By the Cover PV Xailah Finished

Xailah was almost never seen here; simply because she never had a reason to be here. -Usually. The last time she had visited the vast tomb, in which books were contained; was during her first year. Yes. If she recalled correctly, this was the place where she had met that nice Gryffindor boy Charlie- or was it Charles? Memories of her past encounters were beginning to fade, like the words of the books on the library shelves.

But now, she had a reason to be here. She was looking for answers that no human could give her. Her closure, rested in between the pages of a book. Or so she thought. She hadn't yet bothered to ask anyone- which probably would have been a better place to start; rather than going into a strange place filled with literally thousands of books. And in all honesty, she had no idea what sort of information she was looking for- or if she was looking for any information at all.

And upon entering the library, she immediately felt overwhelmed. Today was not the day to search for books. -No. To be overwhelmed, wasn't something not usually felt by the young Gryffindor. Today just seemed to be a very bad day for the child. She didn't get any sleep due to the constant sneezing of her roommate, Aurelia- to be fair, neither of them probably got any sleep. And then in the morning Aurelia appeared to be very pissed off. Xailah was almost certain that Aurelia was going to throw Schrödinger out the window- or at least she was sure that Aurelia thought about it.

So Xailah was tired, cranky, and confused. Poor thing. But someone needed to find information on some very strange dolls, that were found some months ago. It was very quiet in the library. As expected. Besides the frantic pattering, that came from Xailah and her feline companion Schrödinger entering the vast space; the only other apparent noises were the fluttering of pages, and the occasional cough. Xailah let out the saddest little whimper, from behind a bookcase. Schrödinger turned his little moon-shaped face upward, his orange eyes half-closed. She had no idea what she was doing. But she did know that she was lost. So very lost.

Becoming overwhelmed by a library was a simple feat. One was crowded on all sides by innumerable indexes of knowledge, bombarded by tantalizing titles, confounded by the complex compendium of information. Perhaps this played a part in the boy's seemingly dreamy demeanor. He wafted between the shelving units with a far-away look, not afflicted by the churning potential in the books besides him, but instead lured to a state of consciousness by the odd title here and there. It was as though the right topic could bring him blinking back to the "now", rousing him from some mental reverie. The arrival of an unknown character had much the same effect.

He spied her from behind his hard-bound fortress, catching only a glimpse of the girl passing by between bricks of book. Subconsciously, he registered the crimson of her cloak as belonging to a Gryffindor, but what really hooked him was her companion. Were cats permitted in the library? He did not know, nor did he care. Pericles had always had a fondness for felines. They were typically calm and clever creatures, so clever, in fact, that the stray which lurked around his home in Plymouth almost always managed to evade him (in spite of best efforts, to include coaxing with treats and arranging elaborate albeit harmless traps). After a matter of minutes, realizing he remained well and distracted from aimless studies, Pericles quietly stood from his booky haven and ventured back out into the forest of never-ending titles in search of them.

It would be from behind one such shelf that his mild-mannered voice first emanated. "Excuse me." Before the poor girl could begin to believe the books themselves had started speaking, the Ravenclaw standing on the other side started to remove some, eventually creating a hole by which to meet her. He had nearly lost the duo before that sorrowful groan rang out, sounding particularly remorseful against the library's tranquil ambiance. When the gap was made and his freckled, spectacled, silver stare peeked through to her, Pericles continued calmly: "Are you alright?"

The color drained from her eyes and hair, as if she were a distressed fish. She was a distressed fish- figuratively speaking, swimming aimlessly in a sea of seemingly endless knowledge. The rich, dark brown of her hair faded to a matte, mousy brown. Her vibrant yellow eyes, became sickly harvest moons. The pupils drew themselves into tight little daggers- nearly drawing themselves out of existence. Her hair, while usually always moving ever so slightly, as if being blown by an unfelt breeze; fell, losing the all body it had seconds ago.

Schrödinger detected the sudden change in aura, that floated about his human. "Woaw." A hoarse noise escaped his throat, as he flopped down; in a crappy attempt to comfort his owner. But you have to give him credit for trying. -Yes, at least he tries. She was tempted to walk out. Tempted to forget anything ever happened. But that wasn't how she was raised. That wasn't how her mind worked. She couldn't just forget.

After what seemed like ages of standing there in shock, she finally heard a voice. Mild, and seemingly gentle. But she thought nothing of it. The voice was most likely addressing someone familiar. Or so she thought. Upon noticing the books leaving the shelves, and the small face that appeared in the newly created opening; she would come to the realization that someone was in fact, trying to socialize with her.

And just like any reasonable person, she would respond with a harsh; "Yes. I am quite alright," before darting behind a row of untouched books. But again, this was not how she was raised. She was taught to be polite, and well mannered. So what happened? Why was she like this? After a moment, she had a sudden change of heart, but she did not return to the space in the shelf. "Actually- no. I'm not alright. I think I'm a little lost. Can you help me find some books?" She hated it. She hated being the one needing help.

Upon beholding the withering girl beyond the books, Pericles briefly believed he might have heard some other person groan out in vain. Was this the same student he had seen entering the library mere moments before? She looked as if her brief stay by the books had made her sick to her stomach, what with the pallor that had come over her. And those eyes....

As quickly as he had found her, she was gone. The combination of fight and flight did not seem to register right with the Ravenclaw. He was left perplexed rather than offended, managing only to utter an apologetic "Oh-" before the stranger slipped from sight. Peri found he scarcely understood girls, let alone persons in general. He convinced himself that the sorrowful sound he had overheard might have instead been a groan of actual illness, or perhaps boredom. Humming an uncertain note to himself, he looked down to the trio of tomes in his hands, then began to carefully return them to the shelf in alphabetic order. The systematic sliding ceased when he heard the muffled voice again.

In an instant, the daydreamer's silent puzzlement whipped about to a quiet kind of elation. While his tone remained mild, it was marked by a distinctly warmer temperature. "I would be glad to help," that voice insisted. He continued to peer through the small gap, but rather than pursue her and "frighten" her off again, Peri ventured cautiously: "What sort of books are you looking for...? I've only been here an hour or so, but if I know what you're studying, I might be able to recommend something specific. Then we can look for it together, if that's alright. Or I could find it for you. I know loads of books by title."

"You would? Sssplendid." She let out a sigh of relief. Hopefully this would make things easier on her. Really, she didn't need the help. She was perfectly capable of completing her mission on her own. But her time at Hogwarts did teach her one thing: two heads work better than one. -Unless your partner is a complete git, then you're screwed.

She made her way to the small space that the boy had created in the shelves, and peeped through. The color had returned to her hair and eyes by now. The deep brown locks resumed their usual writhing. The light in her eyes sparked back up again, flooding the iris with the color of gold. Pupils grew to their normal size, outlined by a soft bed of warm metal.

Xailah found herself looking at her polar opposite- as far as physical appearance goes. Similar yet different. Of course, this didn't dawn on her. -No, she was more focused on the boys eyes. This boy had a pair of pretty silver eyes- like the little lining around the clouds during a storm. "You sssee...I don't know what I'm looking for exactly..."

Her eyes darted between the books that framed their faces. "I only have a faint idea." The corners of her mouth pulled themselves into a small frown. "I think I'm looking for something about dark magic- maybe even a book on hags. I don't suppose they carry any books on dolls here?"

After a moment, she eventually decided that it would be quicker if they both went searching for some books. "I'll come around." She said, making a twirling motion with a gloved finger. She made her way back down the row of shelves, with Schrödinger at her heels; stopping once she was a few feet from the boy. "You come here often, I take it?"

When the elusive stranger returned, she would be met with an encouraging smile, though it faded in favor of a wide stare while Pericles watched the slow reversion in her appearance. The lad thought to say something of it, but that could wait. That mere mention of her vague concept sparked a light of intrigue in his silvery gaze. "That's alright," he insisted immediately, voice maintaining that calm quality yet edged with enthusiasm. "A faint idea can take you a long ways in a library." She elaborated, causing that kindly expression to become something more studious, mouth marked by the ghost of a concentrated frown. The topics were weighed for several seconds before the boy hesitantly observed, "Maybe hags, or dark magics, or dolls. But all three in one, I can't say for certain. We could start with World Mythology, or The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble!" The possibilities were passionate. He had a clear love of literature, whomever the bespectacled boy was. When she offered to meet him, Peri gave a short "Ah" that sounded satisfied before sliding the last book back into its appropriate gap.

As if to restrain himself from picking up other titles, the wizard would be found with his hands tucked into the pockets of his robe. One extended for a shake when she came close, a polite "I'm Pericles" uttered, though his eyes did wander once more to her cat companion with a wistful glance. Whether his hand was taken or no, Peri would answer her question with a faraway look. "Oh, no. This is my first time visiting the school's library, but I've been to many others. They all follow a sort of 'code', and once you've cracked it, it makes the matter of finding what you want a little easier." Though his volume was already appropriate for a library, it had become hushed, as though he were letting her in on some sort of secret. Pericles was factual in a foggy way, thoughts seeming to surface from beneath the dreamy hazy he was in. "They all have their own personalities though. The library at home is like an old grandparent- it doesn't mind much when you ask it things. The library at the Ministry feels... tolerant, like a busy warlock who doesn't really want to answer all of your questions. This one...." His gaze wandered the towering rows around them, that hint of a frown coming back. "This one, I'm not so sure of. I feel like it's hiding something from me, but then, maybe I'm feeling that from the Restricted section...."

His drifting eyes had come across her again, and in that moment, Peri blinked back to the present. The focused stare creased at the corners as another of his delicate smiles manifested. "I hope the books you need aren't in there. I would like to know more about what we're researching. You... didn't happen to get a magicked doll from a hag, did you? I really don't mean to sound intolerant, but I would be careful about taking gifts from hags."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Pericles." She bowed her head ever so slightly, before taking the boys hand. She gave him a firm, yet gentle handshake. It was almost as if she was afraid that, doing so would hurt the boy. "Xailah Alptraum. This is Schrödinger." She motioned to her cat. Schrödinger cooed at the sound of his name. She saw the boys silvery gaze momentarily flick to her large companion. "...You can pet him if if you want." Xailah was many things, but she was no fool. People didn't approach her just because they wanted to; they approached her because they saw that she had a cat. And people like cats- even the ones that claim to hate them. Schrödinger was the only reason as to why she appeared relevant. But she honestly didn't blame them. People aren't as pleasant as cats are.

Schrödinger threw himself to the floor, and rolled over; exposing his squishy grey underbelly. "Waow." She wasn't exactly listening to Pericels little monologue. In truth she sort of blocked him out for most of it; inputting the occasional "Oh" or "I see". She did pick up on a few tidbits, that she found interesting. -Like the fact that he was a first year- most likely; since he claimed that this was his first time being in this particular library. "This whole ssschool is hiding things from you." She answered subconsciously. And not just the school itself- but the staff too. This little bell started going off in her head. "Of course that is what makes this place so exiting, yes?" She added, before flashing the boy a fake smile.

In truth she hated being here. She never wanted to go here in the first place- and if it was her choice, she would be in the comfort of her own home now. The only thing that the secrets of the school did, was keep her busy. "I certainly hope they are not in the restricted sssection. Haven't figured out how to get in there without being caught." There were a number of ways to sneak in there, but none of them would guarantee getting off scot-free. -Well, thats not entirely true- there was one way that came to her mind, but it would be too stressful. She watched a small smile creep on to the boys face. And they call me weird. She had never met someone so in love with books.

Or maybe it wasn't the books that he loved. Perhaps he loved the knowledge they carried. Xailah stood in silence for a moment, debating on how much she should tell this boy. "Well..no not exactly. A group of acquaintances of mine, found some dolls." She paused for a second, before adding;"But I don't know if they have anything to do with hags." The dolls did in fact have to do with hags, but she had not yet made that connection. "I just wanted a book on hags, because I heard rumors that there was one sssquatting in the Keeper of Grounds cabin." Rumors were a lot to go off of. "Really, all you need to know is that the dolls are very bad." Again she didn't even know if they were actually bad, she was just going off of what Illowy had told her. And Illowy wouldn't lie. Would she? "Could you find those two books that you mentioned before? I think they would be a good place to start."

The handshake given was equally firm yet fleeting, a motion of one polite but perhaps not the most physically social. Pericles repeated her name, sounding pleased, adding "I haven't met a Xailah before." It seemed a novelty to him; the name was unique, and the student enjoyed absorbing anything new. Idly he added, in what sounded like rhetorical wondering, "And is Alptraum... German?" He appeared especially glad that she took the time to introduce her feline. Not only was he pleased to pet the cat: he spoke to it, too, but not in the babytalk one would usually use with a creature. Peri spoke the same way he had with any other student, albeit far more complimentary. "You're a handsome animal with a clever name. Are you watching after your witch today? Would you like to help her find some books?" Hardly hesitating, he'd crouched to stroke Schrödinger's stomach before quietly carrying on.

It was not atypical for Peri to lose others in the midst of his strange spiels. Yet he didn't seem to mind, or perhaps he failed to notice, content as he was to prattle pensively about the auras of libraries. Vigorous homeschooling had benefited him in many ways, but certainly not socially.
This whole ssschool is hiding things from you. Of course that is what makes this place so exiting, yes?
"I agree." The smile which Pericles sent her way was almost appreciative this time around. He failed to recognize any insincerity, instead brightened by what he believed to be a shared thrill of the unknown. Time would tell if those secrets would squash the lad's innocent curiosity, or if the sphinxlike school would groom it into something new altogether. That Xailah had even tried to enter the Restricted Section was only answered with an awestruck stare. Pericles hadn't contemplated doing something so daring yet, but later on, when on his own, his mind would drift to the potential punishments but also- even more so- the rewards of a successful snooping.

"Ah!" If the hag was a topic apart from the dolls and dark magic, narrowing down their search to two separate paths would ease the process a great deal. There was a story behind this, but he knew better than to pry too much or risk having the case taken from him altogether. Reluctantly rising from the cat on the floor, Peri adjusted his rectangular spectacles by bumping them up the bridge of his nose. He gestured as if inviting to lead her on a stroll through a park before he began walking. "The darkest dolls I can think of are spirit dolls, used to trap dark entities, but I don't know if those are real. There are voodoo dolls, too- voodoo is real, though I believe it's primarily practiced in Africa and the Caribbean. Poltergeists like to use dolls to frighten people. Especially muggles."

This particular thought seemed to amuse him in a sad sort of way, as though he pitied muggle folk for their lack of magical understanding. "There's a book I've only heard of- father wouldn't answer anything about it- called Secrets of the Darkest Art by... Owl something, I think. I don't know what the darkest art is." The lengthy dialogue was enough to take them into a section primarily devoted to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Peri lifted a thin finger, tracing titles and authors in a familiar fashion. Anything even remotely relevant would be plucked from the shelf and tucked under his arm. "I once saw a copy of Magick Moste Evile in person, though I wasn't allowed to read that one, either." That he had been barred from any book clearly caused him sorrow. "But!" He perked again, happy enough for the chance to aid an investigation. "We will work with whatever we might find."

"You haven't met one, because I'm the only one." She flushed at his response to her name. She had always found her name rather...embarrassing. Mostly because it virtually had no meaning, an that it often made her stand out more than it should. "Alptraums are known for giving their children odd names..." It was true. Her mother had an odd name, her sister had an odd name- really the most normal name that a family member possessed, was Tabitha. "...-And yes, it is German. But do you know what it means?" She paused before continuing; "It means nightmare."

She folded her hand, resting them on her abdomen, as she watched the boy go to pet her cat. "You can laugh. Its rather sssilly, mostly because I don't know how the name came about." She added with a shrug. She actually knew very little about her family history. Apparently no one really liked to talk about it- and maybe that was because no one really understood it. In the large library at home; the top shelves contained text about the family history. But under no circumstances was she, or her sister to touch them; reason being that they were very, very old. -At least thats what family kept telling her. "How did you know it was German? Do you ssspeak the language?"

Schrödinger looked happy. It wasn't like he never got attention- because lets face it, he loved attention. He lived to be held, he lived to be loved. Just like any other living creature, on this planet we call Earth. He squirmed, and rolled- looking like the happiest thing you ever saw. He let out a purr, like that of a rusted car engine. "If he could help me find books, then I wouldn't be talking to you. You see, I don't think he can read very well."

That was of course meant to be a joke- she had't yet grasped the basics of good joke telling. But she was surprisingly gifted in the art of sarcasm. She watched the boy get up from the floor. "I've never heard of a ssspirit doll. I've heard of voodoo dolls. I own a few- my parents travel a lot, and they brought them home as gifts." Thats when she got to thinking if the dolls were actually voodoo dolls. "-I don't think the dolls are voodoo dolls- they're too...specific." She found that traditional voodoo dolls were rather vague in appearance. "If that makes any sssense- like, they look exactly like a person. Down to a T."

She was always told that Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery- and as a metamorph that is something she should have caught on to by now. But the thought of a doll that looked just like her, wasn't exactly what she would call flattering. She whistled for Schrödinger, as she walked along side the boy. "Mm, that so? Do you suppose they have a copy of Secrets of the Darkest Art here?" She didn't think they would have a book like that here. Her face contorted into one of mild frustration.

Pericles knew- or at least had an idea of what he was looking for. Xailah could tell. The way he ran his finger across the spines of the books- she knew that this was like second nature to him. Poor boy was probably born in a library for all she knew. "If you had an opportunity to get your hands on Magick Moste Evile, would you read it?" She said, as she picked up a random book, and began flipping through the pages. "Cause I would. Very few people get the chance to read sssuch a book. It would be a ssshame to pass up the opportunity."