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Post by Nigel D. Goldstein on May 13, 2008 15:02:02 GMT -5
It’s been so long ago since Nigel went down the Ravenclaw Tower by himself.
Usually there were some first and second year girls following him, giggling their guts out.
That definitely suits his ego, but still some privacy never killed anyone, and privacy was something he was ready to kill for. He was tired of smiling and being nice all the time to people who just don’t deserve that. He needed some peace…
The corridors were crowded as they usually were at 7pm. It was Friday and it was a normal thing for people to go to dinner in packs. Most of them were planning their weekend…Nigel would usually do the same, but now he just wasn’t in the mood. Plus, he was planning to do some reading in the library alone and by himself.
Carried by the crowd he found himself by the entrance, and instantly, without a specific reason he just walked out of the castle and stood there at the top of the stairs.
The sun was about to set and the sky looked as if it was covered with blood…what a beautiful scene.
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Post by Rayne Longbottom on May 13, 2008 15:12:30 GMT -5
Shaking her head Rayne waved goodbye to her few friends in the Hufflepuff Common Room, as she walked one hand absently reached into her tan bag and pulled out a book. Magical Plants, Where To Find Them and How To Harvest Them, she managed to only hit a few younger students as she read the words while walking. Following the movement of the crowd she found herself out of the lower levels of Hogwarts and onto the first one and in the Entrance Hall. It still reminded her of the first time she was in Hogwarts, and she loved the memory. Oddly enough she had been to Hogwarts before she turned Eleven. Her father had brought her on two occasions just to get her used to the idea of going to the school she was slightly afraid of.
She closed her book shut and looked into the Great Hall, it was too crowded to enjoy the food at the moment and Rayne wasn't feeling all that hungry, so instead of moving inside she moved towards the Entrance Doors of Hogwarts, she grinned as she saw she wasn't the only one skipping her meal, which half way comforted her and also made her feel a little uneasy. This had to be one of the few people in Hogwarts she didn't know, of course, Rayne hadn't met anyone in Hogwarts that would be impossible for a school that large but normally she knew names of most.
"Hullo." She said quietly looking over to him, in a few seconds she swiftly sat down on the top of the steps as the noise in the background quieted, "Why aren't you eating dinner with the rest?" She questioned. She didn't mean to sound noisy but it was a simple question in her own opinion.
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Post by Nigel D. Goldstein on May 13, 2008 15:33:15 GMT -5
Carried away by the scene and his own thoughts that were loud as voices during the quidditch match between Slytherins and Gryffindors, Nigel hardly noticed that he wasn’t alone anymore.
Daydreaming was definitely something he wasn’t proud of, but keeping your mind locked all the time can seriously damage one’s health-the mental one.
Noticing a girl who’s face he couldn’t match with any of the names of people he knows, Nigel greeted back. “Oh…hi. I haven’t noticed someone else was here too…” he really thought he was still alone, staring at the ‘Death’ of a day.
“Huh? Oh. I dunno. Guess I ain’t hungry.” He wasn’t hungry at all, and usually he didn’t eat much.
Nigel figured that it probably seems rood not to look at the person while talking to her, so he finally turned and faced her again. She was sitting on the top stare which gave him the idea to do the same.
“How ‘bout you?” Maybe he did saw that face somewhere before? Who could tell? Hogwarts was full of people and spending a seventh year there didn’t help him memorize all the faces…
Sitting was more comfortable than standing. He figured that out the moment he relaxed his perfectly shaped, young body on the cold stone. The atmosphere was kind of nice. Even though he was getting tired of people wanting to talk to him, this little chit-chat didn’t bother him at all. Probably because he didn’t know the girl (and was sure that she doesn’t know him either) and couldn’t care less about her opinion of the impression he might leave…
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Post by Rayne Longbottom on May 13, 2008 15:45:32 GMT -5
Rayne looked out to the sun as she waited for him to speak again, "I didn't mean to startle you... I can leave if you want." She told him with a expressionless tone, she was used to people not wanting to really talk to her, especially since a few people knew that she was an Animagus, and those who knew and cared only wanted her to teach them how to be one. She dragged a hand through her hair, a finger catching on a knot in her hair. Her hazel eyes focused back onto him and she couldn't help but notice that he was attractive but she would never admit it to him, mainly for the fact that she barely knew him and the other reason was that, well, he was a guy.
She shrugged when he asked his questions, "Reading about plants that can eat you tends to take away an appetite, and besides,"
[/b] She glanced backwards into the Hall, "It's too crowded, and I'm not in the mood for a crowd." Rayne said simply. She tugged on a single bracelet on her wrist, switching between tugging the black one and the yellow one. A sure sign that she was in Hufflepuff. It was her own way of telling people, if they would pay enough attention to her, what house she was in without having to state it out loud. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt now, so there was no possible way to tell what house she was in from clothing. It was kind of nice to talk to someone you didn't know at all, for there was no boundaries in a weird way but names could also be helpful but she figured the only way she would get one out of him was to speak her own. "I'm Rayne, by the way. Rayne Longbottom." She stated easily before half-way regretting it, obviously someone would know the name of the Herbology professor. She was already mentally smacking herself, hopefully he would care though. She would hate to have to sit out here by herself just because of her family members.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size] |
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Post by Nigel D. Goldstein on May 13, 2008 16:17:25 GMT -5
“Oh no, you don’t have to leave I was just thinking about something…well…never mind actually.”
The truth was that he wasn’t sure what he was thinking about the moment she arrived. It could only be that his mind was overloaded with all of the information it carried around the world. Nigel was only 17 years old and he was familiar with every charm ever written down, with every potion ever brewed, with every magical beast that ever existed, with every star ever noticed and hell, with every plant ever planted. Some might think he doesn’t have a life, that he spends incredibly many hours reading in the library, but that was just not true. He loved to know everything and the memory he was gifted with was just something amazingly..endles…
“Yeah…me neither. Maybe that’s why I came down here.” It was strange but for the first time in his life he was standing on those steps with no particular reason. He hadn’t planned to go somewhere…he hadn’t even planned to watch the sunset. Usually when he wanted to watch the scenery he was sitting on the roof of a dorm, smoking a cigarette dressed only in his boxers…
Now when he decided to pay attention to the person he was talking to, Nigel noticed the Huffy colors on a bracelet.
His sister was also a Badger…Nigel never cared about the ‘house rivalry’ or prejudices about people from certain houses, he cared about other things. For example the purity of ones blood, the level of magic one is familiar with…house rivalry was for fools who had nothing better to do with their time.
The girl introduced herself, so Nigel had no choice but to do the same (actually he did have a choice, but there was no reason to do things the other way). “Nigel Goldstein. Pleased to meet you…Rayne Longbottom…” for less then a second his brain recognized the last name. “Wait…Longbottom…? Like the Herb-Man?” maybe he expressed himself a bit offensively, but that was not his intention…he was just surprised.
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Post by Rayne Longbottom on May 13, 2008 16:33:39 GMT -5
Rayne nodded slowly as she heard that she didn't have to leave, half of her was glad that she wouldn't and a quarter of her was saying do I really want to stay here with him and the rest of her was screaming to stop staring at him. She managed to listen to the later of the three and averted her gaze so she was looking at her own feet, she carefully tapped one of the stone and it barely made any noise. "Glad to know I'm not he only one. I was beginning to think I was outcasted in more ways than one." After she heard the words come out she had to resist from putting her hand over her own mouth.
Great Rayne! Good bloody job, maybe you should just tell him all your secrets now because you can't seem to keep your bloody mouth closed for two bloody seconds! She only hoped that he would ignore what she had said, she really didn't want to have to explain why no one spoke to her often or why people would stare at her like she was a freak on some occasions. At least family friends didn't think that way.
"Same here, Nigel." She was glad that she had shared his own name, her father and mother had both mentioned the Goldsteins at one point or another and Alex was also his friend but she never expected that this would be what her brother looked like. Rayne certainly must have looked like a fish depraved of its water, she tugged absently on a lock of her short brown hair. "Um, err, yeah. My father's Neville Longbottom, the Herbology Professor." She figured she could at least give him his rightful name, not 'Herb-Man', she hoped that he hadn't really wanted to say that and it was just the first thing on his mind, after all, you normally don't say something like that about someones father. Or any family member for that matter, maybe it was just the way her father had raised her or maybe sometimes she was just to much of a goody-two shoes at points. People had said she needed to lighten up sometimes.
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Post by Nigel D. Goldstein on May 14, 2008 15:38:35 GMT -5
Nigel listened for what the girl was saying, as his gaze was focused on a small ant in the shadow of his black All Star sneakers. “What do you mean more way than one?” He asked curiously, but still trying not to offend her with the question. He knew exactly what it means to be an outcast. That hypocritical feeling bothers him every time he gets home for holidays…
“Yeah that’s what I actually meant. I didn’t mean to be rude or something. Actually I admire his comprehension of such a profound subject…that’s in fact very cool.” He smiled to the girl sitting next to him.
Nigel wandered whether she knows his sister, so he tried to turn the conversation on that subject.
“So…you’re a Huffie? That’s nice…my sister’s one too…Alex. You know her?”
His gaze was focused on the sun that was about to disappear any moment now. Only few more traces of red light and the day was dead.
Longbottom…Longbottom…were they friends of the family? That name was very familiar. It was possible that dad mentioned something about them. Funny, how he never paid attention on it again. Herbology was a subject he was taking since he was a first year. Professor Longbottom was his professor for seventh year now.
It’s odd how he thought about it right now for the first time after all those years spent in Hogwarts. He never thought that the Longbottom might have an offspring…but why would he be familiar with such a thing? He always though of professors as tools that could get him more information about the world he was living in.
He never actually thought that some of them have families…funny…
Finally the sun had disappeared and all that was left of it were the reddish blurs on the edges of a sky which was getting darker and darker. Sometimes he really liked nature. But only sometimes. When he had peace and quiet. Like he had right now. It was odd how he didn’t mind the company of that girl at all…
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Post by Rayne Longbottom on May 14, 2008 16:25:37 GMT -5
Rayne frowned for a brief moment, the expression on her face hard to read, a mixture of sadness, anger at her own self and a twisted sort of pity for herself. What harm could it really do to tell him what she was, almost everyone knew anyways, well, alright so it was still a select few but eventually it would get around. And it was better to just admit it than hide behind it. "Well. I'm outcasted in more ways than one not just by my personality but," She sighed, the sound coming out odd frmo her, who was nearly always happy, "I'm also an Animagus." Rayne tried to say it as if it was the simplest thing in the world to do but it wasn't.
She paused for a few brief moments waiting for his reaction, she knew it was bound to come. "Yeah, my dad is actually pretty cool. I personally like Herbology seeing as I was raised on it." She dropped that sentance quickly, she didn't want to sound like some weird Herbology-obsessed person. That would probably only make things worse. She nodded at the Hufflepuff comment then again when he asked her if she knew his sister, "Yeah, I talk to Alex sometimes. She's really cool.. also, she likes the Whomping Willow which is a plus." She joked lightly trying not to seem to uptight, she knew that she could come off like that at times but she didn't mean to.
Her eyes followed the sun as it set, leaving them in the slight darkness of the growing night. Oddly enough, Rayne wasn't getting tired. In fact she was feeling more alert in the night, even her chipmunk half. There was some good things about being an Animagus that Rayne did like, it was like finding a part of you that you didn't know was missing. Sure, the first few transformations were a little painful, shrinking down to something that small, but after awhile it got easier and less painful, now she barely felt anything. It didn't mean she would be volunteering to do it in front of anyone though.
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Post by Nigel D. Goldstein on May 15, 2008 8:06:26 GMT -5
“Animagus? Wow! That’s great!” Only a powerful wizard or witch could manage to learn probably the most difficult kind of transfiguration…who would think…a Huffy… “What year are you? Sixth? Seventh?” Being an Animagus was definitely a useful thing. Nigel read, while he was interested in such a thing, that the process of learning is complicated and extremely hard. So he just quit. It’s not something he was proud of, because quitting was not something he usually does, but there were many other things that he learned instead…
“So that’s why you’re an outcast? I gotta tell you, those people are just jealous...” there couldn’t be a better explanation. Besides, when someone has a poor magical talent it’s in his/her nature to grow jealousy towards people who wish to improve the skills they were born with or wish to learn more…
“Well herbology is definitely an interesting subject. People would get surprised if they only knew what kinds of plants exist with what kinds of…well…let’s say personalities. I mean, I like plants more than I like some wizards…if you know what I mean.” Yes, he loved everything more than muggle-borns…
“Oh you know her. That’s nice.” His little sister was a bit odd, and the Whomping Willow thing didn’t surprised him at all. He wondered whether Alex knew that there’s a tunnel underneath the bloody tree. A tunnel that leads in a Shack…a great place for practicing that Shack was…
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Post by Rayne Longbottom on May 15, 2008 14:37:10 GMT -5
"Yeah, Chipmunk." She might as well state what she was able to turn into seeing as he now knew what she really was, at least he didn't seem to hate her for it. She shook her head sadly when he said the suggested years, "Fifth. I just mastered the talent this summer." She told him, it had taken her ages to finally be able to make it through the transformation, and she had to have others help her... the first few times she didn't know what would have happened if someone wasn't there. It was a good thing it was only a small animal that she transformed into or else it probably could have been dangerous for more people than just her. She managed to give a small laugh at his suggested reason for being outcasted, sure it made sense to her that the reason why was because they were jealous.
"That is the type of answer my parents would give. Maybe it is the reason though, but I know for a fact I am not the only Animagus. Some people just are not dedicated enough to try and complete the process." She looked over to him and then back to the night sky, once more her hand reached to fiddle with the bracelets on her arm, why she was so nervous around him didn't make any sense to her, she barely knew him and she shouldn't care what he thought about her. But it was good to talk to someone who you could just confess everything to, of course she wasn't going to confess everything, the last thing she needed was her secrets posted around the school though she doubted he would do that.
She nodded at the plants comments, "I bet that I like them more than you though." She stated in a stating the obvious voice, she doubted that anyone could rival her love of plants other than someone of her own family. And if she ever met someone who did, she would bow at their feet in submission, she believed it would be hard to get close to her love of living things. "She's great.. don't know her completely though." Rayne calmly mentioned, as if the Whomping Willow and Sisters were perfectly normal conversation topics.. alright so sisters were but the Whomping Willow? Not so much.
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Post by Nigel D. Goldstein on May 15, 2008 18:09:06 GMT -5
“Wow! That really is something you know!” Nigel said after Rayne said what year she was.
Being an Animagus at the age of 15 (or 16, he didn’t know the exact age of the girl) was a great success.
He had to admit that on a way he admired her talent. He was too lazy to focus on such training, so he just gave up. No matter how much he liked to be the best in everything, he knew that it won’t be necessary for him to know absolutely everything. Where would he find an entertainment if he knew everything and was capable of doing everything? He loved to learn and he knew that he’ll have enough time in life to learn everything he wishes to.
“Well I don’t doubt that.” He personally didn’t know a single Animagus, but still rumors are rumors. He heard that many animagi go to school. Ravenclaw house (unfortunately) even had a vampire. He never met the guy, but he bets it ain’t easy for him either to live like that (so why no one murdered him so far? Who let the scum-bag into the school after all? If he had his way the boy would educate himself in Azkaban!). “Yeah, I’m sure that you just gotta love the thing your practicing. I mean I was interested in becoming one long time ago, but I changed my mind. That thing is simply not for everyone…”
Nigel ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. Without a particular reason, he just felt like doing so.
“I supposed you like herbs. That’s really a nice thing to like. I mean the subject is just great. And you dad…well he really seems to like his job. The guy is a her-genius.” He smiled. “I hope you weren’t offended by the herb-man thing. I didn’t mean anything bad with it. It’s just…it’s just great that he knows all those details.”
Again he smiled.
Nigel really knew how to be a good guy without faking it. He actually enjoyed the conversation…
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Post by Rayne Longbottom on May 15, 2008 18:22:45 GMT -5
Rayne let herself have a small smile as she heard his remark, at least he wasn't going to be rude about it like some people who were. She was beginning to suspect he was right about the jealousy comment of the others, some people were happy that she was an Animagus but others just said if all she could turn into was a chipmunk than it wasn't worth it. Rayne loved every minute of it, she would trade anything to be an Animagus, she was sure most people would actually.
"I could help you if you really want to become one," Rayne looked to him, her hazel eyes showing exactly how she was feeling, there was nothing beyond the feeling of being completely one with nature, "I don't want to force you into it, of course, but if you wanted to." She knew she was beginning to ramble and cut herself off by looking out to the horizon. She probably shouldn't have offered, after all, maybe he would find it insulting being offered to be taught by someone younger than him, she knew some would find it that way. What if Rayne had just ruined her entire relationship with him. Now she was feeling completely like utter hippogriff poo and was mentally smacking herself while muttering idiot under her breath.
She nodded, "I wasn't offended, I'd just never heard my dad referred to with that name. It took me by surprise a little you could say." She told him with a slight nod, "And I guess you could say I like herbs... I could probably tell you half the ones on the planet and recite how to identify them and then the rest I could just name." She cut herself off as she noticed she was beginning to once more state random facts, she just happened to do that while she was nervous. It was a weird habit. "Sorry." She murmured to make up for the rambling.
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Post by Nigel D. Goldstein on May 15, 2008 18:49:18 GMT -5
He listened to the offer a smiled. “Nah, it’s not for me, but thanks anyway. If I ever change my mind be sure I’ll let you know.” Who knows, maybe someday he would like to learn how to turn into an animal. Now, it’s not exactly on the top of his priority list. First he wishes to graduate Hogwarts with the highest marks in history of school, then he wishes to become a minister of magic, then he’ll join the Dark Forces. It was his plan for the future, and he knew that it will all come true in less than a year.
He was glad that she wasn’t offended by his comment. After all he liked to leave a good impression. It was what his image was all about. His entire life, so far, was based on good impressions he had left on people. So yeah, it was of a great importance. “I gotta tell you, not many fifth-years can do that. It took me a lot of time to learn them all and you are talking to a Ravenclaw…” now when he mentioned it, he wasn’t even sure he said what house he belongs to.
Rayne apologized, but why he had no idea. “Huh? Why? I mean…yeah…why?” was knowledge something one should be ashamed of? Definitely not, and that was most definitely the reason he was sorted in the house he was sorted into.
Some personality things people just get born with. Some things about people you can’t change even though you are their parents. Nigel was raised in a tolerant family who had nothing against half-breeds and muggle borns, Nigel was never like that. Hatred he had towards those kinds was just born with him. The same thing is with learning. That boy just wants to know, just wants to learn.
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Post by Rayne Longbottom on May 16, 2008 8:33:43 GMT -5
Rayne nodded, "I understand. It takes a lot of time and can be a pain." She stated easily, mentally she was finding this conversation slightly amusing, after all what other school except Hogwarts could you talk about changing into animals as if it was perfectly normal and everyday. Though being an Animagus wasn't quite as normal as she liked to make it sound. If he really ever did want to learn though, she would help him, it was easier when someone else had already gone through it.
"I grew up plants. I live and breathe the things... I don't know if many people could." She knew it came out like she was bragging but she didn't mean it to sound that way, she was merely stating facts. She carefully brushed a strand of hair from in front of her eyes as the wind blew a small gust around them. The outside world of Hogwarts was quieting down slightly, she could picture in her minds eye the Giant Squid casually gliding near the top of the lake. That had to be why she loved this school so much, so many things to discover.
"I can get carried away sometimes and most find it quite annoying." She told him softly, she was surprised he wasn't backing away slowly after all that she had told him, if telling people her dad was a teacher didn't get them backing away than the Animagus thing usually did. Sometimes she hated it, after all, she really had no choice about who her family was but other times she was grateful for it, it kept away the people who were most likely just going to sue her and she really didn't need them for anything.
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