Another Sunday, means another week of law school under our belts.Things finally seem to be moving along at a decent pace and might even be picking up some speed!

This week’s chapter was a bit long, but so good like always. We find Harry back at the Dursely’s house, counting down the days until he goes off to Hogwarts. When the day comes Vernon and Petunia drive him to King’s Cross Station and mock him, leaving him there without a clue where Platform 9 3/4 is and how to even figure it out. Then Harry meets the red-head clan: the Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley (a beloved mother figure) helps Harry out. Once on the train, Harry begins to make friends. He sits with Ron Weasely, and shares a ton of chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans with him (which he bought off “the trolley dear”, when he bought the entire lot). The two talk and start to get to know each other. We meet other pivotal characters like Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger and once again Draco Malfoy. Then the most magical moment occurs: they get in boats and see Hogwarts for the first time.

This week’s theme is all about: the journey.

We’ve been in law school for 5 weeks now and most of it has been much like Harry trying to figure out how to get to Platform 9 3/4. No one has really given us direction. We are starting to get a little worried that we’ve been tricked into believing in this whole place. Yet, we find our Weasleys (a mixture of 1L, 2L, 3L students, and professional mentors) and we finally make it onto the platform where everything starts to feel new and exciting again. The ball is no longer hidden, classes are starting to make sense, clubs and organizations are picking up and it feels like the train is starting to head in the right direction.

I have met so many interesting and unique characters on this train ride so far. This week alone I met a fellow Las Vegan who told me his story thus far and can I just say wow! I’ve written about making friends and finding your tribe in a previous post and nothing has really changed there, the tribe is the tribe, but what’s interesting to me is how odd making new friends can really be. With Harry and Ron on the train, Harry can tell Ron is ashamed of his family’s financial situation. It troubles Harry because he’s never had money and doesn’t feel like anyone should try to hide who they are. Making friends in law school, on this train ride, is very similar. The more I talk with people and get to know them, the more I realize how many people try to hide their quirks, downfalls, hardships and struggles, myself included.

We take that shame, we internalize it and then we turn around and make judgment calls about others. Ron makes an offhanded comment about Neville’s need to lose his toad because like Hagrid said to Harry in Diagon Alley, toads are not in style as a pet any longer. Another fine example of internalizing the shame of where one comes from can be seen in Hermione. Though we don’t know much about Hermione at this point, I think one can argue that because she feels a bit behind everyone else (coming from a muggle family) who has grown up with magic, she hides her shame or anxiety in knowledge. Hermione subtly brags about all the extra light reading she picked up to prepare for the school year. Yes, she is just a brilliant person in general, but part of me truly believes all her studying comes from more than just a drive to be smart.

Hiding who we are is sometimes a strategic move. Sometimes it’s necessary to move forward and start over, but it eventually does catch up with you. It may leave you feeling like an imposter, it may leave you feeling like you can’t do it, it may leave you feeling tired and burnt out. The thing is, it’s easier to just be who you are, up front. It’s part of the journey and in doing so, as we get closer to the castle, the ah-ha moment of the semester where it all really does click will mean so much more to each and every one of us.

So enjoy the journey, be you, make friends, stop feeling ashamed of who you are and where you’ve been and keep your eyes open for the Hogwarts moment of the semester… it’s coming.

Until Next Time,

Mischief Managed