Post by Conor Driscol on Jul 24, 2009 19:22:18 GMT -5
As soon as Phugsius had left the library earlier that day, Conor took out a piece of parchment and wrote a fast letter. This was... quite an interesting situation. By interesting he meant unnerving. There was some poor crazy first year out there, probably about to attempt some horribly difficult magic that could kill him. Conor was scared for the kid, but also of him. He was off his rocker.
He wrote the letter, put it into the talons of one of the school's owls with instructions to immediately run it up to the Headmaster's office. Conor figured it would be best if the Headmaster knew of the situation before he arrived, and it would take him maybe twenty or thirty minutes to climb the stairs and towers to reach Talon's office while it would only take the owl a few minutes.
As the owl dropped the letter off in the office, Conor was on his way.
Dear Headmaster Windwaltz,
I must regretfully inform you of a serious situation. Just a moment previously, I met a quite charismatic first year Slytherin student, a Mr. Charadus or something of the sort. He appears to me to be mentally deranged and possibly dangerous. It would be best if we met personally to discuss this matter.
On another matter, I found your biography just now in a copy of the Augur immediately following the war three years ago. It said that you were quite talented in Transfiguration while in school. I myself am very interested in the subject and would like to speak to you on this matter as well.
Your Student, Conor Driscol, Hufflepuff
Last Edit: Jul 24, 2009 19:22:39 GMT -5 by Conor Driscol
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 24, 2009 19:45:47 GMT -5
Talon picked up the note and read it, slamming it back down again and leaning back with his hand on his head. "Phugsius!" He shouted loudly, and grumbled to himself. It seemed like everybody who was coming to his office these days had something to say about the Slytherin. Half the trouble in the school was being caused by him...and the other half, Lucius Infernus.
But what was that other part?
'My biography?' Talon thought to himself, reading the letter over again. 'How did that Tybalt ever find out enough about me to publish a biography?' He didn't care if it was a tiny little newspaper blurb or whatever...unless, in true Tybalt fashion, he'd simply made a whole article on how 'Windwaltz is a stupid man and could never compare to Scorpius.' If that were the case, however, why did he put in that he was good at Transfiguration?
And if so, what exactly did it say about him being good at Transfiguration? Come to think of it, what were the people in other countries saying about him? How did the Baron still convince people to come to the school when they had people like Fenrir and Phugsius around? What was up with all these Japanese kids in Spain, seriously?
Talon remained in deep thought, awaiting Conor's arrival.
Post by Conor Driscol on Jul 24, 2009 19:57:42 GMT -5
Out of breath after rushing up the several thousand stairs and countless floors of the school, Conor reached the statue of the phoenix. Panting, he quietly bowed to it and said a quick "How-de-do?" The statue, curiously responding to the student, moved aside and let Conor through. Clutching his bag under one arm, it containing the Potions book and also a few of the farthest advanced Transfiguration books that he thought he might need, Conor knocked on the door and entered as soon as he was addressed.
"Headmaster, before I start this conversation I ask that you do not use the students first name aloud around me. I believe I have been placed under the effect of a selective Taboo on his name. I'm not even sure how he managed that. He's a first year, as far as I know. But, the point is, that he scares me sir. I think he is mentally deranged."
He took a seat across from the headmaster and leaned in close to speak, as if he even had to whisper when there was no one else around.
"You see, headmaster, he came into the Library and was perusing the advanced Transfiguration section where I do most of my study," Conor whispered, "And he asked me if I knew anything about human transfiguration. When I offered him what little information I had, he then told me, with the utmost confidence, that he was truly sixteen years of age. I may be muggle-born, Headmaster, but I am almost certain that no wizard, especially one as young as the Slytherin even claims to be, could perform such levels of Transfiguration."
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 24, 2009 20:26:01 GMT -5
Talon watched Conor intently, his eyes betraying his disbelief before he melted into laughter. "Mr. Driscol, I'm afraid to tell you that you've fallen victim to a terrible prank. Even though students born of muggles like yourselves can grow to be great wizards one day, equal to any wizard of magical heritage, they sadly suffer lack of previous knowledge of the wizarding world.
"You see, to put a 'taboo' on one's name is a far more difficult magic than just simply saying 'I've put a taboo on your name.' It is a dark magic, a very powerful one, and requires ceremony and is often only mastered for those whose power is vast and beyond most normal understanding of wizards," Talon explained, his voice gently explaining this most serious of magics. "There are some cases, even, where wizards often lose track of their names in the first place, because nobody says it anymore, for fear of bringing them there."
He almost launched into the various references of this appearing throughout history - the hidden 'Gods' of the Fertile Crescent, the stories of Hades in Greece - but decided to stop. "The point I'm trying to make is that even if Phugsius was, by some chance, a case of human transfiguration...he certainly wouldn't know how to taboo anyone."
That being said, Talon continued, "Transfiguration happened to be the subject I learned most in school, and you seem relatively interested in it so I'll let you in on something - transfiguration, by definition, is the changing of one thing into another entirely. Animagi, the most skilled at the art of transfiguration, can change themselves into animals without losing the knowledge that they are really human. However, the brainwaves, or the nature, if you don't want to get scientific, of the creature you've changed into slowly takes hold of you until they find a place of equilibrium."
He paused for a moment, "usually, since a wizard doesn't spend much time in his animal form, this will just result in a dog animagus seeming rather scruffy and having a loud laugh, or a goat animagus growing a beard and talking with a stutter...things that make your forms sort of compatible. However, if one should, perhaps, stay in that form for long periods of time, they might lose hold of their abilities and ultimately have their minds crumble into that of their creature counterpart.
"Human transfiguration is not quite the same, and those who perform it often take the form of someone roughly the same age and body weight as themselves so that the effects aren't as drastic. If Phugsius is telling the truth, and I assure you he isn't, but I am telling you mostly for educational purposes, if he was sixteen and somehow a more skilled wizard than most grown professors at this school, he will not be very shortly unless he drops that facade...he will be what he's become - twelve years old with no respect for the rules."
Post by Conor Driscol on Jul 24, 2009 20:50:59 GMT -5
Conor relaxed a little. Yes, maybe it was a big prank. Some of the students, the ones from pure-blood ancestry or other wizarding households, would often play pranks on Conor and his fellow muggle-borns. What did they know about magic and pranks? Hell, until a few years ago, Conor didn't even know he was special. He still is pretty worthless, in his own opinion.
"I see headmaster," Conor said, with a thin smile, "I just... it freaked me out. I thought he was insane. I even tried the Episkey spell on his forehead, to see if he was insane and I could fix it."
He laughed a little nervously. He had other things to talk about with the headmaster, though.
"Speaking of Animagi, well, Professor, I uh, I spend all my time studying Transfiguration because, well, that's my goal. Of all the schools of magic, the only one I honestly feel any skilled at is Transfiguration. Everything else I'm rubbish in. Well, except for Potions. I do alright there. Got an 'A' on potions and an 'E' on Transfiguration, but I've advanced a bit. You see, I think they're sort of related, like you said, because each takes a bit of something and makes something else out of it and- I'm sorry, I digress."
He sat up perfectly straight. Here he goes.
"Well, Professor, to be honest, the Transfiguration class just isn't giving me the education I need in the subject. I can learn only so much from the library, too. I was wondering if you could, perhaps, give me some help on my road to becoming an Animagus?"
Post by Phugsius Charadus on Jul 24, 2009 21:10:37 GMT -5
Phugsius had watched the boy hurry up the stairs after he had left the library from a bend in the hallway. It was sort of funny that this Conor actually believed he had taboo'd his own name. He smiled and quietly followed the boy. In his rush he must not have noticed the EXACT same boy he feared following him up the stairs. Phugsius wasn't in a rush, he might as well let them talk a little bit. Phugsius stood outside the statue and smiled. The bird just shook it's head and moved out of the way. Poor thing, it didn't seem to be keeping anyone out these days. Was it even supposed to?
Phugius waited outside of the headmaster's office listening to what was being said waiting for his oppurtunity. He didn't want to trounce Conor's request by coming in and asking for help, he would wait until after.
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 25, 2009 6:08:03 GMT -5
"Episke, hm? That spell is a miracle worker, to be sure, but I'm afraid it doesn't cure mental ailments," Talon said, that smile never failing from his face. This was proving to be quite the amusing conversation, and this Conor Driscol was proving to be quite the interesting student. He wasn't scholastically excellent, but he had goals and priorities and he knew what he wanted out of his wizarding life.
And wasn't that all that mattered?
"Transfiguration and Potions. Interesting that you like the two subjects so much. They are, after all, the arts most beloved by those Scottish witches, hm? Double, bubble, toil and trouble? Or you'd like to turn someone into a frog?" The Headmaster babbled on happily, gesticulating with his hand and acting out all the things he said. "But no, no, you want to do better than that. You want to be a frog! Or...more likely, something a bit more interesting than that. A wolf, a dog, a rhino, an elephant, a lion...or perhaps a badger?"
Talon rambled off the list of the 'coolest' creatures of the wild and then ended with House Hufflepuff's own symbol. "I never explored the realm of animagi myself. Most wizards and witches don't. It is a hard-gained goal and requires extreme patience and risks great sacrifice. Sacrifices, I'm afraid, that I've put to other arts beyond the arcane." At this, a spark of flame appeared in the Headmaster's open palm, and just as quickly vanished as he closed his hand.
"However," Talon continued, "based on what I just told you, here is my advice. As you know, an animagus often takes the form of the animal that might 'represent' them. It's more than just preference or soul searching. A kid with sweaty hands in the back row might want to be a Lion, for example, but he's not. With enough practice, he might become one, but he won't remember he was ever the sweaty palmed boy, and he certainly won't be interested in casserole for dinner anymore. There is no choosing involved in becoming an animagus...it's more a matter of whether or not that creature's instinctive nature is the same as yours. There'll be such similarity that you will be capable of maintaining your own nature in face of the wild transformation.
"But that's all magical theory, and just what I'd assume based on my knowledge of transfiguration. But take it to heart...I don't want to end up with a Giraffe on the grounds and nobody knowing how it got there." He said the last part warningly, though it was clearly joking. "You have to find the animal that best fits your nature, and believe me...it's easier said than done."
Post by Conor Driscol on Jul 25, 2009 13:51:41 GMT -5
"Oh, of course professor," Conor replied to the eccentric and slightly odd headmaster, blissfully unaware that there was a mentally unstable first year outside the door, "I have no intention of taking on a form unlike myself. Actually, I haven't even considered what I might turn into. Becoming an animagus isn't something I want to do just because it's 'cool'. I want to do it to prove to myself that I can master the art of transfiguration, as well as encountering something new and interesting in the art."
He rummaged through his satchel and pulled out the Advanced Potions book authored by the former Firefox Professor. It seemed like more and more professors were writing their own textbooks. Maybe that's how they made most of their money? Perhaps being a professor was actually more like being some twisted con artist, forcing poor wizarding students to buy your books and give you money?
Well, point is, he opened up the book to the page with his bookmark in it. The bookmark turned back into a ribbon as he did so and rolled up neatly into his robe pocket.
"Professor, this book was written by Professor Birchheel, the former potions master," Conor said, showing Talon the cover and putting the open book on his desk, "This potion here was simply called 'For Animagi' and it apparently reveals the true nature of the person, what they would be if they were to become an animagus. More importantly, it seems to be able to deduce, somehow, if the witch or wizard is even capable of the process. I intend to do it tonight.
"And, if it proves successful, I intend to attempt the transfiguration in the morning."
Post by Phugsius Charadus on Jul 25, 2009 14:10:57 GMT -5
"If you don't know the animal you want to transfigure into yet how can you possibly imagine to do it in one night?" Phugsius decided now was the time to jump in. He strode slowly over and stood next to Conor. "You have to apply vigorous study to the animal you wish to become. That's why most people are turned off by animagical studies. You have to know every inch of the animal you think that you can become. If you somehow guess wrong and attempt it, it won't work. You'll have to start all over again. I'm sure that potion will help you start off well. Am I right, headmaster? An otter with a missing intestine isn't going to do much good, not that an otter would do much good in general. You can clearly see my point though"
This was getting more difficult by he minute. Phugsius was using every square inch of his willpower to restrain himself from acting silly. The impulse to interrupt was probably a part of his outer child lashing out. Phugsius pulled out his wand and brought a chair over and sat down. He wasn't leaving this office until he got at the least advice from Talon.
Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 26, 2009 4:50:03 GMT -5
Talon placed a hand on his head and remained silent for a full minute. Then the hand fell again, and he shook his head slowly. "Mr. Charadus...Phugsius...you need...you need to start minding your own business." Of course he had seen the little Slytherin wandering up after Conor, but Talon had hoped that he might've given up when the Hufflepuff entered the Headmaster's office.
"Now I don't see much good in taking more points from Slytherin, considering the fact that your class is already in the negatives, but if you keep wandering out of bounds and into my office, I may be forced to expel you," The Headmaster said this gently but seriously. "And you're a bright and brave young man and I would hate to see magical talent on your level snuffed out, but this kind of behavior cannot be permitted."
Talon whisked his wand, and the chair that Phugsius was sitting on was vanished in the moment it appeared. "Now I don't know how you intend for me to say this, Mr. Charadus," the Headmaster's voice grew rather stern, "But I am currently in the middle of meeting with your fellow student, and would kindly ask, should you have anything truthful and necessary to ask of me, to wait your turn."
Post by Conor Driscol on Jul 27, 2009 2:26:17 GMT -5
Conor flinched as the Slytherin boy entered the room. He still felt a little unsafe around the kid. He was either a horribly mean joker, or actually crazy. There was no need to take chances around Phugsius. It couldn't end well.
"A-Actually, Charadus," Conor said, timidly speaking to a kid who had to be at least five years his junior, "that only applies to someone who plans on becoming an animal unlike their character. As the headmaster said, the Animagus takes the form that they already resemble. If knowing the animal was the most important factor of the transformation, this would be a magical skill suited best for the Care of Magical Creatures expert."
Conor tapped his wand three times on the edge of the desk and aimed it at one of Talon's goblets. It turned into a beautiful raven, its wings stretched out. It then turned into a stone statue, exactly like the raven. Finally, it morphed back into a goblet, but this one made of stone and delicately carved with the vision of the raven.
"And," Conor spoke again to the first year, this time confident, "I do believe I have enough of an understanding of the magic of Transfiguration to attempt such a feat as Animagical transformation. I may be unable to tell you how the Taboo curse works, but I have faith in my ability to turn one thing into another."
Post by Phugsius Charadus on Jul 27, 2009 2:46:57 GMT -5
"Well then," His eyes shifted over to Conor, "it looks as if everything is fine on your end then Conor". This made it evident that the headmaster could let him go and work on his problem. He didn't mean to be a jerk about the whole affair, but time was of the essence. He began straining a little to maintain his composure. "Thank you for explaining my predicament to the headmaster also. I fear the more I talk the more I risk saying or doing things I may regret in this form. Thus, making you run to him was a necessary step to help me with my problem, as to help you with yours. You look to me as if you have a handle your problem on your own. The headmaster was right when he said I am slowly becoming more intune with this form of myself" He eyed the headmaster now with a fierce determination. "Headmaster, I don't mean to rush this meeting but I fear time is of the essence in this matter. The more we wait the more I have to work on restraining this child trying to jump out. Hence my behavior in Triangle tunnel a few days back. Now, I know helping me may be on the bottom of your priority list, but I can't do this by myself. So I am begging you headmaster, if you wish to see talent blossom, help me" He was having a lot of trouble holding this force pushing against him. His muscles began to strain. He felt the sudden urge to cry and shout. To scream until the sound barrier itself shattered.
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Post by Talon Windwaltz on Jul 27, 2009 22:48:11 GMT -5
Talon didn't know what to say to Phugsius's outburst. If the Slytherin had played that same cruel prank on the Hufflepuff, he didn't honestly believe it would work on the Headmaster? Talon was a wizard who had spent his entire life surrounded by magic, who had studied hard in school, and was known as one of the foremost magicians in the entire wizarding world! There were elderly sages who envied Talon's natural talent for magic and especially the art of Transfiguration!
Did Phugsius honestly think he was going to get him on this?
"Well," Talon said, a patronizing smile emphasizing his tone of voice, "if that may be the case, Mr. Charadus, and you're not just telling me the tall tale you told Mr. Driscol here was true to get yourself out of the 200 points you lost your House in the tunnel, then what you are claiming is not all that difficult to reverse." The Headmaster glanced over at Conor, first, making eye contact just so the Hufflepuff knew from the look on the Headmaster's face that this was all just going along with what the Slytherin had to say.
Without any further words, he walked around his desk and pressed his wand against Phugsius's shoulder and focused his eyes clearly on the entire image of the Slytherin. "Finite."
Post by Phugsius Charadus on Jul 28, 2009 0:10:13 GMT -5
Phugsius knew the headmaster was now patronizing him. With every word the boy became more and more angry. How unprofessional, he understood the concept was a difficult one to believe but it didn't call for this clear episode of disrespect. Phugsius watched the headmaster move over to him and stick his wand to the young boy's shoulder.
"Finite"
Phugsius felt a pulse go through him and he gasped for a second as his hair turned back to it's original blonde color and then back to black. He had felt a tide of memories come flowing into his head and back out. He felt his bones grow and shrink. A momentary calm absorbed his body and restored what would have been his mature attitude. At least his disguise was holding up despite the fact he wanted to rid himself of it. He almost collapsed but managed to catch himself on the desk. It didn't take him more than a second to turn and start lashing out at the head master. His voice momentarily lowered and intensified like he had went through puberty in that one split second and back to it's regular pitch. His voice was jagged and brimmed with anger. "Do you really think this is a bloody joke Talon? That you can patronize me just because I look like a twelve year old boy? That you can patronize any student because they don't always follow the rules or you think they're lying. Haven't YOU, of all people, learned that just because something might seem like one thing there are odd occurances in this world that warrant SOME belief that the other has happened?" The boy glared into the headmaster's sapphire eyes with his emerald ones.
He stepped away from the tall man and took a moment to breathe and tried to think of a better way to convince the headmaster what Conor had told him was all true.
His calm British voice now filled the room contrasting his previously intense one. He stayed facing away from the headmaster his hand on the desk. "This isn't about points, I could give a bloody damn about points. I want what little I had of my life back. I admit, it was foolish to change my own body into another human, but I had a goal. That goal would have been out of my reach if I had stayed my own age of sixteen. Elementalism takes more than two years to learn i'd imagine. That's why I came here headmaster. That's why I'm the twelve year old you see in front of you." The boy turned toward the headmaster his eyes watering from memories of years past. "If i'm that much trouble i'll leave. Once I'm back to my sixteen year old self i'll go back to Hogsmeade if that's what you want. But please, just please help me fix this mistake"
Post by Conor Driscol on Jul 28, 2009 0:25:24 GMT -5
"I could have done that..." was all Conor had to say. From his new seat. On the other side of the room. Conor didn't much like the wink Talon gave him, and when the boy reacted so violently to having the simple Finite spell cast on him, Conor took off to the other side of the room. He felt safer there.
"I... could have... done that? Headmaster! I think he's honestly somehow transfigured himself. Being 16 or whatever, he probably never learned how to reverse it. I think you might need a more specific, powerful reversal spell."
With confidence, the boy strode over to Phugsius and thumped his wand on the 12 year old head. That wasn't part of the spell, but he was sure he could pass it off as if it was and get some satisfaction. Modeling Talon's own process, the Hufflepuff envisioned Phugsius in his entirety, focusing on him and only him, making certain the spell would eliminate any transfiguration the kid got himself into.
Teagan Offline: This board is full of nostalgia.
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