark magic, or subjugating muggles, or just hurting other kids for no reason, he felt he had to do something about it. If he was going to learn magic, to become a powerful wizard, then he was going to make sure he used it to stand up for an protect people.

A hero… he thought, mulling the word over in his mind. Was he trying to be a hero? He hadn’t really thought of himself that way before, but that’s what he felt. The old hat had put him in Ravenclaw because he was curious and creative, but he wanted to use those skills toward something bigger. Knowledge for knowledge’s sake was not enough.

“I brought up… uh – repealing the statute of secrecy. Which – I – I know it’s probably not a great idea. But it’s- like it’s worth thinking about…”, he said, “but Savannah went crazy at me. She boiled over like a kettle. Man… there was just so much venom in her eyes. She said that muggles just destroy everything they think is different. She compared all muggles to colonisers and – yeah… it made me kind of mad. My Dad- he was in London during the second Wizarding War. So – uh- he could have died, and his parents would never have known why, just he would have disappeared you know? I’d’ve never been born! That’s shitty you know? That really did happen to a ton of people. Loads of muggles died afraid and confused because they just didn’t know…”
He frowned, thinking about how maybe muggle London could have helped in some way, if only they’d known.

He scrubbed away at several plates. His mind caught up on the people who had died in the Wizarding War. He wondered if the muggle names had been written anywhere, or if they’d just been seen as… collateral damage. There was every chance that they’d been forgotten in both the Wizarding World and the Muggle World, slipping through the cracks, where cracks should never have been.

And his heart ached for Pete…

Word Count: 426

A group? Oh boy... that made Lark nervous. It seemed like bullies ran in packs, but that was one thing if they were just doing it around school.. this might be more than just nasty looks and snide remarks.

Lark listened to her friend as he explained the situation of his run-in with Savannah. Nodding here and there she understood what he meant. It was worrisome to think about the Statuate being lifted, but at the same time Lark didnt know enough about it to really see why not. She had only been fed what her parents had told her about the Ministry and how life would be if Muggles were all aware of this other world. But... James was right. His family had been in danger during the Second War.. and maybe even the first. They had no clue what was going on and even if they had been involved were obliviated to clean up any loose ends for the Ministry. That didnt seem right... she knew how that worked... they could've even had a child or loved one killed that simply vanished forever from their life courtesy of this spell.

"She is wrong... I mean.. anyone can want ta destroy something out of fear or misunderstanding.. even Wizarding folk." Lark thought of the creatures her mother fought hard to protect when she worked at the Ministry. Years and years of research even before her time. Reading books from her parent's library even made her realize to the extent some would go to destroy anything they set their mind to, magical or not. Lark hoped that what Savannah was dealing with was something she would be able to grow out of.. they all had their problems right? But they were all so young... wouldnt that give them all the chance to find something more for themselves than hatred and fear.. The air between the two of them seemed thick and rather dismal.

Watching James, Lark wanted desperately to do something, say something to help. She wasnt sure what. Even just a comforting hug.. something. Even with the heavy subject of their conversation, Lark felt comfortable talking to the boy about it. Although, she wasn't sure she wanted to let him continue to think of it, his shoulders already seemed slumped and his gaze far off.

Looking down at the clean water that sat in the bucket between them, a smirk crept across the girl's lips. Putting her hands clasp together just under the water and letting water filter into her hands she squeezed sending a stream of water shooting at James. Quickly pretending to not have noticed, biting her lip to fight back a laugh, she hurriedly turned back to scrubbing the last of the plates. They would be finished soon and could head back up to the Commons and meet everyone for some much needed snacks.

WC: 454
@James McMurtrie
OOC: Leaving Thread Once with Chore Complete