Listen.

Abraham Botros Jr. (yes, junior) ((the second one)) (((actually maybe the third))) ((((but technically the first and only Abraham Altaïr Botros)))) (((((but STILL Abraham Botros Jr. because he said so))))) was still not entirely convinced about this whole 'Gryffindor' business. He was a HUFFLEPUFF at heart, and it was the heart that mattered actually. But he had actually been gravitating to the Slytherin table, even now, to try and stick with his cousins (oh how he regretted not striking a deal with that Hat and agreeing to Slytherin, at least then he could have stayed with family). But only SOMETIMES. And actually, he spent more and more time sitting with the Gryffindors these days actually. Because he had started making FRIENDS actually.

Today, when Abey walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, he gave the Gryffindor table a quick cursory look for anyone he knew, and had spoken to before. But no luck, there didn't appear to be any friends there. So, of course, he looked instead towards the Slytherin table, but had no joy there either. No cousins. In fact, he couldn't find anyone he knew in here. Nobody.

Naturally, the immediate reaction was to assume that he was somehow here at the wrong time, or had fallen into some strange other universe, or that everyone who was usually here had decided to leave overnight and had been immediately replaced with people he didn't know. But Abey did his best to think LOGICALLY about that, like mama always told him to do. LOGICALLY, that was unlikely to have happened, and actually even though Abey didn't know anyone yet here, he recognised almost all of them. So he was just... here a little earlier than usual, perhaps.

Biting at the tip of his index finger a little in his anxiety, Abey did his best to cajole himself along and, though he was suddenly feeling very lonely and also missing mama quite a lot actually, he would not let himself be dissuaded from the joy of food. So Abey went ahead and joined the Gryffindor house table, but a more empty and quiet section, away from the rabbles of people he didn't know and that were all older and were sort of actually maybe a little bit scary actually.

Taking a seat, he started loading up his plate with toast and bacon. A lot of it too. He was a growing boy, you see, and growing boys needed lots of bacon energy.

Dora had been lost in thought as she nibbled at a piece of extra crispy bacon. That was, until Abey Botros joined the table... and sat right beside her. Oh! ANOTHER BOTROS! Dora had seen him at the sorting, and later in the common room, but had been too Pre occupied to speak just yet. As luck would have it though, on this very day, he sat right beside her. She was, in her not so humble opinion, one of the best Gryffindors around! Maybe she could convince him to go start a fire with her later?!

First things first, though. "You're Abey Botros right? I'm Dora! I'm friends with Rula and Bast. ...hey can you save me some bacon? " she teased at the last, grin in place.

Wiping her greasy fingers on her robes, the blonde extended a hand toward the younger boy. "Dora Umbridge. " She was aware she had introduced herself as Dora already, but still... maybe a surname was best? Anyway. Who knew!

"I've seen you round the common room. How are you adjusting? " Her chocolate brown eyes swept his face before she focused on her bacon again. She knew what it was to kind of hate your surroundings, after all. She had been antI Hogwarts until like... last term! Maybe she could be of assistance. Or distraction. Whatever the baby Botros needed, Dora Umbridge was at his service!

Actually, Abey gave a slight start when the older girl beside him spoke right TO him. HIM. A first year. And one that knew his NAME. It took him a moment to shoo away his nervousness about someone who was actually a proper older responsible scary not scary at all student, but he just about managed it.

He nodded, actually, when she said his name, because yes she was right actually. And-

"You know Rula?!" that part had been blurted out a little, out of excitement more than rudenesss. And of course he knew who Bast was. Sort of. Rula and Junia knew him better.

Following the girl's lead and wiping the grease off of his own fingers, even though they weren't THAT greasy, Abey then reached across and shook her hand, offering her a smile. "Hi Dora."

Then that question, the one that Abey didn't really properly actually truthfully know the answer to.

"Hummmmmm, okay, I think," he replied, focusing on his breakfast. Or, more specifically, on eating it. "I miss mama quite a bit though, and I'm still just a little sad that I'm not a Hufflepuff, or a Slytherin like my cousins, even though every Gryffindor I know so far is nice too." He chewed on his bacon (REALLY good bacon, by the way) and mulled over his next deep insightful thought.

"And I don't like homework very much."

Aww see, she wasn't scary AT ALL. Unless she was mad, then it was definitely open for debate. Ask a certain Ravenclaw and he'd say Dora was certifiable, but that wasnt true. Nope. Not at all.

"I do! And Junia, too. Rula is one of my friends, though. Junia and I are acquaintances at best. " Not that the kid needed that information, but hey maybe it was necessary? Whatever. And she was careful not to mention Professor Botros. She knew how much it hurt to suffer loss. If any of them wanted to talk to her the could, but she knew not to push or be thoughtless about such things.

Shaking his hand she gave a soft smile before picking up a piece of bacon again. Bacon good. Yes, yes.

"Gryffindor is the best house. You'll see. I hated Hogwarts when I got here. Wanted to go home immediately. I missed my father something fierce, you know. Cried my first two yerms, I think. My dorm mates hated me for being so mopey. " The last wasn't necessarily true. They hated her for totally different reasons most of them. None of it had to do with her crying. Haha. "And homework. Ugh. Such a drag. I'm in OWL year so it's well stressful, it is. " Which that was probably more than she had said to most people the whole of the term, but the ickle Botros was decidedly easy to talk to.

"What's your favorite subject so far?" If he said DADA they could totally go start a fire... but she was resigned to the fact that not everyone enjoyed the subject quite like her, nor did everyone enjoy fire and destruction.

Bah.

Listen. Any friend of Rula and Junia - or even an acquaintance though Abey didn't actually know what that was actually - was a friend of Abey's. This was because Abey liked to have friends - especially older and bigger friends with more life experience and who could tell him more things - and he also liked sharing things with his cousins. Sometimes without asking first. Like friends. Or chairs in Astronomy class. (Sorry again about that, Junia.)

"My friend Théo gets homesick too I think, and he's in my dorm. But we both have cousins here too, which helps." Of course, Théo actually had a cousin IN Gryffindor, Charlie, and she was really nice too actually. "Sometimes, when I'm having fun with people, I stop being homesick. Then when I realise it makes me feel a little bad because I forgot to miss home, even though I hate feeling homesick."

Okay, so maybe Abey just liked to share his feelings with anyone and everyone. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe. Actually.

He shoved the last of his food into his mouth, effectively clearing his plate, and chewed on it, cheeks bulging with food, as Dora went on about homework and... OWLs. THAT earned a screwed up sort of face, a scrunched up nose and a shake of the head. Exams, OWLs... it was best to not think about those. He had a million years before it was his turn.

Having his mouth stuffed full of food would have given Abey some time to think about his answer to her question, were it not for the fact that he had known the answer to that for years and years, despite only studying the subject for a matter of weeks.

"Ancient Runes!" he declared brightly, once his food was all settled in his belly. Abey took a sip of his juice before going on. "Except I'm not very good at it at all yet. I'm actually good at the lessons which are more about magic, like Charms and Transfiguration, because I hate writing things, and I really like Defence Against the Dark Arts. I'm in the Duelling Club and I'm sooooooo excited to do the tournament." Ooh. OOOOOH. "Do you duel, Dora?" And also, could she help him be really really really good dueller???

Genny had just finished a big meal. Her meals were not the average girl meals at the age of fifteen where they could be conscious of their bodies, no. Her meals were those of someone who'd never seen food in this quantity in a long time, which was naturally untrue.

This afternoon was not special, the fifteen years old lied on the bench with her stomach going up and down with every slightly labored breath, her arms fell to the sides and her legs were lifted up on the table.

She was full. Literally and figuratively.

Katherine usually sat at a spot where she could view the whole Hall from, and today was no different. She was watching people as usual while eating a light meal consisting of vegetables and soup. Had to keep her form and all. However, her eyes were on another girl, Genny, who seemed to be eating for... three people. Naturally, Katherine JUDGED her hard, and looked elsewhere. Some people were such gluttons. Gryffindor, she thought to herself, and got up to leave. However, she looked back involuntarily, and... Genny wasn't okay. She stopped and fully turned around. The girl was lying down like a dead girl! Err - Katherine looked around as panic rose in her. She knew PERFECTLY well that young people had heart attacks too, and Genny was predisposed due to her food habits and - okay, she had to go save her. She quickly walked over and shook her shoulder slightly as she asked "Genny? Are you okay?"

Hmm...? It was impossible to get up with her belly this full. "'M fiiiine." Genny answered automatically before rolling her head to see who it was. The voice wasn't strange, and indeed looking at her upside down was Katherine. "Oh hi! I saw you sitting over there." She added without moving an inch. "Just tired, I like to lie down after I have my big meal." Legit explanation for a fifteen year old. "Come join me." In the lying down at the Great Hall.

Dora couldn't help but smile wider still at the little Botros, he was certainly adorable he was. And they were totally friends now. Forever. He had been claimed. In her head, anyway. Hehe.

"That is a huge help. I have lots of friends here that I have known since I was a baby, so that helped me a lot. And you're right, once you start having fun, you worry a little less about what's happening back at home," she agreed with a nod. That had been her personal experience anyway. Once she was able to get out of her head she had a blast with her old friends... and the new ones. And this year was going marginally better than her previous years at school. "Do you have a little piece of home with you? A picture, a special book, something personal from home? That could help sometimes I think."

There was absolutely nothing wrong with sharing. Dora was often an OVERsharer. Indeed.

Awww of course his favorite subject was runes. It had not been lost on her that his name was Abraham Botros. Like the former headmaster. So it made total sense. To avoid giving him the sad look she felt building on her face, she focused on her plate and the last bits of food she had there. "I am sure you will get better at it if you try." It's in your blood, after all she added in her head... as an after thought.

"I have been known to duel," she replied with a wicked grin. "I am just not in the club. I'm not much of a joiner, you see. But I have had a really good teacher to help me along." Former Professor Dakest. Hehe. "Do you have a favorite spell yet? Mine is Incendio Tria. I mastered it last term." And YES she was proud of that.

. . . okay, this wasn't a heart attack - this was plain old gluttony.

Katherine couldn't decide if she should join or not. She opted to sit beside her head, hoping that looking at her ownside down wouldn't make the girl nauseous.

"Why did you eat so much, then?" she asked in a confused tone, because she truly couldn't understand.

Genny appreciated the joining-in. Also the fact that Kath sat down because looking at her from this angle was making her nauseous for real. "What? I always eat like this." Confusion was in her tone. "I'm an athlete, I have to eat like this or I'll be weak in the summer when Quidditch season starts." Duh. "Today I am tired, though." Pats her stomach a little.

"Wait, did you come back to check on me specifically? Aw, thank you, Kath!" She beamed at her from where she lied on the bench.

Hmmmmmmm. You know, Abey couldn't help but wonder if maybe he might feel a little less homesick if he was still in his home country, or if being close to home but not AT home would feel somehow worse. There were certainly a lot of things he missed about Egypt in general actually, that weren't specific to being AT home. Like the weather. The weather was one thing that frequently had Abey debating contacting Hassan to come get him and take him to get some sun AT ONCE, but mostly he just dealt with it (and complained a lot).

"Junia and Rula. But they're not technically from home as in my house, though sometimes it is their home too," Abey added, and thought about it some more. Welllllllll, there was also Feo, which... well, technically Abey wasn't supposed to have Feo here at all, and he was definitely smarter than to go shouting about him in the middle of the Great Hall, where anyone could hear and tell on him. "I send lots of photographs to my brother and sister and cousins back home, but... I never thought about having pictures of home with me." Ooh, ooooooh. Abey perked up. "Maybe I can try that." And maybe also the blanket on his bed, which was more for decoration at home but might provide actual extra warmth here actually. Aaaaaaall he needed to do was find a way to contact mama or Hassan and ask. Junebug or Rula would help with that, right?

MOAR smiling too, about the Ancient Runes thing. "That's what mama always says!" Well, not about Ancient Runes, but about everything else that he struggled with, for sure, which probably meant it applied to everything else.

Anyway, important matters; DUELLING. Abey shuffled around slightly to better face Dora while he spoke about this, because he was being very super serious and interested. He didn't understand what it meant to not be a 'joiner', but that didn't matter so much because you didn't actually have to be part of a club for something to know all about the thing actually. Also, maybe it was the people Dora didn't like. It always took a LOT of guts for Abey to get over his anxieties about people and commit to joining anything. "I never even thought about maybe duelling 'til I got here and heard about Duelling Club actually, though I think I remember hearing Rula and Junia mention it before," he explained. "And I'm not good at a whole lot of school stuff, but I can fly, and I'm quick at picking up actual spells, and as there's no Quidditch here, I decided to try the club too and I want to be the best at it one day. I'm really excited actually." REALLY. EXCITED. ACTUALLY. A way to proooooove himself that played to his strengths!

Now that his longwinded and redundant explanation was over, Abey went on eagerly. "I like Tarantallegra and the trip jinx used together, and I also like Flipendo 'cause it's funny when it works, as long as nobody gets really badly actually hurt." But that was what magic was for, really: healing. "But I REALLY want to learn Bombarda."

Biiiiiiig shiny eyes. Oh, the dream.

. . . an athlete? Katherine was confused. Did Genny even train during winter, though? Wow, Katherine felt so bad for judging her now. She knew she had to quit it... maybe. She nodded, though. "I didn't know that," she said with a smile, "good luck in the summer, then." She paused as she thought: She had never watched a Quidditch match. Her mother thought it was too dangerous and vicious, and her father just wasn't the type to really enjoy it.

Katherine, she wanted to correct, but didn't. Not now, at least, not when Genny was thanking her. "Yeah. I thought that you felt sick. Glad you're alright, though." She smiled back.

"So you're... semi-professional or something? Play in junior league..?" Katherine had zero information about how it all worked.

Genny didn't mind clarifying judgement coming from strangers, she also would judge people and treat them accordingly. "Yes. I played for England's U17 last summer as Beater and I've been playing for regional teams before that, and Quidditch camp since I was seven." She explained the whole history, you never go wrong talking about Quidditch with Genny.

"Do you like Quidditch? Or any other sports?" Hobbies?

Katherine looked at Genny from upside down, as if she was trying to gauge whether she had the body of a beater. Not that she'd know, but she did know beaters had to be muscular enough to direct bludgers. Well, if Genny was good enough to play for U17...

"That's quite impressive," she said in the end. Genny climbed several steps in her eyes. "And good luck with it next time." She didn't answer her question right away, though. She didn't like Quidditch (never watched it to decide for herself, actually), nor any other sports, activities... anything. In truth, her sole hobby was studying. Anger rose in her chest again and it showed briefly on her face. She'd never gain back the 14 years her mother costed her - and maybe even more years to have a proper hobby, or become good at anything other than lessons.

"I've never watched Quidditch," she said, "and I'm not very athletic." As it showed in her thin figure. "I attended a muggle elementary school, and there I was good at running in P.E - I mean, the period when we do sports, but that's it."

The words from Kath were appreciated but Genny noticed the look of dissatisfaction/anger in her eyes right after her question. This was serious, obviously, so she rose from where she laid and slowly sat down with crossed legs in front of her friend. Her head felt a little light but soon it improved, the blood must've recirculated in her body better this way.

The reason why she felt that way was not revealed to Genny. It couldn't be because she never watched Quidditch (although this would be a fairly good reason in G's opinion). "Do you want to come watch a match and see this game?" She could easily make that happen over the summer. "Wow, really? You attended a muggle primary school? Wow, how come?" Pure fascination was drawn on her face.

Well, this was probably better for both of them, and it also must mean that Genny was feeling better now.

Anyway. Yeah, Katherine knew this question would be coming next. "I actually would love to," because the pictures in the books only showed an excerpt of the game and she also bet the live action would be far more exciting, "but I don't think my family would allow it." She tried to smile, but her bitterness probably showed.

The topic of a muggle school was a happier one, though, because she'd realised that made her different than at least half of the students here.

"Yeah, my mother is a muggle and father is a wizard," she said. She did like making people fascinated, "so my mother wanted me to see the muggle side too. It's fair to say I'm educated on both sides now." Heh.

Her. Family. Did. Not. Allow. It.

It being Quidditch.

Her. Family. Did. Not. Allow. Quidditch.

What. In. Merlin's. Pants. Was. This. Sorcery.

"Why not?" Genny asked after a moment of pure shock and internal rage at the unfairness of parents. ALL parents around the WORLD. "I can ask my dad to convince them, he's very good with people and parents. He used to be a headmaster." He dealt with tons of angry parents when he ran Hogwarts, got lots of experience in that area.

Her mother being a muggle must have contributed to the fact that she did not know THE GREATEST SPORTS IN BRITAIN. Ahem. "Nice. I had muggle family, too, but they're not close relatives. And I do not know them." So... that was totally unhelpful.

It was in the middle of dinner that Kitty mysteriously left her table and headed towards the table of the lions.

"Hey Gryfindorrs!" If her voice sounded unnaturally cheerful it was because she'd been practicing the cheering charm on herself this morning. It had mostly worn off, but for some reason the aftereffects were stronger than she thought they'd be. Either that, or she was just naturally cheerful that evening.

She smiled cheerfully and sat down. "Do you mind if I sit here today?" Her pale fingers twitched nervously as she reached into her schoolbag and removed some papers. This was a big moment, she kept telling herself as she placed the papers on her lap.

Katherine shrugged - but then her eyes grew bigger in panic. Not because Genny was a previous headmaster's (Katherine already knew that, either from David or from Genny herself, she couldn't remember now), but because she suggested bothering such an important man for a mere permission to watch Quidditch together.

"No no!" she said, with her hand waving left-to-right to support her 'no's. "I mean - I don't want to bother your father. Besides..." while her mum couldn't reject a headmaster, she'd be really - "Actually..." Katherine smiled a little, her demeanour changed. Actually, that'd really infuriate her mother, wouldn't it? And also show that even headmaster's child had fun. While the woman absolutely would not like it, she also would be completely unable to say 'no'. She'd have a huge dilemma between 'Headmaster' and 'My daughter's a friend of his daughter, so this should benefit us.' vs. 'Katherine must not be distracted with stupid, pointless activities. Besides, this clearly is the worthless child of the Headmaster, being a sportswoman and all instead of becoming the headmistress herself.' So not only would Katherine make another friend (hopefully - and who would have thought that Genny was actually a nice girl? She'd initially hated her), she'd also get to see how normal families worked, plus a Quidditch match.

"Actually, come to think about it, my mother can't say 'no' to that. But I don't want to bother your father. He's such an important man, he'd find it a nuisance dealing with parents after all this time." And there, she truly was concerned about that. She really didn't want to bother the man just because she was en route to becoming Genny's friend.

Well, yeah, that was unhelpful. Katherine couldn't help but smile to herself. "So you're... completely uneducated in muggle ways?" Or..?

Katherine was a very interesting fun person to be around. She had all those weird inexplicable reactions to things. Like right now, she was panicking and calling Gaellen an 'important man', which with the image of him in the morning drinking coffee and pretending to listen to Genny's mother was just hilarious.

Genny waited for a full moment to hear what the 'Actually' was about. It wasn't her trait to be patient while talking to people but Kath seemed to be really in a pickle about this whole thing. It shouldn't be this hard to attend a Quidditch match.

Finally, it came. "It won't bother him." Pft, whaaaa, her dad adored her. He'd do it with a little bit of convincing. "You have to come see a match at least once before you decide you don't like it. It's amazing! Lots of adrenaline and excitement you'll pass away from all the energy in the field!" Genny's grin was a preview of all that excitement.

"Not completely uneducated, I know TVs and stuff." She said uncertainly. "How educated do we have to be, though, right? We just live on our own and they on their own." Problem solved.

Dinner time was one of his favourites for the simple reason that it signaled the end of what was usually a hella long day of classes he hardly ever wanted to be in. Don't get him wrong, the food was always brilliant too and it definitely made the evening better but the boy would be lying if he said he didn't anticipate dinner for the way it gave him permission to stop learning.

As you can imagine, breakfast was under heavy scrutiny.

The Gryffindor sat with his notepad floating just before him. Between the kid that took a nose dive down the stairs earlier and that other one who'd thought it best to serenade that girl he was aiming for, the day had been an interesting one for his quill. This of course meant an interesting read for him while he got through his meal.

The Fifth Year had just about made it through his meal when an unusually cheerful voice broke his concentration. Twisting in his seat, he saw Kitty take the spot next to him. "Nah, have a seat wherever you'd like. We like to let the other houses have a piece of the greatness whenever we can. They say Hufflepuffs are the generous ones but really, Gryffindors got the gift that keeps giving."

Selfless. Inspirational. Gryffindor.

Oh? Katherine still WASN'T sure how something so little wouldn't bother an IMPORTANT man, but she was going to take Genny's word for it. If anything went wrong, it wasn't her idea.

"Okay, then," she said much less confident and excitedly, with an insecure smile. "I'll ask my mother first. Maybe she'll just let me go. When is the match, again?"

Fair eno -

No, that didn't sound right.

Katherine frowned. "But what about marrying to a muggle? Or... squibs? What if they lift the secrecy law one day? Most of us do live in muggle neigbourhoods, you know." She was shocked at this sharp distance of the worlds, and it didn't sound right. Did Genny... secretly hate muggles, like Kitty hated Slytherins?

It was nice to know that the dark events of late hadn't stopped Blaise from showing his witty personality. "Thank you Blaise," she said with a small smile. She looked up and down the table. "Have you seen Tenacius recently?"

"Oh never mind, I'm sure he's accompanying students somewhere." Tenacius wasn't who she'd come to talk about. She watched at the Gryffindor's ate their dinner, not really taking a plate herself since she'd been eating at the Ravenclaw table. "How was your day?" she asked Blaise after a little while. "These past few weeks have been so terrible that I used a cheering charm on myself this morning. I feel so weird!"