Closed First time alone in the magical world Open

"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."

Does she really think so? Or is it one of all of this courtesy sayings that people usually say? Astra certainly didn't even want to acknowledge this possibility, so she just smiled a bit and diverted the topic to the question of sorting...

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

A sorting hat? That was pretty new. Surely, they didn't mention it in the book, it sounded way more secretive, as if sorting was a secret, something only adults know, or almost only them. Just like most children didn' t know who actually bring presents. Astra wondered, if her parents would tell her, if they knew it. In any case, it was fun having a little magical secret soon to be discovered. For some reason, it put her at little more ease, when she thought about it.

"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. 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..."

So it was just like Astra thought, adults kept it a secret. Why was that? Was it actually just not to spoil fun? Or maybe it was some darker ritual? Like some malicious people do? Parenta told her to be extra cautious out there, so she wondered, if this was one of those times she should be? Or maybe thats just an overreaction.

As Patricia was talking, Astra looked through the windows. The landscape certainly didn't look english anymore, as the light of the day started to diminish slowly. She didn't really like the fact, that the day was getting shorter and shorter each... day, but there waa sadly nothing to be done, unless they would taught them, how to fix it with magic. It sounded riddiculous, sure, but wasn't it all weird situation anyway?

"...That's all they told me."

She finished, looking kind of...exhausted? Which certainly was strange for Astra. But she didn't seem offendet by her, so that was a good sign.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this, what if we think something stupid and hat will refuse to sort?"

She felt judged enough even without a mind-reading hat. The realisation, that even her thoughts weren't safe, sent shivers down the spine.

@Ophelia Northwell, @Patricia Holmes

Self | Thoughts | "Others Speaking"

"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." Patricia said reassuringly.

Still, Ophelia was dubious. Patricia reminded her a lot of herself. She was quiet, introverted, and hesitant to speak. Even when she did, she spoke in little bursts, avoiding long paragraphs of speech all at once. It seemed to her that, if Patricia and Astra's positions were reversed, the same topics wouldn't have been discussed.

But it wasn't like she could contradict the girl. There was no point in doing so anyway. The sentence was just something people said to make their companions feel better about whatever they'd done, whether or not it was a mistake.

Astra seemed to be thinking along the same lines because Ophelia caught the girl giving Patricia a questioning glance, something that was quickly replaced by her positive outlook. They stared at each other some more before Astra asked about the sorting process.

Not having grown up around magic, Ophelia replied with the limited knowledge that she had, turning to Patricia for a more detailed explanation.

The girl seemed flustered at the sudden attention of both her companions and she blinked for a moment before composing herself. After a quick inhale, she began.

"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. 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."

The nucleus? While Ophelia knew the meaning of the word, she'd never heard anyone use it in a place other than a science classroom. It wasn't that she didn't like the use of language. No, instead it was that Ophelia admired her companion for it. Being a big reader herself, she understood the power of words used correctly.

"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."

Tilting her head, Patricia seemed to consider the rest of her knowledge. "That's all they told me."

Ophelia's eyes widened. That's all they told me? That was more than she'd known about magic in her entire lifetime. She thought through all this newly gained information. Basically, this hat would sort her into the house that she would be stuck in for life based on her thoughts at a particular moment? How was that fair? They should be observed for days before getting put together with people that are deemed "like them," right?

Astra, it seemed however, was having concerns of a different sort. Her eyes widened as she asked us her question. "I'm not sure how I feel about this, what if we think something stupid and hat will refuse to sort?"

This was a different problem entirely. Could it be possible for the hat to refuse to sort someone? Has it ever happened? Plenty of questions had lodged themselves into her mind, but Ophelia knew that saying them out loud would do nothing to ease her anxiety. She should focus on comforting Astra.

Ophelia smiled kindly. "That would never happen, Astra. You're a witch, so you have the right to a magical education. And even if you aren't sorted, it isn't the end of the world. Maybe they'd just put you where you'd like," Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she thought about what she was going to say next. "Or, maybe they'll create a new house and name it after you. Think about it, House Leaughton."

Ophelia laughed softly and waited for her companions to join her.

@Patricia Holmes & @Astra Leaughton