James was running late this morning. He had succumbed to the joy of being an owl once more, and not gotten much sleep. Getting up had been hard. Settling into his seat as most of the school was beginning to wonder off he reflects that as he's tutor, he can get away with being late. Grinning slightly sheepishly to himself he shrugs. He isn't often late, and last night had been fun. Reaching forwards, he pulls some scrambled egg off one of the centre plates and onto his own plate, already loaded with buttered golden toast.
Atticus had finished his meal and noticed Elvric enter the Great Hall in a rush. He had always been a shady character, appearing at Hogwarts out of the blue. His past seemed peculiar, not necessarily dark, but bizarre nonetheless. Atticus sensed there was more to this man than met the eye. Understanding what could help him assess whether or not he could be any help in the future. After delving into Violeta’s mind, Atticus felt confident he could do so again, in a more subtle way. In any case, James looked tired, and might not be as mentally prepared to withstand an attack, even if it’s an untrained attack. Atticus got up and positioned himself about fifteen feet directly behind James. He concealed his wand behind a large bowl of roasted potatoes and whispered the incantation “Legilimens”
He felt the same squeezing sensation as he closed his eyes, entering a seemingly limitless darkness. Spotting a point of light far ahead, Atticus concentrated on it and began to move towards it, to enter it, and to understand it. Before he continued, Atticus was seized with dread. Invading the mind of a teacher was…dangerous. Perhaps he had been too impulsive. Was it too late to back out? Girding himself, he decided to continue. “Deception, obfuscation.” He could tell Elvric’s mind was wandering, perhaps he could exploit this. He would need to appear as an apparition of sorts in these memories. Maybe if he made himself more discreet, he would be undetectable.
After some delay, Atticus entered James’ mind. He was in an office he recognized as Gupta’s old office. James was talking to Evie, who as usual was looking ridiculously emotional. Elvric seemed to look up at him, frowning, even though the dialog continued. Atticus did his best to appear as a gray and black blur, his robes billowing about him, obscuring any distinguishing marks. His hair whipped about his face, allowing only his mouth to remain visible for most of the time. James was giving some sort of story to Evie, he was sharing information he didn’t tell many people.
Another scene resolved itself. A boy about Atticus’ age being put into a car of some sort. Atticus half concealed himself behind a tree and heard the adults whispering some things. Their voices were oddly magnified, as if even their ghostly shadows of this memory could not conceal their secrets. He caught several words “nuisance” and “juvenile delinquent.” He couldn’t tell for sure, but James appeared to be crying. The dreary place almost reminded Atticus of Spinner’s End, but perhaps a little less rainy. Eventually a thin, balding man got into the driver’s seat of the car and sped away. Atticus watched as the scene melted away. James’ voice boomed around him, describing the scenes as they unfolded.
James was alone in the woods, now several years older. It appeared he was trying to make something, perhaps a wand? He appeared to be finishing it up, polishing the outsides and holding it up to the light, admiring its smoothness. It appeared that he tried to cast a spell, but the wand erupted into smoke and then burst into flames. James dropped is quickly and erupted into a rage. Atticus ventured to say a word, mostly because he felt a rush of sympathy to see another fail in an art of magic. “Patience” he said, as he heard his own youthful voice echoing about the enclosed space.
Suddenly, Atticus felt a strong desire to leave, as if he had been outside his own mind for too long. He felt vulnerable, almost as if James had figured out what was happening and was attempting to find the source, and perhaps invade it. He quickly evacuated from James, and sent up his own walls of defense. He was beginning to be able to tell when his mind was vulnerable to attack. Violeta’s abrupt intervention had made this clear. He attempted to ward off the curious with dark images. He had already prepared a fake memory to send these to. A foggy, chilled bog filled with eerie noises and all manner of creatures. His own voice would resolve itself in a loud repetition. “You cannot hide. I see you. There is no life, in the void. Only death.”
James' resolve seemed to waver when faced with that defense, but the only way to shut him out completely was to retreat and occupy his own mind. He snapped back into consciousness, his eyes rolling back into focus. he turned his head away from Elvric.
James sat up suddenly. He had the strangest feeling. And for some reason found himself remembering the making of his wand. Pulling one of the two wands he processed out of his pocket he looks at it. It was quite long, and not at all straight. But it worked well enough. At least at charms. It certainly disliked any other school of magic. Oft failing to cast even the simplest of curses or hexes. Something about how he had made the wands had resulted in all of his attempts only liking charms. It had taken him submersion in the wizarding world to understand it.
Looking around, he sees Atticus nearby, looking slightly odd. The boy was an intelligent student. And seemed popular, always surrounded by friends. A nice day dream considering James upbringing.
Standing, he is signs, and shakes his head clear. Focusing on the days lessons, and makes his leave of the great hall.
It is another day to the one in the hall. And James is thinking over his conversation with the sorting hat. It had been a while, but he still couldn't quite shake it from his mind. Whenever he found himself with time to spend it would return to his thoughts. And so he finds himself walking the great hall. Not really paying attention he just missed one of the tricks within Hogwarts (the step on the third floor) before making his way to the library. He found the place slightly intimidating if he was honest with himself. The librarian treated him just as any student, and made him feel unwelcome in the library. But he had a nervous energy, and was not to be put off. Entering the room, he digs though the restricted section, only once hearing the disapproving tut from behind him. Finding a likely book - Oblivate and how to use it selectively by Gilderoy Lockhart - he settles down to read it on one of the main tables. Though his mind doesn't really pay attention to every last word. He's had a fancy resonantly to invent his own spell. But what is an effect he would want...?
It had been nearly a year since Atticus had last attempted to see into Elvric's mind and curiority had been gnawing at him. He had been reviewing his logs of the event and some things just didn't add up. There were too many questions that needed answering. As he passed the library he spied James sitting at a table by himself, absorbed in a book. This was an opportunity that could not be overlooked. He entered the library and made his way purposefully to a book shelf behind the professor. Clearing a path between the books, Atticus checked to see if the coast was clear. He pointed his wand and whispered "Legillimens"
James is sitting reading, his mind wondering slightly. He had mastered every charm ever invented and was curious about other schools of magic. Transfiguration predominately, especially as he was now teaching it. Atticus could see James concern that he wouldn't be up to the challenge. Atticus watched for a moment, as James mentally went over the spell list, went over the systematic process of performing a transfiguration. As he went over the book work that would make up for his own lack of talent.
Digging deeper, he sees James practising in his office, performing hex after hex, some of them going horribly wrong, and the determination he keeps as he practices time after time until he at last grasps where he is going wrong. And the particular hex Melofors that James could not master.
Going deeper, the scene changes, and Atticus recognises the wall before Diagon alley. A large man is beside him, tell able as being Hagrid. It is clearly winter, snow sits around, and James looks almost the same age as he was when he started teaching. Hagrid is talking, something about what the alley is, and how he is shocked that James had never seen it before. James watches intently as the bricks fold backwards, and Diagon alley is revealed before him. The astonishment on James face is clear as the scene begins to disappear.
It is later, not much, and Hagrid can be seen walking away. It appears that James has just bidden him farewell, and begins to explore the alley. His first stop is Olivanders wand shop his own memories of forging a wand moving his feet almost without thought. Entering he is soon greeted by Ollivander himself. A query is sounded about why someone so old is in his shop and a question on why Ollivander does not recall the mans face. James begins, the memory strong, and clear, clarifying much to Atticus. James explains how he missed entering Hogwarts, how the untrained magic caused him trouble as a youth, how he eventually ran away and learned much of magic himself. Eventually he pulls out his wand, and presents it to Ollivander. Ollivanders astonishment is clear. An untrained wizard able to make a working wand? Atticus hears many of the questions, and most particularly Ollivanders description of the wand.
Thirteen and a half inches, apple wood. A pegasus feather core. How did you manage to get a pegasus core to work?
The scene resolves itself, and moves on towards the end of his visit. Atticus observes as Ollivander does something unusual, present a wanded wizard with a second wand. Fourteen and a twelfth inches long, phoenix feather core, made of Japanese Cherry Blossom wood. To make up for a wand that will only cast charms. When James protests that he cannot afford a second wand, Ollivander waves it off as a pleasure to gift a wand to such a gifted student of wandlore. And an offer is made of apprenticeship.
The memory fades back to the present, and Atticus can see the two wands on the desk beside James. The bent apple hand carved charmer. And the gifted cherry straight wand. Atticus can sense one more surface memory, and digs in once more. It is just after his Ollivander visit, and James is in Flourish and Blotts. His eyes are wide as he takes an armful of second hand charms books, and settles down to read his first every spell book.
The memory over, Atticus finds himself again among James surface thoughts, this time a distinct one of thinking of William, the potions master, and James irritation at aiding the man to perfect his charms, and Williams boredom with the practice James teaches....
Last edited by Raglan; October 19, 2012 at 12:03 PM.
ooc: very nice...what we could do here is James gets suspicious and casts a shield charm that makes the spell backfire and accidentally seeing into Atticus' mind?
Beginning to feel somewhat strange, and suspecting that one of the students was trying something on him, James slowly picks up his curved apple wand, and silently casts Protego Totalum. Starting he feels as if he has been thrown off his chair and finds himself inside of a blank mist.
Although temporarily losing consciousness for no more than three seconds, this time seemed interminably stretched to a ludicrous extent. At first it felt as if James was stuck on a plane surrounded by brilliant, pale blue light that blinded him. In front of his there stood a figure, shorter than him, probably only a teenager, shrouded in shadow. The figure appeared to be peering directly at him and then fell as the light intensified. It appeared to be in pain, shielding its face from the light, but eventually succumbed. Visions began flashing before James' eyes.
The first resolved itself in the Headmaster's office. First with Baird, the headmaster during Atticus' first year. He was smiling amicably and seemed to be showing Atticus a picture of a former headmaster. His eyes were averted. The pictures were incomplete, and very blurry. The shield charm had allowed James to see memories, but only as a reflection of sorts, as if they was looking at a picture reflected in still water that at any moment could bubble to life, distorting his perception.
A second and third image came into focus in quick succession. Several Slytherins were sitting in a traincar on the way to Hogwarts. One of them, a young witch, was crying as her sister tried to comfort her. Atticus sat in the corner, looking uncomfortable and ashamed. Quickly the next scene unfolded. The Slytherin common room with the same girl. She was by the fire reading cards as Atticus looked on with a blank expression. Yet in spite of this it seemed a desire burned behind his eyes and emotionless exterior, betraying an inner longing.
A final series of images showed Atticus making his way hurriedly through the corridors late one night, periodically looking at a piece of parchment and dodging into doors or up side hallways at random intervals. Eventual he reached a door and opened it, revealing three more Slytherin students, notably younger, waiting for him. One cradled his arm.
Eventually the visions ended, and when James recovered he caught the sound of footsteps quickly heading for the door of the library.
James whips to his feet, and sees Atticus hurrying towards the library door. With barely a moments thought, he uses the curved apple still in his hand to cast Fianto Duri between Atticus and the door. Then yells out.
ATTICUS. GET OVER HERE NOW!!
Madame Price looks over in disapproval, as several curious students look up in interest.
Atticus felt a terrific force as a shield of transparent red light appeared only inches away from him. He was seized with a panic but kept running, out of the library and down the hall. He knew his pursuer would be directly behind him in seconds. He reached into his robes and felt his wand...he could attempt to duel Elvric...the mad thought quickly passed out of his mind as he tore down the corridor. He instead pulled out his map "I..Solemnly...swear..that..I..am...up..to...no...good"
Such a truer statement had never been said. As he could have predicted, Elvric was right behind him and catching up fast. Atticus decided to turn the corner quickly, and ducked into an old smelly supply room filled with stacks of unused chairs.
Atticus felt a second spell sear pass him, as he fled, before James stopped and gazed thoughtfully - and angrily - down the hallway after him. There was no doubt in James mind as to what had just happened. Atticus had been attempting Legimiliancy against him. And successfully most likely. James wasn't too concerned about what Atticus had learned. He'd have shared most things if asked. But the invasion of privacy, and on a member of staff was a different matter. Turning on his heels, he returns to the library, collects his second wand, and the book he was reading. Before being harassed over the noise by the librarian. Bloody woman he thinks to himself. Though mentions nothing of Atticus part in his disruption - after yelling the boys name it was hardly hard to assume he had been up to something. Finally he makes his way back towards his office, before changing his mind half way though. He would seek the lad out in the Slytherin common room.
Eating in the great hall (rp for ponti)
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