If You're a Bird, I'm a Bird PV

Their eyes locked; if Freya had had any doubts about the person in front of her and what was about to transpire, that doubt was instantly mitigated with her mentor's introduction. Although Ami identified herself as a fourth year, Freya knew that this girl had to be some reincarnation of an old soul, because the wisdom that she possessed was insurmountable to Freya's own, childish mind. Like Ra's al Ghul to Batman, Ami proved her worth and creativity by taking Freya's orange juice expulsion and making it into something glorious.

Freya began to squirm with glee through the rest of Ami's introduction, letting out a gregarious chuckle in response. "I heard there were fountains at the balls before, but I've never been to one. Thought I'd just make one of my own, you know? It sounded fun. You can join!"

With a small smirk, the twelve-year-old bent her head and began to ingest the juice like a bird. It was childish, yes, but Freya was a child, and she was smart enough to realize that a spoon wouldn't get the juice to return to her mouth as effectively as her mouth. Besides, she was a bird now, wasn't she? Or at least she was trying, but drinking orange juice wasn't really bird-like.

Freya returned her glance to the wise, old ginger, taking a moment to mess up her bowl cut before saying, "I'm Freya, Ravenclaw second year. You said Hufflepuff? I know you're not a Ravenclaw, but I'm wondering if you could help me with something...serious. Right here. You'll blend right in, cos you don't have your uniform on, at least, if you're worried about that."

She paused and backtracked: "I have a little problem and I need someone who is willing to help me out. I think you seem helpful, like with that cool idea about the fountain, you know! So I'm just wondering if you'd like to be a little more helpful."

Freya made her eyes as big and innocent as possible, like a baby bird who was just a bit lost and all over the place. It wasn't exactly an inaccurate description, but perhaps if she exaggerated it Ami would take the worm and help her with operation bird.

Freya's eyes glowed with excitement when Ami reached for her own glass of orange juice. Who else would just happen to sit down and drink orange juice? Not just a mentor, but someone who was brought to her by destiny, transmitting the sign that she, too, found the sweet concoction delectable so that Freya would understand this girl's importance. She saw the sign - it opened up her eyes. They'd better seal Freya's fate as a bird soon, before the Void of her non-bird persona takes over. Every superhero had their weakness, especially if they hadn't gotten their powers yet.

Her original idea was okay, but when Ami spit out her granola, Freya got a better idea. That mushy concoction could have been made of gold, bound by liquid preservation so that it was ready when Ami's magic needed restoration. The mushy molecules were gentle yet powerful; this might be the "spider's bite" that Freya needed to become a full bird and thus in possession of her full potential.

Ami, being there because of destiny, likely didn't need much of an explanation, but a true mentor needed to know the mindset that their protegee was in before influencing them. In response to what got her feathers in a ruffle, Freya signed and began her tale:

"It was a dark and stormy night...well, not really. But when I got my Hogwarts letter, I was very confused. Me, destined to be a plumber, magic? I didn't want it, but Mum and Dad forced me here, saying I couldn't miss the opportunity. So I boarded the Hogwarts Express, deciding that hey, it was pretty cool that wizards used plumbing too, yanno? But then I got sorted into Ravenclaw; I know you'll remember. I know you've known how important you'll be to me, and that's why you're here today, right? And I just...it's been really hard. It makes me feel like I'm not meant for magic and I should have just not listened to Mum and Dad and stayed with Pipeline Plumbing with Dad and Pops.

"I'm not doing well in school, and I don't feel like a bird. I feel like the Sorting Hat got me all wrong but they've been saying, I know, that that guy never lies. So I'm thinking, maybe I need to just act more like a bird. And that you're here today, right by fate, I'm thinking that's the right thought, that that's the magic I need. If I fully embrace bird, then I'll be the best Freya Joanna Thomas that Hogwarts has ever seen, and maybe I can help Hogwarts with all those issues it has. Cause there've been no magical plumbers to try to fight all those creepy things, and with my mentor, I'll just be as super as I can be, and I can do anything, just like Batman!

"Well, I guess I don't need to ask you to be my guru person, cause you're here. But will you help me today? I think to be a full bird we'll need some of that granola you're eating...and I'll eat it like a bird. And then I'll be a true bird and can save Hogwarts!"

She paused, looking at Ami eagerly, ruffling her hair to become messier. It had already looked as though Freya hadn't brushed it in quite some time, but now it truly embodied chaos or a small girl who had let her imagination truly encapsulate her wonder. The awe on her face extended past her eyes as she gazed into the depths of her wonder. Certainly, no one would want to let the girl's joy, which, if her story was to be believed (and it was quite true to Freya), was the first time she'd been intrigued by the idea of magic and her place at Hogwarts.

Another second passed before Freya refocused her eyes on the fourth year in front of her. She nudged the still unchewed granola. (Ami might want to store the already preserved bits for later, she reckoned; snacks were always nice.) With a small, though clearly beyond enthused smile, Freya concluded, "Well? What do you think?"

There was a moment of fear that crossed Freya's face when Ami paused in her statement, but that fear was easily resolved when she concluded that the logic Freya made sense. Her eyes opened widely as Ami pushed her chair back and pleasure brightened her face as the other girl stood tall. Finally, everything would be better and different. Her problems would certainly be solved.

The arm extension was a little awkward, as though Ami was not fully convinced of her task. Nonetheless, Freya knew the girl was doing her best and leaned forward to accept the offering. She paused for a second, wondering what exactly she was doing, but Ami's reminder of her bird destiny helped motivate her forward. Gently, she stuck her tongue forward and attempted to pick up the faux birdseed with the liquid glue that is also known as saliva.

Needless to say, it didn't work; she did try a few times, but the farthest she got was getting the grains just slightly beyond Ami's cupped hands. Scrunching her eyes and nose tightly, Freya tried to get a full visual of how, exactly, birds ate, wondering if there was a sort of physics to it that humans simply couldn't muster. When it came to her that birds have beaks and Freya did not, in fact, possess one of those, she felt a bit of dismay. Yet, nearly instantaneously, she realized she had something that was nearly as hard as a beak and likely more efficient: teeth.

She opened her eyes narrowly, not allowing them to widen so as to maintain her focus. Soon, Freya's vision was centered only on her bird necessities in front of her, the sustenance that would transform her if not physically, metaphorically. In a slow yet smooth movement, she jutted her teeth forward as much as she could and closed her porcelain "beak" around a bite of food. Freya did not chew the food - birds, after all, did not have teeth to chew, and her teeth were now her hear beak - but she allowed just enough saliva to pool for it to slither down her throat elegantly. When the food was gone, she looked expectantly at Ami, as if the girl would be able to see the difference that Freya should have felt.

Freya didn't feel anything, however. She just felt like typical old Freya, not fitting in with Ravenclaw, let alone the magical mysteries of Hogwarts. With a sigh, she murmured, "I think I need to try once more."

The same process led to the same results, and on her third attempt, Freya gave Ami's hand a small nibble to resemble a bird's peck as she reached for her next grain. The same thing resulted: no change. It seemed that this plan was a bust.

Just when she was going to announce the failure to Ami, Freya suddenly had a realization: she was a burgeoning bird, after all! And baby birds did not immediately emerge from their eggs, ready to nibble on delicious grains. They needed a bit of processing from their motherly mentors to really understand their identity. That was why this plan hadn't been working, because she had been trying to act like she was a grown and mature bird! She was only twelve, after all: not even grown up in human terms!

"Ami?" Freya looked up at the girl politely, ready to beg if necessary. "I think I know the issue. I can't eat like a big bird because I'm not a big bird yet. Oh wow, imagine if my bird identity was Big Bird! That'd be so cool." She coughed. "But uh...yeah, so you know, I'm a baby bird, you see? Maybe not a first year anymore, but I'm still a baby. And baby birds gotta have help from their moms, after all. And I know you're not my mom but Muggles don't have bird mentors cause the rest of their family members aren't Ravenclaws or even Hogwarts students. So...do you think that you can chew this bird food up for me and feed it in my mouth, just like a real mama bird would do?"

With an added emphasis, Freya tried to put on her most innocent, pleading face; while it certainly looked like she was trying, it just sat awkwardly on her face. Freya was quite earnest. She was not quite aware of this, however, and thought she did a good job with the look, adding for effect, "Pretty please?"