Head in My Hands

[Avie Mitchell]

Avie Mitchell had been having a lot of fun at Hogwarts, he could hardly believe that this first year was almost over. He liked playing in the lake, he liked using the broom and flying around the pitch. Seeing how fast he could dive. His roommates were strange but fun. He loved stuffing his face with all the food, but despite all this, he still did not like the classes. It wasn't that he didn't find them interesting. That wasn't really true. He liked casting spells, and he liked looking at the stars. He enjoyed messing around with plants, and he liked watching potions change things, but he didn't really like the reading part of things. He didn't like History of Magic because there was a lot of reading involved. He didn't like doing the homework, and he didn't like when the professors did lectures. He just didn't really like all the aspects that made classes, classes. The reasoning was actually simple enough, Avie had been homeschooled by his aunt, and she had focused her attention on her sons and not really on Avie, Avie had never gotten the same attention. He'd always been told that he wasn't going to achieve anything, and at some point Avie had stopped caring, he had stopped trying, and it all been fine until he'd had to go to hogwarts, and he had realised that his reading and writing skills were just not on the same level as those in class. He struggled to get through one paragraph of any book, and his homework was handed back to him generally with the professor having made so many changes that it might've been easier for them to rewrite it completely. The young Slytherin hadn't ever really been bothered by his poor skills. He loved having fun, and he knew that a career wouldn't really matter. He didn't think he would be able to do anything. However, that being said, it didn't make the boy feel particularly good. He tried, but when he couldn't do it, Avie just threw in the towel. What was the point in his mind.

This struggle with reading however, he was realising was becoming a real trouble in almost all aspects of his life. This was the perfect example, as he sat in the corridor of the Astronomy room, he had a letter in his hands, and beyond knowing it was addressed to him and was from his mother, he didn't really know what else it said. He was piecing it together, muttering the words he could make out aloud. It didn't help, that much he realised. He was stumbling over the words. It frustrated him, because he was sure that if he wasn't having to read them, he'd have no trouble. He was sat on the floor, and he was just staring at the letter, his light brown eyes were scanning the page, but he wasn't actually taking any of it in. He wanted to cry out, why was this so hard for him, when it was so simple for everyone else. It didn't make sense to him, why had not stuck to learning more. "This is stupid" He muttered, feeling utterly useless. He looked up from the letter, and sighed deeply. It felt stupid. It felt silly. He felt stupid. Avie was pretty carefree, there wasn't really much that actually bothered him. He was pretty oblivious to most things. He preferred having fun to being serious. He took longer to understand things, and he wasn't the brightest. But, he knew that he couldn't really read or write, and despite most other things, it was the only thing that really annoyed him. It was the only thing that he would actually admit made him upset. It wasn't fun to not be able to understand the only letter his mother had sent him during this term. It wasn't fun to struggle with something that every one else seemed to know to do. He wanted to tear up the letter. He wanted to throw it out the window. Above all, Avie just wanted to be able understand it. So, knowing that it quite possibly had something written in it that was important, the boy just began again, stumbling and muttering over all the words. Not really being able to get beyond the first few words.
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Spoiler: The Letter

Dearest Avery,

My son, I trust that you are doing well. That you are doing well in those classes of yours and that you are not being a bothered to those professors. Things are nicely quiet at the house without your antics, but we all look forward to your return at the end of term. I know that you had wanted to come home during the christmas holidays but be realistic Avery, you can't always get what you want. Try to behave son, and your aunt and cousins will pick you up from the train station at the end of term, though they might be a little late. Just wait in the train station, by that coffee shop that you like. Do not wander off, Avery.

My sweet Avie, work hard, and do well in those exams. I know if you even put in a little effort you'll be able to pass.

I look forward to seeing you soon,
Mother

 

[Cirino Raven]

Ciro had just finished another lesson, and was now packing up his notes and papers, and planning on returning to his office. Admittedly, he preferred to not use too many notes, as young people rarely liked reading all that much. Visual helpers were much more his style. He waved his wand to disperse the apparitions floating about the room and slid his wand back up his sleeve. He grabbed his tea cup after stacking his papers nicely and tying them up, then he left his classroom to dump all of this back in the office and probably have a rest. Perhaps make another cup of peach tea.

The new professor paused when he saw one of his students sitting in the corridor, apparently reading. Or attempting to, at least. Usually, he would not have bothered a student in the hall. They were allowed to sit about and read if they wanted to, but the Slytherin boy - Avie, if he remembered correctly - appeared to be having serious trouble as he was obviously agitated. He approached the boy, and gently placed his own bundle of neatly arraigned, tied up parchment on the floor beside his feet. Realising that the height difference would be a bit awkward, he knelt down in an attempt to even out their height and stop the boy from pulling a neck muscle just to look at him.

"Mister Mitchell, are you alright?" He asked, tilting his head at the boy, and then politely glancing at the note. He soon brought his eyes back to the boy's face, however, as it would be rude to read his note without his permission, or cause to do so. "What is the matter?"
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[Avie Mitchell]

Avie had always had trouble learning to read and write. His aunt who had doubled as his tutor had found it hard to teach Avie. Especially since Avie found it a little difficult to pay attention. He got distracted easily, and his aunt had found it easier to let Avie learn on his own while she taught his cousins. It hadn't mattered to her whether he actually learning or not, and his mama didn't care too much either. Avie was left pretty much on his own with these things, and unfortunately it meant that Avie hadn't actually really learned how to read or write properly. He'd attempted to learn, but nothing had ever really gone in, not in the way it had for everyone else. During this first year Avie had struggled a lot with his learning. He could manage the classes with the spells, up until the sort of exam point. When he could only be able to do the practical part as long as there was one. He knew that this problem he had with reading was really going to become an issue as the year progressed on. The boy was just staring at the note, the letter his mama had sent him. He knew that she didn't know about his reading problems, no one had ever told her. Avie didn't want to be the one to tell her. He much preferred having fun.

A voice beside Avie startled the young boy, though no more than a little jump where he sat. Calling him Mister Mitchell, asking if he was okay. "It's just Avie" He told him with a small sigh. He was annoyed at himself, and he would much rather be alone than have to be with someone else. He glanced at the man, a professor, their astronomy professor, who was now asking him what the matter was. Avie shook his head, placing both hands on his head and groaning slightly. He didn't like it. He was so frustrated. "I'm stupid" He told the man, scrunching up both his hands into fists. He hated not being able to read what his mother had written. He hated being at this point in his life and not being able to read the letter his own mother had taken the time to write. Avie looked up at the professor, this professor could read. "Can you read this to me? I can't..I can't read" He held it up for professor, so that he could read it. He didn't care if the professor was busy, he knew that this letter was probably important.
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[Cirino Raven]

Ciro took note of his preferred name, finding that many preferred to be on a first name basis. Yet he had always been brought up to refer to others on a last name basis. However, that was not important right now. One of his students was obviously distressed, and considering the boy lived in the school, he was unable to return home and have the day wash over him. If it were a school-related issue, there would be no way for him to escape it. As the boy's professor, hearing the young Slytherin lament about his intelligence - or lack-thereof - made Ciro frown. A boy his age really shouldn't think he is stupid - whether that be true or not was irrelevant. "Avie," he sighed, getting into a more comfortable position by putting his tea cup down and crossed his legs. "You are only stupid if you believe it. Continue to get frustrated with yourself, and you will become ignorant, but never stupid."

He was surprised, however, to hear that he could not read. he had thought that it was merely he could not figure out a question as homework, or something else has frustrated the boy. Some children could become easily frustrated, but this was not something simple. By time they came here, a child should be able to read quite well. Ciro nodded, and took the letter. He felt a little uncomfortable, as this was a private letter between mother and son, and really should not be read by others, but he had been asked, and if he didn't do it, there really wasn't anyone else that could. It was quite a substantial letter, but easily read and paraphrased, fortunately. "It is a letter from your mother," he explained, deciding that he would start with most important, to least. "It says at the end of the term, your aunt and cousins will pick you up from the train station. They may be late, and if they are, you are to wait at the coffee shop that you like, and are not to wander off. It also says that you cannot come home for the Christmas holidays. She wants you to work hard in your classes and exams, and to behave. She also gives you her well wishes and awaits your return." He handed the letter back to Avie, and looked at him sternly. "She does not know that you cannot read, does she?" He could not succeed in his studies if he could not read. It was a major part of his classes that he be able to read the material.​

 

[Avie Mitchell]

While the young boy had really wanted to be alone, he was kind of glad that this professor had taken the time to sit with him. He smiled slightly at him as he took a seat, as the man said his name. Avie gave another much weaker smile. He could not muster anything else in this situation. This was the only thing he appeared to be able to do. The man the continued, telling Avie that he was not stupid. Avie knew he was stupid, he knew he did reckless things, he knew that this not being able to really read and being pretty bad at writing meant that he was pretty stupid. He shrugged at the man, at what he said. He was probably ignorant too. "No, I'm stupid." he shrugged at the man, he said it as if it was incredibly obvious. That of course he was stupid. He looked away from the man, sighing slightly. It wasn't something that bothered him too often, just on occasions like this where he really needed it that it became painfully clear that he needed to do something. He liked messing around, he enjoyed playing. He liked rocks and was not very good at paying attention in classes or general learning. He just found it boring and he always wanted to do something else so he had never really learned. And Avie knew that to most that made him stupid. Thankfully the man whose name Avie couldn't really remember took the letter from him and then began to read it.

Avie was glad when started telling him what was written. He was glad to finally know what his letter was saying. Avie listened along and nodded, he was now really pleased that the man had run into him. Since had he not Avie would've probably kept walking around the station and not actually stay in the one place. Avie continued to listen happy that he was finally able to put together the words on the page and what they actually meant. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to go home for Christmas but at that he still sighed. He wanted to go home but knew that he wouldn't actually be able to. Avie nodded as the man appeared to have finish the letter. Avie had been about to thank the man and the walk away with his letter but the professor spoke. Asking if his mother knew that he couldn't read. Avie shook his head. He looked up at the man as he took back the letter and looked down at what was written. "No. She's really busy, so she just assumed I could." Avie shrugged, he wasn't sure how else to explain it. "She's a writer, she writes children's stories. She's too busy to deal with that kind of thing." Avie told the man proudly. "I get by, it's not that big of a deal." Avie added kind of hoping that at that it would be over and the professor would leave. Avie just struggled every so often, and generally when he did he just let it be. Hopefully this man would leave it at that.
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Sorry if there are any mistakes. I'm on my phone!

 

[Cirino Raven]

Ciro chewed the inside of his mouth as Avie grew increasingly saddened. Ciro, having known how to read since he was a young boy, could not remember a time where he could not read. He realised that he could not quite understand the boy's plight, although it had to be somewhat similar to having to learn to read in a different language, yet, even that was still not quite the same as never being able to read in the first place. If Avery believed he was stupid, then there was little Ciro could do about it, besides getting him to recognise that he was not stupid. Though, he was not entirely sure how to accomplish such a thing. What you were was very much determined by how you saw yourself, and if he saw himself as stupid,then he would remain that way.

As the boy's professor, Ciro was paid to teach him. Sure, technically he was to teach his students Astronomy, but he could not do that if they could not read, could he? It was especially strange that he could not read, considering what his mother did for a living. His mother assuming that he could read was not going to help him, but if she were busy enough to not realise that he couldn't read, then Ciro doubted she would have the time to do something about it with the appropriate haste. "This is not getting by, Avie," Ciro said. He stood up,and held his hand out to help Avie up if he needed. "Avie, would you like me to teach you how to read? Quietly, of course. no-one need know about it if you so wish."
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[Avie Mitchell]

Since Avie had never really properly learned to read, it had proved to be becoming slightly more of an issue as his life progressed. He'd never had to read any letters from his mother, and his aunt had always just grown so frustrated with him, that his homeschooling lessons had never lasted as long as they were supposed to. he just felt it now, when he was really faced with something that everyone else could do. Sure he sacrificed his learning for fun, but maybe, if he'd just tried a little more he could have both. Once he had one thing he would then be able to get another. He could end up being able to have a basic level of reading and then also be able to have fun afterwards. It was just getting him settled enough to be able to learn, that had been his aunts issue and also why he had not exactly brought it up since coming to Hogwarts. There were something things he could read, his own name for one. A few things which meant that this first year had been going too terribly. Just he knew that eventually it would just worse. He wouldn't be able to keep going just based on what he knew.

As the man spoke, Avie just nodded it. "It is sir" He replied with a small whine in his voice, he didn't like pushing it. He didn't want to be helped, this man would just get frustrated and give up on him. Avie didn't want to do that to the man, and he didn't want to fail someone else. He just folded up the letter and placed it in his pocket. "It's okay. You don't need to" He said, he didn't want the professor to feel like he had to do anything, just because he'd been the one to help Avie with this letter. "I'm not so good at paying attention and stuff. I don't want to waste your time" He told the man, and made no motion to take the mans hand and get up. Avie just wanted to stay there, and just wait a little longer. He didn't want to leave this little spot where he had taken up feeling just a little bit sorry for himself. He knew it was bad, that he didn't need to such a thing, but Avie didn't want to go back to Slytherin just yet. It was grumpy down there, and in this somber mood, he didn't want to become grumpy too, like all those other slytherins. "I'm going to stay here, if I go back to Slytherin, I'll be grumpy like the rest of them, and that's worse than not being able to read."
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[Cirino Raven]

Ciro looked at the boy questionably, but remained silent with regards to his whining protest. Whatever he chose to call it, it was not good to sit in a hallway and wallow. His lack of reading ability was definitely something that had to be addressed, but if he didn't want Ciro's help, there was very little the man could do, except explain to him that his desire to help was not born out of necessity or obligation, but want. "I know I don't need to, Avie, but please know that I want to. You would not be a waste of my time." He lent down to pick up his bundle of parchment and tea cup, seeing as Avie did not want to leave his current position. Ciro could not force the young boy to do anything, let alone get up off the floor and learn. If he wanted to stay and sit, and do whatever it was that he was planning to do afterwards, the Italian could not stop him. Avery had to want to learn, he could not be coerced into learning, otherwise he would absorb nothing.

"Do you want some tea?" the professor asked, side-stepping Avie so he could prepare to go get some if Avie accepted his offer. "You can drink it here if you like, or you can return with me to my office. It is, ultimately, your choice." And it left things open, meaning that, if Avery returned with him to his office, Ciro could try and convince the boy to take up his offer on reading lessons, while sitting around in the corridor could do much the same. "It is warmer in my office than out here, by the way," he added, deciding that an extra incentive - such as the chilly halls - may need to be mentioned.​

 

[Avie Mitchell]

In reality Avie did want to learn to read. It would really help him if he just had a basic understanding of words, and how to read. It was a little annoying, and would increasingly be annoying if he could neither read nor write well at all, especially come the OWLs. It also didn't help his own writing. Avie could manage writing, but he couldn't for the most part read it back, and he knew by the state of some of the work he got back that it was riddled with mistakes. Learning to read would be definitely one of the things that he needed to learn. Just it would be hard, he knew that whoever tried to take on the task would be met with the same problems that Avie's aunt had had in trying to teach him. He knew that this man would just grow frustrated at him, he would get angry, and Avie would still not learn anything. Which was a cycle the boy had no idea how to break. "I would be. Everyone says so" He shrugged slightly, really, it was only his aunt that said so, but that to Avie accounted for everyone really. "My aunt says it's too late now. I'm never going to be able to do it" He whined, clearly frustrated at both himself and his aunt. It clear in the way Avie spoke that he did want to learn to read. It was embarrassing being his age and still having problems with the simplest things.

It was then, that the professor invited him to have tea, that was first for Avie. He glanced up at the professor with a slightly confused look, Avie wasn't allowed tea, and he wasn't the type that was invited to have tea. He was excitable under any circumstances and was likely to accidentally spill it on himself, which explained why he generally wasn't allowed it or allowed to tea. However Avie knew generally that where there was tea, there were also biscuits, and Avie was not one to turn down even the possibility of biscuits. He nodded slightly, he didn't really want to leave this spot, but his desire for biscuits was strong than his desire to continue sitting on the cold ground being angry with himself. "Your office" He said, getting to his feet and stretching out slightly, his limbs stiff from being sat in the same position. "Come on! Let's go." he said excitedly to the man, trying to not act over eager, but really wanting to go. "What's your name? I know you're a Professor, but that's not your name." Avie knew that he should probably know this, he had this professor for Astronomy, but, he wasn't exactly that great at remembering. He was also aware that most professor didn't like being called by their name, but Avie would be perfectly okay, just knowing his last name. "My name's actually Avery, like my mum said in the letter, but no one calls me Avery. That sorting thing at the start of the year said Avery, but I'm Avie. It's a girls name, Avie, but it suits me better than Avery. Avery is an old man name. I'm young and fun, not old and grumpy." Avie knew he was rambling to the professor, but was now looking forward to tea, and in a way, he was also looking forward to the fact the professor might actually teach him how to read.
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[Cirino Raven]

It was hard to think that a boy Avery's age was already beginning to think that he was unteachable. Thoughts like that would have this young boy skating along on the bare minimum for a long time until he realised that he could go no further. If this continued, he may have to write a letter to this aunt of Avery's, she sounded like she needed to understand what it meant to care for a child appropriately. He could not have his student's thinking that they could not learn simply because someone had told them that they would be a waste of time. he was here to teach them how to be upstanding members of society and to understand the stars, not to babysit them because their carers were too lazy to help them themselves.

He smiled slightly at the sudden enthusiasm that had come over Avie. This was far more appropriate for a young boy than the previous wallowing the pure blood had just witnessed. He nodded and began walking towards his office, being careful not to drop his teacup. He looked over at Avie as he asked for his name, not really caring too much that he did not know it. It was not the worst thing in the world. "Ciro Raven. In my office, you may call me Ciro. Anywhere else, and it's Professor Raven." Within the school grounds, he was Avie's Astronomy professor, and that was it. However, within his office, when not having the topic of Astonomy on mind, Ciro felt that the formalities could be waved a little if the young Slytherin wished it so. They were going to be private reading classes anyway, so Ciro doubted that there would be any need for Avie to call him Professor Raven within his own office.

At the explanation of his name, Ciro smiled as he began to walk. When younger, he had felt similarly about his own name, and now that he was older, found his proper name much too foreign to use with anything but situations that required him to sign legal documents or to otherwise use the name on his birth certificate. No-one called him Cirino, ever. It just was not done. "My birth name is Cirino, after my great-grandfather. I know exactly what you mean." For a boy to be named after his great-grandfather had made Ciro think that it was a name for an 'ancient' person such as what his great-grandfather felt like. Now, however, he realised that it was out of respect, but he was not looking to live in the shadow of a man long since dead.
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[Avie Mitchell]

Avie happily got to his feet, suddenly feeling so much better about everything. There was nothing quite like the prospect of biscuits to cheer up his mood. He like tea perfectly fine, just preferred biscuits. Though he was always trying to drink tea super quickly and did very often end up burning his tongue, which was another reason why he was generally not allowed to drink tea. His family knew that Avie was not the smartest person to be doing such a thing. Being so easily distracted wasn't good at all, or excitable really didn't help. This much was clear in the way that he wasn't allowed at home to do certain things at home, which he could at school. Though often he made sure that he was to a certain extent being careful. He walked with the professor as he told Avie his name. The slytherin was a little surprised that in the office he'd be able to call him Ciro, but elsewhere he was to be called Professor. it would Avie gathered be pretty hard for him to remember which should be said at which point. Avie just decided he'd call him Raven, cause that was cool. Ravens were cool. Avie liked birds, they were pretty interesting. He also liked throwing rocks at them.

Avie let the professor lead slightly, as he could not say that he knew where this man's office actually was. He knew that it was somewhere near the classroom, but Avie got lost a lot. He wasn't sure if he could actually remember where the room was. Then as Avie was about to ask where the room actually was Raven also said that he had shortened his name. Avie smiled happily, he knew he wouldn't be the only one. His excitement about this was clear, and he had made a mental note to tell his aunt about it. "That's so cool. Cirino" He carefully pronounced before grimacing slightly and shaking his head. "I don't like it. It's weird. Ciro is weird too, but it's better" Avie told the man, he smiled at him maybe knowing that the man might disagree with Avie's thoughts towards his first name, "But, it's okay because Raven is very cool" Avie chuckled lightly at it. He knew that the professor might at some point regret his offer to Avie, but for now, Avie was glad for the company and the invitation to tea.
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