Closed First time alone in the magical world Open

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Current attire:

italics = thoughts , "speech marks" = speech

♡ 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 | @Ophelia Northwell, @Astra Leaughton ♡

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ℙatricia drew her bright gaze away from Astra, observant stare flicking towards the glistening window as the mildly comfortable silence reigned on, each girl seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

Patricia was struck by how much time had passed; she had initially thought they were only ten minutes into their journey.

Surprisingly, the Hogwarts Express had already cruised into Scotland—Inverness-shire, to be exact—and the train was chugging steadily along what Patricia recalled to be the Glenfinnan Viaduct (her parents had relayed this information to her). She smiled softly at the memory of her parents' stories regarding their first voyage to Hogwarts, how they had grinned with deep nostalgia shining in their warm eyes.

Then...

An unreadable, zoned out look clouded her eyes as she quietly surveyed the passing scenery.

Verdurous green hills playfully rolled and dove into each other, strikingly pronounced against the vibrant liveliness of the ultramarine skies that hung above the gaping valley below. Sparkling, snowy clouds streaked the crisp blue canvas and billowed harmoniously around the twinkling golden sun, occasionally floating across its blazing circular expanse and preventing its powerful rays from meeting the alluring land below. Flocks of milky white sheep lay scattered across the breezy rises, size appearing so achingly similar to that of the miniature plastic figurines Patricia had constantly played with as a curious toddler; even in her presently young age, Patricia often found herself missing her time as naïve three year old, oblivious to the evils of the world.

Pfft.

She ducked her head, hair falling around her face as she held back an amused laugh.
Patricia, an eleven-year-old girl who had hardly experienced the worst of life, wishes she was three again?

I sound like an old lady! I seriously need to loosen up, haha.

Patricia knew with profound conviction that there was so much she didn't know, endless things to learn.
She also so knew that, in a way, she was still an innocent child; no matter how much her friends and family back home told her otherwise.

I think my parents are the only people who've made sure I stay humble: they've consistently taught me that there will always be something I don't—or never will—know.

Patricia remembered a time when she was small, when she was at that age that you believe your parental figures know everything.
It was her mum's birthday, so she naturally—as an extrovert—invited as many close friends and family as possible over to their large mansion/manor in Kensington. Patricia and her father—being introverts—had, after many heartfelt protests (which were largely from her dad because she lacked the vocabulary at four years old), given up and decided to just try and avoid as many people as possible. This was their plan until Patricia's mother decided put them in charge of serving drinks; Patricia had to ask people what they wanted and her dad would pour the drinks.
At some point, Patricia had to walk up to where a cluster of her teenage cousins were chatting. One of them began complaining that "life was so unfair" and so on, which prompted someone else to respond "Why should we expect a universe full of randomness and chaos to be fair?".

This question had intrigued Patricia so greatly that she promptly decided to abort her mission and run to ask her father what the answer to it was. Her father, who was an authentic genius, thought for a moment and—after a few sentences regarding the psychology of the human brain—confidently concluded "I don't know, and will probably never know, the true answer to that question."

Patricia was shocked at the time but now, being seven years older, she completely understood why that was his answer.

"Are you both excited for this or worried?"

Patricia repressed a flinch at the sudden sound. Even so, she quickly broke off her train of thought and fully directed her attention towards Ophelia.

"What do you think the first thing we'll do is? Have you ever seen the school?"

She hummed softly as she considered all the other girl's questions, noting how Ophelia inhaled deeply and turned towards them with an embarrassed grin. Whilst she understood why the girl would feel sheepish after voicing those inquiries, Patricia also didn't see anything wrong with what she had asked.

"Sorry, just curious. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."


Patricia blinked reflectively before answering, deciding on how much she should reveal about herself. Honestly, she didn't want to disclose the emotion that was currently fighting against the rational side of her, the feeling that was threatening to choke her. She had previously forgotten about it because she was lost in her memories, but she was now acutely aware of it.

Patricia bit her lip. She didn't necessarily like it, but she recognised that Ophelia and Astra deserved to know the truth. Wait, this wasn't her usual default...why does it feel different this time? She was usually slow to trust anyone but somehow...

"No, it's okay—I personally think those are valid questions. Anyway...as I'm not really prone to being excited, I'm naturally feeling quite anxious." She exhaled quietly before continuing "The first activity we'll do...well, I'm not entirely sure but my best guess is that we might be sorted into our 'houses'. And no, I've never seen the school. "

She paused to let her words sink in.

"How about you, Ophelia? How are you feeling?"

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OOC: I'm sorry...my answer is probably way too long

Astra didn't really expect such reaction from other girls. Both looked surprised, especially Ophelia, with her wider opened eyes. Was telling this inappriopriate? After all, for all she could know, they could have come from fully magical famillies and Astra was aware, that some of them could look down upon her for being muggle born. After all, one of the Hogwart's founders did. That's what Hogwarts: A history claimed, at least.

Maybe they treated it more in a way of don't ask, don't tell? Like a taboo, that everyone is aware of, yet everyone seems to ignore. She shouldn't have said this, but it was already too late. She retracted a little to herself, bit embarrased. Other girls didn't comment on it anyway. None of them critisized Astra for it, so maybe it wasn't that bad after all? Still, after that she didn't really feel like starting a new conversation for a bit.

"Are you both excited for this or worried? What do you think the first thing we'll do is? Have you ever seen the school?"

...The first thing? This is certainly sorting ceremony, isn't it? That's a pretty weird question from someone, who knew about magical world for her whole life. Unless... she didn't know as well. Astra relaxed a bit, that she wasn't the only one new to all of this.

"Sorry, just curious. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Of course she wanted to answer, but before she collected that bit of courage needed to speak to newly met girls, Patricia replied first:
"No, it's okay—I personally think those are valid questions. Anyway...as I'm not really prone to being excited, I'm naturally feeling quite anxious."

Quite anxious... well, that was a thing Astra certainly knew a bit or two about, probably too well. Maybe they both shared more, than what would be seen at first glance?

"The first activity we'll do...well, I'm not entirely sure but my best guess is that we might be sorted into our 'houses'. And no, I've never seen the school."

"Neither did I. But I'd really, really like to." She giggled awkwardly a bit "And y-yes this is pretty scary, but it makes it all that much more interesting."

Astra smiled a bit more, if they got to the topic of sorting, it was certainly appriopriate to ask now the one question she was thinking about since the day she learned about Hogwarts.

"What house you wanna be in?"

@Ophelia Northwell, @Patricia Holmes

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OOC: Don't worry about length, it's good . If anything, I'm worried I'm doing them too short and not enough edited.

Self | Thoughts | "Others Speaking"

"No, it's okay—I personally think those are valid questions. Anyway...as I'm not really prone to being excited, I'm naturally feeling quite anxious. The first activity we'll do...well, I'm not entirely sure but my best guess is that we might be sorted into our 'houses'. And no, I've never seen the school."

Ophelia was surprised to hear the girl say so much. Patricia seemed to be a quiet girl, even more so than Ophelia herself. She wasn't expecting to hear too many words come from her mouth, but she was happy to have provoked such a long answer. They're not angry at my questions then.

The thought calmed her, if only a little bit. Astra- the other girl- still had to answer, and Ophelia's anxiety would stay until that happened.

"How about you, Ophelia? How are you feeling?" Patricia added after the pause. Her voice was milder and Ophelia could sense her sinking back into her protective shell.

She nodded to acknowledge the question, but waited for Astra to answer first. After a beat of silence, the girl started speaking. Her nervous tone and the stutters which had plagued her before had reduced and Ophelia could tell that she, just like Patricia and herself, was growing more accustomed to them.

"Neither did I. But I'd really, really like to." An awkward giggle escaped her and she tried to cover it up with her hand. "And y-yes this is pretty scary, but it makes it all that much more interesting!" She ended with a kind but small smile that warmed Ophelia. Hesitating for a moment, she continued. "What house do you wanna be in?"

Ophelia thought about all the questions that were set before her now. She decided to answer Patricia's first, as it was asked first. How do you feel, Ophelia?

How did she feel? Excited for her first magical experience, other than shopping at Diagon Alley? Nervous to meet and get judged by the other magical beings out there? Or just worried for spending a year alone, without the companionship and constant love of her family?

It was all three combined, for sure, plus more. Other feelings wrestled to be heard in Ophelia's heart and she closed her eyes for a moment, thinking through each of them. How did she feel? She felt normal. All these hardships and crazy-out-of-control feelings were just a part of life, right?

"I don't know how I feel." Ophelia smiled casually. "But I know that I can't wait to see the famous school of Hogwarts."

As for Astra's question... Ophelia didn't know the answer to that either. When explaining the entire magical situation, her mother had told her about the four houses of Hogwarts. Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.

Ophelia's mother had shown bias and favoritism towards her old house of Ravenclaw, but she'd gently told her that any sorting would make her proud. But Ophelia knew the real message. Getting sorted into Ravenclaw was the only way to make her mother truly happy.

"As for the house I would like to be in, Ravenclaw would be my first choice. What about you, Patricia?"

Ophelia found herself smiling easier at her two companions. Maybe friendship was easier to find than she'd thought.

@Patricia Holmes & @Astra Leaughton

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OOC: Don't worry about it I like the amount of details you add in your roleplay, @Patricia Holmes. I personally think mine are short as well.

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Current attire:

italics = thoughts , "speech marks" = speech

♡ 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 | @Ophelia Northwell, @Astra Leaughton ♡

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𝔹linking with placid acceptance in response to Ophelia's nod, Patricia deftly turned her head to face Astra, knitting her pale, slim fingers together to restrain herself from fiddling with the silver watch that encircled her slender wrist. Realising in mild panic that one of her expensive and most sentimentally valuable items was in plain sight, she hastily pulled the thick sleeve of her black coat over the object whilst successfully keeping her expression neutral.

She hoped it hadn't been spotted — not because she thought it would be stolen (she didn't believe her companions were like that at all) — because it was a possession that would disclose both her social status and blood type. As someone who originated from a considerably wealthy Pureblood bloodline, Patricia was aware of other Pureblood families who were blatantly prejudiced against those who weren't of "pure" birth; Patricia's family was nothing like this and she didn't want her new friends to understandably think otherwise.
Her parents had a few close Muggle-born and Half-breed friends back home in Kensington, so from a very young age Patricia had been exposed to those who were magically different from her. Patricia herself saw those friends as being something like aunts and uncles.

The sole reason Patricia was wearing this watch was that her mother and father had gifted it to her two days prior: it sounded idiotic even to her but it somehow made her feel less separated from them.

Patricia caught herself before her mind drifted to far, rapidly clocking back in on the present conversation.

"Neither did I. But I'd really, really like to."

She smiled slightly at Astra's enthusiasm.

"And y-yes this is pretty scary, but it makes it all that much more interesting."

Sometimes, when everything felt too overwhelming, Patricia wished she was a tad more optimistic. Right now was one of those moments and, to top it off, her figurative social battery was apparently on an all-time low.

"What house you wanna be in?"

Patricia hmmed, considering.

"I don't know how I feel."

Patricia focused on Ophelia while she answered her previous question, nodding observantly as the blue-eyed girl continued.

"But I know that I can't wait to see the famous school of Hogwarts."

As Patricia quietly looked at the girl, she could 've sworn that seemingly casual smile hid countless emotions that couldn't exactly be expressed with words. She recognised the potential coverup from her own habits.
"Eyes are the windows to the soul" was a saying Patricia firmly believed in and right now, as she gazed calmly and attentively into her peer's eyes, she'd never thought it was so true; she obviously couldn't pinpoint every single emotion that Ophelia was currently feeling, but Patricia sensed it was a lot more than she was letting on.

Patricia shrugged to herself, breaking eye contact. She needed to stop hyper-analysing people—it was really none of her business. Patricia knew she was only doing it in the first place because of her excessively sceptical nature and currently high stress levels, but it was an unhelpful tendency that she needed to terminate from her brain.

Humans are essentially puzzles Patricia thought, staring pensively out the window probably the most complicated ones to ever exist.

"As for the house I would like to be in, Ravenclaw would be my first choice. What about you, Patricia?"

Patricia turned back to her two acquaintances, thinking for a second longer before verbalising her expectations.

"I think," Patricia began carefully and a little uncomfortably, pushing a stray hair behind her ear "that whichever house I'm sorted into, it will be one that best suits me. I don't exactly have a preference, but I imagine I'll end up in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw."

Her father had been in Ravenclaw and her mother Hufflepuff. Growing up, everyone around her had always complemented on how her intellectual abilities were so much like her dad's, how her kind and patient personality was so similar to her mum's. Of course, these traits were essentially some of the stereotypes of those houses, but her parents had ended in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff anyway. Patricia deduced it would be the same for her.

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OOC: Thank you @Astra Leaughton and @Ophelia Northwell! I think the lengths of both your answers are fine and I honestly really enjoy reading what you both write—you're genuinely fun people to roleplay with

"I don't know how I feel. But I know that I can't wait to see the famous school of Hogwarts."

In a way, that was how Astra felt as well. How she usually felt in new situations. Confused, as to what were her feelings. Just like upon joining the drama club, some time ago. Obviously, she had thought at first, that it is a brilliant idea, until the time to actually show up there came. Standing by the door, she thought about all that could have happened. Had it been even the correct room? What if she would have said something weird? Luckily, her parents had been there with her, because otherwise she would have run away to the other side of the globe.

That day in the train, Astra also felt really unsure about herself, especially since she were on her own. So far though, things were going surprisingly smoothly. None of the girls gave signs, that she is not welcome and moreover they were having a regular conversation, even though they barely met! Truly surprising.

"As for the house I would like to be in, Ravenclaw would be my first choice"

Ravenclaw as the first choice? The house of the smart and studious people, from what Astra heard. She wondered, if she would fit there most, after all she didn't really have problems at school anyway. Moreover her parents told her, that this one sounds the best, they were both people valuing knowledge and science, after all. But on the other hand, its not like she enjoyed learning on its own, no. It would get dull at some point and she couldn't imagine this being her main purpose in life.

On the other hand, all the other houses didn't exactly fit either. Slytherin was out of question, as she didn't want to be seen as worse, simply because of her origin. She knew, that she shared a lot of traits with Hufflepuff, but deep down she just didn't want to get there. As for Gryffindor... it sounded the coolest, but Astra knew she was not that brave to get there anyway.

"What about you, Patricia?"

Girl in question thought for a second and replied in slow and... insecure way.

"I think, that whichever house I'm sorted into, it will be one that best suits me. I don't exactly have a preference, but I imagine I'll end up in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw."

Did she not? Or maybe she felt little ashamed of her true preference? Such things were certainly not foreign for Astra. Why would she do it, anyway? There were many possibilities, too many, but she didn't really want to think about possibilities anymore.

"Would you be happy, if this happened?"

Suddenly she realised, what she did. Her face immediately felt a lot warmer and she turned her gaze into the window, scared that this sounded a little bit too invasive, but the mistake was made. She had to switch the topic real quick.

"I think I'm closest to Hufflepuff, I'm too fearfull to be in Gryffindor and not studious enough for Ravenclaw."

She giggled awkwardly.

@Ophelia Northwell and @Patricia Holmes

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Feeling same, its a pleasure

Self | Thoughts | "Others Speaking"

Ophelia felt as if she was being examined like a book. Though she usually did the same to others, being on the receiving end of such judgement was nerve wracking. Patricia's eyes bored into hers and she took the opportunity to look into the girl.

Something about her face told Ophelia that she had something to hide. Her composed expression was pristine, except for the fact that her eyes told anyone who was looking that she was extremely nervous underneath. But Ophelia could tell that through everything, she was a genuine person.

Patricia broke eye contact first, looking away as she answered the question that Ophelia had directed at her. "I think, that whichever house I'm sorted into, it will be one that best suits me. I don't exactly have a preference, but I imagine I'll end up in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw."

The comment piqued Ophelia's interest. She'd been informed by her mother that everyone took the sorting very seriously. Your house is basically your family for the rest of your time at Hogwarts, she'd said. It was confusing that this girl, whom Ophelia assumed to be brought up around magic, didn't seem to care as much about the whole sorting business.

Something about her answer and the careful nonchalance of her way of saying it made Ophelia feel like there was more to it, though she didn't want to go on and be nosy about it. If Patricia wanted to tell her and Astra about anything, then she would have. Though Ophelia doubted that she'd ever willingly share anything. Everything about this conversation seemed to have made her uncomfortable.

Trying to set her at ease, Ophelia replied with an easygoing and friendly smile. "Well, I hope to see you at whatever house I end up in." She looked over to the other girl in the compartment. "You too, Astra. It would be nice to have a friend there."

A friend. Have these two girls already become friends with her? Had her mind, which usually failed to cooperate in friend-making situations, decided to trust these two already? It seemed ridiculous, but she hoped it was true.

Ophelia and the other girls sat in silence for a moment, staring at each other, before Astra resumed the conversation. Her voice still chirped with barely contained excitement and nerves. The fact that she could openly show these feelings made Ophelia respect the girl. She would never truly be able to do that herself. Even if she already trusted these two. Astra was just such a purely genuine person.

"Would you be happy, if this happened?"

Then, it appeared that she realized something because her eyes widened and her face turned a light pink. Hurrying to cover up whatever mistake she believed she had made, she blurted something else, which was totally unrelated, out.

"I think I'm closest to Hufflepuff, I'm too fearful to be in Gryffindor and not studious enough for Ravenclaw."

Ophelia thought about this. She'd heard about the stereotypical traits of each of the houses, but she didn't think that was how it worked. Bravery was a part of being a Gryffindor, but it didn't matter if one was brave enough to be in the house. If anyone asked Ophelia, she would reply that Astra was brave, for being able to show her true self without a shield.

She would've said as much, too, had she not chickened out. What would they think if I said something so rash as that without really knowing either of them? She smiled instead.

"I'm sure you have the potential for being a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff, Astra. It just depends on which you want to be a part of more in the end, I'm sure of it."

@Patricia Holmes & @Astra Leaughton

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OOC: Me too! You both are really good at roleplaying and this is really fun!

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Current attire:

italics = thoughts , "speech marks" = speech

♡ 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 | @Ophelia Northwell, @Astra Leaughton ♡

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𝔼xactly thirty seconds after she vocalised the ponderings generally left deep within her mind, Patricia was struck by waves of regret. Forceful currents of static curiosity seemed to envelop the small room; clearly her acquaintances' interest had been spurred by her rather odd use of words. She could feel each of the girls' inquisitive stares as they bore into her, could almost hear the potential thought formations and assumptions as they streamed along the synapses Patricia knew were scattered inside ever single human's brain. She was aware that whatever Ophelia and Astra were thinking was likely to not be harmful, but the fact Patricia had let the words slip without enough prior reflection unnerved her already exhausted psyche.

Get a grip, you need to stop slipping up!

Although a thousand words spun around her head, Patricia convinced herself not to agonise over her verbal error—at least for the time being. It would do no good to have a mental breakdown in the middle of a long journey, in front of people she barely knew.

"Well, I hope to see you at whatever house I end up in."

Patricia turned towards Ophelia, mild surprise flickering through the illegible frost in her hazel eyes. She studied her peer for a moment before realising that the girl had detected her discomfort, and was aiming to alleviate it.

I'm truly grateful that I came across such kind individuals.

Patricia's gaze softened.

"You too, Astra. It would be nice to have a friend there."

Nodding in firm agreement Patricia conducted her attention towards Astra, coincidentally at the same time the mentioned girl directed a question towards her.

"Would you be happy, if this happened?"

To be fair, she should've anticipated this to be asked. She also should've slept for more than three hours last night; evidently her body and mind were not in tip-top condition, because apparently the best she could do was merely stare at Astra with an intimidatingly unreadable look painted across her pale features. Of course; her reaction was partly due to the fact she was unrested and incredibly tired, but it was also because she'd abruptly been knocked into profound contemplation.

Her gaze dropped to her gleaming leather boots.

Would she be happy?

"I think I'm closest to Hufflepuff, I'm too fearful to be in Gryffindor and not studious enough for Ravenclaw."

Patricia whipped her head up—choosing to simultaneously ignore and mentally note the topic change—to be met with the obviously embarrassed and scared face of her fellow student. The said girl hurriedly turned her head away, supposedly to hide her flushed cheeks.
Glancing to the side, Patricia inhaled deeply as guilt slithered deep in her chest. She needed to be more conscious of her facial expressions, no matter how tired she was.

"I'm sure you have the potential for being a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff, Astra. It just depends on which you want to be a part of more in the end, I'm sure of it."

Gathering what little courage she had, Patricia hummed in accordance to Ophelia's words.

"I believe anything is possible," she murmured, careful not to let her weariness show: "and Astra? I acknowledge that we've only just met and that I barely know anything significant about you; but from what I've observed, you are brave. Maybe not in the way you might be imagining, but certainly in your own way."

Patricia quickly decided not to elaborate on what she'd just said (even though her brain was about to burst with what she wanted to say), instead selecting to answer Astra's question.

"Would you be happy if this happened?"

"...Would I be happy? If I was being sorted right now...maybe, maybe not."

She paused, biting her lower lip before continuing.

"I predict my happiness will depend on how I'm feeling already, when the time comes. I'd eventually learn to appreciate my house if I didn't at first. It may sound ridiculous but...I'd be content with whatever house I'm put in: adaptability is a useful skill and something I need to improve on—being put into a house I particularly didn't want would be a challenging but useful circumstance in the long-term."

She stared at her hands, smiling self-consciously. Her instincts screamed that she was revealing too much, that she should stop, but Patricia—driven by guilt—knew it was too late and she had to continue.

"Perhaps I'm thinking too deeply about it...the sorting process is probably quite simple compared to a lot of other magical systems. If the result relied wholly on me, my choice would lean more towards Ravenclaw: I enjoy studying and care a lot about my grades. But at the same time, I'd feel Hufflepuff might fit my personality more accurately...

Patricia sighed, forcing her awkward smile to fade into an unreadable mask. This was the most words she'd vocalised in one sitting for the past, what, six months? Anyway, it was incredibly draining.

"In conclusion, I'm probably—not definitely—going to choose or end up being in Hufflepuff. Apologies for having such an ambiguous answer."

Patricia finally looked up, gauging Ophelia's and Astra's reactions.

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OOC:

"Well, I hope to see you at whatever house I end up in. You too, Astra. It would be nice to have a friend there."

A... friend? A friend?! That was certainly a surprising thing to say! Astra never really had any friends, yet this barely met girl said such a serious thing? It was surprising in a way, but certainly nice also, maybe she would actually have friends after all of that? That friends being other girls sitting in the compartment.

But that was all just before the unfortunate question. Astra wasn't sure, if such a dumb disruption wouldn't ruin it all. She didn't really want to look at Patricia in fear of seeing some sort of indugnation. But it was ignored for a while.

"I'm sure you have the potential for being a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff, Astra. It just depends on which you want to be a part of more in the end, I'm sure of it."

It depends on the desire? This didn't sound right, it would be too easy. Why wouldn't they just ask beforehand then, rather than to that vague sorting ceremony?

"I believe anything is possible, and Astra? I acknowledge that we've only just met and that I barely know anything significant about you; but from what I've observed, you are brave. Maybe not in the way you might be imagining, but certainly in your own way."

Althoguh Patricia didn't mention her question, she seemed pretty weak. Her voice especially. Astra turned around and looked at her again. She looked paler than before? Did the question stress her that much? That wasn't good... But it happened, so she had to bare with the consequences.

"This is really nice of you to say!" She smiled warmly

"...Would I be happy? If I was being sorted right now...maybe, maybe not..."

Oh no... or not necessarily? Patricia was giving quite a speech, really surprising to Astra, she didn't really look like the most talkative person in the world, but all of that was actually not blaming and moreover sounded really mature. At the top of it, she admitted that she'd like to be in the Ravenclaw but at the same time she thought she fitted Hufflepuff more...

"...In conclusion, I'm probably—not definitely—going to choose or end up being in Hufflepuff. Apologies for having such an ambiguous answer."

"It wasn't ambiguous to me. I think I get it all now. I'm sorry for being invasive."

Wait a second, that wasn't exactly subtle, was it? She shouldn't really continue this topic, its gonna bring more harm than good anyway...

"How do you think it will look like? I mean the process..."

@Patricia Holmes, @Ophelia Northwell

Self | Thoughts | "Others Speaking"

"I believe anything is possible," Patricia said, her voice genuine. "and Astra? I acknowledge that we've only just met and that I barely know anything significant about you; but from what I've observed, you are brave. Maybe not in the way you might be imagining, but certainly in your own way."

Ophelia agreed wholeheartedly. Astra might not have been the most daring girl in the world, or even close to it, but she was definitely braver than Ophelia herself would ever be. She waited for the girl to answer, not wanting to bombard her with compliments.

After a moment's pause, Astra smiled wide and replied. "This is really nice of you to say!" She had that signature enthusiasm in her words and Ophelia found herself smiling along with her. Something about the girl made her feel brave too, even if it was just slightly.

Ophelia, who had expected Patricia to be done speaking, was surprised to hear the quieter girl speak up once more. She had a determined look, as if she wanted to get her message across just right.

"...Would I be happy? If I was being sorted right now...maybe, maybe not." Patricia said. Her eyes were down. What's that supposed to mean?

"I predict my happiness will depend on how I'm feeling already, when the time comes. I'd eventually learn to appreciate my house if I didn't at first. It may sound ridiculous but...I'd be content with whatever house I'm put in: adaptability is a useful skill and something I need to improve on—being put into a house I particularly didn't want would be a challenging but useful circumstance in the long-term."

Ophelia understood her reasoning. Having no prejudice against any of the houses, she was a clean slate and any house that she got sorted into would be greatly appreciated. The only reason for her interest in Ravenclaw was for her mother's sake, who seemed so intent on having her daughter follow in her footsteps. Still, if she was put in Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or even Gryffindor somehow, then she would learn to be alright with it. She would have to.

"Perhaps I'm thinking too deeply about it...the sorting process is probably quite simple compared to a lot of other magical systems. If the result relied wholly on me, my choice would lean more towards Ravenclaw: I enjoy studying and care a lot about my grades. But at the same time, I'd feel Hufflepuff might fit my personality more accurately..."

Ophelia held back a snort. Simple? The sorting process couldn't be simple if it required a magic hat to do it. She grinned. "You're not overthinking anything. I was so concerned about this entire thing that I didn't sleep at all last night because I was thinking through it all." She was surprised at the confession. Though the statement was true, she hadn't planned on saying it out loud. Suddenly, embarrassment overtook her.

Patricia didn't respond to her, though she looked at Ophelia to confirm that she'd heard her. "In conclusion, I'm probably—not definitely—going to choose or end up being in Hufflepuff. Apologies for having such an ambiguous answer." She finished.

Ophelia felt bad for the introverted girl. She too seemed embarrassed for her speaking, or at least flustered. "The answer was helpful. Now I understand what you meant before." She assured Patricia.

Astra seemed to feel the same because she said, "It wasn't ambiguous to me. I think I get it all now. I'm sorry for being invasive." It seemed the girl was still feeling bad about her question from earlier.

"How do you think it will look like? I mean the process..." Astra said quickly.

Ophelia noted the subject change with an innocently raised eyebrow. Still, she didn't say anything about it, understanding the girl's feelings completely. "I heard there's a sorting hat. But that's pretty much all I know."

They both turned to Patricia, waiting for her answer, because she obviously knew a lot more than both of them.

interacting with @patricia holmes & @astra leaughton

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Reducio

Current attire:

italics = thoughts , "speech marks" = speech

♡ 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 | @Ophelia Northwell, @Astra Leaughton ♡

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"The answer was helpful. Now I understand what you meant before."

ℙatricia lifted her eyes from her boots at that, studying Ophelia's expression with well concealed curiosity. She had initially believed that her miniature lecture was bizarre and intrinsically unnecessary (despite it only being a fraction of her true thoughts)—her sole reason for saying anything at all was to attempt to satisfy her comrades' burning inquisitiveness—but...

Maybe not?

She bit her lower lip, narrowing her eyes in contemplation.

"It wasn't ambiguous to me. I think I get it all now. I'm sorry for being invasive."

Patricia flinched—surprised as she was pulled from her thoughts—before nodding in acknowledgement, blinking kindly as she turned to Astra. She knew the girl hadn't intended to increase her anxiety by verballing conveying curiosity, and she wasn't upset by her unintentionally doing precisely that.

So...

"You don't have to feel guilty; I don't hold it against you. I would've felt compelled to ask something similar if our roles were reversed." She responded, a comforting little smile materialising on her pale features before vanishing as soon as it had come.

Turning her hazel gaze away from Astra, Patricia absently began to fiddle with her watch again, slowly retreating behind her indiscernible façade. She pushed away the exhaustion enveloping her heart in favour of directing her gaze once again towards the window, eyes becoming distant as she tuned out of the conversation.

By now, the train had crossed the ancient viaduct and was currently cruising alongside a large expanse of water: Loch Eilt, if Patricia had recalled her parents' stories correctly.
She observed the scenery in some sort of awed daze, scanning the landscape reflected in the motionless waters of the loch.

"—the process..."

Patricia's eyes flew from the engaging view, transferring her focus back to the apparently unfinished discussion. A few seconds later, she realised that she had heard only half of what Astra had said.

"I heard there's a sorting hat. But that's pretty much all I know."

Confusion burst in her chest as both Astra and Ophelia turned to her, eyes expectant. Frowning mildly as she rapidly pieced the missing puzzle pieces together, Patricia readied herself to speak as it became evident that her comrades were expecting her to do so.

"The process"?

Patricia began tapping her watch, attempting to ignore the others' stares as she thought.

It's quite obvious that they're talking about the sorting process...yes, that must be it.

She sighed before opening her mouth, rubbing her forehead as the previous headache once again made itself known.

"The sorting process? I lack the entire knowledge of how the ceremony transpires—the details, I should say—but I could at least outline the bigger picture." She stated, trying to sound confident. "My parents didn't reveal much because they didn't want to 'spoil' it for me, but they did disclose a basic history regarding the nucleus of the whole procedure: the hat."

Patricia faltered. Should she be exhibiting this information? It wouldn't do any harm, would it?

She shrugged, deciding that she better finish what had been started.

"According to my parents, the magical hat—or 'chapeau', as my father calls it—previously belonged to one of the founders of Hogwarts...Godric Gryffindor, I think it was? Anyway, this wizard along with the other three cast a spell on this hat, resulting in it gaining intelligence and personality; I guess you could say it became a creature of some sort. It's sentient, so is essentially a mind-reader to anyone who wears it."

She tilted her head, gold-flecked irises gleaming insightfully.

"That's all they told me."

Of course that was certainly all she'd been told, but Patricia had drawn her own conclusions from the somewhat minimal information. Deductions she was currently a little too exhausted to share.
Considering a hat can obviously be worn by only one person, Patricia knew the sorting was clearly done one student at a time; this also meant that the hat was required to read students' minds and sort into houses quite quickly—otherwise it would be a painfully long period of time. As for how the hat made its decisions, Patricia assumed it must decipher the main or strongest values, qualities, preferences, etc. of each individual student and base its verdict off those.

Patricia bit her lip, eyes flitting between her two companions.

Reducio

OOC: Ahhh apologies for replying so late!!