Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments)
Anthropology: Anthropology Subfields
Task #4: Linguistic Anthropology - Linguistic anthropologists study the many ways people communicate across the globe. Prompt: Write about communicating through non-verbal means (texting, sign-language, etc)
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Ginny couldn't help but sigh as Gilderoy Lockhart strolled into the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, he's just so dreamy! She couldn't believe she was going to be taught by the Gilderoy Lockart.
She was so enthralled that she didn't even notice when a folded up square of parchment landed on her arm until another square got her in the cheek.
"Ow!" The redhead hissed. Rubbing her cheek, she snatched up the first square.
You do know he's actually a vampire, right? It read in loopy handwriting.
What? Ginny thought. Blinking, she unfolded the second note, hoping it actually made sense.
That's how he looks so young. He comes from a whole line of vampires dating back to the renaissance.
Her nose crinkling and eyebrows raising, she tried to subtly look around for the person who wrote that. Who in the world...?
Cursing herself for choosing to sit in the front row, she slightly turned around to scope the classmates behind her. No one stood out to her, everyone either writing what Professor Lockhart was saying or doodling.
One boy caught Ginny looking at raised a slim eyebrow at her, looking confused. Blushing, the redhead played it off like she was using her shoulder to scratch her cheek and face forward.
"Me," the blonde next to her murmured out of the corner of her mouth.
Ginny gaped at the girl next to her, taking in her scraggly, dirty blonde hair, silvery eyes and the radish earrings hanging from her earlobes. What got her attention the most was the fact that the girl had her wand tucked behind her left ear.
For her life, she couldn't remember the blonde's name.
"Why are you-" Ginny started but was cut off by the blonde shoving another parchment towards her, which she in turn pushed away. "You know you could-"
The blonde merely shook her head and poised her pen to write more.
Shaking her head, the redhead turned her attention back to the professor, who was talking about how he liked his eggs in the morning.
"No style is better than sunny side up!" The self-absorbed man was saying as he gracefully paced the front of the room. How he was oblivious to the young Gryffindor being pushed parchment was beyond her.
Ginny jumped when a sharp corner poked her finger. I wish she'd stop doing that. Her face full of dread, she quietly unfolded the square.
Do you think he realized his head is full of Wrackspurts?
"What are you-" Ginny was taken aback when the blonde held a hand up and gestured to the parchments that were starting to pile up. Fighting back a groan, she snatched up her quill and started writing.
Why don't you just whisper? Putting her quill down, she slid the paper over.
The parchment was back before Ginny could even blink.
Because that would be rude.
And this isn't?
No, no one can hear what we're writing.
Probably the most sense she has made this whole time. The redhead thought to herself. Pushing the thought away, she tried to focus on what the professor was saying, who was now reading from one of his book. However, something was nagging at her.
What are wrackspurts?
Before she could even process what she was doing, she was handing the parchment back to the still unnamed blonde. What could she say, she was wondering.
They're invisible creatures, they go in your ears and make your brain fuzzy. I'm Luna, by the way.
If they're invisible, how do you know they exist?
They can be seen with spectrespecs.
Why did I have to ask? Ginny asked herself.
You don't believe me, I can tell. It's okay, my head is perfectly clear.
Luna, I'm going to be completely honest, that sounds ridiculous.
Yet you believe this professor? He's obviously lying.
Getting tired of this game, the redhead opened her mouth to say something.
"And that's all the time we have for today, class dismissed," Lockhart announced. With flourish, he closed his book and flashed a smile.
Luna skipped out of the classroom without even batting an eye.
Ginny sat there with her mouth still opened. Feeling her face turning red, she snatched up the parchment and shoved her in her bag.
"Here's my schedule." A random piece of paper was shoved into her hand.
Blinking, she looked up to see the boy who caught her looking.
Mumbling out an excuse, she all but darted from the room.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed.