Video: Wednesday, Week 85

[infourbooks]

It took a while for me to work out all the numbers, but it's official. I'm now only breaking half as many wizarding laws here by doing magic.

[He's smiling at this realization. Some people would say it was just their birthday. But there's something about Gryffindors and rules.]

Comments

[infourbooks]

It's really easy to accidentally leave parts of yourself behind. We call it splinching. And without the Hogwarts infirmary...

[professorwolf]

Oh dear. It isn't as easy as it sounds, then, even for someone with magic. Best you not try it-- though I suppose if you wanted to be particularly reckless, death here isn't exactly permanent. Just still painful.

[infourbooks]

It would be useful, but I don't think I'm that much of a Gryffindor.

[Somewhere he can just hear Inara yelling NO!]

[professorwolf]

That much a what?

[He knows what a "gryphon" is, and obviously what a "door" is, but he doesn't know what they mean put together... or in relation to this particular young man. Sorry, Neville, he just hasn't done a lot of chatting with people from your universe yet.

It does sound kind of silly, though.]

[infourbooks]

One of the Houses at my school. We're supposed to be brave. I never really understood whey the Sorting Hat insisted on putting me there.

[None too swift sometimes]

[professorwolf]

I've never seen any evidence to the contrary, from you, Mr. Longbottom. How does this hat... choose?

[infourbooks]

It's supposed to sense our innermost self. The traits that truly define us.

[And yet he was in Gryffindor]

[professorwolf]

[That dubiousness isn't exactly well-concealed, Neville. He offers the insight of a 300 year old werewolf, who has seen a whole lot of reckless behavior coded as "nobility" and "honor" and "bravery", and generally scorned it, himself:]

There are more kinds of bravery than merely leading the charge into battle or tearing down unjust regimes, Mr. Longbottom. Perhaps the quieter kind is what this hat saw.

[infourbooks]

I still think... loyal and hard working would have been better.

[His father wasn't a Hufflepuff.]

Made more sense.

[professorwolf]

Is loyal and hardworking another house trait?

[infourbooks]

Hufflepuff. It was the one Helga started.

[professorwolf]

Oh, yes, Miss Hufflepuff. We spoke a few times. Can no one in the other houses also share these traits? How strictly regimented is this school of yours?

[He's asking out of curiosity, rather than judgment, honest.]

[infourbooks]

Sometimes he takes a long time figuring it out if more than one's really strong. If it takes five minutes, we call it a Hatstall. Hermione and I both almost were. Sometimes I'm surprised she didn't end up in Ravenclaw.