1 Jan 2021, 02:59
The Manual
Waiting for @Simon Kincaid to show up
After dinner, Grace headed to the Astronomy tower. She brought nothing but a thick manual. The Astronomy tower was completely deserted. Most students were either still at dinner or already back in their dorms. This was perfect for a situation like this, Grace didn't want anyone to hear their conversation.
Grace sat down and flipped open the manual. The pages were yellow and ripped, several ink spots have been smeared, making it very hard to read. However, Grace managed to find the page she was looking for. It recorded all the major events from the lives of her ancestors. For instance, every member who attended Hogwarts had their houses recorded. Grace scanned the page, all of them were in Slytherin. It wasn't a surprise, as most of Grace's family turned out to be wizards who engaged in Dark Arts and supported the Dark Lord (who, according to Grace's parents, was a really dark wizard). Grace found it very controversial that another part of her family became Aurors for the Ministry, responsible for capturing these dark wizards. This was also one of the major causes of the conflict that happened in her family.
Grace studied the face in her great-grandmother's picture. She was the first in the whole family to join the Ministry's side. There were a lot of disagreements, but Grace respected her courage to place herself against the family's beliefs.
Descended from such a long line of dark wizards, Grace was almost certain that she would be placed into the house of Slytherin. But ever since her Hogwarts acceptance letter came, she can't help but hope she wouldn't end up in that house. She knew that she was less Slytherin than her parents, but she didn't want to disappoint them. And yet here she is, sorted into the house of Gryffindor.
Grace wondered how she would phrase this to Simon when he shows up. That is, if he was interested in learning about her family.
After dinner, Grace headed to the Astronomy tower. She brought nothing but a thick manual. The Astronomy tower was completely deserted. Most students were either still at dinner or already back in their dorms. This was perfect for a situation like this, Grace didn't want anyone to hear their conversation.
Grace sat down and flipped open the manual. The pages were yellow and ripped, several ink spots have been smeared, making it very hard to read. However, Grace managed to find the page she was looking for. It recorded all the major events from the lives of her ancestors. For instance, every member who attended Hogwarts had their houses recorded. Grace scanned the page, all of them were in Slytherin. It wasn't a surprise, as most of Grace's family turned out to be wizards who engaged in Dark Arts and supported the Dark Lord (who, according to Grace's parents, was a really dark wizard). Grace found it very controversial that another part of her family became Aurors for the Ministry, responsible for capturing these dark wizards. This was also one of the major causes of the conflict that happened in her family.
Grace studied the face in her great-grandmother's picture. She was the first in the whole family to join the Ministry's side. There were a lot of disagreements, but Grace respected her courage to place herself against the family's beliefs.
Descended from such a long line of dark wizards, Grace was almost certain that she would be placed into the house of Slytherin. But ever since her Hogwarts acceptance letter came, she can't help but hope she wouldn't end up in that house. She knew that she was less Slytherin than her parents, but she didn't want to disappoint them. And yet here she is, sorted into the house of Gryffindor.
Grace wondered how she would phrase this to Simon when he shows up. That is, if he was interested in learning about her family.
Last edited by Grace Yu on 2 Jan 2021, 06:08, edited 1 time in total.
first year, Gryffindor
Looking for: Quill pal, and (hopefully) a boyfriend
1 Jan 2021, 14:53
The Manual
Arriving at the Astronomy Tower to meet @Grace Yu
Grace had offered to meet him at the Astronomy Tower because it seemed she wanted someone to confide in about her family. Simon Kincaid was a good choice for this. He wasn't the type of person to run his mouth to others about things and in fact held official title of secret keeper to some. He was honest and he was trustworthy so if she wanted to talk about something on her mind, that was bothering her, that might cause others to judge, then she had picked a good person to lend a listening ear.
And it wasn't just that. Simon liked talking to people. He liked getting to KNOW people - to really know them. He liked getting to know someone beyond just the surface and see what really was in their mind. That was the best sort of friendship to have.
The Astronomy Tower had been the best choice. He loved learning about the stars and looking up at them at night (at least what he could see from the lights of London). He loved learning about the constellations and the Greek mythological stories behind each one. It was quite fascinating once someone looked into it - how intricate they were, how they connected with one another.
She was already there by the time he arrived. "Good evening, Co-Captain Grace," he spoke up, so not to disturb her. He approached the girl who sat there with a book in her hands.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
2 Jan 2021, 06:35
The Manual
Starting the conversation with @Simon Kincaid
Footsteps were coming behind her. Grace spun around to find Simon walking up the stairs of the Astronomy tower. "Hi there, Captain Simon," Grace stood up, closing the manual, "I'm glad you decided to come."
Grace checked the staircase, it was completely deserted. She went back to the manual that lay on the floor, and flipped back to the first page. It was a leather covering with a faded emerald green color. "This is a manual of my family," Grace explained, "My ancestors were quite keen on recording every single detail here, so you can sort of make out their life story just reading the journals they left."
However, she flipped all the way to the middle of the manual, to the family tree chart. "Anyways, here's the thing I didn't want the others on the boat to hear," Grace pointed to some photos of her ancestors, "Followers of the Dark Lord. You know who he is, right?"
She pointed out a few other photos. "These people are all Aurors for the Ministry. You know, for catching dark wizards and stuff," Grace said, "So my family sort of broke down into two groups. Dark wizards and Aurors."
She pointed to a name on the piece of parchment, the person did not have a photo, but remnants of burnt paper formed a circle above the name tag. "My father," Grace said softly, as if afraid to talk about her father in a loud voice, "I knew he was innocent." She then realized how Simon probably did not understand that part. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention this. My father ran away from the family with my mom. They went to Asia and took an Asian family name. Yu, that's where it came from." She traced her finger gently on the name.
"But when I was five, he was taken away by the Ministry," Grace explained, it became hard for her to keep her voice steady, "People said he traded stolen goods, but he would never do that."
"The thing is, I didn't want to be in Slytherin. I want to put an end to all this nonsense about my family breaking apart and fighting against each other because of whom they support," Grace gazed up at the stars, "But I don't know what my family will think of me when they find out I ended up in Gryffindor."
She pointed to the blank area beneath her father's name, "See how I wasn't recorded in this? Do you know how it feels? When you're unwanted in your own family?"
Footsteps were coming behind her. Grace spun around to find Simon walking up the stairs of the Astronomy tower. "Hi there, Captain Simon," Grace stood up, closing the manual, "I'm glad you decided to come."
Grace checked the staircase, it was completely deserted. She went back to the manual that lay on the floor, and flipped back to the first page. It was a leather covering with a faded emerald green color. "This is a manual of my family," Grace explained, "My ancestors were quite keen on recording every single detail here, so you can sort of make out their life story just reading the journals they left."
However, she flipped all the way to the middle of the manual, to the family tree chart. "Anyways, here's the thing I didn't want the others on the boat to hear," Grace pointed to some photos of her ancestors, "Followers of the Dark Lord. You know who he is, right?"
She pointed out a few other photos. "These people are all Aurors for the Ministry. You know, for catching dark wizards and stuff," Grace said, "So my family sort of broke down into two groups. Dark wizards and Aurors."
She pointed to a name on the piece of parchment, the person did not have a photo, but remnants of burnt paper formed a circle above the name tag. "My father," Grace said softly, as if afraid to talk about her father in a loud voice, "I knew he was innocent." She then realized how Simon probably did not understand that part. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention this. My father ran away from the family with my mom. They went to Asia and took an Asian family name. Yu, that's where it came from." She traced her finger gently on the name.
"But when I was five, he was taken away by the Ministry," Grace explained, it became hard for her to keep her voice steady, "People said he traded stolen goods, but he would never do that."
"The thing is, I didn't want to be in Slytherin. I want to put an end to all this nonsense about my family breaking apart and fighting against each other because of whom they support," Grace gazed up at the stars, "But I don't know what my family will think of me when they find out I ended up in Gryffindor."
She pointed to the blank area beneath her father's name, "See how I wasn't recorded in this? Do you know how it feels? When you're unwanted in your own family?"
first year, Gryffindor
Looking for: Quill pal, and (hopefully) a boyfriend
16 Jan 2021, 16:34
The Manual
Talking family with @Grace Yu
He listened intently as Grace told him about her family and went over the Manual with him. He didn't know details but could piece together how tragic this was for her family, both her small immediate family and how it was all affected and intertwined with the larger picture.
It was captivating and he was grateful that Grace, even only knowing him such a small amount of time, felt she could trust him with this knowledge. She could. He wouldn't tell anyone if she so wished it. It was her business to tell anyway, not his. Hopefully in just by talking about it it would make her feel a little better.
"I think your family, your close family...they'll be glad that you were sorted into Gryffindor. I know there's lots of great people that have come from other houses but Gryffindor is good and Gryffindor is brave and it seems fitting that you're there. Now, the larger family might be upset but if you ever come into contact with them, then you spin it. Tell them it's the house of the daring, the adventurous, the brave."
Not lie. No, Simon would never encourage someone to do that. Yet sometimes for the greater peace amongst others, one had to use their words carefully and bring about a certain persona.
When she asked him if he knew how it felt to be unwanted by his family, Simon only shrugged. "I don't know what that feels like," he said to her, "but I've got a very tiny family. It's my Aunt Maggie and I. That's all." And she made him feel loved.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)