The Cocktail Party Effect-- some social psychological term she'd read about in a muggle psychology book years ago-- was the phenomenon where humans unconsciously tune their attention toward their name (or something else familiar) in a crowded room (i.e., cocktail party), if it was spoken at the same volume as the rest of the noise. That was why, she reasoned, her attention snapped upward as she heard her name across the dining area, even though Finley was right beside her yelling to the barista across the way.
She had to laugh a bit when she recognized it was Katie calling her name, maneuvering rather gracefully through the packed waiting space by the hostess stand. Why were Quidditch players always graceful? She surely would've been flat on her face, trampled on in half a second, if that were her. Regardless, she waved at Katie and pointed to the chair across from her, indicating that she wasn't waiting for anyone.
She set the Prophet on her lap, still amused that she was mid-Harpies article when Katie called her name, and waited for the friendly blonde to approach. "It's completely bonkers in here, isn't it? I've never seen it so packed!" Even with Katie getting closer, she still had to raise her voice a bit.
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Date: 2010-09-13 02:12 am (UTC)She had to laugh a bit when she recognized it was Katie calling her name, maneuvering rather gracefully through the packed waiting space by the hostess stand. Why were Quidditch players always graceful? She surely would've been flat on her face, trampled on in half a second, if that were her. Regardless, she waved at Katie and pointed to the chair across from her, indicating that she wasn't waiting for anyone.
She set the Prophet on her lap, still amused that she was mid-Harpies article when Katie called her name, and waited for the friendly blonde to approach. "It's completely bonkers in here, isn't it? I've never seen it so packed!" Even with Katie getting closer, she still had to raise her voice a bit.