foreign atmosphere pv: s.mims

Corridors of Hogwarts had a knack for making anyone believe they knew exactly where they were, right up until they turned a corner and failed to recognize a single thing. Stelle was no longer particularly surprised by this. She had learned to navigate by noting small details that usually went unnoticed: a suit of armor with a dent in its helmet, a painting that always seemed to be asleep, a window offering a view of a specific tower, or even the number of doors one passed before reaching a staircase. It wasn't an especially elegant method, but it worked quite well. That was why she stopped when she heard a voice behind her.

She turned to find a girl who didn't seem to have much of an idea where she was. Given that they were inside Hogwarts, this wasn't exactly an unusual situation. Stelle had seen students get lost even after spending years in the castle, so it didn't seem strange to her that someone from another school would struggle even more to find their way around.

"Sure," she replied with a smile. "I think I know the way." She glanced both ways down the corridor before deciding on a direction. She wasn't entirely certain it was the quickest route, but she remembered having passed that way before and, more importantly, she remembered which staircase they needed to find.

"If it’s any consolation, you aren't the first person to get lost here. The first few times, I’d end up wandering around too, not quite sure how I’d arrived at certain places." She began to walk slowly so the other girl could follow. As they moved along, Stelle studied the walls and paintings, mentally verifying that the landmarks matched her memory. She paused for a moment in front of the staircase, watching it shift position with the calm acceptance of someone who had learned that complaining about Hogwarts' staircases did little good. She waited for the staircase to finish moving and glanced again at the path ahead. She didn't look worried; rather, she was trying to recall which alternative route she had taken the last time that very staircase had decided to defy her. "We can go the other way. It’s a bit longer, but I know the path." She started walking again and, after a few steps, looked back at the girl.

"By the way, are you from Castelobruxo? I think I saw you with the students who came to the camp. Do you know Luuk?" The question came as naturally as her offer of help. Stelle was interested in getting to know students from other schools, especially since she didn't often get the chance to talk to them outside of events like that. But she slowed down slightly with that last question. Luuk. Why had she asked about him? She knew he had come; he was around somewhere. Yet, once she said it, it sounded silly. It was as if the chestnut-haired girl would know every single student from Castelobruxo; Stelle didn't even know half of her own Hogwarts classmates. She smiled faintly as she returned to the present moment and took a deep breath before speaking. "Sorry... I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Stelle, by the way."

English ‡Veela ‡ Russian ‡ Scottish Gaelic @Chelsea Mitzchel+ @Luuk Tjin-A-Wing

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