#06* Eliana frowns, sitting straight again. "But I've never been good at fitting in anywhere." #06* @Luke pulls a knee up to his chest and rests his chin on it, but then he looks up to smile reassuringly at Eliana. "Well, then, what are you good at? What do you like best? That's important, too." #06* Eliana blinks. "I like reading, a lot. Science is my favorite subject. I also like listening to music, and being by myself, and..." She pauses a moment, then says, "Uncle Nerius said I'd fit into Slytherin best." #06* @Luke frowns a little unhappily, thinking. "You Uncle Nerius never went to Hogwarts, though, did he? You sound like a Ravenclaw to me. They like reading, and learning." <@Luke> And, um...part of Slytherin is about fitting in. Though if you're ambitious, too... #06* Eliana glances out the window. "I don't know... he says I think like a Slytherin. And almost everyone from his family ended up in Slytherin, so I guess he'd know." <@Luke> Hmm. #06* @Luke laughs a little self-consciously. "I don't know what Slytherins think like, no one in my family has been one." #01 Yeah? #06* @Luke shakes his head. "Yeah. My parents were both Hufflepuffs, and Matthew's one. Mark's in Gryffindor. They say I might be in Ravenclaw..." #01 Then you must be really smart! #06* @Luke smiles a little and blushes a little more. "Pretty smart, I guess. And I like learning things." #06* Eliana smiles. "Me too. Maybe we'll end up in the same house." <@Luke> Yeah. It'd be nice to already know someone. <@Luke> I mean, I know Matthew and Mark, but... #01 They're not first year. #01 But we can still... I mean. #06* Eliana tries again: "Even if we don't end up in the same house, we can still... be friends?" That last part's a little hesitant. #06* @Luke grins at her. "Yeah! And we'll definitely have classes together." #01 No matter what, really? #06* @Luke blinks at her. "Really. Why wouldn't we be? I mean...you seem nice, and um...if you hated me I don't guess you'd still be talking to me..." #01 Duh. But I mean, I never really had a friend before. My age and human, anyway. #06* Eliana ends up looking out the window again as she says that. #06* @Luke blinks. "...human? I thought...none of the other magical creatures were supposed to let muggles see them. Who was your friend?" #06* @Luke mutters to himself, "I mean, I guess you're not really a muggle, but before..." #06* Eliana looks briefly confused at the whole 'magical creatures' thing, but then Luke asks and she fidgets a little before pulling a fold of her cloak away, revealing a brown, spotted, crested toad. She holds him up with both of her hands. "This is Wort. My uncle got him for me a few years ago." She meets Luke's eyes, a little challengingly. #06* @Luke grins in apparently genuine delight. "Oh! He's really awesome! Can I hold him?" #06* Eliana blinks, then she smiles. "Sure!" She leans over to give Wort to Luke. #06* @Luke takes him very carefully and holds him up to his face, practically nose- to-nose. "Hi, Wort!" He strokes the toad's crest briefly, then hands him back to Eliana. #01 [Wort croaks at Luke, and when Eliana takes him back, he hops off of her hands onto her lap.] #06* Eliana strokes the top of her toad's head. #06* @Luke gestures towards the barn owl in the cage, which has been watching them sleepily. "This's Alannah. My parents got her for me. You want to pet her?" #06* Eliana shakes her head quickly. "Oh, um... no. Thanks. I'm not really good with animals." Says the girl with the toad on her lap. "She's... she's really pretty, though." #06* @Luke smiles. "Ah, that's okay. I probably shouldn't wake her, anyway. And, um, thanks. I think she's pretty, too." #06* Eliana nods, then asks, suddenly, "What's wrong with Slytherin?" #06* @Luke bites his lip. "Um, well...they fit in with each other, but, uh...not always with the rest of the school. And...um...they're kind of one of the houses that bullies come out of a lot. And - " He looks down and mutters very quickly, " - dark lords." #06* Eliana folds her hands on her knees and leans forward, interested. "Dark lords? Like- but he can *fly*, right?" #06* @Luke pulls back a little, eyes widening. "Well, yeah, but - no one knows how he did it, it might've been something really awful...he killed loads of people...and...and hurt them, and stuff..." He trails off, getting quieter and quieter towards the end. #01 But that doesn't mean they're all evil, does it? What about ambition to do good things? Or help people? And- #06* Eliana cuts off, thinking. #01 I mean, I don't really have a lot of ambition to do either of those things, but that's got to count, right? #06* @Luke shakes his head. "No, they're not. That's why I didn't say any of that stuff before, um, it's not really fair for people to - yeah, of course!" #06* Eliana sounds like she's thinking out loud now: "Also, if you get shoved around a lot, it makes sense if you want to shove back. Or if power's the only thing people understand, it'd make sense that you want it." <@Luke> But power's *not* the only thing people understand! #01 It's an if statement! If this, then that. <@Luke> But then it's not - #06* @Luke stops, confused. #06* Eliana blinks at Luke. #01 What? #06* @Luke sighs and shakes his head. "Never mind, I was wrong." He looks up at Eliana and smiles faintly. "Maybe you'll be in Slytherin, then, like your uncle said. I mean, he knows you way better than I do, I've only been talking to you for a little while." #06* Eliana shrugs. "I don't know." #01 I don't care, really. I mean, it'd be nice to be in a house with you, but it sounds like we can't really control it. And no matter where I go, I'm taking the same classes, right? #06* @Luke nods. "Yeah, and we'll have some of them together. It's always two houses in each class." #06* Eliana nods. Then looks down to see that Wort ended up on her open book, and she picks him up to move him next to her. #06* @Luke looks down at the toad, and hence the book. "So, um, what're you reading?" #01 One of the textbooks I got for Hogwarts. Magical Drafts and Potions. It's... almost but nothing like Chemistry at all. #06* @Luke blinks. "What's chemistry?" #06* Eliana blinks at Luke like he grew a second head. "What?" #06* @Luke recoils a little. "Um...chemistry? Is it a muggle school class?" #01 ... Yeah? I mean, it's a branch of science, the study of chemical reactions, and matter - like atoms and molecules - and stuff. We did some chemistry experiments in science, and when I'm older I'm gonna take classes just on chemistry. #06* Eliana glances at her book. "At least, I was anyway." #06* @Luke is totally lost. He's trying not to show it, and totally failing. "Oh. Um, okay. But...I guess you could still learn about it anyway, in the summers? When you go home?" #06* Eliana smiles, brightening up instantly. "Yeah! And maybe I can get some books on it and take them to Hogwarts with me!" #01 I don't know how I'd do the labs, but... <@Luke> Um, well, what do you need for them? Because if it's sort of like potions, maybe you can use the same stuff...? #06* @Luke grins. "And if you bring books, I can learn about it too, and we can do them together!" #01 Maybe... and yeah, that'd be awesome! #01 [Right about now, there's a knock on the door, and it slides open. A portly lady pushing a cart laden with sandwiches, sweets, and bottled drinks is on the other side. "Food cart!" she calls.] #01 [She pokes her head in. "Would you like some candy or a sandwich, dears?"] #06* @Luke's eyes light up. Despite how small he is, he's still a growing kid, and he's definitely hungry. "Hey, yeah! Are you hungry, Eliana?" <@Luke> ...bet muggle candy is different from ours. Y'wanna try some? #06* Eliana perks a bit at the mention of magical candy. "Sure. Does it cost money?" <@Luke> Yeah, but not too much. I have some, we can share! #01 Well, I have a little... hang on... <@Luke> What kind do you like? Um, they have chocolate frogs, and every-flavor beans, and... #06* @Luke lists stuff. #06* Eliana fishes in her pocket and pulls out a couple of silver coins, handing them to Luke. "Dark chocolate frogs?" she asks. She likes frogs and chocolate, why not both! #06* @Luke grins at her. "Sure!" He fishes out some of his own money, then turns back to the food cart lady. "Can we have some dark chocolate frogs, toffee, and, um, a couple sandwiches, please?" He counts out the right amount of money and hands it over, carefully returning Eliana her change. #01 ["Absolutely!" The lady exchanges money for two sandwiches wrapped in brown paper, with their crusts cut off, a couple of chocolate frogs, and a small bag of toffee. "You kids enjoy, okay?"] #06* @Luke nods enthusiastically. "Thank you!" He hands Eliana one of the sandwiches and the chocolate frogs. <@Luke> Here! #06* Eliana smiles. "Thanks!" The door slides closed, and Eliana immediately opens the chocolate frog package, because well - a sandwich is just a sandwich, and there are no grown ups to tell her not to eat the candy first. #06* @Luke opens up his sandwich first, partly because he's a good boy and dessert comes second, and partly because he's hungry! He watches Eliana open her chocolate frog package with both curiosity and pleasure. #06* Eliana moves to pick up the frog, but it hops out of her hand. "Wha-" she starts, then tries to grab it, and the frog ribbits and springs away again, this time sticking to the window. #01 It's alive! Luke! #06* @Luke laughs and slaps a hand over it. He's got a lot more experience catching these things. "Nah, it's not, it's just enchanted. Careful, or they'll get away." He hands it back to her with a grin. #06* Eliana takes the frog carefully with one hand over the other, and looks at it through a little hole that she makes between them. "Will... will it melt?" #01 Can I learn how to enchant chocolate? #06* @Luke grins. "Nah, it won't melt. And sure, you can learn to do it if you like." He stops to think for a moment. "Not sure how they do it, if it's a charm or what..." #01 We can ask the teachers when we get there! #06* @Luke nods enthusiastically. #06* Eliana lifts one hand slightly, and the frog tenses before she claps it back down. It ribbits from between her hands. #06* @Luke giggles. "My mom would tell you not to play with your food." #01 Then they shouldn't have made it so *easy* to play with. I'd tell your mom she's being silly. #06* @Luke laughs louder. #06* Eliana lifts her hand again and holds the frog with the one on the bottom, bringing it up to look it in the eyes. "I'm sorry," she tells the frog seriously, "but you're not actually alive, and you should fill your functional purpose." #06* Eliana bites the head off the frog. She chews. "It's really good chocolate, too." #06* @Luke nods. "Yup! Oh, they have little cards, with famous wizards - who'd you get?" #01 Huh? Oh, hang on... #06* Eliana closes her book with the other hand, setting it next to her - her toad hops onto it and croaks. "Wort..." she says in a warning tone, but she doesn't move to push him off. Instead, she picks up the candy packaging as she takes another bite of chocolate frog. "Mmmm, oh." She slides the card out with one hand. #01 Oh, wow, there's like a little LCD screen in here! Um... looks like I got... Merlin? Medieval, dates unknown. Most famous wizard of all time. Sometimes known as the Prince of Enchanters. Part of the Court of King Arthur. #06* @Luke blinks. "LCD?" #01 Liquid crystal display. What they use for flatscreens - well, that or plasma really... this is cool! It must be magic, there's no way you could fit one on a card this narrow. <@Luke> Um...I guess? All pictures are like that. #06* Eliana looks up at Luke, eyes wide. "Really?" #01 I want to learn how to do that! #06* @Luke blinks, then smiles. "Well, you can do that, too. You're gonna be really busy though, with all the stuff you want to learn." #01 That's okay, I like learning. And I don't mind being busy. I bet I'm *really* behind almost everyone else, if they just grew up around all of this stuff. #06* Eliana polishes off the rest of the frog, then goes about unwrapping part of her sandwich. #06* @Luke considers. "Maybe a little, but you're smart. You'll catch up fast. I don't remember people ever saying muggle-borns have a really hard time. Well, except the people who still think blood purity matters..." #01 Blood purity? <@Luke> Um. If your parents were witches and wizards, and their parents... #06* @Luke mutters. "Some people think muggle-borns aren't as good as other witches and wizards. They call them really nasty names..." #06* Eliana frowns. "Muggle already sounds kind of nasty, honestly." <@Luke> Oh? But...it's just a word. #06* @Luke ducks his head and mutters more. "There's worse..." #01 Any word is just a word. But I don't like that word. It's so *cute*, you know? Oh, look at those muggles, when you call something a muggle, how are you going to take it seriously? It's like... huggle. Or something. And- wait, what's worse? #06* @Luke flushes. "Oh, um, just..." He goes almost inaudible. "...I can't say it, it's bad." #06* Eliana 's eyes go wide. "Oh." #01 Well... could you point it out to me if someone *does* say it? <@Luke> Um. Yeah. I guess. #06* @Luke looks at his knees. "...someone'll probably say it to you...eventually...'specially if you go to Slytherin..." #06* Eliana narrows her eyes slightly. "Okay." #06* @Luke looks up at her. "Because, I mean, it's a bad name for people who're muggle-born, like you. So, um..." #01 So it's an easy thing to pick up on. Yeah, I get it. #06* @Luke says hesitantly, "You'll be okay. It's harder to tell now you're wearing robes and all, and anyway most people think it's stupid now anyway." #06* Eliana nods. "Not looking forward to the rest of the school uniform, though." #01 The robes are bad enough, but they want me to wear a skirt! Maybe I'll wear jeans instead. <@Luke> Oh, don't! You'll get in trouble. I mean, not a lot, but still...and if you keep doing it, you'll get in more. <@Luke> Anyway, no one can see it under the robes, so it shouldn't matter too much, right? #01 But it does matter! I *hate* skirts! #06* @Luke is taken aback. "Oh, um...would it make it better if you wore shorts under it, or something?" #06* Eliana frowns. "Maybe." She takes a bite of her sandwich and chews, then swallows. "At my old school, I was supposed to wear a skirt and I wore the boys' uniform instead. They let me." <@Luke> Oh. Well then, maybe you can talk to your Head of House or the Headmistress, and they'll let you do that here, too. #06* Eliana nods. "Yeah, I'll do that." Mmm, more sandwich. #06* @Luke has finished his sandwich by now, and pops a toffee in his mouth. #06* Eliana asks something, but it's all garbled due to sandwich. She swallows. "Is it good?" #06* @Luke nods, crunching. "Toffee's my favorite." #01 I like how it tastes, but not how it sticks in your teeth. #06* @Luke grins. Crunch crunch. " 'S worth it." #06* Eliana nods, finishing off her sandwich and brushing crumbs off. She tosses the paper in the bin and picks up her book again - Wort gives an alarmed croak and hops down to the floor. #01 [And Eliana went back to reading. Session End!]