PV Completed Big dreams, big accidents

Banner By Julia Evans

—— ✰ ——Interacting with: @Jude Morgan, @Azrael Holloway and @Mat Duncan——✧
—— ✰ ——Dialogue: 225700—————|||——— ✧ ——Words: 508|||||—— ✰

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Max found his way to the dungeons early. The older students had not been kidding when they said how easy it was to get lost around the castle, so he assumed the route to the potions classroom was no different. Maybe it was a good thing after all that he was not sorted into Hufflepuff, because it turned out he hated being underground. Maybe it was partly due to the drop in temperature as he descended the stairs, or maybe some complex reason for change in altitude. He summed it up to no windows himself. The inability to see the outside world was a bit strange, and to see underwater did not count as far as he had considered. But no matter, with a pinecone in his pocket this lesson would turn out loads better than the last one!

The idea of potions intrigued him. His father brewed all the time, but Max were rarely allowed to help. It was important to be focused when brewing, and Max had never really been any good at that for longer periods of time. «If you just focus it is sort of like making stew for dinner, only with a little magic to aide» his father had told him. He liked stew, so he would surely be great at it! But he didn’t really get to help with cooking at home either. No matter, everything would sort itself out. It hadn't so far, but he would prove himself! The first lesson ended with him almost setting his cauldron on fire, so to prove he really was a good student and would try relentlessly until he succeeded, he needed today to go well.

With the false confidence of delusion he entered the classroom with a smile he himself thought looked rather clever. Carrying his rather foul smelling cauldron and other supplies to a table in the front left corner, he situated himself. Diving into his satchel he fished out a tattered copy of the textbook as well as writing equipment. Spreading it all out in front of him he pondered for a moment wether he had forgotten anything. Seeing nothing amiss, he finally looked up and around the room.

Not long after getting situated a fellow Gryffindor boy claimed another seat at the workstation. Max observed quietly as the boy got organized. The boy oozed of confidence, and it was a little disheartening. Sure, there would always be people that were better than him at something but why, oh why did he have to sit down at this specific table? If Max were to stand out in a positive way, all overachievers should leave Scotland. But the boy did have a rather funny grin though. Maybe if he asked nicely, they could help each other out? Gathering his courage, and gripping the pinecone still in his pocket he spoke up. «I’m excited for today. Hopefully it will work out better than last class!» He finished the statement with a rather loud snort. How could today possibly go worse? If he only knew…

Potions was one of the few subjects Mat didn't mind. He found that brewing in his cauldron was quite peaceful, watching the potion evolve with every step. And at least there was something practical to do. He walked along the long corridor of the dungeons that led to the classroom, wrinkling his nose slightly at the smell of mould, which was very noticeable to someone used to being outdoors all the time. He wondered how the Slytherins managed to sleep down there.
Upon entering the classroom, he noticed a couple of Gryffindor boys he had already glimpsed around, and decided to sit right behind them: as much as he didn't dislike Potions, sitting in the front row was unheard of for him. He glanced around quickly before taking out his book and preparing for the lesson. Perhaps it was precisely the lack of windows in the classroom that allowed him to concentrate, he reflected, since he usually spent at least the first ten minutes staring out of the window. This time, however, another distraction caught his attention: the boy in front of him kept fidgeting excitedly, arranging all his belongings and ingredients in front of him, while his deskmate looked at him with an expression that Mat couldn't quite decipher. At one point, he spoke to him, hoping that it would go better than the last lesson. Mat remained silent for a moment, unsure whether to join the conversation or not, then curiosity got the better of him: “What happened in the last class?” he asked loudly enough for both of them to hear.

@Max Kenneally Vidler, @Azrael Holloway, @Jude Morgan

Reducio

Mentions: @Max Kenneally Vidler, @Jude Morgan and @Mat Duncan

Azrael has always enjoyed how chilly it is down here, it's basically the perfect environment for him to be in- dark and cold, his favorite combination.

It's a shame (at least for Azrael) that other places around the castle aren't as cold... he's never really enjoyed the heat at all, even just a slight chance in temperature and he's already gone and up in another (colder) place, he just can't really deal with it...it annoys him to no ends- sure, he can stay put If it's necessary even if the heat Is deeply annoying to him, but it's not something he ever enjoys doing.

As he stepped inside the potions classroom, he couldn't help but notice that by now- most seats were taken.

Although there was one seat next to a Gryffindor boy, right behind two more Gryffindor boys- since Azrael isn't the kind of person to just March over and take a seat, he quietly makes his way over to the table...

...and with his usual monotone tone of voice, he murmured...
______________________••___________________§- "... excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?"
_____________________••____________________
He asked, kind of to all 3 people instead of just the one sitting by himself...he assumed they knew each other, he's just never been good at telling if someone is friends with someone else- so he made sure to ask all of them in case they were saving the seat up for someone else.

He asked quietly just so the others could continue speaking without needing to stop to address him...he's always been one to ask before doing anything that involves others, regardless of how "obvious" it is that he can in fact, do things.

He had assumed the 3 boys knew each other, seeing as they had been talking when he got there ..he didn't pick up on what they said, as he walked inside the classroom last.

Now, even though it's not visible on his face because of his continuous blank expression, he's very awkward when it comes to talking to people.

He didn't exactly want to just walk over and sit there...what if they're saving up the seat for someone else? It would be pretty awkward to be told that while already having sat down.

His unblinking eyes slowly trailed over to the two boys sitting upfront- one of them seems enthusiastic about the class...

Azrael is...well, he's average in potions- not because he hates it, he just does what needs to be done and gets it over with- so it's only natural he gets good grades, just not enough to be considered amazing.

That, and he also spaces out easily...so he can get a bad grade here or there from not remembering the instructions correctly.

"Oh! I'll tell you all about it..." Jude chirped when he noticed the students around him were talking, and to him, too. His eyes sparkled at the realization. Finally, this was his chance to make some friends he would surely impress with his (definitely improved) Potion skills!

He shuffled in his seat, making sure to glance at the boys, so they'd feel included in the conversation. The one right next to him had dark hair that seemed to be annoying to manage, falling over his eyes. The other one, sitting behind them, looked shorter than him, with light brown hair and brown eyes.

"... Last class was a nightmare, at least for me. I don't think what I made could even be described as a potion... not even a poison. It was just... some weird-looking liquid with no magical properties whatsoever," He couldn't help the way his shoulders dropped at those words, the memories of his first experiences with all subjects at Hogwarts looming over his head like a tempestuous cloud.

Before he could continue to explain his further disgrace in other subjects, another Gryffindor approached. The new student looked a little... different. Definitely quieter, unlike the type of person Jude tried to be. Not that he cared, anyway. To him, the boy was just another potential friend.

"Yeah, go ahead, mate," Jude pointed to the seat available. (While he didn't want to get ahead of himself, Jude couldn't help but wonder how cool it'd be if they walked out of class together. He was getting tired of being alone when he wasn't picking fights with Slytherin girls.) "I'm Jude. Jude Morgan,"

His eyes jumped from each of the boys, expecting them to introduce themselves, and hopefully share some failed attempts at Potions, or any other subjects. That would help him feel a little better about his magical ineptitude.

_{private thread with @Max Kenneally Vidler, @Azrael Holloway and @Mat Duncan}

Banner By Julia Evans

—— ✰ ——Interacting with: @Jude Morgan, @Mat Duncan and @Azrael Holloway—✰
—— ✰ ——Dialogue: 225700—————|||——— ✧ ——Words: 483|||||—— ✰

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The fact that his statement was answered by someone else than the one it was intended for was surprising, but not unexpected. His statement was usually for anyone bothering to listen so he gave only a sly grin to the boy joining them. Max was ready to lay down the story of his disaster from last class when the boy sitting next to him started talking. He got no further than «Well…» Before he could shut his mouth. It was the polite thing to do after all.

He leaned back a bit as he listened intently. A bad result never felt good, and he did not feel like sharing the embarrassing opinion that his own attempt was worse. So he gave the boy a sympathizing shrug and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could utter a single sound another boy joined them. As the well prepared one answered enough in his opinion, Max gestured towards the seat in agreement. Now they were finally a group! Maybe now was the time he would make friends? Not that he didn’t talk to people, but it was hard not remembering faces and names from one time to the next.

Finally sensing a pause in conversation after the boy sitting next to him, Jude, introduced himself Max jumped at the chance to share himself. «Your attempt sounds kind of better than mine» He admitted to Jude before addressing all of them. «Last class I sat with some Hufflepuffs. It was sort of a disaster to be honest. Halfway through my cauldron started like, really smoking» With a bit of a guilty shrug he pinched his thumb and index finger together «I swear it was this close to exploding and it started spewing this horrible stench. Even worse than normal, if you can believe it! This one Hufflepuff could barely breathe and ran out.» Despite the somber tone he couldn’t hold back a low snort. «I felt really bad for her, but when I saw her again at lunch she was all mad about her robe smelling like death, and so I may have blurted out that she deserved it»

Color was now rising up his throat and filled his cheeks. Speaking without any hesitation or thought may be an every day occurrence, but it did not mean he never felt bad for it. Looking around the group for a moment he got the feeling that he was forgetting something. «Oh! My name is Max by the way. Kenneally Vidler» Finally letting go of the pinecone he put his hands on the table in front of him and drummed them at a set beat. He felt he had said enough. Not that he didn’t have more disasters to share, but he had decided today would be different. So looking between the boys who had joined them last he waited for one of them to take the floor.[/color]

Mat noticed that the boy he had addressed had greeted him with a smile, and he reciprocated, but it was the boy on the left who answered immediately, as if he couldn't wait to speak. He was very expressive when he spoke, Mat noticed, and this immediately made him likeable.
"... excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?" asked a voice beside him. Mat turned to the new interlocutor, looking at him with curiosity. He saw that he was also a Gryffindor, but otherwise he couldn't have been more different from him: he had dark hair and large, blue eyes that seemed empty. Mat's gaze met his expressionless eyes for a moment, which stared at him in an unsettling way, yet intrigued him. Seeing him not blink, Mat was struck by the thought that he was trying to have a staring contest, but he immediately realised how silly that was. His mouth widened into a smile: "Sure" he replied, moving his things, which he had scattered on the nearby desk while it was empty, as the other two also encouraged him to sit down.
The conversation resumed as if nothing had happened, creating an atmosphere of ease as if they were already friends. This time it was the other boy, who introduced himself as Max, who talked about the last Potions lesson. Mat laughed with amusement when he heard him say that he might have told the Hufflepuff girl that she deserved it. When he fell silent, Mat waited a few seconds before speaking, partly to make sure he had finished, as he didn't like to interrupt, and partly because he was following the rhythm Max was drumming on the desk.
"Well, my Potions lessons aren't as entertaining as yours" he began. "My biggest problem is my slowness. Last time, when we were supposed to prepare two antidotes, I was still halfway through the first one." He sighed, knowing that the situation would not improve because he was convinced that haste was a particularly dangerous ingredient in potions. His eyes lit up as another anecdote came to mind: "But it was in Astronomy that I did my best. Last week, lying on those soft cushions, with the starry sky above and the professor's soothing voice... well, all I know is that I woke up when everyone else was getting up" he concluded, shrugging. "I'll never understand that subject" he added shaking his head.

Reducio

Mentions: @Max Kenneally Vidler, @Jude Morgan and @Mat Duncan

Reducio

Umbrella:

Azrael quietly sat down, placing his bag on the floor and then pushing it to the side with his foot- like always, he of course brought his umbrella...it's honestly strange how he always seems to take it with him regardless if he's inside or somewhere without rain or strong sunlight.

It's not open- but it's been a sunny day so far, with no indications of there being approaching rain any time soon.

But that's just how he is...if he's not using it for the rain, it's for the direct sunlight (he can't seem to hate anything more than direct heat from the sun on his skin, it annoys him to no end) or for the heat- as it expels cold air on whoever is under it while it's open.

But anyways... Azrael listened patiently as the 3 boys spoke, talking about their past potions classes... Azrael hasn't really had a "horrible" class so far, he's usually average in potions- apart from occasionally spacing out and forgetting what he was supposed to be doing.

As all 3 finished speaking, Azrael's big, unblinking eyes narrowed as he seemed to think for a minute...
_______________________••__________________§- "...well, so far I haven't had anything similar happen to me...apart from forgetting what I was supposed to do once or twice...I'm usually average enough in potions."
___________________••____________________
He wasn't good or bad, just... average.

He didn't really try his best, mostly because he's not really interested in proving he's good or can do something perfectly- sure, that's not a bad thing...but it of course requires more effort, and Azrael would rather spend it on something else- after all, as long as his potion is good enough to work the way it's supposed to, there's no need to go further, right? Maybe that's just Azrael's way of thinking though.

He's made a few small mistakes here and there, but he hasn't had anything notable happen to him just yet.
_____________________••____________________§- "...if any of you need help with something potions related, perhaps I could help you study? I'm not the best, but I know my way around well enough."
____________________••_____________________Azrael said with a slight shrug of his shoulders- unblinking eyes staring calmly at them...has he blinked this whole time? Maybe, it's hard to catch him doing it, though.

After a small pause- he suddenly clicked his tongue, as if remembering something.
____________________••_____________________§- "...right, I forgot...apologies- my name is Azrael Holloway, it's a pleasure to meet you all."
___________________••______________________Despite being from a long pureblooded lineage, the Holloways have basically fought tooth and nail to keep themselves as far away from gossip, rumours or being known much- they're all loners, and would rather not be well known... although, the rumour part didn't work all that well-

A day never goes by without a new ridiculous rumour about the Holloways suddenly appearing out of thin air- they fade just as fast as they arrive, though.

By now, Azrael is completely unbothered by them- he doesn't even acknowledge them half the time...and when he does, it's usually because of how absurd they sound.

All of them stem from the fact that his family is private...they don't share details about themselves with anyone outside their family circle- so naturally, people fill in the blanks with what they THINK might be true... they're never quite right, though.
_____________________••____________________§- "... hopefully class is relatively calm today."
____________________••_____________________he added with a murmur, placing his head on his hand as he leaned against the desk, eyes half lidded in his usual calm.

His left leg bounced under the table as he listened to the other boys talk. A small smile appeared on his face, far more naive and gentle than the one Jude sported upon taking his seat in class — the prospect of finding three new friends among these Gryffindors made him nervous, excited. His extroverted nature led him to form some short-lived friendships while in Muggle school. No matter how hard he tried, he always managed to keep people away, just like Mother.

His ego replaced that nervousness; however, that pointed out none of them were experts in Potions, which meant he could take that spot by practicing hard. Bringing both hands up, Jude took it upon himself to fulfill that role right away.

"I've been studying, so I can help with Potions, if needed. I'll show you all — just wait and see!" He said. The words, although confident, carried a clear weight of nervousness, as if any of the Gryffindors had directly challenged his abilities, which was untrue.

Deep down, beneath the capable mask Jude put on, he was terrified of embarrassing himself even further now. He hoped none of them could see it.

Instructions appeared on the blackboard as the Potions professor introduced today's brewing. It didn't seem overly complicated, but then again, it never did. Leave it to him to mess it up, though. Jude kept his eyes on the board, scanning the ingredients written down and the methods of preparation. The professor's voice was soothing, but it wasn't enough to help with his nerves.

Then, he glanced down at his material. The longer he looked, the more impossible it felt.

He swallowed on nothing, trembling hands reaching for his wand. It was cold just a minute ago, how come he was sweating? Shaking his head, Jude gave one final look to his classmates, offering them a thumbs up, before diving headfirst into the practical part of his Potions class.

I can do this... I can do this...

_{private thread with @Max Kenneally Vidler, @Azrael Holloway and @Mat Duncan}

Banner By Julia Evans

—— ✰ ——Interacting with: @Mat Duncan, @Jude Morgan & @Azrrael Holloway—— ✰
—— ✰ ——Dialogue: 225700—————|||——— ✧ ——Words: 337|||||—— ✰

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He let out a snort at Mat’s description of astronomy. He could not say he disagreed. Though his objection to the class was closer related to the rules, more specifically the one about no class clowns, he felt he would never understand that class either.

Looking around at all three of them he found himself feeling a bit more settled. The few days it had been since the first day had gone by in a flash of faceless people and what felt like impossible tasks. Surrounded by the fellow Gryffindors he caught himself in hoping that he would find himself some friends yet.

As Azrael and Jude both shared their willingness to help he stilled his hands. That others were better than him was not a problem in the slightest. «I don’t really care who, as long as someone can lend a hand. It feels like there is a code here but it is so far out of reach I don’t have the faintest idea of how to crack it!» He ruffled his hair and shrugged while looking between them. The confidence around him was calming so his fingers started drumming once more.

The class started, and just like last class he felt his attention jump around. Wether it was the sounds that occupied the room or the professor’s calming voice he did not know. Nevertheless he grew impatient and found himself looking about the room. The carnivorous plant looked to be cleaning itself so Max found himself wondering what size of creatures it could possibly ingest.

Oh, right. He was supposed to be working. Taking a long look at the blackboard for instructions before grabbing the nearest ingredient. The plants he could remember just fine but the others were a problem. Who had the time to look at labels anyway? He slumped the ingredient into his cauldron and grabbed for the next one. On the way to do so though, something moved outside of the windows showing the great lake and he was distracted once more.