15 Mar 2023, 18:58
Slither Into Slytherin
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They shouldn’t be nervous. They had been told all about the sorting ceremony by their parents, all three of which had graduated from different houses.
None of this should be as scary as it felt, and yet they couldn't help but think, what if they were sorted into Gryffindor?
Their mother Niamh was a Ravenclaw, wise and intelligent. She had been the first Ravenclaw of her family, Nana had apparently been overjoyed at the prospect of her being in a house that valued intellect. She had laughed as she told them about how during exam times, the older students would prop open the common room door with a few heavy books, all of them too busy studying to stop and answer the door's riddle.
Their father Hephaestus had been a Hufflepuff, loyal and just. Their dad had been overjoyed at finding out that he had ended up in the same house as his favorite author and idol, Newt Scamander. He had mentioned the common room being close to the kitchens, reminiscing the times himself and fellow students would wander down there, past curfew for late night snacks… It had been a miracle the man had graduated, never to have a detention.
Their other father Daemon, a Slytherin, resourceful and ambitious. Just like his family before him, the hat had christened him a Slytherin before it had even touched his head. He had told Qrow all about the view of the great lake from the common room, recounting all the times he had spent watching for merpeople or the giant squid by the windows.
Qrow knew nothing about Gryffindor. That was uncharted territory. The very idea of being in a house full of rambunctious troublemakers and chivalrous heroes like the lions made Qrow’s skin crawl.
BEITHIR, QROW!
And just like that, they were snapped out of their thoughts. Taking a deep breath they steadily made their way up to the stool and hat. It was patched, frayed, and extremely dirty with a tear along the brim that opened like a mouth when it spoke or sung. The look of it almost made Qrow grimace. That had to go on their head?
Trying not to think about it, the young red head sat on the stool, and as the hat was placed on their head, they couldn’t help the anxious chant that played in their head.
Not Gryffindor, not Gryffindor, not Gry-
Ah… A Beithir. It has certainly been a while. You know, it’s not often I hear ‘not Gryffindor’. Are you sure? You certainly have the nerve… Hmm, interesting.
Alas, no - you’re right, I don't think Gryffindor will do, not at all, not at all…
Qrow couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped at that. They would be sorted into a house that one of their parents had been in, to see what it was like for them way back when, maybe even share some of the same experiences they did.
Slowly, time ticked by, the hat mumbling about the other three houses as the seconds turned into minutes, and after sitting there for what felt like hours - five minutes - they were starting to get impatient.
Had it not been for the hat whispering in their mind and covering their eyes, successfully blocking the rest of the hall from view, the silent staring eyes that they could feel on them would have been enough for the first year to scream in frustration. What was taking so long?
Wisdom, loyalty, ambition… what to choose, what to choose
I don’t care, but for bloody hell sake, I’ve been here for 5 minutes. PICK ONE! Qrow thought angrily.
Hmm, on that note - yes, yes. I think you’ll do nicely in “SLYTHERIN!"
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code by Lucia Fox
Last edited by Qrowley Beithir on 24 Apr 2023, 10:50, edited 1 time in total.
23 Apr 2023, 22:02
Slither Into Slytherin
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Reducio
To see how the sorting went for Mahlioz, go to this thread.
Mahlioz made her way to the Slytherin table with an expression of pure shock on her face and, for once, not a single thought in her brain. Her body had gone on autopilot. She couldn't focus, couldn't think, could only walk to the long green table like a zombie. When her mind started working again, it was only to repeat Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin, over and over and over again. The house she had just been sorted into. As she walked, more thoughts started seeping slowly into her brain, trying to get it back from the astonishment she had just gone through. Slytherin... she had hoped she would be in Ravenclaw. In fact, she'd been so sure she'd be in Ravenclaw that she hadn't even imagined she could be put in a different house. The hat had to be wrong, right? There was no way-
She had gotten to the Slytherin table. Looking around for a free spot, she couldn't help but notice the dark blue of the Ravenclaw table. Look away, look away... She didn't know what she was feeling, but it was something strong and she felt like she'd break down crying if she even glanced towards the table she had thought was meant for her. She kept her eyes glued to the floor.
The first year finally found a free spot at the green table. She sat down, still with a stunned look on her face, now with a side of wistfulness. Slytherin was the house of evil, the house of the tricksters, the house of all those terrible people from when her mom was little. She didn't want to end up like them. She didn't even want to be around them. Did the hat think she was a terrible person? Was that why she was here? She loved learning, she was a bookworm, and an introvert. Everything pointed at Ravenclaw. Why was she stuck here?!
Mahlioz tried to silence her brain. Maybe it was better when her body was on autopilot and she acted like a zombie. At least she didn't have to listen to her thoughts. But try as she might, they kept talking to her. I'm not supposed to be here, I'm supposed to be in Ravenclaw - maybe I'm just evil and I don't deserve Ravenclaw but I only deserve Slytherin and to be with other people who are terrible like me and I don't want to be here but the hat is probably right and I'm a horrible person and I only deserve to be in-
"SLYTHERIN!"
The voice snapped Mahlioz out of her thoughts, for which she felt an enormous amount of gratitude. It had been a long time since she'd heard anything - apparently nearly five minutes. She looked up, trying to distract her thoughts and to stop feeling sorry for herself. She was probably overreacting anyway, and listening to stupid Slytherin stereotypes and judging too quickly.
In front of the four houses' tables was a person with flaming red hair and newly green robes, getting up from the stool and taking the hat off. Mahlioz had heard somewhere that five minutes to decide was a long time for the hat. She couldn't help but feel intrigued. As the new Slytherin walked over to the lengthy table where Mahlioz was sitting, she half-hoped they would sit next to her. It had to be the first time she'd ever wanted human interaction before. But she knew she would go insane if left to her own thoughts.
Last edited by Mahlioz Evethisawe on 23 May 2023, 14:21, edited 1 time in total.
24 Apr 2023, 10:01
Slither Into Slytherin
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Qrow Beithir wasn’t surprised to end up in the noble house of Salazar Slytherin; after all, every Beithir before them had also been placed in the house of the snake.
ReducioInteracting with @Mahlioz Evethisawe
What was surprising was how long it had taken the hat to put them there.
Five minutes.
That was how long it had taken the hat to decide whether Qrow was fit to be placed in Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff.
In all honesty, the young metamorphmagus was rather happy to have been placed in the house of the snake; they didn’t much like how they looked in blue or yellow, and the dark green of their new house looked rather good with their red hair.
They sat down at the table with a new sense of pride.
Opposite them was another student. They had chocolate brown skin with emerald green eyes and hair, short and fluffed in messy curls, in a shade of deep brown that didn’t go past their ears. If Qrow looked closely enough, they swore they could see a splatter of freckles on their fellow Slytherins’ nose.
The redhead stuck out their hand.
"Qrow Beithir, pronouns they/them." they said decisively.
If they were going to be in a house deemed evil by most, it was in the child’s best interest to make friends. Their father had told them how, when he was a student, it was often that Slytherins had to travel everywhere in groups; the inter-house rivalries often became heated, and some of the older students found that a lone Slytherin first-year was an easy target. Of course, they had older cousins in their new house; however, they were hesitant to rely on their family, and of course, the triplets had a habit of taking their revenge a bit too far, and Qrow wished their wrath on nobody.
Though none of this meant that they were afraid of being in Slytherin, In fact, the child was rather proud of it. The house of the serpent was one meant for those of great ambition, resourcefulness, and cunning, and Qrow Beithir was nothing if not proud to be labelled any of those things.
"Five bloody minutes..." The child mumbled to themselves, "I can’t believe I was a hat stall. That dusty old hat got stuck between Slytherin and Ravenclaw, though, I suppose it also debated Hufflepuff, if only for a second."
They paused, looking at the dark-haired student in front of them, before smirking.
"Though, I’d say we snakes are better than the wise old house of Ravenclaw." Qrow said smugly, using their hands to air-quote their sentence. "After all, intelligence without ambition is as useful as a bird without wings."
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26 Apr 2023, 16:50
Slither Into Slytherin
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After a moment of hesitation, she, too, put out her hand, and shook the person whose name was Qrow's hand. "Mahlioz Evethisawe. She/they," she said quietly. This was the first person she'd talked to since Natalie on the Hogwarts Express, and she was feeling very differently now. Did this mean Natalie would see her differently because she was a Slytherin? Maybe no one would want to talk to her because they'd think she was evil... and maybe they'd be right, she didn't know anymore. No, thoughts, stop. She was getting carried away again. She couldn't let this happen. She had to stop thinking. She just didn't know how to do that.
Thankfully, Qrow started mumbling. Mahlioz didn't know what they were saying, but it got her out of her mind for long enough. They then looked up and stated that they thought Slytherins were better than Ravenclaws. Mahlioz was sure they had somehow read her mind and were doing this just to make her feel worse. That is, until they said that "intelligence without ambition is as useful as a bird without wings". That made her stop. And think (though she was trying not to). Because they were right. All she knew about Slytherin was the stereotypes. She'd heard somewhere that Salazar Slytherin was supposed to be ambitious, and that that was what the Slytherins' motto was or something. She wasn't sure.
But Qrow was right. Sure, she was a bookworm. Sure, she loved reading. But she didn't just do it for the fun of it (well, okay, maybe sometimes). She did it because it was interesting, and because she'd be able to use that knowledge later. She had ambition. She wanted to do things. And maybe... just maybe, she belonged here. In Slytherin. It sounded wrong to her, but... she hoped she would get used to it. She didn't want to spend the next seven years feeling like she was in the wrong place.
Although Mahlioz felt like saying nothing might be a little rude, she didn't really have anything to say. She just nodded in silence. She knew how she felt now. She was glad Qrow had come here and spoken to her. She hoped they understood that, even if she wasn't saying anything.
27 Apr 2023, 11:05
Slither Into Slytherin
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The feast appeared not long after the last of the first years had been sorted.
ReducioInteracting with @Mahlioz Evethisawe
The other student, Mahlioz Evethisawe, didn’t seem to be very talkative; not that this bothered Qrow in the slightest; they were more than capable of talking enough for the both of them, despite the other students' apparent shyness.
"I’m not sure about you, but I’m so hungry I feel as if I could eat a dragon!"
They paused, their face twisting into a small frown at their own words before adding,
"Hypothetically, of course, I don’t actually eat meat."
The first-year glanced around at all the food that had appeared on the table before picking a small amount of everything that wasn’t meat and putting it on their plate; none of the food touched.
The meal before them didn’t seem to dissuade the redhead from their chattering, and whilst they didn’t dare speak while their mouth was full, they were rather happy jumping between subjects and giving Mahlioz an insight into themselves between their eating.
"It’s a shame that we can’t start Care of Magical Creatures until 3rd year, though I doubt there’s anything taught in that class that I don’t already know; Dad works in the Ministry’s Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures; he taught me everything he knows about them."
They paused, taking a small sip of pumpkin juice from their goblet before starting again.
"I’m a right bookworm too. I mostly read academic books: Moste Potente Potions, Jinxes for the Jinxed, and Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed. Of course, I also have a plethora of books about magical beasts and a multitude of books that my sixth year cousin gave me. I also possess the entire collection of Gilderoy Lockheart, though I think him to be a rather egotistical writer, and there's nothing much better than sitting by a window while it rains and reading a good horror story."
Qrow looked quizzically at their fellow Slytherin, their eyes narrowing as if they were trying to read her mind.
"What about you, Mahl? Do you read?"
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29 Apr 2023, 23:49
Slither Into Slytherin
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Mahlioz served herself from everything that looked good (that was nearly everything); unlike her new acquaintance, she did in fact eat meat, just not very much of it. Everything was delicious, though. And she was able to keep her mind off of Ravenclaw for long enough to listen to Qrow as they kept talking. They were most definitely an extravert, she reckoned. They spoke about everything from Care of Magical Creatures to their dad in the Ministry to books (which definitely caught Mahlioz's attention). The young girl didn't interrupt them once, just nodding from time to time. She did not know how Qrow was finding time to eat with all their talking, but they somehow managed it. And she listened, greatful that she didn't need to respond.
That is, until they asked her a question. "What about you, Mahl? Do you read?" Had she been in a better mood, she almost would have laughed. Oh, did she read. Of course, Qrow couldn't have known how she checked out four novels a day at her old library, or how she would sneak books with her to her orchestra practice if ever she got bored, or how Reltyl kept getting mad at her because she was too busy reading to play with them. But, knowing herself, the question was rather comical.
Mahlioz tried her best at a smile (which came out slightly sideways, but it was a smile nonetheless) before speaking again. "I do." This talking thing was tiring, but it got her mind off of everything else, and she wanted to get better at it. So she decided to continue. Besides, she knew Qrow wouldn't stop speaking even if she did. "Not so much academic books, like you, but more fantasy." Well, nearly completely fantasy. Even if it could potentially be considered non-fiction in the wizarding world. "Like... well, I guess you probably wouldn't know these, because they're not very famous, but I like Beyonders by Brandon Mull a lot, and Aru Shah by Roshani Chokshi as well."
Mahlioz was decently proud of herself for speaking so much. It was quite unlike her, especially when she was feeling so depressed about the state of things. But she guessed the fact that they were talking about books helped. There were so many others she loved that she could list - Furthermore, or the Vega Jane series, or the famous Percy Jackson (it was overrated, but she liked it anyway), or The Girl Who Drank The Moon. A good old bookworm conversation - it warmed her heart. She found herself smiling without even trying, Ravenclaw worries slipping from her mind.
30 Apr 2023, 17:44
Slither Into Slytherin
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"I do." She paused, seemingly tired, before deciding to continue.
ReducioInteracting with @Mahlioz Evethisawe
"Not so much academic books, like you, but more fantasy." Well, that certainly got Qrow's attention.
"Like... Well, I guess you probably wouldn't know these, because they're not very famous, but I like Beyonders by Brandon Mull a lot, and Aru Shah by Roshani Chokshi as well."
She smiled, and Qrow couldn’t help but return it with one of their own.
"Oh, I’ll have to look for them at some point!" She was right; they had never heard of any of the books that she had mentioned. However, Hogwarts, apparently, had an expansive library; they would have to go check there tomorrow to see if it had any of the titles she had mentioned.
Honestly, they were delighted that the other student finally seemed to be coming out of her shell. Who knew all it took was a good old bookworm conversation—though if anything, the metamorph was less of a bookworm and more of a bookwyrm...
Bookworm: an avid reader; Bookdragon: a hoarder of books; Bookwyrm: a mix between the two
They had an awful habit of hoarding books, and had it not been for their father's insistence that Hogwarts library would keep his child avidly supplied with a plethora of different books, they likely would have attempted to bring the contents of their own library back home.
"I quite enjoy fiction books every now and then too. The works of Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Charles Dickens, mostly, but I’m also rather fond of Shakespeare!" They were all brilliant writers and likely brilliant witches and wizards too, but with Mahlioz finally speaking, Qrow didn’t dare start rambling about their works in fear of her going silent again; they didn’t know if they’d be able to find another topic that she’d enjoy, and they were beginning to draw a blank on what else to talk to her about. The eleven-year-old could talk for hours if you let them, but with everyone around them eating, the chatter was dulling and separating off into small pockets of people, and if there was one thing that the redhead disliked, it was silence.
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Reducio
OOC:For reference, I found those Authors on the Harry Potter Wiki here and thats why I noted them as witches/wizards...
5 May 2023, 14:22
Slither Into Slytherin
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Qrow went on to speak about their own favorite fiction authors. Mahlioz had heard of all of them before, but had only ever read that one Christmas book she couldn't remember the name of by Charles Dickens, and nothing by any of the other authors (yet). Nodding, she said, "I've heard they're very good - that's probably the reason they're so famous. I haven't really gotten the chance to read any of their books though. I'm guessing that will change now that I'm at Hogwarts. Have you seen the library yet?" She, of course, had not, but maybe Qrow had older siblings or other family that went here and described it to them or something.
Mahlioz had asked her mother about it thousands of times, but Alarian had only ever smiled and said she wouldn't really be able to understand the magic of it until she got there. And her only older sibling, her sister Hyltwis, went to Beauxbatons, so she couldn't have told the first year about the Hogwarts library. Mahlioz could not wait to see it. In fact, going to the library was probably the first thing she would do tomorrow morning - if she managed to find it, which there was a great chance she wouldn't. Hogwarts was gargantuan.
She'd been quiet for more than a few moments now, and was surprised Qrow hadn't started talking again. She guessed they were waiting for her. Although it seemed they didn't like it very much. "So... uh..." she tried to find something to say. As usual, speaking to people was not her forte. Speaking of forte... Her violin and music theory came to mind. She wondered whether she'd have time to practice here at Hogwarts. "Do you think we'll have a lot of free time here? What do you like to do during yours?" she decided on asking Qrow. It was a decent conversation starter, actually, if they weren't going to talk about books forever.
7 May 2023, 16:10
Slither Into Slytherin
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"I've heard they're very good; that's probably the reason they're so famous. I haven't really gotten the chance to read any of their books, though. I'm guessing that will change now that I'm at Hogwarts. Have you seen the library yet?"
ReducioInteracting with @Mahlioz Evethisawe
Qrow | #064107 | Qrow's Thoughts | #11a513
"Not yet, but I was thinking about going tomorrow. I’ve heard all about it, though! Most of my cousins are here, and they’ve told me all about it!" They replied excitedly.
Honestly, the redhead was ecstatic at the prospect of a bigger library. The one in their home was certainly grand, but according to all of their family members that have attended or are attending the school, their library at home had nothing on the Hogwarts library...
Mahl had been quiet for more than a few moments now, and Qrow was desperately trying to be patient while waiting for her to speak again. Patience was not their forte, but they didn't want to risk her closing off, especially after getting this far into the conversation. They fidgeted in their seat as they fought the urge to open their mouth.
"So... uh..." she mumbled as she clearly tried to find something to say. She was obviously not one for conversation, but the redhead was never one to shy away from a challenge, and that was exactly what this girl was: a challenge, and if anything, Qrow was far too stubborn to let someone who was of such a seemingly sweet disposition be left alone. God's, they were getting attached already.
"Do you think we'll have a lot of free time here? What do you like to do during yours?" She asked.
It was a decent conversation starter, especially considering the fact that they couldn't converse about books forever; though, that wasn't to say that, if given the opportunity, Qrow wouldn't give it a damn good go.
Honestly, despite barely knowing the girl for very long, Qrow couldn't help but be proud of her for how much she was actively contributing to the conversation, especially when she was so clearly an introvert by nature.
Finally, they could talk again.
"I mean, it's more than likely. We don't get to choose our extra subjects until third year, so I can imagine we'll have marginally more freedom in what we do up until then." Qrow paused in thought for a moment.
They had quite a few hobbies, but they had no idea which one would get the most reaction from the girl in front of them. Instead of just picking one at random and hoping for the best, they opted to tell her all of them, so at least one of them was sure to catch her attention.
"Well, I'm a bit of a jack of all trades, I suppose. I do a bit of everything! Music, dance, gymnastics, archery, gardening, art, and occasionally cooking!"
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16 May 2023, 13:31
Slither Into Slytherin
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So sorry this is so late!
Upon hearing that Qrow was planning to go to the library the next morning, Mahlioz's eyes lit up. And they had cousins who had told them about it... most of Mahlioz's cousins were muggles, and the only magic ones were younger than her. She would end up being the cousin who described Hogwarts to the others. Especially the library. She had a feeling she'd be spending a whole lot of time there.
And Qrow was going to go there the next day... she wondered whether it would be rude to ask if she could tag along. She didn't know where she was going, and maybe they did. And sure, she didn't like people very much, but Qrow was a bookworm like her, and she would have rathered go to the library with them than on her own. She wasn't really sure why. But... was it okay for her to ask? Maybe they wanted to go by themselves. Maybe they didn't want her there.
She decided to risk it anyways. They were obviously extraverted, right? And she had no doubts that they would easily tell her no if they wanted to be alone. "Hey, could I... c-come with you?" she asked shyly, cursing herself inwardly for her stutter. "When - or if - you go there tomorrow?"
She, like Qrow, was slightly proud of herself for how much she was speaking. Sure, she was still hesitant, but she was talking, and that was what was important. It was mostly because of Qrow themself - she didn't know how to describe it, but they just made her feel like she was okay. Like the world wasn't going to end just because she wasn't in Ravenclaw. She decided that she liked them.
They stated that they imagined first years would have more free time than older years because they had less classes. "I hope so," Mahlioz agreed with a half smile. Of course she was looking forward to the classes, but she also wanted some time to herself, to draw or read or something else. In two years she would get to pick extra subjects; she was very excited about that, but still hoped she would have free time. Learning was, of course, fun, but there were other things too.
Answering her question, the other first year told Mahlioz that they enjoyed pretty much anything, from music to gymnastics to gardening. At the mention of archery, Mahlioz couldn't help but grin. And they liked art and music too! She wondered if they played an instrument. "Wow, that's a lot!" she ended up saying, though it was a pretty obvious statement. "I can't say I agree with you for all of them, but I definitely love music, art and archery." She really hadn't imagined she would meet anyone else who liked bows and arrows, and especially not on the first day. But here she was. Perhaps it was more common than she'd thought. "I only started learning that last one recently, though, so I'm not great at it." But it was pretty much the only sport she actually enjoyed, so... it was definitely something! "Do you know if... there's somewhere we can practice on the grounds?"