Scouting The Turf

[Sophia Jackson]

Sophia Jackson loved books. There could be absolutely no phrase in the whole world that was more true than this. In her first day at the castle she had found the library, and she had elected to never leave a place like this ever again, unless it was for classes at least. After learning about the four houses and the history of the school, she had been certain that there had been no mistake that she had been placed in Ravenclaw, or 'the nerd house', as a certain Gryffindor had put it. She didn't mind, though. She found herself a collection of books to read and a table to sit it, and she couldn't easily lose herself for the remainder of the day in these books.

 

[Elizabeth Chatwin]

The sorting was over, a new chapter had officially begun. Ravenclaw was the house they placed Elly in. Not that Elly cared the house didn't define a wizard, the wizard defined a house. A nice pair of navy coloured robes had arrived for her and Elly was wearing them with pride. She had no clue which house was right for her, but Ravenclaw did suit her somehow. Since everything was new and Elly hadn't studied up on some things she decided to go to the library. The library was big with books literally everywhere. Some in neat stacks others piled up in a bookcase. Elly almost knocked a pile of books over due to her excessive clumsiness. ''Oops, sorry'' Elly said out loud, did she just tried apologize to a pile of hurt books. Elizabeth smiled, maybe she was a Ravenclaw by heart. After some strolling through the library she found a book she liked and took it out. It was about charms and transfiguration. What Elizabeth hadn't seen was that most tables were filled with older students and Elly was way too shy to sit with a sixth year. After searching for a good table she found one with one girl sitting on it. The girl was definitely a first year. Elly had remembered most of the faces, so she knew who the other sorties were. ''Hello, I am Elly.'' Elly paused holding the giant book in her hands Can I join you? Everywhere else is full''Elly looked at the table, the girl seemed nice enough and she was in the same house as her.

 

[Sophia Jackson]

At first, Sophia didn't even notice that somebody else was near her, talking to her. She glanced up at a whim, and took a sharp intake of breath. She wasn't entirely sure who they were, but she did notice that they were wearing a Ravenclaw robe and she had seen her previously at the house meeting. She gave her a smile, and gestured to the seat across from her before returning to her book. She didn't mind company, but at the end of the day she was still the kind of person who kept to herself and she preferred the people in books to the people in real life. Most of them, at least. she mused to herself. She didn't want to earn a reputation as rude, however, so she found herself putting down her book for the time being and looking up at the other girl. "I'm Sophia, you're a Ravenclaw as well, right?" She asked, already regretting her choice to socialise with somebody that she didn't know very well.

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo was already keen to start studying for her lessons, afterall it was the main reason she was even at this magical school. With the basics charms book under her arm, she wandered around the library for somewhere to sit. This place seemed packed already, but Geo supposed that it was purely a rush from everyone wanting to get ahead of themselves before lessons started. No doubt things would quieten down soon.

She glanced at the tables as she walked beween the large bookshelves, unable to see anywhere that was already unoccupied by students. She was about to take the book back to her common room; A place she knew she'd have to get used to, but aware that all the students she'd met before she began here had evidentially been sorted elsewhere, when she spotted a familiar face. Finally, she thought. Her walking sped up considerably, and she pracically threw her book down on the table between two girls before throwing her arms around one of them. The action even took her surprise somewhat, but it had been a number of month since she'd seen Elly. "Elizabeth!" She squeeled in between hugging. "I can't believe you made Ravenclaw! You're so clever" She smiled up at her friend after checking her robes. Geo hadn't worn her robes, and didn't plan to outside of lessons. She preferred to keep her house a mystery until after she had gotten to know someone. There was way too much prejudice in this school, or at least that's what Emily had told her before she arrived. Dressed now in simple black leggings and an oversided sweater, she took a moment to glance over at the girl accompaning her friend. "Hi, it's lovely to meet you" Although unaware of who the girl was, she didn't want her feeling left out. "Are you a first year too?" She asked her, leaning over the table to take a look at the book she was reading. Unfortunately for some, Geo very rarely knew social boundaries, and living with a mass of children was nothing new.

 

[Elizabeth Chatwin]

Although transfigurations was a subject she wanted to know more about, she was also wanting to meet her housemates. Elizabeth put the book down and sat down in the appointed seat. The library was still busy, but that would die out soon. Elly didn't like to sit with so many people she did not know. The girl in front of her seemed nice enough and Elizabeth decided to just give it a go. ''Yes, also a first year, just like you.'' Elly muttered she was sure she had seen the girl at sorting. Her name was called as one of the first and from the Ravenclaw table she could easily see the other students getting sorted. Elizabeth opened her mouth to ask another question. She did not want to come off as rude or like something she wasn't. As soon as she opened her mouth she felt two arms grabbing her into a hug. She looked up and stared into the face of Geo. A friend she had met in England, Geo was a really nice girl and they had lots of similar interests. Elly knew she wanted Gryffindor really badly, but got Hufflepuff in the end. She decided it was best not to ask, since it maybe could have been a major let down for her friend. ''Geeeeeooooo, Yeah even I didn't know I was that smart.'' Elly giggled and winked at Geo. The first thing Elly noticed was that she wasn't in her robes, but instead was wearing a really comfy outfit. ''I am really glad to see you! I wanted to talk sooner, but after sorting it was mayhem!'' Elly smiled and for a second she forgot that Sophia was there. Elizabeth saw how Geo had almost put her nose in the book of Sophia and laughed. ''Geo subtility isn't one of your talents'' Elly bursted out of laughing and stopped as soon as she people staring at her rather angrily. ''Oops, well being quiet isn't one of mine'' Elly still smiled, Sophia must think she was nuts. ''Sophia did you get the house you expected?'' Elly muttered in between smiling.

 

[Sophia Jackson]

Sophia was starting to regret her decision to not hide away in a far off corner of the library. While she didn't mind people, she was used to being able to study or read on her own without people trying to disturb her with pleasantries. When Elizabeth seemed to conjure a friend, she held back a sigh. It was hard enough to entertain one person while keeping up with her book, but with two it would be almost impossible. She took the chance to finish her chapter while the other two had their conversation, and then marked her progress and put it down.

Smiling at the newcomer, she introduced herself once again. "Hey.. Geo, is it? My name is Sophia, and yes, I'm a First Year as well. Ravenclaw, like your friend." She said, acknowledging her statement. She wasn't really sure if she could be considered as having been assigned the house she wanted. There was a lot she hadn't known at the Sorting Ceremony since he had gone in blind. She shrugged, "I didn't really know the houses when I had attended, as my parents are muggles. I'd only just learned about the school. But Ravenclaw does fit me, now that I know more about the school." She said, once again shrugging it off. She wasn't entirely sure. "Did you guys get the house you wanted?" She asked. Everything aside, she knew that having friends would be important.

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo knew how manic it had been after sorting, and it had been difficult to catch up with anyone after that. She had ended up following her new house to the common room, and Elizabeth was the first of their pack for Geo to come across since starting at Hogwarts.

Quickly the topic moved on to houses, and not really keen to share too much about her own, she let the girls speak to begin with. She hadn't honestly had time to think about how she felt about being in Hufflepuff, and could only really understand at this time that she missed those she already had a connection with. She had come across a number of students before the semester began but Geo was the only one to make it into the Badger Hut. "I think it's important that I got the school I wanted, above everything else." She said truthfully. Those she had grown up with the orphanage had chosen their specific schools, and the majority of her childhood friends now resided at Hogwarts Scotland. Once more Geo had had to move away, and rebuild herself, this time in a new country too. But the opportunities she would recieve while attending Hogwarts New Zealand far outweighed the sadness of leaving her friends, and she hoped the same would one day be said for her new Hogwarts house. Loyality was strong in her book, and she knew she would also remain close to those she loved.

"It must be quite a stretch to come to Hogwarts if you didn't grow up knowing about magic" She questioned Sophia. This topic was far from something Geo was knowledgable about, and she was curious about how muggle-borns adapted when placed in situations that even wizards can't fully grasp by the time they're ready to start school.

 

[Elizabeth Chatwin]

Elizabeth didn't know if Ravenclaw was her house, before Hogwarts she found three friends that were all going for Gryffindor including Geo. ''I think Ravenclaw suits me, but I had hoped for Gryffindor.'' Elly spoke slowly, still thinking about what she said. Elly looked at Geo and Sophia, she knew Geo really wanted Gryffindor as well. Sophia was a muggleborn that was easier, you didn't know about any of the houses and it's history. Sometimes being a muggleborn was easier, you didn't have all the knowledge of what happened before. ''Don't you miss you muggle things?'' Elly asked ''I am already missing WIFI, to send messages to my friends'' Elly laughed, she did miss her phone.

Luckily for Elly she met some first years before Hogwarts. That made it easier, but she still missed her muggle friends. Not that she had a lot, travelling between parents each year made it hard. After a year most of her friends had forgotten her or didn't want to know her anymore. It was hard, but her life wasn't that bad it could always be worse.

 

[Sophia Jackson]

Sophia chuckled slightly when both of them seemed to have gotten houses that they weren't overly suited for. Geo, at the very least, didn't seem to have wanted Hufflepuff by any means. Sophia was happy with Ravenclaw. After she had done her research, she felt that it suited her to a tee. She smiled back up at the others, pushing her book aside as it seemed that she wasn't going to have much of a chance to read it now that they were here and she had seemed to have been caught in the middle of their conversations. She shrugged it off, however, and knew better than to let things like this worry her. "I do miss some of the muggle world, but this castle is so magical & bounds and leaps more interesting than the muggle world was at the very least." Sophia wasn't sure if she liked being away from the muggle world always, but most days she preferred the castle to her home. At least she still had the money she was accustomed too. She smiled at the others. "How are you liking Hogwarts so far?" She asked the two of them, her two newest friends.

 

[Elizabeth Chatwin]

It was weird that the girl didn't miss muggle things as she did. When Elizabeth lived with her mom everything she saw was magical. Her mom even did the laundry by magic. Although she loved the magical world, some things of the muggle realm rocked. ''I am loving Hogwarts, it is something new and someplace that can feel like home'' Elly muttered. She had never felt somewhere at home since she had travelled so much. ''Are you enjoying it so far?''Elly looked at Geo and Sophia. Geo was her friend, but now she could add Sophia to that list. The library had turned from quiet reading place into a place to meet friends. She had forgotten about the book she wanted to read. ''What do you guys want to achieve at Hogwarts?'' Elly didn't real know what she wanted. Maybe becoming an Prefect or chaser in the Ravenclaw quidditch team.

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo knew exactly what she wanted to achieve at Hogwarts, but she didn't particularly want to scare her classmates. She knew she was only here for one purpose, and it was the only reason she'd chosen New Zealand over Scotland. "I guess I want to find out how to be the best witch and in the future, put that knowledge to good use" She added. How she hadn't gotten Ravenclaw she'd never know. Although not the smartest girl of her age, Geo was more determind than ever to learn everything she could. She had vowed not to waste her time at the school, and knew that the moment she graduated she would be on her way to great things.

As Geo had grown up in a magical orphanage, she didn't understand what it was like to live as a muggle. She was curious to hear Sophia explain how she felt here, and was glad she was enjoying it. "Hogwarts is more than I ever dreamt it to be. It's not just a school, it's a new magical home" She said philosophically. Geo played with her bright pink hair between her fingers, wondering what else the girls like to do besides reading. "You know, Elizabeth is very good at art, if she hasn't already shown you" She added, nudging her friend with her elbow. "Do you paint or draw at all Sophia?" She asked, trying to find out more.