Closed A Step Towards Unity Group 3

Interacting with @Hugh Lowe

Why did she agree to this? Why the bloody hell did she agree to this?

Serena paced a little down the corridor, just wondering if she should go or not. Every time she walked closer to the rehearsal room, she could feel her heart beating faster and hesitating with each step. This was not a good idea. But it was time. After everything that happened, it was time. Her hand clenched into a fist. For months, she hid her identity and fought her own issues. Every day felt like a battle and inner turmoil was taking over. She had spilt these feelings to very few but it did dawn on her that those she was telling could not hide like she did. They did not have that choice.

Hugh told her that he was going. And Howard had been one of the people who organised the whole thing. For them, she was braving herself up to do this. At the very least, they would be on her side. Walking down the corridor, she audibly exhaled as she told herself she could do this, over and over.

It was time.

Stopping just before the room, she paused as her hand reached for the handle. What if she was alone? What if it was a trap? Shaking the thoughts away, she sighed to herself and gently pushed it open. The door crept open slowly as she hesitated in her movements. Her gaze quickly fell onto the only person in the room - and a smile of relief quickly appeared on her face. Her face flooded with joy as the nerves started to disapparate a little. If nothing else, it screamed that she was glad to see he was already here. It would appear no one else was though. "Hey there, big guy," She greeted him as she quickly moved towards him and grabbed a seat nearby.

Climbing onto the couch cushion, she sat down near him. Serena perched on the top of the couch nearby, with her legs on the backseat. This was not the normal way to sit on the couch, of course, but it made her a little taller and a bit closer to his height when sitting down. On her feet, she had black boots. "Fancy seeing you here," She awkwardly chuckled a little, clearly nervous by the whole thing. Her hands clenched together, rubbing each other as she nervously fidgeted. She was wearing fingerless black gloves.

"Are we sure this is a good idea...?" She muttered in a whisper towards him after a few moments, noticing no one else was around and they were alone. Her nerves were evident in the shaky tone of voice.

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Classes had gone fine, as usual. Ruby had paid attention in class and answered questions but kept mostly to herself in regards to her peers. She did her business, engaged with what was important to her—her schoolwork—and then didn’t go beyond that. The run in with Ami Procoppio and Cecily Quinn a few weeks before had reawakened distressing feelings and memories, and she had been trying to avoid people as much as possible ever since. There would be no more detours on the way to the library, no more interactions with people she didn’t trust. The only exception was Isadora Everridge, the girl she was tutoring, as she had a responsibility to the first year that she planned on fulfilling. After all, weren’t the feelings of powerlessness and distress the motivator for the tutoring? Didn’t she want to make sure that others didn’t have to feel that way?

Nevertheless, she was uneasy. Magic was dangerous, especially when wielded by unstable teens such as Procoppio and Quinn. Students at Hogwarts had a tendency to be careless and violent, which Ruby had thought she could handle but recently she had been proven wrong. Her magic wasn’t strong enough to defend her or people she cared about back when the shadow spiders attacked in her second year, but she had grown immensely since then and thought she was capable of handling the dangers around her. And yet a couple of cruel Quidditch players had left her defenseless once more, taking away her autonomy and fundamentally shaking her sense of security. If it wasn’t for Koko, she could’ve been left at their mercy indefinitely, a tiny helpless creature for Merlin knows how long.

But that hadn’t happened. She had been okay. People had helped her. She had to keep reminding herself of that—that this wasn’t the same as before, that there would be no lasting harm. However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was vastly unprepared for danger. A single teen had reduced her to near nothing. What could someone more powerful do? And what about creatures stronger than humans? She would have to change something about her current situation, whether that was working even harder, learning more powerful spells, further training her duelling skills… just something, anything, to make her feel more capable. She had to gain the advantage, put the ball back in her court, restore the feeling of power, because this was unbearable. Knowledge had always brought her safety and comfort, but was that enough?

She hadn’t intended to go to the errand today. Interacting with people in a potentially heated environment? No thanks. But throughout the day, she had thought on it, and eventually decided that maybe it would be good to go after all. There were professors who were fully trained witches and wizards who would be hosting the event and keeping an eye on people. With them fully present and watching, surely the students would be safe. Her thoughts on the contents of the errand itself were divided. After all the controversy and stigma towards other magical races both in society at large and within Hogwarts during her time here, it seemed foolish to host an event like this that could allow mixed-race students and their allies to be targeted. Between anti-giant rhetoric after past balls, rumors of dhampir attacks, and the articles by T. Ruth instructing humans on how to arm themselves against “dangerous half-breeds”, Hogwarts was not the friendliest towards part-humans.

This event felt a little like a zoo, putting mixed race students on display for humans to come watch. Wasn’t this dangerous, even just in a social sense? Couldn’t this be damaging to those who weren’t fully human? People who were hateful could show up at this errand just to find out who was of what race and use it against them. But, at the same time, the purpose of this errand was to inspire unity, and maybe some good could come of it. At the end of the day, human or not, they were all still people, they were all students at Hogwarts. There were fewer differences than people thought, surely. Besides, while Ruby had several mixed race/part-human friends, she was just a human herself. She couldn’t truly speak to whether this event was a good idea or not. If mixed race students had decided that this was what they wanted, then that was what was best, right?

What was it that motivated Ruby to join the errand in the end? Well, there were several reasons. One was that she wanted to get a sense of how to be a better advocate/ally for her friends. Another was that the information could be useful in an admittedly less pure sense, and it wouldn’t hurt to know the truth about the people she attended school with. The final reason, and truthfully the one that helped her make the final decision to go, was that she was simply curious. Curious about what would happen, what people would share, and whether this could actually help mend things. So, that afternoon, she strode into the redecorated rehearsal room, where students were already starting to engage in conversation and the blend of many voices talking at once reached her ears. She made her way to a sparsely populated area, where only two students were sitting and beginning to strike up conversation.

She settled into an armchair, keeping her posture as perfect as ever out of habit, and looked at the two students in this grouping of chairs and sofas. “Good afternoon,” she greeted with a pleasant smile. She only vaguely recognized the girl, but was mildly more familiar with the boy from having been in the same year and being in the same spaces once or twice. “If you don’t know me, I’m Ruby Cazares,” she introduced herself. After a brief pause, she considered where she was, and added, “Full human. It’s a pleasure to meet you two properly.” Her voice was measured and smooth, equal to her posture in sophistication. Growing up in a wealthy, pureblooded family meant that the habits of behaving in a refined manner stuck around. Keeping her appearance pristine and her mannerisms proper just came naturally. If no one began conversation, she would start something relevant to the errand. “What do you hope to gain from today, if I may ask? I’m just hoping to learn more.” She shrugged.

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Interacting with @Hugh Lowe and @Ruby Cazares

As she heard another person enter, she found herself unknowingly holding her breath. It was not something she wanted to do, of course. It was her body's reaction to hesitation and nervousness as the panic started to fill her. Who had actually shown up?

She spotted a girl that she could not immediately name but she had definitely seen her around at times. Her eyes flickered from Ruby to Hugh, hoping he would answer first. She felt the fear building up inside of her rapidly as she tried to think of an answer to the question. Mostly, she was distracted by the fact that Ruby had specified being a full human. This was where the goblin ought to say she was not but she did not really want to. It was time, though. It was time to scream it from the top of her lungs and stand up for what she believed in... She knew that but none of that negated the fear building up inside of her. This was literally something she had been afraid of for years.

If Hugh spoke, she would allow him to reply first before she spoke. If he stayed quiet or expected her to go first, she would nod and reply - trying to cover up the fact that she could feel her heart pounding loudly in her chest as she spoke.

"Serena... Serena Towers," She introduced herself, with a short pause as she wondered if she ought to give her family name before realising there was no point if she did not. She was proud of who she was, even if she was afraid of how the world would react to it.

She pressed her hands tightly together, interlocking her fingers as she fidgeted with them. "I suppose... I'd like to see the diversity we have in the school and urm, I guess just sort of like... maybe see how people feel about that?" Serena pondered as she tried to think of her answer. That was the most diplomatic answer that she could give.

Only one thought occurred in her mind though, over and over - the question of whether or not she said she was part goblin. Right. She should. Definitely. She looked at Hugh. Yeah... he would probably bonk her on the head soon if she did not say something. Ugh. Maybe when some other people showed up.

WC: 447 [First Post] + 397 [This Post] = 844 Words

Galton was late. And for a very classic Galton reason. Agreeing to afternoon plans meant that he would have to take a later-than-normal dinner. Which was awful. It was truly one of the worst things that the teen could imagine. Just after classes his stomach had started complaining, growling and bubbling in anticipation for the night's delicious conquests. Galton was uncertain about the runtime of this little gathering, and he hadn't seen mentions of any food being provided. An executive decision was made to book-it towards the dorms and nab a marshmallow biscuit or... four, before making his way to the rehearsal room.

And he was successful! He was a quick moving fellow, and the rehearsal rooms were only a floor away from the Gryffindor dorms so he didn't expect to run so late. And because of that little idea, he had spent way to long in his dorm choosing what exactly to bring with him. The marshmallow biscuits were a given, but what else? Should he bring snacks for others (they certainly were not getting any of his biscuits)? Proper manners would suggest yes - but then what? A classic and low effort candy such as the delectable sherbet lemon? Or possibly something a little fancier like the scrumptious jelly slugs? Maybe he should really try to show off and bring a few of his remaining family-made Lollipops?

This conundrum delayed Galton much past the simple pop in and pop out he had anticipated. Choosing candy for the right occasion was not something one should take lightly. In the end he decided that his few remaining Lansdale's Lollipops should accompany him to the event. While it was sad to run his stock dry, he could expect a package from home at some point in the near future, and, worse case, he could last on runs to Honeydukes. With six (seven if you counted the one he had begun consuming) lollipops in hand he sprinted towards the event. A few sherbet lemons and jelly slugs would jostle around in a robe pocket as he ran - just in case, of course.

The idea that one would be late to an event focused on bridging the gap between humans and half-breeds - which was certainly a serious topic - because they couldn't figure out which candy to bring would probably be rather dumb to most. But it was a perfect representation of how much Galton cared, and maybe how ignorant he was to the gravity of the situation. There were not many events he gave actual thought into what to bring with him. It was normally a random handful or two from his candy trunk stuffed haphazardly into his robe pockets. Today though, he knew that people would need some comfort, something to relax and ease tensions. What better could there be for that than an appropriately picked dose of sugar? The thought itself revealed Galton's ignorance: that the teen put (maybe) a little too much weight on others loves for sweets, and that such large issues could be quelled with a lollipop lick. But these were his housemates, classmates - fellow students! His innate naivety and optimism suggested that they would never be so hateful that sweets couldn't relax them. Outside Hogwarts? Galton was very aware of what hate humans were capable of, but surely not here. And that idea may have been Galton's biggest ignorance as a human. The thing that he still stood to learn the most.

Arrival to the rehearsal rooms prompted another small detour. One that would prove the idea for his run to the dorms a bit needless. Catering. Galton would grab a sandwich in his free hand and make for his seat with the group. Familiar and hopefully welcoming, he would find faces that he knew in the circle. Classmates and friends alike. He'd catch the end of Ruby's question and Serena's reply as he placed the lollipops on a table near the middle of the group and plopped himself into a chair next to Hugh. He could see that the teen was on edge, and would snag on of the lollipops and poke him with it a few times and then leaving it in his lap.

He'd wait for an appropriate time to enter the conversation. He was working on his conversational pacing. Galton tended to have trouble listening, and slowing his flow of thoughts to the point that he didn't interject at random times. This was a great venue to practice those skills. When Serena finished he'd calmly chime in. "I bet we have a lot. And if people knew, I am sure they would understand more and more how little we differ." He'd pause to smile at the group. "Oh - I brought some lollipops - they're handmade." He'd finish the statement holding up the half-consumed lollipop he'd started on and giving it another enthusiastic lick. And then a bite of his sandwich of course.

WC: 819

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“Yes, I believe that’s correct,” she confirmed as Hugh laid out the circumstances of how they knew each other. She vaguely remembered a birthday party back in first year, that of Elena Jones, where he had come running in with a loud bang, but they had never properly spoken and the details mattered little after so much time had passed.

Serena introduced herself, explaining that she wanted to see the school’s diversity and how people felt about it. She seemed nervous—stumbling through her words and fidgeting. Did she feel like she was in danger, was she hiding something and debating sharing, or was she just socially anxious and uncomfortable in this situation? Ruby didn’t know her well enough to determine what the source was, but either way, she noted the apparent nervousness and pondered whether to try to help ease it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a new arrival. Galton placed a handful of lollipops on the table, accompanied by a very welcoming and encouraging statement given in response to Serena. Ruby would not take a lollipop—she wasn’t the biggest fan of them, although she appreciated that Galton was trying to be friendly by offering them. Maybe one of the others would take some and it wouldn’t be so obvious that she hadn’t. Not that she particularly cared about insignificant niceties to make others feel slightly better, but still.

Hugh turned to face her, asking her what, exactly, it was that she wished to learn about. He specifically asked if she wanted to know the part-humans’ numbers and plans, which caused her to raise an eyebrow. “Nothing like that,” she insisted, a trace of irritability in her tone. “I was thinking more along the lines of how to be a better ally, what you all might want fully human students to keep in mind regarding your race, and anything people are interested in sharing. They say knowledge is power, after all,” she finished neutrally.

Hugh explained that he was interested to see who would be willing to share their identities and have pride in who they were. She supposed he didn’t really have a choice—live a life cowering in shame, trying to make himself smaller, or stand tall. As he pointed out, it was obvious that he was a part-giant. Unless he removed himself from society altogether, there was no way he could hide like many others could. Being ashamed of oneself was rather easily detected by others and often made that person a target. If they had no courage to stand up for themselves and be true to who they were, people would take advantage of that, and that was especially dangerous for part-humans, who were already vilified enough in the wizarding society.

Something he had said was concerning. “Do you believe there will be a “hunt” someday, then?” she questioned. It seemed awfully outdated—it was the 21st century, after all, and even if people of other magical races weren’t always accepted, it wasn’t the outright persecution they had faced in the past, at least to her knowledge. But perhaps that was just from the standpoint of a privileged human who had never known persecution in any regard. Besides, even if there wasn’t an imminent threat to the mixed race students, wasn’t it reasonable for them to be concerned about such a thing? Didn’t they face enough stigma in society to worry about how that might escalate to large-scale violence? Speaking of which, she would have to ask them what they thought of the past T. Ruth articles, but only after giving them a chance to respond and share what they would.

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