 be curious, not judgmental
Max was a people-watcher. He liked to know what was going on without being directly involved in things. During the first few weeks of school, he knew the ground floor would be full of excitement: first years trying to decide where to explore, students curious to see who the first house would be to take the lead in the house point race, and groups running outside to enjoy the nice fall weather. It was perfect for seeing who was secretly dating whom and to catch little bits of gossip as people passed.
Now, Max wasn't a gossiper himself nor did he care enough to share any overheard information, but he still liked to invest interest in the lives of his fellow students, even if they didn't know he knew anything. He simply took great pleasure in sitting in a classroom and knowing why two former best friends were avoiding eye contact or why two people were catching each other's eyes and smiling from different sides of the room.
It was just stimulating to be knowledgeable over others' excitement and drama since he had none of his own.
For such reasons, Max decided not to wander out to the grounds to read The Noble Sport of Warlocks in his hand today. Not yet, at least. It was prime people-watching time. As people moved by, Max stepped to the side and leaned against the wall, acting as though he was waiting for someone. Or taking a breather from adventuring down the many staircases from the Ravenclaw common room. Either way, Max let himself look interested in the hourglasses on the wall adjacent to him, casually bending his legs in and out to stretch them. It was a lot of stairs.
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