12 Oct 2023, 21:30
So It Continues
“Death Eaters are Voldemort’s followers, and he’s evil. He committed a bunch of murders, even taking over the British Ministry of Magic at one point. Before he was defeated, most of us were too terrified to even name him. But he’s gone now, been gone for more than 30 years.” She sighed, shuddering a bit at the thought, “Goodness knows what it would be like if he was around now…”
At his comment of not being raised around magic, she tilted her head slightly. It was something that she should have been able to deduce from his lack of knowledge about the wizarding world, but she was a bit dense sometimes.
She watched him break eye contact, observing his expression with a mostly blank, slightly confused face. “It’s perfectly fine if that’s how you were raised. Magic or not, you seem like a nice person, and if people do judge you for decisions that weren’t even yours to make, then they suck and don’t deserve to be around you.” Concluding, she placed her book down on her lap, moving her hands to her hips, indignant at the idea.
“Though,” She said, a bit more quietly this time, “I would suggest not telling that to people unless you really trust them, some can be really judgemental about it. It’s already bad enough if you’re a halfblood, which I’m presuming you are, I am too for reference, but even though there’s a big supportive community at Hogwarts, there will still be some prejudice.”
@Harley Jukes
It’s good that you’re trying to get into a better habit, keep it up!
At his comment of not being raised around magic, she tilted her head slightly. It was something that she should have been able to deduce from his lack of knowledge about the wizarding world, but she was a bit dense sometimes.
She watched him break eye contact, observing his expression with a mostly blank, slightly confused face. “It’s perfectly fine if that’s how you were raised. Magic or not, you seem like a nice person, and if people do judge you for decisions that weren’t even yours to make, then they suck and don’t deserve to be around you.” Concluding, she placed her book down on her lap, moving her hands to her hips, indignant at the idea.
“Though,” She said, a bit more quietly this time, “I would suggest not telling that to people unless you really trust them, some can be really judgemental about it. It’s already bad enough if you’re a halfblood, which I’m presuming you are, I am too for reference, but even though there’s a big supportive community at Hogwarts, there will still be some prejudice.”
@Harley Jukes
It’s good that you’re trying to get into a better habit, keep it up!
13 Oct 2023, 12:33
So It Continues
Even the British Ministry of Magic? Yikes, a shiver ran down his spine. Seemingly it wasn't only the muggle world that had wars and conflicts... Harley wasn't sure if that was more comforting or unsettling, but at least they were gone, making him feel a little more at ease.
Looking up at Ira, his lips curled into a soft smile. "I know it doesn't make me any less than others. Think I just needed to hear it." He considered her suggestion momentarily, his smile forming into a sassy smirk. "I'm not bothered about what they think," he snickered, placing extra emphasis on 'they' in a lightly demeaning tone. "Was only slightly worried about what you'd think, to be fair." Well, her and any other friends he might make in the future, but right now, just her. Even so, they wouldn't be his friends for much longer if they felt that way about his heritage. "Thank you though, it means a lot, it really does."
Looking out the window, Harley watched as the beautiful English countryside whizzed past them. Rolling hills and meadows sparkling with flowers. It was a beautiful sight reminding him of home, even if Rotherham was nothing to brag about, he still missed it very much already. "Where are you from?" he asked without turning, still engrossed in the view.
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.
13 Oct 2023, 21:58
So It Continues
Not thinking of herself as very much, Ira was unsure why he cared what she thought of it. Regardless of the reason, it did mean quite a bit to her. But she was glad, glad that the boy sitting across from her knew when to care, even if it did confuse her a bit. It made her happy that he would be just fine on his own, able to hold his ground even against those who discriminated against him. Internally sighing, Ira noted that the same couldn’t be said of herself. She was terrible at caring for people and always seemed to mess things up.
“Me? Oh, I’m from London, it’s too loud there. It’s nice to be away once in a while, you know, take a step back and enjoy nature.” She was sure she had heard a quote like that before, man, all I really know how to do is just cough things up from memory… It’s probably somewhat useful. She tried to justify it to herself, pretty sure that spiraling so soon into their acquaintanceship, she wasn’t sure it was yet a friendship, would not lead to the most desirable outcome for the future.
Shaking her head, she did her best to clear her thoughts from her mind, not the time, not the place. “And you? She asked, “Where are you from? What’s it like there?” Probably not too many wizards, she figured, but that hardly mattered, even if she was curious as to the reason for his upbringing.
“I know this might sound a bit weird to ask, given that you don’t know too much about the wizarding world,” She paused for a moment, formulating her thoughts, “But what do you know about the British Ministry of Magic?”
@Harley Jukes
“Me? Oh, I’m from London, it’s too loud there. It’s nice to be away once in a while, you know, take a step back and enjoy nature.” She was sure she had heard a quote like that before, man, all I really know how to do is just cough things up from memory… It’s probably somewhat useful. She tried to justify it to herself, pretty sure that spiraling so soon into their acquaintanceship, she wasn’t sure it was yet a friendship, would not lead to the most desirable outcome for the future.
Shaking her head, she did her best to clear her thoughts from her mind, not the time, not the place. “And you? She asked, “Where are you from? What’s it like there?” Probably not too many wizards, she figured, but that hardly mattered, even if she was curious as to the reason for his upbringing.
“I know this might sound a bit weird to ask, given that you don’t know too much about the wizarding world,” She paused for a moment, formulating her thoughts, “But what do you know about the British Ministry of Magic?”
@Harley Jukes
14 Oct 2023, 01:27
So It Continues
Averting his gaze from the window, he looked at Ira as she answered his question. "I'm from Rotherham, up in Yorkshire. Not as awful as some people say..." he was really trying to convince himself of that. "It's where me dad grew up, and I guess we just stayed after mum left." His expression remained unchanged as he mentioned his mum. In all honesty, it didn't pain Harley much anymore, and while he wasn't aware of her reasons for leaving, he held no grudges.
A curious smile crept onto his face as she asked him about the ministry. It was indeed a little odd, though Harley didn't mind it at all. "Not much really. The lady that came to get me from home earlier only mentioned it briefly. I just assumed it's the government for British wizards or something." Besides that, he wasn't really sure what the ministry did or what it entailed. "Why?" the boy asked, curious, as he gently brushed his dirty blonde fringe from his face.
Waiting for Ira's response, Harley smiled softly as he played with the pencil, twirling it between his fingers. It was a silly habit some people found weird, but to him, it was fun to occupy his attention mid-conversation. Or while doing anything that didn't require his hands.
Me = My
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.
14 Oct 2023, 14:43
So It Continues
Watching the pencil’s movement, Ira leaned back for a moment, formulating her words before pushing herself back forward again. “How much do you think they hide from us?” She placed her hands on the seat, meeting Harley dead in the eyes. “You know muggle conspiracies about the government hiding aliens from us, what exactly do you think the Ministry is hiding?”
While she liked jokingly making conspiracy theories, this was something that she was slightly worried about, wanting an outside perspective. “The way I see it, if the Voldemort thing could go down, what’s stopping other stuff from going awry.”
She probably sounded insane, didn’t she? Everything was fine at the moment, so why was she doubting the people who were supposed to protect them. Ira supposed it didn’t matter, if Harley thought that this was weird or stupid, she could just drop the subject. “I know they’re trying to make it less corrupt, but it’s still suspicious, right?”
This is silly, isn’t it. I’m literally trying to get him to seriously discuss conspiracy theories with me. I really hope they aren’t true, and they probably aren’t. Man, I’m being really stupid.
“Never mind.” She shook her head rapidly, “You barely know anything about wizards and I don’t want to convince you that they’re evil or something. Most are really nice.”
@Harley Jukes
While she liked jokingly making conspiracy theories, this was something that she was slightly worried about, wanting an outside perspective. “The way I see it, if the Voldemort thing could go down, what’s stopping other stuff from going awry.”
She probably sounded insane, didn’t she? Everything was fine at the moment, so why was she doubting the people who were supposed to protect them. Ira supposed it didn’t matter, if Harley thought that this was weird or stupid, she could just drop the subject. “I know they’re trying to make it less corrupt, but it’s still suspicious, right?”
This is silly, isn’t it. I’m literally trying to get him to seriously discuss conspiracy theories with me. I really hope they aren’t true, and they probably aren’t. Man, I’m being really stupid.
“Never mind.” She shook her head rapidly, “You barely know anything about wizards and I don’t want to convince you that they’re evil or something. Most are really nice.”
@Harley Jukes
14 Oct 2023, 23:51
So It Continues
A slight look of confusion formed on Harley's face as the boy listened to Ira. In all fairness, she may have had a point, though he had never considered anything like this before. Intellectual debates were far out of his comfort zone, though he figured there'd be no harm in giving it a try. "It's alright." Unsure of how to answer, he took a moment to reflect while still fidgeting with his pencil. "I guess they probably do hide stuff from us." As she had pointed out, he really didn't have any knowledge of the topic, though he tried his best to make sense of it without much of the context.
"But they probably changed things after what happened so it wouldn't happen again. That's what governments do right?" His tone carried a hint of uncertainty, aware his answers probably didn't hold much substance. "Sorry, I don't really know much about how stuff like that works." Harley wished he could give a better answer, but alas, he was way out of his depth.
Clearly, Ira was interested in the topic, however. "Can you explain it a little more?" Even without understanding them, he always enjoyed listening to his friends' passions, and whether they were friends yet or not, he was interested in hearing more about what she had to say.
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.
16 Oct 2023, 17:51
So It Continues
Ira smiled, “Yeah, I think you’re right.” She relaxed back in her seat. “Also, you don’t need to apologize for not knowing something, I get that it’s polite, but not knowing something is a natural thing.”
“The topic itself is actually quite simple: the Ministry of Magic acts as any normal government would, except they don’t really announce their affairs to anyone other than the muggle prime minister.” Explaining this was quite simple, just think for a moment, then continue. “I don’t know how simple it was for him to do it, but it makes you wonder, how did Voldemort even get control of a place so well secured? And from what I’ve read in old newspapers I’ve managed to scrounge up, they aren’t even front and center in a bunch of the important problems…”
Waving her hands in front of her face, she continued, “But enough about my conspiracy theories, there are probably enough out there already, what about you? Sorry, I should rephrase that: what do you like to do in your free time? What do you think of the wizarding world so far? That sort of general stuff.”
Fingers dancing on the cover of the book on her lap, she shifted in her seat, more than ready to listen to what Harley had to say.
@Harley Jukes
“The topic itself is actually quite simple: the Ministry of Magic acts as any normal government would, except they don’t really announce their affairs to anyone other than the muggle prime minister.” Explaining this was quite simple, just think for a moment, then continue. “I don’t know how simple it was for him to do it, but it makes you wonder, how did Voldemort even get control of a place so well secured? And from what I’ve read in old newspapers I’ve managed to scrounge up, they aren’t even front and center in a bunch of the important problems…”
Waving her hands in front of her face, she continued, “But enough about my conspiracy theories, there are probably enough out there already, what about you? Sorry, I should rephrase that: what do you like to do in your free time? What do you think of the wizarding world so far? That sort of general stuff.”
Fingers dancing on the cover of the book on her lap, she shifted in her seat, more than ready to listen to what Harley had to say.
@Harley Jukes
17 Oct 2023, 12:37
So It Continues
The dazzling afterglow of the sun slowly setting glistened through the compartment's window, casting a scenic ray between the first years. Harley gleamed at seeing Ira talk about her theories. He definitely didn't think she was weird for having them, if anything he admired her intellect.
The boy sat back in his seat as he briefly considered his answer. "Well, I draw a lot but that's obvious," he smiled brightly. Obvious was an understatement, really. Practically the first thing he did when he met her a few hours prior was to draw. Harley chuckled sightly as he reflected on that. "Yeah, well, I also like to paint..." Shocking. "Aaand I like sports, which you knew but I used to play a lot of football with me mates." For a moment, he paused trying to think if there was anything else. Those were his main hobbies that immediately came to mind. "Comics and games are fun too," though he rarely played, only from time to time with his friends.
The wizarding world, however... It was a little overwhelming to him, even though he hadn't seen all that much of it yet. "I think I like the wizarding world though. It's uhm... a little odd, I guess? But cool." His expectations were definitely surpassed despite not having many. "I dunno what I prefer. Here with other wizards or back home I mean." A moment of silence befell him as he thought about it. "I miss me mates though, and me dad." There was only a slight hint of sadness in his voice, otherwise he kept a neutral expression before once again smiling at Ira. If nothing else, he atleast felt happy he was making a new friend right now.
Me = My
Mate = Friend
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.
21 Oct 2023, 20:56
So It Continues
Smile softening, she fiddled with the pages of her book. “It’s a natural reaction, I hear lots of people of all ages get homesick. I think what makes it hard is just the conflict of emotion between missing people close to you and the excitement of starting a whole new era of your life.” Ira lamented, unsure whether she was jealous or relieved that she didn’t miss her parents or her friends.
She twisted her wrist, stretching it as she could feel she was getting stiff from sitting in the same place for so long. Chuckling, she reflected on the wizarding world, “Yeah, can’t say I ever really got used to it. I mean, how does muggle science fit into the picture? Socially and politically, it’s all the same, but what about the more logical aspect of it? It really makes my brain hurt to think about. With the rise of half-bloods, it makes it all even more confusing…”
Sighing, Ira twirled a lock of hair in her fingers, I don’t get it, I really don’t, and that bothers me. Why can’t I get it? What was she not understanding about the situation? What was she not seeing? What angle was she not examining? It really irked her. Ira combed the hand through her hair before placing it back on the book, short nails digging into the hard cover.
@Harley Jukes
She twisted her wrist, stretching it as she could feel she was getting stiff from sitting in the same place for so long. Chuckling, she reflected on the wizarding world, “Yeah, can’t say I ever really got used to it. I mean, how does muggle science fit into the picture? Socially and politically, it’s all the same, but what about the more logical aspect of it? It really makes my brain hurt to think about. With the rise of half-bloods, it makes it all even more confusing…”
Sighing, Ira twirled a lock of hair in her fingers, I don’t get it, I really don’t, and that bothers me. Why can’t I get it? What was she not understanding about the situation? What was she not seeing? What angle was she not examining? It really irked her. Ira combed the hand through her hair before placing it back on the book, short nails digging into the hard cover.
@Harley Jukes
27 Oct 2023, 01:12
So It Continues
Ira certainly made a valid point. How did magic logically fit into the world? Among all the other shocks that came with the revelation of the wizarding world, even if he always suspected he was different to 'muggles', it was another question he hadn't considered until now. A certainly puzzling one at that. "Maybe it's not supposed to make sense, it is magic after all," Harley smirked slightly, content with his reasoning. Perhaps he was right, perhaps there were actual logical explanations behind it. It was all the same to the young boy.
Continuing to twiddle with his pencil, he watched as Ira forcefully gripped the cover of her book as if something seemingly frustrated her. Taken aback, Harley set the pencil down on the seat, placing his hands in his lap. Did I say the wrong thing? Self-doubt was rare for him, but he couldn't have guessed what prompted Ira's sudden reaction.
"Uhm, is everything okay?" Asking seemed the best thing to do right now. Maybe? He wasn't sure and there didn't seem to be any other way to find out. Of course, there was always the option to sit in awkward silence, but that wasn't really his style of dealing with such situations. Instead, he went for it and bit the inside of his cheek in nervous anticipation.
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.