Anonymous Letter Left: Great Hall Edition Errand

Ah, The Great Hall. It was a place where so many Hogwarts students made some of their best memories as they sat around the large tables with friends. Alina Rosier had a different outlook as she dreaded mealtimes. Normally she could work on an assignment for school or have her head buried in a book and get by without much confrontation but other times it was constant ridicule and whispers behind her back. The worst part was trying to find a place to sit and it wasn't because of the reason some had where they had different friends in different groups; no, for her it was because she lacked a friend to sit with.

But again, was she alone in this situation? It seemed when she scanned the four long tables that everyone had someone to socialize and smile with but then again, were there others like her just camouflaged in? Perhaps. She decided that her third letter of kindness would be left in The Great Hall. During Potions, she had successfully finished her concoction early and asked to be excused temporarily to use the lavatory - only shes went up the stairs from the basement level of the castle to the ground floor and into the empty Great Hall. It seemed even bigger without anyone else in it and made her feel incredible small. Incredibly alone. Still, she looked around and decided she would place her letter on one of the long wooden benches of the second table and then scurried quickly back to Potions.

Dear Finder:
Hello to you and thank you for coming across this note. It is intended for you. Yes, YOU! It doesn't matter who you are at this school or in this world, we could all use a bit more kindness in our lives. Please continue reading. If this is of some value to you, keep it and write another to put in it's place. If it's not of any value to you, I ask that you kindly set it down and be on your way. Trust me, not everyone is lucky enough to have thoughtful words thrown their way on a daily basis.

For most people, friendship seems to come easy; for some of us, making a single friend can feel like an entire endeavor. Places like the Courtyard, Common Room, or The Great Hall can be agonizing: others gathering while having conversations and sharing laughs. Here are a few tips that might help: 1) You're Not Alone - We'd like to think that everyone has a good friend that they can call on when they are in need, but that's simply not true. 2) Recognize That You Are Worth Loving - You are worthy of someone's attention and love, despite not having it at the moment. All humans are. The fact that you're still reading this letter shows you value social connection and compassion and anyone that values such things is worth loving in their own right. 3) Turn To Your Interests - Take time for yourself. Really figure out YOU. Find youre interests. Engage in your interests. Besides, maybe it will come in handy in the future. What better way to make friends than to ensure you have some personal common ground with them? 4) Smile More - So many miss what is in front of them. Look for the people who are also looking for being to smile at and smile at them. You don't have to do all the work; you just have to meet them halfway. 5) Learn to Love Your Alone Time - If you don't like being alone, try to find ways to enjoy it. Pick up a book, grab a snack, listen to your favorite music, learn a new hobby. Being alone is hard for a lot of people because we are conditioned to believe that entertainment is something that should happen in pairs or groups. If you spend any length of time with yourself, you'll come to find out that you are not bad company at all and you might even find that you like hanging out with yourself.

- Anonymous Letter Leaver

OOC Note: [Alina doesn't realize that she actually possess quite a bit of Hufflepuff qualities and eventually will be called out on it. It's through things like this that others will really start to see it. I have her using the same type of notecard and the same first paragraph for this reason too. In her mind, she just thinks of it as 'her mark on it.' However, the second paragraph of all her notes of kindness go on to different aspects. Her one in the Library talks about how the reader matters, the one in the Owlery is to help with family issues that one might have when writing home, and the one in The Great Hall is to help with a lack of friends and loneliness. Below, I've included the word count with the first paragraph removed, and this message excluded as well.
Word Count without the repeated section: 586