occluminous: (blank)
Author: occluminous
Tony's patronus doesn't take much longer to finish - hers is a gigantic eagle, nearly as big as Feral's thestral. (It can sit on Bella just as well as the elf owl can, since they're weightless.)

Bella makes no progress. New books on the Philosopher's Stone, received on her birthday, get mist just like the first one did, if a little more anemically. (The books are not as good as that first one.) Feral works on being an Animagus; he doesn't have it down before winter break, though. He also keeps telling Bella about what's been going in Herbology, although she has to translate his ramblings and half-formed written scrawls into usable notes by herself.

Bella does not get Feral a Christmas present, per request, but she gives Sherlock a book about prophecies and Tony a book about various failed attempts to integrate magic and technology. Euterpe can't carry them both at the same time and Bella wants her free for sending letters anyway, so she just brings them with her to hand over after winter break.
nobodyelse: (Default)
Author: nobodyelse
Sherlock, it turns out, has also gotten Bella a book for Christmas.

He hands it to her wrapped in plain brown paper when she walks into their room.

"Merry Christmas. I didn't want to trust this to an owl," he says. "Owls can be tracked."
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
That makes Bella intensely curious! She raises an eyebrow at Sherlock and then shreds the wrapping paper.
nobodyelse: (⑫ tell me why i'm so afraid)
Author: nobodyelse
It's called The Eternal Dark: Studies in Forbidden Immortality, and it is about various unsavoury ways people have tried to become immortal.

"I don't think there is anything in there you would want to use," he says, "but it might be useful to know about, all the same."
occluminous: (incisive)
Author: occluminous
"Ooh." Bella promptly turns the cover white, and casts the same refuse-to-open-for-arbitrary-people spell she uses on her notebooks. "Thanks!"
nobodyelse: (⑤ made me a saint)
Author: nobodyelse
He smiles.
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
"I don't know if this will work before I actually read it, but," says Bella, and she hugs the book to her chest and pulls her vine wand, "Expecto Patronum!"

She gets a barely visible sneeze of mist.
nobodyelse: (⑦ i walk the streets alone)
Author: nobodyelse
"Hmm," says Sherlock.
occluminous: (hmmm)
Author: occluminous
"Any conclusions?" she asks, sticking her wand back into her hair.
nobodyelse: (⑤ made me a saint)
Author: nobodyelse
"Not yet," he says. "But at least I know I'm looking for information in the right places."
occluminous: (funny)
Author: occluminous
Bella chuckles and settles in to read a chapter before the welcome feast.
nobodyelse: (⑥ looking good boy)
Author: nobodyelse
The first chapter is an overview, mentioning a few highlights without going into detail and talking about some of the things that Dark Arts immortality methods tend to have in common. Particularly, that they all - or all of the effective ones - involve causing irreparable harm to some person or creature.

And then it is time for the welcome feast!
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
Feasting!

Bella finishes her book after dinner, and tries the Patronus again. It gets worse mist than the best Philosopher's Stone book and better mist than the inferior ones. It's all, still, mist.
nobodyelse: (⑩ my own private space)
Author: nobodyelse




A few days later, Sherlock leaves another book on her desk for her to find in the morning, with a cheerful yellow ribbon tied around it in a bow.

It's about a set of artifacts called the Deathly Hallows.
occluminous: (hmmm)
Author: occluminous
Bella reads this one, partly over lunch and partly after classes, and tries again under Sherlock's supervision. Mist yes, but worse than the inferior Philosopher's Stone books.
nobodyelse: (⑤ made me a saint)
Author: nobodyelse
"I am sensing a theme," says Sherlock. "Are you sensing a theme?"
occluminous: (blank)
Author: occluminous
"Well, yes, but this is also the only theme we've investigated; there could be something neither of us has thought of that would also work, or it could be some kind of placebo effect."
nobodyelse: (⑨ when things were black and white)
Author: nobodyelse
"Why this placebo effect?"
occluminous: (hmmm)
Author: occluminous
"I don't know. It's a very weird placebo effect. I mean, it does make me happy that there has been prior art on immortality and only some of it is obviously a failure or harmful to others? But - it's really weird."
nobodyelse: (⑪ this is where i will stay)
Author: nobodyelse
"Yes," says Sherlock.
occluminous: (classroom)
Author: occluminous
"When I asked a teacher about it the other month he just offered to make me an appointment with Healer Song if I wasn't feeling 'emotionally comfortable'," says Bella. "If there's something other than being depressed or incompetent that can block a Patronus it must be very uncommon."
nobodyelse: (⑦ i walk the streets alone)
Author: nobodyelse
"Clearly," says Sherlock. "And yet, here you are."
occluminous: (peering)
Author: occluminous
"I am very uncommon, I guess," shrugs Bella. "... I just realized I completely forgot to give you and Tony your Christmas presents, I was going to do it right away but then I got distracted." She dives into her bag and produces a thick volume of onionskin paper. "Here. I hope you didn't think I just forgot. Actually one time when I was falling asleep I managed to mostly convince myself that you would have figured out what and where your present would be and just quietly collected it but by the time I woke up I had forgotten again and didn't think to check."
nobodyelse: (① blow me away)
Author: nobodyelse




Sherlock laughs.
occluminous: (funny)
Author: occluminous
The book is entitled "Prophetic Utterances and The Surrounding Events: A Comprehensive History". It is divided by time period, nationality of prophet, and prophecy subject matter; there is a chunky index in the back.
nobodyelse: (⑤ made me a saint)
Author: nobodyelse
"It's beautiful," says Sherlock. "Thank you."
occluminous: (tempted)
Author: occluminous
"You're welcome. You didn't think I forgot, did you?"
nobodyelse: (⑫ tell me why i'm so afraid)
Author: nobodyelse
"Not exactly."
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
"Not exactly?"
nobodyelse: (⑧ torn-up photos on the floor)
Author: nobodyelse
He shakes his head. "Never mind."
occluminous: (consideration)
Author: occluminous
Bella frowns.

But she drops it.
nobodyelse: (⑤ made me a saint)
Author: nobodyelse
"Speaking of things we have forgotten to mention," he says, "Tony and I got our second wands over winter break. Spruce and cedar, respectively, and unicorn hair. They'll be coming by owl any day now; they were still being fitted for handles when we saw them in the shop."
occluminous: (funny)
Author: occluminous
"Ooh, nice. What do those woods mean?"
nobodyelse: (⑦ i walk the streets alone)
Author: nobodyelse
"Cedar: loyalty, perceptiveness," he says. "Spruce: boldness and a sense of humour."
occluminous: (fun)
Author: occluminous
"But not so much perceptiveness that you noticed your present."
nobodyelse: (⑩ my own private space)
Author: nobodyelse
occluminous: (peering)
Author: occluminous
"Aww." She hugs him.
nobodyelse: (⑧ torn-up photos on the floor)
Author: nobodyelse


He hugs her back.
occluminous: (incisive)
Author: occluminous
School swings back into session. On the second weekend Bella unilaterally declares that she and all of her friends should spend Sunday morning flying around.
nobodyelse: (⑤ made me a saint)
Author: nobodyelse
This is an excellent plan and Sherlock fully supports it.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral doesn't have a broom! But he can borrow one from the school.
sparksflying: (③ certainly twice as sick)
Author: sparksflying
"Why don't you have a broom? I should get you a broom," says Tony. "Sherry, remind me to get Feral a broom."
nobodyelse: (Default)
Author: nobodyelse
"Will do," says Sherlock.
occluminous: (fun)
Author: occluminous
Bella giggles and kicks into the air. Wheeeeee!
nobodyelse: (④ where I never broke the rules)
Author: nobodyelse
Whee.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral chases after Tony and attempts to hug her in midair.
sparksflying: (④ welcome to the party)
Author: sparksflying
Given that he's on a school broom, she'd have to let him catch her on purpose.

She does.
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
Awww!

Then it is lunchtime.

And then Bella and Sherlock head back for their room, although Bella will clear out so he can catch up on sleep after she has put her broom away.

"So I know I got you a Divination book, but how's the actual class going?"
nobodyelse: (⑦ i walk the streets alone)
Author: nobodyelse
"Far less interesting than the book," he says. "There's enough evidence to strongly suggest that prophecy is a perfectly legitimate phenomenon. Tea leaves, less so."
occluminous: (peering)
Author: occluminous
"Can you learn to do any of it or do you just have to be born prophetic?"
nobodyelse: (⑧ torn-up photos on the floor)
Author: nobodyelse
"No data, but I suspect the latter. Because there is no data. Genuine seers are often but not always people with the obvious set of related interests. It's not quite clear whether or not being one makes the rest of the trash actually work."
occluminous: (oh please)
Author: occluminous
"I don't suppose you've gotten any of the trash to behave interestingly."
nobodyelse: (⑥ looking good boy)
Author: nobodyelse
"Not that I'd give any weight to. But then, I have no indication that I am a prophet."
occluminous: (hmmm)
Author: occluminous
"What are the indications, anyway?"
nobodyelse: (④ where I never broke the rules)
Author: nobodyelse
"Giving a prophecy is considered a pretty clear sign. Beyond that, nothing especially consistent. But prophecies themselves are interesting. They have recipients, did you know that? As far as anyone can tell, each one is intended for a specific listener who is present at the time the prophecy is given."
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
"Weird. Is it usually one person per prophecy?"
nobodyelse: (⑦ i walk the streets alone)
Author: nobodyelse
"Only one recipient per prophecy has ever been clearly identified, but sometimes there are too many people present and not all of them follow up afterward. In the clear-cut cases, it seems the recipient always gets something useful out of the prophecy, although not always soon enough to do any good. And of course they all come true, but some of them are vague enough that that's not saying much."
occluminous: (peering)
Author: occluminous
"I had heard about the vagueness thing," says Bella. "I wonder why they're like that."
nobodyelse: (⑤ made me a saint)
Author: nobodyelse
"There are competing theories. One of the better ones is that they are meant to be useful to the recipient at a specific moment, and too much clarity would lead to them going off early. But prophecy is not a voluntary exercise, so the seers aren't much help in figuring it out; they don't choose the wording. Some of them don't even remember it afterward."
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
"Huh."

Here is their room. Bella taps the doorknob to let them in.
nobodyelse: (⑥ looking good boy)
Author: nobodyelse
In they go.

"Good night," he says wryly, climbing up to bed.
occluminous: (blank)
Author: occluminous
Bella puts her broom away and leaves him be for the rest of the day.

She is back that evening.
nobodyelse: (⑬ let the world go away)
Author: nobodyelse
Sherlock is a little slower waking up than usual, and his hair is a mess when he answers the door mid-yawn.
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
In comes Bella. "Sleep well?"
nobodyelse: (⑧ torn-up photos on the floor)
Author: nobodyelse
He shuts the door.

A voice barely recognizable as his, speaking as though from the other end of a vast empty room with exquisite acoustics and considerable echo, says: "The light of hope will erase the shadow of death."
occluminous: (blank)
Author: occluminous


"Beg pardon?"
nobodyelse: (⑫ tell me why i'm so afraid)
Author: nobodyelse
"...What?" says Sherlock. "Is someone throwing Memory Charms again? I just lost another few seconds."
occluminous: (Default)
Author: occluminous
"I would never. You just said, um, 'The light of hope will erase the shadow of death".
nobodyelse: (⑨ when things were black and white)
Author: nobodyelse




"...Did my voice sound strange?"
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
"Extremely!"
nobodyelse: (⑧ torn-up photos on the floor)
Author: nobodyelse
"I just gave a prophecy," he says, blinking. "I was not expecting that. Write it down - exact words - you can't extract your memories yet and it might apply before you can."
occluminous: (consideration)
Author: occluminous
Bella promptly writes down the exact words. "I have no idea what it means, though."
nobodyelse: (⑥ looking good boy)
Author: nobodyelse
"Nor do I. But I am not supposed to. You're the one who is meant to understand it - not now, but at some future time when it will either be of some use to you or let Fate say 'I told you so' after the fact."
occluminous: (oh please)
Author: occluminous
"I guess it at least sounds - promising?"
nobodyelse: (⑤ made me a saint)
Author: nobodyelse
"That's not always a reliable indicator. But yes, it does."
occluminous: (peering)
Author: occluminous
"Huh. Do you think we should tell anybody else?"
nobodyelse: (⑩ my own private space)
Author: nobodyelse
"No. Well, we can tell Tony and possibly Feral. We should not tell any adults. I don't want anyone knowing I'm a seer yet."
occluminous: (Default)
Author: occluminous
"I didn't mean adults, I don't think they'd be useful about it at all," shrugs Bella.
nobodyelse: (⑨ when things were black and white)
Author: nobodyelse
He snorts. "They so rarely are."
occluminous: (peering)
Author: occluminous
"And this isn't anything like Healer Song's specialty."
nobodyelse: (⑥ looking good boy)
Author: nobodyelse
"It is not."
occluminous: (Default)
Author: occluminous
"How secretive do you want to be about your prophetude? Like, can we tell them at breakfast or do we have to draw them aside and swear them to secrecy?"
nobodyelse: (⑧ torn-up photos on the floor)
Author: nobodyelse
"Secretive," he says. "Definitely secretive."
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
"Okay. Secrecy-swearing it is. After classes tomorrow?" proposes Bella.
nobodyelse: (⑫ tell me why i'm so afraid)
Author: nobodyelse
He nods.
occluminous: (incisive)
Author: occluminous
So after classes the next day, Bella (presumably accompanied by Sherlock) pulls aside Feral and Tony someplace nice and quiet, hopping with excitement.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"This has to be something good," says Feral, gesturing to Sherlock, "or you'd be in bed, right?"
nobodyelse: (⑤ made me a saint)
Author: nobodyelse
"I might debate 'good', but it's interesting. And important."
occluminous: (incisive)
Author: occluminous
"He gave me a prophecy," says Bella, after making quite sure they are unobserved, and she opens to that notebook page and shows them. "We don't know what it means though."
sparksflying: (⑧ see right through you)
Author: sparksflying
"Whoa," says Tony. "Seriously?"
nobodyelse: (⑧ torn-up photos on the floor)
Author: nobodyelse
"As far as I can tell," says Sherlock.
sparksflying: (④ welcome to the party)
Author: sparksflying
"Which is pretty far. Wow," says Tony.
occluminous: (blank)
Author: occluminous
"Yeah. We aren't telling any grownups," Bella adds.
sparksflying: (⑩ sight of solid ground)
Author: sparksflying
"No kidding," says Tony.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral snorts.
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
"Do either of you have a guess what it could be about?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Nope," says Feral.
sparksflying: (⑪ won't win any prize)
Author: sparksflying
"Well... it sounds like it's about your immortality thing," says Tony doubtfully. "But it's pretty vague."
occluminous: (hmmm)
Author: occluminous
"My immortality thing also vaguely seems to be related to when I do and don't get mist trying to cast a Patronus," Bella muses.
sparksflying: (⑨ but it's strictly SRO)
Author: sparksflying
"That's weird," says Tony.
occluminous: (ideal)
Author: occluminous
"It's really weird!" agrees Bella. "But I still can't get more than mist, or mist with anything unrelated, so - I don't know what's going on at all."
sparksflying: (⑧ see right through you)
Author: sparksflying
"Me neither," says Tony.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral looks at Sherlock.
nobodyelse: (⑦ i walk the streets alone)
Author: nobodyelse
"Insufficient data," he says, shrugging.
occluminous: (oh please)
Author: occluminous
"But I get lots of interesting presents while he data-collects. Best kind of experiment."
nobodyelse: (① blow me away)
Author: nobodyelse
Sherlock grins.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Feral giggles.
occluminous: (funny)
Author: occluminous
Bella hugs Sherlock.
nobodyelse: (③ and wish them goodnight)
Author: nobodyelse
Sherlock hugs back!