Some light reading Closed

"...Okay," Miranda replied when the girl admitted she scared easily. She then focused on the boy, who pointed at the desired book. It was much higher than anything Miranda could reach without climbing or using a spell, that much was obvious. Unfortunately for their suggestions, the Ravenclaw had yet to learn the summoning spell...that was something she would try to remedy as soon as possible, but could do nothing about at the moment.

"Maybe...wait...I think I have an idea." Miranda pulled out her wand and pointed it at the book. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she exclaimed, making the necessary wand movement as she did. The book flew up a couple centimeters, then hit the top of its shelf and crashed back down.

But it had the desired result. Even if it was still high up, Miranda could see that it was the tiniest bit closer to the edge. "Get ready to catch it," she told the other two, then started to repeat the spell over and over, edging it a bit closer each time until it finally tumbled towards the ground.

If one of the others moved the catch it, she'd smile in triumph and tuck her wand away with an aura of satisfaction. If not, Miranda would try to do the deed herself, but would fumble and the book would crash to the ground, intact but a bit flopped out as it opened to a random page.

@Phineas Avery and @Amanda Middleton

Phineas watched silently as the older girl's face fell. He certainly hoped he hadn't embarassed her with his request, but just as he was about to apologise, her eyes lit up. "Maybe...wait...I think I have an idea", she said and Phineas watched with apparent curiosity what she would come up with.
She used the Levitation charm on the desired tome and Phineas felt slightly embarassed that he hadn't thought of that possibility himself. They had just learned said spell in Charms after all.

When the book hovered and moved, Phineas hissed a confident but premature 'Yes' before it plopped down in the shelf again. But the older girl didn't give up so easily, it seemed. She repeated the spell over and over and little by little the book inched closer to the edge. «Yes, you almost got it», he encouraged her and prepared himself to catch the big tome, just as she had suggested.
Finally, it tumbled over the edge and Phineas tried to grab the fluttering book. And it remained an attempt. The book sailed down, more than a few inches from his hands and Phineas could do nothing but hope that one of the girls had better gross motor skills than him. One thing was for sure, he would make a terrible Keeper. Or Chaser, for that matter.

Amanda watched in awe at the spell Miranda casted to get the large book down. Her eyes widened when she realized it was going to fall straight to the ground, and tried to move into a position to catch it. She stepped back and forth, a few times before positioning herself in front of Phineas. She squeaked when the book came crashing down, and reached out to catch it. She shut her eyes tightly, a surprised oomph escaping her when the heavy book landed in her arms.
A moment later, her arms dropped to the floor, with the tome in them. It was a tad too heavy for her to carry on her own, and she let it drop to the floor gently with a little laugh. Amanda was the opposite of an athlete. She had tried to play sports and to better her physical health when she was little, but never had any luck with it. Nor did she find sports or physical activities as fun as sitting down with a good book or going to school to learn something new. She stood up, turning to the older girl that had helped.
"That was great!" She exclaimed. "I'm Amanda by the way." She smiled, holding her hand out to her.

@Phineas Avery @Miranda Everest

Miranda winced as the boy missed his attempt to catch the book, but grinned in relief when the girl proved more successful in her attempt. She wouldn't have wanted to face the librarian if she'd seen them dropping books on the floor.

"Nice to meet you Amanda," Miranda replied with a smile, reaching over to shake the girl's hand before tucking her wand away in her bag. "I'm Miranda Everest - you can call me Miranda. Or anything else that comes to mind really, I don't mind." She grinned, her thoughts returning to the many, many, many things her brother liked to call her. It had become a game between them to make up the wittiest names, but the practice had fizzled out when he'd reached Hogwarts for his first year in September. Now she was lucky to even catch a glimpse of him in a hallway. In fact...

"Hey, you're first years aren't you?" Miranda asked once the introductions were over. "Maybe you know my younger brother...his name's Cedar Everest. A Gryffindor, and a really loud one at that." She wrinkled her nose in amusement. "You might've run into one of his pranks, too. That happens a lot." At least, she thought it did. Miranda wasn't sure whether she even knew her brother anymore. He seemed so...distant.

@Phineas Avery and @Amanda Middleton

«Oof, great catch, Amanda», he exclaimed with a smile as the other first-year managed to save the heavy tome from crashing to the ground at full speed. He then gently picked it up from the floor and checked it for obvious damages before tucking it under his left arm.
When Amanda introduced herself officially to the older girl, he quickly followed suit and extended his right hand towards her for a handshake. «Phineas Avery», he said and added gratefully, «thank you for helping me».

Shortly thereafter, the older girl, which he now new was called Miranda, asked about her younger brother. Phineas quickly thought about his class mates, but could not remember having talked to a boy called Cedar Everest. «I don't think I've talked to him», he mused and watched Amanda to see whether she showed a sign of recognition at the mention of the boy's name, «but I must've met him in class. What does he look like?», he asked Miranda. The truth was, that he had not really talked to anyone in his house yet. Sure, he had shared classes with all of the first years at one point or another, but he had not made the effort to get to know any of them better, let alone get to know their names.

@Phineas Avery @Miranda Everest

Amanda grinned when Phineas complimented her catch and took the book that they got down for him, thanking Miranda as well. She couldn't wait until the time where she would be able to help people using magic as well. It must be such an amazing skill to have, and it could be used for all sorts of occasions, too.

Amanda was in the same boat as Phineas, she hadn't met most of her house yet. She'd mostly kept to herself so far, trying to adapt to the new school and the curriculum that she had been handed. It hadn't been too difficult, but her parents always taught her to put school above all else. It had become a habit, she cared more about her work and studying than finding people she could call her friends. She shook her head to Miranda, shrugging.

"I don't think I've met him, but I'm sure I will eventually!" She gave a small smile. She turned to Phineas when he asked what her brother looked like. She had been wondering the same thing.
"Yeah, if I knew what he looked like I could maybe say if I've seen him or not." She suggested, shrugging.
"So you're a Ravenclaw? She asked Miranda, noticing the blue on her robes.

"Light blonde hair? Blue eyes? Very loud and chaotic?" she prompted, still smiling. However, her inner doubt was perhaps evident in her eyes if one decided to look too closely. Every time she talked to her brother, he seemed more and more subdued. Like his natural excitement had fizzled out irreparably. And she'd never before seen him like that for as long as they'd been brother and sister - eleven years. It was like the cold stone walls were slowly starving him of something essential...but what? Miranda couldn't figure it out. "Trying to prank people left and right and doing his best to annoy professors?" ...at least, that's what he'd used to be like.

When that conversation ended a short while later, Amanda suddenly commented on her robe colors. "As true a Ravenclaw as you can get," Miranda replied with another grin, glad to be talking about something more cheerful. "Books...knowledge...wit...yeah, the whole thing." Many people told her she was a walking house cliche, but if that was true (and it probably was - sometimes) so what? Wit and knowledge weren't bad things. They were essential, really. Ravenclaw had to be one of the best houses, so why worry so much about it. In truth, it was one of the few things she didn't really worry about.

@Phineas Avery and @Amanda Middleton