A Sprinkle of Constructive Criticism PV Lizzy Solace Finished

Lizzy walked toward the library, her favorite spot in Hogwarts besides the common room. The Gryffindor Common Room was cozy and lively, but there was nothing like the peace and endless knowledge that a library held. In just the one week Lizzy had been at Hogwarts, she had already read all of her textbooks from cover to cover. She desperately needed new reading material, and a quiet space she could read the first letter she had gotten from her brother Ben.

She saw the familiar door to the library and a smile crept onto her face. The library Hogwarts had was bigger than any library Lizzy had seen or been in in the Muggle world. Perhaps it was enchanted to fit more books or become bigger spatially. Whatever it was that made the library so big, Lizzy loved it.

She found an empty table relatively quickly and sat down. Her brother's letter was concealed inside her copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, her favorite book from the Wizarding World that she had read so far. She opened to the page which held the letter and took it out of the book.

Lizzy hadn't even started to read it when she noticed a girl at a nearby table doing homework. She appeared to be writing an essay for the Cure for Boils. Lizzy might not have gotten up at all if she had not noticed a mistake on the girl's paper. "Sorry, but you've made a mistake on your essay." Lizzy said, standing in front of the girl's table now. "You use six snake fangs, not seven. Another thing, you mix the crushed snake fangs in until it turns pink!" Lizzy was quite serious when it came to school things, and she was upset a bit at the mistakes. They had just learned this in the first lesson, it wasn't that hard to understand either.

Interacting with: @Lizzy Solace Mentioning:

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Date: 16th September 2021 Time: 5pm Outfit: Uniform

Peace and quiet to complete her essay with no one to disturb her. At least, that's what Adelaide was expecting when she had come to the library. Instead, she had got a girl coming over to her table to... tell her she had made a mistake? Impossible. Adelaide took a deep breath and set her quill down before turning to face the girl, plastering on the best fake smile she could she said, "Wow, thank you so much for your input! I really do appreciate it, considering I obviously have a giant sign above my head that says 'Hey! Please come and stalk me when I'm doing homework and don't be afraid to tell me if I've made a mistake!'" She explained enthusiastically, sarcasm clear in her tone of voice.

"But actually, if you look here," Adelaide pulled her textbook closer to her and pointed to the section which states the method to brew the potion, "it says sev-" Wait. It did not say seven. It actually, quite clearly said six. Adelaide scrambled to retrieve the parchment with her essay on it, she skimmed the writing until she came across-

No. She had actually wrote seven instead of six. So this girl was right then. Setting the parchment back down on the table so she didn't end up accidentally ripping it in half, she managed to get out through the tightness in her throat, "Well. It appears you are actually correct. Congratulations." She couldn't believe she had ended up making a mistake in what was no doubt one of the easiest essays she would need to do all year, but Adelaide was not going to let this random girl get the better of her. "And I was getting to writing that you mix the snake fangs until it turns pink, if you hadn't so very rudely interrupted me." She turned back towards the girl and glared at her, "Seriously, what exactly gave you the right to come over here? This is a library. People come in here to do work, meaning they usually don't want to be disturbed. Are you the homework police now or something? Critiquing every single students work, telling them what they shouldn't and should say? It's pathetic, really. Focus on your own work, why don't you?" She spat out, malice dripping from her voice. Any reasonable person would probably leave Adelaide alone right now, because she was quite literally seconds away from throwing her textbook at someone, preferably this girl. She'd hex them, but she wasn't idiotic enough to get into trouble in the first month of being at Hogwarts.

She had no idea who this girl was, and her mind had already started screaming at her that she was a failure, but she had to push them thoughts to the back of her mind for now. She had more pressing matters to deal with, that being to make this girl understand who she's dealing with.

Lizzy was shocked. Who the heck did this girl think she was? Lizzy had come over to offer some helpful advice and this girl criticizes her? Lizzy was not going to let this slide. She was not known to forgive and forget, but rather remember and challenge. "I'm not the homework police, my name is Lizzy, Lizzy Solace. And you must be the one who doesn't care about her education!" Lizzy did feel a bit guilty saying this as she herself had trouble accepting criticism, but still, this girl grated on her nerves!

"And of course I'm correct. I actually paid attention in class, unlike you obviously." Lizzy's hands were both clenched into fists at her side. "I don't critique every single student, just the ones who need it to get a passing grade. For your information I already finished my work!"

Several nearby students had gathered up their things and moved away from the quarreling duo, or left the library altogether. Usually Lizzy would be ashamed and embarrassed, but this wasn't an ordinary situation. Lizzy had to defend her position, she was just trying to help after all. She felt the weight of the book in her hand now more than ever, with Ben's letter sticking out the side a bit. Lizzy wanted to shove the letter deeper into the book, so that this girl could not see it. However, if she did, the girl was bound to see the motion of putting in the book anyways. Lizzy would just have to let it be for now. It was odd, how much Lizzy didn't want her to see the letter, after all it was just a letter. She supposed she did not want any reason for this girl to critique her right back. Lizzy absolutely hated criticism. When she had first started Muggle school she had gotten plenty from her teachers, who thought she was too headstrong and stubborn. Lizzy had run home in tears, and soon after she calmed down, she learned her lesson.

"I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into. I don't take well to being contradicted, so it would be better for both of us if you took my advice, fixed your work, and left me alone!" Lizzy smiled a small smile of satisfaction. She was confident she had won this little battle. No one ever contradicted her who knew her and now hopefully this girl would have the sense not to either.

Interacting with: @Lizzy Solace Mentioning:

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Date: 16th September 2021 Time: 5pm Outfit: Uniform

Adelaide could not believe what she was hearing. Her not caring about her education? This girl was quite frankly getting on her last nerves. First she comes up to Adelaide and points out a mistake in her essay when she had no right to do so, then she starts making up assumptions that Adelaide didn't care about her education? "Alright, Lizzy Solace," she spat the name out as if she hated even speaking it, "You have absolutely no right to come up to me and start making assumptions about me. I do care about my education, probably way more than you considering you're spending your time in the library sticking your nose into my business instead of studying."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes at what the girl was saying, "You think I didn't pay attention in class? It was one mistake that I would've spotted after I had reread the essay and I would've fixed it. I do in fact pay attention in all of my classes and I am actually passing all of my classes, thank you very much." Adelaide took notice of several students nearby gathering up their things and moving away from the two girls, she did not blame them. She too would move away from a quarreling duo as a library is quite clearly meant to be a place of quiet allowing everyone to get on with their studying. Letting out a sigh she said, "Now look what you've done. You've just disturbed everyone who was trying to peacefully get on with their work, including me. Congratulations!" Technically, it was also Adelaide's fault as she was the one who had insinuated this argument, but she wasn't about to admit that.

Her eyes took notice of a book in Lizzy's hand, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, with a piece of paper sticking out of the side. A part of her wanted to rip the book from the girl's hands and see what the letter was, but the majority of her was disgusted at her brain for even coming up with that idea. Despite how annoying this girl was, Adelaide would never delve into someone's personal life. She would hate it if someone did it to her, so she would never do it to anyone else. Even if said person was doing their best at pushing all of Adelaide's buttons.

Adelaide was getting quite tired of this quarrel and was about to tell this girl to just leave her alone until something incredibly hilarious just came out of the girl's mouth, "Oh, I don't know what I'm getting myself into, do I?" She laughed mockingly, "Oh no! I am so scared! What are you going to do? Are you going to hex me?" She put her hands up as if she was surrendering, but the smirk on her face made it obvious that she was not being serious. "You know, that is actually hilarious," She put her hands back down, "You come over here and give your opinion about my work when I didn't ask for it, yet you wouldn't like it if someone did the same to you? Now, how does that make sense?" She tilted her head to the side as if she was deep in thought, "Oh right, it doesn't."

Realizing that she had never gave this girl her name she quickly added, "I'm Adelaide Barlowe, by the way. And you'd do well to remember it, because you do not want to get on my bad side." In all honesty, the girl was already on her bad side. The one thing Adelaide hates the most is criticism and Lizzy Solace had successfully made the worst introduction possible to her by pointing out a mistake in her work. How Adelaide had made a mistake in the first place when she prided herself on completing everything she done to perfection was beyond her, but she would've obviously found the mistake after rereading the essay and would've fixed it before submitting it. It likely had to do with the Ravenclaw common room being too noisy when she was writing the first half of the essay, yes, that was it. No one could concentrate properly in a noisy room, so it wasn't Adelaide's fault. She wasn't a failure. She was still perfect, it was fine. Everything was fine.

Lizzy could not believe this Adelaide was still talking! Anyone was good common sense would have taken the advice and left Lizzy alone. "It just so happens I was coming here to read. I have no need of studying, I have an amazing memory." It was partially true. Lizzy did absorb information like a sponge, but she did need to study to get the grades she got. Still, that didn't mean she had to study every second of every day. Everyone needed downtime to read a book for pleasure or play Quidditch or hang out with friends. Friends. Something Lizzy still didn't have here at Hogwarts. It was still new to her though, she'd find a friend soon enough. Someone that loved learning and reading just as much as she did, unlike Adelaide.

That girl seemed to need to be reminded on how to accept help from a fellow student. I mean really, would she a talk this same way to a professor? "How dare you say it was I who disrupted the whole of the library! I was not the one who started this foolish argument. If you'll remember it was, in fact, you who started yelling at me first!" Lizzy was incredibly angry and this girl was just egging her on.

Adelaide then said something about Lizzy hexing her. Lizzy knew it was completely insane. She knew no hexes, she was just starting school, and yet it was tempting. Lizzy felt the pocket she had shoved her wand into last minute before coming. She hadn't wanted to take it at first, after all, she was just going to the library. Now, however, she was glad she had had the sense to bring it. So what if she didn't know any really useful spells yet? She could not imagine it would be too hard to, at the very least, knock Adelaide off balance. Maybe she could even make Adelaide shut her mouth. Now wouldn't that be some magic!

"Get on your bad side?! I told you not to get on mine!" Lizzy said. She whipped her wand out of her pocket and pointed it directly at Adelaide. A wave of conscience and guilt washed over her just then. Was she really going to hex this girl, well attempt to anyway? This was not the right way to settle a debate over something so stupid as a difference in opinion. Lizzy kept her hand steady though as she pondered hexing Adelaide.

Interacting with: @Lizzy Solace Mentioning:

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Date: 16th September 2021 Time: 5pm Outfit: Uniform

Was this girl really still talking? She clearly did not know when someone very obviously wanted to be left alone. "Well, if you were coming here to read, then read. Maybe don't bother someone who is trying to do work." Honestly, Adelaide did not understand how this girl thought she was in the right in this situation. You do not just walk up to someone and point out a mistake in their work if they did not ask you to do so. Adelaide scoffed at the nonsense Lizzy was spewing, "I have an amazing memory too, but everyone needs to study. The only way you are going to remember something is if you keep revising over it, so you actually do have a need for studying. If you don't start studying now, well, then you're going to regret it in later years, especially for your O.W.Ls."

Lizzy was slightly right, Adelaide was the one who had started this whole disagreement, but then the girl was the one to come over to Adelaide in the first place. "I did not yell at you, I am not a professor telling off an immature child. I am merely expressing my annoyance at being disturbed while I am trying to finish this essay, and unfortunately I am still being disturbed." It was highly ironic that Adelaide had left the noise of the Ravenclaw common room behind her to head to the library in hopes of being able to peacefully relax and finish her work only to be met with a very annoying girl. "And if you agree with me that this argument is just so foolish, then walk away, I have already very clearly expressed my dislike for you. Or are you not able to understand social cues?"

Adelaide did not expect this quarrel to go further than some arguing and snide remarks, but before she knew it, Lizzy Solace was pointing a wand directly at her. Adelaide was defenseless, she had left her wand in her dormitory. She did not think that she had to bring her wand to the library with her, one does not usually go to a library only to be met with a wand pointed directly at them. What was Lizzy even thinking? She was obviously a first year just like Adelaide, since she knew the essay Adelaide was doing, which meant she definitely did not know any hexes. "Are you crazy?!" Adelaide furiously whispered at her, still trying to keep her voice quiet because they were still in a library, "Put your wand away! I know that you do not know any hexes because we haven't learnt any yet, so what are you doing pointing your wand at me? Especially over something as little as me not wanting you to critique my work! You're going to get us both in trouble, you idiot!" Adelaide's head glanced in all directions, trying to see if their little commotion had caught the attention of the librarian. If this stupid girl ended up getting Adelaide in trouble, all hell would break loose.

It was not even a month into her first year at Hogwarts yet, and she had already gotten a wand pointed at her. She knew Hogwarts would be crazy, but being threatened in the first month surprisingly wasn't on the girl's to-do list. Lizzy Solace was insane.

Lizzy was feeling very guilty as she pointed her wand at Adelaide. What was she doing? She would have never done this at home, but then again, she wasn't at home anymore. As Adelaide quietly told Lizzy in a furious tone to put her wand away, something strange happened. Lizzy's wand tip flared up a brilliant red as if it were corresponding to her anger. It pulsed the same red color for a few minutes, before dulling back down to regular. Lizzy stared at her wand in shock. She had to admit Adelaide was right, they didn't know any real magic yet, so how had her wand done that? This school year was not going as she had expected at all. She had thought she would go to the school, learn everything she could, and maybe make a friend or two. However, she had gone to the school, made a possible enemy, and done some strange magic if she could even call it that.

"I-I-I" Lizzy stammered. She was trying to explain it wasn't her fault or she was sorry. As much as she despised Adelaide, she would never have actually hurt her or tried to hex her. It was all just a bluff! How had Lizzy even gotten into Hogwarts in the first place? So far she didn't feel as if she belonged here. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I don't even know what happened!" Lizzy blurted out. "I wasn't actually going to try to hex you! I don't know what happened!" Lizzy said again.

She remembered how happy Ben had been when she had gotten her letter. He had told her not to get into any trouble and now here she was. Lizzy's argumentative side seemed to be crumbling, a rare occurrence indeed. "I wasn't actually going to hex you! I was just upset you weren't taking my advice and contradicting me! I'm sorry!" Lizzy said yet again. She sighed, this was technically all her fault. If she could just learn to keep her nose out of other people's business, even if she desperately wanted to help, this may have never had happened.

Interacting with: @Lizzy Solace Mentioning:

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Date: 16th September 2021 Time: 5pm Outfit: Uniform

Time seemed to slow as she watched Lizzy stand there with her wand pointed directly at Adelaide. The girl wasn't moving and Adelaide had frozen too purely because she wasn't sure what to do in this situation. Should she use her textbook as self defense? Maybe throwing it at Lizzy would distract the other girl long enough so Adelaide could grab Lizzy's wand and point it at her instead. She had no intention of using it, she would never actually harm a person unless it came to it and she'd definitely never be the first one to cast a spell. Plus, she didn't yet know any hexes to use. She just desperately needed some leverage in this situation and to be the one in control, because right now she certainly wasn't.

When she thought Lizzy was finally going to listen to Adelaide for once today and put her wand away, her wand tip started to light up a bright red shade. How was that even possible? It was definitely impossible for this girl to know non-verbal magic, she was a first year! No matter how good she claimed to be at her studies, no one was that good when they'd only attended classes for a couple of weeks. Adelaide felt a mixture of shock and flaming, red hot anger. Had this girl really tried something with her? Really tried to harm her over something as simple as a little disagreement? She really couldn't believe it. Essay forgotten and discarded on the table somewhere, Adelaide stood up from her chair and turned furiously towards Lizzy.

"You're sorry? Well, it certainly didn't seem like you were sorry," she glared daggers at Lizzy, pointing a finger at her accusingly. "You were really going to hex me! You are insane, Lizzy Solace. Is your answer to being so very clearly in the wrong in a situation to resort to inflicting harm on a person? Don't try and tell me you didn't know what happened, you had your wand out and were pointing it directly at me! You knew exactly what you were doing and you should've left as soon as I asked you too! I have done nothing here except for trying to do my work!" Adelaide was finding it incredibly hard to still keep her voice at a whisper, but she didn't want to start yelling. Especially in the middle of a library.

"You were upset I wasn't taking your advice? Newsflash, not everything is about you. Don't go up to random people trying to do work in a library and give your unwanted advice," Adelaide spat, "and put your wand away. Unless you still plan on using it. You really should be grateful that I don't plan on going to a professor about this, but if you ever point your wand at me again, my response might be different." It was true that she didn't plan on going to a professor about this, she didn't want to bother with the hassle and truthfully, she just wanted to go back to the common room and forget this whole interaction ever happened. She really hoped she never saw Lizzy Solace near her again.

Lizzy was trying to apologize, why couldn't Adelaide see that? In that moment of shock after her wand tip had mysteriously glowed bright red, Lizzy hadn't known what to do. The obvious thing seemed to be to apologize, even though Lizzy hadn't meant to do anything. Believe it or not, she had really meant the apology. As much as she disliked Adelaide, that didn't mean that she wasn't sorry for what had happened.

Now that she had calmed down, however, she thought the better course of action would have been to act like she knew what she had been doing all along. If she had had any foresight at all, she would have figured out that Adelaide wasn't going to forgive and forget. She could have faked it, she knew she could've put on a passable show. She had faked plenty of things back home and everyone bought them. If she had faked it, maybe Adelaide would have been scared of her and left. She might never have had to hear from her again. Lizzy hadn't though and it was probably too late to act like she meant to do anything. Lizzy was sure her shocked expression had given everything away five minutes ago.

What had happened to the two girls who were simply arguing over a homework assignment? Lizzy would've given anything to be able to turn back time and never take her wand out of her pocket. Funnily enough, Lizzy didn't even remember what she had corrected Adelaide on. That didn't mean she was going to just let this go though. They were in too deep for that.

"Don't call me insane! Need I remind you you were the one who started this whole thing?! It's like you wanted to pick a fight with me!" Lizzy burst out. "I'm not the kind of person who hurts someone else over a petty argument like this. It never occured to you that I was just bluffing? How stupid can you be, you know we don't know any hexes yet! And where do you think I learned a hex? I'm muggle-born!" Lizzy was right. They were in too deep. Words were just pouring out, designed to target Adelaide.

Then Adelaide spoke about going to a professor about Lizzy's accidental magic. Would she really tell a professor? Lizzy knew it wasn't her fault, it was an accident that her wand had flared up in such a manner. Still, Lizzy didn't want to take the chance that Adelaide was the sort who would run to a professor about something she could resolve on her own. In her spout of anger, Lizzy hadn't realized she was still holding her wand out in front of her, pointing at Adelaide. Lizzy desperately wanted to keep it out to keep Adelaide out of control, but on the other hand, she certainly didn't want another accident to happen. Lizzy kept her wand trained on Adelaide for another second before shoving it back into her robes.

"You don't strike me as the sort who would go tattletale instead of working it out yourself. Doesn't being a Ravenclaw mean you are a problem solver. That you are, how do I say this, smart?" Lizzy carefully left out the fact that she was almost placed in Ravenclaw herself. If this was how all Ravenclaws behaved though, Lizzy was glad she was in Gryffindor. Gryffindor where she wasn't pressured to be a genius all the time. Where she could let go of the weight of the world that she always carried, and relax, laugh, and not have to worry constantly about being a failure to her professors, friends, and family.