1 Jun 2018, 03:43
It's A Small World
Syrah was enjoying her potions class. It was a nice break from spell casting and history lessons. Although she enjoy learning spells and charms, she had always been interested in potions. Syrah's mother is a master potioneer who once had her own shop in little old London before Syrah was born. After that, though, she retired to be a stay at home mother. Siliana Steele never seemed to regret the decision and it never stopped her from making potions on the side for family and friends. Syrah used to watch her in the kitchen making potions and her mother would try her best to explain ingredients and measurements. Although she wasn't the best teacher, Siliana left most of the work to Hogwarts, knowing Syrah would be adequately trained. Siliana always promised Syrah that after her first year and beyond she would teacher Syrah potions during the summer to get a head up on her peers.
And so with a tiny bit of preknowledge upon entering Hogwarts, Syrah always felt very confidant and excited in her potions class. She knew, though, in order to stay ahead she would have to try extra hard. And one way of doing so, Syrah thought of, was to have as much personal time with the potions professor as possible.
Professor Valtome was an interesting man whom Syrah did not quite too well yet. However he did not scare the girl, however he was slightly intimidating. Syrah swallowed that though, and decided one day to finally go and speak one on one with the man. She had come up with a few questions to start off with as well as some topics to discuss if the visit went stale. Although she already mostly knew the answers to her questions, she needed an in with the teacher to begin conversation. And this is the only way she could think of.
And so with her topics in mind, Syrah headed down to the Potions classroom in the dungeons of the castle. It was not far from her Common Room which also resided in the basement. Once she reached the classroom door, she sighed, dissapointed that the door was closed. It was always awkward for her to try and knock. She just assumed closed doors meant go away, but that wasn't always true in schools.
Apprehensive, she knocked before she opened the door up, letting the professor know she was here, hopeful that he was actually in the classroom. Though she figured the door would be locked if it was empty. There were dangerous ingredients and potions in there after all.
Stepping inside she squinted in the dark before her eyes quickly adjusted. She was thankful to see Mr. Valtome was present after all. Hello Professor, she greeted, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment about our lessons.
She looked at the man, he was tall and lanky and proud. In class his voice was steady and confidant. He was certainly intimidating, but she tried not to think about it. Oh, my name.is Syrah Steele in case you don't remember from class. Not that I'd expect you to, there's so many of us. She added, frowning internally at her awkward phrasing.
And so with a tiny bit of preknowledge upon entering Hogwarts, Syrah always felt very confidant and excited in her potions class. She knew, though, in order to stay ahead she would have to try extra hard. And one way of doing so, Syrah thought of, was to have as much personal time with the potions professor as possible.
Professor Valtome was an interesting man whom Syrah did not quite too well yet. However he did not scare the girl, however he was slightly intimidating. Syrah swallowed that though, and decided one day to finally go and speak one on one with the man. She had come up with a few questions to start off with as well as some topics to discuss if the visit went stale. Although she already mostly knew the answers to her questions, she needed an in with the teacher to begin conversation. And this is the only way she could think of.
And so with her topics in mind, Syrah headed down to the Potions classroom in the dungeons of the castle. It was not far from her Common Room which also resided in the basement. Once she reached the classroom door, she sighed, dissapointed that the door was closed. It was always awkward for her to try and knock. She just assumed closed doors meant go away, but that wasn't always true in schools.
Apprehensive, she knocked before she opened the door up, letting the professor know she was here, hopeful that he was actually in the classroom. Though she figured the door would be locked if it was empty. There were dangerous ingredients and potions in there after all.
Stepping inside she squinted in the dark before her eyes quickly adjusted. She was thankful to see Mr. Valtome was present after all. Hello Professor, she greeted, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment about our lessons.
She looked at the man, he was tall and lanky and proud. In class his voice was steady and confidant. He was certainly intimidating, but she tried not to think about it. Oh, my name.is Syrah Steele in case you don't remember from class. Not that I'd expect you to, there's so many of us. She added, frowning internally at her awkward phrasing.
Last edited by Rhea Bishop on 1 Jun 2018, 04:14, edited 1 time in total.
Stamina: 1pt - Agility: 3pts - Strength: 2pts
Control: 8pts - Arcane Power: 9pts - Accuracy: 7pts
1 Jun 2018, 08:07
It's A Small World
Was this my prison sentence? To be forever burdened with the marking of assignments with little to no effort involved, myriad syntax errors, and an ensemble of incorrect answers. There couldn't possibly be anymore spite involved in my fall from grace. Oh, how I wish I could go back to my time in the limelight, listening to all the extolling screams, the chanting of my name; the high life. It wasn't all bad, I had to admit. Just as there were those that made me have to constantly resist the urge to slam my head into the nearest wall, there were those that gave me pause to consider that maybe there was, in fact, some hope to be had. Those kids that took my class seriously and did my work with a plenitude of moil gave me a reason to like what I was doing here. If only...
There I was in the relative darkness, superficially lost in thought when the tentative knock came at the door to my classroom. I didn't see the need to pause and waste precious oxygen to say something as pedestrian as "come in", nor did I see the need to look up from my latest load of paperwork, and it was such that I sat there in silence and waited for whoever was at the door to take the initiative and enter. The sound of encroaching footsteps finally coming to a halt before my desk was my only incentive to finally tear my eyes away from what I was doing and look at the young girl who had thought it prudent to disturb me. I gave her a blank stare as I waited for...something. There was clearly something missing from the introduction. Maybe the teaching of etiquette was something I would need to explore as an extracurricular.
It seemed she finally caught on to the meaning of my silence because it was then that she bothered to introduce herself, name and all. And wouldn't you have guessed? She was right. I didn't remember her. Most likely she was among the pile of failed grades I had given so far and spared nary a second glance at. With a sharp intonation that allowed little wiggle room, I started. "All my grades are equitable, punctiliously pondered, and peremptory. If it is that you came here with the intention of contesting one of such then allow me to spare you some time in telling you that your efforts may be better spent prepping for the next assignment." There was a dismissive finality to my tone, and without sparing her a second glance I inclined my head once more and continued my perusal of the material before me.
My words were dangerously snappish even to my own ears, and they may have escaped sounding much worse than I had intended, but my point would have gotten across regardless. In truth, it was the comparison in work as it relates to lesson one and my own lessons that disturbed me. As I perused the answers and the grades I couldn't help but notice that my predecessor had allowed these kids to get away with murder, in a manner of speaking. A lot of the answers were mediocre at best and deserved much lower marks than they did. It was almost enough to give me palpitations. It wa- Glancing up, I noticed that the girl was still standing there, and with an actorly cocking of my eyebrows I asked my silent question before the spoken one. "Was there something else?"
There I was in the relative darkness, superficially lost in thought when the tentative knock came at the door to my classroom. I didn't see the need to pause and waste precious oxygen to say something as pedestrian as "come in", nor did I see the need to look up from my latest load of paperwork, and it was such that I sat there in silence and waited for whoever was at the door to take the initiative and enter. The sound of encroaching footsteps finally coming to a halt before my desk was my only incentive to finally tear my eyes away from what I was doing and look at the young girl who had thought it prudent to disturb me. I gave her a blank stare as I waited for...something. There was clearly something missing from the introduction. Maybe the teaching of etiquette was something I would need to explore as an extracurricular.
It seemed she finally caught on to the meaning of my silence because it was then that she bothered to introduce herself, name and all. And wouldn't you have guessed? She was right. I didn't remember her. Most likely she was among the pile of failed grades I had given so far and spared nary a second glance at. With a sharp intonation that allowed little wiggle room, I started. "All my grades are equitable, punctiliously pondered, and peremptory. If it is that you came here with the intention of contesting one of such then allow me to spare you some time in telling you that your efforts may be better spent prepping for the next assignment." There was a dismissive finality to my tone, and without sparing her a second glance I inclined my head once more and continued my perusal of the material before me.
My words were dangerously snappish even to my own ears, and they may have escaped sounding much worse than I had intended, but my point would have gotten across regardless. In truth, it was the comparison in work as it relates to lesson one and my own lessons that disturbed me. As I perused the answers and the grades I couldn't help but notice that my predecessor had allowed these kids to get away with murder, in a manner of speaking. A lot of the answers were mediocre at best and deserved much lower marks than they did. It was almost enough to give me palpitations. It wa- Glancing up, I noticed that the girl was still standing there, and with an actorly cocking of my eyebrows I asked my silent question before the spoken one. "Was there something else?"
"𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔪 𝔬𝔪𝔫𝔦𝔞 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰"
1 Jun 2018, 16:01
It's A Small World
Syrah nearly flinched at the Professors remarks. He didn't seem this rude during actual class. Well, he seemed more bored than anything else in class, really. But his tone, instead of chasing her away, as she figured he had hoped, angered her. She rose herself up to a more straight position and schrunched her eyes for a moment before smoothing her face back out. She would continue to be polite, for she didn't even really know how to be rude to a teacher, she certainly lacked that kind of confidence. But also because she enjoyed potions class and wanted to get the most out of it she could. And the best way to do that was to be friendly with the one teaching it.
She smiled before she began again. "No, I am mostly pleased with my grade actually, I got an E." she bragged a slight bit just then, before tuning herself down once more. "Of course I would have preferred and O, but wouldn't anyone?" She joked. "But no, I understand why I didn't get an O and so I'm not looking to change my grade, I simply would like to talk about how to do better next time. You know, prepping for my next assignment, as you put it."
Honestly, she thought she nailed that. But she continued. "I was hoping if you didn't mind, we could go over my last assignment and you could help me understand your expectations a bit more. I usually do better with spoken instructions. I guess I enjoy the ability to ask clarifying questions."
She smiled before she began again. "No, I am mostly pleased with my grade actually, I got an E." she bragged a slight bit just then, before tuning herself down once more. "Of course I would have preferred and O, but wouldn't anyone?" She joked. "But no, I understand why I didn't get an O and so I'm not looking to change my grade, I simply would like to talk about how to do better next time. You know, prepping for my next assignment, as you put it."
Honestly, she thought she nailed that. But she continued. "I was hoping if you didn't mind, we could go over my last assignment and you could help me understand your expectations a bit more. I usually do better with spoken instructions. I guess I enjoy the ability to ask clarifying questions."
Stamina: 1pt - Agility: 3pts - Strength: 2pts
Control: 8pts - Arcane Power: 9pts - Accuracy: 7pts
1 Jun 2018, 22:05
It's A Small World
To say I was impressed by the girl's guts would have been a gross understatement. Not only that, but she managed to stand her ground and say her piece in counter to my rather curt dismissal. The small, minuscule really, smile at the edge of my lips was not something I could contain, but I did well to keep it hidden so as not to show her just how impressed I was by her show of conviction. So she wasn't here to challenge whatever grade she had gotten but instead wished to pick my brain for ways in which she could hopefully do better next time. It was an innocent notion, one that I didn't mind helping with in the least.
I nodded once and gestured to a nearby chair, urging it to magically lift and carry itself to the front of the classroom, coming to rest right behind her. "Sit. Rest your weary feet." I would give her a moment to comply and get more comfortable before we began. While she did so I scanned through the heavy stacks of paper regarding all the lessons from the first class with former Professor Ethel until I chanced upon her own. It was at this moment that I realized that it had been said Professor that had graded her work; not me, and as I quickly scanned through the work itself and the comments made I understood the reason for the E.
"From what I can tell by looking at this paper, Professor Ethel was far too lenient." I didn't say it as a slight, so there was no need for the walls to bleed. "If this had come across my table I can assure you we would not be discussing ways to move from an E to an O, but rather from an A to an E." By a one point difference, but the fact still remained. I did not wish to scare the poor girl, but she had to have known what to expect from me, especially with how quickly news of my reputation as a harsh grader had travelled around the school. If she had been expecting clemency by seeking me out, then she had come to the wrong place. With a final scan of the paper, I noticed something that had slipped by me before but suddenly came back as if on a tight leash.
Tracing the header of the paper I sat in silence and pondered what I was seeing for a spell, considering the possibility in my mind before I bothered to ask. Curiosity got the better of me and I quickly looked up, eyeing her uncomfortably as I assessed every feature of her face. Something in her eyes and her mannerisms caught my attention and held firmly. "You said your name is Syrah Steele?" Could she be? "Tell me child! Does the name Siliana C- Steele ring any bells?" She had gotten married. Could such a coincidence truly be sitting across from me? Was this girl who I believed she was? I needed to hear it from her if only to put my mind at ease.
I nodded once and gestured to a nearby chair, urging it to magically lift and carry itself to the front of the classroom, coming to rest right behind her. "Sit. Rest your weary feet." I would give her a moment to comply and get more comfortable before we began. While she did so I scanned through the heavy stacks of paper regarding all the lessons from the first class with former Professor Ethel until I chanced upon her own. It was at this moment that I realized that it had been said Professor that had graded her work; not me, and as I quickly scanned through the work itself and the comments made I understood the reason for the E.
"From what I can tell by looking at this paper, Professor Ethel was far too lenient." I didn't say it as a slight, so there was no need for the walls to bleed. "If this had come across my table I can assure you we would not be discussing ways to move from an E to an O, but rather from an A to an E." By a one point difference, but the fact still remained. I did not wish to scare the poor girl, but she had to have known what to expect from me, especially with how quickly news of my reputation as a harsh grader had travelled around the school. If she had been expecting clemency by seeking me out, then she had come to the wrong place. With a final scan of the paper, I noticed something that had slipped by me before but suddenly came back as if on a tight leash.
Tracing the header of the paper I sat in silence and pondered what I was seeing for a spell, considering the possibility in my mind before I bothered to ask. Curiosity got the better of me and I quickly looked up, eyeing her uncomfortably as I assessed every feature of her face. Something in her eyes and her mannerisms caught my attention and held firmly. "You said your name is Syrah Steele?" Could she be? "Tell me child! Does the name Siliana C- Steele ring any bells?" She had gotten married. Could such a coincidence truly be sitting across from me? Was this girl who I believed she was? I needed to hear it from her if only to put my mind at ease.
"𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔪 𝔬𝔪𝔫𝔦𝔞 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰"
2 Jun 2018, 01:38
It's A Small World
She smiled in slight relief when Valtome seemed to accept her rebuttle. She was certainly proud of herself, but she also thought it was part of a teachers job to aid students when they came asking for it at least. She quickly pulled up a chair and sat, straight and at attention. He swiftly began searching through one of the large stacks of scrolls and paper on his desk, probably looking for her assignment. She was honestly a tiny bit surprised that he remember her name this long.
Her successful attitude quickly plumetted when he began commenting on her paper. Actually her heart felt as if it dropped in her chest. Potions and DADA were the only classes she had gotten an E in so far... And then the rest of her classes were A's. Which, she knew, was passing and, overall, was a good grade, but she wanted O's and so these two E's were grades she was, at the very least, somewhat proud of. The fact that he though his predacessor was too lenient made her extremely sad. Potions was her favorite class, something she thought she had a leg up in over other students because of her mother, a subject she was quite proud of. The hurt was probably obvious on her face if Valtome was looking at her. She didn't want him to see that, though, so she tried to regain composure. It was difficult, for sure.
She knew the man was strict, she just gave herself too much credit when it came to Potions. Because of that she was easily dissapointed.
Her poor mood was inturrped suddenly by Valtome asking her name again. Yes it was Syrah Steele. Did he really forget that quickly, even after remembering it long enough to find her paper? That seemed strange.
Wait no... He... Knew her mother? Well he certainly knew her name? Maybe he was just a fan. Syrah always heard that her mother was a very good Potioneer abd, well, so was he.
"Uhm. Yeah. She stammered out. "That's my mom... You know her?"
Her successful attitude quickly plumetted when he began commenting on her paper. Actually her heart felt as if it dropped in her chest. Potions and DADA were the only classes she had gotten an E in so far... And then the rest of her classes were A's. Which, she knew, was passing and, overall, was a good grade, but she wanted O's and so these two E's were grades she was, at the very least, somewhat proud of. The fact that he though his predacessor was too lenient made her extremely sad. Potions was her favorite class, something she thought she had a leg up in over other students because of her mother, a subject she was quite proud of. The hurt was probably obvious on her face if Valtome was looking at her. She didn't want him to see that, though, so she tried to regain composure. It was difficult, for sure.
She knew the man was strict, she just gave herself too much credit when it came to Potions. Because of that she was easily dissapointed.
Her poor mood was inturrped suddenly by Valtome asking her name again. Yes it was Syrah Steele. Did he really forget that quickly, even after remembering it long enough to find her paper? That seemed strange.
Wait no... He... Knew her mother? Well he certainly knew her name? Maybe he was just a fan. Syrah always heard that her mother was a very good Potioneer abd, well, so was he.
"Uhm. Yeah. She stammered out. "That's my mom... You know her?"
Stamina: 1pt - Agility: 3pts - Strength: 2pts
Control: 8pts - Arcane Power: 9pts - Accuracy: 7pts
2 Jun 2018, 06:58
It's A Small World
I leaned back in my seat, posture intact of course, and stared directly at her for the longest time, putting all the pieces together. I hadn't known that Siliana had gone and had herself children, or maybe just one child. It certainly never occurred to me that she would have even found the time to care for another person, what with how invested she had always been in her potions shop whose name I could not remember. Thinking back to when times were much simpler when there was nary a care in the world for children such as these that I now find myself teaching, I recalled how we had met.
She was three years ahead of me, but somehow we had managed to become close. We were fast friends and we shared a common interest; Potions. We learned from each other, shared many things, and even made promises that we would work together in the future. Siliana had always had her heart set on opening her own potions shop, and I had agreed that this was something that we could do together, but like I said she was three years ahead of me. Once she graduated and moved on with her life, opening that potions shop as she had always wanted, I had been happy for her, but at the same time, my own idealism changed. A prodigious Potioneer I may be, but my interests shifted to something I found far more amusing and conducive to my talents. After graduating I had become an actor. A very accomplished one at that.
I had recounted this out loud without much care, and Ms Steele must have heard all of it as she sat there and listened. It was so tactless of me, and something I would never be caught dead doing on a normal day, but I hadn't seen Siliana for so many years and it was all I could do to contain my curiosity. Softening the sharp edges around my voice, I asked in an almost whisper "how is your mother these days?" It was a simple question. Not too probative, but with enough enquiry to solicit a firm response. "I can only hazard a guess as to how she must be doing. Especially after the incident..." Yes. I remember it so vividly in my mind's eye. How tragic the story behind it all had been, and how cowardly I had been in that one moment of weakness where I could not muster the strength of character to seek my friend if only to console her in her time of loss.
She was three years ahead of me, but somehow we had managed to become close. We were fast friends and we shared a common interest; Potions. We learned from each other, shared many things, and even made promises that we would work together in the future. Siliana had always had her heart set on opening her own potions shop, and I had agreed that this was something that we could do together, but like I said she was three years ahead of me. Once she graduated and moved on with her life, opening that potions shop as she had always wanted, I had been happy for her, but at the same time, my own idealism changed. A prodigious Potioneer I may be, but my interests shifted to something I found far more amusing and conducive to my talents. After graduating I had become an actor. A very accomplished one at that.
I had recounted this out loud without much care, and Ms Steele must have heard all of it as she sat there and listened. It was so tactless of me, and something I would never be caught dead doing on a normal day, but I hadn't seen Siliana for so many years and it was all I could do to contain my curiosity. Softening the sharp edges around my voice, I asked in an almost whisper "how is your mother these days?" It was a simple question. Not too probative, but with enough enquiry to solicit a firm response. "I can only hazard a guess as to how she must be doing. Especially after the incident..." Yes. I remember it so vividly in my mind's eye. How tragic the story behind it all had been, and how cowardly I had been in that one moment of weakness where I could not muster the strength of character to seek my friend if only to console her in her time of loss.
"𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔪 𝔬𝔪𝔫𝔦𝔞 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰"
2 Jun 2018, 22:04
It's A Small World
It was a shock, and so Syrah sat silently listening as her professor detailed out a significant portion of her mother's life. Siliana was never too secretive of her time at Hogwarts, Syrah had heard many tales, but she had never heard of a Fainauriel. She wondered what her mother thought of the man now, after it appeared he had abandoned her.
She knew her mother always wanted a potions shop growing up, whenever the young woman spoke of the long gone store she spoke very fondly, thought bit sadly. Her mother always told her she sold the shop because she wanted to be a mom more than a Potioneer and so it simply became time when Syrah was born. However the little girl always heard the slight sadness in her mother's voice, she simply never pressed it because she felt it was her fault.
As a side note, she could not imagine the potions professor in front of her as an accomplished actor. He was cold and distant and Syrah thought actors would have to be fun and care free. Perhaps not.
As he began to inquire about her mother currently, she took a breath to gather her thoughts. She was about to tell him that she was happy, easily excited and she had just visited for the Blossomfest Ball. But she was stopped short as Valtome mentioned an incident. Syrah was not aware of any incident. Unless he was being extraordinarily rude and says the birth of her, the daughter, was the 'incident'. But no, he wouldn't be that crass. Would he?
And so she asked, and she asked simply and abruptly with confusion and a bit of a defensive tone. "What incident?"
She knew her mother always wanted a potions shop growing up, whenever the young woman spoke of the long gone store she spoke very fondly, thought bit sadly. Her mother always told her she sold the shop because she wanted to be a mom more than a Potioneer and so it simply became time when Syrah was born. However the little girl always heard the slight sadness in her mother's voice, she simply never pressed it because she felt it was her fault.
As a side note, she could not imagine the potions professor in front of her as an accomplished actor. He was cold and distant and Syrah thought actors would have to be fun and care free. Perhaps not.
As he began to inquire about her mother currently, she took a breath to gather her thoughts. She was about to tell him that she was happy, easily excited and she had just visited for the Blossomfest Ball. But she was stopped short as Valtome mentioned an incident. Syrah was not aware of any incident. Unless he was being extraordinarily rude and says the birth of her, the daughter, was the 'incident'. But no, he wouldn't be that crass. Would he?
And so she asked, and she asked simply and abruptly with confusion and a bit of a defensive tone. "What incident?"
Stamina: 1pt - Agility: 3pts - Strength: 2pts
Control: 8pts - Arcane Power: 9pts - Accuracy: 7pts
4 Jun 2018, 07:04
It's A Small World
My sharp eyes widened at Ms. Steele as she asked me such a fatuous question, almost as if... No! It couldn't be. Could she truly be as in the dark as I was starting to believe? "Child. Has your mother never told you of the day that mayhem struck?" The look on her face was painting a clear enough picture of the unlikelihood of such an instance. "Did you even know of her shop, Siliana's Physic?" It occurred to me that Siliana might have wished to keep such a thing from her daughter, not wanting the poor girl to have to hear the embarrassing tale of times gone by that had been riddled with misfortune and activities that were nothing short of criminal.
At this moment I was weighing my options carefully. Revealing the truth to the unsuspecting girl might not be in my best interest seeing as, quite frankly, this was none of my concern. Whatever her mother decided to keep from her was her own prerogative and I had no place countermanding her wishes. On the contrary, however, I did not see the harm in her knowing. She was of an age where her mother had trusted her to come to this school on her own in order to gain her own experiences and pave her own path, and the girl clearly wished to explore and express her interest in potion-making. It is for partly those very paltry reasons as well as motives more in line with my own agenda that I concluded that I would reveal to her the truth.
Sitting across from her, postured and statuesque with no movement to be witnessed but the flapping of my lips and the barest minimum blinks of my eyes, I began. "It was twelve years ago, clearly before you were born. Your mother, Siliana, had built her potions shop as she had always dreamt of doing. The shop met with great success; had been frequently visited by many high-profile customers who were impressed by her knowledge and skill, and not to mention her stock of highly rare ingredients as well as those particularly difficult to brew potions. Business was booming, as you would say, and I can only begin to imagine as to the elation that she must have felt. That was until...it happened." I paused for dramatic effect.
Brushing a few strands of hair from my face, I continued with the story. "It had all been steeped in gossip and rumours, but word had spread like wildfire and at this point, the people knew the truth but no one dared say anything in more than whispers. Truth is stranger than fiction after all, and no one wished to believe that such a thing could be possible. You see, Siliana had been compromised. Her success and wild popularity made her the perfect target for corruption and blackmail at the hands of a villain so devoid of scruples that they could even contest Emeric The Evil." I stopped for a spell to ensure she was keeping up before I continued. "Yes. Your mother was blackmailed by a third party, and for what reason, you may ask? It was simple, really. They wanted a front from which to operate their verboten...felonious trade in unlawful goods."
The memories were enough to have even me shaking my head in dismay, wondering how such a thing could have befallen someone so inclined to aiding with the betterment of others' welfare. Then I had thought of it more and more over the years and the answer finally presented itself to me today, at this very moment of all times. Criminals, the vile and the cruel, capitulated on opportunities by preying on all that was good in the world. It was something I had promised myself that I would never allow to happen to me, even if it meant being viewed as cold, calculating, and even villainous myself. A vitriolic tongue and outward appearance did its job in deterring the undesriables that might seek to pounce. I rose from my seat and began to pace, back straight and head held high. "Do you wish for me to continue?"
At this moment I was weighing my options carefully. Revealing the truth to the unsuspecting girl might not be in my best interest seeing as, quite frankly, this was none of my concern. Whatever her mother decided to keep from her was her own prerogative and I had no place countermanding her wishes. On the contrary, however, I did not see the harm in her knowing. She was of an age where her mother had trusted her to come to this school on her own in order to gain her own experiences and pave her own path, and the girl clearly wished to explore and express her interest in potion-making. It is for partly those very paltry reasons as well as motives more in line with my own agenda that I concluded that I would reveal to her the truth.
Sitting across from her, postured and statuesque with no movement to be witnessed but the flapping of my lips and the barest minimum blinks of my eyes, I began. "It was twelve years ago, clearly before you were born. Your mother, Siliana, had built her potions shop as she had always dreamt of doing. The shop met with great success; had been frequently visited by many high-profile customers who were impressed by her knowledge and skill, and not to mention her stock of highly rare ingredients as well as those particularly difficult to brew potions. Business was booming, as you would say, and I can only begin to imagine as to the elation that she must have felt. That was until...it happened." I paused for dramatic effect.
Brushing a few strands of hair from my face, I continued with the story. "It had all been steeped in gossip and rumours, but word had spread like wildfire and at this point, the people knew the truth but no one dared say anything in more than whispers. Truth is stranger than fiction after all, and no one wished to believe that such a thing could be possible. You see, Siliana had been compromised. Her success and wild popularity made her the perfect target for corruption and blackmail at the hands of a villain so devoid of scruples that they could even contest Emeric The Evil." I stopped for a spell to ensure she was keeping up before I continued. "Yes. Your mother was blackmailed by a third party, and for what reason, you may ask? It was simple, really. They wanted a front from which to operate their verboten...felonious trade in unlawful goods."
The memories were enough to have even me shaking my head in dismay, wondering how such a thing could have befallen someone so inclined to aiding with the betterment of others' welfare. Then I had thought of it more and more over the years and the answer finally presented itself to me today, at this very moment of all times. Criminals, the vile and the cruel, capitulated on opportunities by preying on all that was good in the world. It was something I had promised myself that I would never allow to happen to me, even if it meant being viewed as cold, calculating, and even villainous myself. A vitriolic tongue and outward appearance did its job in deterring the undesriables that might seek to pounce. I rose from my seat and began to pace, back straight and head held high. "Do you wish for me to continue?"
"𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔪 𝔬𝔪𝔫𝔦𝔞 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰"
5 Jun 2018, 21:13
It's A Small World
She nodded at her professor. She had, of course, heard of her mother's shop. Siliana always spoke of it fondly. Syrah knew all about the potions shop her mother opened when she was eighteen, right after she graduated from Hogwarts. The pair had even visited the old shop in downtown London. Although the site of it having become a simple tea shop, sent Siliana into a short, but worrying, depression spell. They never visited again. Syrah always found amusement in the fact that Siliana disguised the shop as a voodoo supply and only those who should have known, knew it was actually a potions supply. When asked, Siliana simply said she, although enjoyed Diagon Alley, she loved London more and wanted to be in the heart of it every day, and so she decided to hide it instead.
According to her father, that never stopped customers from coming. For the short four years the store was open, it was immensely popular. Siliana, Dimitri told, was exceptionally gifted in potions.He always said so with such deep pride in his wife. Though he never talked about it long. Syrah always assumed her father was a regular customer of Siliana's Physic. Their marriage took place shortly after the shop closed down and Syrah was born not much later. Her parents never told her how the two met, so it seemed like a simple assumptions.
Valtome seemed to know too, how successful her mother was. Was he jealous, perhaps, that he did not end up joining her? But then again, it, the incident, was mentioned again. And Syrah could do nothing but stare in silence at her strange teacher. Her mind raced as Fainauriel spoke of unheard of things such as blackmail and corruption and someone named... Emeric the Evil? The man was making no sense, of course, and Syrah furrowed her brow in confusion. As he spoke of blackmail towards her mother, she wondered who and how someone could do such a thing. What could someone have against her young mother that could merit such blackmail?
Valtome paused, though, right as he was actually getting somewhere. 'Felonious trade in unlawful goods.' How was Siliana at all involved in such a thing? The previous mention of blackmail and her mother's current free state, not in Azkaban, meant, surely, that it was not her mother's fault. When asked, if Syrah wished for him ton continue, she simply nodded her head vigorously. But then, thinking, she added. "What was she blackmailed for? How com she never told me any of this? How do I know you're not lying because you're jelous of her success without you?" The last one was quite a stab, and Syrah almost regretted it. But she stood ehr ground and looked at the odler man in the eyes. There was a reason Siliana and her father had not told her of this event. Maybe the reason was simply that is wasn't true, what Valtome was speaking.
According to her father, that never stopped customers from coming. For the short four years the store was open, it was immensely popular. Siliana, Dimitri told, was exceptionally gifted in potions.He always said so with such deep pride in his wife. Though he never talked about it long. Syrah always assumed her father was a regular customer of Siliana's Physic. Their marriage took place shortly after the shop closed down and Syrah was born not much later. Her parents never told her how the two met, so it seemed like a simple assumptions.
Valtome seemed to know too, how successful her mother was. Was he jealous, perhaps, that he did not end up joining her? But then again, it, the incident, was mentioned again. And Syrah could do nothing but stare in silence at her strange teacher. Her mind raced as Fainauriel spoke of unheard of things such as blackmail and corruption and someone named... Emeric the Evil? The man was making no sense, of course, and Syrah furrowed her brow in confusion. As he spoke of blackmail towards her mother, she wondered who and how someone could do such a thing. What could someone have against her young mother that could merit such blackmail?
Valtome paused, though, right as he was actually getting somewhere. 'Felonious trade in unlawful goods.' How was Siliana at all involved in such a thing? The previous mention of blackmail and her mother's current free state, not in Azkaban, meant, surely, that it was not her mother's fault. When asked, if Syrah wished for him ton continue, she simply nodded her head vigorously. But then, thinking, she added. "What was she blackmailed for? How com she never told me any of this? How do I know you're not lying because you're jelous of her success without you?" The last one was quite a stab, and Syrah almost regretted it. But she stood ehr ground and looked at the odler man in the eyes. There was a reason Siliana and her father had not told her of this event. Maybe the reason was simply that is wasn't true, what Valtome was speaking.
Stamina: 1pt - Agility: 3pts - Strength: 2pts
Control: 8pts - Arcane Power: 9pts - Accuracy: 7pts
6 Jun 2018, 03:09
It's A Small World
The myriad emotions that flitted across her young face were not lost on me, and somewhere very deep down I questioned myself yet again, asking if I was doing the right thing by revealing such a bit of her family history. How could I even be sure she didn't already know it far better than I did? I had assumed from the basic example of the displayed ignorance that she did not, but perhaps I was not affording her all the credit she was due? Kids these days were far too good at the game called manipulation, especially where adults were involved, but my less biased thoughts cleared away the suspicion with little effort, and my original thought process stayed its course.
At her nod, I began. "Y-" but it seemed she had thought twice and decided that she had questions. The interjection did not come as a shock to me, and, surprisingly, I remained calm and unfazed by the interruption. Of course, she would have questions. Here I was trying to tell her that her mother had been involved in something sinister in her past. What child would not get defensive? I motioned with a wave of my hand for her to pause with the questioning jabs and allow me to speak. "Comments such as those are what enemies are made of, Ms. Steele. You would do well to remember that." It was a harmless warning that her last question might have been misconstrued by a less patient man.
"In any event, all your questions will be answered during the course of the story. Now where was I?" I quickly ran through all that was said until I arrived at the point where I had been. "Ah yes. Siliana was against this turn of events; fought tooth and nail in her attempt to reject all attempts at corrupting her business and what she intended for it to be, but something had eventually caused her to finally relent, unable to refuse them further. It was so that a notorious drug syndicate descended and started to operate their illegal business from her store. For all outward appearances, all anyone would see was Silian's Physic, a simple voodoo shop to the Muggles where they may obtain such items to aid in their false witchcraft for those that believed in the art. But for other wizards and witches, it was a place where they could acquire a needed potion, a needed ingredient, or even some much-needed advice."
"For the syndicate, this cover allowed them to traffic their wares in and out without causing suspicion. Their goods could be transported in hidden containers and even inside potions themselves that your mother made, and the inner circle of customers that were privy to the news of the shop being a front for such trade would come under the guise of purchasing or moving potions when in truth, they were after the drugs." I gave this some time to sink in before I continued. "This all happened during the final year and a half of her shop's tenure, mind you, and it took its toll on her even though there was little to nothing she could have done with such powerful driving forces against her. You have to understand. These people were cold, calculating, and had threatened both her own life and that of her family. Like I said, they had even blackmailed her by using something that stopped her efforts to fight against them."
"For as long as this was happening, it was expected that eventually, the government would catch wind of it and seek to eradicate all the guiding figures and force the group's disbanding. The Muggle government was the first to visit in the form of their police, meeting Siliana one day in her shop and asking all the rudimentary questions. She knew how to keep her cool under such situations, and though it was not apparent, she was being constantly watched. Her deterrent responses were enough for the police at the time, but their suspicion had subsequently raised much scrutiny from the Ministry, who were not so easily fooled. This was how your father, Dmitri, was reintroduced into your mother's life. As he works with the International Magical Office of Law as one of its ministers, he was given the case and all investigative powers that followed."
"To make a long story short, he was surprised to see that it was Siliana, the girl he had gone to school with and felt some attraction towards was the one at the centre of it all, and when she explained her side of the story he was quick to believe her. Her weakness in revealing the truth to him did not sit well with the shady figures, and soon enough a battle, as is always the case under these circumstances, ensued between the Ministry and the drug lords. The main thing to note about the battle was not simply the fact that it was swift, favouring victory to the Ministry, but that it was loud and had caught the ears of the Muggles. Those living closer to the site of the altercation swore they saw strange men and women with sticks firing balls of light back and forth at each other. The Muggle government grew concerned, for those in a higher station were given the privilege of awareness as to the basic goings-on of the wizarding society. In essence, it was a great chore for the Ministry to cover up all traces of magical involvement, and where they had taken the wizards and witches involved in the drug ring, the Muggle government had apprehended all the Muggle men and women who had been involved without the knowledge that they had been involved in illicit magical trade."
"Your mother, Siliana, only managed to narrowly avoid a prison sentence because your father lobbied for her with such a passion, but no amount of veto power he had could deny the Ministry their wish in seeing the potions shop closed permanently. Even in all this, they had not managed to apprehend the ringleader. All they had learned from the word on the street and their many interrogation attempts was that the leader was a woman who went by the codename Snake. That, as you might have been able to tell, was hardly anything to go by, and so the figure has managed to remain a mystery to all and sundry to this day." I had given the basic rundown on all of it, eschewing greater depth in favour of revealing the main facts of the story. There was one thing I debated telling her, but I felt it would be a natural question for her to ask later if not sooner, and so I decided that she might as well know.
"Now you might be wondering how it is that I know so much about all of this. It has nought to do with jealousy and everything to do with friendship. You see, I cared for your mother greatly, though not in the way you might think. She was a good friend, and so even though I had not joined her in her dream, I had kept a close eye on her. You might not be aware of it, but I am a Metamorphmagus, one that comes from the original line of shapeshifters known as Elves." I pointed to my ears. "Should I wish, I can assume the form of anyone I please, and as you might have guessed by now, I did this to keep an eye on your mother without her knowing. Many of the different faces that she saw entering her store were mine in disguise, and it was such that when the incident started to unfold I was around to catch wind of it. It was I who reported it first to the Muggle police, trying to avoid the Ministry's intervention if I could. It was not enough, so naturally, I sought them out afterwards. It was pure coincidence that your father was the one sent to investigate, but it was a lucky break on Siliana's part."
If it had been anyone else she might have been sitting in prison even today, rotting away. There it was. The story behind the story of why her mother had 'given up' the shop. Not because she wanted to, but because she had to. I had let her down back then by not joining her in the dream that we had both shared once upon a time, and I was too cowardly to face her back then. I had hidden behind many faces to ensure her well-being as best as I could, but I had not once revealed my true nature to her, certain she would not have received me as warmly as I might have hoped. I stopped my back and forth pacing and returned to my seat behind the desk, heaving a heavy sigh at having such a memory resurface. No doubt the girl before me had a lot that she had to think about. "Ms. Steele...?" was all I said to her, ascertaining whether she was still with me or if she had become lost in a wave of denial.
At her nod, I began. "Y-" but it seemed she had thought twice and decided that she had questions. The interjection did not come as a shock to me, and, surprisingly, I remained calm and unfazed by the interruption. Of course, she would have questions. Here I was trying to tell her that her mother had been involved in something sinister in her past. What child would not get defensive? I motioned with a wave of my hand for her to pause with the questioning jabs and allow me to speak. "Comments such as those are what enemies are made of, Ms. Steele. You would do well to remember that." It was a harmless warning that her last question might have been misconstrued by a less patient man.
"In any event, all your questions will be answered during the course of the story. Now where was I?" I quickly ran through all that was said until I arrived at the point where I had been. "Ah yes. Siliana was against this turn of events; fought tooth and nail in her attempt to reject all attempts at corrupting her business and what she intended for it to be, but something had eventually caused her to finally relent, unable to refuse them further. It was so that a notorious drug syndicate descended and started to operate their illegal business from her store. For all outward appearances, all anyone would see was Silian's Physic, a simple voodoo shop to the Muggles where they may obtain such items to aid in their false witchcraft for those that believed in the art. But for other wizards and witches, it was a place where they could acquire a needed potion, a needed ingredient, or even some much-needed advice."
"For the syndicate, this cover allowed them to traffic their wares in and out without causing suspicion. Their goods could be transported in hidden containers and even inside potions themselves that your mother made, and the inner circle of customers that were privy to the news of the shop being a front for such trade would come under the guise of purchasing or moving potions when in truth, they were after the drugs." I gave this some time to sink in before I continued. "This all happened during the final year and a half of her shop's tenure, mind you, and it took its toll on her even though there was little to nothing she could have done with such powerful driving forces against her. You have to understand. These people were cold, calculating, and had threatened both her own life and that of her family. Like I said, they had even blackmailed her by using something that stopped her efforts to fight against them."
"For as long as this was happening, it was expected that eventually, the government would catch wind of it and seek to eradicate all the guiding figures and force the group's disbanding. The Muggle government was the first to visit in the form of their police, meeting Siliana one day in her shop and asking all the rudimentary questions. She knew how to keep her cool under such situations, and though it was not apparent, she was being constantly watched. Her deterrent responses were enough for the police at the time, but their suspicion had subsequently raised much scrutiny from the Ministry, who were not so easily fooled. This was how your father, Dmitri, was reintroduced into your mother's life. As he works with the International Magical Office of Law as one of its ministers, he was given the case and all investigative powers that followed."
"To make a long story short, he was surprised to see that it was Siliana, the girl he had gone to school with and felt some attraction towards was the one at the centre of it all, and when she explained her side of the story he was quick to believe her. Her weakness in revealing the truth to him did not sit well with the shady figures, and soon enough a battle, as is always the case under these circumstances, ensued between the Ministry and the drug lords. The main thing to note about the battle was not simply the fact that it was swift, favouring victory to the Ministry, but that it was loud and had caught the ears of the Muggles. Those living closer to the site of the altercation swore they saw strange men and women with sticks firing balls of light back and forth at each other. The Muggle government grew concerned, for those in a higher station were given the privilege of awareness as to the basic goings-on of the wizarding society. In essence, it was a great chore for the Ministry to cover up all traces of magical involvement, and where they had taken the wizards and witches involved in the drug ring, the Muggle government had apprehended all the Muggle men and women who had been involved without the knowledge that they had been involved in illicit magical trade."
"Your mother, Siliana, only managed to narrowly avoid a prison sentence because your father lobbied for her with such a passion, but no amount of veto power he had could deny the Ministry their wish in seeing the potions shop closed permanently. Even in all this, they had not managed to apprehend the ringleader. All they had learned from the word on the street and their many interrogation attempts was that the leader was a woman who went by the codename Snake. That, as you might have been able to tell, was hardly anything to go by, and so the figure has managed to remain a mystery to all and sundry to this day." I had given the basic rundown on all of it, eschewing greater depth in favour of revealing the main facts of the story. There was one thing I debated telling her, but I felt it would be a natural question for her to ask later if not sooner, and so I decided that she might as well know.
"Now you might be wondering how it is that I know so much about all of this. It has nought to do with jealousy and everything to do with friendship. You see, I cared for your mother greatly, though not in the way you might think. She was a good friend, and so even though I had not joined her in her dream, I had kept a close eye on her. You might not be aware of it, but I am a Metamorphmagus, one that comes from the original line of shapeshifters known as Elves." I pointed to my ears. "Should I wish, I can assume the form of anyone I please, and as you might have guessed by now, I did this to keep an eye on your mother without her knowing. Many of the different faces that she saw entering her store were mine in disguise, and it was such that when the incident started to unfold I was around to catch wind of it. It was I who reported it first to the Muggle police, trying to avoid the Ministry's intervention if I could. It was not enough, so naturally, I sought them out afterwards. It was pure coincidence that your father was the one sent to investigate, but it was a lucky break on Siliana's part."
If it had been anyone else she might have been sitting in prison even today, rotting away. There it was. The story behind the story of why her mother had 'given up' the shop. Not because she wanted to, but because she had to. I had let her down back then by not joining her in the dream that we had both shared once upon a time, and I was too cowardly to face her back then. I had hidden behind many faces to ensure her well-being as best as I could, but I had not once revealed my true nature to her, certain she would not have received me as warmly as I might have hoped. I stopped my back and forth pacing and returned to my seat behind the desk, heaving a heavy sigh at having such a memory resurface. No doubt the girl before me had a lot that she had to think about. "Ms. Steele...?" was all I said to her, ascertaining whether she was still with me or if she had become lost in a wave of denial.
"𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔪 𝔬𝔪𝔫𝔦𝔞 𝔳𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰"