Good Day Sunshine (Open)

Linda could still not believe her luck. She truly was at Hogwarts, a school only for wizards and witches where she could learn everything about magic and potions and creatures. Although she had been living here for several months already, most things were still very new to her and amazed Linda every day.

She tilted up her head towards the sun and leaned back on the wall she had been sitting on for a few minutes already. Linda knew that she should be doing her homework, but to be honest, who could blame her for enjoying such a beautiful day outside? Maybe she could even daydream a little about possible adventures that would find her in the old walls of the castle.

Serena burst through the doors of the castle and ran down the walk that lead to the courtyard! The sun was shining which made for a perfect day to be outside and not inside doing homework. Normally she cared, but not today! Today the weather dictated that anyone in their right mind should be outside! So.... She was!

Running along the wall as she took in as much of the fresh air as she could, she spotted another girl sitting on top of it enjoying the sunshine as much as she was. "HI!" Serena called as she jogged over to her. Brushing the loose strands of blond from her face, she smiled up brightly at the girl. Seeing her face, she thought she recognized her from her own sorting. "Mind some company?" she asked cheerfully, resting her hands on the wall.

Linda's eyes opened when she heard a voice talk to her. She had just been dreaming of flying on a broom, like she had seen some of the older students do. That must feel amazing! It was a pity that her parents couldn't be here to experience all of these wonderful things with her.
She sat up and smiled down at the other Gryffindor girl. "Oh hi!" she greeted her. "Sure, come up. The stone is nicely warmed up from the sun, it feels fantastic!" Linda told her, resting her back on the wall again to stare up into the sunny sky. "You're Serena, right? I remember you from the sorting. I'm Linda" she mentioned, angling her head to be able to look at her.

With a bright smile, Serena hopped up on the wall next to Linda and sighed. The stoned were nice and warm, making them feel wonderful. "Yup! That's me! I thought you looked familiar! You're in Gryffindor, too, right?" she said as she put her hands behind her head and watched the puffy white clouds lazily drift by. "It's nice to meet you offically," she added, looking over at her housemate. "Isn't this place amazing? I never thought it would be my time to come here," Serena mused, happy to have someone to talk to.

Linda nodded in agreement and shot the other girl a grin. "I sure am. I was really happy to be sorted in Gryffindor. When the sorting hat told us about the different houses, I thought that I might end up in Hufflepuff at first, but it seems that I'm brave enough for the lions after all."  Linda rested her head on the warm stone again and enjoyed the endless view of the clouds for a few moments in silence. "Yes it is. At home I often watch the sky as well and sometimes I make up things that the clouds look alike." she pointed to a oddly formed one and chuckled. "Like this one, don't you think it looks a bit like Dumbeldore's beard?" Linda laughed softly, but then turned serious at Serena's next word. "Neither did I. I did not even know that magic was real! And then I come here and there are even real ghosts!" The Bloody baron had creeped her out a bit, but luckily he usually haunted the dungeons.

"Me, too! I hoped I'd get sorted into Gryffindor like my parents," she mused happily, "Guess I really didn't think I'd fit anywhere else." Watching the clouds as Linda talked, Serena thought about home. She was finally here with her brother, but she still missed home a little. Glancing at the cloud she mentioned and giggles happily. "You know.... It does!" she said before her giggle shifted into a light laugh. Her laughter slowly quieted as Linda turned rather serious when she answered about not knowing about magic. Serena sat up, leaning on her palms, and looked at her. She smiled gently, the smile evern reflecting in her bright eyes. "Why so serious, Linda? You're a Muggleborn, aren't you?" she asked before playfully nudging her hip. "It's ok. That doesn't bother me! Look, you got into the same school and house as me! That's saying something!" Serena said, trying to lift her mood. Nodding about the ghosts, she couldn't help but glace back at the castle. "They are nice, though. Most of them. Nothing to worry about... Don't you have ghosts and things in the Muggle world?" she asked glancing back at her.

Linda sat up and looked at the other Gryffindor in interest. "So your parents are both wizards as well?" she asked curiously. That had to be so amazing. To grow up surrounded by magic and to have parents to explain everything had to be awesome and though she loved her parents, Linda wished that they could have been wizards as well.
She smiled at Serena's words about her blood status. "It's just ... since that writing on the wall appeared a few days ago, everyone is always talking about who the enemies of the heir might be and Slytherins hated people like me, right?" Linda said quietly. She didn't know if it was bad to be a muggleborn, but some people seemed to think so. That's why it cheered her up a lot that the other Gryffindor didn't mind. "I'm glad to hear that, Serena. That means a lot to me." she told her truthfully and then laughed at the next question. "Oh no, we don't. But we have films about ghosts and other magical things like dragons and unicorns." she said, grinning as she thought about some movies she used to watch as a child. "But the real things are much better."

"Both my parents and my older brother," Serena told her. She had often wondered what it was like to grow up in a non-magical family, but she wouldn't trade hers for anything. Even if she'd never met her dad, she still wouldn't trade her family for a Muggle one. She loved them too much for that. "Do you have any siblings, Linda?" she asked.

As she brought up the message on the wall from only a couple days ago, Serena felt a chill run up her spine. It had been unerving to say the least... "I don't think the enemy of the heir is anyone like you and me... I mean, sure there is Malphas and Mariya and any others... But, why would we be their enemy?" Serena reasoned with a shrug. They were about bloodstatus, she knew that, but she didn't think that a person's blood determined an enemy or not. With a small sigh, she said comfortingly, "Many witches and wizards are all about who your parents are. More than Slytherins, but it just seems that Slytherins tend to care the most... And, really, I don't see why it matters all that much. Certainly not enough to make you an enemy." Putting a smile on her face, she hoped that would make Linda feel better about the whole situtation. At the mention of films about ghosts and magical creatures, Serena's brow furrowed. "Films? What are films?" she asked slightly confused.

"No, unfortunately I don't" Linda answered her question about having siblings. Sometimes she wished that she wasn't an only child, but on the other hand it also meant that she had her parents to herself. "Though when I listen to my friends, I got lucky. Their siblings often annoy them a lot." she said grinning, easily imagining her best friend and her five younger sisters fighting over one thing or another.
Thinking about the bloody writing still made, Linda slightly uncomfortable. Who would do something like that anyway? "I don't know any of the Slytherins very well, but they don't seem too bad. But they also didn't seem to be the ones to write that message." she said thoughtfully, then looked back up at the other girl. "I talked to a few of the other Gryffindors and they don't seem to have a problem with it. I'm so glad that the teachers don't treat me any different either." Linda said and shrugged. "And I don't care much for those that do, as long as they don't try to hurt anyone..."
Serena's question made her gape slightly before she started to laugh. "Oh I'm sorry! I still always forget that the wizarding world is so much different from the muggle world. Films are ... like the moving photographs you have, just much longer and there people act out stories, you know? Like a theater play." she tried to explain.

Serena giggled when Linda told her that she was actually lucky to have been born an only child instead of having siblings. "My brother isn't all that bad. I mean, he can be a pain sometimes, but I'm sure he says the same thing about me, too. But, yeah, I can agree that you are pretty lucky to not have to deal with that," she mused, smiling at her. Listening to her describe the Slytherins, Serena agreed. "They aren't so bad. Same with all the other houses. There are good and bad in both. You know, I agree with you. It doesn't seem like something that anyone here would have done. But, then.... Who did?" Serena spoke, bringing her knees up to her chest, holding them tight. "That's what I like about the professors here. They are just as diverse as the rest of us, so why treat anyone any different?" she said brightly with a small shrug, "Guess, I agree, people are entitled to their own opinions. As long as they don't act out those opinions to anyone else, then fine..."

Serena's blue eyes grew even brighter, if possible, when Linda told her what films were. They sounded fascinating! Thinking about the moving pictures they have and incorporating them as a play, it made some sense. "Do you watch them on those things.... What are they called.... Ummmm.... The Tele-box-thing...." Serena said trying to find the Muggle word that the Lupins had used when they talked about the one they had.

Linda chuckled softly and nodded at Serena. "I'm sure it is also quite nice to have someone who can always rely on. I think family is the most important thing in the world." she said, smiling at the other girl. She loved her parents and her grandparents and missed them somewhat badly most of the time, especially during the night when she had nothing to distract her from her thoughts.
She shook her head, a confused expression on her face. She had been pondering that question since the day the writing had appeared on that wall. "I don't know, but I really hope that he or she...or it? can't hurt us with the teachers around to protect us." she said quietly. Somehow, Dumbledore made her fell very safe, but she did not know what dangers the wizarding world was hiding and if even the powerful wizard could stop them.

Linda laughed, amused at Serena's question. "Yes, exactly! Television, it's called. You can watch all kinds of things, films, concerts and the news as well." she said, still smiling. Now that she thought about it, a TV was actually pretty useful for more than just watching the newest romance.

Pulling her knees up and hugging them, Serena nodded. "You really think we are all in danger because of that? Whoever wrote that might be bluffing....You know, just trying to scare us..." she said trying to sound hopeful. She figured with the professors all around them, Dumbledore especially. They were protected. They had all been told that from the start: Hogwarts is safe. So, they were safe. Right?

"Television! That's it!" she said with a light laugh. "I couldn't remember.... There is a family that my family is friends with that have one. The Lupins... Sometimes when I go over to visit, we watch it together. It's strange, though, you know, seeing things like that in the little box and it's not a picture. It's a whole lot of pictures!" Serena mused. "What do you watch?" she asked happily.

Linda bit her lip, trying to see the situation from the other girl's point of view and nodded slowly. "That is possible, though why anyone would go out of their way, even petrifying Mrs Norris, just to scare us, I really can't understand." she said quietly. Although Linda enjoyed pranks from time to time, this was taking it quite a bit too far. Pranks were only funny as long as everyone could laugh about it, but she had seen how very upset Filch had been to see his cat like that and most of the younger students had been very scared as well.

Still, besides these upsetting thoughts, she had to laugh along with Serena. "Yeah that's right! I watch a lot of things on Television, but mostly films ... romantic films you know? Or comedies." Linda said, grinning sheepishly. Most of her friends thought that to be very cheesy, but she really enjoyed such movies.