A Mess and a friend Closed

Classes at Hogwarts had been slightly interesting, only slightly, John thought to himself as he filtered the Professor's voice from his mind. He had expected a bit more trouble with some classes but so far seemed to be doing rather well. At home all his father could talk about was how strict Durmstrang had been and intense the classwork was. So far Hogwarts hadn't been as challenging compared to his father's reminiscing.

Drawing his attention back to the course as the Professor sounded like she was finishing up her lecture, John peered down at the bowl in front of him. This seemed like a rather straight forward spell... yet as the Professor let the class practice it appeared to be quite the opposite. John could hear grunts, angry muttering and groans from most of his peers, although some seemed quite content. Every now and again there was a squeal of delight as someone cast the proper incantation, water filling their bowl.

Green eyes glaring down at the empty bowl in front of him, John was about to take his wand out when something caught his attention. A familiar sound making his head perk up. 'Rwy'n gollwr' It was certainly Welsh... and made a small piece of the boy instantly homesick. Typically he would just ignore it and continue on with his own work however recently he had been feeling a little lonely. He was used to being by himself courtesy of his family having a hands off policy when raising their children... but he was used to the occasional interaction with his younger siblings. Hogwarts he had been a bit lacking in the friend... and social interaction department. Slightly by his own personal choice and also due to him not being so great with... others... His upbringing had not prepared him for being kinder and more understanding to those around him especially in a mixed environment. A small, strange new feeling scratched inside of him.. urging him to reach out to the girl next to him. Maybe he could work in some sort of advice for her. She had been mispronouncing the spell wrong and it had made his eye twitch ever so slightly... Yes that was it. Something.. nice?

Clearing his throat he turned to look at the girl next to him. Pausing, his brain seemed to have shut off. Should he introduce himself? His mother would expect that.. but they already had been sitting next to each other just about every Transfiguration class block. Should he say hello first? No.. maybe just hop right to the actual advice part.. He could crack a joke, icebreaker of sorts? He didn't even know any jokes. The look on the girl's face made John think he had been staring silently at her for far too long.

"You uh.." What was wrong with him? He felt so nervous. "It's actually em.." Taking his wand in hand the boy moved his hand over part of the desk in the proper S curve. "Like this.. not so wide. Smoother and from right to left." Setting his wand back down on the desk, John turned a little more to face her. "Plus, the incantation is AH gwah MEN tee." His voice sounding a little more matter-o-fact than he had meant it to. "You have to elongate the ee.. not eh or ah." Repeating the proper incantation a little slower, John hoped it helped. He had never really shown anyone else how to cast anything and had only ever studied by himself with the family's in-house nanny. Matching the girl's brown eyes, John felt like this was the appropriate time to smile. That's what normal people would do right? A forced smile, almost painful looking but unnoticed to him, spread across the boy's face.

Nailed it.

@Angela Nelson

@John Wolfe

She groaned and tapped her wand against the desk then looked over when the male cleared his throat awfully loud and then paused for a good minute. "Umm...hello?" She raised a brow and looked at him as he began to speak. "Like this.. not so wide. Smoother and from right to left. Plus, the incantation is AH gwah MEN tee." His voice sounding a little more matter-o-fact than he had meant it to. "You have to elongate the ee.. not eh or ah." She felt a little hurt when he repeated himself, was she really that stupid that she wasn't able to understand him the first time that he had to repeat himself. She shook her head and turned back to her bowl "Thanks" She spoke softly and muttered a few things under her breath, for a Ravenclaw she wasn't very smart. She watched the students in front of her as they did a wave-like motion so she did that and said the incantation like the boy told her to "Aguamente" She caught herself saying it wrong again and gripped her wand tighter and asked him for help again "Hows does...the um ...incantation go again?" she was a bit embarrassed she had to ask. What kind of Ravenclaw student ask for help, it was pathetic. 

A girl and boy in black and green robes, just one table over, mocked her while the professor wasn't looking "What's the matter Ravenclaw, to hard for you to get right?" The girl laughed and did the spell perfectly "You're an idiot, such a sad excuse for Ravenclaw. Must be a muggle-born" They both laughed as other students looked. Angela frowned and glared at them "At least I don't need to cheat off someone else to get good grades" She growled and crossed her arms, just about ready to leave the class. "Darnau anwybodus o dom" Angela growled but smirked since she knew they didn't know what she said. "What'd you say you stupid little-" He took out his wand and pointed it at her but was cut short when the professor came around "Mr. and Ms. Anderson, you should not use your wand to threaten other students or harass them! Five points from both of you" They glared at Angela and turned around. 

She looked at John "S-sorry" Her voice went from confident and a bit cocky to soft and frail again as she played with her wand a little bit, making it spin and turn on the desk. "So how does the incantation go again?" She brushed the hair from her dark brown eyes and continued to fiddle with her wand when he wasn't talking she was making up what she would say in her head. "Thank you...um? No, don't know his name that's weird. I've seen him before though, it was on...in no on the train coming to Hogwarts. I have a picture of him! Should I give it to him? I still don't know his name. I'm gonna introduce myself after I get this spell right though. "My name is Angela" She blurted out and covered her mouth after she said that "Sorry" She apologized again and stopped spinning her wand and looked at the empty bowl then back at the male sitting next to her and examined his features once more.

As the girl muttered a thanks, John gave a slight nod unsure if he had been helpful at all... The girl looked familiar... He typically never forgot a face but only when he organized each name and person into his mind by importance.. It would come to him sooner or later. It had been somewhere else other than the classroom...

Shaking off the thought, John return his attention to his own bowl. Practicing a couple of times, softly murmuring the incantation trying to not draw any attention to what he was doing... bad enough the class was so loud from everyone trying to do the incantation at once and a few others fooling around.

"Hows does...the um ...incantation go again?"

Hearing the girl's voice again it finally struck up exactly where he had met the girl prior. The train. She had been the one to sit in their compartment with the other two boys... chattering away with them about candies and what not the entire ride. Most of the trip John had just tuned out... Opening his mouth slightly to give a response to her another student interrupted him.

"What's the matter Ravenclaw, to hard for you to get right?"

The boy's gaze narrowed as he settled his green eyes on the Slytherin. Rude. Not to mention she had even been using the wrong incantation for the first half of class anyway just now getting it right.. Who was she to try and give out any type of direction. Not that John was one to jump to anyone's defense right away, especially not knowing either of these fellow students well enough... but something in him maybe the small portion the Sorting Hat had seen when placing him in Gryffindor, wanted to snap back at the girl and defend his desk partner.

"You're an idiot, such a sad excuse for Ravenclaw. Must be a muggle-born"

This was typical.. something that even John was guilty of.. Slamming another student based on their birth. His time at Hogwarts had made him a bit more aware of those around him and their status.. however he still couldn't help but have a part of him agree with the nasty remark. It was just understood that there was a difference, a clear difference between those Muggle born and Pure. Especially if you found yourself being raised in a traditional Pureblood home.

The Ravenclaw shot back in Welsh, making a smile slide across John's face. He couldn't help but appreciate the fact she was using a language clearly neither of the two understood which had made them rather upset.

"What'd you say you stupid little-"

John caught sight of the Slytherin as he grabbed his wand and pointed it at the girl, instantly making John clench his fingers. It was more instinct than anything else and happened so fast.. When the boy had grabbed his wand and readied it, John was already up, his chair pushed back on the floor and standing in-between his classmates. Only the Professor's words brought him back to reality, as if he had blacked out and body moved to defend the girl on its own. John looked around and felt a heat wash over his face and cheeks. He never interfered like that.. He always just observed and let things go. What had made him act so quickly? Hurriedly, John righted his chair and took a seat.

"S-sorry"

He still felt a bit shaky as the girl apologized, hoping she hadn't really noticed how upset he had gotten over the Slytherin boy drawing his wand. Maybe it had all happened too fast for her as well and she would think nothing of it. Letting out a breath, John tried to calm his nerves, adrenaline still rushing through his body. He had been lost in his thoughts trying to quell the shaking in his fingers when the girl spoke up again, completely forgetting she had asked about the incantation.

"My name is Angela."

John wasn't sure why she was apologizing again... "I'm John." He finally muttered, his voice sounding more sure of himself than he felt at the moment. "You don't need to apologize, you did nothing wrong..." John muttered softly, his green eyes boring holes into the back of the Slytherin boy's head. Muggleborn or not the boy should not have drawn his wand in class... how ignorant indeed. Stupidity did run in the family it seemed as the Professor had called them both by the same last name.. John assumed they must be siblings. How unfortunate for their family name that it had to be carried on by such idiots.

"It isn't your fault some people don't have proper manners... Not everyone can be raised properly." John snorted as he continued to glare at the two in front of them. "It's actually quite embarrassing for those of us who do hold any sort of family status." Anderson. The name was absolutely not familiar to his ears and he was sure if they had been any of import in the Pureblood community, he would have known. It was typical behavior of those who thought of themselves to be higher status when really they were covering up their own muddied bloodline.

Returning his gaze back to Angela, John smiled at her letting his anger for the prior interruption to melt away. Sitting up straight in his chair, he leaned closer to her. "Dim gwerth rhech dafad." Loosely Translated: "[They're] not worth a sheep's fart." It had been a humorous insult the gardener at the house in Wales had told John after overhearing John's father yelling at the boy about being worthless for not having woken up sooner. He hoped it would bring a smile to the girl's face although it was definitely a new feeling to want to make someone laugh... Strange how Hogwarts was changing him.

@Angela Nelson

@John Wolfe

She noticed when he suddenly jumped up from his seat, it caught her by surprise, nobody was so ready to defend her so fast but she didn't say anything. She was a bit heated from them calling her a muggle-born, she was a bit offended they would even suggest that she didn't have anything against muggle-borns it's just that she figured that she would look a little bit like a wizard, even without robes and a wand she thought she still looked somewhat like a person who would be a wizard. 
"It's actually quite embarrassing for those of us who do hold any sort of family status." 
She looked down at her fingers and she twidled them in her lap she thought he was implying that she had a family status and was a pure-blood. "I'm uh...actually a half-breed" She looked a little embarrassed of her blood status but her mood changed a bit when the male said "Dim gwerth rhech dafad." She couldn't help but laugh and nod, she felt more comfortable talking to the male then "You know welsh?" She asked she wondered if he knew Latin, Austrian or greek since those were the languages she knew aside from English. She didn't want to ask and she didn't plan to.

"I know, you were...um on the train, there was two other guys and another female, they were talking about candy...but I was doodling" She continued to mess with her fingers and realized she had gotten off track with the conversation but didn't feel mean enough to ask to get back on track with the spell. She was really nervous around people she wasn't familiar with so it made her shy and anxious a bit but she was trying to work on that a bit, it hadn't been going well. "Thanks, for...trying to stick up for me but...um...may I ask why?" She really wanted to know, she knew nobody and they didn't know each other so why help a stranger? What was the benefit of that though she may have done the same if someone was getting picked on by a couple of ignorant blood-status obsessed Slytherins. 

OOC: Sorry a bit short

John grinned and nodded his head at her question about knowing Welsh. "Yes actually my family has a home there. I've spent most of my life there." It had only been a second home for the Wolfe family, but for John he had hardly spent time in Germany after he turned two years old. Most of his time was spent in Cardiff... and indoors being taught the proper 'ways of the Wizarding World.'

"Are you from there as well?" John asked curiously, his face turning a bit flushed remembering her mention of... being a half...breed. His family wasn't all too keen on Halfbloods usually more so than Muggleborns. His father always would spit venom on how it was a traitorous act against their own kind to choose to breed with a Muggle.. tainting blood. A shiver ran down the boy's spine as he tried to shut out his father's teachings. Angela seemed nice enough... regardless. He wondered if they had managed to be in the same area at the same time.. or even his family having a connection of sorts to hers.

"I know, you were...um on the train, there was two other guys and another female, they were talking about candy...but I was doodling."

"Oh?" He raised a thin golden brown brow in question. She didn't want to seem to finish the rest of her thought though. "I remember." He turned a corner of his mouth upwards in a bit of a lopsided smile trying to make up for the Halfbreed awkwardness from the prior conversation.

"Thanks, for...trying to stick up for me but...um...may I ask why?"

John thought for a moment, his eyes falling to his lap. He really wasn't sure.. but he couldn't not reply, she might find it awkward of him. Drawing his green eyes back up to her John gave a bit of a shrug. "You just didn't deserve to be talked to that way." A blush formed on his cheeks making his hands sweat a bit, shoving them into his pockets and leaning back in his chair. "Besides.." Looking up to the ceiling, John let out a small breath. "It isn't up to them to decide whose worth it and who isn't for Hogwarts." He balanced in his chair, the front two legs off of the ground. "If you're here.. and you're trying then you're worth it." He finished sounding rather matter-o-fact. Halfbreed or not, Angela had just as much of a right to be here as he did... even those two halfwits in front of them. Had he been that awful to others as well? John felt ashamed as he thought back to interactions with other students here.. even before Hogwarts his nasty prejudices. So far being here nothing his father said seemed to be true about anyone not of Pure lineage... It made him angry. Angry at his father and angry at himself for trusting his father's beliefs.

John rested his chair back down on the floor gently on all four legs. He turned himself to fully face the blonde haired girl, his green eyes locking onto her own. "You deserve to be here. Don't let anyone make you feel any different." Even me... the boy thought still frustrated with himself.

"Anyway.. back to your bowl. Give it another go." He urged her as he scooted his chair a bit closer.

@Angela Nelson

The young girl smiled when he said he was from Wales "Yes I am, I'm actually more half and half, my mum is from Austria and my dad is from Wales and they decided to stay in Wales" She let him talk and noticed when he looked a bit flushed a few times but didn't comment about it. Angela watched as he lifted his chair off the ground and thought about how he could fall but he lowered his seat down and looked at her which made her a bit nervous, she didn't like people staring at her but he made her smile when he said she deserved to be at Hogwarts "Anyway.. back to your bowl. Give it another go." She nodded and picked up her wand again "Aguamenti" she said clearly as the bowl filled up with crystal clear water to her delight. She gave a soft smile "Thank you!" and had an urge to hug the male but ultimately didn't. She had a pleased look on her face as she looked back and forth between the water in her bowl and the tall boy with blonde hair sitting beside her.

"Aren't you gonna try? I'm sure you could get it on your first try" She pointed towards his bowl which was still empty and it was near the end of class and this was for a grade. A sarcastic remark could be heard from the students that said something to her earlier, "Tch, about time she got it" Followed by a chortle. Angela ignored them and rolled her eyes she wasn't dealing with them anymore and focused on John passing the class since he helped her with the spell. She thought back to when the sorting hat put her in Ravenclaw, a house that was full of intelligent, creative, and determined students but here she was needing the help for a water spell from a Slytherin, it wasn't bad she got help from one of them but many people didn't need it and it made her look pitiful in her eyes.

"Maybe next class I will have better luck" She thought and sighed while leaning back in her chair, letting herself relax and crossed her arms against her chest. "Diolch" She looked at John again and smiled while removing her hair from her eyes, she figured she'd say thank you again. He was a big help to her and she was grateful "If I could help you with anything to repay you for helping me just say the word and I'll do it." 

OOC: I may have forgotten why this was started in the first place sorry

OOC: Don't worry about it! I just am enjoying getting to write back and forth!

John's smile widened as Angela mentioned her heritage. "My family's from Germany but we have a second house in Cardiff. I've practically lived there my whole life." He hadn't met anyone from Wales, that he knew of right off anyway. And certainly no one that had spoken the language.

Watching closely as Angela performed the incantation once more, he gave a soft cheer as water filled the bowl. "Well done!"

"Aren't you gonna try? I'm sure you could get it on your first try." John gave a nod, he supposed it was time for him to complete the task. It wasn't the first time he had attempted the spell, being home schooled the last couple years had its advantages. Taking his wand in hand, John was about to cast his own spell when the peanut gallery in front of them chimed back in.

"Tch, about time she got it"

They really did not learn did they... John's green eyes narrowed at the pair. That's fine... Class was for learning after-all wasn't it? A wicked smile spread across his face.

"Croeso." He replied to Angela but kept his eyes ahead of him at the pair of Slytherin students.

"I appreciate the offer. I might take you up on it.." John sat back in his chair and lowered his gaze to the bowl, still hearing the Slytherins whispering under their breath. "But first.. I suppose it is my turn." John grinned and caught sight of the Professor, making sure she was out of ear shot. Waiting for her to turn her back towards this side of the classroom John readied his wand.

"Aguamenti!" He stated the proper incantation and waved his wand in the curved S shape, an icy blue light forming at the tip of the wand. Which just so happened to be pointed not at the bowl, by accident of course, in the direction of the two Slytherin. A steady jet of water shot from the tip of the boy's wand and right at the back of the Slytherin girl's head.

"Ohhhhh goodness me.." John's voice drawled out as he looked at Angela out of the corner of his eye. A couple snickers from other students around them as they watched the Slytherin now drenched, angrily push up from her desk, eyes ablaze as they set on John.

"You idiot!!" She hissed, water dripping from the pointy tip of her nose. As the brother stood, John gave a laugh throwing the boy off. Taking the bowl from the desk, John held it in hand and stood, leaning forward closer to the Slytherin. A drip from her nose hit the inside of the bowl. They were just supposed to get the cast water into the bowl, this could still count and if not.. it was well worth it just to see the look on the girl's face. John might be cold and particular about those around him but bullying was something that set him on edge.

"Actually I beg to differ.. the incantation was rather perfect." He nodded his chin up and down at her. "Clearly." Sitting back in his seat he held in a laugh looking at her. Sliding his wand back into his pocket, John met the girl's gaze almost challenging. They stared at each other for what felt like forever before the girl snarled and sat back down, messing with her hair. The rest of the year certainly would be interesting now...

"Guess you were right, I could do it on the first try. Who knew." Laughing quietly John smiled at Angela.

@Angela Nelson

@John Wolfe

She nodded her head as she listened, she had been to Cardiff many times but never seemed to enjoy it since she was raised in a small rural area rather than a suburban or urban area. "I've been there, I don't really like it, too many people but do you live in one of the castles?" She asked because she had seen multiple castles in Wales that were always closed, nobody seemed to be living in them but you never know with wizards. She let him finish answering her question before beginning to talk again "I live in Dyffryn Ardudwy, it's a small rural area off of the main A496 coast road." She thought about home, the beach she lived on, the wonderful house she lived in and her family, she missed them and a sad look washed over her face but it wasn't too noticeable.

"Well done!" She did a fake bow in her seat "Periculum" It was one of the spells she learned the first night upon coming to Hogwarts. Red sparks flew out of her wand like fireworks but not very loud or big.
She let him talk and watch John and the Slytherin girl quarrel before sitting down. "Guess you were right, I could do it on the first try. Who knew." She shook her head "I did, obviously" She moved and watched as everyone finished the charm. The professor was back at the front of the class "Now everyone good job! Some had a little bit of a struggle and others were perfect. Now to finish up today's class I want you to do the work in front of you and it must be turned in by tomorrow or you will not get a good grade. Have a wonderful day!" The professor then turned into a cloud of green smoke and they disappeared, in front of them was their homework, Angela looked at it and answered the questions before grabbing her books and getting ready for her next class.

The bell signaled for everyone to go to their next class and the mass of students made their way from their seat and poured into the hall with everyone else. "Goodbye John, maybe we will see each other in another class" She gave him a warm smile before leaving herself, she kept a tight grip on her books as she looked at her schedule to see what her next class was and where she would be going. In Angela's spot where she was sitting was a piece of parchment, it was the drawing of everyone in the compartment on the Hogwarts Express "A keepsake cause why not" was written on the parchment along with her signature and a smiley face.

At Angela's question on his living situation, John gave a small nod. "My parent's home appears very different on the outside. It isn't one of the castles but the larger manors, though when you go inside it is pretty..." He paused to think of the right word, "stuffy?" There had never been a time where he had to describe his home to anyone else. Typically people he met already had seen the inside from various parties his family hosted or they were much too afraid to enter knowing the Wolfe's bloodstatus.. and reputation. "We live more on the outskirts... countryside I suppose." Clearing his throat, John began to feel uneasy not wanting to seem pompous. His parents' status usually warranted some unwanted attention or jealousy from others. Something that John tried hard to steer away from, not that he wasn't proud of the Wolfe lineage.. just... not all of it was positive.

"Dyffryn Ardudwy..." John tried to recall the location. He hadn't been too far into Northern Wales.. Rural sounded nice though, he imagined it was a beautiful place. Glancing at Angela he noticed a shift in her appearance. She must have a kind family, he thought. The sad look that had glazed over the girl's face made him realize not everyone was so anxious to be free from their parent's clutches. A part of him wanted to inquire about her home and learn more but he thought better of such a topic... it might only make her feel worse. Maybe another time... outside of class. Strange to think that John actually was looking forward to possibly seeing someone his age in a more social manner and not out of sheer obligation as he was so accustomed to.

The Professor's signal for the end of the class made him fumble for a way to end the conversation on a better note. "Er.. well I bet it is lovely there." He offered the girl a kind smile as he grabbed his quill from the bag resting under his chair. Focusing on the task in front of him John let him mind wander. What would his parents think of him interacting with someone like Angela? A tiny ball of guilt wedged itself in his throat. Staring blankly down at the questions in front of him, John realized he was in no state to finish these up now. Normally he could zip right through his work but with how eventful the class had gone he felt a bit too keyed up to just sit and work.

His gaze slid over his desk and towards Angela who he noticed seemed to be working away already. It made him want to stay longer and work... maybe try to talk to her some more... He opened his mouth to try asking about her home when he turned and saw her gathering her things. Clamming up, he watched her silently.

"Goodbye John, maybe we will see each other in another class"

Unable for his brain to catch up to his thoughts, he just gave a nod and slight wave of his hand. No matter that he wanted to say his goodbyes to the girl, his mouth seemed to have lost all function. "Y..yeah!" Finally he called after her over the noise of chairs sliding out from their position and chattering as the others left the room.

"Yeah... that's all?" He groaned, scolding himself inwardly as he turned back in his seat. "Way to go.." Clearly the boy had a long way to go in learning how to socialize with his peers... especially girls. Realizing he was the last one left, John muttered to himself as he gathered his things to head off to the next set of classes. As he stood and hoisted the strap to his bag over his chest something in Angela's seat caught his immediate attention. Had she left something? This could be his opportunity to find her and-- John froze. It was a drawing.

Slowly he reached down, picked the thin piece of parchment up and brought it closer for inspection. "Did she..." He was speechless. It was a wonderfully done sketch from the train. Had this been what she was working on? As if he had just come across something secret the boy looked up and peered around him seeing if anyone was watching. No one... just he stood alone in the classroom. Returning his attention to the drawing he scanned every inch of it. She had captured the compartment well... the details of the window, the others and... she had even included him. No one had ever.... A strange new feeling bubbled in the pit of the boy's stomach. Hearing the doors to the room enter he hastily yet carefully placed the drawing into his bag before making his way out of the classroom, a grin plastered across his face.

@Angela Nelson