The Sound of Silence (Tess)

When Tess claimed so matter-of-factly that her father's position was the best, Clara couldn't help but wonder a) what her father's position was, and b) if she really meant it because she'd thought about it herself, or if she'd simply been raised to believe it. Perhaps a bit of both. She kept these thoughts to herself--she'd learned from experience that questioning the free will of strangers tended to ruffle some feathers, and people did not give useful answers when they were being defensive; she'd have to sift through all sorts of bias.

Instead, she just nodded and moved on.

Tess's next comment made her blink. The older girl seemed to have misunderstood. "Oh, no, it's not that the fourth year classes are beneath me, just that I don't think the fifth year classes are above me. I've studied much of the advanced curricula in my free time, and I understand it just fine. But perhaps it's harder than it seems--I've only tried a few of the spells. The ones I attempted all came with enough practise, but I never tried, say, the Patronus Charm, which I hear was the subject of your last Defense class. Then again, even if I couldn't produce a patronus, I wouldn't say that puts me on a lower level than your classmates--it is a notoriously difficult spell, which many full-fledged wizards have yet to master."

At the end of her rant, she took a breath, and looked at Tess to assess her reaction. She doubted she'd be able to pick up on it. Girls tended to be more subtle with their reactions, and especially girls raised in high society, as Tess obviously was. She'd most likely hide any negative responses for the sake of propriety or some such troublesome nonsense.

"Oh, that I'm in Ravenclaw has nothing to do with it. My house doesn't make me intelligent. We're sorted based on qualities that we already possess; the houses don't bestow them upon us. I mean sure, group polarization probably has something to do with it, as spending time around people who share your values will serve to reinforce them, but I rarely talk to anyone, including my housemates. I was simply raised to believe that I can do whatever I put my mind to, and in this case, that means higher level classes."

"Thank you," Clara said, not picking up on any subtext that may have accompanied the older girl's congratulations. It seemed like a compliment, and she treated it as such.

"I was actually considering going to Professor Andersson, before he left. I've been doing quite a bit of potions work, and I would have appreciated some professional advice. The old potions master, Professor Balan, was never very forthcoming with his assistance, but Professor Andersson seemed a bit more promising...that is, until he disappeared. The new one, I think, is only provisional, as far as I know, but if he returns next year, I may consult him. I am quite enjoying Ancient Runes, as well--in fact, I've been reading up on some things in my free time, perhaps Professor Kessler would be open to answering some questions..."

She wasn't really sure why she was saying all of this, it was hardly important to Tess. Then again, the other girl was the one who'd suggested it, and what else was she supposed to say?