Closed Miscommunication of Names

[Declan Burke]

Declan had been enjoying his first few days at Hogwarts. Exploring the castle, getting to know people, it was all fun and cool. The new Gryffindor had been told many times by his uncle to keep an eye out for his new companion. His tarantula was named Wilfred, or the nickname he had given his tarantula, Little Will. Declan had decided to bring his tarantula companion with him to explore the castle for a wee while, before making his way to the student lounge to relax for a bit.

Declan had put Little Will down for just a second to have a look at the shelves of things he could do with his companion, but the minute he came back, the spider was gone. Panic immediately came to Declan. The Gryffindor looked around. "Little Will?" Declan whispered, trying not to get the attention of other people in the room just yet. "Will?" Declan whispered again, hoping it would get his tarantula's attention. Before he saw the familiar colour of his tarantula move underneath one of the couches and Declan quickly followed. "Wilfred, come on! Come back here! Wilfred!" Declan said a little louder now, as he tried to get his tarantula back.

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

Freddie had only come back for his pen. It had slipped out of his pocket when he'd fallen asleep on the sofa by the fireplace - and here it was, just as he'd expected, trapped between the cushions. He brushed off the lint, pocketed it, and headed for the door.

Wilfred? Who was calling him Wilfred? Yes, all right, that was his name, and no, admittedly, he hadn't taken the time to introduce himself to anybody outside his house, but he was feeling a bit sore and therefore liable to interpret anything less than perfect courtesy as a personal slight. It didn't help that he'd been shouted at in this very spot a few hours earlier. He folded his arms as he met the boy at the couch. "It's Freddie," he said, careful to withhold any strong emotion from his tone. "What did I do?" The answer, of course, was nothing. Freddie hadn't done anything. All he'd he'd done since he got here was mind his own business, and still everybody had a problem with him.

 

[Declan Burke]

Declan frowned in confusion at a sudden voice he had heard while he was under the couch, trying to get his darn tarantula to come out from under the couch. "Huh?" Declan asked out loud in confusion, before peaking up from the couch he was just under. He looked at the boy with genuine confusion. "What are you talking about? His name is not Freddie?" Declan said as he tilted his head, still confused about what the boy was trying to say, his mind still on trying to get his tarantula.

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

Freddie frowned. Was this some kind of trick? Was he going to look under the couch and get shoved on the floor? Was that other kid hiding under there, waiting to grab him? He didn’t trust either of them one bit. Curiosity, however, got the better of him, and taking a generous step back he bent to peer under the gap. It was very dark; the fire was dying in the grate and did little to help. “Who are you talking to?” he asked. There was nothing under there. “Is this a joke?”

 

[Declan Burke]

Declan started to get even more confused when the boy looked back at him with confusion. Was he missing something that he was supposed to know? "A joke? It's not a joke, it's an emergency!" Declan says with concern and worry. Before he could answer the boy's question of who he was talking to, he saw his tarantula quickly emerge from the bottom of the couch. "Wilfred! My tarantula," Declan says in relief, pointing to his tarantula that he had been looking for for the last ten minutes, forgetting to pick the tarantula, as a good pet owner should be, he had been more concerned letting the other boy know who he was talking about, rather than where his tarantula would be walking next.

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

Thank Merlin Freddie had good impulse-control, or else the spider would have become abruptly two-dimensional when he looked down and saw it by his foot. He got as far as lifting his knee, then shifted gears and staggered backwards. That was Wilfred?? A tarantula? Freddie, for whom the thought of anybody touching a spider was inconceivable, quickly picked up an empty waste-paper basket and trapped the furry creature under it. “I got him,” he said. “I think.” He’d got him, right? The only thing worse than seeing a spider was not seeing a spider.

 

[Declan Burke]

Declan panicked a little as he watched the other boy lifting his knee, thinking that the boy was about to stomp his new companion, though he sighed quietly in relief when the boy stood back, going back into reality that he was looking for his tarantula. Declan panicked again as he had thought that he had lost his tarantula yet again, but it seemed that the other boy had caught it with a nearby basket, which again made the boy sigh in relief. "You think?" Declan questions softly, hoping to Merlin that it was in fact in the basket trap. "Let's hope Little Will is in there. Sorry if he scared you a little," Declan then says apologetically.

Maybe he should've listened to his uncle and kept a better eye on his tarantula, or better yet, kept it in his cage in his dorm. Declan slowly made his way to where the basket was, before lifting to see if his tarantula companion was in fact trapped or not.

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

“Yeah, pretty sure,” said Freddie. He was leaning over, holding the basket carefully in place, as if Wilfred might have the strength in one of his tiny tarantula legs to lever it up over his own body. Well, you never knew. “He did. His whole life probably just flashed before his eyes. Sorry about that. Is he OK?” As the Gryffindor stepped forward, Freddie stood back, acutely aware that the nearest and most convenient place for Wilfred to bolt was up his trouser leg.

 

[Declan Burke]

Declan nodded when the Ravenclaw seemed to be pretty sure he had caught his companion. The Gryffindor laughed a little at what the boy had said as he picked up the basket, relief washing over his face as he noticed that his tarantula was, in fact, in the basket. Declan slowly picked Wilfred up in his hands. "Phew! Thanks for catching him, my uncle woulda killed me if I lost Little Will," Declan says with a small smile of appreciation. He was definitely not going to tell his uncle about the situation that had just happened, and he hopes his uncle never finds out about it. Declan then remembered the conversation with the boy earlier and turned to him, still holding his tarantula securely. "Why did you think his name was Freddie?"

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

Freddie tried not to cringe as the boy picked the tarantula up with his bare hands. Who did that? More to the point, who kept a tarantula as a pet? He could have excused the fact they were creepy and gross if they were interesting to play with, but they didn't seem to have much to offer in the entertainment department either. Oh, well - each to their own, or whatever.

"I didn't," he said, relaxing a bit, though not entirely, now that he knew the boy wasn't trying to trick him. "I thought you were talking to me. Wilfred's my name. Shouldn't you keep him in a box, or something? You can call me Freddie." He said all this mostly to the spider. He was half expecting it to make another break for freedom. "What's your name?"

 

[Declan Burke]

Declan listened as the Ravenclaw had explained before the realisation had hit him, understanding the confusion now. "OH!" Declan says out loud, the realisation hitting him. "Now that makes more sense," Declan says, confirming. He hadn't really thought about the other people around him having a similar name or maybe the exact name as his tarantula. Maybe he should've changed the name of his tarantula, but then what was the chance of his tarantula having the same name as another student? Did he have to ask every student in this castle what their name was to avoid confusion? That sounded like that was too much effort, and he couldn't be bothered with that.

Declan nodded his head at Freddie's suggestion. "I guess you're right about that, I should've just kept him in my dorm, in his cage. My uncle's gonna kill me if he finds out i let him outta my sight" Declan says a little worriedly, as he then looks around for something to put him in, when he finds a small box nearby that looked like it was discarded by another student, and placed his tarantula in his box. "Nice to meet you, Freddie! I'm Declan, and as you know, this is my tarantula, Wilfred, but I like to call him Little Will," Declan says with a smile as he introduces both himself and his tarantula. "You a first year too?"

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

Freddie nodded, a grin creeping across his face. It was kind of funny, now that he thought about it, and he regretted that he’d gotten quite so defensive. Luckily, Declan didn’t seem to have noticed. He was incorrigibly cheerful. “Nah - he’s not going to find out,” said Freddie, curiously peering into the box. Now that the thing was contained, it was actually pretty cool - much cooler than a puffskein or a hamster or something. Luke had a hamster. It liked to sit up on its haunches and stare motionlessly at Freddie, like he owed it money, and it was going to collect that debt, yes it was, just as soon as it worked out how to squeeze through the bars. “It’s cool that you let him out. People who get a pet and leave it in the cage - that’s kind of dumb. He wants to see the world. Hi, Little Will.” Luke was one of the more responsible pet owners, but Freddie had met a few who should never have been allowed them.

He stood back, rubbing his nose. “Yeah, I’m a first year. Aren’t you in Gryffindor? What’s everyone like? Do you like them?”

 

[Declan Burke]

Declan grinned, glad to wear good things about him being a pet owner, though Declan himself wasn't so sure. He's lost count of how many times this week he has lost his pet tarantula, but he wasn't going to really admit that to anyone. He nodded at Freddie's question, glancing between both Freddie and his tarantula, not wanting to lose sight of Little Will. "Yup! Gryffindor! I haven't really properly met everyone, but so far, everyone seems nice," Declan says with a small smile. He knew he had to interact more with his roommates and housemates, but he was going to do that slowly. "How bout you? Everyone you met so far been nice at least?"

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

Hmm. Nice? The Gryffindors had made a slightly less favourable first impression on Freddie. Boldness and bravery were just nicer words for arrogance and recklessness, and some of the boys had both in spades. It was wrong to assume they were all bad, though. Uncle Rudolf was a Gryffindor, and he was… er, well, a bit arrogant, actually, and very loud, but he didn’t seem to be a bad person. And then there was Amortentia, who was OK, but she was a little bit… no, this wasn’t going very well.

“Yeah, um. People are cool. Most of them,” Freddie said. It probably wasn’t a good idea to start venting. He didn’t know that Declan here wasn’t already best friends with Mister Shouty. Besides, whenever he had a problem with someone, people were always quick to assume it was Freddie's fault - as if he wasn't just minding his business most of the time. "Did you see your timetable? I'm in Ravenclaw, so we both have Potions with that... Professor Hopkins-Something. Wanna sit next to me?" Classes weren't starting for a few more days yet, but Freddie figured it was good to be prepared.

 

[Declan Burke]

Declan frowned a little at the boy's statement, the part where he said "most of them" worried Declan a little. It sounded like he had to watch out for some people, though he didn't know whether it was because they were mean or maybe because Freddie didn't like them, but he wasn't going to pry Freddie on it just yet, he had only just met the guy. "Most of em aye? I'll keep my eyes open then. Do I need to fight some people for you?" Declan muttered at first before saying the next jokingly, but maybe only partly joking on the last part. He was in fact loyal and protective of his friends and family. Sure, he only just met Freddie, but he seemed like a nice guy. Though he definitely was going to keep an eye out. Declan shrugged a little. "Nah, I didn't really get a proper look just yet. But sure, we can sit together" Declan says with a grin, Declan was happy to sit next to someone he could consider as a friend.

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

Freddie shrugged. He was nervous to name names. That was a one-way ticket to being the least popular kid in the school, and he was already dangerously close to the final stop. Declan didn't seem to hate him though, so maybe it would be all right. Maybe they could even be friends. It would be cool to have a friend. Not that Freddie needed one, or anything, but he'd always wondered what it was like. Someone to hang out with, someone to sit next to, someone to fight people for you. Well, maybe not the last one. Freddie laughed, shaking his head. "Have you ever been in a fight?" he asked. Declan didn't seem like that sort of person. He seemed... nice.

Freddie fiddled with the cuff of his sweater as he continued. "OK, cool. Um. This might be a weird question. Are you Irish? I lived in England, when I was smaller. I was born there. We moved to America when I was five. I just sound American because I mostly grew up in New York, I guess."

 

[Declan Burke]

"Depends on what sorta fights I guess. Arguments mostly, physical? Only once. Do not recommend," Declan says with a shake of his head and a small chuckle. He remembered being in a physical fight before, but that was only because he was defending someone. It was only because it looked like the person he was defending couldn't really defend themselves, and he wasn't the one who started the physical fight either. But arguments were what he always seemed to find himself in and he was ready to defend his friends and family.

Declan grinned at Freddie's question. "What gave it away?" Declan joked, but he nodded anyway. "Nah im only kidding, yeah I'm Irish. Was born and lived there for ages until a year ago, I moved here. Not the same as home. Its still weird getting used to everything"

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

"Yeah," said Freddie, absent-mindedly touching his knuckles as he recalled the worst fight he'd ever been in. The kid had been winding him up all day, calling him stupid names, mocking the way he walked. Freddie finally had enough and snapped. He wasn't expecting the kid to punch back. They'd both got into a lot of trouble for that one, but on the plus side, the boy never made fun of him again. "I've been in a few. I don't like fighting. Some people, though - they think they can walk all over you, unless you show 'em. So I had to." Maybe Declan understood that. Maybe he'd had to punch a bully, too. Having a pet tarantula probably made you a bit of a target.

Freddie laughed, trying to shift an uneasy feeling. "Do you miss it?" he asked. It was nice to talk to someone else who'd travelled a long way from home. Hardly anyone understood how scary it could be, moving half way across the world, leaving behind all that was familiar, not knowing if anybody was going to be nice. Then again, half those things were true of the average boarding school experience. Freddie, Declan, January, the other kids - they were all sort of in the same boat, weren't they? "I bet lots of people are feeling homesick. I'm not - but I do miss England sometimes. It's weird. I don't even remember it. Just barely."

 

[Declan Burke]

Declan frowned a little in worry as Freddie had looked at his knuckles. The Gryffindor wasn't sure why the boy had been looking at his knuckles, but it had looked like he had been thinking about something. However, Declan had only just met Freddie, and he didn't really want to pry into the boy's life just yet. He nodded his head, understanding a little of what he was saying. "Yeah, it sucks when people walk all over you. It's not nice," Declan says with a shake of his head.

Declan nodded quickly at his question. "Oh yeah, I miss Ireland a lot. I haven't visited back just yet. But I miss everything there. New Zealand just doesn't compare. Are you missing America at all?" Declan asked him with a small smile. Most of his mum's family was back home in Ireland, and all of his dad's family was here in New Zealand, so he couldn't really do anything even if he wanted to. While he did miss Ireland, he did like the company of his cousins.

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

Freddie nodded. Declan did get it. "It's fine now," the Ravenclaw added quickly. "No-one messes with me." And if they did, he'd hit them again - even if it got him into trouble. It was the only way to deal with bullies. He had to.

"No, I hate it," he said, gripping the bookcase behind his back. His heart was suddenly racing for some reason. "I didn't want to move there. My mom left - that's why we went. Sorry." He needed to lighten the mood before this got too sad. Glancing down at the box, an idea came to him. "Um - where's Wilfred?" he asked. The tarantula was still in there - Freddie could see a hairy leg in the corner - but it was pretty funny to make Declan look.

 

[Declan Burke]

Declan nodded. "Good" Declan says softly with a nod. He did infact wonder what Freddie was thinking but he wasn't going to push him. He had only just met the guy, and it was weird to suddenly open up about your personal life with someone you had only just met.

"Oh, right, sorry to heat bout that, I guess" Declan says sympathetically. There seemed to be a whole other story there that Declan wasn't sure he wanted to open just yet, but again, he wasn't going to push the boy if he wasn't ready for that. While he had only just met the guy, the boy already considered Freddie as a friend. He seemed like a nice guy anyway. Declan frowned and panicked at what Freddie had said next. "What do you mean? Little Will's gone again?" Declan suddenly panicked yet again, completely ignoring the box that contained Little Will, which was now placed on a table nearby, as Declan started to go on a hunt for his tarantula yet again. He really needed to pay more attention to his tarantula.

 

[Freddie Lagowski]

Freddie shrugged again. He’d said way too much - he shouldn’t have said all that - he didn’t want people to know about his screwed-up family. It had slipped out before he could stop it. Luckily, the spider provided a good distraction as Declan started to hunt around again. Freddie stifled his laughter with a hand. He hadn’t even checked the box! Little Will was right there, pressed up in one corner, apparently taking a nap. “Oh, no!” Freddie managed to get out between giggles. “You lost him again? Where could he be? Where oh where oh where…”