Closed Be Better

[Corn Seymour VII]

Cornelius was not going to dwell on his holidays. He was going to keep his head held high, and he was going to be better. Last year had been... a practice year, that was it. Just a practice, this time he was going to show what he was really made of. If nothing else, he was going to get better at forging better grades before his parents got a chance to actually see how he had done. It had been thoroughly drilled into him over the holidays that this kind of failure was unacceptable - the family's entire legacy rested on his shoulders, and there was no room for error. He was going to succeed, like his father, and his before him, and his before him. There was no other option.

Anger, frustration, and self-loathing spat and hissed in Cornelius' chest as he wandered down the corridor, on the way to the library. He had last year's notes clutched in his arms, and while staring at them for hours hadn't managed to cement anything in his brain long enough to actually remember it in the exam, surely this time he would be able to actually learn. He was so focused on his own problems that he didn't look down, almost tripping over a much shorter boy. Looking down in disbelief, he tried to figure out what was going on. Was this a teacher's son or something? "Why is there a child here?!" He asked, looking around with a small frown.

 

[Oswald Brambleheart]

Despite his attempts to try and be more sociable or maybe get higher grades, Oz was happy to just be in his own world, focusing on the things that mattered to him, like his art, and keeping entirely to himself. The lingering fear of maybe having to start being upfront about his bloodline was starting to bother him, of course, but he was trying not to think about it. The longer he could put off having uncomfortable conversations, the happier he'd be, he thought.

Apparently, however, fate or some other cruel force did not agree with his avoidance, as a boy crashed into him. Oz scowled, rubbing the back of his head and looking up in discontent, especially as the other boy called him a child. He vaguely recognized him from some of his classes, he thought, but it wasn't as though he'd gone out of his way to get to know many people. Especially those who weren't in Hufflepuff. "Oi, watch it," he groaned, defiance swelling in his chest. "...'m not a child. We're in the same year, stupid." It was, of course, very difficult for Oz to look at all intimidating, or even sound it. His comeback sounded more petulant than anything.

 

[Corn Seymour VII]

Looking around, Cornelius couldn't see any adults who seemed to be attached to this boy. He had heard the Ravenclaw Head of House had her daughter at the castle sometimes, but this boy didn't look anything like the professor, and definitely didn't look like anyone's daughter. He scowled when the kid spoke, mind immediately jumping to the worst case scenario. "What, are you some kind of child genius?" He spat, burning and frothing with rage and frustration at the thought of a child doing better than him. Just another kick in the teeth for stupid old Corn. "They shouldn't have let you in at all, Hogwarts has age limits for a reason. No special treatment for a squitty little boy whose mummy and daddy probably bought him special tutors." Cornelius had been seeing tutors his whole life, but his tutors were obviously rubbish if they hadn't managed to turn him into a child prodigy.