Jasmine found Sophie to be very interesting, playing down her accomplishments and apparently willing to work her way to the top. Patience was a good thing and a rare thing these days. Most people wanted instant gratification so Sophie was quite refreshing. When she mentioned the first years, Jasmine had to agree. "Oh the firsties are amazing. I think Ravenclaw will be in very good hands as they learn and grow." The young ones were really quite special and that included Miss Sophie who had already proven that she was a force to be reckoned with.

Ooooh she was going on two trips and one was to study wandlore. See, this girl was already planning for the future........very impressive. "Wow, that sounds exciting. Soaking up first hand knowledge is always beneficial. It's nothing like some on the job training to help you reach your goal." "How did you become interested in wand making?", Jasmine asked. She was just curious to know.

Then there was the second trip, to the States. "What cities will you be visiting in the U.S.? That's where I'm from.......well originally anyway. I'm from California and I'll be going there to visit some friends and relatives this summer. Other than that, I'm just going home to see my family. I'll probably get a summer job. That's about it, I guess. Jasmine would probably be anxious to get back to school by the time summer was over.

Jasmine seemed some sort of impressed with her, so Sophie finally moved further into the compartment and took a seat, a content, smug grin forming on her face. "Yeah. M'lucky to have such great connections, really." Very lucky. She had chose well to have Culloden as her mentor. "When I got my first wand at Ollivander's, the Wandmaker there - Ira Banner, y'know - he was sort of my inspiration." And every time she had said that to someone who knew the man, she got looked at like she had two heads.

She went on, though, "He's super brilliant and he saw all sorts of potential in me just based on my wand's attributes, so I was like... how cool is it that you can tell so much about a person based on the wand that's right for them? Y'know? So cool. And the properties of wands and all the different woods and cores and things that go into making them - s'just so cool. S'wicked hard to be a Wandmaker 'cause you have to know so much and be really, really strong at most subjects, but wandlore is so interesting - I'm up for the challenge." It helped that she felt like Ira Banner believed in her. And so did Culloden and her parents and all her family and friends, so... it would be hard to let that dream die.

As for United States cities... Soph wasn't really sure. "Dunno. S'just... we're going to Florida," she knew that name, "to go to Disney World. Only one of the four of us going has ever been. Two of us who've never been are purebloods, so it should... be a cool thing for us for sure." Soph didn't know much about the geography of the United States, but having visited Disneyland the past summer, she knew California was on the opposite side of the country from where she'd be going this summer. "That sounds like a nice summer to me. Somewhere warm with beaches and family and friends... could do without the summer job, though." That would put a damper on the summer, wouldn't it? "Whatcha gonna try to do?" For her summer job?

Jasmine listened as Sophie talked about her wand making prospects. Such enthusuasm. It must be nice, knowing what you want to do at such an early age. Jasmine did find that whole "wand choosing the wizard" business intriguing so she could understand Sophie's interest. "It sounds like you have your work cut out for you, but it sounds like it'll be lots of fun." Of course learning new things was fun, especially when you were really interested in the topic........or maybe that was just the Ravenclaw in Jasmine showing itself. "You have to let me know how it went, when I see you next term."

Sophie was going to Disney World. Cool. "Oh I'm sure you will love Disney World and there are lots of other parks nearby. I've been to Florida, but never to Disney World. Maybe one day I'll get there though.". When Sophie asked about her summer job, Jasmine shrugged. "I'm not sure what I'll be doing. I thought about applying for a Diagon Alley internship. I still might, but I'll probably get some muggle job near home......just to pass the time. Wow, that sounded really bad. The youngster was planning for the future and Jasmine was talking about a "pass the time" job. Jasmine had thought about going on the school's summer trip again this year, but two near death experience's in one year were more than enough for her.

Maybe she did have her work cut out for her, but she knew she could do it. Her belief in herself would lead her on the path to greatness, she knew, just as Ira Banner had once told her. "Should be fun, yeah." Two weeks with Culloden in Asia was bound to be loads of fun. And... interesting, for sure. Hopefully the man wouldn't kill her for being a bundle of energy by the end of it. "I will." Sophie smiled, even though she wasn't sure that she would let Jasmine know how it went. Unless she asked, probably.

Sophie had a master plan with her voyage to greatness, and this time studying wandlore over the summer under the supervision of a professor couldn't have worked out better in her plan. And this plan most definitely led to an internship at Ollivander's next summer when she was old enough to get it. How could Ira Banner say no when she was getting this kind of real world experience THIS summer? AND when she was pretty much already his favorite aspiring Wandmaker?

He couldn't.

A job just to pass the time? "That's cool." It wasn't really, though, not to this Ravenclaw. Maybe Sophie had Jasmine pegged wrong - as Ravenclaw's top point earner, Soph thought the girl was probably ambitious and always looking ahead and trying to achieve great things. But... maybe she was just a brainiac or something who had all those points fall into her lap. Pity, really. But she tried not to look too disappointed in the older girl. "I'm sure you'll make the best of the summer no matter what, yeah?"

She wasn't sure of that.

Jasmine gave Sophie a half smile. She had an aura of.........Jasmine didn't quite know what, but it was powerful. Where we're these strong, confident Ravenclaw girls coming from? Between Sophie and Maddie, someone was going to rule the world and the world had better get ready for those two. Jasmine had to admire their spunk. "So when does your internship start?", Jasmine asked. Sophie had a look that said she was ready to get down to business as soon as possible.

Thinking about herself, Jasmine mentally shook her head. She had big dreams too, but lately she seemed to have lost her mojo. Sure she had had a good year school wise, but her heart hadn't really been in it for the second half of the term. She had focused on her schoolwork to avoid thinking about other.......things. And now she was basically planning an unproductive summer. Well she would allow herself the summer, but she definitely had to get her groove back by September. She had goals to achieve and it would be her last year aaannnd she had to keep up with the the junior Claws.

"Yes, I'll make the best of the summer", Jasmine said, trying to convince herself that she would. Then she remembered her date with Lex to go pygmy puff shopping. That was something to look forward to. "So Sophie, what do you like to do when you're not studying wandlore and brewing potions?" Jasmine just wondered what this intense young lady did during her down time. Did she have down time?

Fern's jaw dropped lower and lower as Agatha described her ballet camp. It sounded perfect, but there was just one part Fern didn't understand, "You just dance? You don't like, date any of the boys?" Because honestly, it sounded like the perfect place to find true love, and Fern knew that if she was in Agatha's position, she would take full advantage of the opportunity.

At Agatha's wonderings about starting a dance club, Fern squealed. HOW MUCH FUN! The Hufflepuff opened her mouth to release all of the ideas about the club that had been triggered by Agatha's words, but she had to hold on to them as the other girl began talking again. A secret room!? That Brynny had told her about? Rather than being excited by the news, the Hufflepuff's brows furrowed. Brynny hadn't told her about having secret practice seshs with Agatha, and Fern was her BFFL. Fern tried to hide her pain over this fact, but her voice came out slightly strained when she said, "Uhh, I'll have to check my schedule. I'm really busy. I have a lot of things. Important things. Things I have to do."

Fern nodded as Agatha answered each of her questions. Satisfied, she answered, "You can get one at a farm, if an owner is looking to sell one. Or you can get one at an auction, but," the 13-year-old lifted a finger on the word 'but' and looked Agatha in the eye, "you have to be careful. Sometimes owners will charm their horses into acting healthy or well-mannered, and sometimes horses simply act well-mannered because they're stunned by being in front of all the buyers. My dad's taken me to the annual horse auction in Barnton, just to watch. They had a couple Aethonans up for sale. And Winged Equestrian Today had an article about another yearly one in Upper Flagley. And they can cost anywhere from 50 galleons and up."

It was sort of weird to think of her forthcoming adventures in Asia with Culloden as an internship, even though she'd even called it an unofficial one when she was first explaining it, but she supposed it pretty much was one. It was kind of scary when Jasmine put it that way. Sounded so... grown up and adult-like. "A couple weeks. He's got some personal stuff to take care of first. Think he's gotta spend quality time catching up with his girlfriend, y'know, since he's been without contact for her the whole time since the owls left." The poor, miserable old man. "If you noticed he'd been especially grumpy, even more than normal - well, that's why." Heheheh. But then, weren't they all especially grumpy since they were snowed in?

Good, then. At least Jasmine sounded like she wouldn't completely let the summer go to waste. "Uhhh..." When did Sophie say she loved to brew potions in her spare time? Or had Jasmine seen her in the Potions laboratory all the time and sneaking around with various vials of potions? Or was she assuming based upon her friendship with Culloden and how it wasn't a huge secret that she was the man's favorite?

...Now that she thought about it, it didn't seem so strange that Jasmine knew about her love of potions. "I like lots of things. I run a lot, nearly every morning when we're at Hogwarts, though I like to take a break during the summer 'cause it's so hot - I even ran through the school corridors while we were snowed in before everyone woke up." It was kind of a liberating thing, really, and she was baffled that none of the professors ever came out of their offices and yelled at her. "I like being outside and spending time with Tobes," as if Jasmine would totally know who that is, "and I liked bein' a Chaser on the Quidditch team before this term and I like going on adventures and picking on Mo Branxton and baking with Caterina Moretti." Two things she would no longer get to do at Hogwarts.

And two people she needed to go find.

"So mostly just, y'know, being active and spending time with people. What about you?" More polite asking accompanied with some glances to the corridor. If her friends walked by, she'd excuse herself, but until then - she would stay with Jasmine awhile longer.