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Magizoology for Muggle-borns Open

George had always been quite quick on the uptake. Sharp as a tack. Nothing could get past him. So he thought, anyway - then all in an instant, it turned out that the whole of the wizarding world slipped by. Quite the embarrassing state of affairs after eleven years alive. He'd wised up since discovering his own power, which served as some consolation, but now he had the whole of magical history to catch up on. The first course of action was not digging into his books of spells, of course, the tomes much too cumbersome to skim and get the gist of. He'd let the professors set the stage before he dove in there. The topic of the day was magizoology.

Anyone passing by in the library would be able to tell as much, the first-year boy laying his journey out in the titles of the books stacked beside him at his study desk. First, at the bottom, was a standard-issue copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, authored by the idol of all young Hufflepuff boys, Newt Scamander. It's light reading compared to the others in the stack, and things only become more heavy and niche as one progressed upward.

Apparently, the unfortunate affliction of lycanthropy has become the subject of this particular study session. The touching tale recounted in Hairy Snout, Human Heart has been thoroughly skimmed and scanned. The comparatively heartless publication Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don't Deserve to Live has been left ajar in the stack, hastily discarded from the lad's reading list.

Currently, George has two books open in front of him, the titles not visible on their spines rest on the desk. He's propped his elbows up on the desk and hunched over to better scan the pages one after another, taking handfuls of his own hair and straining them out between his fingers. From time to time, he looks up at the passing students, his wide-open eyes begging a more knowledgeable student to get him up to speed on the divide between magical fact and muggle myth.

Reducio
OOC: As a newly minted muggle-born wizard, George has a looot to catch up on in terms of what's real and what's not. Inform him! Or mislead him. Or just come and chat, it's an open thread, I'm not your boss.
"outlandishly gay for boys"
Stamina: 10 / Evasion: 12 / Strength: 3 / Wisdom: 13 / Arcane Power: 7 / Accuracy: 12 [color: #632d0b]
Magizoology for Muggle-borns Open
@George Henry

Shuffling into the crowded library, Katherine couldn't help but feel proud. She knew her studying efforts were paying off in gracious amounts (as evidenced by her grades) and felt a certain sense of superiority at that fact. This was kept disguised, of course. She wasn't one to brag; she found it embarrassing when other people did. She didn't want people to know she was smart... Maybe just a little, actually. Either way, Kat often opted to study in her dormitory instead. This both hid the considerable amount time she put into her studies and also meant she could avoid... unwanted company. Unfortunately, her room was currently occupied by several other Ravenclaw girls, all of which were intent on talking to her. So, with no other option, Katherine was retreating to the library. At least it was quiet there.

Or meant to be. To her surprise, most of the tables were full, packed with students and their sprawling notes. Obviously, people were wanting to get a head start this school year. That was fine by her, a little competition only ever fired her up. Kat progressed through the library, holding her History of Magic book to her chest, eyes scanning the tables, searching for the most empty option. Claustrophobic wasn't an adjective she would have used to describe herself, but who didn't like their own space?

Eventually, she noticed a large table near the corner of the room, housing only one boy. Kat approached, scrutinising him more closely as she neared.

Oh. My. God.

He was dressed horrendously. Or at least, Kat would have said so. He obviously didn't have the same eye for fashion as she did. His clothes were oversized, clearly second-hand at the very least. Aghast by his mismatched and scruffy outfit, Kat found herself incredibly tempted to turn away at that very moment and sit elsewhere, however, reasoning it was her best bet, she swallowed any comment she was about to make and pulled the chair out vertically opposite him, so that she would be as far away from him as possible. It was just before she was about to sit down and get on with her work that she noticed his reading material.

Werewolves.

"Interesting," she said flatly, hoping to catch his attention. Maybe it was the fact that there were no tables for her to sit at alone that made irrationally annoyed. Or, maybe, it was his clothes. She herself was dressed in all black, a jean skirt and her leather jacket, topped with tights, chains and her huge boots. Admittedly, she was a total punk-fashion snob. "What do you think of the anti-werewolf legislation act of 1993?"

All she wanted right now, was to catch him out. It was stupid and immature, but she didn't really care. Kat folded her arms, still stood.
‘we are all members of one body. we are responsible for each other.”
Magizoology for Muggle-borns Open
George was blissfully unaware of Katherine's critiquing eye as she spotted him. Shabby was one word for the boy's clothes, third-hand garments that had been his father's before his brother's before becoming his. They were comfortably wrinkled and came softly frayed at the edges, saving him the effort damaging them himself. A loose tie and half-tucked in shirt disguised the fact that he was wearing business casual apparel from the 80s. Perhaps someone could mistake him for a performance art piece on muggle history? The sound of another chair being pulled out distracts him only briefly, his eyes darting up to check who's joined him before he leans over one of his tomes again.

"Interesting," she said, and he looked up at her, glancing left and right at the empty chairs flanking the table. It was only her at the opposing end. But what was it that was so interesting? He reached over to straighten out his stack of books, letting her see the spines so that she could point out whichever one it was that looked so interesting to her. "What do you think of the anti-werewolf legislation act of 1993?"

While she might have expected the boy to fumble out a nonsense response, he instead looks down to his books, studying the open pages a moment. He strokes his thumb along his jaw and scritches his chin before spitting out his final judgement - "Bloody stupid."

His mouth opens to speak again before he realizes his harsh tone has disturbed the library's peace. He waits a moment for a few glaring students to take their eyes off of him before continuing on.

"I don't know what they were thinking with it," he says, his cheeks reddening as he restrains his suddenly-inflated passion for the subject behind a quiet whisper. One of the books before him claps shut and he lifts it up to join the stack on his left, the boy gesturing to the now-empty space as an invitation to the Ravenclaw girl. Seems he's actually been itching to talk on the subject. His voice is level in a low hiss as he offers his own anecdotal wisdom to her. "My uncle Brian is a policeman and he told me - he told me it's the same thing when criminals can't work. What are werewolves meant to do if they can't get a job or nothing? How are they meant to afford their potions or get anything decent? I'd start eating people too," he says.

That off-color comment summons another glare from a nearby table, though George can only shrug in response. Perhaps he was being a little too honest. He shakes his head, evidently quite indignant about the treatment of werewolves almost thirty years prior. "I only found out about werewolves today. We never had them in Walkerburn. What do you think of them - have you heard of them?"
"outlandishly gay for boys"
Stamina: 10 / Evasion: 12 / Strength: 3 / Wisdom: 13 / Arcane Power: 7 / Accuracy: 12 [color: #632d0b]
Magizoology for Muggle-borns Open
@George Henry

Kat found herself unable to control her slackening jaw as the boy easily shared his opinion. It wasn't what she'd expected, really, but perhaps that was her own fault. Arrogance ruled the academic aspects of her life, albeit in secret. Feeling slightly awkward, she took her place in the seat opposite him and dragged her book in front of her, folding her arms on top of it. The boy clearly knew his stuff - even if he didn't know how to dress himself.

A few tables were turning disapproving heads in their direction, so Kat made an effort to lean in closer so that they wouldn't have to talk as loudly. The point he made was interesting: when you compared the situation to real humans that had previously committed crimes it was hard to not sympathise. Although, the point still remains that they had done something wrong previously. Werewolves couldn't help the situation they were in. In a way, they were even more deserving of those rights. Kat hadn't thought about it like that.

"I only found out about werewolves today. We never had them in Walkerburn. What do you think of them - have you heard of them?"

Whatever Walkerburn was, Kat hadn't heard of it, but she definitely wasn't going to make that fact known. This kid was for sure muggle-born, considering he didn't even know what a werewolf was up until today, and that was something Kat could use to get the upper-hand in this situation. She cleared her throat and pulled at the hem of her jacket to air her neck a little, before leaning in again.

"Of course I have. My mother works for the Ministry. She says the Beast Division have to be on high alert every full moon." Her voice was little over a hissed whisper, not wanting to disturb the people around her. "A lot of werewolves are bitter and hate wizards, mainly due to mistreatment in the past I suppose, but this makes them incredibly dangerous. I wouldn't feel too bad for them." Kat paused, pursing her lips. "But I get what you're saying, I guess. I mean, they didn't ask to be werewolves..."

She briefly looked away, and then back to her book which lay unopened in front of her. She knew the Soap Blizzard of 1378 well enough already.

"If there's anything you don't already know about magical creatures, or the wizarding community in general, I could tell you." God she was being egotistical today. Since when did she need a confidence boost?
Last edited by Katherine Cobwebbe on 29 Sep 2019, 09:27, edited 1 time in total.
‘we are all members of one body. we are responsible for each other.”
Magizoology for Muggle-borns Open
@Katherine Cobwebbe

George chewed his lip as he watched Kat's reaction to his answer, evidently very concerned with her. She spoke so confidently about the legislation - something she wasn't even reading about - and she was a first year. She had to be a wizard. It was the a strange feeling - he knew they were somewhere in Scotland, though not precisely where, and still he felt like some kind of foreign exchange student from another planet. He bit his lip and chastised himself for not speaking more carefully - she'd think all muggles were idiots, when really, it was only him!

Her next words confirm his worst fears, causing a bit of blush to paint his cheeks rosy. Her mother works for the Ministry? That same Ministry which drafted the legislation and pushed it through back thirty years. If the Ministry on this side was the same as the muggle one, the Ravenclaw girl was sure to be something of a posh bureaucrat. Another successful job done by the sorting hat, he supposed. That seemed to be about the type to dress in blue. Still, the way she leaned in made George do the same, his head cocked and ear at the ready to hear her thoughts.

"Well, I suppose you would, wouldn't you?" George said, with a helpless shrug, as thought it was obvious. "I'm feeling quite embittered on their behalf. Get bitten by a wild wolf and all of a sudden you've got to turn into a raving dog lunatic every..." He pauses, squinting as he tries to recall the lunar cycle. "Thirty days." It's more of a wager than something he can declare on any real authority.

He picks up his copy of Hairy Snout, Human Heart and plonks it atop the book of history Katherine brought to the table, pushing it insistently toward her. Recommended reading, one might suppose, but he doesn't verbalize the thought. She's just given an offer much to enticing to dismiss by shoving her head into his books.

"I don't know anything about magical creatures, or wizards in general, or nothing. Your mum is in the Ministry? What does the Ministry do, 'sides make laws on werewolves and other such, uh, creatures. Beings? Things? I- I don't know what to call them," George says, his usual confidence depleted and replaced with a cautious whisper. He didn't want to offend his new informant, lest he burn away his only chance at a true introduction to the wizarding world. A true, proper introduction - not just the "oh, by the way, you're a witch" he'd been given after receiving his letter. It felt like he'd been plunged into ice water, and this girl was the first to throw him a lifeline.

"My parents- grandparents, everybody, are all muggles. What should I know? What's the most important bit?
"outlandishly gay for boys"
Stamina: 10 / Evasion: 12 / Strength: 3 / Wisdom: 13 / Arcane Power: 7 / Accuracy: 12 [color: #632d0b]
Magizoology for Muggle-borns Open
@George Henry
The title he put in front of her was called Hairy Snout, Human Heart. She supposed he was offering it for her to borrow, and so took this as an opportunity to move both the books aside and rest her head in her hands, still close. She noted the boy's sudden air of embarrassment and wanted to ensure that nobody could eavesdrop in on their conversation. When he briskly confessed his lack of knowledge on the magical community, and asked about the Ministry, Kat couldn't stop her lips from pulling into a small smile. It felt good, to be a source of information.

"Well. The main job of the Ministry is to safeguard the secrecy of magic against the muggle world. There's lots of different jobs there, though. Mother works with the law enforcement department. She's kind of like your uncle, I guess, except she tracks down bad wizards." Kat talked wisely on the subject, maintaining eye contact and gesticulating with her hands, as she'd seen her professors do. "There's other departments too. Games and sports, accidents, transportation - two of my grandparents used to work there - international relations... It's huge."

She knew it was a lot to take in. When you'd grown up knowing almost everything about witches and wizards and Hogwarts, it was hard to imagine the experience of someone who'd only just learned of it all last Summer. It must have felt fantastic, if a bit overwhelming. She was almost jealous of his experience. Maybe if she'd been muggle-born she wouldn't have spent her entire childhood with her head in a Charms textbook.

"My grandfather is a muggle too, you know. And father hardly acknowledges his own magic, so I'm not one of those crazy purebloods, or anything, but... Well, it's natural for you to be behind now, but you can be just as good at magic as anyone else here. ...If you work hard enough, I mean." Kat said, a little clumsily. She didn't actually know if this was true. She'd been taught from a young age the very fundamentals of magic. The curriculum of course allowed everyone to have the same chance, but it just wasn't the same, when you grew up completely ignorant to everything, was it?

There was no time to dwell on that, however. The boy had asked her a question. What was the most important thing to know about the wizarding? She didn't have a clue. Everything was important, if you asked her. But then, quite suddenly, it struck her.

"Um, do you know about... Voldemort?" she asked slowly. Then, thinking that it would be easier if they knew each other's names before, she added, "Wait, first, I'm Katherine. Cobwebbe. I'm in Ravenclaw. What about you?"
‘we are all members of one body. we are responsible for each other.”
Magizoology for Muggle-borns Open
Interacting with @George Henry and @Katherine Cobwebbe

Quinn entered the library, grinning as the familiar smell of old books crept into their nose. They loved everything about libraries - the musty, warm odour of parchment, the huge, long shelves they could immerse themselves for hours, probably even days - ooh! Some kind of library lock-in, preferably for a few days, would be great! As long as there was food of course. 
The leather or cloth of a book cover under their long, slender fingers. The slight crackling sound of the pages as they leafed through an interesting novel. The knowledge, the strange yet familiar descriptions of different worlds which Quinn would soak up like a sponge. The characters which became their friends or her enemies, whom they hated or sympathized with, who took them on their journey. The fact that Quinn could travel through millions of worlds and at the same time remain in one beautiful library. 
Quinn was all prepared to make a dash for the shelves - was that a first-edition copy of Prefects Who Gained Power? This place was truly amazing - when they noticed two other students with them in the library. One of them was a Hufflepuff, judging from the coat of arms which had carelessly been sewn onto the boy's scruffy work robes. They pitied him for a moment, as he probably could not afford better robes, before scolding herself. You know nothing about this boy's background. Do you think he wants to be pitied? Treat him like a normal person, not like some kind of... scruffy, wet cat you've found on the street or whatever. "Poor little thing" and the likes.
The other was, most surprisingly, not wearing anything that vaguely resembled a school robe. Instead, she sported a black skirt, a leather jacket in the same colour - Quinn prayed that it would be fake leather, they hated the concept of killing animals just for clothes - and huge boots. Everything about her appearance screamed punk, and Quinn marvelled at the contrast between the two. 
"Wait, first: I'm Katherine Cobwebbe. I'm in Ravenclaw. What about you?" they heard the girl say, and noticed her... unusual surname. Cobweb? Had they misheard something or was this Ravenclaw actually called Cobweb?
Quinn sidled closer to the pair, trying to get into some social interaction. "Well, hi...", they spoke up cautiously looking at the other student's faces. "I'm Quinn Prescott." They pointed to the emblem on their chest. "And, as you can see, I'm in Gryffindor..." They gulped, as this would be the first time coming out to anyone at Hogwarts - apart from the Gryffindor Head of House, whom they had written a long, rambling letter about the labeling of the dormitories (male and female) which they regretted now. "And, uhm, I'm agender. Which means that I identify neither as male nor female. My, uh, pronouns are them and they. Got that?" They smiled at the two others while desperately searching for something to say so they wouldn't end with a statement that put most people off. "And is your name really Cobweb? Like the things that spiders make?" Quinn blurted out, instantly wanting to hit themselves for saying that. What were they thinking, insulting a potential friend before they had even had a proper conversation? 
I am not, as chosen in my profile, female, but agender. I use the pronouns they/them. Thanks.
Magizoology for Muggle-borns Open
@George Henry @Quinn Prescott
Kat heard another voice and glanced up. A tall, skinny Gryffindor boy with short brown hair was staring timidly down at the two of them. He was dressed in his work robes, and so obviously had some classes to attend later on today, unlike her. She’d never seen someone look so terrified to be talking to a couple of first years in the library. He briskly introduced himself as Quinn, and then as... agender? That was a term Kat had definitely never heard before. Even after Quinn had explained it the prospect felt really weird, but knowing that it wasn’t her place to challenge them, or to dwell, she just smiled awkwardly and pulled the seat out next to her, signalling for them to sit down. Maybe she would owl her brother about it later...

"And is your name really Cobweb? Like the things that spiders make?"

Her expression didn’t falter when Quinn asked the question; her surname didn’t embarrass her at all. It wasn’t like she didn’t get it often. Besides, spiders were cool. Kat shrugged. “Yeah. It’s my grandmother’s name. But it has a double ‘b’ and an ‘e’ on the end, so it’s not completely the same.”

She turned back to the boy sat opposite her, still waiting for his answer.
‘we are all members of one body. we are responsible for each other.”
Magizoology for Muggle-borns Open
@Quinn Prescott & @Katherine Cobwebbe
George nodded along with Katherine, his attention arrested by the professor-like air she had adopted. This must be what all of Ravenclaw was like, he thought. For the first time, he felt envious of a house besides the proud lions of Gryffindor. Revealing that her mother is part of magical law enforcement sends George sitting up straight like she'd cracked a whip. He pats his pockets down, hunting for a quill to take notes, but only finds his empty pockets.

"Your mum is magical police? There are magical police?" he asks, laying his palms down on the table to stop himself from fidgeting with excitement. He felt a twinge of sadness stemming from the fact he wouldn't be able to tell his uncle all about this, but he could surely impress his immediate family with such fascinating facts on wizarding politics. It was most likely he would be the only one to find it at all interesting, however. "Does she go out and hunt them herself? Is there a spell to say who's broken the law?"

He bites his lip, tight this time, to keep his mouth shut. Wouldn't want to risk putting her off with too many questions right off the bat, not while she was in the middle of an explanation. Maybe she'd have questions for him after, too. Did wizards have football? He knew of quidditch, which was much cooler than football, but she might have some interest just based purely on how very boring muggle sports would seem by comparison. Did they play Monopoly at Hogwarts?

"Do you think so? I never did work very hard at my school. My mum taught there so it was a bit of a pain, anyway. But..." He gestures to the open books in front of him, patting his hands over the pages. "Much more interesting doing magic than it is doing maths, I'll tell you. You're lucky you never had to go to muggle school. Although the uniforms are... a bit much."

He tugs at the hem of his robe, using the standard-issue fabric to disguise some of the rattier clothing he's substituting for the rest of his uniform. He still preferred them to what he'd gotten in Diagon Alley, however. That place felt both fantastic and quite dirty at the same time. Not so different from the rest of London, he supposed.

"What's a Voldemort?" he wonders, with the casual innocence only a muggle could muster. Those lovable scamps. "Cobwebbe? That's a wizard name if I ever heard one. My name's George Henry. Pleasure!"

He bounces up with a smile, putting on his most cherubic face for his new companion before Quinn steps in to introduce himself to the table. He could indeed see that the stranger was in Gryffindor, the lucky git. Do they all just walk up and brag about it? Maybe that was just how it felt. He didn't quite understand what they were saying about whether they were a boy or a girl, but he didn't quite care. Unless they were going to march up and declare themselves a lycanthrope, it made no difference to George.

"Alright, Quinn," he says by way of greeting, pointing toward the empty chair Katherine has pulled for them. He looks between them both, giving his answer again so they could both hear. "I haven't a clue. What's a Voldemort?"
"outlandishly gay for boys"
Stamina: 10 / Evasion: 12 / Strength: 3 / Wisdom: 13 / Arcane Power: 7 / Accuracy: 12 [color: #632d0b]
Magizoology for Muggle-borns Open
Interacting with @Katherine Cobwebbe and @George Henry  
Quinn was startled as the other boy smiled at them and, out of the blue, addressed them asking: "What is a Voldemort?" The first-year stared at him with obvious confusion. "Uh, where did that come from? Have I missed something? Did I fall asleep during some part of the conversation when we started talking about Voldemort?" As Quinn finished the last sentence, it occured to them that they should probably answer the question first. "Well, um, Voldemort was the really bad guy of the wizarding world. He believed that purebloods were way superior to Muggles, and he also called wizards who linked with Muggles "blood traitors". He wanted a world ruled by wizards, with Muggles as slaves or something... I think?" They weren't an expert on the wizarding world's history either. "And, um, he killed a lot of them. So, let's all be glad Voldemort is dead.", Quinn finished, hoping their knowledge on Voldemort wouldn't be tested any further. 
However, there was something else about the pair that intrigued them - slight confusion written across both their faces, and they believed that it had appeared there when Quinn had been talking about pronouns and being agender and the likes. They tried to approach the two as cautiously and friendly as possible in this matter, as not to appear patronizing. "I was under the impression that you're not quite familiar with the term "agender"...? Would you like me to explain it a little more?" 
I am not, as chosen in my profile, female, but agender. I use the pronouns they/them. Thanks.
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