General The Ravenclaw Table 2020 -2021

"Oh, they do have ink here!" cried Gabriella. "Quills and ink, instead of pens. Did you not go to that wonky street to buy all your school supplies?"

Saying 'that wonky street' somehow made Gabriella feel a sort of guilt, as if she were betraying the wizarding heritage in some way. She knew perfectly well that the wonky street was called Diagon Alley, she just didn't want to say it in front of Joyce. She just seemed too - Muggle, and while she was relieved that there was someone else in the castle who was more Muggle than she was, she still felt like Joyce might make a bit more effort to try and fit in.

But you don't know her background, Gabriella reminded herself. You can't just go assuming things about people. That's just against everything you believe in and you know it. The subject was uncomfortable, so she changed it.

"It is a bit old-fashioned, I agree," said Gabriella. "But I quite like it, you know. The architecture... it's nice."

Wait a moment, Gabby. Are you sitting her appreciating architecture? Of all the things you could be doing...

"So, are there any classes you're looking forward to?" Gabriella asked brightly, looking over at Joyce.

"Oh, Defense Against the Dark Arts, of course! Got to protect myself against magic somehow!" Joyce said automatically. In truth, the fact that there was such a thing as the dark arts terrified her and she didn't want anything to do with it. As a matter of fact, all magic kind of terrified her. She would rather go to the normal world with normal problems then deal with a world where a single word cast in your direction can change your life or worse end it. "Oh and potions, that too!" Mostly to find a way to make more anti-potions, or a cure. "Am I the only one kind of scared? I mean everything is all magical and wonderous now, but if the magical world is anything like our world, then we are ---" She knew the word that she wanted to say but it felt inapporiate for her to say it or even think it. "So screwed."

But they would protect us right? Right? After all, this is a castle! Nothing can penetrate it.

Eager to change the subject, she quickly asked, "So you have an idea what a Ravenclaw is? I think they are the smart know-it-alls, based on what the Sorting Hat sang to us at the beginning of the ceremony! So we are in the smart house? I don't feel smart, do you? Heck, I haven't even read my books yet!"

Gabriella breathed a sigh of relief, glad that there was someone else who hadn't read any books. Not that she hadn't had her reasons, of course - Jacob would never give her any peace if she tried to do something as simple and uncool as reading - but that was mainly just an excuse, not a real reason. "Neither have I," said Gabriella, "although I wish I had. It would be good to know about the history of this place, and some of the basic spells too." To be honest, the more Gabriella thought about not having read any of her books, the more she began to feel completely ignorant. Suddenly, she felt really stupid, as if she did not belong here at all. What if she wasn't even magic? What if all those times she had smashed things, it wasn't magic but an accident? What if she went to classes, couldn't do anything, and got sent home?

"So no," she said, "I don't feel smart. But I guess I'm smart in other ways... I guess I'm very creative?"

Gabriella looked around at the chattering wizards and witches all around her. One day, these people would rule the wizarding world. All of these eleven-year-olds would grow up to be great wizards, and what then? What jobs did wizards even have? Not all of them could become teachers at the school...

interacting with @Gabriella Haworth

Joyce nods. "The sorting hat must have known something about me to sort me here of all places. I figured I would be a Hufflepuff. I heard their the house that accepts everyone regardless of creed. The invisible house as it were." Contary to what was no doubt popular belief, Joyce wasn't completely ignorant of wizarding culture, she just didn't get this infromation from a book. She did it by evesdropping. And evesdropping as so far weilding results.

She didn't know why she was sorted into Ravenclaw of all the houses. It just didn't make sense.

Maybe the Hat was wrong?

"I really should get to reading those books I brought. Especially Hogwarts: A History. It might be a good way to get to know this place," she smiles, "to think that eventually as we grow up, this will be normal to us and the.... muggle... world will be more and more alien to us."

She frowned, thinking of that sentiment and feeling a pit in her stomach.

You're going to be a witch Joyce.

A witch!

The image of the Wicked Witch of the West flittered in her mind. Her crackling laughter.

"Oh, have you seen the 'Wizard of Oz?'" She says, glad to have another one of her kind to talk to. If the rest of the wizarding world is as old-fashioned and arachic as she thought, she highly doubt they watched movies in their pasttime. Let alone know what the Internet is.

Interacting with @Joyce Corcoran

"I've read the book," shrugged Gabriella, "back when I actually read things. I've watched some other great movies though. Do you know Lord of the Rings? Or The Chronicles of Narnia?" She stuck her fork into her meat and began to eat, pensively. It seemed to Gabriella that she was quite similar to this girl, and they were both muggle-born Ravenclaws - maybe they could study together at some point? She imagined they would be taking a lot of classes together in the future, and it wouldn't do them any harm to read up a little bit before they started their classes.

"After we eat, do you want to go up to the Ravenclaw tower and read our books together?" asked Gabriella. "That way we'll be more prepared for this world, seeing as it's completely new to both of us. We'll learn a bit of background information before we begin classes!"

It seemed a good idea; it was pointless going into classes not knowing what to expect. She was in Ravenclaw, the smart house. It was time to start acting like it and doing the right thing. As much as studying was boring, it was necessary, she realised, and it was hardly like normal studying - she would be studying a whole new world, for goodness' sake!

She sat eagerly, awaiting Joyce's reply.

Joyce couldn't help but smile joyously, "I do know the Lord of the Rings and Narnia! I watched both of them! And yeah I would love to do a study hall with you."

Joyce and Gabrellia sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G!

Shut up Poppy!

"It's nice to have someone to talk to other than myself!" She said exitedly, partically jumping up and down on her toes. Could I actually have a friend? An actual legtimite friend!

"We should get to know this place. To fit in. Something tells me, call it a hunch, that ... muggles... may not entirely be welcome here. Call it a hunch. Maybe it's the fact that they have a completely different word for us." She said, her brow furrowing as she looks at the snake table, "and ten bucks it comes from the bloody snake table." She glares at them.

"Something tells me that all the bullying might come from them, smug bastards!"

She looks away and eats her food.

"So, do you have any crushes yet?" She asked, then realized what she was asking, "wait, wait, you don't have to answer that!" Do you have any crushes yet? Stupid Joyce, you are being stupid!

Gabriella was shocked at Joyce's question. How could she have had any crushes yet? "No, I don't," she laughed. "But - do you?" She giggled. "Just kidding, you don't have to answer that one either."

Gabriella glanced over at the green table again. Could they really be all that bad? "Yeah, maybe we should be a bit more wary of them," shrugged Gabriella, reaching across the table and picking up a mint humbug from the random bowl among the feast. She popped it in her mouth.

You have loads of really nice food you can eat and you're choosing to eat a mint humbug.
I like mint humbugs, ok?

Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no... she was talking to herself again. She had someone to talk to... and she was talking to herself. I thought I was over that!

She turned Joyce and spoke to her, although the mint humbug was quite big and restricted her speech a bit. "I'm leaving now but I'll meet you later at the Ravenclaw common room! We can read our books together and learn more about this - strange, strange world we've found ourselves in.

She stood up, smiled at Joyce and walked out of the Great Hall, full of anticipation of what this new school could bring to her.

This is continued from the sorting ceremony.

She looked up as someone sat next to her. Paige looked up and smiled. "Hey! Congrats on getting Ravenclaw! Guess that means we're together now.
I'm Paige Chase. I'm a muggle born. Who might you be?" Paige beamed. She continued watching as more students came to the table.

She clapped for every student who joined the table. She was being friendly. The best way to make friends was to be friendly. After everyone was sorted, a huge feast appeared out for no where. Paige's eyes went huge. "Woah. This is...wow." Slowly she reached for mashed potatoes. Then she scooped some pot roast. Then she had some Yorkshire pudding and biscuits. "This is so good!" She turned as she talked to the girl next to her. "This is crazy! Wow! And a while ago I thought guessing someones card was magic!" Paige shook her head in awe. What was more crazy was that this cooking was better than her mom's! I better not tell mom that.She ate and ate. Then of course she ate more. It was all unreal. Totally unbelievable. "What did you get? Is it good?" She asked the girl whom she was sure to be a friend.

@Kate Brown

Kate was surprised when the girl next to her talked to her. Kate tried to avoid people but this girl talked to her and didn't ignore her as Kate hoped. Kate also didn't have any social sine she only talked to her father and the picture of her dead cat. *But it is rude to avoid her..* 'H.ello..' 'I'm .. Kate.' 'Sorry. I mean.. Kate Brown' 'I'm a half-blood..' 'My father signed me up for this school..' Unsure if the girl really talked to her but when she saw the girl was looking at her she continued. 'I've got some mashed potatoes too with chicken and corn..' 'I agree .. that is is yummy.' Unsure what to do next Kate looked at her plate and continued eating her mashed potatoes. * I don't know what to do..* *Paige seems nice..* When Kate saw more students getting sorted she clapped when they got sorted into a house. * I wish my mother could see this..* Kate looked back at Paige since it looked like Paige wanted to say something. *Maybe she wants to speak to someone else but I'm listening.* Kate clapped for a few more students before she heard Paige was saying something.
@Paige Chase

Holly had been looking forward to this for the whole day, all day her nerves had been on edge, it was after all her first day, her stomach had been in knots every hour of the day
It was only now that she realised how hungry she was, she hadn't eaten for hours, ever since she was on the Hogwarts Express since she had been worried it would come right back up
As she made her way into the Great Hall, she glanced around, noticing that the other students were filtering in through the doors as they gossiped to each other
She was alone, she'd only spoken to a few people through the day, but hadn't exactly made any friends yet, which she wasn't surprised about considering she tended to take her time trusting people
She made her way over to the Ravenclaw table, taking one of the many empty seats, which she guessed was a perk of leaving early to go to dinner
She glanced round at her other housemates, it was easy enough to pick out her fellow first years, there was a general feeling of nervousness and excitement surrounding them
She began to pile some food on her plate, her portions small so she didn't make herself food. After all, while her meals hadn't exactly been small at home, this was another size of food portions
She focused slightly on the gossip around her as she started to eat