Has Anything Really Changed?

[Ella Arora]

A new school, a different country. Ella wasn't sure what to make of any of it. Socially, not much had changed for her yet. At Durmstrang she hadn't made many friends. Blood purity seemed a lot less important here at Hogwarts, which made it harder for her to determine who was pure and who wasn't. Mostly, she decided to stay on her own. At least Hogwarts had some beautiful grounds. The only thing Ella felt any passion toward was gardening, and it was the thing that made her most sad about having to leave her grandfather's home. The greenhouse behind the manor hadn't been in the best condition, but she had managed to grow some things there over the summer. Now that she was living in an apartment in London with her older sister, a garden was something she could only dream of.

Even though she hadn't made any friends at Durmstrang, at least the people there had been familiar. She had known who to avoid more than others, and who was dangerous and who not. Here she just felt lost, wary of everyone she met. Though her sister was trying to tell her she could associate with all types of blood. What did she know? She had left the Arora estate years and years ago, picked up all sorts of ideas she shouldn't have. That was what her grandfather had always said. But now that he was gone, it was harder for the girl to know what to believe.

 

[Riley Hovegrass]

Returning to Hogwarts had always felt like returning home, and for Riley it was certainly the case that day as she headed outside into the spring sunshine to make the most of the weather before it no doubt took a turn for the worst. Geo often complained of the heat, but Riley couldn't get enough of it, and living in Scotland took it's toll on the Gryffindor, even more so during the winter months. She'd been told it was something to do with a vitamin deficiently from the sun, but she ate well and had no reason to believe she deficient in anything thank you very much. With a free morning ahead of her, she knew she could have been practicing her Quidditch moves, but wanting nothing more than to relax she took up a seat on a bench overlooking the grounds, a pair of sunglasses swiftly moving to rest on her nose, and the blonde peered around at the passing students. To think she was already a third year was ridiculous, and that soon she would need to focus her attention on really getting the grades she needed in her exams. But for now she was happy to people watch. Her gaze followed a girl that she didn't recognize, noting that she seemed lost and out of place. Leaning forward on the bench with her elbows resting on her thighs, she played with the idea that if she were a new student she could tease her little. In the last few years Riley had become more independent, more willing to take chances and risks, and to rely less on others, not that she ever had particularly strongly before. "Hey." she called out eventually, "You look lost." she stated, lowering her head to pull down her glasses, staring at her over the rims to view her properly. ​

 

[Ella Arora]

Ella was content to blend in without speaking to many (or preferably any) students today. Usually, her facial expression was enough to stop others from speaking to her, but it appeared not to be enough for this one girl. Irritated, she looked up. She wanted to just explore the grounds on her own, see if she could find a spot she could claim for a personal little garden, even though that would probably not be allowed. "I am not." She said as she eyed the girl warily. She looked like she was mocking her, the way she was looking over the rim of her glasses was particularly irritating. "I'm somewhat new here, but I'm not lost as I know where I am." She added.