Roger Davis Confidence

"Okay, class dismissed." Anthony added the survey results to his lesson plan. "By the way, Davis, do you have any classes after this?"

"No, Professor," Roger Davis replied, a bit dazed.

Anthony nodded. "Then could you stay for a moment? I need to speak with you."

"Of course," Roger said, signaling to his friend to go ahead without him.

The friend looked at him with concern, whispering, "I'll wait for you outside. You passed the last test, right?"

Anthony smiled. "Don't worry, it's nothing serious. I guarantee Davis will be at the Ravenclaw table in one piece."

The friend chuckled awkwardly, gathered Roger's books, and headed towards their dorm.

Anthony watched them go, a small smile on his face. Unlike his sister, it seemed Roger had found a supportive group of friends at Hogwarts.

...

His friend walked out of the classroom, thoughtfully closing the door behind him. The setting sun peeked through the dark clouds, casting a golden glow on the third-year Ravenclaw's hair, a rare sight for its usual cool tones.

As soon as his friend left, Roger asked eagerly, "It's about Tracy, isn't it?" He elaborated, "I've been inviting her to Quidditch practices lately, and she agrees at first, but then she gets annoyed quickly."

Perhaps due to losing his mother at a young age, Roger was a very caring brother. Not only had he pleaded with Anthony to intervene, but he'd also been trying to get Tracy to open up to him.

After their chat in the library, Roger had been frequenting the Slytherin common room, so much so that even Anthony had heard about it.

Professor Flitwick assumed his house players were harassing the Slytherin captain – the last Ravenclaw-Slytherin match hadn't been friendly – while Professor McGonagall suspected a romantic pursuit. Anthony was surprised by his colleague's imagination.

The truth was, Roger was simply trying to look out for his sister by inviting her to Quidditch.

...

"Quidditch practice?" Anthony repeated, amused.

Roger nodded, troubled. "She used to be so interested. Professor, what's wrong with Tracy?"

Anthony shook his head, choosing not to reveal that Tracy seemed to be on a heavy dose of mood-altering potions. There was no point in adding to Roger's worries.

"I spoke to Professor Snape earlier," he said.

Roger looked at him nervously.

Anthony continued frankly, "I realized I might have oversimplified the situation. You don't have to tell me the details, Mr. Davis, but I want you to know that Miss Davis may have a very different perspective on the whole issue."

If the head of Slytherin felt that way, Anthony suspected Miss Davis might share similar sentiments. It was her house, after all.

He didn't want his involvement to damage the relationship between the siblings.

"You're right, Professor," Roger nodded, his voice brimming with confidence. "But I know Tracy – at least, I know the Tracy she was as a child. As long as she knows I care about her, no matter how annoying she finds me, she won't truly ignore me."

He continued, "When I get back from the zoo trip, if it goes well, I want to take her there. Unlike her other classmates, our father hasn't pressured us to strive for success in the wizarding world. In fact, I don't think he cares much about what we do in the future.

"I'm really interested in the natural history you mentioned – I might even travel the world someday and become a knowledgeable, though not necessarily famous, scholar. I want to be a naturalist in the wizarding world. If that doesn't work out, at least my magic will give me an extra layer of safety compared to other Muggle explorers. I believe I can do it well. But no, I mean, I'm actually quite good at Quidditch, too.

"Of course, I believe Tracy could have more choices, but she doesn't seem interested in that idea. She told me her goal is clear: to live in the wizarding world without relying on our father. Ideally, she'd have a prestigious job. She doesn't care what she has to do to get there."

Anthony asked gently, "She's made her feelings clear. What do you think?"

Roger responded optimistically, "If she doesn't want to rely on our father, I'll work hard to show her she can rely on me. I think she just lacks a sense of security. I can't blame her for feeling that way, given how our father treats us."

Anthony looked at him. Even when discussing his father's indifference, Roger's eyes still sparkled with confidence and hope.

He couldn't help but recall the sorting criteria Professor McGonagall had once explained to him. He had asked her, over tea, how the Sorting Hat could determine a student's path for the next seven years in mere seconds – as far as he knew, unlike Muggle universities, there was no changing houses at Hogwarts.

"Generally speaking, it's through their deepest desires," McGonagall had told him. "Ravenclaws value knowledge and wisdom, and are full of curiosity; Gryffindors prize courage; Slytherins value cunning and ambition; and Hufflepuffs..." She had looked to Professor Sprout for help.

Professor Sprout had added with quiet pride, "Hufflepuff is a house for the tolerant and kind. We take in all the lost little witches and wizards and simply hope to make them good people."

...

Seeing Roger's confidence in the future, Anthony understood why he was in Ravenclaw while Tracy was in Slytherin.

With his love for knowledge and wisdom, Roger believed he could find fulfilling work, whether in the wizarding or Muggle world, and that the satisfaction of knowledge would be enough to sustain his happiness.

But not Tracy.

Tracy and Snape shared a similar outlook – she needed power to control her life, to control her emotions and her future. Without that control, she felt lost.

Under the last rays of sunlight piercing the gloomy grey clouds, Roger Davies' eyes shone brightly with hope for the future.

As Anthony saw him off, he sincerely wished him luck.

He was quite willing to believe in the future Roger described, even if he didn't sense the same confidence in Miss Davis.

Anthony looked out the window. The sun had set, and a deep purple hue was slowly rising over the distant mountains.

.....

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