It was a little strange, to be chatting to someone whose [i]family[/i] had gone to this mythical school. Logically, Sadie knew that she and Brennan were the strange ones, what with being muggleborn, but it was still impossible to imagine what magic was really like. She’d only ever seen the severe woman in green transform into a cat—and now some funny jelly beans. Her textbooks had moving pictures, but so did the internet, and that in itself didn’t seem particularly special. Growing up with magic had to be better than farm life in a tiny village. No wonder Brennan was so bitter coming back to Hankerton every summer. Surely it couldn’t even compare.

George went quiet for a moment. Sadie wasn’t the most aware of people, but even she could sense that something was off. He looked contemplative and Sadie, in a rare fit of good manners, elected not to comment on it. He dealt cards, and they felt curiously warm. They really [i]could[/i] explode, and the thought made her grin widen. She accepted the sweetie, ignoring the thought of her mum’s chiding ([i]”They’ll rot your teeth!”[/i]), nibbling as she considered his question. What was life like in Hankerton?

“Boring. The Ethans have been raising cows for the past hundred years, and will probably keep doing so until the eventual heat death of the universe.” She grimaced. She’d never liked farm life. School in Swindon had captured her imagination, and Swindon wasn’t even really a proper city. She’d been to London once to get her school supplies and it had been the best day she’d ever had. The city was glamorous and exciting and didn’t smell of cows. There were so many lights and [i]people[/i]! It was a whole other world. “When I wasn’t in school, I was cleaning out the barn or tending chickens or doing any one of my ten billion chores. I mean,” she blushed as she realized how selfish she sounded, “It was just a lot of work. Things weren’t [i]bad[/i] I just… don’t want to be a farmer when I grow up. I like cows, they’re funny creatures, and it’s important work and all, but I want to go explore. My brother’s the same way. Dad was right upset when he said he didn’t want the farm.”

She’d said too much, as she usually did. Sadie had never been good at knowing when to stop talking. 

The cards were dealt and smoking slightly. Sadie flipped hers, a funny looking King of Hearts with a lion’s hat. The hat roared at her. Aww, how cute! She couldn’t help but giggle. Mr. Tufty shot her a foul look, which she ignored.

“So, you said something earlier about sorting,” she commented, feeling a bit apprehensive. “My brother’s gone on and on about how awful it is, but he’s a git and last time I trusted him I ended up stuck in a well, sooo… what’s the deal with that?”