Old Habits Die Hard PV Closed

Arthur nodded back at Kent and Howard, and smiled at Maisy, feeling some of the tension melt away now that the older Slytherin student was gone.

"Ain’t right him treating you that way. Freakin Purebloods."

Arthur frowned at older student's comment. "Wankers are wankers. Being a pureblood has nothing to do with it," he said, a little shortly. He didn't like what the guy was implying. After all, many of the friends he'd made so far were purebloods. And while three of his half siblings were genuinely awful, the other ones seemed alright, and they were all purebloods as well. At least Maisy seemed to have the right idea about it. There was no 'us vs them'. Just an 'us', willing to support each other, if they wanted it.

He smiled and handed the stack of papers he'd collected back to Maisy, though he stood by his offer to help her distribute them, if she wanted. "Are non muggle borns allowed?" he asked. "I'm not sure if I technically count." He nodded when she said that only her elbow was sore, brows still knitting together a little in concern. "Just make sure you ice it later if it's still hurting," he advised, before realizing he was still talking like this was a normal school. He shrugged shyly. "Or.. I don't know. There's probably a magic fix that's better than that..."

Meanwhile the other two seemed about ready to get into it again. "Lay off.. He was just trying to help," Arthur muttered, hoping that once the adrenaline from the fight wore off they would both simmer down and get along. Still feeling guilty for mistaking him as the aggressor before, he was perhaps a little too inclined to side with Kent on the argument, whereas under different circumstances he might agree with Howard. His mother always told him that the path of least violence was best. Why make more work for us nurses? she'd joke. And yet, in the part of London where he grew up, that sort of attitude simply wasn't practical. Which is why she also always taught him to stand up for himself, and to never walk away from someone who needed help.

'If you have to break someone's face, at least take them to the hospital afterwards,'

Somehow, he doubted this Lucas would have appreciated the offer . Still, it did make him feel a little bad. He doubted this would make the situation any better in the long run..

Arthur's attention turned back to the conversation as they started talking about the club more. Trying to shift the conversation to something lighter, he added, "I'd be happy just getting together and moaning about all the things I miss from the muggle world. Like.. How have wizards not invented pens yet??"

He slid one of the flyers out from the stack. "If you don't mind, I'll keep one of these?" he said. "I was thinking I could put it up in the Hufflepuff common room. I bet you'll get a lot of interest out of there."

Howie pocketed his wand, then held up his hands in a sign of submission, his eyes darting between them. He didn’t want Kent on his bad side, and his comment on Purebloods seemed to offend the other two. Howie turned to address Kent first. 

“You ain’t hearing me right mate. Wouldn’t expect anything less from ya. He deserved just what ya gave to him. My point is, you gotta be careful about the when and where. Some here look down on our ways, not to mention it’s crowded out here. Any Professor coulda seen.”  Howie wasn’t a violent boy, preferring to use brains over brawn, but he would scrap when necessary. He had dealt with his fair share of bullies growing up, often being picked on for coming from a poor family or being the ‘wierd one.’ He turned to speak to the other two.

“I know you guys are right, they ain’t all bad, but some of them lot are down right nasty. I know it shouldn’t be us versus them, won’t make anything better.” He wanted to believe his own words, but it was hard. It had been quite the shock his first year when he was first faced with this anti-Muggle attitude. Not only was he coping with the fact that he was a wizard, but to learn that some were intolerant towards him due to his blood line was just too much. He never fit in in the Muggle world and now feared that it could be the same in this one. 

Maisy's cheeks flushed at the conversation between the boys, and she lowered her gaze again, tucking her hair back behind her ear with a near bashful sense of embarrassment. She was grateful for Kent's display of chivalry, but it was certainly the first time she'd ever been referred to as a woman! Still, it wouldn't do to have an argument among the pioneer members of her little group and she was all too glad when the subject shifted onward to something of a peaceful understanding.

To Arthur, she smiled and nodded, "Of course! I wouldn't want to exclude anyone. Like I said... two of my best friends are purebloods, and I'm sure they'd be more than willing to be a part of a group like this." Her eyes moved between the three and her smile brightened, and for a moment, at least, the incident was put behind her with a swiftness only the naivety of youth could provide, "I'm still not sure I've got how to use a quill down proper! It's wild... no pens. Or even a pencil!"

A laugh, soft and easy bubbled out and she shook her head, "I'd be thrilled to have all of you join... And that would be so wonderful, Arthur! I was going to put them up out here, but I... I have nothing hang them up with. Staplers. That's something I'll for sure miss from home! And it's okay, Howie, I understand being upset with Purebloods. It's hard sometimes, when the loud ones all seem to not be very nice. But maybe that's part of what I wanna do?" With a shrug, she looked down at the leaflets in her hands again, "Maybe it's up to us to show them we're okay. That we aren't something they should be so afraid of...?"

Eyes shifting to Kent, she grinned a little, "Unless they need a good headbutt... That was pretty spectacular, by the way. Do you play Football? My brother Auggie once cleaned a boy's clock just like that, for throwing stinging nettles at my sister."

Howie let out a sigh, allowing the rush of adrenaline to pass. He was glad that the situation had calmed down, for they were right. They had all jumped at the occasion to help a girl in need, standing up for what’s right. They shared this common belief, and it should be used to forge a bond between them. To let slight disagreements or misunderstandings get in the way of that would be nothing but a waste. 

This group they intended on forming could be helpful to so many. To those that felt out of place, the ones suffering under mistreatment, those that just need a safe place. Howie gave a weak smile as Maisy adressed Arthur, welcoming him to join even though he had mixed blood. He felt guilty for his words before. This is how it should be. A group of people supporting each other regardless of where they came from or who thier parents were. It felt right, and he would have to dig deep and work on his attitude towards pure bloods, for it is only fear that causes intolerance. 

“I think you’re right Maisy, maybe we could use this group for more than just Muggleborn support. Show em all that there’s nothin to fear. At least maybe we could make a dent in all this blood status nonsense.” Howie turned to address Arthur. 

“Sorry about my words. I just get so frustrated sometimes. I shouldn’t have said that. I’d like to have ya here too.” 

After their initially rocky start, Howard made an effort to make it up with Kent, and everything seemed to progress more smoothly from there.

"I know you guys are right, they ain’t all bad, but some of them lot are down right nasty"

"Well... No arguments there," Arthur muttered, tracking where Lucas had all but disappeared across the grounds. He thought about his brothers too, how they acted when their dad wasn't around. How when they weren't torturing him, they were off torturing animals somewhere.. But there were muggles like that too. The kind that lit fire to cats' tails and picked the legs off of spiders. Some people were just messed in the head.. But maybe purebloods more than others. He remembered what his sister told him, about all the crazy running in their DNA. 'That's why I'm never having any children,' she'd declared.

His expression fell as he thought about it. He usually tried to remain cheerful, but he had a tendency to let his mind wander, and had always been told he was easy to read. Turning to Maisy, he smiled. "Of course! I wouldn't want to exclude anyone," she said. "Thanks. Honestly, I'm still getting used to all this.." He shrugged shyly. He didn't like to talk about himself much, but he felt like he owed them a bit of an explanation. "I never really knew the wizard side of my family, so it's not like I know anything more about magic than you guys."

"No problem!" he said to Maisy. Honestly, he was excited to put the fliers up in their common room. It seemed like a great way to meet people. He recognized the other two from around the Hufflepuff table, but it was too early for him to have really made many friends yet. He nodded when she brought up the stapler problem. Despite always acting like the magical world was superior, there were so many simple things muggles had invented that didn't have an easy alternative here.

"Ah.. That is annoying." he said, looking at the bulletin board. "I wonder if there's a spell for that?"

He lifted his shoulders when Howard apologized. "It's alright. I understand it's frustrating. All this blood status stuff is just weird to begin with." Though a lot of people seemed to think it was important, to an outsider like him, it seemed like a strange thing to fixate on. He didn't think having magical relatives made him any less muggle, at least not in his mind. And to find out there's this whole other world out there, at the same time as finding out they'd already judged you and sorted you into some arbitrary scale based on blood, was a lot to take in all at once.

The Hufflepuff had to admit it felt good having a pretty girl complimenting him. Usually others reacted how Howie did, or the other Huffles at the table earlier in the week. It seemed Kent was just some rude, violent Muggle-born, and it annoyed him when people assumed they could tell him what to do without actually knowing him.

"Oh, yeah, I've played a bit of sport in school. Gridirons my game, lots of tackling," Kent said with a nod to Maisy, smiling. "And thanks. That headbutt has saved my butt more than I can remember. Not a nice place in South London, with some right numpties too eager to take your wallet... had a run-in or three with local gang recruits, looking to earn a spot. Pretty messed up how early they look for kids to fill spots."

Now that he thought about it, Kent had to admit it was a little messed up. Kids, really, playing at being gangster, running errands and being lookouts for the higher ups. And every so often you'd have the eager rookie who wanted to prove he was hard, and that's when you had trouble in the streets, particularly around Kent's neighborhood.

"So... are we doing this? I don't like talkin' and not making decisions," He said, looking between the other three students. "Are there club rooms or something here? I'm guessing we need somewhere to meet and... support."

Kent kept his arms crossed, listening as the group discussed blood status, Muggle-borns, lack of staplers and all kinds of things. It was really odd, when you considered that they were at a magical school, but similar things were still a problem even though the circumstances were so different. Still, maybe getting involved in some kind of support net would be a good thing, even if Kent wasn't very keen on relying on others too heavily. That was how you got into trouble, by trusting other people, before they let you down.

Still, Kent was willing to give it a shot. This was very different scene than back home, and the boy from South London didn't have to worry about getting a shiv in the side for his money. As far as he knew. The year was still young, there were a lot of opportunities to run foul of higher years, and Kent was in a House that had a reputation for being a little delicate.

Maybe there are some jerks here, too? We'll see... can't wait to slap them upside the head, too.

"We all get frustrated..." Maisy said with a delicate, understanding smile, "I'd never ever try to jinx someone like I did Luke... but he just..." Frowning suddenly, she shook her head, "I'll never know what makes people that way, but believe me, I get how you feel, I know how easy it is to forget not all of them are that way..."

Her eyes shifted to Arthur and the smile returned as she nodded, "There's probably a spell, I'm sure... but not one I learned. I mean, I guess I could put a Levitation Charm on it, but those don't last forever, do they? Or... I dunno. Maybe they do."

Kent continued and so too did the rollercoaster of emotions, as she took in what he was saying with a sense of shock. She'd heard of bad neighborhoods, but in truth, she'd never really experienced anything quite like that. The worst she'd ever had to deal with was Luke, and he was just a pretentious, prejudiced bully with a bad attitude. But gangs? Recruiting? And at only eleven? It sounded absolutely...

"Terrifying..." She whispered, shaking her head, "I'm so sorry. That must be awful. I'm glad you got accepted here... Maybe it'll be better, now!" At least, as long as he was at Hogwarts... What happened when he went home was another story.

"We're gonna do this." She said, nodding firmly, "Welcome to the first official meeting of the Muggleborn Support Group! " And with a soft laugh, she extended a hand to each of her charter members, "Do you so solemnly swear to aid and support all Muggleborns at Hogwarts, and to the best of your abilities, show Pure Bloods and bullies that they don't have to be so mean?"

Howie listened as Maisy and Arthur discussed the predicament of hanging the fliers. It was small moments like this that always reminded him of just how different his two worlds really were. Like living two lives really. The yin and yang of being a Muggleborn. Having to keep his two lives completely separate has been a source of utter frustration for Howie, never being able to fully grasp why they had to be so. He hadn’t chosen to be born with magic in his blood, who were they to regulate his life. He shook the thought from his head, old habits do die hard.

Howie’s attention turned to Kent as he spoke of his life back in London. It all sounded too familiar, as he too had grown up poor and had to evade the dangers of coming up in shady neighborhoods. Kent’s attitude and demeanor made more sense now, it was necessary for some to survive. Odd he was placed in Hufflepuff, but the hat has its reasons. Howie nodded in agreement as Kent called for a final decision.

It was Maisy who spoke up first, taking the reins as leader of the newly founded group. She proposed an oath. Howie extended his hand to grasp hers, locking eyes with the young Slytherin. “I do.” He pledged allegiance.

Arthur nodded. He knew only too well what that was like. Plenty of kids his age, or not much older, had already joined a gang. Plenty more had been injured, mugged, or beaten up by one. Sometimes it seemed like you had to pick either one or the other.

"Can't be worse than North London." he joked, since ragging on your home town was Britain's third favorite pastime (after football and complaining about the weather). Only in England could you have a book published called 'Worst Places to Live' and have so many people write in to complain that their town didn't make the cut that they were forced to publish a second version. As it was, his borough's biggest claim to fame was in starting the famous London Riots that happened six years ago. NPK, the Wood Green gang, and Tottenham Maden all operated within the small local district of Harningey. Still, he couldn't really be happy about leaving, when everyone he knew was still there...

It was something he'd been trying hard not to think about. Especially since they couldn't get TV and their phones didn't work here. He was afraid something would happen, and he wouldn't find out until it was too late. His mum lived alone now, and none of their friends could know where he was going to school. If something happened to her, who would tell him?

Trying instead to focus on the positive, he looked back at the others, he smiled as Maisy continued her speech. Maybe this group could help somehow. Like maybe they could connect their parents, a kind of 'parent of magical child' support group. He made a mental note to bring it up at their first official meeting. His mum would like that, he thought. He had to think it would be pretty isolating and confusing for them to be dealing with this alone.

"We have to swear an oath?" he chuckled, putting his hand over the other two's regardless. How very Knight-of-the-Round-Table-y or Secret-Society-esque. "I do!" he said. "Now.. First official order of business; find some way to put up these fliers!"