Closed The sharpest minds

[Monday Weeks]

Monday Weeks, ever since he transferred to Hogwarts New Zealand, had done nothing but exceed. Top Points Earner for his house 2 years in a row, the Quidditch team beater, and a dueling champion on top of that. When he thought he could not climb any higher, he was now a prefect of his house. Monday was unsure if he wanted to drop anything to make things easier on him because he felt like his sanity would crack under the pressure, but somehow he persevered. Monday even had some clubs that he was involved in, just not as much. His social life was nothing to be happy about, but the prefect eventually found himself in the owlery so that he could send a letter out to his mother to inform her of Friday’s sorting. Gryffindor, just like Wednesday. Monday remained the only Ravenclaw, and there were no Slytherins yet. Saturday and Sunday could make that happen. Monday had to think that this year, the fifth years all had new professors to endure. New methods of teaching. The OWLs. Monday crossed his arms and looked out the window. Of course, as he was thinking, he could hear someone coming his way. "It might be unintentional, but it is rude to sneak up on a prefect."​

 

[Emmanuel Okoye]

Emmanuel had come back to Hogwarts with an eager attitude. He had had a good break, spending time with his family always did that. he was feeling positive about his fourth year and the state of his classes. He had written a lette to his parents, letting them know of his safe arrival at school and his promises to have a good year at the school. Emmanuel was climbing the steps up to the owlery and once inside did spot that his owl was standing right next to a person and it was clear they had realised it. "I am sorry, it is unintentional," he said and he tried to summon his owl to him so he could leave this boy but his owl did not move. "My family owl has decided today he's not flying to me," he explained, as he then obviously had to get closer to him to reach the owl.

 

[Monday Weeks]

Monday did not expect an apology so quickly, especially since his accusation was a bit off the wall. He looked over his shoulder to see another Ravenclaw. Monday was only confident with who those in his year were, not any other year. The prefect noticed that he seemed to be struggling a little bit, and explained the problem. An owl problem. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few owl treats. He approached the slightly younger Ravenclaw and held them out. "Try this. Animals are often enticed into obedience with food," Monday felt that it should work. He’d try it himself, but he had no idea which owl was the lad’s. "I’m Monday. Apologies for my accusation earlier. I’m a little on edge today." If only he knew why. Probably just typical teenage things with his hormones everywhere. Surely, that would explain it. He did not like it because it meant he was not always in control.​

 

[Emmanuel Okoye]

Emmanuel didn't have any snacks, but knew this would've likely made things easier for him, and leading him to not disturbing this boy. He took the owl treat and then gave a sharp whistle and the family owl made its way to him. ”It is all good, my friend! We all have those days,” he assured the boy, Monday. The Ravenclaw gave his family owl the treat which it took eagerly and then Emmanuel extended his hand out to Monday. ”Emmanuel, we share a house,” he introduced himself, and he knew Monday, well, he'd never met him properly, but he was on the quidditch team, the top points' earner. ”Can I ask you a question?” he asked.

 

[Monday Weeks]

Monday was glad that the boy at least took the owl treat and whistled for the family owl to come to him, which it seemed like it worked like a charm. The owl obeyed the lad easily. He put the rest of the treats in his pocket and reached out to shake the other's hand. Right, this was Emmanuel in Ravenclaw. He was still working on knowing everyone around him. Just hard to do when he was so busy. "I'm sorry I didn't know you. Still learning to match faces with names." Monday figured that the conversation was over, but then Emmanuel asked if he could ask a question. "Uh, yeah, sure thing. What do you want to know?" Monday asked with a soft smile on his face. ​

 

[Emmanuel Okoye]

Emmanuel shook Monday's hand with an easy expression on his features. He nodded easily. "That's okay, we're not in the same year, and I really only know of you because of quidditch and the top points," he told him. Emmanuel knew he was probably just the history guy, the one who'd been running the history club and he wasn't sure how well known it actually was. "Yes, so, how do you manage everything you do?" he asked, since he couldn't imagine doing all it was that this boy did and still having the space to breath and enjoy school.

 

[Monday Weeks]

Monday now understood why he didn't know Emmanuel. He was likely a year or two below him since he did not look older. Monday laughed softly when Emmanuel mentioned how he knew him. "And now as a prefect. I'm attracting too much attention. Pretty sure my peers probably think I am an overachiever." Monday did not really care how people saw him because they would not understand his train of thought on why he did what he did. Why he pushed himself so hard. It was a miracle he did not suffer a breakdown. "How do I manage everything? Well, routines. A little less sleep... I don't exactly socialize so I don't have a social life. I can spare a few minutes here and there, but that's all I ever get." Monday might have had friends, but he was still an introvert. He could only be in a social setting for so long before he needed to recharge. "I made choices to sacrifice things that don't mean a lot to me. If you want a lot of friends and time with them, don't do what I do. I barely know how to function when talking to people."​

 

[Emmanuel Okoye]

Emmanuel was surprised by the answer that Monday gave, he titled his head a little. "Do you not think you are an overachiever?" he asked, curious as to if maybe Monday thought everyone else was just underachieving. He knew he was achieving highly, working hard to be able to do well. He had realized that it just too more sacrifice, and perhaps it was just that he was unwilling to give up the little he already had. "You're functioning pretty well right now," he said encouragingly with a little smile. "I don't think I want to…I like having friends and having time…but I think my family do want me to,”

 

[Monday Weeks]

Monday shook his head, "No, not in that way. I came from a muggle background. So, in this world, I want to know everything there is, if I can. Except Muggle Studies. There I see the perspective of how magical people see my world." Monday had his own goals, his own reasons. Maybe he was an overachiever, but he was just curious over everything, and he was determined to know everything he could before he sought a career. "I do appreciate your encouragement," Monday chuckled since he looked over his body to see that he was still extremely tense from this conversation, but he was slowly looking less out-of-place. "Unless they are teaching here, or working here, you have reign to do what you want. Just tell your folks that you know someone who does everything, and they suffered from a mental breakdown and needed to be hospitalized for a week. A white lie to save yourself isn't that bad of a thing, is it?"​

 

[Emmanuel Okoye]

Emmanuel wasn't sure that being from a muggle background meant that he should try to know everything, he was a pureblood and he didn't know everything. He could understand wanting to know to understand how things worked, but it felt a little extreme. "What are you thinking of doing after you graduate?" he asked, curious if this boy had given that much thought really. But he shook his head lightly, a white-lie was harmless. "I'd rather not, though I know it's harmless white-lies, I don't particularly like lying to my family. Plus, I am doing well, so, I just have to keep telling them that,"

 

[Monday Weeks]

Monday was not sure if he had an answer to that. He did not know but he wanted the ability to go wherever with his grades. "I'm not entirely sure. But I imagine if I have good grades in every subject, I won't get turned down for anything." Once Monday heard that come out of his mouth, he knew that sounded insane. It would be nice to know what he wanted to do, but he didn't, and he didn't want to be blocked by something he could have done if he could help it. Sometimes, he wondered if there was something wrong with his brain when he was doing what he was doing. "As long as they don't ask for details. But you do run your own unofficial club. The History club. I kept meaning to ask you more about it, but until today, I didn't match a name with a face." Monday only knew about it because of Aine. And History was fascinating from all points of views.​

 

[Emmanuel Okoye]

Emmanuel knew that Ravenclaws as a house tended to enjoy learning for learning's sake, but it felt a little extreme with this. To be working just so hard with no clear end objective. "Well, you could always keep studying, become an academic in something," he suggested with a little laugh. He wasn't sure if that was something that did interest him, but it could be. There was still a little time to decide, and he knew too that as wizards they lived long enough to change your mind several times. "Oh I do! The history club, I'm the leader, Aine helps me out a lot. We just do history stuff," he told him. "Are you interesting in joining us?" he asked eagerly. Emmanuel was always happy to recruit.

 

[Monday Weeks]

Monday never thought that becoming an academic was an option for him, but then again, he could. That was a good option. He nodded along, and decided to keep that stored in the back of his head for later. He might consider it down the road. It seemed like Emmanuel was very passionate about his club. There was a different air about him when he asked him to join. Or rather, if he was interested in it. Monday smiled warmly and nodded, "Honestly, I'd love to. An unofficial club sounds like fun, and it is history. Although, is it magical history, muggle history, or both?" Monday wanted all the information that he could get from it. He already was learning magical history - he thought anyway, in school. He was interested to see about this club too.​

 

[Emmanuel Okoye]

Emmanuel was very excited to have someone else possibly on board with the club. He gave a wide and friendly smile. "I've never specified," he explained. "I think if you are interested in muggle history more than magical history, you can always bring that to meetings, we sometimes do focused meetings, but mostly it's just about learning history and having a place to discuss it with other people who like history." he explained to him, since he didn't think it was right to dictate, though he sometimes did suggest periods, or like a type of history.

 

[Monday Weeks]

Monday liked it when he could see what people were passionate about. He wondered if he lit up like that for, well, anything. But it seemed like the history club was more of a general history, and not specific. He could go with that. He thought about it, and nodded, "I was curious, because I like learning about both, and how they interact with each other, you know?" Monday liked seeing the parallels because it was funny, seeing different perspectives that is. "So, next time there's a meeting, let me know and I'll bring something interesting to the club. Muggle or magical. I'll flip a coin to decide which one."​

 

[Emmanuel Okoye]

Emmanuel nodded, "They are interesting, especially in the ways that the different societies developed, together and separately," he agreed, with both of his parents working as historians for different sides of history with muggles and magical people, it was something that fascinated him. "Definitely! I will add you to our member list and you are free to come and join us," he said with an eager expression, knowing that it would be good to have him at it.

 

[Monday Weeks]

Monday could tell that Emmanuel really enjoyed History, and it was refreshing to see it. Hardly anyone he knew loved it so much. Even at his muggle school. Either that or they just didn't reveal it or the true interest did not develop until later. He wondered how much did magic and muggle intertwine. The whole Merlin and King Arthur thing did. But where there other instances? "I do look forward to it. Although, I should get back to 'patrolling'." Monday made the air quotes since he wasn't actually doing it, not since the prefects meeting. "Just don't tell anyone, okay? That I am putting off my duties every now and again."​