Hidden Badger Amongst the Snakes PV Amara D. C

Amara had gotten up late and instead of grabbing a pastry, tea, and fruit like she normally did, Amara had to brave the dining hall. She was sitting alone at the edge of the table, reading, when a girl sat down. Amara looked at the girl, at first mistaking her for Bella Rosier, a popular first year, and then realizing it was Bella's Hufflepuff twin sister Alina. Amara looked at Aline oddly trying to figure out what was going but after a few moments of silence Amara broke the silence "I know its relatively normal to inter-sit at meals but wouldn't you want to be with Bella or more than one person?" she asked. Amara had no prejudice against the girl it was just confusion. When people sit with other houses they usually go to one of the smaller tables and why would Alina, a girl who's name she barley knows sit with her. Amara sips on her tea as she waits for the out of place badger to speak. Amara sets her bookmark in her novel, closes it and sets it in her bag. She scratches her ear before starting to take a bite out of her blueberry scone.

She had written her name and date on the parchment before the girl spoke and she paused, looking up. She was at the Slytherin table and sighed, feeling quite foolish for the matter. "I uh...." she paused. The girl knew Bella and of course she did. It seemed Bella was making a right name for herself there at Hogwarts.

"I suppose I wasn't paying much attention." Merlin, how misguided Hufflepuff of her. She hated that. She watched the girl before her, feeling jealous. Why did some get into Slytherin while others didn't? She still felt it was her sass to the stupid old Sorting Hat and this was his punishment - seven years of Hell known as Hufflepuff.

"I'm sorry," she apologized softly. "I can move," and she glanced around for an open seat but it seemed like everyone, the entire school and then some (somehow) were there and filling up every single spot there was available at the tables.

She closed her book and placed her parchment ontop of it, then her quill and ink on top of that, ready to find somewhere else and if there simply was no where else, she'd forgo breakfast and just go back to her dormitory or common room to finish.

Amara noticed Alina's unease and glanced at her parchment trying to figure out what she was writing, "You can stay, I really couldn't care less. Is that the History of Magic Great Witches essay though?" Amara asks excitedly. She is a bit of a history geek and had written five essays trying to choose which witch to focus on. Amara thought about giving one of the essays that she is not using to Alina. So, Amara grabbed her folder with the four extra essays and handed it to Alina, "Would this help?" Amara asked. She had heard the gossip surrounding her and Bella, and how upset Alina had been when she was sorted into Huffelpuff and not Slytherin, but Amara did not care in the least bit. Alina seemed like a nice girl who made a mistake that frankly, anyone could have made and Amara had no right to judge her; she just sat at the wrong table. Regardless, talking about her role models and favorite women was definitely more interesting than reading about the potions she will have to make later in class. She took another sip of tea and popped a strawberry in her mouth before turning to smile at the badger.

She had been so frustrated in trying to finish the essay. Alina had almost all the information she needed, there were just a few missing parts and surely she couldn't turn in the essay with gaps like this. When the girl passed Alina a book and asked if it could help, she read over the title and felt so relieved. "You know, I think that it just might help."

She leafed through the book, checking the index, rustling a few more pages. She then filled in one part of her essay and then searched for more. It only took minutes before she was done and she felt ready to turn in her project. She closed the book and handed it back to the girl and smiled. "Funny. We're supposed to be the helpful ones..." she spoke of her house of Hufflepuff, but it was she who received help that day.

"Always have to love a book on strong women," she wished more women were strong, outspoken, masteres in their fields. "If you wouldn't mind, perhaps I could borrow the book sometime? Seemed interesting enough the parts I read. I feel like when we're in classes all we hear about are great Wizards of all time and the Witches get neglected."

"Hey, if you like a book, you like a book, right?" she shrugged, trying to play it off casually. "Okay, so I really don't know," she smiled. "Can't say I've ever had five...five? Five editions of one book," but she smiled wider. "I really don't mean to tease. I think it's great when people have something their passionate about. That's my biggest hope while I'm here - find what I'm passionate about and pursue it."

She looked over the cover of the book again. It was the first gift she got since coming to Hogwarts and it was a great one. She would start reading it that very evening. "You better watch, helpful AND giving now...we might have to trade places for the remainder of schooling. I'll become Amara and you become Alina."

If only it were so simple to change things. She didn't know what Amara's home like was like but assumed it to be better than whatever she'd be going to when summer came to a start. Maybe some great Witch in the book would provide her with inspiration for an answer. Yes, she was sure that she would definitely start reading it that very night come evening.

{mention]Alina Rosier[/mention] /center]

Amara pops blueberry into her mouth as she listens to Alina. She seems kind, but that could just be her Hufflepuff side. Alina mentions something about wanting to find what she is passionate about and Amara knows exactly what to say, "You will find something, I am sure. Isn't that the point of the OWLs and NEWTs, to find what you are good at and what you want to go into?"

Alina goes on to make a joke about them switching places and Amara lets a small smile creep onto her face. She knows it is a lighthearted joke, but for a moment, Amara thinks about what it would be like to be free of her family's drama. She quickly lets these thoughts wash away, "I may have to, I just have not seen your cunning side yet so you may not fit in here." Amara smiles at Alina. Her words are meant to come across as kind and light-hearted, but then her thoughts wander back to the sorting. Alina seemed all but murderous as she was sorted into Hufflepuff and Amara realized how cruel her words could come across. She glanced down and then sent an apologetic look towards Alina, "Sorry, I was not trying to..." she trails off, biting her lip.

"Ah now, I can be quite cunning when I have to be." She just really hadn't made too many enemies there at Hogwarts - to her face any way.

"I feel like I've spent most of this school year breaking rules," and sometimes getting caught. She had been called out a few times, especially by the Transfigurations professor even though that class was complete nonsense in her eyes! WAYYYYY too complicated than it needed to be and she knew the entire school had to agree even if she hadn't asked them.

"We should go on an adventure sometime. I can show you that cunning side. It's there," she nodded, "definitely there. So what do you say? Where and when?"

Alina had grown many Hufflepuff traits through the course of the year even if she wouldn't really openly admit to them. Wanting to make friends was probably the biggest of them all. She was also pretty dependable too and things like that.

"Maybe we could find a way to be Great Women of Hogwarts," she said, referencing the book that her new friend had given her as a gift. "I'm not sure how as of yet...but there's got to be something."

Amra smiles at Alina's offer, "An adventure you say, where too?" Amara raises one eyebrow and looks at the badger coyly.

Amara is usually good at reading people but now, she is struggling to tell if Alina meant any of this literally or if she was just joking around. Regardless, Amara had to admire Alina's ease in conversation- it was nice to easily talk to someone. This conversation was also helping Amara understand that the houses do more harm than good. I mean, Amara is ambitious but she also has a thirst for knowledge and considers herself loyal. How can one hat- placed on your head when you are 11- dictate the type of person you are and will be. It divides an already small community into all of these even smaller fractions based on what a bunch of old people thought would make sense 100s of years ago.

Alina breaks Amara's train of thought with a comment about wanting to becoming a great witch of Hogwarts and Amara laughs slightly, "I mean, I would be lying if I said that I do not want my name to be remembered for being an amazing witch, even if that sounds pretty selfish."

[/quote]
"Well, I've been exploring PHYSICALLY the castle. What if we explored some of the issues going on here? I don't know...some sort of injustice? Maybe like how the Transfigurations professor thinks she's a math teacher and teaches only the boring part of Transfigurations and not the fun practical uses? Or..." hmm, this was more difficult than she thought!

Alina wanted to say something about how the Hufflepuff house got such a bad rep but that didn't seem like something Amara as a Slytherin would care much about. "I'm sure there's got to be something. Hogwarts has never had a female Headmaster. Maybe there's some prejudice going on somewhere in the works?

She always wanted to be part of a movement...but maybe there just wasn't one there. Alina sighed, "maybe I am as pathetic," she grumbled. Still, at least she had the copy of the book now for reference or inspiration. She would be sure to start reading it that very night.

"Sad when schoolwork stifles one's creativity. Normally I can think of something, but it was probably too much thinking so early. Suppose this means I should start doing my homework in the evenings like everyone else seems to do."