"...why?"

"I don't know, I hadn't thought to wonder. Maybe it's tradition, or maybe there is some carefully chosen reason."

"What'd you learn?"

"Maths, science, history, and a little bit about how to write essays and stories."

Pansy grimaces. "Maths?"

"Maths aren't my favorite. I think they're important though. They're the basis of science and the complicated things muggles do with money."

"Magic is better," she declares after a second thinking.

"Magic is really exciting."

And then a boy knocks on their compartment door and opens it. "Hi, can I stay here? Most of the other compartments are full."

"Sure, are you a first year like us?"

"Well I'm not a first year yet," he says reasonably. "I'm Dayo. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Millicent Bulstrode."

"Pansy Parkinson. What's your last name?"

"Iroko. Very formal, aren't we?"

"Sarah Potter."

"Wait, really? Cool! I read about you in Modern Magical History!"

"I haven't read that one. Did it say anything interesting?"

"Well lots of things! It said you killed Lord Voldemort." Pansy grimaces and Millicent looks horrified at this. "Sorry, Lord You-Know-Who."

"So they say, I don't remember doing anything that night but my memories are vague."

"Well you were one, that's to be expected."

"Yeah, it makes me wonder whether it was something my parents did that protected me."

"It was unprecedented, if so."

"Well something unprecedented happened regardless, the question is whether it was two adults who planned something or a baby's accidental magic that did it."

"People understand adult planned magic better than baby accidental magic," he points out.

"Are you gonna be a Ravenclaw?" wonders Millicent.

"Slytherin, probably."

"Ooh," she says, and both girls' interest is piqued.

"Maybe there's some sort of magic that would let me remember better and figure out myself someday."

"We should ask a teacher," says Dayo.

"Wait, you said you read about Sarah on a book?" asks Pansy, suddenly suspicious.

"Muggleborn," he explains.

She grimaces again. "And you think you're gonna be Slytherin?" she asks, scoffing.

"Ohhh yes."

"What does Slytherin have to do with being from a wizarding family? I thought the houses were about personality."

    "Muggleborns can't be Slytherins," Pansy explains as if it's obvious.

"Bet you ten galleons we can," says Dayo.

    "—how do you even have ten galleons?"

"Guess you're chicken."

    "I'm not a Gryffindor, you can keep your bet."