Buying Books
Location: Flourish and Blotts
Tag: PV
Date: August 29th, 2025
Time: 11:30am
Word Count: 603
· · ─────── · ౨ৎ · ─────── · ·
After her visit to Gringotts Wizarding Bank with her grandmother to get wizarding currency, Corrine and her grandmother head out into the streets of Diagon Alley. Her sweet Nan hands her the pouch of money with a gentle smile. “Remember what the goblins said, you little rascal. Gold coins are galleons, silver coins are knuckles, and bronze coins are knuts. 29 knuts to a sickle, and you need 17 of those to be equal to a galleon.”
Seeing Corrine’s overwhelmed face, her grandmother laughs. “Oh, and, sweetie.. remember that you can ask the shop owners and staff, okay? They won’t grill you for that.”
The girl nods nervously, giving her grandmother a tight hug around the waist, to which the woman happily returned. “I’m going to sit down back at that place we went through. What was it? The Leafy Cauldron?”
Corrine laughs, her eyes crinkling. “Nan, I’m pretty sure it’s the Leaky Cauldron.” The elderly woman shakes her head, amused. “Whatever it may be, I’ll be waiting there for you after you pick up all your items from the school list. There’s a little extra money in there too for if you want to get a snack, okay?”
And so, with not much else to say, Corrine waves to her elderly grandmother, who heads back to the direction of the Leaky Cauldron with the help of her cane.. leaving her by her lonesome.
Still slightly overwhelmed, Corrine turns to the rest of Diagon Alley, deciding that it’s best to just throw herself into it. After some walking, she reaches what seems to be a bookstore; the wide front windows showcase the bookshelves filled with worn and new books, as well as the stacks found on almost every nook and cranny of the inside.
She perks up, excited. If there is any place she’s willing to spend all her money in, it’d be a bookstore.. and a magical bookstore will not be any different!
Upon entering, a shop assistant at the register greets her but doesn’t look away from the current customer they were assisting. Taking no offence, the young girl looks around in amazement at the wonderful organized chaos that is this bookstore.
After giving herself a moment to process, Corrine brings out the list that had been included with her letter. Her hazel eyes drift down to the titles listed under the “books” section, curious. Magical Drafts and Potions, Book of Spells, Magical Theory.. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Her heart does a small jump. That book in particular caught her attention, considering her love for animals. She can only imagine how magnificent magical creatures could be.
As Corrine looks around, though, her heart drops slightly. It’s evidently busy today, given how many students and families seem to be going in and out. All the shop assistants seem to be occupied by assisting the other customers, and she’s in no way brave enough to even fathom interrupting. She fidgets in place, feeling like a lost puppy in the middle of nowhere.
She could go ahead and search for the books herself, but she’s still overwhelmed. What if she messes up the organization of the bookshelves? What if she sends one of the stacks toppling over? What if the books are enchanted to react a certain way if they sense something is off?
As she spirals, she finds herself frozen near the doorway, unable to take a step further, feeling helpless.
Last edited by Corrine Aelina on 25 Apr 2026, 03:27, edited 1 time in total.
"In every life, through every door. . . I hope to meet y0u again."
Buying Books
Interacting With: @Corrine Aelina
Word Count: 270
Dido wandered into the bookshop, feeling both stifled by the mountainous prospect of having to read so many books but also utterly thrilled by the idea of learning magic. She would be the best Ravenclaw ever, or at the very least, try hard to be.
Dido’s mother had planned to stick with her daughter but, upon entering Diagon Alley and realising that it was the first time she had been there while all the Hogwarts students were, she quickly managed to become enthralled by the excitement and joy in the air, tearing up slightly as she imagined what it would have been like if she hadn’t been a squib. If she had been able to join her brother. On seeing her mother’s red eyes, Dido swiftly placed her down on a bench just so she could watch the scene of the main street, and Dido herself continued walking around, crossing off items on her list.
So eventually, Dido had arrived at Flourish and Blotts. The shop was busy. Really busy. And, what felt like thousands, of Hogwarts students drifted throughout. Some seemed to be Dido’s age and others were older, towering seventh years who’s heads almost hit the “Open” sign.
Near the doorway, Dido noticed a girl, about her age, looking lost and slightly helpless. Grinning at the opportunity to make a good first impression, Dido marched up to the girl and asked kindly, “Are you alright?”
She then looked around again, clocking the list in the girl’s hands and smiling at the confirmation that she was a first year. “I’m a first year too!” she continued, “My name’s Dido.”
-Dido Bleaklane |
Buying Books
Location: Flourish and Blotts
Tag: Open, @Dido Bleaklane
Date: August 29th, 2025
Time: 11:30am
Word Count: 367
· · ─────── · ౨ৎ · ─────── · ·
Truth be told, Corrine doesn’t know for how long she stood to the side of the entryway. Long enough, she reckoned, considering the odd glances that people had begun sending her way as they excused themselves to exit the bookstore with their books. She felt the shame bubbling in her as she pressed herself as close as possible to the wall, shakily apologizing to the witches and wizards that she accidentally bumped into on the way there.
I want my Nana, Corrine thought to herself, already feeling the wetness in her eyes return. I should’ve asked her to come with me instead of trying to brave it here on my own. As she spared one last glance around the store, the girl made the easy decision that perhaps it’s best to leave the store and possibly look for her elderly grandmother in the Leaky Cauldron, mostly in the hopes of not having an anxiety attack.
However, before she could even exit through the door, a shorter girl walked up to her with a kind expression, visibly concerned. Corrine’s head had never turned so quickly towards a person, flinching as the other asked her if she was alright, her words laced with an evident Scottish accent.
“I’m fine,” Corrine tried to say, but it only came out as a scared squeak, embarrassing her greatly. If the girl had a turtle’s shell, she’d be retreating into it just about now.
The embarrassing manner in which Corrine had replied didn’t seem to bother the other, however, especially as her eyes caught notice of the supply list that was now heavily crumpled in Corrine’s grasp. Smiling, the shorter girl pointed at it. “I’m a first-year too!” She said, seemingly excited to have found another first-year like herself. “My name’s Dido.”
In a funnily turtle-like manner, Corrine adjusted her cardigan, as if attempting to hide her face deep into her collar despite how short it was. “..M Corrine.” She mumbled through the fabric of her shirt, embarrassed. She doesn’t say anything else, not knowing what to say, but she doesn’t leave either.
This girl seems nice, Corrine internally thought, even as she stood there awkwardly fidgeting in place. Maybe.. A potential friend?
"In every life, through every door. . . I hope to meet y0u again."
Buying Books
Interacting With: @Corrine Aelina
Word Count: 234
The girl was quiet. Or at least “quiet” was the immediate label that Dido placed on the girls head. She was fidgeting while she answered Dido’s question, her name almost muffled by the collar of her cardigan, “…M Corrine.”
Corinne… Dido recognised the name. She searched her brain, pushing it to find some semblance of familiarity. The only thing she could think of was a French book which her mother had talked about, but the girl didn’t look French, really. Eventually she dismissed her wonderings, deciding that it would be best not to psychoanalyse every single person’s name who she me.
So Dido grinned, hoping to inspire some excitement in the girl, “That’s a nice name!”
Dido looked around the bookstore before checking her list. “And that is a lot of books,” she muttered, “Ok! Here is…. Fantastic Beasts! Great.” Dido pulled out two copies of the book, handing one to Corrine and tucking the other under her arm before turning back to Corinne and admitting, “I love animals- I can’t believe that there’s a whole magical world of them!”
Dido continued grabbing some more books, both “Magical Draughts and Potions” and “Book of Spells”, all while rapidly chatting to Corrine, “What house d’you think you’ll be in?”
Not Gryffindor, she thought to herself somewhat meanly as she continued, “I’m pretty sure I’ll get Ravenclaw, to be honest, but I wouldn’t mind the others.”
-Dido Bleaklane |
Buying Books
Location: Flourish and Blotts
Tag: Open, @Dido Bleaklane
Date: August 29th, 2025
Time: 11:30am
Word Count: 476
· · ─────── · ౨ৎ · ─────── · ·
Dido was staring as soon as she introduced herself, and Corrine, with a sinking feeling, realized that she couldn’t decipher her expression. It wasn’t quite a smile, but it didn’t seem angered. It wasn’t an expression of anxiety or shyness either, and certainly not of sadness. Why is she staring at me like that? Corrine looked down, avoiding the other girl’s eyes. Was it the way I spoke? My stutters?
Before her thoughts could take a turn for the worst, Dido finally snapped out of it, flashing her a cute grin and even complimenting her for her name. It hadn’t been anything negative after all, perhaps the girl was just lost in thought.
Corrine didn’t really get why her name was considered as nice by this kind girl. It’s just her name, the one she was given at birth. As far as she was aware, there’s no specific connection, thought, or reason to her name. The only person who could tell her about anything like that had long since left her life. She doesn’t really know that woman whatsoever, considering she’d left her father, and there isn’t any scenario she can imagine wherein she would call her Mom.
Dido looked around, unaware of the girl’s inner thoughts. Occasionally, she looked back down at her supply list, thoughtful. Corrine knew she and the girl shared the same list due to being first years and all, but it’s obvious that Dido actually knew where to go and what to grab. That presumption was proven correct by the two copies she had brought back: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. Grateful, Corrine mumbled her thanks as she gingerly took the other copy into her hold.
She flipped the book around, her wide eyes inspecting it closely. The bright red leather was an interesting choice for a cover, but the gold edges complimented it lastly. It didn’t look new, but it was well-cared for. Perhaps a used copy? That wasn’t a problem, so Corrine nodded and put it away to be paid for later on. Instead, her attention returned to Dido, who had begun rambling about animals in excitement.
“—can’t believe that there’s a whole magical world of them!” Dido said in an excited manner. She likes animals too? Corrine relaxed, realizing that they shared a common interest. “I do too.” She quietly admitted, now feeling herself follow Dido as she began picking up the rest of the books in her list. “I’m excited to study more about magical creatures. I hope there’s a class for that at Hogwarts.”
At the mention of “houses”, Corrine looked utterly confused. Houses? Literal houses? Was it so magical that each student had their own house? Surely that was impossible, but considering she’s a witch. . maybe more was simply achievable with magic. “Houses?” She trailed off, her voice fading unsurely. “What are houses?”
"In every life, through every door. . . I hope to meet y0u again."
Buying Books
Evasion: 6
Strength: 5
Wisdom: 8
Arcane Power: 5
Accuracy: 7
Dido was positively beaming when the girl, Corrine, mentioned that she liked animals too. Well, she wasn’t beaming. She still had the half-baked intention to seem “cool” to her fellow eleven year olds. But she did grin when Corrine said, “I’m excited to study more about magical creatures. I hope there’s a class for that at Hogwarts.”
“There must be,” Dido responded, “After all, so many ‘muggle’ zoologists went to Hogwarts! Or, at least, that’s what my mum said...” she faltered. What if her mother was wrong? Not just about the animal lessons- that didn’t really matter- but about Squibs and Muggles in general. What if everything Dido had learnt in the last few months was all untrue and she would be made a laughing stock if and when she repeated it? Fortunately, Dido had never been one to focus on a possible lack of knowledge in herself or her mothers so, brushing the ideas away, she quickly decided not to worry. Dido finally added, “Do you have any pets then? I have a cat and a parrot! But I couldn’t bring them with me."
After Corinne’s response or lack of response, Dido quickly began searching for more of the books, finding copies of all but “Hogwarts, A History” and chattering away all the while about houses when Corrine suddenly frowned. Dido paused in her search and turned to the girl, quietly, so as not to spook her, asking, “What’s wrong?”
“Houses?” the girl asked, “What are houses?”
Dido nodded, understanding Corrine's confusion and gave her a comforting, if slightly awkward pat on the shoulder before beginning to explain the houses with rather too much confidence given she knew almost as little. Dido started, “So, you know how in most boarding schools and some schools they have ‘houses’? Large groups of students across all the years which act as big teams. So, for sporting events you might compete for your house or you may only be able to dorm with people in your house. Hogwarts has four. Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.”
Dido took a breath, letting her words catch up to her thoughts before continuing, “My uncle was in Gryffindor, which is apparently for bravery, but he says that it was just for the trouble-makers. Hufflepuffs are the reasonable, kind and loyal ones, basically made for well-adjusted humans. Slytherins are all evil, according to my uncle, but my mum says that he’s ridiculous and that they’re perfectly lovely. But I’m not sure she would really know, to be honest. And then Ravenclaw, the one I’ll hopefully be in, is for the intelligent children.”
-Dido Bleaklane |
Buying Books
Location: Flourish and Blotts
Tag: Open, @Dido Bleaklane
Date: August 29th, 2025
Time: 11:30am
Word Count: 675
· · ─────── · ౨ৎ · ─────── · ·
Corrine could only listen closely as Dido went on to talk about zoologists. The way Dido differentiated them made her curious; ‘muggle’ zoologists implied that there were magical zoologists, and that the line was carefully drawn between them. From what she’s gathered, the ‘term’ muggles was used for those without magic, much like her family. Does that mean that well-known zoologists throughout the world possibly could’ve been wizards? She thought to herself with wide eyes. Not just zoologists too. Politicians, scientists, environmentalists.. Who knows, maybe Steve Irwin himself was a wizard!
The possibilities were endless, and honestly, that in of itself was daunting. Corrine had known that this was essentially a whole nother world she was just about to discover, but to finally realize the extent of it was scary. Hazel eyes trailed down to the book that Dido had handed her previously, reading over the title. Written by Newt Scamander, she read with a tilt of her head. Perhaps he’s a magical zoologist then, if his book was chosen to be part of the curriculum. Maybe I’ll like it even as a casual read.
Deciding to put it on her mental to-do list, she looked back up to Dido, who had long since wandered off and now had more copies of textbooks in her hold. “I don’t have any pets,” she said, slightly breathless from her rush to catch up. “I don’t know if I’ll end up getting one, but I’m surprised Hogwarts is letting us students have pets.” Her voice was still hushed, as if too embarrassed to speak any louder despite it being a public place. Toads, ferrets, cats and spiders aren’t too odd, she twiddled her thumbs. But owls? How would that even work?
Deciding not to convey those thoughts of hers, she decided to listen in on Dido’s explanations about houses. “Big teams.. Sporting events?” The girl echoed, looking conflicted. Truth be told, it sounded like a recipe for disaster. Corrine found that similar personalities and mindsets don’t always mesh well with those of the same kind, but who was she to speak? It’s not like she had any friends to worry about.
By now, Dido had placed the other copy of ‘Hogwarts, A History’ into her arms, with Corrine trying to balance them all in her hold, albeit not so safely. It looked like it could fall over at any moment, since her scrawny arms couldn’t hold much of them up in the first place. Not to mention, Corrine paused, feeling curious. “What sports does the Wizarding World have?” she asked. Considering that a kid with little trace of magic like her was accepted, it’s likely that there were other students who were like her attending Hogwarts. It wasn’t impossible to think of ways that they’d implement muggle sports as an option, but Corrine was truly curious about what constituted a ‘sport’ for the folks who have ready access to magic. More possibilities? More danger?
Moving on, Corrine thought it’d be best not to apply for any sports within her first or second year, if she even could. Too daunting. Instead, the girl thought about Dido’s words closely. House of the brave Gryffindor, House of the kind Hufflepuff, House of the wise Ravenclaw, and House of the ambitious Slytherin. She recounted in her head with a pondering expression. Truth be told, none of those seemed particularly her; she’s too cowardly, certainly not wise enough, and lacked ambition. Perhaps she could see herself being put in Hufflepuff, if she actually found what little courage she had to communicate with people in the first place.
“Maybe Hufflepuff.” Corrine mumbled to Dido, readjusting her hold on the pile of books. Her eyes remained averted. She didn’t want to explain her self-deprecating thought process in case she worried Dido, so she just settled with: “I don’t think I’m particularly like the other houses.”
Dido seems plenty smart though, the girl thought to herself. She’s told me so much in the span of the last ten minutes of just knowing each other. It’s cool.
"In every life, through every door. . . I hope to meet y0u again."
Buying Books
Evasion: 6
Strength: 5
Wisdom: 8
Arcane Power: 5
Accuracy: 7
Whenever Corrine spoke, Dido looked straight at her and listened carefully, anxious to catch every quiet word. Maybe it was because the girl wasn’t saying much. Dido had always found that, despite her best efforts to be different from most people, she, like most people, always listened harder when a quiet person spoke. Maybe that was because words from people who didn’t speak often tended to be of higher quality. But Dido didn’t like the idea’s logical implications that people who did speak a lot, like Dido, didn’t say as meaningful things, so Dido dismissed the reason. But if it wasn’t because Corrine hadn’t said much already, why did Dido care so much to listen? Perhaps Corrine herself radiated an aura of goodness, of sensibility which Dido hadn’t actively noticed but was subconsciously paying heed to. Whatever the reason was, Dido listened to the, albeit few, words that Corrine said.
After Corrine asked, “What sports does the Wizarding World have?” Dido frowned. In truth, Dido wasn’t entirely sure and that feeling of unsurety threw her. Slowly, but trying to seem just as confident as she had been when she introduced herself, she replied, “Quidditch is one… I think. My Uncle played- plays now as well apparently. For fun, of course,” Dido thought of something, getting back into her stride, “And it’s on actual brooms- Like, witches on broomsticks! I think the actual game is, like, basketball or something, but isn’t that cool?! I can’t wait to have a go.”
As she finished her sentence, and finally finished collecting the books for her and Corrine, she walked over to the counter, standing in queue behind a teenager, a tall, presumably Hogwarts, student. As she did, Dido smiled absentmindedly and imagined the feeling of riding a broom. When she was younger, she had dreamed of flying. Sweet, innocent little “Dodo” had spent evenings awake, lying in bed and thinking of become a bird (one which could fly unlike her namesake). She had used copious quantities of paper sketching and resketching flying machines that would one day help her soar over the Scottish hills, which her young mind had once thought of as mountains. She would be the best broom-rider at Hogwarts, even if she didn’t quite understand what Quidditch was.
After Dido described all of the Hogwarts houses, she waited for the girl to respond, looking over her shoulder as she handed her purse over to the shop-keeper, hoping that they would deal with the counting for her as she was not yet entirely certain on the exact way knuts became galleons or sickles. Corrine was looking away from Dido, which was odd but so far seemed not entirely out-of-character for the shy girl. She eventually mumbled, “Maybe Hufflepuff. I don’t think I’m particularly like the other houses.”
After quickly thanking the shopkeeper and stepping to the side for Corrine, Dido grinned at the girl and quickly joked, “Well, your mother will be happy!” while laughing to herself. However, though Dido didn’t quite realise, the punchline didn’t make as much sense as when her mother told it, always accompanied by the crucial lead up. Fortunately for Dido’s self-worth, she wasn’t quite self-aware enough to realise this failure and instead smiled kindly as she waited for Corrine to buy her books, extremely proud of herself to be making who she thought would be her first friend.
-Dido Bleaklane |
Buying Books
Location: Flourish and Blotts
Tag: Open, @Dido Bleaklane
Date: August 29th, 2025
Time: 11:30am
Word Count: 693
· · ─────── · ౨ৎ · ─────── · ·
Hearing Dido’s words, Corrine couldn’t help but stop right where she was, shocked. Actual brooms? Did she just say actual brooms? She thought, looking in disbelief. So, they just fly? On cleaning equipment? The girl coughed, feeling embarrassed for how blatant her reaction must be. “I see,” she mumbled, rubbing her arm in anxiety. “That sounds.. intimidating. If they just fly on the brooms, then doesn’t that mean they lift off the ground? Aren’t some of them possibly scared of heights?”
If she had to get on a broom, she knew she would be flat-out terrified. Perhaps it’s not her greatest fear, but it’s certainly up there on the list, and she would likely do her best to frantically avoid it. She could already imagine it now; her getting up on a broom in an attempt to fly and possibly play this.. ‘Quidditch’, only to fail at making the broom fly. Or, if it surprisingly works, all it’d take is one wrong turn and she’ll send herself straight into the ground, broom first!
Shivering at the image that was created in her head, Corrine made a mental note in her mind not to play Quidditch in Hogwarts. Best to stay away from sports, she thought to herself nervously. Instead, she forced herself to speak her one other thought about the brooms.
“Isn’t that a stereotype?” Corrine asked Dido quietly. “You know.. The whole witches riding on brooms situation? Sounds like something fresh out of Halloween.” Honestly, the girl didn’t know to what extent other countries celebrated Halloween; she just knew that it was quite popular in America, for example. The only reason she brought the holiday up is due to her grandmother’s fondness for it. It helped that her grandmother had quite a sweet tooth, even compared to Corrine, who’s literally a child. In short, they celebrated Halloween back home. Just for the sake of candy.
Before Dido could reply, Corrine decided to speak again, perking up. “Then again, I don’t really know where that stereotype came from. Who knows, maybe it really originated from the Wizarding World. I might look into it.” She mumbled the last part, sheepish. So far, look into Newt Scamander.. And anything regarding muggle stereotypes of wizards? Considering Hogwarts is a boarding school, surely they have a library right?
By now, the two girls had reached the counter. Since Dido had been ahead of her, she went to pay first, which didn’t take too long.
Honestly, Corrine wished it took a bit longer, as now it was her turn. Anxiously, she walked forward trying to reach for her coin pouch only to drop it. Curses! She thought, utterly humiliated even as she bent down to frantically pick up whatever money had fallen out of the coin pouch. What made matters worse was that, even after having successfully picked up every coin, she then struggled to pick out what coins she needed to pay due to her shaking hands. By the end of the interaction, Corrine skittishly rushed away as far as possible from the cashier, mumbling a high-pitched squeak—a feeble attempt at a ‘thank you’ towards the assistant—before finally coming to a stop beside Dido, who had been watching.
Never again, she cried internally, feeling the burn in her ears. How am I gonna survive shopping for the rest of my things if I keep messing up left and right? Honestly speaking, it’s a miracle she hadn’t burst into tears again.. not that she wanted to in front of Dido, though. That’d be even more embarrassing.
In hopes that Dido wouldn’t mention the utter embarrassment she’d just experienced, Corrine shakily decided to respond without thinking. “I don’t really know about that, she’s not really in my life.” I also don’t know if I’d call her my mother either, she winced, but decided not to vocalize that portion. It’s not hard to realize that her mentioning this instead of laughing along will likely make Dido feel bad, so in an attempt to reassure her, Corrine added sheepishly, “But Father will be happy. And so will Pops and Nana.”
She could only hope she didn’t mess that up even worse.
"In every life, through every door. . . I hope to meet y0u again."
Buying Books
 |
ANGEL DAYES
|
|
Reducio
dialogue: deep pink and bold
character: Angel Dayes
date: 19/4/26
word count:227
dialogue: deep pink and bold
character: Angel Dayes
date: 19/4/26
word count:227
August 29 2025 backdated
There was a thing how books tell stories, it felt like poems, with rhymes and interesting characters, she can say the same thing with people, they have interesting personalities and character that defines them. The way they dress to the way they speak and their demeanor as a whole. It can really tell a lot about a person.
Walking over to the shelves she noticed a few books she needed, for herself at Hogwarts, as they were essentials. From the whispers of people reading to a few conversations going on all at once, sometimes there are some places where noise should not be put, libraries were one of them. Pausing her search, Angel pondered what her future or if anything what would it look like in her life at Hogwarts soon. Never had she even considered the severity of the change in her life, all she knew was the countryside and barely knew parts of herself.
How can she expect herself to survive in a new environment completely out of her elements? That was for her future self to know and for her in the present to find out. Shaking her head she gave herself a laugh, overthinking again she won't fail and she won't make a fool of herself if she just be smart and witty she can certainly make her life a whole lot easier.
| Angelace ©
Sta: 8 | Eva: 6 | Stre: 5 | Wis: 7 | Arc: 3 | Acc: 1