School Year Starting Logs: Train + Feast/Sorting!

[shnpc]

WHO: Everyone!
TONE: Anything!
RATING: PG through PG-13
WHEN: The day of September 2nd for the train, and at night for the feast!
WHERE: Hogwarts Express/Platform 9 3/4 and The Great Hall
WHAT: Gotta get back to Hogwarts! Back to witches and wizards and magical feasts! Students and teachers are finally heading back to school on the Hogwarts express, and with the new school year means sorting for the first years!
STATUS: Ongoing!
NOTE: There is a thread for the Train back to Hogwarts, and the Feast, with a subthread for the Sorting! First years can comment to be sorted, and everyone else can greet their new house mates/students!

Comments

[rule_britannia]

[The one-quirked-eyebrow expression remains for another few moments before Arthur lets out a quiet chuckle and shakes his head]

You're one hell of a weird kid.

[givesyouaboner]

I have no control over what goes on the internet....

[rule_britannia]

Your enthusiasm for it is entertaining.

[givesyouaboner]

Oh.

Well.





Thanks!

[rule_britannia]

You're welcome.

[Arthur glances out of the window]

So.. how are you going to go about getting out of the boat ride?

[givesyouaboner]

_{[He's quiet for a moment.]}

I haven't actually had a chance to learn how to swim.

[rule_britannia]

Were you intending to jump into the lake?

[givesyouaboner]

No.

[rule_britannia]

.. In that case, I'm not seeing the problem.

[He glances over at the younger boy]

Falling in isn't mandatory.

[givesyouaboner]

Who's to say it won't happen on accident?

[rule_britannia]

'By accident'.

And no one, but if you fall in, the squid will put you back in the boat. Probably.

[givesyouaboner]

Whatever.

If it doesn't decide to eat me.

[rule_britannia]

If you're that scared I'm sure you can speak to one of the professors. They might let you sit in the middle of the boat.

[givesyouaboner]

I don't want to take the boat at all.

[rule_britannia]

[He's just going to.. quietly.. look at you for a few moments, then he glances out of the window]

I didn't want to, either.

[givesyouaboner]

_{[He lapses into silence for a good while before speaking again.]}

But you did it anyway?

[rule_britannia]

Yeah, I did it anyway.

[givesyouaboner]

How'd you get brave enough?

[rule_britannia]

Heh..

[Arthur smiles, and shakes his head]

This is probably going to sound odd to you, coming from a Slytherin, but, Dirk, bravery isn't about not being scared.

[givesyouaboner]

I really don't like the idea of judging someone or thing just based on their house.

_{[It takes him a moment to soak in the words.]}

What is it about then?

[rule_britannia]

[There's another twitch of a smile at the comment on his House]

It's about facing your fear, and doing it anyway.

[givesyouaboner]

<sub>[He doesn't respond to this immediately, because this applies to so many aspects of his life right now. He's unwittingly let anxiety take control and he's tired of being terrified of everything lately. It's just a hard habit to break.

But if he can take this advice, if he can get on the boat, maybe he can do other things. Like try to swim. Or go near a broom at all.]</sub>

What happens if I try to do that and I start to panic when it's too late to stop?

[rule_britannia]

[The older boy is quiet for a minute, then he draws his feet up onto the seat and wraps both arms around his legs. Resting his chin on his knees, the overall effect is to make him look far younger than he is.. not that he tends to look his age to begin with - his mannerisms give him away]

Think of someone that you want to be proud of you. Do it for them.

[givesyouaboner]

<sub>[Dirk isn't even paying attention to that. He's focusing on the the scenery passing by from the window while he reflects on this. There's three people he wants to make proud. One is just a memory, and the other two are very real. They're the ones he idolises, who he wants to be like, who he looks up to in every way and doesn't want to let them down.

He doesn't want to start by them being disappointed in a childish fear such as this. Maybe if he could take hold of this determination, he could do this.]</sub>

I don't want to be a letdown.

[rule_britannia]

Don't look at it like that. I'm sure they won't.

[He scratches his temple, and watches the scenery. It's all well and good for him to be saying this, but he's feeling more and more like a hypocrite]

You either do it, or you don't. If you do, you'll probably feel bloody good about it. If you don't, you'll just regret it, eventually. It's up to you, in the end, but trust me on this - some things you only get to do once. This is one of them.

[There's another small smile]

And the first view of Hogwarts makes it all worthwhile.