August 30

Ethan nervously clutched his uncle's arm as they pushed through the throng of witches and wizards in Diagon Alley. It was his first time in the famed wizarding shopping district, and he was feeling overwhelmed. His uncle seemed unaffected though and kept moving forward until they finally reached their destination: Flourish and Blotts, the wizarding bookstore. Ethan asked his uncle if he could go alone and check out the books. His uncle agreed, and Ethan set off to find the perfect textbooks for his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Ethan wandered through the bookstore, taken aback by the massive amount of books on the bookshelves. He was mesmerized by the books' various sizes and colors, as well as the way they were arranged in such perfect rows. He'd never seen so many books in one place before, and he felt like he could spend hours simply browsing the books in this store. He ran his fingers along the spines of the books in the library and noticed a title called A History of Magic. He remembered seeing it on the supply list for first-year students at Hogwarts. He pulled the book off the shelf and started thumbing through it, looking for another book that was required for first-year students.

@Beatrice Dupont

_{August 30}

Beatrice walked through the Diagon Ally, not sure where her Parents had went. They left her at Madam Malkin. After browsing through the Ally a little she decided to go visit Flourish and Blotts. She had been here many many times so it wasn't hard to find what she was looking for.

She pushed open the door, smiling at the sight of several books. For her, the shop had a familiar smell that she loved. Beatrice waved at the owner before starting to browse through the shelves.

Her eyes scanned the room. There was only one other boy between the shelves. A family was just about to leave and a kid was pressing her nose against the glass outside.

She started to look for some school books that she had yet to buy, A History of Magic in particular. Beatrice saw the book from a few meters away, the only problem was that the boy was standing right in front of them.

Was he a first year too? Beatrice eyed him from a distance, taking in every detail. After a little time he still hadn't fully stepped away but was now looking at the shelf. She took a deep breath, not necessarily wanting the Interact with someone.

Her legs carried her next to him and she pulled out another A History of Magic book. He was holding one too. Beatrice was about to leave and look for some other books but obviously hadn't thought about the fact that the boy had moved to her other side.

She bumped right into him, the book falling out of her hands as she stumbled back. Her eyes were wide in shock.

»Sorry.« left her lips quicker than she could even think and she bent to pick up the book.

@Ethan Smith

---

-Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know-

Beatrice A. Dupont

•★•★•★•★•★•★•★•★•

Maila A. Laine

Ethan was going to go look for the book he needed when he unexpectedly bumped into someone. He turned around to see who it was and saw that it was a girl. She was about his age and she had long hair. The book slipped into the girl's hands unintentionally, and Ethan rushed over to grab it before she could. He handed it back to her, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. “It's fine”. he said, noticing the book she was carrying, which was titled History of Magic. The fact that she was carrying the same book caught him off guard. “I'm guessing you're looking for school supplies too?” he asked her. “I'm Ethan, by the way. I'll be starting my first year at Hogwarts. How about you? Which school are you attending to?” Ethan had always been fascinated by his uncle's stories of Hogwarts. It was a place where magic was real and learning was fun. When He received the letter inviting him to attend the wizarding school of Hogwarts, he was thrilled. This was his chance to finally learn more about magic and perhaps make some friends who shared his interests. He couldn't wait to explore the castle, meet the other students, and learn magic. “Well, I was shopping for books for my first year as well, would you want to come along?” He invited her, hoping to make a new acquaintance.

@Beatrice Dupont

Beatrice apologized and his gaze met hers for a couple seconds.

“It's fine”. The boy said and Beatrice looked down to her shoes. “I'm guessing you're looking for school supplies too?” he asked her but didn't giver her time to answer. “I'm Ethan, by the way. I'll be starting my first year at Hogwarts. How about you? Which school are you attending to?”

»I'm Beatrice and will too attend Hogwarts for my first year.« She said with as small smile. »And yes I'm looking for school supplies as well. The only thing I'm missing are some books.« Beatrice finished her sentence not sure what to say other than that.

Her gaze wandered through the store again. It was filling up with people. She took a quick look at her watch and looked back at the boy. It was getting closer to lunch time and Diagon Alley somehow always filled up around that time.

“Well, I was shopping for books for my first year as well, would you want to come along?” Ethan suddenly asked, surprising Beatrice with his words. He wanted her to come along? A smile formed on Beatrice's lips. She would really like a friend.

»Sure! What books are you missing?« She asked him, looking at the list she had in her hands. There was still time before she had to go find her Parents and she hoped they might become Friends when they attend Hogwarts together.

»How much time do you have? They also have a lot of other amazing books that aren't necessarily school related.« Beatrice wasn't the chatty type but when it came to books, she often lost that behavior and you'd barely be able to shut her up.

@Ethan Smith

---

-Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know-

Beatrice A. Dupont

•★•★•★•★•★•★•★•★•

Maila A. Laine

Ethan was somewhat surprised to hear that Beatrice would also be attending Hogwarts. “Really?!” he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Sure! What books are you missing?” He excitedly looked around the shop as he replied, “Oh.. I just entered the shop,” bouncing a little on his toes as Beatrice agreed to go with him.

“I just know that I need a Magical Drafts and Potions.. and maybe a Book of Spells too.. and uhm..” He continued until he was on the last item on the list, at which point he gave the list to Beatrice. “..and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them..”

“I think that's it,” he said as he walked around.

“How much time do you have?” she asked “I don't know, a couple hours maybe?” He wasn't really sure how long he had.

“They also have a lot of other amazing books that aren't necessarily school related” Ethan's eyes lit up at the word ‘amazing’ He was curious to see what could possibly make a book so amazing.

He eagerly followed Beatrice, (wherever you take him) “What's the name of the book?” he asked, still following Beatrice like a lost puppy hoping to find the source of his excitement.

”Oh, and Beatrice!” he said excitedly. “Since we'll be attending Hogwarts together, which house are you expecting to be sorted into?” He asked, after all, the different houses and their traits are what make the school so special.

@Beatrice Dupont

^{English:⁠★German:★French:★Thoughts:⁠★}

^{Word Count: 627}

@Ethan Smith

Ethan ran down the list of books that he needed, Beatrice doing the same in her head. Magical Theory -wich she already had in her hands-, Magical Drafts and Potions, Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them -one of Beatrice's favorite books-, Hogwarts, A History -a book that Beatrice has also already read-, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection, Book of Spells -and lastly-, History of Magic. Beatrice vaguely knew what the books looked like and ran her gaze over the list that Ethan was showing her. She smiled as they walked around the shop.
»Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them is an awesome book. Newt Scamander is a truly great observer and writer, I recommend reading that one before going to Hogwarts. It's not just a school book but great for the occasional educational read as well. Or for fun.« she said, looking at the book in her hands and then back to Ethan.

When he asked about the name of the amazing book, Beatrice just smiled. Silly boy, thinking there's only one amazing book in here. Flourish and Blotts was one of Beatrice's favorite places to shop in. »Well all of the books in here are amazing.« she walked further into the shop, back to the shelves that held some of the greatest written masterpieces of the whole wizarding world. »Have you read “The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore”?« Beatrice stopped in between shelves, picking the book up. »It was written by Rita Seeker, some people call it scandalous and my parents don't really like it when I read this kind of stuff but I think it's interesting to find out more about the people that really made an impact on our history,« Beatrice paused for a moment. The early headmaster of Hogwarts hadn't made a really big impact on the history but in a way he had? Hadn't he? »In some ways at least.« she added. »Not that I necessarily like Dumbledore, but he has quite an interesting story if you ask me.« she handed the book to Ethan. (You can decide if he takes it or puts it back down.) Then she continued walking, going to the front of the shop again. »The Tales of Beedle the Bard is also a must have for any wizarding kid. My grandfather used to read this to me.« she picked up that book as well, handing it to Ethan so he could look at it. Then she took a few more steps, only to pick up a book on quidditch. »Quidditch through the ages is also really great if you're interested in Quidditch. Or-« Beatrice turned around between shelves, reaching up to grab a book that went into a completely different direction. »One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi if you like Herbology.« then she paused shortly.

»There are probably over a thousand more that I could show you, but we should probably get our school books first.« Beatrice laughed a little, knowing that she had been getting way to carried away by talking about this subject. Continuing her walk with Ethan following her, they soon got to a different topic when he asked her what house she expected to be sorted into. Her heart jumped a little at that question and she cleared her throat as she picker up History of Magic. »Well Slytherin of course.« she told him, turning around and handing him a copy. »My parents expect me to be sorted into Slytherin and it's a good house so I do hope to be sorted with the snakes.« she said as they finally stood still again. Beatrice pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, looking through the shop before meeting Ethan's eyes. »What about you?« she asked, »Any preferences?«

---

-Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know-

Beatrice A. Dupont

•★•★•★•★•★•★•★•★•

Maila A. Laine

Ethan continued to follow Beatrice, looking at the hundreds or maybe thousands of books around them. He was getting lost in the sea of words and was finding it hard to focus on what Beatrice was saying. He snapped back to attention at the word ‘fun’. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t realized that Beatrice had been speaking to him.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them is an awesome book. Newt Scamander is a truly great observer and writer, I recommend reading that one before going to Hogwarts. It's not just a school book but great for the occasional educational read as well. Or for fun.” He looked at Beatrice, wondering what she could possibly mean by ‘or for fun’. He had always assumed that books were meant to be read for educational purposes only, and never for fun. “Why do you read books for fun?” he asked. If this Newt Scamander was as good as Beatrice said, then he was definitely someone worth reading.

“Well all of the books in here are amazing.”Ethan's jaw dropped as he looked around at all of the books. There's no way that all of them could be amazing. “Amazing than.. quidditch?”

“Have you read “The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore”?”“Dumbledore? Isn't that our former headmaster? The one who helped to kill-” He paused, not wanting to say the Dark wizard's name. “You-Know-Who.” He felt a lump form in his throat as he remembered the wizard and all the pain he had caused.

“It was written by Rita Seeker, some people call it scandalous and my parents don't really like it when I read this kind of stuff but I think it's interesting to find out more about the people that really made an impact on our history, In some ways at least. Not that I necessarily like Dumbledore, but he has quite an interesting story if you ask me.” She handed the book to Ethan, who scanned the cover. He read ‘The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore’ out loud. “What is this all about?”

He followed her still staring at the book. He was eager to find out more about the man, but he was also worried about what he would discover. Was Dumbledore indeed the hero that everyone claimed him to be? Or was there something terrible and dark he was attempting to hide?

“The Tales of Beedle the Bard is also a must have for any wizarding kid. My grandfather used to read this to me.” He turned his attention away from Beatrice and back to the book. “I haven't read this one..” he said with a shrug.

“Quidditch through the ages is also really great if you're interested in Quidditch. Or One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi if you like Herbology.” Ethan was never a fan of herbology. It just seemed like a lot of work for something that didn't interest him. But Quidditch? That was something he could get behind. He loved the fast paced action and the feeling of flying on a broom. “Oh, there's a book about quidditch?!” he said, excitement in his voice. He grabbed the book off the shelf. He has always loved quidditch, and he was excited to see a book about it.

“Well Slytherin of course. My parents expect me to be sorted into Slytherin and it's a good house so I do hope to be sorted with the snakes.” Ethan nodded, understanding her parents' expectations. “I'm sure you'll do great in Slytherin.”

“What about you? Any preferences?” He wasn't sure which house he would be most compatible with, but he supposed he would find out soon enough. He knew that, for many students, the house they were sorted into mattered a great deal. He himself had no preferences, and was simply excited to finally be attending the famed wizarding school.

“I'm not sure, to be honest. I've heard a lot of good things about all of the houses. I guess I'll just have to wait and see which one the sorting hat chooses for me.” He was aware that the sorting hat took each student's personality into account when making its decision. And he just hoped that he would end up in a house that was a good fit for him. “What do you think, Beatrice? Once I am sorted into a house, do you think I will fit in there? Can you tell me which one you think it would be?”

He gazed at the different books in the store, studying their spines and covers. After a while, he turned to his friend and spoke up again. “So, are you excited for our first year at Hogwarts?”

@Beatrice Dupont

Little Disclaimer: This is absolutely not written well but I couldn't get it to be better haha.

^{English:⁠★German:★French:★Thoughts:⁠★}

^{Word Count: 394}

@Ethan Smith

Beatrice understood that Ethan was not sure which house he would be sorted into. She herself wasn't sure, she just hoped for Slytherin. And hope was strong. Hope was like light. Light they couldn't always seem to grasp but that was always there. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it. — National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman For some reason that quote went through Beatrice's head in that specific moment. She was barely able to escape the tender feeling of loosing herself inside of her mind, lost in thoughts that weren't important in that moment. She almost missed Ethan's questions. He asked what she thought. If he would fit into the house he was sorted in and what she thought, what house he would be sorted in. »Well Ethan,« she said, »The sorting head is never wrong. Once you are sorted, you may not feel as if it is the right house immediately but you will grow into it and you'll learn to love whatever house you have been sorted into. Or, you'll immediately feel like the house you have been sorted into is your house. Which would, of course, be awesome.« a small smile spread across her lips as it she was reassuring not only Ethan but also herself with what she had said. »And for your other question, I don't think I can tell you that just yet. You seem like a lovely person but I do not know you enough to be able to tell you what house you would fit into. Especially not my specific thoughts to this, since you could be sorted into any house. It has to do with who you are on the deep inside and for me to be able to know that, we will have to have many more meetings like this.« Beatrice smiled before continuing to walk. She picked up all the books they still needed and either handed Ethan a copy or let him take one herself. Then they were done. Beatrice could see her Parents waiting in front of the shop. »Well, I guess this is farewell. I hope to see you again Ethan, this was nice!« and with those words, Beatrice went to pay and then quickly hurried out of the shop, leaving with her parents.

Beatrice leaves thread

---

-Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know-

Beatrice A. Dupont

•★•★•★•★•★•★•★•★•

Maila A. Laine

He nodded at Beatrice as she spoke, taking in her words. They made sense to him, even if he was feeling a little anxious about the whole thing. After all, he had no control over which house he would be sorted into. It was all up to the magical sorting hat.

“I see,” said Ethan, looking thoughtful. “I guess I'll just have to wait and see, then.”

Still, he was grateful to Beatrice for her advice. She seemed like a wise and kind person, and he felt better for having talked to her.

He smiled at her as they walked, clutching the books she had given him close. It was nice to have someone to talk to, even if they didn't really know each other yet. Maybe, with time, they would become friends.

“I think I have them all now,” Ethan said to Beatrice as he looked at the stack of books in his arms. “Thanks, Beatrice. I appreciate it.”

Ethan watched Beatrice hurry out of the store, wondering if he would ever see her again. Maybe he would see her around the school sometime. He then went to pay for his own books.

He walked out of the bookstore, noticing his uncle waiting for him outside. “There you are, boy! What took you so long?” Ethan explained what happened and made note of the potential new friend he had made. His uncle nodded in approval, pleased that Ethan was socializing and making friends.

Now all that was left was to head home and get ready for the start of the school year.

ETHAN HAS LEFT THE TREAD

@Beatrice Dupont