The Better House Closed

Emma seemed to perk up at the question. She was remarkably prepared for this question. The answer she gave made sense as well. Rowenna's life must've been fascinating. Evelyn idly considered her answer when she was asked about hufflepuff. Luckily she had an in debt knowledge of patronous'. After finding out her parents patronous' were different she decided to look into them. This was before she knew about business marriages but it made sense to her later in life. At least now she had a large knowledge of patronous meanings without any use for them. So she might've started talking without thinking through if it would apply or not to the situation.

"Well! Badger patronous are more common in people who trust their abilities and themselves. People who have a Badger patronous are normally grounded to reality, they're also unafraid to defend their boundaries and know what's important in their life. It doesn't align exactly with Hufflepuff traits and certainly not mine. Maybe the founder had a badger patronous? I'm not sure. What do you think Lorelia? Any ideas on the matter of house mascots?"

Evelyn decided to refer to them as mascots because sometimes a sport team mascot doesn't match what their most known for. Like the muggle sports team the Diamond backs. People always think it's a viper of some kind when it's really a bobcat. Fascinating, really, Evelyn mused well waiting for their responses to her statement.

Lorelai was amused by the discussion of their houses' emblematic animals. The girl hadn't commented on the discussion until the girl she knows knew was named Evelyn asked her. Lorelai didn’t have as much knowledge on her house’s histories as the other girls possessed, but decided to give her two cents on the topic anyways.

“Well, I think the house names are named after the founder's last names, more than the animals that represent them.”She said thinking. “I mean I guess Griffins are part lions, but I think it's the traits of the lion that make it representative of Gryffindor. I mean, lions are supposed to be brave and noble, which I think is supposed to be the traits the house was founded on.”

Lorelai was happy with her answer, although it was entirely improvised. She wasn’t sure how the traits that are meant to define members of a house came to be, although she guessed they were the traits the founders valued most. Her knowledge of the history of Hogwarts was slim, but she knew enough to know that the founder of each house all had very different philosophies, which showed in the students of the different houses in modern day Hogwarts. Or at least that’s how Lorelai perceived it.

Lorelia gave a great answer in her opinion. It made sense and wasn't long winded and awkward like her's had been. She seemed content with the answer she gave as well. There was another question that she wanted to ask though well they were on the topic of houses.

"How do you think the house traits were chosen? Did they just put up a blackboard full of adjectives and called dibs on the one they like? I mean, the founders were definitely complex people, so wouldn't traits over lap at least once?" It made sense to her, even if she had just started to consider it.

They both seemed like capable people so she didn't doubt that they would have good answers to her questions. Even if her question seemed more like a joke then a serious statement she definitely was looking for a serious answer. Or a joke, as long as there was something there to sedate her burning curiosity.

"What do you guys think? Did they just choose ones that seemed to stick together or was there some semblance of personal feeling put into it? I mean, it's hard for me to tell because I don't know them or there thought process."

Emma listened closely as Lorelai spoke her heart with pride, she sort of admired that. After Evelyn once again had broken the silence, she was partly happy that she didn't have to. Another question about the traits of houses, this one she was abnormally unsure. 

"Weren't they just born with those traits I guess? I mean you can't get smartness by choice, can you?" Emma paused collecting her thoughts for a moment before speaking. "If the whole 'chalkboard' thing did happen, I wonder if there were some adjectives like capricious or maybe even truculent."

She thought about to her Transfiguration lesson, she was told that knowledge couldn't be created. Her mind twisted as she thought more about it. Didn't the founder of her own house create some sort of crown to make her smarter? It couldn't have made her too smart if her very own daughter stole it from right under her nose.

"Have you ever wondered what a fifth house would ever be called?" Emma looked up at the candles for inspiration. Hopefully, she could change the subject while she was at it. Getting away from the topic of their own houses, well, would it help if they talked about something else? "Something like... Candleclaw? They could be resourceful and ferocious, or something in that matter."

Evelyn disagreed with the idea that you couldn't get smart. It wasn't really an inborn trait, sure there were certain conditions that inhibited someone's ability to learn. But saying that you were born smart is like saying somebody was born with sun burn. It just didn't make any sense.

"I don't think being smart is a trait, with the right tools and dedication almost anybody can have some level of knowledge. Whether it be practical or not." She thought about some baby just being born able to do calculus. Wouldn't that be fascinating? It always happens in the movies, genius baby mature for their age becomes super villain or hero.

This time is was Emma who brought up a new question. When she was younger she thought about having her own house, she still does some times. She just did it less often. Emma proposed Candleclaw as a house. It was a funny name but then again it wasn't like Hufflepuff was something that wouldn't be mocked in grade school.

"If I had my own house I think I'd call it Grasslend. Get it? Moore, grass, Moor is a type of wasteland covered in grass. It made more sense in my head. The lend part is just land with an e. I think the traits would be gluttony, sloth, greed, and lust. Wouldn't that be fascinating? Emphasizing the negative traits of somebody's personality and seeing how they react to being shoved in a box. Then again you could apply any of the Seven Cardinal Sins to anyone and have some semblance of being right. I just chose the ones I think work the best with myself. Greed and Lust are rather close, but that's besides the point. Am I getting ahead of myself? Stop me if I am, I don't quite think of stopping my ramblings."

Lorelai liked the idea of brainstorming new houses. Although Evelyn and Emma's names were quite odd. Candleclaw and Grasslend? It was an interesting idea though, and Lorelai went to brainstorming herself.

"A house that emphasizing negative traits, huh?"She questioned Evelyn, with humor lacing her voice. "Would people want to be in a house that represents sloth and greed, among other traits? It's not a critique, just a legitimate question."

"If I had a house, I would name it Brunelle. Because as I mentioned earlier, its the last names of the founders that the houses are really named after. My last name really doesn't sound like a house though does it? It's too French."Lorelai sighed, as she rambled on. "Anyways, I'm not sure what I would make the traits. Maybe independence, intelligence, and courage? Some of those traits are already in other houses, but I think its a good combination. I would want our emblematic animal to be a dragon. Mostly because they're my favorite animal...but still they're pretty cool."

Lorelai didn't know if she had been that coherent, as her words had not been planned out, but she thought her point came across well. This was developing into a very interesting conversation and Lorelai was enjoying it.

"Every school like Hogwarts has that house that's a laugh. Not Slytherin... of course. Or any of them to be frank." Emma said. Though she yearned she could take it back the instant that it rolled out of her mouth, what a mistake.

Emma dreamed off opening a school like Hogwarts, there were so many amazing features. It sometimes made her wonder if she could create an original floor plan. Then again, she had never attended a school with seven floors, much less a school with separate towers and basements. After all, the architect of Hogwarts had surely made an extraordinary academy that could last thousands of years, maybe she could produce one that lasted longer, and it'd be distinct.

It was amazing to brainstorm ideas, though the reoccurring thought of the founders' last names hit her. Who named their children with the last names of that sort? 

Emma listened as Lorelai explained the fundamentals of her very own house. Brunelle, she would have called it, for it resembled her last name. Was it possible that she could change her last name to Candleclaw? Maybe she'd do it when she turned the coming of age, which was seventeen. Hopefully, she'd learn how to apparate.

"My emblem would most likely be a dolphin, they're extremely intelligent I hear. My colors would be a deep blue-ish maybe gray." She finally said though she hadn't had asked a direct question. She was left to think about her 'house traits'.

Emma had said she wanted a dolphin as her emblem. Which made her want to shiver, she found them much to similar to Kelpie. And in some cases she might even prefer the Kelpie. At least you know don't have to always watch your back when you swim with them. She didn't mention it though, there had been enough conflict as it is. Instead she decided to answer Lorelia's question first. It was a genuine one that she had to think about first.

"Well, It's better then having people who want to be in a house they aren't suited for. You remember Peter Petigrew right? Then again, it might just be way the sorting hat does things." She hissed the name of the Sorting Hat with something that might become passive aggressive venom in the future. It a bit of a grudge but she had an excuse.

She decided to drop it with a shrug. Even though nobody had commented on it. Instead she chose to carry on where Emma dropped off, with their emblem animal. Lorelai had already said her's would be a dragon. Her's probably wouldn't be anything as cool as that.

"I think mine would be a spider. Probably the Wolf spider, but if I were to have the positive traits like most houses mine would be; Opportunistic, quick, and patient. You get what I did there? Probably not, it was worth it anyway." She had ended up learning a lot about the Wolf spider after she did something stupid when she was younger and got bit. Not as bad as some other experiences she put herself in but still left her with a healthy appreciation for the agile creatures.

Lorelai liked Emma's idea of a dolphin as an emblem. They were incredibly smart and friendly. Overall they are great animals and therefore a good symbol. Dragons were generally unpleasant to be around but everyone could at least admit they had some positive traits. They were powerful and unyielding, traits Lorelai respected them for. She was unfamiliar with the name Peter Pettigrew but agreed with the idea that it was a bad idea to wish for a house you didn't belong in. When she first entered Hogwarts she had little knowledge of the houses and might have ended up in Slytherin or something if she hadn't stayed objective to the sorting hat. No offense to Slytherins, she just didn't think she would fit in the house very well.

"Spiders are pretty cool. If my house emblem had to be a spider, I would want it to be an Acromantula."She said dreamily. "They're so cool. And way more intimidating. I think having a dangerous thing as your house animal thing makes your house seem more strong. Er-Maybe that's not the word I'm looking for. Important maybe? I don't know I'm just rambling at this point."Lorelai sighed, once again adjusting her head to her shoulders which rested on the table.

If there was one thing Emma hated, it was spiders. Well, other than the translucent ghosts floating over the castle constantly. Though she had to admit, the more time she was spending at Hogwarts, the more she got used to it. She listened closely as Lorelai described them as intimidating and dangerous, she agreed with both of those statements. 

Snakes, heights, and fire were all perfectly fine to her, but spiders were not. They could be venomous or not, but a spider is a spider. Emma had always been freaked out by the multiple beady red eyes on the tiny body. How could so many eyes fit on such a small creature, she couldn't imagine it no matter how hard she tried. She didn't try hard.

Both of them seemed to like spiders as an emblem, yet Emma didn't see how. She pictured herself mistaking the emblem for an actual spider. Acromantulas? Those were gigantic black-haired spiders, she had been told stories about this, though she hadn't believed it was true. She shuttered at the thought of the fifteen-footed creatures.

"Acromantulas are known to kill, aren't they? My father used to tell me stories about them. I never believed they were true though," The brunette shuttered at the thought of the hairy beast whose legs were bigger than her whole body.