My partner's first post:  Isabel glanced over her shoulder with what she thought was a sly look as she crept up the staircase .The midafternoon light shone through the window, bathing the walls in a comforting yellow haze as she snuck across the hallway to her destination.

Truthfully, sneaking was an inaccurate description of what she was presently doing. A more correct definition was “walking around normally”, albeit with a mischievous look on her face. If anyone had truly wanted to follow her, her noisy bounding and obliviousness to the physical world around her would have presented no challenge.

She couldn’t help it, though. She always looked forward to visiting the Room of Requirement. You were never quite sure what you would find there—a long disused or banned book, hard-to-come-by potion ingredients— one time she had even found blueprints of an area of the castle. There was so much knowledge just waiting to be uncovered in that room! Also, there was something relaxing about strolling down the twisting labyrinth of piles. Isabel found herself grinning in spite of herself.

She knew it was probably morally dubious to be taking things from the Room of Requirement, but she supposed all the things there had been abandoned anyway, and most of their former owners had long ago left the castle.  She was so caught up in her thoughts, she had neglected her “sneaking” and nearly ran into something very solid just a few feet away from where she knew the Room of Requirement would appear. Isabel jerked her head up quickly to better see what she had almost bowled over, her green eyes immediately betraying the anxiety that was easy to unveil even when she was in the best of moods.

My first post:  Bob spent the summer vacation at home with his Muggle parents as he always did, but this summer he decided to do something different: take some piano and composition lessons with his old music teacher, whom he hadn't seen for five years.  He had played the piano at the Year End Ball last June, and he had met Isabel, a fourth-year Ravenclaw student.  She had danced with him - twice! - and she had asked him to play one of his compositions for her, which he did for about 30 seconds until one of the dance musicians had thrown him off the stage.  Hopefully he would get a chance to play for her again, and if the occasion arose, he wanted to play well.

On his first day back at Hogwarts, he went straight to the Great Hall, where the Headmistress had conjured up a piano for him to play at the Ball.  To his disappointment, the piano was no longer there, and he hadn't learned nearly enough magic to conjure one himself.  If he was going to be able to play the piano while at Hogwarts, he was going to have to go to the Room of Requirement, which would respond to his request to include a piano in the room.  He decided to do so right away so that he could practise the pieces he had learned; after all the practising he had done over the summer, he didn't want to be rusty if and when he got a chance to play for Isabel!  He climbed up to the seventh floor of Hogwarts Castle and walked down the left corridor until he saw the tapestry depicting Barnabus the Barmy trying to teach ballet to trolls.  The secret entrance to the Room of Requirement would appear at a spot opposite this tapestry if he walked past that spot three times, thinking about a piano, a piano bench and some chairs.  He concentrated so hard on those thoughts that he didn't notice the person right in front of him until they had almost collided!

It was Isabel, looking just as embarrassed as he felt.  They apologized to each other simultaneously, and said, "That's all right!" simultaneously as well.  After some discussion about what they each hoped to find in the Room of Requirement, they agreed that he should resume his quest to put a piano in the room, which he did, and play for her.  They entered the room together.  It was a small studio with an upright piano, a piano bench and one chair.  She sat down on the chair and he sat down on the bench and played, starting with the composition he had tried to play the previous June and continuing with the new pieces he had learned over the summer.  She seemed pleased with his performance, which encouraged him to talk to her.

"I took piano lessons all summer, hoping to play well for you when I met you," he said.  "I don't think I'll be able to make a living as a musician, though.  I'm not well enough coordinated to become a concert pianist and the kind of music I compose isn't accepted by the musical community - they like atonal music, which I can't write because I don't like it.  Instead, I intend to study mathematics, physics and astronomy in a Muggle university when I graduate from Hogwarts and eventually become an astronomy professor.  But enough about me. Tell me about yourself.  What are you interested in and what do you hope to do when you graduate from Hogwarts?"

My partner's second post:  As she and Bob entered the Room of Requirement, Isabel soaked in the room and atmosphere that Bob had created. The first thing that struck her was that he certainly seemed to know his pianos. The instrument was the clear focal point of the room—it was a rich, dark black so polished that it reflected the only light coming into the room from a large, westward-facing window.

As Bob seated himself on the bench and got himself adjusted, Isabel took a seat in the leather-back chair that looked like it belonged to a rich, Pureblood family. Slightly off to the side, she was both able to see into the piano slightly, as well as the ivory keys. Isabel wondered briefly if Bob was going to conjure sheet music. Since she knew he liked to play some of his own music, she wasn’t sure if the Room of Requirement would be able to create it out of thin air. As Bob began to play though, she quickly realized he must have it all memorized. She also guessed that each playing was different and slightly improvised, judging by the emotion that spilled out of the keys when he played.

Isabel found herself wishing she knew the pieces and/or that the pieces had words. They were beautiful and she would have loved to sing something along with them. She reconsidered, however, realizing that perhaps they sounded best, and purest, without words and contented herself with watching Bob’s fingers dance over the keys and the hammers hit the strings. By the time the music dwindled to a finish, Isabel’s mind was far away—she hoped it hadn’t looked like she was bored, in fact, it was just the opposite. Though she didn’t know much about atonal music – or truthfully much other than the basics of the piano—she engaged Bob in some conversation and questions about his playing, after she had finished her 1-woman applause.

Soon enough, the conversation turned to her. Isabel wasn’t used to people asking about her interests-- in fact, people who knew her knew not to give her an opening-- and she found herself stuttering and mumbling a bit in the beginning. However, Bob’s earnest interest and insightful questions eventually got her talking. Soon she was in an animated discussion about her fascination with the powers used by other magical Beings and Beasts. When she confessed to have spent an entire night camped out in a forest back home looking for Imps in the hopes of observing them, Bob didn’t even blink an eye. He simply nodded and asked if she’d been successful. While they were certainly two very different people—Isabel also expressed her apologetic dislike of Astronomy and Mathematics, though she admitted she admired those to whom it came naturally—they were without a doubt a type of kindred spirit.

So engrossed were they in their conversation—Isabel hoped she wasn’t boring him to death!—that they didn’t notice the late hour until the setting sun splashed oranges and reds all over the wall opposite the window. Asking Bob if he was hungry, they took their leave and set off in the general direction of the Great Hall.

My second post:  In answer to Bob's question about her interests, Isabel replied that her main interest was in magical Beasts and Beings and that she had camped out one night to observe some Imps, but that she hadn't the slightest interest in mathematics or astronomy.  She also suggested that they leave the Room of Requirement and head for the Great Hall and asked him he were hungry.  Bob replied that he was indeed hungry, and they set off together.

On the way, Bob decided to show Isabel that he had some interests other than music, mathematics and astronomy, so that she wouldn't think that an interest in music was the only thing they had in common.  "I'm interested in animals too," he said, "but I'm not brave enough to camp out all night.  I'm scared of insects because I'm allergic to some of their bites and stings.  Hats off to you!  I'm also interested in politics, although I have no personal ambitions in that direction.  I'd like to see a world without war or poverty or discrimination against people just because they're different - people like Luna Lovegood, for instance.  I even wrote a role-playing fantasy in which I begin by protecting Luna against the bullies who played mean pranks on her just because of her harmless eccentricities and end by indirectly helping Carlotta Pinkstone reintegrate the Muggle and magical worlds."

By this time, Bob became aware that he and Isabel were being closely followed by a group of students, who seemed to be listening to him.  He made no effort to lower his voice: he loved an audience, and he wanted as many people as possible to hear his views on the subject about which he was about to talk.  "As a Muggle-born, I've observed enough about the Muggle world to know that such a reintegration has recently become feasible.  The Muggle Studies course teaches us about Muggle inventions such as computers and the internet, but what it doesn't teach us is that, thanks to the internet, information travels too fast to be stopped by Memory Charms.  The Muggles are well aware of our existence, and with the exception of some religious bigots of all stripes, they'd be quite prepared to accept us - to welcome us, in fact - if only we'd quit tampering with their minds to make them forget about our existence.  We could use our magic to help them, as we used to do in ancient times with no ill effect, before their religious bigots turned them against us, and in return they could share with us their music, science and technology, all of which are centuries ahead of ours.  Our lives as well as theirs would be greatly enriched. Even our magic would benefit: it would become safer and more effective if we were better versed in the sciences behind it.  The International Statute of Secrecy has become unenforceable and unnecessary, and while I'm not brave enough to violate it and risk spending time in Azkaban like Carlotta Pinkstone, I fully intend to campaign for its revocation."

Suddenly the group of students who had been following Bob and Isabel stepped in front of them, blocking their path into the Great Hall.  Bob looked at their robes and his heart sank into his boots.  Each of them wore a crest depicting a silver coloured snake against a green background.  This couldn't be good!  His fears turned out to be well justified.  One of them - a girl - pointed at Bob with her thumb and said to Isabel, "You don't wanna let people see you hangin' around with that creep.  It'd ruin your reputation.  He's a Mudblood, a total dork and a showoff.  We didn't get to dance as much as we wanted to at the Year End Ball because he just had to play some classical crap on the piano even though the real musicians warned him not to, and he can't shut his trap.  When the folks at the Ministry get wind of his subversive rant, they're gonna wanna stop him from spreadin' his ideas around.  They'll make sure he never gets anythin' better than a menial job no matter how good his grades are.  They may even do it to anyone foolish enough to associate with him, just to isolate him further. Other people will be scared to have anythin' to do with him - or with you either if you keep hangin' around with him.  It may have been worth it if he was a real cool dude, but not for such a geek - unless, of course, you're such a nerd yourself that he's your only friend!"  The others in her group applauded her rant, and then they entered the Great Hall and headed for the Slytherin table, laughing and chattering away.

Bob couldn't have cared less what they thought of him, but he was concerned that they may have frightened Isabel into cutting ties with him.  He locked eyes with her, but her face was inscrutable.  He knew perfectly well that he was incapable of reading people's emotions from their body language, their facial expression, their tone of voice or even their words if they were at all coded.  There was only one way to find out.  Trying his best to sound positive, he said, "Don't pay any attention to those small-minded bigots.  They don't speak for the folks in the Ministry or for the students, even most of the Slytherins.  You heard the applause I got after playing the piano at the Year End Ball.  And even if they're right, that wouldn't stop me.  I'm like Luna - I say what I think, whatever the consequences."  Then, indicating two adjacent seats around the Ravenclaw table, he said, "Let's sit down here and have dinner.  It'll make us feel better."  He took a step towards the seats and looked back to see whether she was following him.

My partner's third post:  Chatting as they descended the maze of stairs to the Great Hall, Isabel paid no attention to the students behind them until it was impossible not to.

As a self-important girl with a permanent scowl stepped out in front of them, Isabel was conflicted. The girl looked so convinced at her superiority (and so ridiculous with her odd-looking posse surrounding her), Isabel wasn't sure whether to laugh out loud or just hex the lot of them. Normally, she wouldn't be so bold, but when were obviously stupid (read: prejudiced) her temper was roused and all shyness went out the window. She was sure her disgust and disbelief was written all over her face as the Slytherin girl continued spewing her vitriol. However, it seemed the gaggle of goons misinterpreted the object of her disdain and simply stomped off into the Great Hall without another glance. These goons had the emotional maturity of a fruit fly.

This lot was the reason Slytherins still had a bad name.

She turned to Bob, her eyes rolling and her mouth set in what was likely an unpleasant scowl before she realized her facial features could be wildly misinterpreted as they still didn't know each other that well. Her concerns were further exacerbated by the strained look on his face when he denounced the green-robed bigots for exactly what they were.

Without any hesitation, Isabel stepped over to the empty seat next to Bob and settled down. As she and Bob continued with their conversation about Carlotta Pinkstone and the International Statute of Secrecy, Isabel took a few minutes to (what she hoped was) discretely scanned the Slytherin tables to find the group that had confronted them earlier. Using one of the spells she knew the best from… competitions with her dormmates, she Astrictused their hands to their eating utensils. And, with a private smile of satisfaction, she turned back to the knot of Ravenclaws and entered into the lively discussion forming.

My third post:  Much to Bob's joy and relief, Isabel not only joined him at the Ravenclaw table, she actually jinxed the bigots who had threatened her!  Although Bob and Isabel were totally different people with different interests, they really were kindred spirits in more ways than just their mutual interest in music.  They both had the courage usually associated with Gryffindors, she more than he.  She was brave not only facing emotional dangers, as was he, but physical ones as well.  He wouldn't have camped out all night just to observe animals, and he wouldn't have dared to jinx those bigots for fear of physical retaliation.  His admiration for her no longer knew any bounds.  They would be seeing a lot more of each other and going everywhere together - with one exception.  When the next Year End Ball was held, she would have to find a different dancing partner - hopefully one who could jive - for he would not be dancing.  He would be providing all the music instead.