Letters to home open Over

Howie couldn’t help but frown at Verla’s statement. He wanted to help his newfound friend, but didn’t have the words. Staying a steadfast companion was all he could offer at the moment. If her family didn’t want her, he would make sure he gave her a family here at Hogwarts, and as a fellow Hufflepuff. Howie had become quite proud of his house and cared about the well being of his fellow Huffles, his motto “No Huffle left behind” came to mind again. Then the idea struck him. 

Reaching into his bag quickly, he grabbed another piece of parchment and his trusty pen.  He quickly scribbled another letter, and beckoned another owl. Whispering into its ear, “Catch up with the owl I just sent and deliver to the same place please.” He held it out the window to fly away.

Howie’s eyes returned to Rosie, who was now sporting a look of strong resolve on her face. He was happy that she was becoming more confident, and it felt good that his words may have helped her get there. Taking a small step back to give her room at the window, he smiled as she approached. He reached out scratching the head of the owl with her. “Safe flight little buddy.” He called out as Rosie sent him out.

Howie’s stomach grumbled loudly to answer Rosie’s question. “Breakfast!” He said with a laugh. “It’s nice out, we could go out on the grounds maybe?”

OOC: The grounds is just a suggestion. Wherever you all want to take this is fine by me.

Rosie laughed when Howie called out to the owl. She turned and smiled at her friends- first Verla, who had gone quiet, and then Howie.

As if to punctuate Howie’s desire to eat breakfast, her stomach growled. It was definitely loud enough to hear. Once she might have been embarrassed, now she just laughed. “We should get breakfast first. I think we still have some time before it’s over. Grounds after?” She looked between Howie and Verla so the girl would know she was also included. “What do you think, Verla?”

As she asked Verla her thoughts, Rosie felt something wet land on her shoulder with a plop and she groaned. Turning her head slightly to her right shoulder, her fears were realized. Right there in the center of her right shoulder was a big, wet bird poo. “Nooooo.” She looked back up at Verla and Howie. “Does anyone know any cleaning spells?” She really didn’t want to go back to her dorm room, but there was no way she could walk around like this either. Her stomach rumbled again. Rosie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What were the odds? At this rate, she might have to miss breakfast.

Verla stood up and smiled and said "impervius!" With her wand. She was glad that such a spell existed, she could use it to clean her room, when she had one. Verla received a package, it was from her parents and it was all of her belongings, her clothes, pictures, some toys. Verla stared at the picture of her mother and father with he new born baby sister. Verla looked at it with wide eyes. Smiled slightly, then began to sob. This was their cruelest trick of all. Sending her a picture of the family she'd never have. Ever again.

Verla cleaned her robe with the impervious spell and ran out. Taking all but her picture with her. Then she stopped and looked back at her now concerned friends. And she said "sure, I''l" sniffle "i'll see you at the grounds." Then she resumed sobbing and turned and left (unless stopped). She hated her parents. Absolutely despised then. They sent her her own belongings and a picture. She hated her life. What else could go wrong? That she didn't want answered. As if life couldn't get any worse. She hated the ball, she hated everything avout being a wizard and all that came with it.

Howie laughed with Rosie as their stomachs communicated to each other with growls and rumbles. “Yes! Let go eat. I can smell the sausages from here.” He called out to his friends. Howie couldn’t really smell the food from the owlery, but his hunger was sending his imagination into overdrive. The food was so good at Hogwarts and it was never ending. I’ll have to sneak into the kitchens one of these days. He mused. 

Howie burst into another fit of laughter as one of the owl’s gifts landed on Rosie’s shoulder. He wasn’t making fun of her, but it was quite funny. “Oh no Rosie! I don’t know any cleaning spells.” Howie replied between giggles. Reaching into his pockets he pulled out a handkerchief and stepped forward to help clean her up, but as he approached Verla called out with an incantation, clearing Rosie’s robe with a flick of her wand. “Brilliant! Nice one Verla!” 

As soon as he had turned to give Verla a high five, he froze in place. Howie had expected to see a smile on her face, a sense of pride in her eyes as she had just saved the day with her spell, but what he saw was tears streaming down Verla’s face. She was holding a package in her hands, of what seemed to be some personal belongings and maybe some pictures. He couldn’t understand what would have upset her and before Howie could ask, Verla ran from the room sobbing.

Casting a worried look at Rosie, he called out, “Verla! What’s wrong?” He bent down to pick up the photo that she had left behind. It was of a couple holding a newborn baby, they all resembled Verla. Turning to Rosie, he showed her the photograph. “This must be her parents.”

Rosie watched as Verla cleaned her robe, her demeanor changing before her eyes. She didn't even pay attention to the fact that her robe was now clean. She was more concerned with her friend's tears. Before she could attempt to comfort her, she was gone.

She turned to Howie as he picked the picture up from the ground and sighed. "Poor Verla." They family certainly did resemble Verla. "How could her parents be so cruel?" But then, wasn't Rosie afraid that she herself was about to be cast aside by her family? Or at the very least her mother. Rosie rationalized it that it was her mother's religion making her behave like this, but really, what kind of reason was even religion to cast aside your own flesh and blood? Family didn't abandon family.

Her gaze settled on the baby. What a cute little thing. Rosie hoped the baby would some day know her older sister. Reconciliation could happen. She turned to Howie, her eyes bright with the beginnings of an idea. "Howie, remember when you said how much good magic can do?" When Howie had said that, they had been talking about her own mother in the common room. "What if there was a way to show Verla's family the same thing? If they knew how good magic can be..." she trailed off. "Verla is hurting so badly." Tears shown in her own eyes now. Not for herself, but for her friend.

Howie took a step towards Rosie and gently patted her back as sympathetic tears for Verla came to her eyes. “I don’t know Rosie, I don’t know how they could do that.” And honestly, Howie didn’t. 

Thinking back to his childhood, his parents had always supported him. Never having much financially, but they were always there and accepting. Even when the letter came from Hogwarts, they didn’t bat an eye. Sure, it came as a shock and they all thought it wasn’t real at first, but when they could doubt it no longer they had given him their full support.

“Yeah...maybe that could work Rosie. If they could only see that Verla being a witch isn’t a threat, it just makes her more special...” He trailed back off into thought. What could they do to show them that magic wasn’t to be feared, that Verla could grow to become a great witch, and use her magic to make the world better. Then an idea came to his mind.

“Hmm...yes, maybe that will work.” He was voicing his thought out loud. “Rosie. You know how all the portraits and magical pictures move around. What if we could find a way to take pictures of Verla with all her friends here, and doing magic. If we sent them back to her parents, they would see the photos moving and would know they were magical. But! They would see how Verla and her magic weren’t dangerous or evil. Might even send one to your mum too! What do you think?” 

Rosie shook her head and bit her lip. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she thought. "That's a good idea, but I think moving pictures showing spells might be too much for them at first. Especially for my mother. It would be more than they can handle all at one time." She bit her lip and paced back and forth in front of Howie. Her curls bounced as she walked and she absentmindedly bit her lip as she thought. Her arms were crossed in front of her. She had the beginnings of an idea at the outer most edges of her mind. She couldn't quite grasp it- not yet.

She stopped pacing and came to stand in front of Howie, uncrossing her arms. Her stomach growled again. "Let's go eat and come up with a plan. I'm hungry." She knelt down, being careful to avoid the mess on the floor, and picked up her bag. "Do you think Verla will be at breakfast?" She had said she would but the state that the young witch had left in made her suspect otherwise. She stood again, her bag over her shoulder, and met Howie's eyes. "I'm worried about her, Howie."

Howie reached out his handkerchief to Rosie as she dabbed at her eyes. She was right. A magical picture was taking it too far. It would most likely just scare Verla’s family, and Rosie’s mum would probably think it unholy. He racked his brain for an idea as Rosie paced in front of him. The bouncing of her red curls and the rumble in his stomach kept distracting him though. “Yeah...you’re right, that’s too much.”

What else could they possibly do, something, anything that could show them that their daughter’s Magic was a gift and not a threat. When he looked at Rosie and Verla...well, he felt something quite different when looking at Rosie, but all the same, Howie could feel the good in both of them. They had become his friends, he trusted them, there had to be a way to convey that to their families. He wished he could talk to his mum and dad, they always knew what to do. 

A seriously loud growl emitted from his tummy, it had had enough. “Yeah, let’s go eat. We will think better on a full belly. I don’t know if Verla will have it in her to eat right now, maybe we can take some toast to her. We’ll have to see if we can find her.” He squeezed Rosie’s should reassuringly. “I’m worried about her too Rosie. We just have to keep being there for her and try our best to help her through it. C’mon, let’s go.” Howie walked to the door and opened it for Rosie, gesturing for her to go first.

Rosie didn't take the handkerchief from Howie to dry her eyes. She simply didn't see him offer it. She was too engrossed in the current conundrum of how to show Verla's family the goodness in magic, and perhaps eventually her own family.

She did, however, laugh when Howie's stomach grumbled again and nodded. "I agree. Let's go eat." She tried to stop worrying so much. The pair would figure all of this out together. It had been less than 24 hours since they had met, but already she trusted this boy with her life. She knew that she could rely on him.

When Howie opened the door for her and indicated that she should go first, she grinned. Chivalry wasn't dead, after all, it seemed. As she passed him, she turn toward him, her red hair fanning out behind her, and playfully curtsied. "Thank you, good sir." She laughed again, rising from her curtsy and turning, red curls again fanning behind her, and headed out into the corridor. She couldn't wait to eat. Scrambled eggs and sausage sounded amazing. Rosie looked over her shoulder to make sure Howie was indeed following her and smiled when she saw him close the door and head off with her.