As Michael walked off, Al went to say something, but cut it off, looking to Rose for reassurance. He returned Michael's wave with more enthusiasm, and gave him a friendly smile. He took a deep breath, and turned back to Victor. He spoke quietly but with a degree of certainty. "Look, Victor, it's difficult. I mean, yeah, I s'pose we are special when you look at Muggles. But... just because we can do something that they can't doesn't mean that they aren't special either, I guess is what I mean. It's..." Al fidgeted a bit. It was as if he were trying to catch a bubble without bursting it, fumbling for a way to put what he felt into words. "It's like... racism, and sexism and stuff. Some wizards are like that with muggles. And some of them have done really bad things, which is why we're so... careful about it. And... I don't know. I mean, thinking of, like, us and them. It's not really helpful, y'know? We're all people. It's... It's not what we can do that's important, I reckon, but what we do do." Al looked around him, and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, it's just... I think it's important. But I'm sure you'll be a great wizard anyway, Victor." He smiled.
Rose winced as Al mentioned "mudbloods". She could see by Victor and Michael's face that they didn't really understand the full extent of what that word meant in the wizarding community. As Michael moved off with his books, she gave him a smile and waved. "See you at Hogwarts," she called. Rose gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile to Al, and let him continue. A big grin spread across her face as she listened to Al sum it up perfectly. "It's not what we can do that's important, I reckon, but what we do do." "Well, Al pretty much summed it up exactly." Rose agreed, "But yeah, I do get where you're coming from. Getting my Hogwarts letter was one of the best days of my life so far. Even though I've said this thousands of times already," here she gave a small smile to Al, who had had to put up with most of her incessant chatter about how excited she was, "I'm thrilled to be going. I still can't believe it's so close now."
Victor also nodded at Michael. He wanted to say some friendly goodbye, but he had the feeling it was his fault Michael was leaving in the first place.
He smiled at Rose, grateful for the slight change of subject. He could understand how the whole thing was a bit of a prejudiced point of view, but it was his opinion nonetheless. What you do may be important, but to have the ability to do it? That’s what really mattered. Still, he was done with the argument.
“It’s all happening kinda fast for me. I didn’t even know there were real wizards ‘till last month. Suddenly knowing that I am one… I feel like I’m behind everybody. I mean, hell, “ he held up the book, “ people know more about my own relatives than I do.”
Al nodded. "Yeah, it must be really weird, if you don't, y'know, know all about it. Didn't mean to bite your head off just then. It's..." Al shrugged. "Me and Rose have always grown up seeing the wizarding world as... well... normal I guess..." He flicked his hair out of his eyes and chuckled. "Not that normal's really the right word for it. But, look, if there is anything you want to know about, or whatever, me and Rose will try our our best. Right?" He turned to Rose and gave her a grin, before leaning in to Victor and speaking in a mock-whisper. "She does tend to go on a bit, but she's generally right."
Victor glanced at Rose and smiled as though he were about to giggle, but suppressed it. It's not manly after all, but he was very glad to be getting along with the people again. Immediately he wanted to ask about Knockturn Alley, but didn't want to chance getting into another tither. Flitwick had mentioned it in passing last time they were here, and Victor had become oh so curious about it and it's dark reputation, but, it would just have to wait 'till later.
"Well, Ha ha! I don't know really. I have so many questions it's hard to tell where to start." He smiled over at Erica. "Is it alright if I pet your cat?"
Rose gave Al a friendly shove. He was right of course, she tended to be very enthusiastic about things, another trait she had received from her mother, but still... Looking at the list, she grabbed a few more books off the shelf. She wandered down the bookshelves, looking for the rest of the books she needed for that year. Once she had found them all, with the exception of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (they already had a copy of that at home), she meandered back to the rest of the group.
Al gave Rose an impish grin, as she headed off looking for books. He turned back to Victor. "Yeah, well, if you do run into anything you're not sure about at school or whatever, just ask." Al chuckled. "As long as you don't mind me asking you loads of questions about muggle stuff." He paused, looking thoughtful. "Don't s'pose you've been told whether you can send muggle letters from Hogwarts, have you?"
OOC: Yay! 50th Post!sevoral_reasonsSeptember 17 2007, 00:55:01 UTC
"Oh, yeah..." Al grinned. "Owls. They carry the messages. Kind of like carrier pigeons but... owls." A look of uncertainty passed across Al's face. "Y'know, I'm not exactly sure how the owls do it. They're intelligent, I guess. And, er, probably magic involved. But yeah. Owls. I mean, I could send an owl to... to muggles, but... well, you'd think it was a bit weird, right, if an owl just turned up with a letter? And it's kind of against wizarding law to let muggles know about magic and stuff."
Re: OOC: Yay! 50th Post!v_snapeSeptember 17 2007, 02:55:40 UTC
"Oh yeah. I got an owl... I wondered what it was supposed to be for." He smiled and shook his head. "But why would you need to send a letter? Why not just phone or e-mail home? Letters are so passe and time consuming anyway. I really wouldn't bother personally."
"Well..." Rose explained, "Electrical things like phones and computers don't work at Hogwarts. So instead we write letters and send them off with owls." She paused for a second, before showing Victor the book she had pulled off the shelves as soon as she had entered Flourish and Blott's. "You can read all about it in Hogwarts, A History. In fact it would probably help explain a lot of things about Hogwarts."
Victor looked at the book. "Ah, that looks like an interesting read, but I don't have anymore money...with me, to buy a copy." Victor gave the book a genuinely intrigued look. "How old is Hogwarts? It doesn't look like a very thick book."
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"Well, Al pretty much summed it up exactly." Rose agreed, "But yeah, I do get where you're coming from. Getting my Hogwarts letter was one of the best days of my life so far. Even though I've said this thousands of times already," here she gave a small smile to Al, who had had to put up with most of her incessant chatter about how excited she was, "I'm thrilled to be going. I still can't believe it's so close now."
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He smiled at Rose, grateful for the slight change of subject. He could understand how the whole thing was a bit of a prejudiced point of view, but it was his opinion nonetheless. What you do may be important, but to have the ability to do it? That’s what really mattered. Still, he was done with the argument.
“It’s all happening kinda fast for me. I didn’t even know there were real wizards ‘till last month. Suddenly knowing that I am one… I feel like I’m behind everybody. I mean, hell, “ he held up the book, “ people know more about my own relatives than I do.”
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"Well, Ha ha! I don't know really. I have so many questions it's hard to tell where to start." He smiled over at Erica. "Is it alright if I pet your cat?"
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She wandered down the bookshelves, looking for the rest of the books she needed for that year. Once she had found them all, with the exception of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (they already had a copy of that at home), she meandered back to the rest of the group.
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