occluminous | arts magical

Bella has been living in the dorms for two days when the term properly starts. The buses begin arriving and discharging the students who didn't need to arrive early just in time for them to join the early attendees for lunch. Bella is sitting at a half-full table, reading her Charms textbook and prodding at one of her notebooks with the hazel wand. The vine one is still in her hair; she uses it for most things (to the extent that there is a 'most things', but she's getting a jump on her assignments) but she's giving the hazel a try for this particular charm. It's supposed to make the notebook refuse to open for anyone but her. Poke. Poke. "Claudo!"

Her notebook snaps itself shut abruptly. She opens the cover, closes it, passes it to the girl on her right and gets her to try, observes that it does not open. She puts the hazel wand back in her sleeve.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

nobodyelse

"But perhaps next time it will be better," says Sherlock.

From:

occluminous

"I don't know, my second one took a lot longer to find," Bella says. "Maybe if you go to a different shop with a different selection? I don't know how many there are, but there must be wizarding places besides the Bay Cauldron."

From:

nobodyelse

"There are many. We will go to another one."

From:

occluminous

Bella smiles. She's glad she had a useful idea. "Where do you guys live?"

From:

nobodyelse

"New York, until recently," says Sherlock. "And yourself?"

From:

occluminous

"Historically Phoenix during the school year, and a nowhere little town in Washington State otherwise, but they're going to have to work out how to divvy up my summers and vacations now that I'm boarding here, I guess," says Bella.

From:

nobodyelse

"Which nowhere town would that be?"

From:

occluminous

"It's called Forks, why?"

From:

nobodyelse

"Because I wanted to know."

From:

occluminous

Bella laughs. "I see. Hey, what kind of class schedules do you have?"

From:

nobodyelse

Sherlock recites them from memory, and add with a smile, "Why do you ask?"

From:

occluminous

"'Cause I have Charms and Potions with you guys," she says.

From:

sparksflying

"Fun!" says Tony.

From:

occluminous

"I'm looking forward to Charms especially. All the cool things seem to be Charms."

From:

sparksflying

"Hey, don't you talk any crap about Potions," snorts Tony. "Potions are awesome."

From:

occluminous

"There are some very cool looking potions," acknowledges Bella. "But they mostly seem to be really advanced, and they all take forever to make. Even complicated charms don't take that long. I'm kind of impatient."

From:

nobodyelse

"I can't think of anyone else with that particular flaw," Sherlock deadpans.

From:

occluminous

"If I thought it was a flaw plain and simple I'd get rid of it," says Bella, waving a hand.

From:

sparksflying

"He's talking about me," says Tony. "What do you mean, get rid of it?"

From:

occluminous

"I mean I'd make it go away, or at least not make me do things anymore," says Bella. "I'd have to really believe it was all bad before I'd try, though, or I'd just be hacking at my personality for no good reason."