9 Oct 2023, 22:35
So It Continues
Ira stepped aboard the train, trembling ever so slightly. Hogwarts… Wonder what it’ll be like. Hopefully more interesting than regular school, probably not… what if the people there hate me? Or what if I fail all my classes or a teacher ends up hurt and it’s my fault? She shook her head, trying to brush the escalating negative thoughts away, everything is fine, everything is fine, her mind chanted like a mantra.
She opened the door to an empty carriage near the back of the train, good so far, please let it continue. Placing down her belongings, she fiddled with the end of her robe before opening her bag and taking out a muggle book to read.
The book was thick, significantly so, and was rather heavy. Its pages were dog-eared and wrinkled. It in itself was just a compilation of philosophical texts. She had found it at a pawnshop and had bought it for a rather low price, to which she was heavily satisfied with.
She was about a quarter way through the book and had used her wand as a bookmark. While she knew better, she was petty and still upset about it being dogwood, a silly thing but it still irked her. Ira removed her wand from the book, taking a second examine the long, brown wood. Satisfied, for whatever reason, she placed her wand beside her and continued to read.
The creak of the door startled her.
She opened the door to an empty carriage near the back of the train, good so far, please let it continue. Placing down her belongings, she fiddled with the end of her robe before opening her bag and taking out a muggle book to read.
The book was thick, significantly so, and was rather heavy. Its pages were dog-eared and wrinkled. It in itself was just a compilation of philosophical texts. She had found it at a pawnshop and had bought it for a rather low price, to which she was heavily satisfied with.
She was about a quarter way through the book and had used her wand as a bookmark. While she knew better, she was petty and still upset about it being dogwood, a silly thing but it still irked her. Ira removed her wand from the book, taking a second examine the long, brown wood. Satisfied, for whatever reason, she placed her wand beside her and continued to read.
The creak of the door startled her.
10 Oct 2023, 02:42
So It Continues
This was it. A brand new life in a brand new world. It was a weird feeling, having to leave his old muggle life behind even if he knew it was eventually coming. As Harley boarded the train, he couldn't help but feel an intense sinking feeling in his chest. How great... It hadn't even been five minutes and he was already feeling homesick. Even so, there was no going back now. He slowly made his way across the carriages looking for as quiet a compartment as possible leading him all the way to the back of the train.
Struggling, he managed to open the door with a loud creak, dragging his trunk behind him. "Hey. I hope it's okay if I sit in here. Everywhere else seems taken." Harley turned to the girl sitting alone in the mostly empty compartment. As he entered, he wrestled his trunk onto the seat before plopping down next to it. "I'm Harley, by the way," a gentle smile stretched onto his face as he briefly observed the girl, noticing the excessively thick book she was holding. Frankly, he thought it was cool even if he himself would never have the attention span to finish it all. "Your book seems interesting, what's it about?" he asked in a soft tone, keeping a smile on his face.
In the meantime, he grabbed his sketchpad and a pencil from his backpack. Art was always something he could rely on to relax him when he felt nervous or anxious about something. Without a word, he began to doodle while keeping a part of his attention on the girl in case she wanted to keep the conversation.
Notes:
He speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent & dialect... You have been warned.
He speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent & dialect... You have been warned.
10 Oct 2023, 03:14
So It Continues
“Oh.” Ira was startled. While yes, if she had thought about it, this would have been an inevitable possibility, but she was- well, she didn’t really have any excuses as to why she didn’t think of it. Ira glanced down at her book before looking back at the boy, Harley, at least that’s what she thought his name was, she hadn’t really been listening.
“I’m Ira.” She trailed off awkwardly. “This book? It’s just a collection of pieces about philosophy. You know, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Meditations by that one Roman emperor, Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle, and the likes. I honestly don’t get most of what they’re talking about and it hurts by brain, but I suppose that’s the fun of it.” She smiled, a little tightly, but no less genuinely.
“And you?” She asked, “What are you drawing?”
Her gaze returned to her book, looking at the long list of footnotes at the bottom of the page. She flipped the page, scanning through the next section of text, but barely actually processing it as she awaited an answer. Ira wasn’t sure what to feel, her heart sort of tingled at the thought of making a friend. She smiled to herself, a smaller one than before but more relaxed, some of the stress being taken away. This is good.
@Harry Jukes
“I’m Ira.” She trailed off awkwardly. “This book? It’s just a collection of pieces about philosophy. You know, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Meditations by that one Roman emperor, Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle, and the likes. I honestly don’t get most of what they’re talking about and it hurts by brain, but I suppose that’s the fun of it.” She smiled, a little tightly, but no less genuinely.
“And you?” She asked, “What are you drawing?”
Her gaze returned to her book, looking at the long list of footnotes at the bottom of the page. She flipped the page, scanning through the next section of text, but barely actually processing it as she awaited an answer. Ira wasn’t sure what to feel, her heart sort of tingled at the thought of making a friend. She smiled to herself, a smaller one than before but more relaxed, some of the stress being taken away. This is good.
@Harry Jukes
10 Oct 2023, 14:12
So It Continues
Some of the names rang a bell as Ira explained what she was reading. Well, he didn't know who they really were but he could recall hearing some of them on the TV once or twice. No surprises there, his dad was always deep into documentaries, an obsession Harley never could quite understand.
The boy looked up momentarily at Ira's question. Truthfully, he didn't have an interesting answer for her; there was no aim in his drawing at the moment, only rough sketches of random things that popped into his head. "Uhm, nothing really. Just random stuff." Placing his pencil on the seat beside him, he held the sketchpad up and turned it around. The sketches themselves were rather nice, even if they were all over the place. Some of them were of his house back home, muggle superheroes from comics and games he enjoys— among a bunch of other doodles. "I usually just draw aimlessly to be honest," he showed her with a soft smile, before placing it back down. "It helps me calm down," and that it did. The sinking feeling in his chest slowly eased, even if not completely it was a start as good as any.
It also didn't hurt to have some company. It was going to be a long and probably boring journey after all. As he picked his pencil back up, he took another glance at her book, his smile growing in amusement. "Wait, are you using your wand as a bookmark?" That was definitely something he didn't expect to see. Didn't all wizards and witches treat their wands with the utmost respect? Evidently not and he loved it. "That's brilliant!" he chuckled.
Notes:
He speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent & dialect... You have been warned.
He speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent & dialect... You have been warned.
10 Oct 2023, 22:57
So It Continues
Looking up from her book, Ira stared at the doodles with a blank expression. “They’re beautiful.” She proclaimed, her voice barely recognizable from being monotone, but she was telling the truth. Not understanding what most of the sketches were of, she tilted her head slightly, examining them. She saw a house, probably his own or just a random one, she figured. There were figures she remembered seeing on comic strips in the pawnshop and at school. For doodles they looked wonderful, she honestly wished she had such artistic talent, all she could really do was talk nonsense people mistook for something smart. I suppose drawing for him is like reading for me.
She chuckled lightly, “Yeah, I don’t like it very much. It’s so long and I keep accidentally jabbing myself with it. It’s a win win situation to put it in the book; I’m always aware of my book, and the wand becomes something actually useful outside of magic.” At his comment about it being brilliant, she snickered. “I think you’re going to be one of the only people who thinks that. God forbid I end up in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, they might just berate the life out of me for the disrespect.”
She leaned back, sighing. “Looking forward to anything this year? Is there a house you want to end up in? Do you have people you already know? What stuff are you going to sign up for?” For just a moment, she let her demeanour slip back to that of a young child, which she technically still was, and the curiosity was overwhelming.
@Harley Jukes
OOC Note: Sorry I took so long to reply, school happened and homework happened, but I’m back now.
She chuckled lightly, “Yeah, I don’t like it very much. It’s so long and I keep accidentally jabbing myself with it. It’s a win win situation to put it in the book; I’m always aware of my book, and the wand becomes something actually useful outside of magic.” At his comment about it being brilliant, she snickered. “I think you’re going to be one of the only people who thinks that. God forbid I end up in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, they might just berate the life out of me for the disrespect.”
She leaned back, sighing. “Looking forward to anything this year? Is there a house you want to end up in? Do you have people you already know? What stuff are you going to sign up for?” For just a moment, she let her demeanour slip back to that of a young child, which she technically still was, and the curiosity was overwhelming.
@Harley Jukes
OOC Note: Sorry I took so long to reply, school happened and homework happened, but I’m back now.
11 Oct 2023, 02:29
So It Continues
There was rarely an opportunity to show his drawings to anyone other than his dad. His friends back home didn't really care and that was perfectly fine by him. By now Harley figured his dad would always say it was the best drawing he'd ever seen even if that wasn't the case. "Thank you!" Harley beamed at the unexpected compliment. Whether intended or not, it really helped to uplift his mood.
"Well I think anyone who doesn't think it's brilliant is boring." And he would forever stand by that statement, letting out one last chuckle before pausing for a moment.
Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. He wasn't really sure what she really meant. Ira's questions completely eluded the young boy. So far all he knew about Hogwarts was that there were four houses. That's all. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he considered his response. "Ermmm, I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about any of that. I don't really know anyone either. You're the first." But that was alright for him, he only regretted not being able to properly answer her question. Winging it was always his plan and he didn't mind it much.
"How about you though?" Regardless, he was interested in what she was looking forward to, if anything. To be completely honest, he didn't know what to expect. Until his letter came through the post, he lived normally as a muggle for the most part. It was only then his dad dropped the ball and told Harley about his mum's true heritage.
Notes:
He speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent & dialect... You have been warned.
He speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent & dialect... You have been warned.
11 Oct 2023, 02:49
So It Continues
“You’re welcome.” A small smile creeped its way across her face.
She chuckled at his statement, Ira really was beginning to like the boy despite how short their conversation had been. The best way she could describe it was that he gave off a good vibe, if mother heard me using such “modern” phrases… and that he seemed like a genuinely nice person. Now, while she was far from the best at actually reading people, that didn’t stop her from acting as a somewhat faulty lie detector, and from what she could tell, there didn’t seem to be I’ll intentions behind his actions.
Fair enough, I’m not too sure either, she didn’t pry further.
“Me?” Ira paused, thinking for a second or two, “Hmm, I suppose if I had to choose a house, I think I would go for Slytherin or Ravenclaw… so probably Slytherin. They’re given a bad reputation but I think that it’s just a few bad people and one big misunderstanding. Oh, and Gryffindors are totally overrated.”
She continued to mentally go through the questions she had asked, “You’re also the only person I know here.” And, and, and… right, the classes and extracurricular activities. “For classes, I’m looking forward to potions the most, they just seem the most fun and informative to do, also, they’re super useful! As for things I want to sign up for, maybe duelling? It seems interesting and it doesn’t totally rely on physical ability, because I don’t really have that…” She trailed off, embarrassed.
She chuckled at his statement, Ira really was beginning to like the boy despite how short their conversation had been. The best way she could describe it was that he gave off a good vibe, if mother heard me using such “modern” phrases… and that he seemed like a genuinely nice person. Now, while she was far from the best at actually reading people, that didn’t stop her from acting as a somewhat faulty lie detector, and from what she could tell, there didn’t seem to be I’ll intentions behind his actions.
Fair enough, I’m not too sure either, she didn’t pry further.
“Me?” Ira paused, thinking for a second or two, “Hmm, I suppose if I had to choose a house, I think I would go for Slytherin or Ravenclaw… so probably Slytherin. They’re given a bad reputation but I think that it’s just a few bad people and one big misunderstanding. Oh, and Gryffindors are totally overrated.”
She continued to mentally go through the questions she had asked, “You’re also the only person I know here.” And, and, and… right, the classes and extracurricular activities. “For classes, I’m looking forward to potions the most, they just seem the most fun and informative to do, also, they’re super useful! As for things I want to sign up for, maybe duelling? It seems interesting and it doesn’t totally rely on physical ability, because I don’t really have that…” She trailed off, embarrassed.
11 Oct 2023, 15:23
So It Continues
Potions sounded like it could be interesting. Although he wasn't really sure what he looked forward to the most, if any of the classes. Duelling though? Now that was something. "Oh wow, duelling! Don't think I'd ever be good at that; sounds exciting though! You should definitely sign up if you think you'll enjoy it!" His eyes sparkled with encouragement as he noticed her tone wavered. "It could be your calling you never know."
For a moment, Harley reconsidered Ira's questions. "Flying sounds well fun. That's one of the classes right?" What else, what else... "After school stuff hmm, I quite like sports if there's any." Sports were definitely his thing, although he didn't really know much about them in the wizarding world.
"Also, what did Slytherins do?" Harley looked at Ira, puzzled. How could a whole schoolhouse have a bad rep? It wasn't something he could comprehend with his muggle train of thought, and of course, he didn't really have a concept of dark wizards in his mind. There were many questions he could ask, but decided against them not wanting to seem too clueless about everything magical. His pride wasn't something he often sought to preserve, even so, there was apparently a limit.
ㅤ
Well fun = Very fun
Notes:
He speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent & dialect... You have been warned.
He speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent & dialect... You have been warned.
11 Oct 2023, 21:49
So It Continues
With a small smile, Ira ducked her head down bashfully. “Thank you. The sentiment means a lot to me, you know?” She replied, “I think I will sign up for dueling once I’ve learned a couple spells.” Looking back up again, she met his eyes, closing her own as her smile grew.
“Flying… flying…” She went through the list of classes in her head, “Yup, there’s a flying class! As for sports, you might enjoy Quidditch, from what I’ve heard, it’s super fun.” Realizing he probably didn’t know anything about it, she continued, “There are two teams, seven members on each, and to win you have to score the most points by throwing this thing called a Quaffle through a hoop. Except there’s this thing called a Golden Snitch that the players can chase down that gives them an automatic victory, I think it’s sort of unfair but the Golden Snitch is super fast. Oh, I forgot to mention this, but they’re on brooms the entire time.” Thinking for a second, she repeated her earlier words, “Yeah, I think you would enjoy it.”
“Slytherins as a whole are fine, but if you get into the nitty-gritty stuff of some of their members’ actions, it gets a bit morally dubious.” Pausing, she watched Harley, looking for any twitches in facial expression. “Most of the Death Eaters and Voldemort himself, came from Slytherin. Also, their traits can be viewed as slightly shady: cunning people who use any means to achieve their end goal.”
@Harley Jukes
“Flying… flying…” She went through the list of classes in her head, “Yup, there’s a flying class! As for sports, you might enjoy Quidditch, from what I’ve heard, it’s super fun.” Realizing he probably didn’t know anything about it, she continued, “There are two teams, seven members on each, and to win you have to score the most points by throwing this thing called a Quaffle through a hoop. Except there’s this thing called a Golden Snitch that the players can chase down that gives them an automatic victory, I think it’s sort of unfair but the Golden Snitch is super fast. Oh, I forgot to mention this, but they’re on brooms the entire time.” Thinking for a second, she repeated her earlier words, “Yeah, I think you would enjoy it.”
“Slytherins as a whole are fine, but if you get into the nitty-gritty stuff of some of their members’ actions, it gets a bit morally dubious.” Pausing, she watched Harley, looking for any twitches in facial expression. “Most of the Death Eaters and Voldemort himself, came from Slytherin. Also, their traits can be viewed as slightly shady: cunning people who use any means to achieve their end goal.”
@Harley Jukes
12 Oct 2023, 12:51
So It Continues
Quidditch certainly sounded interesting. And they were on brooms the whole time? Exciting! "Really? That's grand! I'll check it out." Harley immediately perked up, excited he might find something he'd enjoy at Hogwarts.
The same cannot be said about the next thing Ira explained. Hearing the names didn't prompt much of a reaction from Harley, though he could guess 'Death Eaters' were not a friendly bunch. "Death Eaters?" Arching an eyebrow, he thought for a second but he was sure he never heard of them before, nor Voldemort for that matter. "I don't know who they are... I, uhm. I wasn't raised around magic and stuff," he confessed with an awkward look, breaking eye contact. Honestly, there was no way to hide it anymore. Not that he wished to initially, but he wasn't sure how people would react when they found out.
For a moment, he sat fidgeting with his pencil, uncertain of how Ira would react. Would she be put off by it? Most likely not, and he didn't genuinely think so either. Harley rarely felt insecure, but for some reason, this situation made him doubt himself. She seemed like a nice person and he hoped they would become friends. Perhaps that's why he felt the way he did. Each second felt like an eternity as he tried to distract himself by focusing on his drawing.
Grand = Great
OOC: Sorry about taking a little longer to reply. I've been trying to be more sensible by going to bed earlier haha
Notes:
He speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent & dialect... You have been warned.
He speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent & dialect... You have been warned.