Legacy student

This is outside the main path of the narrative right now, but I want to make a note of it before I forget.  I was talking with Son 1 the other day, and he said something interesting.

Actually he asked me a question: "Dad, when you were a student at Hogwarts [like he is now], what did you say in your chapel talk?"  Hogwarts has a tradition that every Senior gives a chapel talk to the community some time during the year.  Son 1 is a Junior, but he has started to think about what he wants to say.  I think I have also mentioned that Son 1 is a legacy student, in the sense that both I and Brother went to Hogwarts for high school.  (Son 2, you will recall, is the odd one out; he's going to Durmstrang.)

"I'm not sure I remember. Why?"

"Well I wanted to ask you, and then I wanted to ask Uncle [i.e., Brother]. And then I figured I'd start out by saying, 'I'm not the first Tanatu to stand up here before you. My father talked about this, and my uncle talked about that. My talk will be different.' "

What struck me is that I hadn't realized how much it is a part of Son 1's identity at school, or of his self-understanding, that he is the third one in the family to go there.  That there is some kind of Tanatu legacy there that he's a part of.

I mused a little longer, "I kind of remember what I said at graduation, but I'm not sure I remember my chapel talk ...."

"Graduation? Oh right, you were valedictorian weren't you?"

"Ummm ...."

"Why didn't you ever tell us you were valedictorian, back when we were growing up? Do you realize I only found out my Freshman year, when one of the old teachers there told me?"

"I guess because I didn't want to come across as one of those fathers who ...."  I fumbled for words.

"Who says 'You have to follow in my footsteps'? Don't worry! I don't feel that way."  Then he laughed and added, "You can tell by looking at my latest grade report."

"That's OK," I said.  "You're also a varsity athlete. When I was at Hogwarts the idea of mentioning my name and 'varsity athlete' in the same breath could only have been a bad joke."

We joked a little more back and forth before drifting off the subject.  But he did ask me to try to remember what I talked about.