Those of Wit and Learning PV Senna Closed

The library trips had quickly become an integral part of Senna's schedule at Hogwarts by the fall of her first year. It was by far the most quiet spot in the castle, and therefore the most ideal one to do only her most important studying... which was, in fact, all of her studying. She had realized almost immediately that her dormitory certainly wouldn't do, for studying was to be done in silence, and that wasn't going to happen when you shared a room with four other girls... The Great Hall was too distracting. The smell of food, even at the Hall's least busy hours, was constant. She couldn't possibly focus when her stomach growled.

So the library it was, and it was perfect. From Senna's corner table, she almost felt completely alone most days, especially in the earliest hours of the morning before sunrise. And oh, how beautiful the sunrise was to watch outside the small window by her little table as she sipped on her breakfast tea.

She had already finished all of her required readings (as well as the supplementals), but it simply wasn't enough for her. The Muggle world she was raised in for 11 years lacked whimsy and wonder, which the Wizarding world was full of. Magic was something she'd only read about in her childhood storybooks, and to find out it really existed in what seemed like an alternate reality this entire time completely blew her away. She needed to learn everything she could about it for she was the only one in her family with this gift, and that was reason enough to pursue every bit of magical knowledge she possibly could.

But, there was that Restricted section.

That glaring sign, staring just a few meters away from her little corner table, RESTRICTED. It was like a punch in the gut. To many, it didn't have the same effect, but to Senna, it kept her up at night. What sort of forbidden words could possibly lie on the pages of those books? Would she ever know their secrets, or simply just catch even a glimpse of their titles? That bold little sign taunted her curiosity every time she caught a glimpse of it. But she knew better than to push the boundaries, when the risk would be much greater than the reward... But how could she possibly know?

But today, her unstoppably curious mind had taken the reigns, and she immediately snapped back to reality when a harsh whisper and shoulder tap from directly behind her alerted her back to her senses.

"Oi! What are you doing? You can't go there!" Senna, like a deer in headlights, spun to face the stern blue-green eyes that were glaring back at her. Young, blonde, and visibly authoritative, Senna glanced at the girl's green robes, and gasped at the shiny Prefect badge she sported. This girl looked not much older than herself, what an honor to be a Prefect.

Wait, she was... in trouble with a Prefect.

Suddenly aware of her current circumstances, her pale-blue eyes watered with worry. What would happen? Detention? Negative house points? Will I have to see the Headmaster? She heard the Slytherin girl murmur something inaudible under her breath, and Senna's heart raced at an even more rapid pace. What was going on, what was she doing? Is she hexing me!?

Just when she thought she might faint, the Slytherin Prefect spoke once again, but with a much softer expression this time. "You could get into a lot of trouble for venturing that way, mon ami. I would advise saving yourself from a detention." Senna nodded quickly, wiping the moistness from her eyes... She almost felt as if a massive weight had just been lifted off her chest. What a relief...

"Thank you... I truly didn't mean to get so close, Senna gave her a small smile, then, with eyebrows raised, "I just always wonder what could possibly be in those books... I truly want to learn absolutely everything about magic, but so much of it just feels so out of reach--"

She quickly stopped herself. Why was she telling this girl all of this? She was positive the Prefect wasn't the least bit interested. She had better things to worry about than first years making dopey mistakes. So why bother? "Ah, I'm sorry..." Her voice trailed off, returning back to its usual timid state. Placing one foot in front of the other, she performed an unusually sloppy curtsy, and rushed past the Slytherin girl, back to her corner to scoop up her things shakily.

Baffled, Alexx stared blankly at the girl. She seemed sweet, and even with good intentions, though Alexx could not understand why anyone would want to just wander into the restricted section. The titled heeded warning to all those who dare stepped to close, and it never dawned on the Slytherin Prefect that someone would actually, knowingly and willingly at that, waltz into the area in the middle of the daytime. It just didn't seem logical in any sense, and Alexx half expected for a Ravenclaw to agree with her. But the girl was young, and extremely green, so she wasn't about to argue with her about the differences between right and wrong. She would save that challenge of common sense for another victim, someone who she deemed more worth it.

Heaving out a small sigh, Alexx's head dropped, faking a laugh. She really had never met someone who had challenged the system the way that this girl was. Then again, Alexx was new to this prefect business, so perhaps she would stumble upon more of this girl's type. It was only a matter of time until she did, after all. But the first year seemed alright, and so the blonde girl suspected that this was not the worst to come. Handing out detentions when she was on her patrols was no problem, and this issue could be quickly swept under the rug and forgotten in a matter of moments as long as the Ravenclaw kept compliant.

Compliant she was, too, because her voice gave a sincere answer, and a smile painted itself on her face. Alexx found it in her to be forgiving, because the girl did seem sweet. Being able to tell that she meant it when she apologized, the tension in Alexx's shoulders released, and she softly smiled back at her. She hoped she hadn't scared her, but she took this job rather seriously. It was better to play it safe, and that meant making sure that innocent and unknowing first years stayed out of trouble.

Shaking her head again, and continuing to smile at her, Alexx replied with, "It's alright, mon ami. But I do have to warn you, some Prefects might be less forgiving than I. If you are caught this way again, your fate might not be as easy. Though, I suspect that you truly did not know, so you are in no trouble with me." The look that was on the girls face made Alexx feel rather bad for her, as she seemed frightened. It wasn't as if Alexx were going to drag her by the ear and present her to Professor Lear for lunch; she recognized that this was rather a misunderstanding. Something that could be avoided in the future.

Slytherin was not known to harbor nice people; at least that's what the stereotypes said. Alexx could be viewed as harsh and unforgiving if you glanced at her the wrong way, but deep down, she was really a softy. Some of the other Prefects looked rather fierce (Bellamy in particular having scared her for quite some time), and she was sure that she was no exception to this. Whether it was the look on her face or the little badge on her robes that read the word 'PREFECT', she didn't know. But there were crueler punishments to suffer. She had heard of people cleaning the owlery, or rumors that Professor Griffith would hand you a shovel and make you start cleaning up after the creatures. Though, admittedly, she didn't follow rumors very often, because Professor Griffith didn't seem like the type. She hoped she was right, too, because that job seemed rather dreadful.

Sticking out her hand to shake, Alexx offered the girl yet another smile. "Alexx Helm, Prefect of Slytherin." She informed her. "Are you enjoying Hogwarts so far? Everything must seem very new to you."

Fondly, she remembered the days of her first year. Though she kept to herself and didn't enjoy the company of others at the time, the times have changed and so has she. Over the summer, before she left the summer camp, she met wonderful people, all of which she enjoyed immensely. She silently wondered what it was that December Hale was up to these days. Having left the camp rather suddenly, telling Professor Wright that she was off to have her own adventures back in France for a while, she organized a sleepover with a group of girls and had the best time of her life. Many of them she wished to reconnect with, specifically Rhea, considering that the Bishop girl was a lot more understanding than some others. Yes, Alexx had made a lot of friends, and that changed her life. She hoped that every sincere first year who came into Hogwarts with their eyes glistening with hope of adventures could meet the same welcoming fate that she had.

Emerging oneself into a group of total strangers was not an easy business. It was much like throwing yourself into a tank of predators and trying to figure out which ones would eat you and which ones would not. Alexx didn't like that very much, because she found that some truly did bite. But she had friends to back her up, which she suspected might be what this girl needed. With a Prefect on your side, you can't really go wrong. Though, Alexx was human too, and people did drag her down from time to time, she wouldn't let any good kid take the same beatings that she took as a first year. She didn't fondly remember the fight with Aurelia, even though she considered it a win on her part. It still defined her, and she didn't like that. This kid needed good friends, and she was already wishing the best for her. Sure, she was naive, but so were a lot of first years.

Extending her arm, Alexx offered her the direction in which the seats were placed. It was probably better if the two left the area in which might be slightly incriminating. She didn't want anyone to get the wrong impression about their intentions. "I assure you, the library is filled with books that hold fascinating subjects. You don't need restricted ones to inform you of the wonders of the universe. We live in a world of magic, so there is much more to explore before you get down to the dirty stuff." She informed her, nodding her head. "I was curious as well, but I think you will find things are much more fascinating after you grasp the basics. Though, I suppose if you're interested in all of that, you might find yourself enjoying History of Magic and Charms."

Astronomy was Alexx's forte, along with Flying and Charms. There were classes that she rather didn't care for, such as Herbology, which taxed her mentally. She was rather good at most everything, but then when you put her around a plant, it seemed as though it was sure to die. None of it made much sense to her, because she didn't understand how she could be good at everything else, yet she somehow managed to screw up something that looked so simple. It was a laughable issue, actually. How she could understand and grasp the concepts of things such as the stars or the history of telescopes, but heaven forbid she looked too closely in the direction of a Mandrake.

"It's alright, mon ami. But I do have to warn you, some Prefects might be less forgiving than I. If you are caught this way again, your fate might not be as easy. Though, I suspect that you truly did not know, so you are in no trouble with me."

Senna immediately noticed the change in the Prefect's tone with these words, and she let out a small but audible sigh. There was something about this girl that she admired so much already, a trait she desired to possess. Was it her authority, the powerful presence she seemed to emit? Whatever it was, Senna yearned to find a way to it. The buzzing of thoughts in her head dispersed and she focused back to reality as the now smiling blonde held out a hand to introduce herself.

"Alexx Helm, Prefect of Slytherin. Are you enjoying Hogwarts so far? Everything must seem very new to you." The question caught Senna off guard. She still wasn't used to socialization, even further into the fall after meeting Millie and Ruby. There was something about Alexx that drew her in, though, so she found it in her to respond with as much confidence as she could muster.

"Well," Senna thought over all that'd happened this fall so far, "Its been surprisingly... uneventful. I've really been pushing myself with my studies, lately, and the things I have been learning have really been unbelievable... She stopped herself again, her words trailing off.

Senna, for a girl who adored learning and dreamt of being a professor at University in her future, was horrid at socialization. Although she was still only 11, her passion for learning went beyond her years. She found it a blessing and a curse to be so introverted. While she could acquire massive amounts of knowledge perfectly well on her own with maximum efficiency, she struggled with the interpersonal skills she needed in order to share her newfound knowledge.

She could, however, talk and laugh for hours on end with her mother over a cup of tangerine tea and whatever they had been studying. Her mother had been, for Senna's 11 years in the Muggle world, her closest friend. She'd written her a few times this year, thoroughly detailing all of the new knowledge she'd acquired each day from personal study to her classes. She knew her mother was still quite skeptical of the Wizarding world, similarly to her at the start, but that didn't stop her eagerness to share everything she learned with someone who she knew would listen. The problem was, Senna hadn't heard a word back from her mother since her first day at Hogwarts. Of course, she still wrote the lengthy, detailed letters, but after a month with no reply, she decided to begin keeping the letters to herself instead of sending them out. These letters were filled with her thoughts that she avoided sharing with literally anyone, because she didn't feel that anyone but her mother would possibly understand them.

The cloudy thoughts resurfaced in her head, filling it with grey. She suddenly felt the same sense of discomfort she had when she'd first been approached by Millie in the library her first week, that speaking what was on her mind for even a little was already revealing far too much. Alexx's voice caused Senna to briefly push the hazy feeling to the back of her mind.

"I assure you, the library is filled with books that hold fascinating subjects. You don't need restricted ones to inform you of the wonders of the universe. We live in a world of magic, so there is much more to explore before you get down to the dirty stuff," she informed her with a nod with a smile, "I was curious as well, but I think you will find things are much more fascinating after you grasp the basics. Though, I suppose if you're interested in all of that, you might find yourself enjoying History of Magic and Charms."

Senna waited a brief moment in thought, then realized how well the Slytherin Prefect managed to read her. Her two most enjoyable subjects to study were both History of Magic and Charms, as well as one unmentioned by Alexx: Herbology. Senna smiled wider than usual at this, tilting her head while gazing down at her shoes, "Wow... That's incredible, you barely know me yet you guessed two out of three of my favorite subjects with ease." Looking back up at the Prefect, she grinned with a strange burst of confidence and took a shot in the dark, "I take you to be the type of student to favor Astronomy."

There was something about this entire situation that felt so wrong and so right at the same time. The relieved feeling in her heart after she'd finally begun to verbalize her thoughts flirted with a strange fear of getting too attached.

Chuckling, Alexx nodded her head. How had she guessed? Well, she hadn't met many first years that intrigued her, or perhaps she was looking for people she met in her first year. There was always Elijah Huang, Finley McGill, or Taylor Earls to name a few; those three she didn't mind, and actually suspected that they would come about in the same way that many of her friends did. Perhaps the reason she didn't find many of them interesting was just the sole fact that they were first years. If they were in her own year, she was sure that she would be more drawn in by the many personalities that she saw.

"Sometimes, it can be better that way." She suddenly retorted, shaking her head as she remembered her own catastrophes. "But I suspect things will look up in only a matter of time. They usually do. You've got to find your own adventure if that's what you seek. But I suppose studies are another way to go about it. There's a lot to learn here, and not enough time to learn it all. That's probably why you're a Ravenclaw." Alexx wasn't usually one for stereotyping individuals, especially not based on their house, but she couldn't deny that many Ravenclaws fell into their house type perfectly. As a matter of fact, Celynne and Emma, both who showed up to her sleepover, seemed to fit it like a glove.

Humming, she nodded, smiling at the girl. "Smart. I suppose I do give off those vibes. I admit the nighttime classes are my favorite. Professor Barclay scared me at first, however. But it got better with time." She stated, half laughing at the end. "You were an easy guess. I seem to always believe that Ravenclaws typically flock to those classes, but I suppose I can't really blame them. They are rather intriguing." It wasn't so much profiling if the whole school seemed to be in love with it. Professor Seaborne made it easy to like Charms, and Professor Risa made History of Magic seem fun. There was just something about the way they played out their lessons that made it so much better than anything that she would have ever hoped for.

Stopping, she turned back to the girl and paused. "I never got your name, kid." She reminded her, cocking her head to the side. The Ravenclaw seemed almost socially withdrawn, or at least like she never went outside and played with the neighborhood kids. Silently, Alexx wondered what her deal was. Was she a secluded Pureblood, or perhaps an only child of a rich family? Or was she just anti-social as a whole? Alexx couldn't pinpoint it, but it was something that tugged at her a bit. It wasn't annoying, because Alexx almost understood it. She didn't learn communication skills until she became a Prefect, and even then it was sometimes challenging. She felt bad for some of her friends because she appeared quiet and withdrawn when they first met her. Though, luckily, some of them were just fine with doing to talking, and so she didn't feel so bad after.

Perhaps it was just that this entire thing as all too new to the Ravenclaw girl, and she was awestruck with her new life. Alexx couldn't blame her there. It seemed as though that's just how it was. She was awestruck, too. Alexx recalled being the kid that was caught reading comic books and wearing a green trench coat when she could because that was just out much she stuck out. Alexx fiercely attempted to be different, because even for someone who had a hard time communicating, she didn't want to follow the crowd. Perhaps that was what made her so appealing. Though, she couldn't really say that, because she only started making friends this year. And this year was when she finally seemed to fit in. Perhaps that wasn't it, then...

"Alright, kid. What fascinates you the most so far. What are you curious about? I'm sure I've got a story for it if you're up for listening." Alexx appeared wise, likely because she had been at the school for just a year more. If she were to tell the truth, she was once in this girl's shoes, wide-eyed at all the fascinating things in this world. Even that was far-fetched because Alexx was a pureblood. Despite this, she was rather new to everything when she got her acceptance letter. Living life the way she did made it hard to really grasp the concept of the world she lived in. It wasn't so much her parents shielding her from their past, but more that she wanted nothing to do with their point of origin for a long time.

Of course, there was nothing wrong with this, and it was perfectly reasonable in her situation. But none of this answered her original question: who was this girl? Naturally, Alexx didn't know everyone, nor did she care to. But now that she was here, it was just easier to take the information and run with it. She had some time to kill with nowhere in particular to be, so why not do sort of a history project? Making a friend should, considerably, be more about the person, but Alexx found that often times, your history could easily define you. There was no point running from it because it always found a way to catch up. So it left many open-ended and unanswered questions, which she was musing right about now. No one could blame her, because the Ravenclaw was fascinating. She had opinions and was honest and open about them. Many people Alexx's age learned the harmful art of shutting down natural opinions and falling in line. But this girl? She told Alexx the truth. She wanted to learn. If it wouldn't have gotten Alexx in trouble, she might have considered turning a blind eye to the Ravenclaw's intentions, but that would get her fired for sure. After Tex's encouragement, which was the only approval she seemed to be looking for, she wasn't going to let anyone down. Especially not him.

"I never got your name, kid." Analytical eyes and a cocked head bore into her, a sight that Senna was able to recognize well from personal experience. Figuring people out from simple observation was one of her biggest strong suits. But, Alexx was right, she hadn't even given her name-- how rude of her. She shook her head and squinted her eyes, raising a hand to her head. "Ah, my apologies... It's Senna. Senna Lynne Southwind."

Introducing herself with her full name was something Senna had been taught to do since the time she was able to speak it. She was Senna Lynne Southwind, of Southwind Estate. She decided to cut out the "Southwind Estate" part when she arrived to Hogwarts, though, because there was no reason that any wizards would need to know she belonged to such a wealthy family as the Southwinds. Hopefully, they had no idea who the Southwinds even were, because they were in fact just Muggles. Very, very wealthy Muggles.

There was something that scared her about her family's wealth: the constant worry that nobody would genuinely want to get to know her, that they just wanted a peek into the life of the Southwind family, a step into the Southwind Estate, or any part of the Southwind fortune that they could snag on their way out. Her parents heeded warning of these possibilities since Senna was young, since the first day she gazed out of her bedroom window as the neighborhood's kids lined up at the end of the pavement awaiting the school bus. Why can't I go with them, she remembered asking her mother with sad eyes, as her father sat in an armchair in the back, head in his hands.

My little flower, her mother smiled at her with that sweet smile that lit up her beautiful blue eyes, you don't need to go with those children, because you have us, right here. We're your best friends. She stroked Senna's pale cheek, wiping a tear away. And she believed them. She believed them and she grew more fearful of outsiders as she grew older. When she was eight her mother told her that all the neighborhood kids did was run around and waste time getting dirty, that Senna didn't want to do that. She wanted to stay inside with a good book and a cup of tea, preparing herself to do something that would matter in the world. That's what she wanted to do.

Wasn't it...?

Senna's thoughts dispersed as Alexx spoke up once more. "Alright, kid. What fascinates you the most so far. What are you curious about? I'm sure I've got a story for it if you're up for listening." Grateful for the sudden subject change, Senna pursed her lips in thought. So many things about the Wizarding world fascinated her, as it would any ordinary Muggle. The curious creatures, the fascinating witches and wizards, the fact that nearly everything could be enchanted...!

Shaking her head once more, she thought of something she had been thinking about for a long time, and she was sure it wasn't the stereotypical Ravenclaw response Alexx was thinking she'd say.

"Have you ever... been in a duel? Or seen a duel?" Senna's eyes glinted and seemed to harbor a a strange sense of excitement. "I would love to duel someday, or at least watch one." Alexx's analytical expression immediately shifted, as Senna continued to gaze at her with interest. She hadn't even been there but a fraction of the time Alexx had, which meant Alexx had experienced more, met more people, seen more fascinating things, and Senna wanted to hear about all of it. Nearly bouncing with excitement, she listened closely to the Slytherin Prefect.

Something about learning from the witches and wizards at Hogwarts felt so much better than learning back at her Estate. Sure, she was very knowledgable when it came to her Muggle studies thanks to her parents. She always gave them credit when it came to her schooling. However, it simply felt so strange to suddenly play a part in this world she knew nothing about. Although her part was minor, she still had one, which was already more than her parents had ever had, and she was so grateful.

Eloquence was something that Alexx valued, and it was something that she believed Senna possessed. The full name introduction was far better than what many of her peers might have managed. It would take Senna a long way, simply because of how formal it was. So Alexx smiled, nodding. She believed that she had made the right decision by engaging this inquisitive first year in a conversation because there was a lot of ground to cover. The depth in which Senna's personality seemed to be was drawing the Prefect in more and more by the second.

As a matter of fact, Alexx herself often didn't bother with the full name introductions. No one wanted to hear her say 'Alexxandria Ramona Orane Séverin-Helm' every single time she introduced herself. It was easier just to skip to what someone could remember. Though from the letters Mickaël had been sending recently, it seemed as though 'Helm' would no longer be a burden that she would carry. She was thankful for this because it took a weight off of her shoulders.

Being the daughter of ex-deatheaters, Alexx carried many burdens. Money was one of them, and she knew that if this name of hers disappeared from her life, so did that money. Raoul was not a forgiving man, and he was willing to drop Vivienne at any given moment. Her parents did not love each other. She knew that, and she always had. But their lives, which had been nothing but mishaps and scarce retreats, would flip upside down once more. Only, for good this time. She had weighed her options, however, and she could bear whatever came next, as long as it involved getting that one foot out of the grave.

France could soon become her fulltime home, and she could go back to living in the Séverin manor, just as she wanted. It was a little ways away from where the Helm manor resided in South-Central France, but it was just as beautiful. Strasbourg had little on Chavaniac as far as the memories went, but Alexx wouldn't deny herself the chance at a better life regardless.

Strasbourg is the capital and largest city in the Grand Est region of France, so very naturally, it was home to many wealthy families. It's on the eastern border between France and Germany, and it is also where her mother, Vivienne, was born. Though Alexx had seen it only a number of times, she was sure that there was a home for her there.

Regardless of her French origins, Alexx was no stranger to culture. She had a remarkable felicity of culture and understanding culture, which is what helped her blend in so well no matter where she went. America was another area in which she held dear to her, and she recalled fondly her days running through Long Island or the nights spent in New Orleans, both of which are places that she would fondly recognize as home. Her parents figured it was safer to allow her to camouflage herself, so wherever the crowd of street kids ran, Alexx was right there behind them all. It was a learning experience on her behalf because Alexx never felt more at home than when she looked up and saw the flashing street lights of busy cities which masked themselves as stars. Alexx knew not of the sky until she got to Hogwarts; before, it was always the neon signs of stores and bars or the flickers of the lights that told her she should have been home an hour ago.

Reality set in, and she turned back to Senna, listening in detail to her question. Had she ever seen a duel? Well, yes. And she would even admit that she had almost been in one, but she knew better now than to encounter that kind of trouble again. "Duels. Hmm... I have seen a few. I suppose that's to be expected. But dueling outside of the dueling club or in class with supervision is against the rules, so I haven't. However, I would like to join the dueling club." She mused, thinking slightly harder on it. It would be fun to join. Quidditch, too. They were on her list of things to do before she graduated.

It was reasonable for someone to be curious about duels, given that it was a popular and fascinating subject. The situations in which she had always seen them, however, ended in detention. So, naturally, she distanced herself from the activity. Though, she wouldn't mind learning the art of it, given that it was, as stated previously, fascinating. That, and Alexx found herself running short on things to do these days. There was not necessarily a shortage of things to do, but rather, there was a shortage of things that caught her attention. Being so young, her attention didn't latch onto one thing for very long. She needed things to occupy her for a while at least, otherwise, she would grow restless. It was awful because those two feelings contradicted each other greatly.

Contradictions seemed to make up Alexx entirely, as a matter of fact. She was both filled with anger and love, motivated yet not. Perhaps that was her mind preparing to be a teenager, and the indecisiveness was just setting in. She wasn't prepared for what was to come if that were the case. Fixated was not a word to describe her outside of being a Prefect. She was fixated on her job, and that was all. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because she supposed that when holding the title that she did, one should be focused and dedicated to it. In fact, Alexx was incapable of finding an actual flaw in the fact that she thoroughly enjoyed her work. However, many could say that she had changed since receiving the title.

Turning back to Senna, she then wondered if Senna was planning to duel someone. Naturally, Alexx would be around to hand that detention out, as sad as it would make her. She didn't enjoy giving detentions to people that she liked, and she quite liked Senna already. Given that, she assumed that Senna was intelligent enough to understand the differences between right and wrong here at Hogwarts. The differences in general, at that. If she really thought about it, Alexx could not come up with a single reason to see Senna on the list of those receiving a detention.