Lysander was nervous. He had never been away from his Uncle August for very long before, and most of the children he'd played with had been of a certain set — either progressive or related to him, and usually not significantly poorer than he was. But it wasn't just the Pettigrew or (Evangeline) Rowle children here today, and his uncle and governess had tried to expectation set as much as possible with him — some children would not have left the towns they were born in before, and some children would have beliefs that Lysander would likely consider a bit backwards. (But so did some of his relatives, so.)
It would all be alright. He was shy, but he thought he would try to get up the nerve to talk to as many people as possible, to understand their perspective — and to make more friends, even though he had some here already. But Cousin Leo was not much of a comfort, — they were very close, but Lys was privately a bit worried about what his cousin would do the first time he got an answer wrong in class or was told off by a prefect.
But he'd managed to feel excited once he was on the boat with his supplies and his owl, and that feeling stuck with him through the line for the sorting. (He hadn't known about the sorting hat, but how interesting was that? Lys had been worried that they would have to answer questions in front of the whole student body for the sorting, and where would he end up if he couldn't manage to speak in front of this many people? Would they send him home?)
The hat was still in front of everyone, but it was also — apparently silent. Lysander watched it carefully as it sorted the children ahead of him in line, and started slightly when his name was called out: Echelon, Lysander.
Did the sorting hat ever make mistakes? It was too late to worry about that now as it slipped onto his head. Surely if it made mistakes someone would have changed it by now.
It would all be alright. He was shy, but he thought he would try to get up the nerve to talk to as many people as possible, to understand their perspective — and to make more friends, even though he had some here already. But Cousin Leo was not much of a comfort, — they were very close, but Lys was privately a bit worried about what his cousin would do the first time he got an answer wrong in class or was told off by a prefect.
But he'd managed to feel excited once he was on the boat with his supplies and his owl, and that feeling stuck with him through the line for the sorting. (He hadn't known about the sorting hat, but how interesting was that? Lys had been worried that they would have to answer questions in front of the whole student body for the sorting, and where would he end up if he couldn't manage to speak in front of this many people? Would they send him home?)
The hat was still in front of everyone, but it was also — apparently silent. Lysander watched it carefully as it sorted the children ahead of him in line, and started slightly when his name was called out: Echelon, Lysander.
Did the sorting hat ever make mistakes? It was too late to worry about that now as it slipped onto his head. Surely if it made mistakes someone would have changed it by now.
1. I think I would spend a lot of time playing chess or charades with my friends without lessons, and probably some time with Uncle August, too, maybe exploring the law office — I haven't been. It's strange to think of unlimited resources, though — I've never felt like my resources were limited before, and I'm not sure what I would do with freedom, either. I think it might be interesting to go to High Street or to Padmore Park without anyone going with me. That would be new.
2. I hope I'm good enough at Transfiguration to try for an animagus transformation someday! It would probably be something that watches — like one of those birds that learns things, or maybe a cat. I liked when I saw a fox in the garden once in Germany, though — it would be really neat to be a fox, and to camouflage while also being so red.
3. I like to think I'd speak up because that's the right thing to do, and I would want my friend to do that for me, too — but sometimes I get daunted when I have to talk to new adults, so it might be really difficult for me. I'm trying to be less shy, though, and if I did not manage it I would apologize to my friend as soon as class was over, and try to approach the professor with them to clear things up without having to do so in front of the whole class.
4. Mm - if it's like a prank, or something I'm only a little scared of, I think I'd try it if a really good friend asked me. But if it's going out after curfew or something I think is dangerous, like the Forbidden Forest, I'd definitely tell them no. If they want to break a big rule, that's fine — I don't think I'd tell on them unless I thought they'd get really hurt — but I don't want to get in trouble and disappoint everyone.
2. I hope I'm good enough at Transfiguration to try for an animagus transformation someday! It would probably be something that watches — like one of those birds that learns things, or maybe a cat. I liked when I saw a fox in the garden once in Germany, though — it would be really neat to be a fox, and to camouflage while also being so red.
3. I like to think I'd speak up because that's the right thing to do, and I would want my friend to do that for me, too — but sometimes I get daunted when I have to talk to new adults, so it might be really difficult for me. I'm trying to be less shy, though, and if I did not manage it I would apologize to my friend as soon as class was over, and try to approach the professor with them to clear things up without having to do so in front of the whole class.
4. Mm - if it's like a prank, or something I'm only a little scared of, I think I'd try it if a really good friend asked me. But if it's going out after curfew or something I think is dangerous, like the Forbidden Forest, I'd definitely tell them no. If they want to break a big rule, that's fine — I don't think I'd tell on them unless I thought they'd get really hurt — but I don't want to get in trouble and disappoint everyone.