Sadie frowned as George and Seine whispered during the lesson. Had the morning not been quite so awful, she might have shushed them and gotten annoyed. But with things so raw, she couldn’t muster the will to be so sharp. She was already several chapters ahead in the textbook, frustrated by the snail’s pace Professor Thirmin seemed all too content to set. 

Suddenly she could hear the Hat humming in her head, [i]Plenty clever…what a thirst to prove yourself[/i]. It had flashed images of eagles swathed in bronze and blue with those words in her head, and it seemed all too ready to name her a Ravenclaw before it found whatever had tipped the scales so firmly to Gryffindor. Privately, Sadie wondered if she had been sorted wrong. She loved her house, her friends, but it was frustrating, feeling so alone in her wonder. 

Sadie shook her head to clear it. What was done was done—there was no resorting, as far as she knew. She’d just have to make the best of it.

“I’d like the see the squid again,” Sadie murmured. She arched a brow at Seine’s insistence she try some unheard of sweet. Pepper Imps? “Those do [i]not[/i] sound good.”

“Would you like to share your conversation with the class?” Professor Thirmin called suddenly. Sadie flushed scarlet, dropping her gaze to her notes. Seine had the good grace to look uncomfortable and manage a quiet ‘no’. Professor Thirmin frowned but, mercifully, did not dock any points and continued on.


The rest of their lessons passed by in a rush. Sadie led the way to the lake, chattering with Seine about music. He was filling her in on the classics of the wizarding world, and seemed amused by the muggle artists she named in return. He offered to lend her [i]records[/i] and look bemused when she burst out laughing, calling them quaint.

“Records. What are we, hipsters?” Sadie snorted, “I mean, they’ve got great sound quality and all, but come on. Digital is so much more convenient.”

Seine looked at her blankly, and Sadie sighed.

“It’s like this world is [i]trying[/i] to stay backwards,” She said theatrically, tossing her hands in the air. 

The three of them were following the banks of the lake, the castle growing ever more distant. The black forrest seemed to almost beckon to her, trees rustling, and it took Sadie a great deal of willpower to remember that it was forbidden.

“We’re not backwards,” Seine said, sounding a little defensive. Sadie snorted again.

“You use [i]owls[/i] for mail, Seine. [i]Owls[/i]. Back home, I can email or text and get a response instantly. Or call someone instantly, without having to shove my head in a fireplace. I mean, magic is great and all, and I’m super happy to be here, but it’s like I was shot back fifty years. This is so weird.”

“We’ve got [i]quidditch[/i]! And dragons!”

“I’ll give you dragons.”