Political Interests

[Tristan Collins]

The Ministry of Magic had been a fascination for Tristan since the moment he had heard of its existence. The older he got, the more politics interested him, which was why he was following the election closely. It was a shame he would just be a few months too young to vote, but he still thought it had merit to follow the discussions closely. So far, he wasn't sure who he wanted to root for. Alexander Cade was interesting and clear, straight to the point. Tristan had to admit he admired that. But Ioan Finch was also very interesting. Tristan would have to pay close attention to what each of them said at today's debate. He didn't really consider any of the candidates seriously. Cat Tannon was a joke, Dymetris Kozlov only seemed to care about St. Mungo's and Claudia Holland was way too soft. He had scoffed at Metrophanes Matthias' ideas already, and knowing he was a Scitorari sympathizer just made him feel vindicated in his dislike.

He wasn't sure who else followed the elections the way he had, but had still tried to reach out to anyone interested. Tristan had pinned a few notes to bulletin boards and left some in the library at well, stating that there would be a place to listen to the debate and discuss it while it was airing. Tristan had arrived early in the student lounge to set up the radio. Now he just hoped anyone else would want to listen with him. But if not, he was sure he wouldn't be bored. Tristan placed a notebook in front of him, intending to take notes on the candidate's points. He wanted to have a career in politics, after all. There was no harm in starting early.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

Hayley had become increasingly interested in politics as her own revolutionary ideas developed, and it irked her greatly that she was too young to vote in this election. Of course she would follow it anyway, especially since she had a personal interest in that one of the candidates was Rose's mum. Initially Hayley had been torn between rooting for her or for Metrophanes Matthias, whose ideas had so closely parallelled her own. And then it had come out that the latter was involved with the Scitorari, and Hayley had been appalled and disappointed and confused all at once. Why would one of them say such things? It sounded like something else Hayley would have to try and research, much as she disliked doing so, although she wasn't sure how much information she would be able to find. At least it left her free to wholeheartedly support Claudia Holland, who quite apart from being Rose's mum seemed to her to have the best policies.

Hayley had seen the notes around the school inviting people to come listen to the debate, and thought it was a perfect opportunity. She had actually put a question in to this debate, and she was curious to see how the candidates responded, plus she felt like it might benefit her cause to be seen to be engaged in politics. When she entered the student lounge, though, she was surprised to see that it was Tristan Collins who was setting up the radio. Hayley hadn't really spoken to Tristan since second year, when they'd had an argument about her still-developing revolutionary ideas. She wasn't sure how she felt about him, other than awkward. This was going to be awkward. She hoped other people turned up soon. "Hi, Tristan."

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan looked up as someone approached his table, his eyebrows raising slightly when he saw who it was. He supposed it wasn't a surprise that Hayley Elridge was interested in the debate, as she was obviously very into politics. But he wasn't entirely sure if he was happy to have her here. Her opinions were very public and very controversial, he wondered if she would scare off anyone else. But at the same time, it beat sitting here on his own. "Hayley, take a seat." He said with a friendly nod. "Glad you could join. I suppose you're unhappy about the news about Matthias?" His views had seemed eerily similar to hers, and he couldn't help but enjoy a little bit that he had turned out to be a Scitorari. Maybe it would help the Slytherin realize her ideas were dangerous too.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

Hayley sat down as Tristan had invited her to, smiling at him. Whatever the differences in their political views, they had come here to listen and there was no reason not to be friendly to him. "It certainly shook me," she admitted. "To think that someone like that could have ideas so like mine . . . I'll have to find out why, and make sure no one thinks my reasoning's the same." That was more than she would usually have said to Tristan about it, knowing he didn't support her, but those events really had shaken her.

And then the debate was starting, and they both turned their attention towards the radio to listen. And the first question - the very first question! - was the one that Hayley had sent in. She grinned, honoured and excited. Then, immediately, frowned as Carter Kaster started talking about what had happened last year. "That's not relevant to the question!" she hissed. That was just taking the opportunity to be rude for no reason, and detracting from any actual point he might make. Not that he seemed to have much in the way of actual points, she thought viciously.

Then, thankfully, Claudia said exactly what she was thinking, albeit in far more polite language. Hayley relaxed, vindicated in her belief that she would support Claudia Holland even if she wasn't Rose's mum. She listened closely to what Claudia said, and began smiling again when she mentioned blurring the lines - some small amount of support for what she was saying, it seemed to Hayley - and when she raised similar ideas to those Hayley had had dismissed. "I said that to Professor Styx, about offering classes to educate both sides about each other, but he just brushed me off."

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan was surprised Hayley admitted to being shaken by the Matthias reveal. If he had been in her shoes, he definitely would have bluffed. She was too open and honest, which was partly where her ideas were doomed to fail. You had to play your audience, say what they wanted to hear. Couch bigger and more controversial ideas with smaller and more acceptable ones. But he wasn't going to give her this advice. Her goals were misguided at best. "Sorry to hear that. I suppose you support your friend's mother now?" He asked, just a slight tone of condescension in his voice. It wasn't a good enough reason to support someone in his mind.

The debate started and Tristan took his quill in his hand to take notes. His eyes snapped to Hayley when her name was mentioned, wishing he had sent in a question. To hear her name on the radio kind of bothered her, and he couldn't' really hide his smirk when Carter Kaster mentioned the disastrous revolution. "Seems like you're infamous even at the Ministry." He joked lightly, pleased with this development. Claudia Holland was next, spouting her idealistic ideas. Some of her ideas were decent, but she was too soft. He also didn't like how she made muggleborns seem like weak little bunnies that needed to be protected and coddled. His answer to Hayley was a little sharp because of that. "Well, we were fine. Weren't we? We didn't need classes like that. The professors have enough to do. I don't like how she's trying to coddle us." He said, though in truth a few years ago he would have liked a class like that. But admitting that felt like a weakness. Ioan said much of the same, and Tristan took a few notes. He definitely agreed with him more than with Claudia. As Cat replied, Tristan didn't bother to hide his eye roll. "The requirements for being a candidate must be really low. She barely said anything." He commented. He didn't bother to write it down either. Her answer as pathetic.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

When the whole political candidate thing had been announced, Alistair hadn't been even remotely interested in it. The next Minister of Magic was, as far as he'd been concerned, a problem for the adults to deal with, and a problem he could deal with when he was old enough to. It wasn't until after the first debate, where the candidates had discussed werewolves, that the young lycanthrope realised that just maybe he should be a little more aware of what was happening, and what kind of future he might expect for people like him, whether it would be better or worse, or as unchanged as it had always seemed to be. So when someone had put out word that there'd be an open group listen-in on the second debate broadcast, Alistair figured it was best to go and hear what there was to be said. While crowds of people were far from his thing, he didn't expect enough students to be interested for the lounge to be packed, and as he walked in, he was relieved to see that was indeed the case.

The Lancaster boy heard the radio before he saw it, just barely catching on to the end of the first question. Werewolves were mentioned again, albeit briefly, and Alistair wasn't sure if this was concerning or a good thing. Prior to the first debate, he hadn't expected them to be brought up or considered at all. "Hello." He softly greeted the two others already present, taking a seat nearby so he could continue to listen in. Mostly, he was keeping an ear out for more lycanthrope references, but seeing as the topic was education and was just as likely to affect him now, as a student himself, there was no doubt he'd find more topics to be interested in hearing about.
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[Hayley Elridge]

Tristan was being terribly condescending, and Hayley frowned at him, annoyed that in the interest of honesty she couldn't just contradict him. "Yeah," she said, "but not because she's my friend's mum. I think she's got the best ideas out of the candidates, some good progressive stuff. And she's putting out the most ideas of any of the candidates." He probably still wouldn't believe her that her opinion wasn't just friendship bias, but she had to say something, prove to him that she had at least thought about it. "Who do you support?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Hayley scowled. "I'd be good with being infamous if they gave airtime to my ideas, but no. Ripping into me with no context isn't even gonna do anything for him, it'll just alienate anyone who doesn't already know." She did sincerely think that was a stupid political move as well as being unfair to her, and the more she thought about it the more it annoyed her. She didn't want to rant about it aloud and drown out the actual debate, but oblique references to something that had happened at Hogwarts were just going to confuse the vast majority of adult listeners. She wasn't deluded about how far her message had reached. "Pfff, say what you want, but I would have loved some actual support, some explanation of how this world works." She bet Tristan was just trying not to admit that to look superior, it seemed like something he would do. She nodded in response to his comment about Cat Tannon, though. "She doesn't have any policies."

Hayley looked up briefly as another person came in. Seemed politics was popular with Slytherins. "Hi," she greeted him, friendly but without much attention. The next question wasn't one that interested her much, though. Schoolwork was dull enough; adults talking about it was even more dull. Claudia Holland saying that wizards could learn from muggles once again tied into Hayley's own ideas, and she smiled and nodded at that, but rolled her eyes at Finch's comment on the Statute.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan gave the girl a smile when she said she didn't only support Claudia Holland because she was her friend's mother, and he nodded, though he didn't believe her. He sighed as Hayley mentioned she would have loved support, she was always going on about things like that. "I just don't like how she paints muggleborns as helpless victims." Tristan looked up as a younger boy joined them, and gave him a quick smile. What he really wanted was to listen to the debate, but he was glad to be doing so with other students interested in politics. It was hard for him to imagine not being interested, as the future of their world depended on it. "Hey, welcome. I'm Tristan and this is Hayley." He said, though his attention was soon back on the radio. Claudia Holland's ideas for change in the curriculum were ridiculous, and he did nothing to hide his disdain. "Muggle Studies is a joke." He said, glancing at Hayley. "You can't actually believe it should be mandatory, right?" He liked Ioan Finch's idea of Alchemy a lot more, he had to say. The next question interested him too, and he took careful notes on the answers. He didn't really care about pre-Hogwarts education, as he was too old for that, but to learn more after Hogwarts would be great. As long as he could use it to have an advantage.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

The two were friendly enough, and with the radio on there wasn't much necessity to try and be social, which the werewolf was happy about. "Alistair." He responded to the older boy's introductions, though he sort of knew who Hayley was already, both because of what had happened last year, and the fact she was now one of his house prefects. Settling in, he listened to the debate, feeling it was strange to hear the Headmistress' voice through a radio, and not in person. The idea one of the candidates had about making Muggle Studies a mandatory subject was one Alistair wasn't so sure how he felt about. He wanted to learn about muggle things, because it was so different and interesting, and not at all as bad as he'd been told it was prior to coming to the school, but it was so hard and confusing to figure out complicated stuff like batteries, and calculators, the difficult way they had to do things without the ease of magic. It was weird to hear that the woman really thought that wizards could, or needed to learn from muggles though. Surely it was the other way around? Wizards could do a lot more to be helping them and making their lives easier. Doing things the non-magical way was a few steps back.

When Tristan commented on how Muggle Studies was a joke, Al shot him a curious look, but said nothing as he saw he wasn't the one being spoken to. He knew a lot of people who would have said the same thing. It wasn't the most helpful of subjects to learn in their world, but he didn't think it was completely useless. He continued listening, glad that more about education after Hogwarts was being brought up. It didn't feel like there were a lot of opportunities for werewolves, since not everyone wanted to employ one, and he was hoping to try to have more options available to him once he graduated. If he had enough experience to do well in a particular area, maybe people would overlook his condition.
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