Closed Time to go

[Ewan Wang]

Ewan hadn't been sure whether or not to come back after the break. Going back to his home and his grandmother had brought about mixed emotions, and while he'd already spent a good portion of his first year doubting whether or not magic was just a scam, he felt guilty coming back to play dress up and wave around a magic stick, when he should have been at home and doing what he could to help his family and better himself for graduation in his home town. All his friends from primary had moved to secondary, and yet Ewan now had to lie to them too. They had no idea what he was supposed to be capable of, and the more time Ewan spent at Hogwarts, the more he just felt as though he was wasting his time. He knew it was bad when the things he enjoyed most was writing essays.

After his latest History class, he and come downstairs with the intention of grabbing some lunch in the Great Hall, but upon reaching the large wooden doors, the hustle and bustle inside of chattering children, it felt as though he was just looking at some kind of act, a play, a cruel scene that he needed to play out so that he could do what? Go home and not have the basic idea of how to do Math? He wasn't learning anything useful. Backing away from the Great Hall, he turned swiftly on his heel and instead darted back outside into the courtyard, throwing the bag that was over his shoulder off and forcefully to the side into the ground. His books were expensive but so what? They didn't help him. Being here didn't help him. He was just making things more difficult for his future. He let out a loud groan, aware that most people wouldn't even be paying him any attention since they were all too busy learning how to make things hover in the air or whatever else. Pacing in circles, the Gryffindor's eyes kept glancing to the bridge that would take him away from here. Maybe it was just time to go.

 

[Rion Pendleton]

Rion pushed her chicken around her plate. She was strongly thinking about becoming a vegetarian. Then again, she didn't much enjoy eating anything at the moment. The only thing she was hungry for was the very plain home-made cake her granddad had packed for her, and since it was too soon to ask him for another one, she was doing her best to make the last two slices last. After a few more minutes, she gave up and went outside for some fresh air. The soft September breeze calmed her - but it did not have the same effect on the Gryffindor boy who was throwing his bag around. Rion knew Ewan. He was a nice, if slightly odd boy. He had offered her a sandwich when she'd been sick in the hospital wing. His anger felt familiar, and she privately cheered him on. Throw something! Kick the wall! Let it out! There was no better feeling.

But after a moment, Ewan began to pace, and Rion realised he was all alone, walking around in circles, nowhere to go. She descended the steps and approached him cautiously. "Ewan?" she said. "Are you OK?"

 

[Ewan Wang]

At home, Ewan was taught that if he couldn't say anything nice, then he shouldn't say anything at all. He needed to be supportive to the people around him, polite, a gentleman. Just because his grandmother wasn't looking over his shoulder with a rolled up newspaper now that he was at school, didn't mean that those things had just been lost on the Gryffindor. He'd purposely waited until he was on his own to let himself act on his feelings. No one else needed to see it. Therefore when he heard his name spoken from behind, he immediately straightened up somewhat sheepishly, as though he'd just been caught doing something embarrassing, and turned to see Rion walking towards him. Merlin, there really was no where safe in this school. The second year sighed, dropping his shoulders. Part of him wanted to tell her what was running through his head, but not only was it not anyone else's burden to bear but he wasn't entirely sure he knew the Ravenclaw well enough yet to divulge. He bent down to pick up his bag, dusting it off (although it was somewhat pointless given the marks it now had streaking down one side) before turning his attention back to Rion in front of him. "Do you ever feel like an imposter? Here at this school?" he answered her question with one of his own instead.

 

[Rion Pendleton]

"Like... a squib?" Rion asked.

 

[Ewan Wang]

Ewan shook his head, "No, not really. I can do magic but why? What's the point? Is learning how to make things levitate or start a fire without matches really going to help us out once we graduate and go home?" he said, looking between Rion and the doors behind her to make sure no one else was about to come out. "I'll go home at 17, and I won't know anything else. How am I meant to get a normal job and help my family?

 

[Rion Pendleton]

"Ewan, it's okay," Rion said, pushing down the thoughts of her own family that Ewan's question stirred within her. "Look at me. It's okay. You have loads of time. We haven't even learned any proper magic, yet. Why are you so worried?"

 

[Ewan Wang]

Rion didn't get it, not at all. She probably had a family that supported her instead and she could do whatever she wanted. Sure he had loads of time now, but if he graduated he would have learnt nothing that his former school friends would have. "Because there's no point to learning magic if it doesn't actually help you live," he replied, looking at the Ravenclaw.