Post by Admin on Aug 11, 2015 10:17:37 GMT
Quote:
Hayley was carried to the headmaster's office magically. She'd only been once before, when she had been sorted. She sat in a chair across from his desk, letting her head lean back against the back of it. "Headmaster, honestly, I had no idea Sandra was going to do anything. She seemed so helpful. All i wanted to do was find Robert, since i haven't been able to talk to him in forever because Seamus said he's get him pulled out of school, and then she stunned me." tears were flowing freely down her face, she was so tired of holding everything in. "Sorry, that all came out in a rush" she said, not looking at him.
Quick and blurred though it was, this confirmed more than he'd expected already.
"It's okay. Take a deep breath," he said, leaning over the desk. "Good girl. Now let's go back to the beginning. How did you meet Sandra? Were you two already acquainted?"
Otto had taken a seat on Hayley's right and looked at her compassionately.*
Hayley took a couple of deep breaths, glancing at Otto. She would have been terrified if she had been alone, but since he was here, well, it was better.Perhaps not as better as it would have been with Robert, but Otto was kind, and understanding, and it helped. She was still crying but it was slowing down.
"Well, I met Sandra tonight at the ball. I was looking around, waiting for my friend Robert, and this other boy, Simon, he's a Hufflepuff, asked me to dance. I agreed, since he was so nice about it." She stopped, wiped a hand over her eyes and looked at Otto again. "So we were dancing, and then Sandra came up and pulled him away for a minute and he didn't come back. Sandra came and apologized, and i said i was looking for a friend. She had been dancing with this boy, and he looked a lot like Robert, and I mentioned that. Then she told he he had been looking for someone too, and it was probably my someone. She said he told her he was going outside for some air, so i followed her. That was probably a stupid thing to do, but I haven't been able to even look in Robert's direction in a long time because Seamus would be angry, and I was excited because no one would recognize me with this hair, and my mask." She fingered the mask on her lap, she had taken if off when she had come in. "And then she stunned me" she finished, wiping another tear from her eye.*
Otto reached over and put a hand on her shoulder.
Mayhew closed his eyes, resigned. Disguise. Deception. Using people's affections for evil purposes. It was almost like a signature. He was certain now. He was back.
"Miss. Harrison. Hayley," he amended. The girl had need for comfort, not for formality. "Tonight, you were the target of a dark and very powerful wizard. There is no shame on you for falling for a trick that used your affection for Robert Fowler against you. And now, I must explain things to you that no child should be burdened with. But you must be vigilant."
He sat back in his chair and studied his two pupils. Mr. Muhn was looking with pity on the little girl, but Mayhew saw the fear and realisation underneath. The boy knew what was coming.
When he spoke, it was in a soft but unshaking voice.
"For decennia, a man by the name of Franciscus Maze"- (Otto flinched and made a painful grimace) -"terrorised Slovenia and the surrounding area. This man, he had a great but dangerous power. He could make nature rise in his aid and defence. Animals obeyed him, bowed to his will. Nature is a powerful thing, Hayley. And he used it for evil, for domination and intimidation. Those were dark times indeed. People lived in constant fear of being murdered. I shall spare you the details, but imagine what a group of forest predators can do when under the command of one will. Terrible. And his power grew, Slovenia was not enough for him anymore. A dark cloud spread over Europe, even Great Britain. Maze, he seemed unstoppable."
Otto looked in genuine pain now. Mayhew saw it, but there was nothing he could do to make it stop. This tale had to be told, however painful it was for him to hear.
"But then, ten years ago. Maze crossed wands with a witch. It turned out she possessed the same ... 'defence mechanism' as him. Whatever he did, no animal was willing to touch her. In a final battle, she defeated him. He disappeared, quite literally. No one knows what became of him ... until now, I'm afraid."
He sighed deeply and folded his hands under his chin. His balding head reflected the light from the candles high on the walls.
"I have reason to believe that it was Franciscus Maze who tried to harm you tonight, Hayley. And from what you just told me, it appears he is after you."*
Hayley reached up and pulled on Otto's hand, clutching it harder as the tale went on. Her tears had dried, to be replaced with a look of pure fear. "why would he be after me?" she asked incredulously, "I'm a nobody, just another student " she shook her head wildly, "it makes no sense." she looked at Otto seeking comfort. He looked frightened too, which wasn't particularly helpful. She thought perhaps he knew more about the situation than he let on, but she didn't know what.*
"I agree, it makes no sense. What value could you have to him? If really he is back, finding out what his plans are will be paramount. But in the meantime, the fact remains *that* he has his eyes on you.
And that is why I must stress on you to be very careful. Don't go outside on your own. Don't go outside at all in the dark if you can. And, this is very important, stay away from the lake. Things live in there that I do not pretend to control. As such, I can not keep an eye on who might, do you understand?"*
Hayley looked back at the Headmaster, nodding her head. "Okay, I think I can handle that" she said, ,looking down at her lap after all, what's one more person after me she though sadly, Seamus flitting across her head a moment. "May we go to bed now? I'm rather tired." Her eyes were drifting shut, the room losing its focus.*
"Oh, naturally," Mayhew said, embarassed that he was asking so much of this girl. It was far past midnight.
"One more thing. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from - how shall i say it? - screaming this information from the clocktower. I don't want a mass panic to happen."*
Hugo Allbrass
There was a knock on the door and Professor Allbrass opened it. He and Mayhew had a good and informal working relationship that permitted that familiarity.
The old DADA teacher stopped when he saw the two pupils there and looked questioningly at the headmaster. What he saw in his eyes answered a lot of questions and raised others.
"Excuse me, Professor Mayhew," he said and waited quietly.*
Hayley nodded at the Headmaster and left the room as Allbrass entered. She waited for Otto to come out, she wasn't supposed to roam the castle alone now.
(ooc - i think hayley's done here, unless Otto wants to say something)*
"Ah Hugo. Come in. We were just finished here.
I'm afraid there is bad news. I trust you remember me asking you to meet the Hogwarts Express last year."
He closed the door behind the two pupils, shutting the conversation out.
---
Otto followed Hayley out and onto the staircase. He rose his hand to put it on her shoulder again in comfort, but thought betterof it this time.
He sighed. "Nobody is a 'nobody', Hayley Harrison. Remember that."*
She turned around, hugging him briefly. "Thanks Otto, that means a lot." she turned back to the hall, "let's head back."*
Hayley was carried to the headmaster's office magically. She'd only been once before, when she had been sorted. She sat in a chair across from his desk, letting her head lean back against the back of it. "Headmaster, honestly, I had no idea Sandra was going to do anything. She seemed so helpful. All i wanted to do was find Robert, since i haven't been able to talk to him in forever because Seamus said he's get him pulled out of school, and then she stunned me." tears were flowing freely down her face, she was so tired of holding everything in. "Sorry, that all came out in a rush" she said, not looking at him.
Quick and blurred though it was, this confirmed more than he'd expected already.
"It's okay. Take a deep breath," he said, leaning over the desk. "Good girl. Now let's go back to the beginning. How did you meet Sandra? Were you two already acquainted?"
Otto had taken a seat on Hayley's right and looked at her compassionately.*
Hayley took a couple of deep breaths, glancing at Otto. She would have been terrified if she had been alone, but since he was here, well, it was better.Perhaps not as better as it would have been with Robert, but Otto was kind, and understanding, and it helped. She was still crying but it was slowing down.
"Well, I met Sandra tonight at the ball. I was looking around, waiting for my friend Robert, and this other boy, Simon, he's a Hufflepuff, asked me to dance. I agreed, since he was so nice about it." She stopped, wiped a hand over her eyes and looked at Otto again. "So we were dancing, and then Sandra came up and pulled him away for a minute and he didn't come back. Sandra came and apologized, and i said i was looking for a friend. She had been dancing with this boy, and he looked a lot like Robert, and I mentioned that. Then she told he he had been looking for someone too, and it was probably my someone. She said he told her he was going outside for some air, so i followed her. That was probably a stupid thing to do, but I haven't been able to even look in Robert's direction in a long time because Seamus would be angry, and I was excited because no one would recognize me with this hair, and my mask." She fingered the mask on her lap, she had taken if off when she had come in. "And then she stunned me" she finished, wiping another tear from her eye.*
Otto reached over and put a hand on her shoulder.
Mayhew closed his eyes, resigned. Disguise. Deception. Using people's affections for evil purposes. It was almost like a signature. He was certain now. He was back.
"Miss. Harrison. Hayley," he amended. The girl had need for comfort, not for formality. "Tonight, you were the target of a dark and very powerful wizard. There is no shame on you for falling for a trick that used your affection for Robert Fowler against you. And now, I must explain things to you that no child should be burdened with. But you must be vigilant."
He sat back in his chair and studied his two pupils. Mr. Muhn was looking with pity on the little girl, but Mayhew saw the fear and realisation underneath. The boy knew what was coming.
When he spoke, it was in a soft but unshaking voice.
"For decennia, a man by the name of Franciscus Maze"- (Otto flinched and made a painful grimace) -"terrorised Slovenia and the surrounding area. This man, he had a great but dangerous power. He could make nature rise in his aid and defence. Animals obeyed him, bowed to his will. Nature is a powerful thing, Hayley. And he used it for evil, for domination and intimidation. Those were dark times indeed. People lived in constant fear of being murdered. I shall spare you the details, but imagine what a group of forest predators can do when under the command of one will. Terrible. And his power grew, Slovenia was not enough for him anymore. A dark cloud spread over Europe, even Great Britain. Maze, he seemed unstoppable."
Otto looked in genuine pain now. Mayhew saw it, but there was nothing he could do to make it stop. This tale had to be told, however painful it was for him to hear.
"But then, ten years ago. Maze crossed wands with a witch. It turned out she possessed the same ... 'defence mechanism' as him. Whatever he did, no animal was willing to touch her. In a final battle, she defeated him. He disappeared, quite literally. No one knows what became of him ... until now, I'm afraid."
He sighed deeply and folded his hands under his chin. His balding head reflected the light from the candles high on the walls.
"I have reason to believe that it was Franciscus Maze who tried to harm you tonight, Hayley. And from what you just told me, it appears he is after you."*
Hayley reached up and pulled on Otto's hand, clutching it harder as the tale went on. Her tears had dried, to be replaced with a look of pure fear. "why would he be after me?" she asked incredulously, "I'm a nobody, just another student " she shook her head wildly, "it makes no sense." she looked at Otto seeking comfort. He looked frightened too, which wasn't particularly helpful. She thought perhaps he knew more about the situation than he let on, but she didn't know what.*
"I agree, it makes no sense. What value could you have to him? If really he is back, finding out what his plans are will be paramount. But in the meantime, the fact remains *that* he has his eyes on you.
And that is why I must stress on you to be very careful. Don't go outside on your own. Don't go outside at all in the dark if you can. And, this is very important, stay away from the lake. Things live in there that I do not pretend to control. As such, I can not keep an eye on who might, do you understand?"*
Hayley looked back at the Headmaster, nodding her head. "Okay, I think I can handle that" she said, ,looking down at her lap after all, what's one more person after me she though sadly, Seamus flitting across her head a moment. "May we go to bed now? I'm rather tired." Her eyes were drifting shut, the room losing its focus.*
"Oh, naturally," Mayhew said, embarassed that he was asking so much of this girl. It was far past midnight.
"One more thing. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from - how shall i say it? - screaming this information from the clocktower. I don't want a mass panic to happen."*
Hugo Allbrass
There was a knock on the door and Professor Allbrass opened it. He and Mayhew had a good and informal working relationship that permitted that familiarity.
The old DADA teacher stopped when he saw the two pupils there and looked questioningly at the headmaster. What he saw in his eyes answered a lot of questions and raised others.
"Excuse me, Professor Mayhew," he said and waited quietly.*
Hayley nodded at the Headmaster and left the room as Allbrass entered. She waited for Otto to come out, she wasn't supposed to roam the castle alone now.
(ooc - i think hayley's done here, unless Otto wants to say something)*
"Ah Hugo. Come in. We were just finished here.
I'm afraid there is bad news. I trust you remember me asking you to meet the Hogwarts Express last year."
He closed the door behind the two pupils, shutting the conversation out.
---
Otto followed Hayley out and onto the staircase. He rose his hand to put it on her shoulder again in comfort, but thought betterof it this time.
He sighed. "Nobody is a 'nobody', Hayley Harrison. Remember that."*
She turned around, hugging him briefly. "Thanks Otto, that means a lot." she turned back to the hall, "let's head back."*