 Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
History of Magic was one of the rare classes where Tina liked both the subject and the professor who taught it. Normally, that was enough to make her look forward to the lessons, but lately, she couldn’t look forward to anything… except going home. She longed for France more and more with each passing moment, so much so that she’d started literally marking off the days until the end of the term when she could finally get out of this madhouse! But… what if the mist was still around at the end of the term? What if she stayed trapped at Hogwarts forever? Tina was so distracted that she'd almost forgotten to say hello to Professor O'Hara upon her arrival and hastily mumbled a greeting. Sorry, Professor! Nothing personal, she just… had a lot on her mind.
She eyed the stones and table covering on her desk with only a fraction of her usual curiosity. She couldn't even begin to guess what they were doing there, but at least in this class, she could trust that whatever their purpose, it wouldn't be anything too chaotic. Hmm… maybe a nice, calm History of Magic lesson was just the thing she needed to take her mind off her worries. Tina tried to focus her attention on the professor as the lesson began… in a very unexpected way. She blinked at the professor's odd request. Honestly, she didn't think this exercise would help her focus, but it wasn't worth debating. *She closed her eyes as instructed, trying to block out her ominous thoughts and pay attention to the task at hand. To her surprise, she did feel a little bit better when it was over.
Okay, so apparently they were talking about King Arthur today. Suddenly the stones on the desks made a lot more sense, and Tina's thoughts immediately went to Excalibur. Did that mean there was a miniature version of the sword in the stone under the white table covering? That was the only thing she could think would be there! Before she could raise her hand to speak, that little Gryffindor girl (Cordelia) beat her to it. Tina was 99% sure Excalibur was the answer O'Hara was looking for, but there was nothing she could think of to add to that answer. Even if there was, she wouldn't. She preferred to come up with her own answer rather than jump off of someone else's.
She searched her knowledge of Arthurian legend. and the next thing that came to mind was the Round Table. Her hand went up, and she said when called on, "King Arthur had a Round Table around which he and his knights would gather - so designed to symbolize that all who sat there had equal status." To be honest, Tina felt Hogwarts should adopt the same concept. Better than this broken hierarchy where the loud and aggressive were rewarded and the hard-working and honorable ignored! "There is some debate about the table's origin. Some versions of the legend say Arthur himself created the table; others say it was designed by Merlin for King Uther, Arthur's father, and Arthur inherited it later. One legend also states that the Round Table seated twelve people with a thirteenth seat called the Siege Perilous left empty to symbolize a certain famous betrayal. It's said that only the knight destined for success in the quest for the Grail could safely sit in the Siege Perilous."
Tina couldn't help but feel a little sheepish as she finished speaking. That answer was… a lot longer than intended! Sorry, people! She really wasn't trying to be a know-it-all; she just got a bit overeager because the connotations of equal standing and betrayal struck a chord with her.
__________________ Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led
If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true... |