Friend of a Friend PV

The Hogwarts library was humongous!

Jake felt like he could stay inside there for a hundred years and he'd never see even half of the books inside. The world of Hogwarts and magic was so new and strange - it was like his storybooks had come to life - and the only way he was ever gonna find out about it was right here in this library. He had asked the librarian (after hours of working up the courage) if she could direct him to where the animal books were - he wanted to learn about that rhino thing...that was outside of the Scamander dorm bedroom.

But he had gotten a little lost in the stacks, and as he turned the corner, he almost walked into another boy. Jake blushed...he hadn't meant to almost hit into him....he hoped that he wasn't gonna be mad. The tiny Hufflepuff looked down at the ground and gave a quick wave. "H-hi," he mumbled shyly. He continued staring down at the floor, unable to look up and meet the other boys eye.

"D-do...D-do you know where the animal books are...?" he finally managed to ask softly. He hoped he wasn't gonna get bullied.

Lamik was just about to begin walking back towards the exit of the (truly humongous) library when a small boy, probably a first year, turned the corner and nearly walked straight into him. "Woah!" He said, surprised. After stepping back a step or two to avoid the collision, Lamik regained his composure and took a few seconds to look at the kid more carefully. Strangely enough, the boy seemed a bit too little to be a first year- though that detail wasn't very important. What was important is that he seemed to be extremely shy, not even looking up when he spoke.

"Hello!" Lamik said, his standard warm (yet slightly mischievous) grin on his face. Before he could introduce himself, the small boy clarified that he was searching for what he called Animal Books. "Do you mean books about animals or books that are animals?" Lamik asked. Even though he knew what the answer was, the young Gryffindor thought that it was a funny joke. "Either way- no idea. I'd gladly help you look though!" For a few moments, Lamik wondered if there really were books that were actually animals in the magical world. It definitely seemed possible, didn't it?

When Lamik answered his question, Jake looked up for the first time so shocked by what he'd heard that his mouth dropped. "There are books that are animals...?" he asked, stunned. He knew that at Hogwarts just about anything could happen. He had seen that himself - even the pictures moved...! So if the pictures could do it, why not the books too? He looked around but there were definitely no books that WERE animals here, and he didn't see any about them either.

"Um...I mean....about," Jake stammered, and then there was another long pause. His cheeks stayed red as he knew he should say something more but didn't know what. He had asked his question, so maybe he could just wait until the bigger boy answered him, but it didn't sound like he knew how to find what Jake was looking for either. "I wanted to um...I-I wanted to...th-there's an animal outside my room and I wanna know what it is." the Hufflepuff explained shyly.

The shelves of course were very large, and Jake was not, and so there were only so many shelves he could check. But they might BOTH need an older kid if they wanted to check the REALLY big stacks.

Lamik couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the boy's question. He couldn't help it- the boy was sorta adorable. "I'd think so- though Iv'e never seen any of them myself. Honestly, i'm not sure how that would even work. I suppose you can never know at Hogwarts though, can you?" Lamik said before thinking for a few moments. It really was strange how there were enchantments that made things that look like they could never have personalities seem alive. The question was: were they actually alive, or was it all just fake? Lamik held a firm belief that even the most impossible seeming magic was somehow related to science, and it would make sense for enchanted paintings to function like an A.I. on his phone would.

Pushing his thought process away though, Lamik nodded at the younger boy in front of him. "What does the animal look like?" He asked. Maybe I could help without even needing the book- though I doubt I know enough about magical animals to actually be able to recognize which ever one he's looking for with nothing but a description. "I'm Lamik, by the way. Lamik Fillestar. Weird name, I know. It's nice to meet you."

Jake shook his head. You couldn't know ANYTHING at Hogwarts. It seemed like in the magic world just about anything was possible. Hadn't Jake thought that things like ghosts and werewolves and vampires and monsters were all make-believe? And magic of course...He had never known whether to believe in it or not. He knew the storybooks he read were made up...or at least he used to. Now that magic had all come real, it seemed like just about anything might be real. There could be a book that could hop around and pant and hop and get pet, just like an animal. But if there WAS one, they would probably find it fast because it'd be the only book that was moving.

As the older boy introduced himself, Jake responded. "Um...I'm Jake Morris, it's very nice to meet you," the words were muffled and shy and rapid, like they'd been rehearsed. Jake knew how to respond to this...it was the one social rule he was good at...but talking to new people was never easy and making it sound natural was hard. Talking to other kids was scary - THEY were scary...even though this boy sounded nice. Jake fidgeted.

But as he began to talk about the animal, his voice got just a little more confident. "Well..." Jake started, his expression turning thoughtful. "I-It looks kinda like a rhino...but...its got a big bulgy horn," Jake said, holding his fists in front of his nose like a horn and expanding his fingers to demonstrate the bulbousness (though Jake didn't know that word). "L-like...like lots of lumps and bumps all over it. And on his head. S-So...So I don't think it's a rhino. I think it's something else. I thought he was sick at first...b-but...then George said he wasn't."

Though Lamik noticed Jake's nervousness he decided to ignore it. Maybe if he saw that there was nothing to be afraid of, the Hufflepuff would gain some confidence. If that didn't work though, the boy would try and ask if something was wrong. Maybe this boy wasn't just shy- maybe he was scared of something or someone specific? That was a matter that was yet to be determined though, and as much as Lamik wanted to find out, there were other things that he had to do at the moment. Namely, figuring out what animal Jake saw in his dorm room.

"A rhino. Maybe it was just really fat?" Lamik asked, only half joking. If he was right though Lamik doubted that any books would contain anything about Rhino obesity- but who knew?. The longer he though about it, the more questions the boy had. "And what do you mean it was outside your room? Is there space in the hufflepuff common room for a rhino? How would it even get inside the castle? Also- who's George?" Though he highly doubted that Jake meant a literal rhinoceros, once again; it was impossible to be sure when it came to Hogwarts.

Jake squinted, considering it for a moment, but then he shook his head. "N-no, I don't think so. Just his horn was fat...and his head kinda." The little Puff touched his face again to try to demonstrate. "Plus...he was a little bit the wrong color." The more Jake thought about it though, the more unsure he was. He had had a Pokemon game on his 3DS where when you were in another region, all of the Pokemon became alternate versions of themselves - like an Exeggutor with a giant neck. Was the magic world like that too? Was that just what rhinos looked like here?

Suddenly, Jake was being asked questions - a LOT of questions, and his eyes lowered again, his voice softening. He tried his best to answer and not look scared. "George is my bunk buddy...um...i-in the Scamander dorm. We have a window and you can see outside and...well...I think its's um...a magic window," Jake said, realizing as he said it that it sounded kind of silly. "I-It...It doesn't look like our outside...there's lots of grass...and there's all these animals there. And the rhinos. So...So um..." he trailed off, going quiet, suddenly realizing how much talking he had just done. He looked up once more to meet Lamik's eyes trying to read his expression and what he thought of him and what he was going to do or say. Jake squirmed anxiously but forced himself to finish. "S-So...So I need a book of animals...I got one at home but...it only has regular animals...not magic ones."

Lamik sighed. "I really dont know then, sorry." Before he could suggest that they start searching though, the boy realized that he was wrong. "Hang on-" he said, putting a hand on the back of his head. "No, I do know! I read about an animal like that in my copy of Fantastic Beasts! Its name starts with an E. A Eruompeng? Elemphunt?" Lamik squeezed his eyes shut for a few moments, trying to remember the name that he had read. Opening them again, he shook his head. "I cant remember." The Gryffindor said with a dissapointed look. "If you want, I can run to my dorm and bring it back here. That would definitely be easier then going through all of these books." Lamik wasnt sure if that was true, but what he was sure of is that it would be funner. Besides, if it was his copy, he would have an excuse to stay with Jake and chat some more. It would be nice to have more friends from Hufflepuff, and this boy seemed nice. A bit shy and quiet, sure, but that was something that Lamik would gladly get to work on if he was given the chance.

Jake wasn't surprised that Lamik didn't know what the creature was, but he WAS surprised when suddenly it seemed like he DID know after all. And not only that, but he had the book that would give them the answer, right inside his very room.

When he asked if Jake wanted to wait for him to get it, Jake looked up at him hesitant and unsure. He was still feeling shy and wasn't sure if it was a good idea to keep talking to this boy, but...for some reason Jake felt like he liked him and like he was nice and maybe it would ok to talk a little longer. He had a nice smile and kind eyes and Jake found himself feeling a little less afraid. If he did keep talking though...how long until Jake said something dumb or embarrassing or messed everything up? How long until he said something that Lamik was going to tease him about...? It was dangerous to keep talking but...

"Okay...I'll wait here..." Jake said finally, taking a seat with his back against the bookcase. "A-and, when ya come back w-we can read it..."

And he WOULD wait, until the other boy came back, no matter how long that took. He would find an answer to his mystery then. Some part of Jake that he didn't realize was there perhaps even longed to make a friend.