Think You Can Best Me? Closed

@Jack Burnett



Transfiguration was a breeze - just like physics, but with more room for imagination. It was a precise and beautiful science when done correctly - something the haughty Jo expected few other students to understand.

She played with the porcelain teacup in her hand. The rat was gone now, leaving nothing but a squeak behind as its very atoms and molecules changed, shattering every law of muggle physics possible in the process. It was a splendid and fascinating topic, she thought. Also one that she wouldn’t dare get a bad grade on, since she was bent on becoming an Animagus. Legally, of course.

Waving her wand, she once more transfigured the cup and giggled as the rodent scurried up her sleeve.
“Sta-hp, Roquefort!” She squeaked, calling the rat by the nickname she had given it only moments ago (inspired, of course, by the blue cheese she detested.)

It was at this time that Jo noticed the boy next to her. He had a troubled expression on his face as he studied his own teacup - he hadn’t waved his wand in a while. Suddenly the boy groaned, plunging his face into his palms. She didn’t recognize him, but she did notice his hazel eyes - a trait they shared. Curiously, he was also a redhead. Why were there so many redheads at Hogwarts? Jo would never know.

“Hey, aren’t you the boy that picked a fight with Rafael D’spacito?” She drawled, her British and Japanese accents mixing to form a queer blend of intonations. The little witch was, of course, referring to the altercation in the Small Hall - the one involving a certain Miss Alex Tyler.

“I’m Jo. Jo Morgan.” She dipped her head in a bow. She was used to people knowing her name - she was, after all, the leader of the infamous Acid Pop Club - but she just didn’t want to chance it and embarrass herself.

Normally, the girl would definitely hesitate to inject herself in situations where she was not welcome, but her obsession with being helpful decided that this was a good time to rear its ugly head.

“Are you having problems?” She asked rather bluntly, pointing to his teacup with her wand.

@Jo Morgan

If Jo had asked about why so many people in Hogwarts seemed to have red hair, Jack might have pointed out that according to the the legends and lore in Wales - his country of origin - it was believed that red hair and green eyes were signs of a person possessing magic. As she had not, however, he had no reason to mention it.

Instead, she had to bring up Rafael D'Spacito, who was apparently more renowned among his housemates than Jack had even presumed him to be. He turned to look at the girl slowly, contemplating whether or not to tell her to mind her own business, when she decided to introduce herself.

Hopefully she isn't like that Stella Dawson girl... he couldn't help thinking, worrying about the level of friendliness and nosiness people around here seemed to have. Then again, at least she didn't seem to be like Alex Tyler, who claimed they should be friends in the name of breaking house traditions, only to later confess all her negative preconceived notions of Slytherins.

Oh, well...the least he could do was keep up appearances until he could figure out what she wanted from him. Straightening up in his seat, he grinned lopsidedly at her. "Oh, yeah...I think I've seen you around before," he remarked, realizing just how familiar he seemed to be getting with the Gryffindor house lately. Perhaps even more so than with his own. "If you heard about the thing with D'Spacito, then you probably already know, but I'm Jack Burnett." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "And...I wouldn't call it a 'fight', really - at least not between him and I. More like a prank gone horribly wrong."

When the girl indicated his teacup, he frowned again, his brows steepling in disconcertion. "No. I mean, yes. I mean..." He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, trying to figure out how best to explain his dilemma. "It's not the technique I'm having problems with...it's...it's the idea of putting life into this thing and then taking it away, if that makes any sense." His shoulders drooped as he sighed. "If it were just teleporting a rat here in exchange for the teacup, I could do it just fine. But just...creating a new creature? Out of nothing?" Jack shook his head. "It just seems...like a lot of...power. And just as much responsibility."

@Jack Burnett



Jo and Stella didn’t share much in common besides a love of musicals, but Stella was a friend of hers and the newest member of her club.

"If you heard about the thing with D'Spacito, then you probably already know, but I'm Jack Burnett. And...I wouldn't call it a 'fight', really - at least not between him and I. More like a prank gone horribly wrong."

"I see. I don't know much about the fight, but I do know that Rafa has a habit of getting into altercations even when he needs to walk away. I think it might be a pride thing where he's from. He's a bit of a barbarian, so I guess it's just never occurred to him that he can solve things with his brain instead of his fists. Sorry if he caused any trouble." She didn't know why she was apologizing on behalf of her frenemy, but it just seemed like the right thing to do.

"It's not the technique I'm having problems with...it's...it's the idea of putting life into this thing and then taking it away, if that makes any sense."

“That’s usually a girl’s work, eh?” she joked, scratching Roquefort under the chin. Jo wasn’t a naughty girl, but she was certainly old enough to know how babies were made, and Lady Aithne (her guardian) wasn’t about to hide any of the gritty, sordid details of life.

"If it were just teleporting a rat here in exchange for the teacup, I could do it just fine. But just...creating a new creature? Out of nothing? It just seems...like a lot of...power. And just as much responsibility."

“I think we should enjoy it.” Jo said, playing with the animal. “We have the ability to literally give life to a teacup - create and take away life at will. You’re right - it is a lot of power, so you can and should have fun with that. It’s a gift that just isn’t given to muggles. I think it’s rather humbling that we can make and destroy animals and beings to suit our whim, because it teaches us that even our own life isn’t as sacred and crucial as we think it is - just another part of nature that magic gives us power over.”

A flick of her wand and a muttered incantation later, Roquefort was gone and the cup sat in her hand once again. She flicked it, enjoying the harsh ceramic sounds.

“Now all I need is some good spiced tea.” she muttered, spinning the cup around between her fingers.

The cup handle unfurled into a white porcelain tail, whipping itself around and curling against her fingers.

“Oh. Oh dear.” Jo waved her wand again, and Roquefort was back. “I must have pronounced the words incorrectly.”

Jack’s words left a strange imprint on her mind, however, and she couldn’t help but wonder aloud.

“What would happen if I killed Roquefort?" she wondered aloud without any regard to how her question might sound to others who hadn't been following her trail of thought. It was a rather concerning statement, but entirely hypothetical.
"Since he was made from a goblet, did I just break a porcelain cup? I know Roquefort is alive, but perhaps that doesn’t mean anything since he wasn’t born and he isn’t even supposed to stay alive for too long. If I give a creature life and give it a consciousness with the sole purpose of taking it away again, is its life worth much at all?”

The existential musings held no real substance, but they intrigued her nonetheless.

“Do you think we should be more careful when creating life?” She asked him. “Lots of kids like killing ants and other bugs as a game. I crush beetles when I collect their wings and antennae for potions. Every one of us has smushed a mosquito or two. We take away life all the time without even batting an eye, so why not try something more positive for a change?”

@Jo Morgan

"Oh. I guess that explains a lot," Jack answered in response to Jo's information regarding Rafa. "Heh, not sure why you're apologizing, but even if he were your responsibility, there's no need. I was the one who started the trouble in the first place. I was trying to get a girl named Alex Taylor off my back, but she ended up getting violent herself instead." He shrugged, idly poking his teacup's handle with the edge of his wand. "I didn't think there was much to this house thing, but I'm starting to wonder if there really aren't similarities between people in the same house."

The comment regarding 'a girl's work' caused the redhead to turn a deeper crimson than his hair. He might have been thinking it, sure, but he hadn't wanted to voice his thoughts aloud. "Girl can't do it without a guy's help," he murmured under his breath, wanting to be fair gender-wise, at least. "That makes them just as responsible. But the point is, I don't fancy the idea."

He watched Jo scratch the rat under the chin, listening to her talk about their abilities and how she thought they should enjoy it. However, Jack wasn't sure he agreed with her. "If anything, I'd think knowing we have that power should make us take it more seriously," he answered. "I understand what you mean when you say it can be humbling and teach us our own life isn't any better than any other, but I don't think this is the same. It's not our lives we're dealing with, it's another creature's, so we think nothing of it." Jack nodded toward the rest of the class, making and unmaking life willy-nilly. "It doesn't teach us anything about our own. And why shouldn't we treat our life as sacred or crucial? We only have one to live. If we go into it with a mentality like that, taking it for granted instead of cherishing it, we might not be living it very long."

As Roquefort reverted back into the cup he once was, Jack watched unhappily. He recoiled at the sight of the porcelain tail, unable to help wondering if the partially-changed rat was in any pain, before Jo returned it to its animal form. When she began to get philosophical with her own rhetorical questions, he sighed and put his arms on his desk so he could rest his head atop them. He was right back to where he started.

Once more, Jo brought up a new perspective. This one Jack thought he could take to a little easier, but he still failed to see it as a reason that completing the class assignment was okay. "Lots of kids like that, maybe, but I don't," he answered. "Those kids often end up turning out to be serial killers. And dark wizards too, I'll bet; taking life without remorse just because they can and because it's fun. Come to think of it, enjoying performing magic like this just because muggles can't - isn't that the mentality of a dark wizard?"

He looked away. "I'd prefer to find dead beetles for potions. And mosquitos are different because they can actually kill people, so that's a matter of self-defense. Besides, none of that changes the fact that taking life is different from creating it, but neither sits well with me." Finally, Jack pushed back his chair and got up, deciding to go ask the teacher if he could have an alternate assignment or something similar.

@Jack Burnett

If anything, I'd think knowing we have that power should make us take it more seriously. I understand what you mean when you say it can be humbling and teach us our own life isn't any better than any other, but I don't think this is the same. It's not our lives we're dealing with, it's another creature's, so we think nothing of it. It doesn't teach us anything about our own. And why shouldn't we treat our life as sacred or crucial? We only have one to live. If we go into it with a mentality like that, taking it for granted instead of cherishing it, we might not be living it very long.

”I don’t agree with that.“ Jo argued as Roquefort nestled against her palm. “We’re humans. We do care about the lives of other things. Otherwise, we wouldn’t treasure pets like we do. People aren’t that selfish or cruel. I’m not sure I agree that we think absolutely nothing of creating or taking away life just because it isn’t ours. I mean, you not wanting to transfigure the cup proves that we do care! But I understand your point that we should be more careful about the lives we do make.

Just imagine if every witch or wizard could take a piece of plastic and transfigure it into a tree! We’d be giving a nonliving thing life, but we’d also be saving the world. And I definitely think that we should consider our lives important, but sometimes I think we need a reminder of how we are just little animals, working together and loving each other and struggling to leave our footprint on the earth before we fade away. Recognizing that we are a part of the earth isn’t the same as taking our lives for granted. You can cherish something while still understanding its insignificance.”

She tried her best at a smile, hoping it didn’t come across as patronizing or insulting. She still wasn’t too used to having her opinion actually heard and answered like this. It was nice to be able to carry a conversation without accidentally angering someone with an unconventional argument.

“Nobody really “enjoys” killing things - it’s just stuff we do when we’re kids because it’s interesting. It has nothing to do with serial killers and dark wizards... it’s just kid stuff you grow out of doing. If you have a talent others don’t, why not use it for good? You wouldn’t tell an artist not to draw because others can’t. You wouldn’t tell a metamorphmagus not to enjoy transforming because others can’t. So why not tell a witch not to make mice just because others can’t? We shouldn’t shame people who are different, we should celebrate it! Magic is a gift, so we should appreciate that we have the ability to create life and use it for good, even if others don’t! Especially since others don’t. I don’t consider that the mentality of a Dark Wizard. It’s up to you, of course, but I personally don’t feel too bad for little Roquefort. He was a porcelain teacup, and now he gets to enjoy sentience for a little bit!”

The boy seemed a bit upset now - he left towards the front of the room. Jo glumly asked a nearby Ravenclaw, “D’ya think he’s mad?”, but recieved only a shrug as a response. While the boy was gone, she resumed playing with the rat, allowing its squeaks to take her mind off of the argument. Maybe humans did care about other creatures. Maybe they didn’t, and empathy wasn’t a “thing” anymore.

Zap! A teacup clattered onto the table once more.

@Jo Morgan

At the rebuttal that humans cared about the lives of other things, Jack sneered. "Are you kidding me?" he scoffed. "Humans probably care about the lives of others less than anyone or anything else. We treasure pets because of what they do for us and how we anthropomorphize them, projecting human traits onto them and imaging they 'feel' this or they 'like' that. Otherwise we wouldn't give a rat's ass about them. We hardly even care about our own kind other than ourselves and those related to us. Human nature is being selfish. And there are plenty of humans who are cruel and who enjoy killing things. Are you really that naïve? Haven't you ever picked up a history book?"

The point that Jo made about Jack not wanting to transfigure the cup gave him pause. It was true - he wasn't really sure why he didn't want to do it. He told himself he had no reason to care about such a thing, but he couldn't help being bothered by it anyway. Why was that?

He got quiet when she talked about considering lives important and recognizing that being part of the earth wasn't the same as taking them for granted. He supposed that was true, at least. But some things she talked caused his expression to darken and he wanted a moment to re-compose himself before he went off on the girl. Taking deep breaths when he went to go talk to their professor, he returned a little later with a slightly calmer disposition.

Focusing on the teacup before him, Jack waved his wand and spoke the incantation as carefully as he could manage. Once it changed, he immediately re-transfigured it as quickly as possible, examining it all over to make certain it had reverted entirely into a completely normal teacup. The professor hadn't allowed him to forgo the assignment, but his thought was if he performed it fast enough, the rat wouldn't have had enough time to register its sentience long enough to miss it when it was gone...or something like that. He still didn't want to think about it.

That accomplished, he heaved a deep sigh and turned back to the Gryffindor girl, his expression grave. "Plenty of people truly enjoy killing things," he informed her. "You don't know every single student here. You can't speak for them all. You don't know how many will actually grow out of anything." His thick brows narrowed. "And I don't believe in 'good' or 'evil'. Anything can be seen from either side. If someone steals medicine, they can be thought of as 'evil' for stealing. But if they did it to save a life? Then they're thought of as 'good'. Anything can be justified with the proper reasoning, so I don't think 'right' and 'wrong actually exist." Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "That's why I think the only thing left to do is what you feel like doing."

@Jack Burnett



Jo sat as still as she could while the boy spouted off about how subjective morality was. She didn’t know if arguing with him would make him angrier, and she didn’t want to antagonize someone willing to argue with her and actually listen to her thoughts.

“If morality is subjective and therefore meaningless, then all of your moral arguments about killing and creating life hold no water.” she pointed out.

“If there’s no such thing as right or wrong, why are you hesitating? What’s stopping you from transfiguring animals? And if not morality, what makes you different from a serial killer? You can’t morally condemn others for taking away life, if it isn’t a “wrong” thing to do. Just because morality is subjective doesn’t mean we should ignore our moral compasses and do whatever we want to do, whenever we want to do it. Those if anything sound like the words of a “killer.” What makes you think you’re so different than people who kill insects? If what you’re saying about morality is true, you’re placing yourself on a moral pedestal that doesn’t exist. And when I pick up a history book, I don’t see too many people who kill and murder others for fun. In fact, that’s a extremely rare even among serial/spree killers and dictators who are universally recognized as evil.” She drew a breath, pushing a lock of hair from her face and rubbing her eyes.
“Those people kill for revenge against humanity, or hate for the world, or... y’know, they think dead girls are hot and stuff. Dictators are ruthless, but all the terrible stuff they do is just to establish a name for themselves so that people become afraid of them. They think they’re trying to make their country better - they didn’t just wake up one day and decide they would try to ruin everyone’s lives. Nobody does that unless they have severe mental problems, and those are extreme cases. You’re right in that I can’t speak for every student, but I think my opinion holds true for the vast majority.”

She shuffled her textbooks, straightened out the pile, and began copying the board onto her parchment, tapping her finger against the porcelain to make sure nothing was amiss with her transfiguration.

@Jo Morgan

At the comment about his opinion regarding killing and creating life, Jack's brows furrowed and the line of his mouth twisted. "I didn't say morality was meaningless," he countered. "It just means different things to different people. And..." He hesitated, not sure whether or not he wanted to admit something to the Gryffindor. Eventually, he decided her sound reasoning deserved his being open about this much, at least. "...and I'm not really sure why it bothers me, either. It just...does." The fact that he didn't know why annoyed his just as much if not more, though.

"I didn't morally condemn anyone," Jack retorted at Jo. "Did you see me going around telling you or anyone else that it was wrong for them to do their transfiguration lesson? I don't care who else does it. I just didn't want to do it. And it's not necessarily because it's right or wrong that I don't want to. It just doesn't sit right with me."

Rolling his eyes at the girl's argument, he leaned on his desk, resting his elbow atop it and propping up his chin. "I didn't say we should ignore our moral compasses. I said I think we should do what we feel like doing. If you feel like you should follow your moral compass, then by all means, go ahead. Just don't expect everyone else to do or believe as you do." He frowned, puzzled. "How do those words sound like the words of a killer?"

Jack groaned. "You're making an awful lot of assumptions, Lioness. To clarify, I never explicitly said I was any different from people who kill insects. I even admitted that I kill mosquitos." At the mention of his favorite subject, however - history - hazel eyes lit up and the boy got up from his desk to approach Jo directly.

"You know why you don't see people who kill and murder others for fun? Because the people who write history books aren't the killers themselves. They don't know what it's like for them. How would they know if they enjoyed killing or why? Just because the history books don't say people enjoyed killing and murdering doesn't mean they didn't. And just because you haven't read a lot about them doesn't mean they're all that rare." In fact, Jack could already think of someone in his own dorm who he was pretty sure fit that description.

He waved the Gryffindor's explanations away. "You're not them. You don't know why they do it, so don't pretend like you do. At the very least, you could phrase your opinions of their motivations as guesses rather than facts. It makes you sound just plain ignorant otherwise." Huffing, he added, "And if you're going to refer to the vast majority, clarify that! Be specific! Don't make a statement generalizing all of humanity if you don't mean all of humanity."

Growing weary of the conversation, Jack returned to his desk to gather his things. If he was finished with the assignment, he didn't see any further reason to stick around.

“I think the only thing left to do is what you feel like doing." Jo repeated the boy’s words, stretching upwards in a yawn. “If everybody did what they felt like doing, there would be chaos. So yeah, Mr. Sociopath,, forgive us for making people adhere to our collective moral code.”

"I didn't morally condemn anyone. Did you see me going around telling you or anyone else that it was wrong for them to do their transfiguration lesson? I don't care who else does it. I just didn't want to do it. And it's not necessarily because it's right or wrong that I don't want to. It just doesn't sit right with me."

“Well, saying people have the mentality of a dark wizard seems like a moral condemnation with me, unless of course you don’t consider Dark Wizards bad either, in which case you probably shouldn’t be at Hogwarts, no?”

Realizing she had been so caught up in her current argument that she had forgotten to pay attention to the lecture, Jo hurriedly dipped her quill into an ink pot and began to copy the board onto a sheet of parchment.

You're making an awful lot of assumptions, Lioness.

“Don’t call me that!” She snapped at the moniker. Whether or not he realized it, Jack had poked at a bruise in the girl’s fragile ego. She shook her head and grimaced. “I’m not a lioness. Anyway, I can’t grasp why you insist that there are so may psychopaths in the world! I assure you they are a small minority - like I said before, I don’t speak for everyone, but I think I speak for most of the students here. What’s more, I don’t believe that you genuinely think the world is brimming with such sadistic people, either.” Jo sighed, rubbing her temples. “Are you sure you aren’t trying to be the morally ambiguous cool guy by clinging to your negative thoughts about morally upright people? Because honestly, emo is so last year. Anyway, wanna be my study partner?”

"You're not them. You don't know why they do it, so don't pretend like you do. At the very least, you could phrase your opinions of their motivations as guesses rather than facts. It makes you sound just plain ignorant otherwise." Huffing, he added, "And if you're going to refer to the vast majority, clarify that! Be specific! Don't make a statement generalizing all of humanity if you don't mean all of humanity."

She laughed at the boy’s indignant remarks regarding her generalizations. “Well, excuse me for assuming you would use common sense when listening to my argument! We both know that I’m just going off my perception of the world - there’s no need for me to point it out every time.”

Jack seemed bored with her now, and ambled back to his desk. Perhaps she had won the argument? Maybe she had only succeeded in wearing him out, which would still be good, since hopefully he would be less annoying.