Author: occluminous | After dinner, while Bella is squirreled away in her and Tony's room reading her History textbook as though it's a fantasy novel (for the two bear significant resemblance)...
Artemis Burberry is in her room, on Patricia Hall, lamenting to her great horned owl about the lack of relatively private fireplaces for Floo calls here, and wondering where her roommate is.
(Who names their daughter "Sherlock", anyway?) |
Author: nobodyelse |
The door opens. |
Author: occluminous | Artemis glances over her shoulder.
"Wrong hall," she says. "You probably want Parker Hall, they're right next to each other in the directory." |
Author: nobodyelse | "My wand opens the door," he observes quietly. |
Author: occluminous | "Well, they screwed up, then, didn't they, I'm rooming with some girl named Sherlock." |
Author: nobodyelse | "I am Sherlock," says Sherlock. |
Author: occluminous | "What, there's two people in the same year named Sherlock? No wonder you got mixed up. Look, I got here early because my dad was too busy to take me shopping, I know my way around, what's your hall called?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "Patricia," he says with enforced calm. |
Author: occluminous | "But - that's this hall." Pause. "This is a girls' hall." |
Author: nobodyelse | "I noticed," he says flatly. |
Author: occluminous | "So... you're a girl?" ask Artemis dubiously. "Merlin's knees, are you some kind of cross-dresser? Eugh, I knew I should've gone to Charmbridge..." |
Author: nobodyelse | "If it is your opinion that I should have been given a room in a boys' hall," he says, "I can only say I agree completely. Unfortunately the administration does not." |
Author: occluminous | "What are you, though, what kind of demented freak did they put me with, I will complain, Dad will sue the place, you shouldn't be around people till you've been a few years at the hospital to get straightened out in the head, did you get in the way of a Confundus or what, eugh," and, clutching her wand with what might be nervousness, Artemis surges to her feet and marches past him, heading for the stairwell to find someone suitably official to object to his presence at. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock stands very still until she is out of the hall.
Then he also leaves. |
Author: occluminous | It's not quite twenty minutes later when a gray-haired woman with a badge labeled Residence Director, accompanied by a recently-crying sixth grader, knocks on Tony and Bella's door.
Bella hops up to get it, and blinks.
"Miss Stark?" says the Residence Director. Bella sits back down, as this isn't about her, but she listens.
The recently crying sixth grader points at Tony. "That's her, they're identical, it just makes it even more ridiculous -"
"Miss Stark, I was wondering if I could have a word with you about your sister?"
Bella blinks. |
Author: sparksflying | "Talk," says Tony. |
Author: occluminous | "Well, first of all, Miss Stark, at ACAAM we have a policy about politeness to staff, but I understand you're probably confused, so I'll let this slide. Your sister apparently has some - habits - that have distressed her roommate - and I was wondering if you could shed any light on the matter before I have to call your parents about it? I'm sure you can see Miss Burberry is distressed."
Miss Burberry does look reasonably distressed. |
Author: sparksflying | "You put my brother in a girl's room," says Tony. "I'm not surprised somebody ended up distressed." |
Author: occluminous | "The enrollment records are magically maintained, Miss Stark, and it clearly indicates that your only sibling here is your sister Sherlock."
"She thinks she's a boy? She's got you convinced? Were you playing with your parents' wands or something to mess her up?" Miss Burberry mutters.
"And to complicate matters, the other Miss Stark is not currently in any of the locations designated for student access," the Residence Director adds.
Bella is frowning now. |
Author: sparksflying | "Yep," says Tony. "Still not surprised. What do you want me to do about it?" |
Author: occluminous | "Well, perhaps you could explain exactly what the matter with your sister is and we can work out some sort of plan to make sure she isn't alarming anyone?"
"Why didn't you just room Tony and Sherlock together?" asks Bella.
"Miss Swan, this conversation isn't about you," says the Residence Director. |
Author: sparksflying | "My brother doesn't like it when people call him a girl," says Tony. "Why don't you try giving him a single?" |
Author: occluminous | "Miss Stark," says the Residence Director, "if you have a brother, he is not in attendance at ACAAM. We are talking about your sister Sherlock. She cannot have a single because the limited number of available single rooms are all occupied, and most of them are on the halls reserved for the higher grades."
"Why didn't you just room them together, though," Bella says, "is there a rule against putting siblings together?"
"Yes, Miss Swan, as a matter of fact there is," says the Residence Director testily, "because one of the advantages of schooling over home education is integrating with the broader magical community, meeting more types of people, and coming to the understanding that one cannot stick solely to the company of one's family. The Miss Starks will not be rooming together. Ideally we will discover the issue with Sherlock's reference to herself as though she were a boy - and Antoinette's too, come to think of it - and we will find a way for Sherlock and Miss Burberry to room together peacefully." |
Author: sparksflying | Tony turns to Bella.
"Would you room with him?" |
Author: occluminous | "I was just thinking that," says Bella. "But that leaves you with Miss Burberry, doesn't it?"
The Residence Director frowns.
Miss Burberry looks at Tony dubiously. |
Author: sparksflying | Tony looks at Miss Burberry.
"Yep," she says. "Which won't be fun for either of us, but it'll be better than the other way around by a long shot, right?" |
Author: occluminous | "Yeah, I guess," says Bella. "Can we do that, Ms...?"
"Fish. Ms. Fish," says the Residence Director. "Miss Burberry, will that be acceptable to you?"
"Is she going to keep calling her sister a he," Miss Burberry mutters.
"I believe that will be a matter between her and the school healer. Will Antoinette be an acceptable roommate, Miss Burberry?"
"Yeah, I guess," grumbles Miss Burberry. "But I don't want to move."
"Sherlock had no opportunity to settle into her originally assigned room, so I imagine it will make sense for you to stay where you are and for this Miss Stark to take her sister's assigned place. I have every confidence that you will be able to arrange this without adult help. I, meanwhile, need to find where the other Miss Stark has gotten to - unless you know, Miss Stark?" |
Author: sparksflying | "Nope," says Tony. "Not a clue." |
Author: occluminous | Miss Fish sighs. Then she taps the doorknob with her wand to adjust which wand-taps it will respond to, and the papers on the door to change the post-its and construction paper into an adjusted version reflecting its new occupants. "Miss Burberry, perhaps you would like to lead this Miss Stark to her new room."
"Sure, fine," says Miss Burberry.
"Point Me Miss Sherlock Stark," says Ms. Fish, laying her wand flat in her palm. Her wand spins helplessly. "I said, Point Me Sherlock Stark!" This time it gives her a direction, and off she goes.
"Come on," Miss Burberry sighs at Tony, "it's on Patricia Hall." |
Author: sparksflying | Tony packs up her stuff. She didn't bring a whole lot of stuff, so it doesn't take much packing. Her eagle gear is last; she just hooks the perch over her shoulder and follows Miss Burberry out. |
Author: occluminous | Miss Burberry shows her to the room in Patricia, revealing in so doing her first name. Ms. Fish's change to Bella's room's door apparently propagated to Artemis's door too, which now says it is occupied by Artemis Burberry and Antoinette Stark instead, and the door will presumably open to Tony's wand now.
Meanwhile, Ms. Fish is making unsteady progress to what turns out to be the roof. |
Author: sparksflying | Tony corrects her name with another post-it and unpacks her stuff. She doesn't talk to Artemis at all. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock has found himself a cozy little space between two chimneys, just barely large enough for him to tuck himself into, and he is sitting in it completely motionless with his eyes closed and his arms wrapped around his knees. |
Author: occluminous | A non-interaction policy seems fine with Artemis.
"Miss Stark," says Ms. Fish from the little outlet from the attic to the roof. "Students are not allowed on the roof. Come here now." |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock does not respond. |
Author: occluminous | "Miss Stark, if you do not come off of the roof at once, there will be disciplinary consequences. That would certainly not improve the already inauspicious start to your first year at ACAAM." |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock continues not to respond. |
Author: occluminous | Ms. Fish sighs, and casts a Summoning Charm with sufficient force to unwedge Sherlock from the chimneys and call him into a sprawling heap at the stair landing. "In the future, perhaps you will be more responsive to faculty instructions. You will spend your next afternoon free period assisting Mr. Rothschild in the greenhouses with whatever he asks you to do; this will appear on your schedule in case you forget. At any rate, Miss Stark, your sister has generously agreed to exchange roommates with you. Perhaps you will find Miss Swan more amenable to your - habits." |
Author: nobodyelse | He looks at her.
He says nothing.
He starts down the stairs. |
Author: occluminous | Ms. Fish follows him. "I am making an appointment for you with the school healer, which will also appear on your schedule," she says with a flick of her wand. "I will leave it up to his discretion whether your parents should be contacted or not." |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock has no response to that, either. |
Author: occluminous | Their paths diverge after they've descended the flight of stairs from the attic to the topmost hall. "Do you know the way to Analisa Hall, Miss Stark?" inquires Ms. Fish. |
Author: nobodyelse | He keeps walking. |
Author: occluminous | "I advise you in the strongest possible terms, Miss Stark, to adjust your attitude," Ms. Fish snaps, sticking Sherlock's feet to the floor with a jab of her wand and marching around him to glare down at his face. "Your continued presence at this school is contingent on acceptable behavior. You have already antagonized your assigned roommate past endurance, earned a detention in advance of the beginning of your very first sixth grade classes, and obliged me to use magic to receive compliance on two occasions. I will not assign you further punishments for your rudeness if you will answer my perfectly reasonable question now. Do you know how to get to Analisa Hall?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "Yes." |
Author: occluminous | "Thank you. That will be all." Ms. Fish releases his feet and goes the other way down the corridor. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock goes to Tony's former room, which is now his. |
Author: occluminous | Bella is still there. She puts her book down when Sherlock appears. "Hi," she says. "Wow, you got a terrible roommate, didn't you? But now you've got me instead. I'm not terrible." |
Author: nobodyelse | "You are not terrible," he agrees. |
Author: occluminous | "Is this just," Bella says, "another thing magic people are old-fashioned about?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "It seems that it is."
He finds a chair not in use and sits on it. |
Author: occluminous | Pause.
"Do you want a hug?" |
Author: nobodyelse |
Somewhat longer pause.
"...Yes." |
Author: occluminous | Bella gets up and goes over to him and hugs him. |
Author: nobodyelse | He leans into her a little. |
Author: occluminous | Bella is good at hugs. This one goes on for a bit, and then she lets him go. "So, I took the bottom bunk, and I don't have a lot of things but I'm not all that neat with them, do you care?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "No." |
Author: occluminous | "Okay, good. Where's your stuff? Do you need help unpacking or anything?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "It is all with me," he says. "I do not need help unpacking." |
Author: occluminous | "Do you have even less stuff than I do, or is it magic?" |
Author: nobodyelse | He considers this question, then concludes, "Yes." |
Author: occluminous | Bella giggles. "What kind of magic? Is it like - is your little bag like the school bus, bigger on the inside?" |
Author: nobodyelse | He nods. |
Author: occluminous | "Cool. I love magic," sighs Bella happily. |
Author: nobodyelse | He smiles slightly. |
Author: occluminous | Bella picks up her textbook again and reads. |
Author: nobodyelse |
After a while, Sherlock leaves his bag on his chair and climbs up to the top bunk. |
Author: occluminous | Bella reads very quietly. And takes notes very quietly. She doesn't want to disturb him. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock makes absolutely no sound at all. Apparently he sleeps like the dead. |
Author: occluminous | At the sensible hour of nine thirty p.m., Bella turns out the light, closes her book and her notebook, and changes into her pajamas and slips into the bottom bunk for the night. |
Author: nobodyelse | When she wakes up in the morning, he is not in the room.
Early bird, apparently. |
Author: occluminous | So it would seem!
Bella changes into her school clothes and consults her schedule and packs up her morning textbooks and materials, and she's off to breakfast. Is there anybody she recognizes around? |
Author: sparksflying | Well, there's Tony! |
Author: occluminous | Awesome! Bella collects her breakfast and goes and sits with Tony. "Hi. How's Miss Burberry to live with, are you doing okay?" |
Author: sparksflying | "We pretty much ignore each other. Working out fine so far. How's Sherry? Have you seen him?" |
Author: occluminous | "He was gone when I woke up. Morning person, I guess," Bella says. "He did go to bed before I did." |
Author: sparksflying | "Huh," says Tony. "Okay." |
Author: occluminous | "We'll see him in Charms and Potions, anyway," says Bella. "And whatever you two have together without me. I have Magical Defense first, what about you?" |
Author: sparksflying | "Brooms," she says smugly. |
Author: occluminous | "Lucky, I have to wait till after lunch for brooms," says Bella. "But I'm sure all my other stuff will be cool too. Next semester we get electives, I have no idea how I'm going to decide on anything!" |
Author: sparksflying | Tony giggles. |
Author: occluminous | Breakfast om nom nom.
And then Bella consults her map and looks for the Magical Defense classroom. She's decided that she doesn't like the sleeve holster for her second wand; they're both up in her hair now, crossed. |
Author: pythbox | The Magical Defense classroom is on the second floor of another building.
Correction: it is the second floor.
The number of students in the class is barely enough to fill a third of the enormous room.
Also, there's another familiar face present. |
Author: occluminous | Bella waves to Feral. |
Author: pythbox | Feral waves back, grinning.
Class begins shortly afterward. Despite the room, the teacher seems much more interested in imparting the theory of magical defense than the practice. |
Author: occluminous | That's fine with Bella. She takes notes. For all she knows, this is essential for not defending oneself into a crater of misfired spell. |
Author: pythbox | Feral fidgets. And he doesn't take notes. But he does answer a question, once, when the teacher asks if anyone can name the three Unforgivable Curses.
"...Yes?" she says, seeming a little surprised.
"Imperius, Cruciatus, and the Killing Curse," he says.
"And where did you pick up that information?"
He shrugs carelessly. "Read it somewhere, I guess."
"You are correct," says the teacher. "And who can tell me the reason why they are called Unforgivable?"
No takers this time.
"It is because," she says, "in every lawful wizarding society in the world the use of any one of these curses is punishable by death or worse." |
Author: occluminous | Bella blinks. Or worse? Maybe she'll ask in social studies; it seems potentially off topic here.
She writes her best guess on the spellings of the curse names in her notes, though. She's pretty close - imperious is a word she knows and crushiatus reasonable for a ten-year-old. |
Author: pythbox | The teacher goes on to outline the effects of each curse - mind control, torture, and death - but soon returns to less horrifying topics. Feral doesn't say anything for the rest of class. |
Author: occluminous | Well, those curses sure all sound pretty horrifying. (Although Bella thinks that about half the charms in her Charms book, not to mention certain transfiguration applications, could all certainly torture or kill somebody if used creatively, those are not their only purposes; that's something.)
Bella has magical theory next, which is mostly vocabulary words this early in the year but promises some cool stuff later in the semester. After that she has transfiguration, and she successfully turns a chip of wood into a similarly shaped chunk of iron after spending an entire hour trying (she is neither fastest nor slowest).
Then lunch! |
Author: pythbox | Lunch, indeed!
When she arrives, Feral is there, sitting all alone at a table by the wall. Nobody else in the admittedly sparsely populated room seems interested in talking to him. |
Author: occluminous | Bella looks for the Starks first, but, finding them not in evidence, she goes and sits with Feral. "I thought you looked old enough to be a seventh grader but you're in my Defense class," she observes, plunking down her tray. |
Author: pythbox | "I am a seventh grader," he says cheerfully, "but I'm a really dumb seventh grader, so I'm in a lot of remedial classes. Hi!" |
Author: occluminous | "Oh. Hi," says Bella, blinking. "Okay. Is that how you knew about the curses?" |
Author: pythbox | "Nope," he says. "Somebody mentioned 'em and I wanted to know what was so Unforgivable about 'em, so I looked it up." |
Author: occluminous | "They do sound really bad. I don't know about the mind control one, but the other two don't sound all that special, so I'm confused about why they've got their own name all together. There's first-year spells that could hurt or kill somebody," she muses. |
Author: pythbox | "The Killing Curse is unblockable," he explains. "In the whole history of magic there's apparently one guy who's ever survived it, and he did it when he was a baby and nobody knows how. And they don't have guns in magic land, so that really freaks people out." |
Author: occluminous | "Guns are blockable, anyway, that's what bulletproof vests are for," says Bella, but she writes down this information. "I don't suppose you also know what execution or worse is supposed to mean? I thought about asking in social studies but I think it might give -" She glances at her schedule. "Mr. Li the wrong idea." |
Author: pythbox | "Oh, there's these things called Dementors and they can suck your soul out through your mouth," he says brightly. "They're banned six ways to Sunday over here, but in Europe they still use 'em to execute really nasty criminals. You end up with a body walking around with no mind in it." |
Author: occluminous | Bella makes an undignified eep noise. |
Author: pythbox | Feral grins. "I know, right? Magic is nasty sometmes." |
Author: occluminous | "Why are you smiling about it?" |
Author: pythbox | "Because I think scary stuff is funny," he shrugs. |
Author: occluminous | "Why?" |
Author: pythbox | "Because I've seen more of it than most people?" he suggests. |
Author: occluminous | "I don't get how that'd follow." |
Author: pythbox | "Okay," he says, "how about: because I'm screwed up in the head?" |
Author: occluminous | "I... guess that would be a reason, sort of," acknowledges Bella. "Do we have any other classes together?" She shows him her schedule. |
Author: pythbox | He scans it.
"Charms! Right after lunch." |
Author: occluminous | "So you've taken this level of Charms before, right? What can I expect?" |
Author: pythbox | "I don't remember," he says with a shrug. "Guess we'll find out in a bit!" |
Author: occluminous | ...No wonder he's in remedial classes. Bella snorts softly. "My roommate and his sister are in Charms with us," she volunteers. |
Author: pythbox | "Oh, cool," says Feral. "Maybe I'll have friends this year." |
Author: occluminous | "How come you don't have any already?" |
Author: pythbox | He gives her a look. "Be...cause my name is Feral Orphan and I think Dementors are funny and I can see Thestrals and I hang out with house elves?" |
Author: occluminous | "I guess that would make it tricky," acknowledges Bella. "Do you have a hard time getting along with your roommate?" |
Author: pythbox | "Not anymore!" he says cheerfully. "I went through three last year because I set the bed on fire in my sleep sometimes, so they put me in my own room right above the healer's wing." |
Author: occluminous | Bella blinks. "That sounds like a reasonable thing to do if you set things on fire in your sleep," she says, "yeah." |
Author: pythbox | "I never set my roommates on fire," he says, apparently feeling that this is an important distinction, "but they kept claiming I was trying to." |
Author: occluminous | "If you were asleep I don't see how you could've been trying to," says Bella, "but I don't blame them for being scared." |
Author: pythbox | "Me neither," he snorts. "Waking up in a burning room is scary." |
Author: occluminous | "Isn't there a magic equivalent of an automatic sprinkler so you could wake up wet instead of surrounded by fire?" |
Author: pythbox | "Guess not." |
Author: occluminous | "So basically this entire building wouldn't pass Muggle fire code," says Bella. |
Author: pythbox | "Nope," he says. "But when practically anybody with a wand can put out a fire, I guess that's less of a problem." |
Author: occluminous | "Well, I don't know how to do it, how do you?" |
Author: pythbox | "Extinguishing spell," he says. "I can't really show you, though, I'm not supposed to set stuff on fire on purpose." |
Author: occluminous | "You could just not hold your wand and tell me what the incantation and the movement are," she points out. "I've been able to do a couple spells just out of books." |
Author: pythbox | "Look it up in the library, then," he says, "that way I can't get it wrong and screw you up." |
Author: occluminous | "All right," laughs Bella, and she writes this down on her growing list of things to check out in the library when she has a chance after Social Studies, her last class of the day. |
Author: pythbox | It's not very long until Charms. Feral does remember where the room is, and it's the same one, so he offers to walk her there. |
Author: occluminous | Bella goes with him agreeably. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock and Tony catch up with them on the way.
"New friend?" inquires Sherlock. |
Author: occluminous | "Maybe," says Bella. "Feral, this is my roommate Sherlock and his sister Tony, Sherlock and Tony, this is Feral, I have Magical Defense with him and he's in Charms with us too." |
Author: nobodyelse | "I see," says Sherlock, scrutinizing him. |
Author: sparksflying | "Hi!" says Tony. |
Author: pythbox | "Hi," beams Feral. |
Author: occluminous | Bella opens the door to the Charms classroom and picks a desk in a cluster of empty ones and gets out her textbook. |
Author: pythbox | Feral plops down next to her, textbook-free. The Stark twins, with textbooks, occupy the desks in front of them. |
Author: occluminous | "Why don't you have a book?" Bella asks Feral in an undertone. |
Author: pythbox | "Forgot to bring it," he shrugs. "Can I share yours?" |
Author: occluminous | "Okay, but switch seats with me, then, if you're on my right then my notebook will be between you and the textbook," shrugs Bella, getting up. |
Author: pythbox | "Okay," he says, and he switches seats. |
Author: occluminous | She sets up in her new seat and arranges her materials and awaits the teacher.
This lesson is on levitation; after various students are called on to read textbook paragraphs aloud and the teacher comments on the described features of the spell, they get assorted light objects (feathers, bits of tissue paper, leaves) to attempt to levitate. The teacher demonstrates - she's working with a book instead, but assures them that the principle is the same and the light objects are just about psychological barriers - and then has them set about their work.
Bella swishes-and-flicks with great care at her provided feather. She doesn't get it right away, so she tries again. |
Author: pythbox | Feral tries once, and his feather rockets right off his desk and hits Tony in the back of the head. "Sorry," he says, giggling. |
Author: sparksflying | She gives him a look over her shoulder, then cracks up and picks the feather out of her hair to hand back to him. |
Author: occluminous | Bella giggles once, not unkindly. "Better than nothing?" she suggests. "Wingardium Leviosa..."
Her feather twitches. Encouraged, she repeats herself. |
Author: pythbox | "Wingardium Leviosa," says Feral, with the appropriate wand movement. His feather leaps straight up into the air, spins madly, and catches fire.
He slashes his wand at it and says, "Exstinguo!" and the fire abruptly goes out. The charred remnants of the feather drift back down onto his desk in a shower of ash. |
Author: occluminous | Bella blinks.
She writes this incantation down, then says, "Is that a hazard of this spell or of you?" |
Author: pythbox | "Me," says Feral. "I do that a lot. I got really good at extinguishing spells over the summer."
He sighs, and tries levitating his charred part-feather. It flips over on the table and breaks in half, scattering more fragments of ash. Without comment, the teacher comes up to provide him with a leaf instead. |
Author: occluminous | "That sounds really inconvenient. No one knows how to make it stop? Wingardium leviosa!" Bella's feather rises two inches, then settles gracefully back on top of her desk. |
Author: pythbox | "Nope. Wingardium leviosa!"
His leaf achieves liftoff - six feet straight up in about a second, then a gentle drift back down. Feral reaches up and catches it gently, saying, "Apparently some people are just like that, and I'll probably grow out of it." |
Author: occluminous | "Well, good luck." Bella switches wands, vine to hazel, and tries again. The hazel wand is apparently better suited here, and she gets her feather to go several feet into the air and hold still for four seconds before it falls, and then she wafts it upwards another foot, and the teacher comes by and pastes a gold star into her notebook without asking, which puts an expression of extremely mixed feelings on her face. |
Author: pythbox | "What's wrong?" says Feral, setting up his leaf for yet another try. At least it hasn't caught fire yet. |
Author: occluminous | Bella wafts her feather up a bit harder and peels at the sticker; it threatens to tear the page and she smooths it back down. "I don't like people doing things to my notebooks without me saying it's okay." She's only practicing now, not notetaking; she closes the notebook and gives her feather another waft before it touches down and ends the spell. |
Author: pythbox | "Huh," says Feral. "Okay."
He tries again. This time the leaf ascends more gradually, and holds still for a wobbly half-second before falling. |
Author: occluminous | Bella wafts her feather till she's sure she can do it every time, then she lets it settle, levitates it again, and wafts it some more. After a few repetitions of this she begins to attempt to move it sideways, and has considerably less luck. |
Author: sparksflying | By this time, Tony has managed to get her feather off the table, but not keep it there. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock is still staring motionlessly at his scrap of paper. |
Author: occluminous | "Sherlock, are you okay?" Bella asks softly. |
Author: nobodyelse | "Hm? Yes," he says, blinking and shaking his head. "Fine. I'm fine." |
Author: occluminous | "Are... you going to try levitating your bit of paper?" (Waft, waft, c'mon, feather, go horizontally - did it, just an inch? She's not sure - waft, waft.) |
Author: nobodyelse | "Probably not." |
Author: occluminous | "Why not?" |
Author: nobodyelse | He doesn't answer. |
Author: occluminous | Well, okay then. Bella concentrates on her own feather. She can get it to spin around. It seems maybe easier to get it to go in a direction when the quill is facing in that direction. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock continues to do absolutely nothing. |
Author: pythbox | Feral lights his leaf on fire by accident and Extinguishes it immediately. The teacher comes by to replenish him again. |
Author: occluminous | Bella coordinates spinning and lifting her feather so that it does both at the same time, and this proves comparatively simple, but she doesn't manage to get it to also go sideways before the lesson is over.
"I have brooms next," she says, just by way of conversation. She can ask Sherlock why he was so spacey later; he is after all her roommate. "But potions after that, I'll see you guys then?" This last is directed at the twins. |
Author: sparksflying | "Yep!" says Tony, flashing a grin. |
Author: occluminous | "Later," says Bella, and she hurries as quick as she dares to the broomfield.
It turns out that she is not clumsy on a broomstick. She's not a prodigy, either - the title of best in class belongs to this one boy - but she's not clumsy. And once the teacher has been satisfied that they all know how to hold on, they are allowed supervised flight with an altitude limit of forty feet and a speed limit enforced by the school broomsticks themselves, and oh, she can fly, she can fly.
Bella does not actually skip to Potions, but she looks like she would if she'd stay upright in the process, and she's beaming. |
Author: sparksflying | "Awesome, right?" says Tony, when they encounter each other on the way. Sherlock is not currently in evidence. |
Author: occluminous | "Yes," say Bella gleefully. "Where's Sherlock?" |
Author: sparksflying | "Oh, he stayed to ask the teacher a question. Did you know Feral's in our Transfigurations class? He's really good, but the teacher barely cared." |
Author: occluminous | "I didn't know that. If he's good why's he in with sixth graders?" Bella asks. There are instructions up on the Potions chalkboard about initial setup; she starts fetching the things she needs. |
Author: sparksflying | "Don't ask me," snorts Tony. "Is he not a sixth grader?" |
Author: occluminous | "Seventh in a lot of remedial courses, he said," says Bella. |
Author: sparksflying | "Well, lemme tell ya, he does not belong in remedial Transfigurations."
Tony sets herself up beside Bella. |
Author: occluminous | "I wonder what he's doing there then. I guess I'll ask him." Bella squints at the handwriting on the blackboard and takes out her potion kit's little box of newt eyes, and checks that the magical flame under her tiny cauldron works and then turns it off. "What did Sherlock want to ask the teacher?" |
Author: sparksflying | "I dunno, he didn't say." |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock comes in and takes the seat on the far side of Tony. |
Author: occluminous | "Hi, Sherlock," says Bella. "What did you want to ask the Transfig' teacher?" |
Author: nobodyelse | He doesn't appear to hear her; he's setting up his cauldron with excessively particular focus. |
Author: occluminous | Bella frowns. He's being peculiarly unfriendly today.
She decides she'll let him ignore her until they are both back in their room this afternoon and then she will ask if she did something to upset him. |
Author: nobodyelse | At least in this class he actually does things.
But he does them with that same overcareful attentiveness, as though the relatively simple task is immensely complex or dangerous. |
Author: occluminous | The potions book actually does have some warnings - variously dire or mild lists of problems that will happen if you spill the potion at various stages onto yourself, or other materials that are likely to be nearby, or if you make assorted common mistakes - and all of the warnings about the Moisturizing Unguent are in "this is harmless" blue - it doesn't even stain clothes - so that's weird.
Bella mixes her moisturizing unguent with care because she wants to get it right, but Sherlock is really overdoing it, isn't he? |
Author: nobodyelse | Yes. Yes he is. |
Author: occluminous | Okay then.
While the students mix, the teacher comments on the properties of the individual ingredients and what each of them is doing to the moisturizer, and Bella takes notes during the simmering stages of the potion when she doesn't have to add anything or stir or anything but keep time and mind the color.
At the end of the lesson, when everyone's potion has been inspected and graded (Bella's is "approximately perfect", but so are most people's, unless they forgot ingredients) the teacher passes around a bunch of vials of optional scents, and jars for them to scoop their unguents into, and Bella makes hers vanilla-cinnamon and jars it and dabs some on her nose and puts it away in her bag.
The teacher uses the last few minutes of classtime to advertise Potions Club. Bella is not particularly interested; there are sure to be other clubs, plus an entire library she hasn't gotten a look at yet. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock's approximately perfect unguent goes into a jar, and Sherlock goes away. |
Author: sparksflying | Tony dithers over her optional scent past the official end of class; she's still in her seat when Sherlock leaves the room. |
Author: occluminous | "I was thinking of doing lemon and raspberry," offers Bella, "if you can't decide and want a suggestion. I have social studies last, what about you?" |
Author: sparksflying | "Magical Defense."
She goes for lemon and raspberry, and heads off. |
Author: occluminous | Bella heads for Social Studies, which is interesting - this class, unlike the others, is actually sectioned by upbringing, and so she's mostly other kids she met on the bus, Muggle-raised ones who need to be brought up to speed, rather than a mix. They are going to spend the first month in a crash course on everything that wizards take to be utterly basic about wizarding society. Then they're going to rush like they're being chased by dragons through the rest of the standard curriculum trying to catch up to the other kids, who for fairness are going to spend some time dawdling over long-term projects and a little Muggle Studies even though proper Muggle Studies as a course is an optional specialization that can be taken in seventh grade.
Bella decides to prioritize reading ahead in this book more than the others, because what she learns is fascinating and also surprising and also the sort of thing that could be extremely practically important. She has been thrown into a very different culture.
She's going to go to check out the library next, but first she stops at her and Sherlock's room, to drop off her things. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock is nowhere to be found. |
Author: occluminous | That's disappointing. She goes to the library and spends the hours before dinner reading up on her various topics of interest. She doesn't spot the elves, but she figures this is likely to mean that they do not, at this moment, have (gasp) spare time, so she'll try again later.
Maybe Sherlock will be at dinner. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock is not at dinner. |
Author: sparksflying | Tony is! |
Author: pythbox | So is Feral!
They're not sitting together. |
Author: occluminous | Bella goes and sits with Tony. "I haven't seen Sherlock since Potions, have you?" |
Author: sparksflying | "Yeah, we had Magical Defense together, then I went back to my room and he went somewhere." |
Author: occluminous | "It wasn't our room," says Bella. "Or he's a lot faster than me and didn't leave a trace. Did I offend him or something? He was much friendlier yesterday." |
Author: sparksflying | "Nah, he just gets like that," says Tony. "It's not anybody's fault. He'll cheer up eventually, it helps if you're nice and don't bug him when he's not feeling talky." |
Author: occluminous | "Oh. Okay. I guess it's good I found you first, then, I was going to ask him about it." |
Author: sparksflying | "I usually just hug him and tell him I love him and then leave him alone," Tony says cheerfully. "Your mileage may vary." |
Author: occluminous | "I did hug him yesterday, but there was no declaration of love," snorts Bella. |
Author: sparksflying | "Hugs are still good," Tony says wisely. "Hugs usually are." |
Author: occluminous | "Yep! He looked like he needed it." |
Author: sparksflying | "Sherry needs hugs a lot," sighs Tony. |
Author: occluminous | "If only he'd be around to get them," says Bella. |
Author: sparksflying | "Yeah." |
Author: occluminous | Bella finishes dinner, and bids Tony goodbye, and waves to Feral, and heads back to her room.
Sherlock makes no appearance at all, but lights out for the sixth graders isn't until ten and Bella wants to go to bed earlier than that, so she assumes he's off somewhere doing something and she goes to sleep. |
Author: nobodyelse | In the morning, there is no sign he was ever in the room. |
Author: occluminous | That's really strange.
Bella gets dressed and packs for morning classes and goes to breakfast. Who's at breakfast? |
Author: pythbox | Feral is at breakfast! |
Author: occluminous | Okay! He probably can't help her with explaining her roommate but he is fine to sit with. She sits there. "Hi," she says. |
Author: pythbox | "Hi! How're you doing?" |
Author: occluminous | "I'm okay, but something's up with Sherlock, I haven't seen him outside of class since the evening before classes started and he's been unfriendly all of a sudden in classes. How're you?" |
Author: pythbox | "Same old, same old," he says. "Wonder what's up with your roommate." |
Author: occluminous | "Tony says he just gets like that sometimes, but that doesn't tell me what exactly 'like that' is." |
Author: pythbox | "Hide-y?" suggests Feral. |
Author: occluminous | "And uncommunicative, like, I wouldn't be dwelling on it if I never saw him outside class but he still talked to me in class." |
Author: pythbox | Feral shrugs. "I've had moods like that too. It's probably not the same thing, though." |
Author: occluminous | "What is it when you do it, then?" |
Author: pythbox | "When I don't wanna talk to anybody? I dunno," he says, "I just... get fed up. Or scared, sometimes." |
Author: occluminous | "Scared of what?" |
Author: pythbox | "People," says Feral. "They can be pretty nasty, y'know." |
Author: occluminous | "Yeah. I mean, I don't know know, but I know. If that makes sense." |
Author: pythbox | He grins. "Perfect sense!" |
Author: occluminous | She giggles. "But not everyone's nasty. If somebody's nasty to me I might not want to be around them, but I'd be around other people just fine." |
Author: pythbox | "You don't always know who's gonna be nasty until they whip it out," says Feral. |
Author: occluminous | "I guess. I know some people pretty well, though. I'd be really surprised if my parents did anything bad to me. I mean they aren't perfect but it doesn't ever get bad." |
Author: pythbox | Feral shrugs.
"I don't know anybody that well. Except maybe the kitchen elves, and I'm not even sure about them." |
Author: occluminous | "I went looking for library elves yesterday but I didn't spot any. Maybe you can tell me stuff about the elves since you work with them sometimes? Do they like being how they are? Are they okay?" |
Author: pythbox | "They want to be how they are," he says. "They want it a lot. I dunno if that's the same thing as liking it, though." |
Author: occluminous | "It might not be," Bella agrees. |
Author: pythbox | He shrugs. "So yeah. Don't go offering them all clothes unless you want a tiny little riot on your hands." |
Author: occluminous | "Clothes?" |
Author: pythbox | "...If you give an elf clothes it sets them free," he says, "if you have the right to, and it's the worst thing in the world for them, it's like - like you'd probably feel about burning down your house and running away and living on the street." |
Author: occluminous | "Oh. What do the freed ones do?" |
Author: pythbox | He shrugs. "I dunno, I've never met one." |
Author: occluminous | "Where do house elves come from? I don't mean where do individual ones come from - unless it's not the way I can guess - but where does the species come from?" |
Author: pythbox | "Dunno," says Feral. |
Author: occluminous | "It just seems kind of - too convenient," says Bella. "I wouldn't do it, but I bet some people would, if they could, just make a whole species on purpose that wanted to be slaves. And I don't know how it'd happen without anyone doing it on purpose." |
Author: pythbox | Feral shrugs.
"Yeah, it's pretty twisted when you look at it," he agrees. "But what are you gonna do?" |
Author: occluminous | "I don't know yet," says Bella. |
Author: pythbox | "...Are you gonna do something?" |
Author: occluminous | "If I can find something to do. And I'm going to look for something to do. There might not be anything that'd be right to do or that I can learn how, but I bet there is." |
Author: pythbox | He looks at her warily. "How do you tell what's right?" |
Author: occluminous | She blinks. "By thinking about it," she says. "I don't want to hurt anybody." |
Author: pythbox | "Uh-huh," says Feral. "See how far that gets you." |
Author: occluminous | "I'm going to. I just said," Bella says. "Is something wrong?" |
Author: pythbox | "You can't not hurt anybody," says Feral. "Unless you're dead." |
Author: occluminous | "Do you think I'm hurting somebody right now?" |
Author: pythbox | He shrugs. "Maybe. If you are I can't tell." |
Author: occluminous | "Then how do you know I can't not hurt anybody unless I'm dead? I'm not dead now and I don't think I'm hurting anybody and you can't tell if I am." |
Author: pythbox | "I mean in your whole life," he says. "The only way you can not hurt anybody, ever is if you're dead." |
Author: occluminous | "If I died I think that would hurt some people, mostly my parents," Bella observes. |
Author: pythbox | "But not by something you did, unless you killed yourself," he shrugs. "But it's like... okay, it's like Transfiguration," he says, apparently hitting on an analogy. "Have you had that class yet?" |
Author: occluminous | "Yeah, yesterday, third period," says Bella. "We turned wood chips into iron. It was hard." |
Author: pythbox | "Okay," says Feral. "Well, you know how sometimes when I cast a spell on something it lights on fire? I failed Transfiguration last year because we had to Transfigure live mice and stuff and I wouldn't do it." |
Author: occluminous | "And they failed you?" exclaims Bella. "Because you didn't want to kill the mice? That's awful! And Tony said you were too good at Transfiguration to be held back in it, too, and that's just not fair, they should give you different tests to make up for it if they really think you'll grow out of it anyway or you'll be farther behind than you have to be." |
Author: pythbox | "Yeah, sure," says Feral. "My point is, the whole world is like that. It's just full of that stuff. Where everybody thinks you should be doing something, and you get in trouble if you don't, and it's something messed up like setting mice on fire. But I don't think it's always as obvious as setting mice on fire. And people can think they're doing good stuff, think they're helping, and really they're lighting up mice. You know?" |
Author: occluminous | "I wouldn't set mice on fire, either," Bella asserts. "And I think about things, I don't just do obvious stuff. Like, I'm going to find out whether other animals are as smart as magic owls and stuff, before I eat meat again."
(Her breakfast has been toast and scrambled eggs.) |
Author: pythbox | Feral shrugs. "Then maybe you'll do okay. But I bet you won't get it right every single time. The world is just not that nice a place." |
Author: occluminous | "Well, if you spot me messing up you should tell me and then I'll fix it." |
Author: pythbox | "Okay," Feral says agreeably. |
Author: occluminous | Bella smiles. She eats her last bite of toast. "Want to walk to class together?" |
Author: pythbox | "Sure!" |
Author: occluminous | Off to Magical Defense they go! |
Author: pythbox | Indeed they do!
This time, Feral doesn't answer any questions. |
Author: occluminous | Bella continues to take notes and wonders if they are ever going to learn to cast the useful little spells in the book. The sixth grade Defense course is geared towards protecting oneself from curious or hostile Muggles, simply because Muggles are the easiest likely threat to a young witch or wizard and any more complicated threat like werewolves or hostile wizards will require more power than they know to safely put behind spells at this age. At some point they're supposed to learn to jam phones, summon police, and cast minor jinxes, as well as start practicing aim in general. Bella lets the theoretical lesson pass without comment.
On to Transfiguration. They are not making them transfigure live animals today; they're still on solid materials. Bella turns a sheet of glass into a sheet of cardboard, though this is much harder than yesterday's exercise and it takes her the entire class to do it and it's not even difficult in a particularly interesting way.
She has lunch next! Who's around? |
Author: sparksflying | Not Sherlock!
There's Tony, though. |
Author: occluminous | Bella sits with her. "Hullo," she says. |
Author: sparksflying | "Hi! What's up?" |
Author: occluminous | "I found out why Feral's in remedial transfig'. You know how he sets stuff on fire? He won't work with live animals. So they failed him." |
Author: sparksflying | "...That completely sucks," says Tony. |
Author: occluminous | "I know! They shouldn't want to set mice on fire." |
Author: sparksflying | "No one should want to set mice on fire," Tony says firmly. |
Author: occluminous | "Actually, transfiguring live animals sounds like a weird thing to be doing even if they don't catch fire," muses Bella. |
Author: sparksflying | Tony shrugs. "I guess." |
Author: occluminous | "Well, they might not like it, and we're only starting out and we could make mistakes." |
Author: sparksflying | "I guess," Tony repeats. |
Author: occluminous | "Maybe I'll ask Ms. Kuai about it." |
Author: sparksflying | "Yeah, do that." |
Author: occluminous | Bella writes this down and eats her lunch. She's still eating vegetarian just to be safe since she hasn't turned up anything definitive about animal intelligence yet.
"Want to walk together to Charms?" she asks when they've both eaten. |
Author: sparksflying | "Sure!" |
Author: occluminous | Charms ho! |
Author: pythbox | Feral catches up with them on the way. |
Author: occluminous | Bella waves to him.
And is Sherlock present, when they all take their seats? |
Author: nobodyelse | He arrives at the classroom precisely on time. |
Author: occluminous | "Hi, Sherlock," Bella murmurs, but there's no time for anything beyond that before they start learning to make teacups (or, in some cases, as there are not enough teacups to go around, shoes, or, in Feral's case, as he needs disposable materials, a piece of cardboard) dance. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock stares intently and motionlessly at his teacup. |
Author: occluminous | Bella is seriously concerned about him at this point. She decides she'll prod gently next time she sees him out of class. She'll have to catch him in their room eventually.
The teacher has no such constraints about addressing students in class. "Miss Sherlock," she says, compromising between formal address and the presence of twins in the class. "Are you planning to provide your teacup any motive force, or are you hoping to glare it into dancing?" |
Author: nobodyelse | He continues to stare at his teacup. |
Author: occluminous | "Miss Sherlock! Wake up!" says the Charms teacher, snapping her fingers in front of his face. |
Author: nobodyelse | He blinks several times and looks up at her slowly.
"Yes?" |
Author: occluminous | "I asked you if you were planning to attempt today's lesson. You have been staring at your teacup and have not even produced your wand. Miss Swan has already convinced her own teacup to go back and forth across her desk and spin."
Bella winces; she didn't really want to be the point of comparison, but she has in fact gotten her cup to do those things. |
Author: nobodyelse |
After a few seconds of carefully considering his reponse, he decides on: "Sorry." |
Author: occluminous | "I do not want your apologies, Miss Stark, I want your attention and effort. Wand out. The incantation is saltare. Try it now." |
Author: nobodyelse | He gets out his wand and... stares at it. |
Author: occluminous | The teacher snaps her fingers in front of his face again. "Miss Stark. Are you quite well? Do you need to go to the healer's office?" |
Author: nobodyelse | He blinks at her again. |
Author: occluminous | The teacher frowns, and inspects Tony's progress, and then says, "Miss Swan, as you are doing well, will you please escort Miss Sherlock to the healer's office? We will be doing this charm for two consecutive days and you should not fall behind."
"I - sure," says Bella, sticking her vine wand back in her hair and catching the teacup when it threatens to clatter off her desk. "Sherlock. Sherlock, let's go, okay?" She puts her hand on his elbow. |
Author: nobodyelse | He puts his wand away and lets Bella lead him. |
Author: occluminous | Bella has to consult her map to find the healer, but it's not a complicated route. "What's wrong?" she murmurs. |
Author: nobodyelse |
"I haven't slept," he says softly. |
Author: occluminous | "Why not?" |
Author: nobodyelse | Still softly, "I can't." |
Author: occluminous | "Well - maybe the healer can help, I know there's sleeping potions, I saw one in our syllabus for in December," Bella says encouragingly. "I thought you were sleeping, the first night - you were really quiet - you were just lying there?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "I can't... sleep... with anyone... there," he says haltingly. |
Author: occluminous | "...Oh. Why didn't you ask me to go have a sleepover with Tony - or at least ask when I would be in the library so you could have a nap in the afternoon?" |
Author: nobodyelse | He blinks hazily at her. |
Author: occluminous | She bites her lip. Here's the healer's office.
"Healer Song!" she calls, gleaning term of address from the plaque on the door.
A middle-aged Asian wizard in white robes emerges from the recesses of the infirmary, currently unoccupied by damaged children. "Yes, Miss...?"
"I'm Bella Swan and this is Sherlock. Ms. Muller sent us because Sherlock spaced out in class. Sleep debt," she adds. "Can't sleep with anyone there. We're roommates, what should I do?"
Healer Song tuts and peers at Sherlock. "How long have you been without sleep? Two days?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "I think so," he murmurs. |
Author: occluminous | "All right. Well, for the immediate problem -" He fetches a dark brown potion from one of the cupboards. "Drink up. One won't hurt you. And then perhaps you'll be awake enough to tell us more about how your roommate can help you with getting to sleep at night." |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock looks at the potion.
Sherlock drinks the potion.
Most of that dazed, distant look goes out of him. |
Author: occluminous | "There, that's better. Now. What can your roommate do that will allow you to get sleep? Do you know if sleeping potions are sufficient to solve the problem, or do you wind up fighting them off?" Healer Song asks briskly. |
Author: nobodyelse | "I've never tried sleeping potions," he says quietly. |
Author: occluminous | "Well, please tell us everything you can about your sleeping problem, and we can get a better idea of what combination of solutions might work, because even if potions do the trick it's not a good idea to rely on them nightly for long," says Healer Song. "How long has it been going on? How does it manifest?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "I can't sleep when anyone else is there," he says. "Except my sister. I've never had to share a room with anyone else before, so I didn't know it was this... bad. I tried to sleep the first night and I couldn't. The second night I... still couldn't." |
Author: occluminous | The healer nods sympathetically.
Bella pipes up. "There's hours of free time in the afternoon. I could be in the library from four to lights out every day, and that's not a whole night's sleep but it's some? Why didn't you nap when I was in the library before?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "I tried," he murmurs. "But I didn't know if you would come back." |
Author: occluminous | "I think," says Healer Song, "that I should give you a pass to skip your remaining classes, Sherlock, and you should catch up on proper sleep until your roommate returns to your room this evening, which it sounds like she's quite willing to avoid until late in the evening, and tomorrow you should come by after your classes and I'll give you a sleeping potion. If it doesn't allow to sleep while your roommate is present we'll have to work something else out, possibly a single occupancy or overriding the rule about placing siblings together for medical reasons. Does that sound good to you?" |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock nods.
"Yes. Thank you." |
Author: occluminous | "Should I knock, or something, before coming in tonight?" Bella asks. |
Author: nobodyelse |
"Yes. Please." |
Author: occluminous | "Okay."
"Bella, why don't you take Sherlock back to your room - I'm sure you know the way, Sherlock, but two days without sleep is no small thing for an eleven-year-old and the potion only helps so much - and I'll make excuses for the teachers."
Healer Song has actually been avoiding gendering Sherlock throughout this entire conversation. Perhaps this has something to do with the appointment Sherlock has with him at the end of the week.
"Sure," says Bella. |
Author: nobodyelse | "Thank you," says Sherlock. Again. |
Author: occluminous | Off go the kids.
"I thought I'd upset you or something and you were being unfriendly," confesses Bella as they leave the infirmary. |
Author: nobodyelse | "...oh," he says. "I'm sorry. No. I was just..." he shrugs, gestures helplessly, falls silent. |
Author: occluminous | "Well, now I know better," says Bella. "How come you didn't tell me, though, I would've at least told you when I was going to be in the library even if I didn't have the idea of going to the healer..." |
Author: nobodyelse | He struggles with words for a moment, then shrugs again. |
Author: occluminous | Bella purses her lips and allows the rest of the journey to their room to pass in silence. She collects the books she'll need for her remaining classes so she doesn't have to stop in after brooms, and says, "Euterpe won't count, will she?" |
Author: nobodyelse |
He hesitates.
"I don't think so." |
Author: occluminous | "Do you want me to close the window so she can't come in?" asks Bella uncertainly. |
Author: nobodyelse | "...I... I think so," he says, looking down at the floor. "I'm sorry." |
Author: occluminous | Bella shuts the window and ruffles his hair. "I will be completely not here until just a little before ten at night," she tells him. "Cross my heart. You get sleep, okay?" |
Author: nobodyelse | He smiles. Very slightly.
"Thank you. I'll do my best." |
Author: occluminous | And Bella is off, just in time to make it to brooms. It would not do to miss brooms. Brooms!
And then potions. |
Author: sparksflying | Tony is in Potions! |
Author: occluminous | "Sherlock hasn't been sleeping," Bella tells her as they sit down. "He can't sleep with somebody in the room. He's catching up now and the healer is going to give him a potion tomorrow night to see if that works." |
Author: sparksflying | "...Oh, Sherry," Tony sighs. |
Author: occluminous | "Yeah. If the potion doesn't work the healer might find a way to give him a single, or I'll just spend every afternoon in the library like I was probably going to do anyway and he'll have to sleep then even though it's not really enough time." |
Author: sparksflying | Tony makes a face. "Sucks to be him. Give him a hug for me, would you? You'll see him before I do." |
Author: occluminous | "Sure, when I go back tonight," says Bella, setting up her cauldron for the day's potion. They are making a water purifying elixir. |
Author: sparksflying | Tony's elixir is successful! Also, fun. |
Author: occluminous | Bella's turns out all right too, though she does come close to boiling it over when she corrects for an early misjudgment in quantity by doubling the recipe, and the teacher warns her that not all potion recipes respond with a mere volume increase to attempts at doubling them. "This isn't a batch of iced tea," she admonishes.
"Sorry," says Bella. This potion, they don't get to keep; it's all graded, then collected for a representative from the ACAAM Charitable Crusaders to pick up and ship to somewhere in the Third World where sixth-grader water purification potions are apparently in high demand.
Bella raises her hand to ask if they should make more, for the Third Worlders who need it, and is told that this is a class, not a meeting of the ACAAMCC.
The representative from that organization hands her some promotional material on his way out. |
Author: sparksflying | Well, that's... very Bella, isn't it. |
Author: occluminous | Very!
"See you at dinner?" Bella asks Tony. |
Author: sparksflying | "Sure!" |
Author: occluminous | And Bella's off to Social Studies, and then she hangs out in the library doing her homework until dinnertime, and then she goes to the cafeteria. |
Author: pythbox | Feral's there, sitting by himself at a deserted table, as usual. |
Author: occluminous | Huh. No Tony? Maybe Tony got hungry earlier or something. Bella sits with Feral. "Hi!" |
Author: pythbox | "Hi!" says Feral. "How's your friend?" |
Author: occluminous | "Sherlock can't sleep with somebody else in the room," Bella says, "is what turned out to be wrong. He's catching up on sleep now and tomorrow the healer's going to give him a potion to try." |
Author: pythbox | "Oh, wow," says Feral, wincing. "Hey, good for the healer." |
Author: occluminous | "Yeah, and he also gave him some - something that woke him up enough to have a conversation about what the problem was. Wizard coffee," says Bella, "I guess." |
Author: pythbox | Feral laughs. "Wizard coffee. Awesome." |
Author: occluminous | "Well, he didn't say what it was. I should've asked. Maybe I can describe it to the potions teacher and find out." She writes this down. |
Author: pythbox | "You write stuff down a lot," he observes. |
Author: occluminous | "Otherwise I might forget it," Bella explains. |
Author: pythbox | "Smart!" says Feral. |
Author: occluminous | "Lots of people write some things down. Like grocery lists and class notes. I just write more things down, like what I want to look up later and what I'm thinking." |
Author: pythbox | "What you're thinking?" he repeats, curiously. |
Author: occluminous | "Yeah. Because if I don't write it down, then it goes away, and then I don't know for sure what I thought, because I might remember it wrong. And then I wouldn't even know who I was pretty much because I'm what I think." |
Author: pythbox | Feral gives her a funny look.
"How could you not know who you are? You're you, aren't you?" |
Author: occluminous | "Well, yeah, but I could be me and not know who me was," she says. "If I forgot enough stuff." |
Author: pythbox | "You'd have to forget a lot," he says dubiously. |
Author: occluminous | "I don't even want to not know little bits about myself, though. I think I'm interesting," says Bella. |
Author: pythbox | "I think you're interesting too!" says Feral. |
Author: occluminous | Bella giggles. "I don't let other people read my notebooks, though," she says. "Sorry." |
Author: pythbox | "That's okay," he says. "I like finding out about you other ways." |
Author: occluminous | "What d'you want to know?" inquires Bella brightly. |
Author: pythbox | "Well," he says musingly, "who are you, if the answer's not just 'you'?" |
Author: occluminous | "Well, English speaking people don't have to talk about a lot of me, so there aren't great words for it," Bella says. "But I know things about what I'd do if different stuff happened." |
Author: pythbox | "Huh," says Feral. "I like knowing that about people. But most people don't, until the stuff happens." |
Author: occluminous | "I do," says Bella. "But most people don't do what I do." |
Author: pythbox | "How do you know?" |
Author: occluminous | "I know how all the parts of me work 'cause I catch them when they do stuff." |
Author: pythbox | "Hmmm," says Feral. "That is interesting." |
Author: occluminous | "Yup!" |
Author: pythbox | He giggles. |
Author: occluminous | Bella takes out her ACAAMCC literature and looks at it. "I wonder how many clubs there are here." |
Author: pythbox | "No idea," says Feral. "What's that one?" |
Author: occluminous | "Charitable Crusade. One of them came by Potions and took our water purifying elixir to send to Burma." |
Author: pythbox | "Huh," shrugs Feral. "Good for them, I guess." |
Author: occluminous | "I thought so, that's why he gave me this." |
Author: pythbox | "So are you gonna join?" |
Author: occluminous | "Maybe. I want to know more about all my options, I can't be in a million clubs." |
Author: pythbox | "There's not a million clubs here, I'm pretty sure," snorts Feral. |
Author: occluminous | "Then it probably won't take me that long to learn all about them," says Bella. |
Author: pythbox | He giggles. |
Author: occluminous | Eventually dinner concludes, and Bella heads back to the library, to stay and read things until it's nearly lights-out and the librarian shoos her.
When she gets back to her and Sherlock's room, she knocks instead of tapping the doorknob. |
Author: nobodyelse | It takes about five seconds for the door to open. Sherlock looks somewhat rumpled, but considerably less haggard than he did this morning. |
Author: occluminous | "Hi!" says Bella. "Tony wanted me to hug you for her. Are you feeling better?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "I would not object to secondhand hugs," he says, summoning up a smile. "And yes, I am." |
Author: occluminous | She hugs him. "Oh, and," she says, "you missed dinner, I brought you some cookies, I didn't see anything else I was sure would keep." She produces a napkin with several oatmeal cookies, mostly broken, and hands it to him. "If you wind up keeping a funny schedule instead of working something else out you maybe want to keep snacks around but for today I thought they might help." She sets her schoolbag down on her chair and sets about changing into her pajamas. |
Author: nobodyelse | "Thank you," he says, and he eats the cookies. |
Author: occluminous | Bella finishes changing and says "You don't need the light on, do you?" as she flops into her bunk. |
Author: nobodyelse | "No." |
Author: occluminous | "Nox." Even a wandless incantation will operate the cooperatively enchanted roomlight; darkness falls. She rolls over and goes to sleep.
Sherlock might or might not have noticed this on the first night, but Bella talks in her sleep. "Mice. Iron. Aphid. Silver." |
Author: nobodyelse | He does notice, yes. He wonders if she knows.
It's a long night. |
Author: occluminous | Bella is up at seven the next morning. "If you want a nap," she says as she changes into her robes, "I don't need to be back in the room till ten, but then you'd miss breakfast." |
Author: nobodyelse | "I'll go to breakfast," he decides. |
Author: occluminous | Breakfast-time! Who else is there? |
Author: pythbox | Feral! Feral is there. |
Author: occluminous | Bella goes and sits with him. Sherlock can come too. Hash browns, om nom nom. "Morning!" |
Author: pythbox | "Morning," Feral says amicably to Bella.
And to Sherlock, also amicably, "You look like hell." |
Author: nobodyelse | He snorts. |
Author: occluminous | "Yeah, Sherlock, are you going to be okay in classes, you've been up all night even if you got sleep before that," muses Bella. |
Author: nobodyelse | "I will do my best." |
Author: occluminous | "You're behind in Charms at least, unless you spent last night catching up. I sleep pretty soundly, by the way, if you wind up spending a lot of time in our room while I'm asleep you can cast spells just fine after I've dropped off." |
Author: nobodyelse | "Thank you," he murmurs.
"Did you know you talk in your sleep?" |
Author: occluminous | Bella blinks. "I didn't! What do I say?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "Mainly nouns." |
Author: occluminous | "...Nouns? Just nouns?" |
Author: nobodyelse | "'Mice, iron, aphid, silver,'" he recites. "And similar." |
Author: occluminous | "Those aren't even related to what I was dreaming about. That's weird." |
Author: nobodyelse | He shrugs. |
Author: occluminous | Bella finishes her hash browns. "Magical defense," she announces, and off she and Feral go. |
Author: pythbox | Magical defense is all about the theory again. Feral does some eye-rolling as the lesson progresses. |
Author: occluminous | Bella hangs back to ask for a syllabus. She is told that there is not a syllabus. She asks if they're going to be doing any practicing. She is told that they will do practicing when they are ready.
She sighs, and goes to catch up with Feral. "We get to practice when we're ready," she reports. |
Author: pythbox | He snorts. "Maybe I scared her off the practical stuff," he jokes. |
Author: occluminous | "Well, if we start learning hexes practiced on each other, or anything you'd have to sit out," Bella says, "but the Transfig' teacher doesn't stop handing everyone else mice just because you won't work with them, right?" |
Author: pythbox | Feral smiles crookedly. "Nah, I mean 'cause I knew what those curses were." |
Author: occluminous | "Why would that do it? He asked, didn't he?" |
Author: pythbox | "People get scared if you know stuff they don't expect you to," he says. "Especially if it's nasty stuff. Anyway, I gotta get to class."
He waves and heads off. |
Author: occluminous | "Bye!"
Bella turns to head for Theory. |
Author: pythbox | A seventh-grade witch in the uniform of the Junior Regimental Officer Corps blocks her path.
"Do you know who you were just talking to?" she hisses. |
Author: occluminous | "...Uh?" says Bella. "That was Feral, why?" |
Author: pythbox | "Feral is right!" she says. "He's dangerous! He bit somebody last year, I mean Mark drew his wand but that's no excuse for jumping on somebody like a rabid Muggle." |
Author: occluminous | "Um, if Feral drew his wand back then Mark might have caught fire even if Feral didn't mean him to," Bella says. "I don't know what they were fighting about, but as long as they were already fighting, biting him probably was safer." |
Author: pythbox | The JROC witch sniffs. "Oh, I've heard about the fires," she mutters darkly. |
Author: occluminous | "...Yeah, so've I. He doesn't do it on purpose. He's waiting to grow out of it," says Bella. |
Author: pythbox | "Are you sure?" she says. "Did you know he can see Thestrals? That means he's watched someone die," she adds, in case Bella did not know this. "I think it means he's killed someone." |
Author: occluminous | "Um, I don't think most people who've watched someone die killed them personally, but why are you telling me all this stuff anyway?" Bella asks. |
Author: pythbox | "Um, so you don't hang around with him and end up getting murdered?" she says. |
Author: occluminous | "He doesn't even risk hurting mice," Bella says. |
Author: pythbox | The JROC witch stares at her with an expression of mixed confusion and worry.
"I guess I can't stop you," she says. "But... be careful." |
Author: occluminous | "I'll ask him about the thestrals," suggests Bella. "Um, thanks for warning me?" |
Author: pythbox | "I think it's my duty," the JROC witch says seriously. "And I have to get to practice."
She heads off in yet another direction. |
Author: occluminous | Bella hurries the rest of the way to theory, which passes uneventfully, and to transfiguration, similar, and then it's lunchtime. |
Author: pythbox | Guess who's sitting all by himself again! |
Author: occluminous | Is it Feral? Bella bets it's Feral. There she plops herself. "Some girl thinks you might murder me," she says. "She thinks you can see thestrals because of having killed somebody and that it's not safe to hang around you. Also she said you bit someone, but she said he drew his wand on you so I think that was probably the best thing you could've done if you couldn't just run away because otherwise he might have caught fire and that's worse than getting bit." |
Author: pythbox | "Yeah," he says, "you figured that one out, all right. I don't duel, I fight. Gets me more detentions, but nobody catches fire, so I'd call that a win, wouldn't you?" |
Author: occluminous | Bella nods firmly. "I don't understand why the faculty is being how they are about the fire thing. I hope you grow out of it soon, it sounds awful." |
Author: pythbox | "And I'm not gonna murder you," he adds, in case she was wondering. |
Author: occluminous | "I didn't think so. How come you can see thestrals, though? I didn't ask last time it came up." |
Author: pythbox | "'Cause I killed somebody," he says casually. |
Author: occluminous | "That's what the girl said," Bella says slowly. "I didn't think it was true." |
Author: pythbox | "I'm pretty sure she only got it right by accident," he says. "I didn't tell her. It is, though." |
Author: occluminous | "Um, why did you kill somebody? Who was it? Why aren't you in trouble?" |
Author: pythbox | "My dad," he says. "Way before I came here." |
Author: occluminous | Bella awaits the answers to the rest of her questions. She is not sure if she believes him. |
Author: pythbox | He looks and sounds more serious than usual, but not with the kind of strong emotion you'd expect from somebody confessing to the murder of a parent.
"He used to hit me," he says. "I didn't like it. So when I figured out I could set things on fire with magic, I burned him to death." |
Author: occluminous | "...On purpose." |
Author: pythbox | "Yeah, on purpose," Feral snorts. "I lit him up by accident a couple times before that, but he just put it out and then beat me some more." |
Author: occluminous | "Oh." |
Author: pythbox | He shrugs.
"Do you regret asking now?" |
Author: occluminous | "I'm not sure if I believe you, but if it's true I'd rather know and if it's not true I'd rather know that it's the kind of thing you'll say," Bella says after a moment. "Why aren't you in trouble, if it's true?" |
Author: pythbox | "In trouble with who? The school? I was out of there for years before they found me, I don't think they even know." |
Author: occluminous | "The law. Magical law enforcement. It exists, I saw it in my social studies syllabus." |
Author: pythbox | "What the fuck does magical law enforcement care about one dead Muggle?" |
Author: occluminous | She blinks.
"It doesn't?" |
Author: pythbox | "Not as far as I can tell." |
Author: occluminous | "...Oh." |
Author: pythbox | "...What, is that a surprise?" |
Author: occluminous | "I have known there was more to magic than me personally being able to do doggerel verse spells for like two weeks and I've only been systematically learning things for a few days and we don't get to magic law enforcement in social studies until unit three," Bella says. "Muggle law enforcement cares a lot when people die, I would know, my dad is a policeman! I thought magic law enforcement would be sort of like that, with magic in." |
Author: pythbox | "Magical law enforcement," says Feral, "cares a lot if purebloods die, and halfbloods mostly count, and Muggle-borns do if anybody was looking. If you fuck up a Muggle, they only care if you did it publicly enough that they have to wipe a bunch of memories. They'll tell you different if you ask, but that's what's true." |
Author: occluminous | "That's awful," says Bella. "And also you just told me that nobody official would care if you did murder me as long as you were quiet and there weren't any witnesses." |
Author: pythbox | "Probably," he agrees. "But I knew that already, and I don't wanna murder you, so what difference does it make?" |
Author: occluminous | "It's just disturbing." Pause. "And that girl who decided to warn me about you seemed to care if I got murdered. Maybe she doesn't know I'm Muggleborn or maybe you're just wrong about that." |
Author: pythbox | "Did I say people wouldn't care? I didn't say people wouldn't care," says Feral. "It's the whole system that doesn't. People are people, they care about all different stuff." |
Author: occluminous | "Is magical law enforcement not done by people?" asks Bella dubiously. |
Author: pythbox | "...It's like the mice," he says. "I bet you when you start on live Transfiguration, if you walk up to the cages and say you're gonna set the mice on fire, you'll get in huge trouble. But when we start on it in my class and I say I'm not gonna point my wand at anything I'm not willing to light up, I'll fail the class again. Caring about mice getting set on fire isn't one thing that works the exact same way everywhere for everybody all the time, or even the same way for the same person all the time, and neither is caring about people dying." |
Author: occluminous | "Hmmmm." |
Author: pythbox | He lets her think about it. |
Author: occluminous | "There are a lot of things I am going to have to learn how to fix," sighs Bella, taking down some notes. "I better learn to live forever. I think that would be nice anyway." |
Author: pythbox | "Sure it would," snorts Feral. |
Author: occluminous | "It would! Then I could learn everything I want to know, and by then, there would be more things to know about," Bella says. |
Author: pythbox | He giggles. |
Author: occluminous | "Some magic animals can do it, right? So it's not impossible." |
Author: pythbox | "Sure is impossible for people, though," says Feral. "Or at least I've never heard different." |
Author: occluminous | "People invent new things all the time. I bet someone can invent a way to live forever and maybe it'll be me. Or maybe somebody did it already and then I can get to work on everything else that much sooner." |
Author: pythbox | "If somebody did it and it worked, wouldn't that be big news?" says Feral. |
Author: occluminous | "Well, it would be if I did it, 'cause I'd want to share, but maybe somebody did it and doesn't want to share, or even can't share, or something," says Bella. |
Author: pythbox | "Maybe," says Feral. |
Author: occluminous | "I'll work on it," Bella says firmly. She eats the last of her mushroom soup and then she is off to Charms! |
Author: pythbox | Well, so is Feral! |
Author: sparksflying | Tony and Sherlock join them on the way. |
Author: occluminous | Hurray, friends! Also teacup-dancing! Bella is not in the five best kids in class anymore, since she missed half of the previous lesson, but she's not bad, and she sets about catching up with a will and will, if Sherlock looks like he wants, attempt to help him since he missed the entirety of the last lesson. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock's teacup executes an elaborate dance routine across the surface of his desk. |
Author: occluminous | Well then! He does not need help. Bella concentrates on her own work. "Were you practicing all night or something?" she murmurs to him in an undertone when she starts paging through her textbook to look at the diagrams on wand motions again. |
Author: nobodyelse | "I practiced until I got it right," he murmurs back. |
Author: occluminous | Well, she supposes he had plenty of time to do it in. She looks at the wand motions and convinces her teacup to spin on the tip of its handle and right itself with a flourish. |
Author: sparksflying | Tony works diligently at her dancing teacup.
Diligently enough that it spins right off the edge of her desk. |
Author: occluminous | Bella tries to catch it, but she does not succeed, probably because her reflexes are still connected to her body and not her wand and she is about as coordinated as a three-legged drunk giraffe. The cup breaks and the teacher replaces it with one of the shoes (Tony gets a left ballet flat), as the teacups have all been distributed. |
Author: sparksflying | Tony sighs, and shrugs, and makes the shoe dance instead. |
Author: nobodyelse | Sherlock collects the pieces of the teacup. |
Author: occluminous | The teacher takes them from him when he's got them all, and begins to painstakingly repair the cup - Bella remembers a repairing spell from the November part of the syllabus but apparently it's not good enough for teacups or something, because this one only knits one piece to one other piece at a time.
Nothing further of moment happens in Charms. It is time for brooms brooms brooms wheeeee!
And then Potions! |
Author: nobodyelse | Potions!
Sherlock is flagging a little, but still looks reasonably awake. |