Friends uplift the soul -- September 1991

It was into the start of the first term and everyone was still trying to get to know each other.  There were quite a few girls that were Sorted into Hufflepuff and I seemed to get along with them well.  There was a question I had, though, on the potions essay we already were assigned.  I walked over to who I thought was a first year and sat down, a little timidly.  "Excuse me... you're a first year, right?  I thought I saw you at the Sorting ceremony and in class earlier," I said to the brunette.  "Could I ask you a question?"  I really hoped she would be willing to help me out.

I was in the middle of writing a letter to my parents when I noticed someone sit across from me. Looking up I smile shyly at the girl. "Hi, yes I am a first year too. What's your question?" I set my quill down and put the lid on my ink. "Oh and my names Cassie, Cassie Tonks."

I was rather relieved that she was willing to help.  I smiled at her.  "I'm Addison - or Addie," I said to her.  "For the boil potion Snape wanted us to write this essay on... was it just the ingredients or was it just the use...?  Or basically everything.  I'm guessing everything because that's just how he is."  I laughed a little bit, wishing that I had not been so rushed in class earlier so I could have written down everything he had mentioned about the homework.  I was still trying to get used to having this much information thrown at me.

I smile at her. "I believe he wants both, but more attention on the preparation of the ingrediants, as we are going to start learning techniques of preparing the ingrediants." I reach into my bag, that was on the seag beside me and pull out my notes. "You can take a look at my notes if you want." I smile shyly. I wasn't used to speaking with girls my age, so I wasn't sure if I should say something else.

I was so grateful that she could help.  "Oh that'd be wonderful!" I said, smiling at her.  "Thank you!  I just felt so rushed in there when we had to write the assignment down... the girl I was sitting with -- Morgan, she's here somewhere -- was asking me a couple of questions about something Snape said earlier... and then I barely had time to write the assignment down let alone anything he said about it."  I realized that I was speaking very fast and quite a bit.  I chuckled a little nervously.  Apparently I had not mastered my social skills yet for meeting new students here at school.

"It's no problem, really." I continue to smile shyly. I'm glad to help her, though I can't really relate to the situation. I have never had problems with people interrupting me in class. Probably cause I have always sat alone. I am not sure what to say, so I settle on placing the notes in front of her. "I am glad to help."

I grinned at her, browsing through her notes.  "Have you grown up with a Wizarding family or Muggle-born?  Or both?  I'm a mix of both, though they tried to lean more towards Wizarding than Muggle... though my mum liked her Muggle roots and didn't want to just get rid of them," I said, jotting down a few things she had copied down that I had missed.  It was hard for me to sit with someone and not talk; I hoped that it was not bothersome to her.

"My mum is a pureblood and my dad a muggleborn. But my parents decided to stay in the muggle world for the most part. I learned more about the wizarding world when my sister was accepted, she just graduated last year." I hope I wasn't sharing too much information. I was never any good at knowing when to stop talking.

I raised my eyebrows.  "Oh, so you're the youngest in the family?  Or the middle child?  I'm the eldest... I have a younger brother and that's it," I said, hoping that I was not prying too much into her personal life.  "You know, sometimes I think Muggle life is easier than Wizarding... at least then you don't have to be all secret about anything."

"Yeah, I am the youngest. Just my sister and I." I look down at the table. "I always have thought that both worlds are equally as easy and as hard as the other. There are things that are simpler in the muggle world that is not in the Wizarding world, but the same could be said in reverse. I like living in both worlds. It makes you smarter than the ignorant purebloods who will never understand electricity, because they think its stupid. And smarter than muggles who think witchcraft is a sin that should be squashed. I just feel that its better to understand both sides." I then realized how I sounded; like my opinion was the most important. "S-sorry." I could feel my face burning up in an embarressed blush.

I smiled at her and shook my head.  "Oh, no you're fine!  I personally think that Muggle Studies should be one of the required courses to help with the ignorance of some of hte Wizarding population," I said, having heard some of the older students speaking of their other classes outside of the core curriculum.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had held when she said I was fine. I hadn't meant to offend her or anything, but having been raised in the muggle world a bit, I think it would do well for purebloods to know what it is like to live without magic, even if it's just for a bit. "I think that would be a great idea, but I know not everyone would be so open to it." I sighed and smiled at her. "I'm just happy that I got the chance to know both."

I laughed slightly, but more sadly than anything.  "Yeah, that's the sad thing," I said to her, shaking my head.  "It is something that I can't believe is still so popular belief, you know?  I mean... You-Know-Who is long gone, but there's still that prejudice..."  I sighed, obviously not knowing the entire situation as not many people talk about it.

I nodded. "I can't believe it's still so popular either. Though I suppose it's just the people who were there when You-Know-Who was around passing on their beliefs to the next generation." I replied, thinking that maybe the reason some people would still think that way. "The prejudice is bad, especially when we don't know the whole story."

Cassie had a point.  "Definitely... it's sad, really, to think of everyone our age being almost forced to believe in such practices.  It would be one thing if it was sort of like the Germans and the Nazis killing all of the Jewish people.  One must learn the history to try to avoid it and to learn from it.  Unfortunately, I have already come to realize that it isn't the case in the magical world," I said, knowing that she would understand my reference.  It was hard being half-blood and knowing both histories in the world.  I would make references, and a lot of kids would not understand them.