Dreams of Glory

[Tristan Collins]

Entering his second year, Tristan felt a lot more like he understood the school and how things went here. He was embarrassed to remember how he had been only a year before. A little lost kid, wandering around the school with his mouth hanging open. He had been sorted into a house without really knowing much about how the houses worked or even that they had a House Cup to compete for. He also hadn't yet known about the prejudice people like him would face in a world like this. It made him angry every time he thought about it, and he didn't know if there was anyone he could even talk to. Ever since he had been called 'filth' and nearly cursed for just being who he was, he had wanted to make his mark on the school. He had worked as hard as he could in his classes, but he still felt like he was miles behind some of the other kids. It had been nothing but luck that had spared him from being cursed by Lycus in the forest last year. The boy had been faster than Tristan. Better than Tristan. All because he had grown up around magic all his life.

But he would show them. He would be better. Right now he was planning to look at the trophies in the school, hoping to get inspired. It would be amazing to leave his mark on this school in some way. He was surprised to see he had gotten somewhat near to the poin total for most points in the last year, though he had been beaten by someone he didn't know. Looking at old trophies made him only more determined to one day be among them. He did notice something that made him feel unsure. The winner of the House Cup almost never seemed to be Hufflepuff. He had never thought much about his House, always thinking that it was just a way to seperate the students, not really important. He had focused on himself and his own accomplishments being what mattered, but if he was in a house that never won anything, how could he shine? People would just assume he was a certain way because of where he was sorted. Vivian was his friend, but he was a shining example of what people thought of Hufflepuffs. Shy and awkward and in the background. He wanted to have a different image, but he had no clue how to do that.

He didn't realized he had been staring at the same trophy for minutes until he suddenly snapped out of his thoughts. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. Maybe he should get out of here, it was a bit depressing to see everyone else's achievements when he hadn't done anything yet.

 

[Margo Ellis]

Margo had spent the entire summer holiday telling her elder sisters, Cynthia and Brogan, about all the exciting things she'd gotten up to at Hogwarts in her first year. So now that she was back in the castle, why did she feel so... deflated? The school was supposed to be a home to everybody, but truth be told, it didn't feel very much like one to the curly-haired Ravenclaw. She missed her family - her mum and her dad, her grandpa, and even her sisters, who drove her up the wall with the arrogance they presumed being older than Margo immediately entitled them to. And when she dwelled on it for too long, she even started to miss her Muggle primary school, where she was plain and ordinary and picked on for for it.

Urgh, what was she even thinking? Quickly Margo shook herself, thrusting her chin into the air and striding down the third floor corridor with little regard for who she might accidentally shoulder into. She wasn't going to revert to old-Margo, no matter how her conscience tried to persuade her. Coming across a door she had thus far ignored, Margo stopped in her tracks and pushed it open. At first the room appeared to be empty, save for dozens of cabinets, tables and shelves all displaying shiny trophies of every size and subject. Then she spotted Tristan, a boy from her year to whom she'd never paid much attention, but who now presented her with an opportunity to assert her new status in the school. "Eugh," she said, the door squeaking as it closed behind her. "I hope you don't think your name could be on one of these trophies. They're actually only for people who are good at something?" Her tone rose toward the end of her statement, as if she were really asking him a question - in this case, whether he was stupid enough to think he had any talent.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan had just made up his mind about leaving when somebody else joined him in the Trophy Room. He hoped it wasn't anyone of importance, he didn't want to get a name as the weird guy that hung out in dusty rooms all by himself. But it was just Margo, a quiet and sort of nerdy girl in his year. He was just preparing to give her a polite smile and some excuse before leaving, when she opened her mouth and talked to him like he was beneath her. He stopped in his tracks, his eyebrows lifting. Sure, he had seen Margo hang around Odette a lot, and that girl was a piece of work. But he hadn't expected this from her when the other blonde wasn't around. It seemed like her terrible attitude had rubbed off on Margo, and while it took Tristan aback, he couldn't let this stand. Not after last year. Nobody was going to walk all over him ever again, especially not someone like her.

"Really?" He asked her, crossing his arms. "I think I have a better chance than you do, anyway. I didn't get a single grade lower than an E last year." Except for flying, but that wasn't important. "So unless they make a trophy for following Odette Harper around like an obedient lapdog, I think I'll beat you to it." He had no idea if Margo had better grades than him or not, but he had a suspicion. He also was at least confident in knowing he didn't follow around anyone. Talking like this made him feel a strange thrill. Though he felt guilty too. It was an odd feeling, but it wasn't like he had started this. If she had talked this way to someone like Vivian, she probably would have made him upset. But Tristan wasn't weak. It was his turn to bite back.

 

[Margo Ellis]

Margo concealed her shock behind a smirk, as if she were pleased she'd managed to provoke Tristan into stooping to her level. In actual fact, she could not have been more surprised by the Hufflepuff's sudden change in attitude: he'd seemed quiet in lessons, so much so that she'd until now completely overlooked him. It was a shame she and Odette hadn't taken him under their wing - he had the makings of a pretty cool guy.

"Aw, that's nice," she said, crossing her arms. "It's a pity they don't give trophies for being an insufferable know-it-all. There wouldn't be enough room in here to put them all." Margo raised her brow. "And by the way, I'm not Odette's lap dog. But then I guess you wouldn't know what friends look like, would you?" Maybe that was a little bit far. After all, Tristan had never done anything to hurt her. The Ravenclaw's heart palpitated as with horror it dawned on her how completely horrible she was being, so that she had to fight to keep her cool countenance. She sounded like a bully. She sounded.... like Odette.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan had half hoped that this girl was all bark and no bite, and that she would back off after he snapped back. It seemed like it wasn't the case, she was just smirking at him like this had been what she wanted. And she didn't seem shocked by what he said, or even a little bit hurt. He felt a flare of irritation, he couldn't be the one looking worse in this encounter. "I would rather be an insufferable know-it-all than a failed Ravenclaw." He shot back. "And I do have friends." A friend. his mind unhelpfully supplied. He ignored it. "I think you're the one that doesn't know what it's like to have a normal friend. I can give you a little hint, you don't generally take orders from your friends, nor do you try to copy their personality in order to look stronger than you really are." It was rather obvious that Margo was just acting the way Odette acted, honestly, it would be a bit sad if it wasn't directed at him. "Your 'friend' is a horrible person, and you're acting just like her. I guess you aren't a lap dog after all, just a pathetic knock-off without a personality of her own." He felt like he was crossing a line every time he said something, but he couldn't back down now. He couldn't look weak.

 

[Margo Ellis]

At first, Margo laughed, rolling her eyes. What kind of insult was a failed Ravenclaw? Clearly Tristan was grasping at straws. But no sooner than Margo had thought this than suddenly he made a remark that smacked her straight in the chest. A pathetic knock-off without a personality of her own. Was... was that true? Admittely, she had been trying to imitate Odette lately. But she had her own personality, as well! A flicker of hurt registered on the small girl's features before she gave herself a mental shake and frowned hard. She couldn't back down now - she couldn't lose the fight. Then Tristan would forever remember her as the girl who broke under his bullying, and that wouldn't do. "At least she's a real friend," retorted Margo. "Real friends stick up for each other, which Odette has done dozens of times for me. I bet Vivian couldn't even stick up for himself." Suddenly a thought came to her - a word she'd heard used about Tristan before. She didn't know what it meant, but apparently it was mean. "Anyway, I'd rather be a knockoff than a mudblood." She smirked triumphantly, inside trembling like a leaf. This was the most horrible thing she'd ever done. Why couldn't she make it stop?

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan smirked when he saw that what he had said had hit the girl. Once he calmed down, he might feel bad about it. Though he hoped that she would think of what he said and take the words to heart. It would be better for everyone if she just tried to be herself. At least she would probably be less obnoxious. Her ramblings about how much Odette had done for her were silly. It was obvious that the girl was just playing her. Her dig about Vivian made him grimace for a moment, but he shrugged it off. If Vivian couldn't stick up for himself, Tristan could do it for him. He was about to tell her so, explain to her that that's what friends did, when another sentence left her mouth that stopped him in his tracks.

He stared at her, his eyes widening slightly. He had expected insults from her, but not this. He was honestly at loss for words. Was she like that? Like the Howards? Did that mean the Odette girl was too? How many people saw him like that? He clenched his fist. He had to get out of here, but not without getting in some more words. He was angry now. "I thought you were just a stupid girl with an empty head that followed a stronger leader, but I didn't expect you to go this low. I hope you're proud of yourself." He spat. "Maybe you should trade Odette for Lycus Jin Howard, he might be more your style. I'm sure he could use an obedient brainless little dog like you. Besides, Odette's probably trying to surround herself with pretty girls." It was a petty insult, especially because Margo was as pretty as any girl in their year, but he didn't care one bit. He shouldered past her, hoping it wasn't noticable that her words had shaken him enough to make his hands tremble as he held his bag. He hated that a simple word had such a big effect on him, but it was a reminder of how some people saw him and would see him for as long as he lived in this world.