 little bit of catch-up Constant Vigilance! O_O AWAKE!
Mamie had to squint to see the writing on the board. Was that everything everyone had put as things people assumed about them? All she could really make out were the ones in big block letters, like "traitor", "not potty trained", "evil spawn", "arrogant", and "condescending."
None of those seemed like very good things to think about people.
She fidgeted on her log, trying to bunch her robes underneath to make it a bit more cushioned. She knew people assumed she was stupid, because her brothers told her. She wondered how other people knew. Did people tell them, too? Or were they just basing it off how people treated them? She didn't think she'd be able to tell if people were treating her like she was stupid. She didn't really have anything to compare to, like how they'd treat her if they thought she was smart. Was she smart? Mamie didn't really know.
And then Schmoe was indeed getting to the meat and potatoes of the class. And talking all about last term. She fidgeted even more. Did they have to talk about this? Could they just...not? She realized she'd been nibbling on her fingernails, chipping the nail polish, and shoved her hands under her legs.
Wait.
No, she couldn't raise her hand if she was sitting on it. Ummm. She sat on her hands for a few more moments, sort of listening to the others' replies. Then she pulled her left hand free and raised it in the air. "We can learn things from Muggles, but not if we assume they're stupid," she said. "And we can be friends and have fun with Muggles, but not if we assume they're dangerous."
"Like some others said, getting to know someone can help overcome your first impressions or assumptions." |