The Badger and the Lion PV Nora Doyle

Nora was used to being the one to initiate most conversations, especially with people she did not know, so she was usually caught by surprise when someone else approached her first. Surprised, but also usually pleased. Nora was a social butterfly, friendly and open. In this new season of her life, her expectations to make friends and start anew were through the roof, so there’s little left to say about how she felt when someone approached her offering help.

Oh, hi! Yes! I could definitely use some help finding my way around here... she replied with her usual smile, though she still looked a bit lost.

You see... the stairs keep changing... I don’t really know where anything is, and it’s really hard to learn when there isn’t one path I can memorize to get to each place. You know what I mean? It’s all cool and fun until you actually want to go somewhere. For starters — where’s the library? I’m sure there is one, right? I was thinking about reading a bit more about Hogwarts’ houses now that I’m in one and know so little about it. But I’d like to learn more about the other houses too. My mother always says that a good way to learn what something is, is to also learn what it’s not. Does that make sense? Oh boy... I’m talking too much... I’m Nora, Nora Doyle. New to Hogwarts, new to magic, new to... everything around here...

Then she quickly forced her mouth shut and stared back at her new friend, hoping she hadn’t come across as a crazy person who wouldn’t stop talking. She did like to talk and had a hard time keeping her thoughts to herself at times, but she talked even more when she was nervous. And she was... a bit nervous.

Interacting with: @Nora Doyle Mentioning: N/A Date: 11/03/25

Word Count: 507

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Avery smiled again. She knew that feeling. The first year. There had been many times that she'd found herself lost in the castle. Until she found her way, of course. It only took time to figure things out. Avery had learned that the hard way. Though sometimes learning things later was better than learning them right away. It gave time for whatever was to be figured out to mature or the person receiving the problem would mature. "I understand. When I was at the start of my first year, I got lost all the time. Must be a first year thing." Avery grinned. Hoping to lighten the mood and bring a smile to the girl's face. Avery listened intently as the girl talked. Knowing that the castle could be confusing to people who had never seen magic before. Avery guessed the girl had probably grown up in a muggle home and never even heard of Hogwarts or real magic until she had received her letter. Avery had many friends that had a similar situation when they'd first started at Hogwarts, and she had others that were like her. Friends that had grown up around magic, and like her, didn't know much of the muggle world. "Completely understandable. Not to be rude, but I presume that you grew up in a muggle home? From what I've seen, most kids that grow up in muggle homes are usually pretty confused about anything magic. That's where I can help. I grew up around magic, so the moving stairs are normal compared to some things I've seen. How about I show you to the library and give you some insight on the Hogwarts houses? And don't worry about talking so much. I've always learned that the best way to learn is by asking questions." Avery smiled. Knowing that she had learned many things just from asking simple questions just like Nora had. As Avery awaited her response, she thought back to her first year. The first full day at Hogwarts where she had been completely lost. That was the day that she'd met Ava. A girl she hadn't seen in a long time, but a girl she would never forget. She was the first person Avery had ever talked to at Hogwarts. She wasn't her first friend though. Her best friend Lya and her had met on the train ride to Hogwarts. That was what had sparked their friendship into a lasting bond. Unbreakable in Avery's eyes. She hadn't seen her best friend lately. Avery knew just from that that something was bothering her. Though she hadn't confided in her best friend since the summer, she knew just by the radio silence that something must have happened. Lya wasn't one to go off alone without at least someone with her. That's what raised the alarms in Avery's mind. She made a mental note to check up on her best friend soon. For both their sake. She couldn't risk losing her best friend. Not when she had already lost so many people.

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It couldn't have gone any better! Someone who knew her way around and was willing to help had approached Nora before she even asked. Someone who noticed her! That was so cool, and different. Nora was usually the one observing others, the one who cared, the one who took initiative. What a nice but strange feeling to be on the other side of that conversation. She decided she liked it! She also thought she was very lucky, because being the new girl anywhere could be tough. She knew that from the time when her family moved to London, and again when they moved back to Edinburgh. It was nice to have a fresh start, it wasn’t nice to be the only one who didn’t know things, who was always asking questions everyone else already had the answers to. She always braved herself forward, never letting it make her think less of herself or give up. But it took some energy, and she was starting to get a bit tired of starting over.

"Yes," said Nora, slightly embarrassed, "my parents are Muggles." Then she realized she had said that in a tone that might have sounded like disappointment, so she quickly tried to fix it. "But they are awesome!"

Nora shook her head a bit, like someone who had lost track of what she wanted to say and just got back on it. "Anyway... I have so many questions! For starters, how do I know where to go when I have my first classes? I'm really worried about being late! I hate being late..."

And there went her mind again, wandering through memories of being late for different things. This was not uncommon for her, to go down rabbit trails, one thought leading to another, and another, and another. She often had to push herself to get hold of her mind and focus.

Her dreamy eyes refocused with another shake of her head and a blink.

"Sorry... I just thought of something that didn’t matter. Yes! Show me where the library is. We can talk on the way there. I'm Nora, Nora Doyle. I'm in Hufflepuff." she said before they both started walking. "So far, I love it!" she continued. "But I've noticed people have different reactions when someone says they’re in that house. So I was wondering... aren’t they all, in a way, the same? I know they’re different somehow, but how so? And does it really matter which house you end up in?"

Little did she know she had just opened a can of worms, and that this second question would lead to a much longer conversation and many others as well. Time would tell how much it mattered which house Nora was in, and how much who she was, and who she would become would be shaped by it. The next seven years of her life would determine her path and destination. Above all, the people she surrounded herself with would be a key influence on the most important choices of her life…

Interacting with: @Nora Doyle Mentioning: N/A Date: 11/03/25

Word Count: 638

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"That's so cool that you have muggle parents! Muggles have so many fascinating objects. I grew up in a pureblood family, so I grew up around magic and all this." Avery smiled as she motioned to the moving staircase. It really was just normal for Avery. She had always forgotten when she had first arrived that many muggleborns and even a few half-bloods had never seen anything like Hogwarts before. Though it was a very magical place, and even Avery was amazed at some of the magical things she had found that she'd never heard of over the past year. Avery knew the girl's worries were valid. Never a problem even for the oldest students at Hogwarts. Sometimes people needed to learn about new things and sometimes people just needed a refresher. Either way, Avery didn't mind. "Well, it's fine that you don't know where all the classes are yet. It's honestly quite simple once you get used to it. I could make a list of which class is on which floor if you'd like. Though if you ever forget, follow the crowd of first years. Especially the ones in the same house as you." She explained. Hoping what she had said made sense. The houses. Something Avery knew ran deeper than just showing off your pride by wearing the colors. She knew that when the sorting hat chose a house, it dug deeply into the person. Looking at who they were and what their core motivation was. Ambition. Loyalty. Knowledge. Bravery. Each house was unique yet similar in their own ways. Yet they were each different when looked deeply into. Avery had done research in the past about the houses. Curious to know why they were what they were and she was amazed at how much she learned just from digging into the history. Avery had learned that sometimes the hat chose things that people didn't see in themselves. There were times that Avery had heard her friends say and even questioned herself why they had gotten one house over another. So many of her friends resembled the traits of other houses on the outside, but on the inside? Well, deep down she knew their houses were picked for a reason. A reason most likely not widely known to many. A reason so deep that only the innermost part of yourself would reveal it. "I'll explain this as we head to the library as it is a bit complicated in my opinion." Avery said with a smile as she began to walk towards the direction of the library. "To start off everything, yes. The houses in a way are similar, yet they are far from the exact same. Each house represents a different part of someone. Knowledge for Ravenclaws, ambition for Slytherins, bravery for Gryffindors, and loyalty for Hufflepuffs. Now, you may think these are all the same, but they really aren't. Upon closer examination, I've come to find that it does matter which house you get. Each house represents a piece of someone that even they may not see in themselves. It's almost as if when the sorting hat chooses your house that it looks at the deepest core part of you and makes the decision based on that. Though I always wonder what the sorting hat sees in every one of us. What piece of our core assisted in the choosing of our specific house? Though I may never find the answers in my lifetime, I hope one day that someone will know the truth of what the sorting hat sees in ourselves that even we may not see." Avery hoped she hadn't bored the girl with her explanation. It was long and complicated. Running much deeper than what she had mentioned. If anything she had probably only scratched the surface of a long history.

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It had never occurred to Nora that wizards or witches might find the Muggle world, or anything about Muggles, interesting in any way. That was quite a surprise. It helped her relax a bit about having Muggle parents. The whole conversation with Avery seemed to have that effect on her. Nora felt more confident and less pressured to figure things out so quickly. She realized it would take time for all of it to feel familiar.

It was okay to be the only witch in her family. It was okay to be starting with magic just now. It was okay to be where she was and to feel the way she felt. But she didn’t have to stay in some of those feelings. She needed that reassurance. Nora was usually very positive and full of life, but sometimes she needed a little push when she fell into the pit of anxiety. It didn’t happen often, but it did happen sometimes. She was very thankful to have met someone who gave her that push when she needed it.

Avery seemed like such a nice person to be around. There was a steady presence in the way she explained things. She didn’t just tell people things. She acknowledged them, choosing her words and tone carefully to address what wasn’t said out loud. As she answered Nora’s questions, she managed to express, through both her tone and her words, a message of reassurance that everything was going to be okay. It reminded Nora of her big sister back home, who did the same for her during crucial moments. That was one more thing that made Hogwarts start to feel like home.

“...Follow the crowd of first years. Especially the ones in the same house as you,” Avery had said. That was something Nora hadn’t thought much about. Probably because she hadn’t had time to ponder it yet. Her house. She was part of something within Hogwarts. She didn’t know exactly what that meant, but somehow it felt like another piece of the puzzle she still didn’t fully understand. It was a piece that fit somewhere, though. In a way, that made sense and made Nora eager to learn more about Hufflepuff.

When Avery talked about the Sorting Hat and each of the Hogwarts houses, Nora leaned into every word. She hoped she’d have the chance to spend more time with Avery and learn more. Avery seemed to know so much, and it was so nice talking to her! They were from different houses and different years, so they probably wouldn’t share classes. But Nora knew Avery wasn’t the only person at school to talk to. She would keep trying to meet new people as the days went by. She hoped to find some who liked her and wanted to spend time with her too.

With a smile, Nora thanked Avery for helping her find her way to the library and for taking the time to explain so much. She wanted to say more, to make sure Avery knew how much it all meant to her. But she didn’t want to be too much. There was a whole new world to explore, and that conversation had just recharged her energy to explore more.

Interacting with: @Nora Doyle Mentioning: N/A Date: 11/03/25

Word Count: 304

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The world was brighter that day as they made the trek to the library. Avery couldn't believe she was showing the ropes of the castle to a young first year girl who seemed so bright eyed and innocent to the world of magic and wizards. A world Avery had grown up in and learned that being a witch was far from easy. There were so many things she didn't know about the Muggle world that made it dangerous for her to go outside of magic places. She had been lucky to have a muggle friend when she was little that taught her some about the Muggle world, but if was far from enough for Avery to handle herself. The rest of the way to the library was spent in comfortable silence. Something Avery didn't mind as long as it wasn't awkward. There wasn't much else to say, but Avery knew the girl had other questions. Being a muggle and never growing up in the wizarding world always brought those deep questions Avery always loved to answer. She would never forget the times she had spent teaching others the past couple months about her world and how it worked. The walk was too short. Not enough time for Avery to spend with the young girl. "Well, here we are. Now, I must get to Quidditch practice, so I can't stay. Though I hope we will meet again! It was nice talking to you!" Avery smiled and waved as she walked out of the library. She really was sad to leave, but duty called. She had a job to do. A job that required her to chase a snitch and prepare for the next match coming up after Christmas. Though the next match was a long way off, it was never too early to start practicing.

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