.Battery.
disclaimer in first chapter.
Friday, noon.
Tom has brought me to Poppy for a checkup. Actually, he's teaching me new spellworks not on the technicians' lists. Intricate workings of healing are nothing compared to a crude flitter of one hand and the following bang of light throughout the room. I must go. Tom wants me to learn about conjuring snakes.
*****
'Leven followed the trio, glancing at the framed portraits throughout the halls with wide eyes. His escorts, Harry and two friends, were sent by Dumbledore to guide him from the Infirmary to the Hall. He hadn't been so closely watched since he acquired his collar. The redhead, a young Ten to his eyes, said something he missed.
"Sorry?" He turned his attention to the boy, dragging it forcefully from the intriguing magic of the portraits.
"What house are you in?" Ron asked again. 'Leven looked to Harry, confused.
"House?"
"Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff... Slytherin; the four Hogwarts Houses," he listed the familiar names.
"There are no houses at the castle, but I was told a little about the ones you mentioned." He smiled. Tea biscuits with Poppy and Tom one calm evening, he had listened to their stories until curfew fell.
"What were you told?" Ron asked.
"Hufflepuff is full of loyal people, very dangerous." The three students stopped, eyes wide as if he spoke nonsense. Their mouths hung open briefly as he explained. "Loyalty can be too blind. They make wonderful suicide bombers." The girl blanched along with Harry. Ron just scrunched up his face.
"I don't think I want to know about the other houses," he muttered, hand running through his red hair.
"What about Ravenclaws?" Hermione questioned, eyes bright with interest.
"Strategists, escape artists of the highest caliber," 'Leven grinned at his memories of Ten, then saddened. "They often die young," he added quietly. The group paused outside the doors to the Great Hall.
"Gryffindor?" Harry asked.
"The house of martyrs, heroes of very little brains but great hearts." 'Leven waited as they thought over his opinion and trailed after them to the Gryffindor table. He only noticed the shushing of voices at his entrance after he had quieted the rush of magic filling the Hall.
"You haven't said anything of the Slytherin House," Harry commented casually, his voice carrying in the lull of conversations. Naturally, all listened covertly for 'Leven's reply.
"I wasn't told of their house. Tom didn't want me to have a bias to his house, but I figured them out myself." He smiled, pleased that he could deduce such a thing.
"They're Gryffindors," he stated calmly. "Quieter, deadlier versions where courage is replaced with cunning. Two sides of the same coin, I think, is the saying." He sat down. Conversation picked up after a moment of silence, loud after such a lull. 'Leven glanced at the plate and cup on the table before him.
"Where do we get our food?" He asked and startled at the burst of magic as the girl, Hermione, tapped his plate with her stick. Eggs and sausage appeared in a sparkle of magic, warmer and fresher looking than any morning meal he'd ever seen.
"Can I try that?" He asked in favour of ignoring his breakfast, his curiousity twitching in the surrounding currents.
"Sure, just tap your wand to the dish and think of food." Ron explained. 'Leven paused, fingertip hovering over his plate.
"Wand? Those sticks? I don't have one." He turned to Harry, not seeing the surprise on nearby faces. "Can I borrow yours for a second?" Harry hesitated, then removed the sti- wand from his sleeve. He smiled at 'Leven, who held it cautiously between two fingers.
"You hold it at the end, like a sword, but not too tightly." 'Leven nodded and adjusted his grip. He lightly touched the unfilled cup and sent a tickle of magic through the wand, asking softly for honey tea. The amber liquid appeared steaming in the cup, much to his delight.
He looked over the wand, seeing that it had only amplified the magic he provided. It left him with no drainage of energy and the magic currents only gently hassling him.
"So that's what they do, odd," he murmured.
"Try a spell," Hermione suggested brightly.
"A spell? Tell me one," he asked, pushing down his curiousity and relaxing as the currents stopped playing with his robe hem.
The swish and flick were explained along with the latin words 'windgardium leviosa', much to his amusement.
"I was never taught anything like that. What does it do?"
"It floats things," Harry explained, holding out an apple for him to target. 'Leven frowned in concentration and again allowed only a tickle through the wand. The apple slowly bobbled out of Harry's hand and 'Leven felt a burst of elation. He was doing wizard magic!
The apple froze in the air, his emotions having caught the attention of the Great Hall's currents. He watched them respond to his 'spell', becoming familiar with the pattern magic formed to cause the floatation. Perhaps he could spellwork this.
"'Leven?" Harry nudged him. "What are you doing?" The apple was covered with magic, the pattern obvious and simple to his eyes.
"Just looking at the pattern." He held out his free hand and pushed the magic surrounding the apple towards it, shifting away from the wand-based magic to his own spellworking. The apple hovered quietly over his hand and he held out the wand to Harry.
"I think I've got it," he declared, grinning at the tiny pull the spellwork had on him. He could easily sustain this for weeks.
"Mister 'Leven." He turned to the headmaster. "If you would follow me," the man asked softly, eyes flickering past to the apple. He nodded and followed him out of the Hall. All eyes turned to the apple, still floating idly over the Gryffindor table.
.end chapter three.
Friday, noon.
Tom has brought me to Poppy for a checkup. Actually, he's teaching me new spellworks not on the technicians' lists. Intricate workings of healing are nothing compared to a crude flitter of one hand and the following bang of light throughout the room. I must go. Tom wants me to learn about conjuring snakes.
*****
'Leven followed the trio, glancing at the framed portraits throughout the halls with wide eyes. His escorts, Harry and two friends, were sent by Dumbledore to guide him from the Infirmary to the Hall. He hadn't been so closely watched since he acquired his collar. The redhead, a young Ten to his eyes, said something he missed.
"Sorry?" He turned his attention to the boy, dragging it forcefully from the intriguing magic of the portraits.
"What house are you in?" Ron asked again. 'Leven looked to Harry, confused.
"House?"
"Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff... Slytherin; the four Hogwarts Houses," he listed the familiar names.
"There are no houses at the castle, but I was told a little about the ones you mentioned." He smiled. Tea biscuits with Poppy and Tom one calm evening, he had listened to their stories until curfew fell.
"What were you told?" Ron asked.
"Hufflepuff is full of loyal people, very dangerous." The three students stopped, eyes wide as if he spoke nonsense. Their mouths hung open briefly as he explained. "Loyalty can be too blind. They make wonderful suicide bombers." The girl blanched along with Harry. Ron just scrunched up his face.
"I don't think I want to know about the other houses," he muttered, hand running through his red hair.
"What about Ravenclaws?" Hermione questioned, eyes bright with interest.
"Strategists, escape artists of the highest caliber," 'Leven grinned at his memories of Ten, then saddened. "They often die young," he added quietly. The group paused outside the doors to the Great Hall.
"Gryffindor?" Harry asked.
"The house of martyrs, heroes of very little brains but great hearts." 'Leven waited as they thought over his opinion and trailed after them to the Gryffindor table. He only noticed the shushing of voices at his entrance after he had quieted the rush of magic filling the Hall.
"You haven't said anything of the Slytherin House," Harry commented casually, his voice carrying in the lull of conversations. Naturally, all listened covertly for 'Leven's reply.
"I wasn't told of their house. Tom didn't want me to have a bias to his house, but I figured them out myself." He smiled, pleased that he could deduce such a thing.
"They're Gryffindors," he stated calmly. "Quieter, deadlier versions where courage is replaced with cunning. Two sides of the same coin, I think, is the saying." He sat down. Conversation picked up after a moment of silence, loud after such a lull. 'Leven glanced at the plate and cup on the table before him.
"Where do we get our food?" He asked and startled at the burst of magic as the girl, Hermione, tapped his plate with her stick. Eggs and sausage appeared in a sparkle of magic, warmer and fresher looking than any morning meal he'd ever seen.
"Can I try that?" He asked in favour of ignoring his breakfast, his curiousity twitching in the surrounding currents.
"Sure, just tap your wand to the dish and think of food." Ron explained. 'Leven paused, fingertip hovering over his plate.
"Wand? Those sticks? I don't have one." He turned to Harry, not seeing the surprise on nearby faces. "Can I borrow yours for a second?" Harry hesitated, then removed the sti- wand from his sleeve. He smiled at 'Leven, who held it cautiously between two fingers.
"You hold it at the end, like a sword, but not too tightly." 'Leven nodded and adjusted his grip. He lightly touched the unfilled cup and sent a tickle of magic through the wand, asking softly for honey tea. The amber liquid appeared steaming in the cup, much to his delight.
He looked over the wand, seeing that it had only amplified the magic he provided. It left him with no drainage of energy and the magic currents only gently hassling him.
"So that's what they do, odd," he murmured.
"Try a spell," Hermione suggested brightly.
"A spell? Tell me one," he asked, pushing down his curiousity and relaxing as the currents stopped playing with his robe hem.
The swish and flick were explained along with the latin words 'windgardium leviosa', much to his amusement.
"I was never taught anything like that. What does it do?"
"It floats things," Harry explained, holding out an apple for him to target. 'Leven frowned in concentration and again allowed only a tickle through the wand. The apple slowly bobbled out of Harry's hand and 'Leven felt a burst of elation. He was doing wizard magic!
The apple froze in the air, his emotions having caught the attention of the Great Hall's currents. He watched them respond to his 'spell', becoming familiar with the pattern magic formed to cause the floatation. Perhaps he could spellwork this.
"'Leven?" Harry nudged him. "What are you doing?" The apple was covered with magic, the pattern obvious and simple to his eyes.
"Just looking at the pattern." He held out his free hand and pushed the magic surrounding the apple towards it, shifting away from the wand-based magic to his own spellworking. The apple hovered quietly over his hand and he held out the wand to Harry.
"I think I've got it," he declared, grinning at the tiny pull the spellwork had on him. He could easily sustain this for weeks.
"Mister 'Leven." He turned to the headmaster. "If you would follow me," the man asked softly, eyes flickering past to the apple. He nodded and followed him out of the Hall. All eyes turned to the apple, still floating idly over the Gryffindor table.
.end chapter three.