12 Mar 2019, 06:11
The Waters Edge
She sat there intently listening to Howie as he mentioned that he was quite right physically but mentally he wasn't quite so sure. He must have had a lot on his mind since he came so late within the school year. He mentioned that the castle was giving him anxiety and that he was having trouble sleeping at night. She smiled gently and said "If you are having a hard time sleeping, I could play you a lullaby?" she added "I play the flute, piano and the harp. The harp being the most soothing instrument of the three."
Howie continued, it was more than she thought, nightmares to be more specific. A specific nightmare that kept causing him night upon night of no sleep. Astoria looked back at the lake, listening to him. "When did you start getting this nightmare?" Astoria asked, "Once again, not meaning to be nosy or anything." Sometimes Astoria would think she would get too involved with other people's lives but she was just a kind person, always wanting to be the one that others could turn to to feel safe and free of judgement.
Howie continued, it was more than she thought, nightmares to be more specific. A specific nightmare that kept causing him night upon night of no sleep. Astoria looked back at the lake, listening to him. "When did you start getting this nightmare?" Astoria asked, "Once again, not meaning to be nosy or anything." Sometimes Astoria would think she would get too involved with other people's lives but she was just a kind person, always wanting to be the one that others could turn to to feel safe and free of judgement.
14 Mar 2019, 02:35
The Waters Edge
A lullaby? Did he look like a freakin’ baby! If she could see his eyes, she might see a glimmer of the anger. It was always with him, a sleeping beast that lived in his belly. The slightest touch and it would jump up to roar. Howie took a sharp intake of breath through his nose to keep it at bay. It was this anger that was his nightmare. Yes, the dementor haunted his sleep, but it was the memory the shrouded monster unlocked that was the true terror. The first time Howie expressed his magic.
His longtime bully would fall hard to the ground as Howie tackled him, thrashing out with his fists. The beast had awoken after years of torment. As the anger poured out of Howie, something else came with it. Power. His magic had manifested in this moment and he cursed the other boy. Passion is a powerful component in working magic. One must draw off of their own energy and focus it through their instrument, and for Howie, this energy was rage. It heightened his magical abilities, making him stronger, more focused, and it was also his curse. For the next few years, Howie would repress the memory, only being able to remember the physical altercation, until that night with the dementor. They have the ability to make you relive your worst moments, and when it attacked, Howie would remember. The anger leads to power, and the power leads to elation.
Howie blinked his eyes, coming back to the present, the flash of anger would dissipate. “Umm...they started near the end of last summer. I had a hand on them for a while, but eventually it just became too much. I went to go see some doctors, but nothing seemed to work. Doesn’t help that we couldn’t tell them about magic. You see this all started when I was attacked...by a dementor. Do you know of them?”
His longtime bully would fall hard to the ground as Howie tackled him, thrashing out with his fists. The beast had awoken after years of torment. As the anger poured out of Howie, something else came with it. Power. His magic had manifested in this moment and he cursed the other boy. Passion is a powerful component in working magic. One must draw off of their own energy and focus it through their instrument, and for Howie, this energy was rage. It heightened his magical abilities, making him stronger, more focused, and it was also his curse. For the next few years, Howie would repress the memory, only being able to remember the physical altercation, until that night with the dementor. They have the ability to make you relive your worst moments, and when it attacked, Howie would remember. The anger leads to power, and the power leads to elation.
Howie blinked his eyes, coming back to the present, the flash of anger would dissipate. “Umm...they started near the end of last summer. I had a hand on them for a while, but eventually it just became too much. I went to go see some doctors, but nothing seemed to work. Doesn’t help that we couldn’t tell them about magic. You see this all started when I was attacked...by a dementor. Do you know of them?”
14 Mar 2019, 04:53
The Waters Edge
There was a moment of silence, much like the silence when Astoria was following Howie down to the water. She assumed he was probably thinking of how much he should say to her. Of course, she was going to promise him that once they were finished with the conversation, she wouldn't say anything to anyone about this encounter. Not that two Hufflepuff students snuck out at night, but the troubles that Howie was facing. Astoria had her own secrets.
The silence was then broken when Howie started to speak once again. He said that an incident happened near the end of last summer, the summer that Astoria was going to spend her days at home before starting her years at Hogwarts. He said that these nightmares that he was having were becoming too much. Howie even said that he went to doctors to seek help. "Did you go to the healers at St. Mungo's? Maybe they could have provided more assistance?" Astoria asked, trying to make sure she was getting a clear picture of where Howie was at. Astoria was quite aware of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Her Grandmama was a healer.
There was an attack that Howie went through, goosebumps went up her arms. He was attacked?! By what was called a...a dementor? "A dementor?" Astoria repeated, making sure that she heard him correctly. "I've never heard of dementors before...My father had an interest with magical creatures but I don't think he's ever mentioned those. He did have a bad encounter with a pack of Gytrashes..." That was how him and Astoria's mother met. He saved her from a pack of them and some friends after she snuck out of Hogwarts during the night for a class.
The silence was then broken when Howie started to speak once again. He said that an incident happened near the end of last summer, the summer that Astoria was going to spend her days at home before starting her years at Hogwarts. He said that these nightmares that he was having were becoming too much. Howie even said that he went to doctors to seek help. "Did you go to the healers at St. Mungo's? Maybe they could have provided more assistance?" Astoria asked, trying to make sure she was getting a clear picture of where Howie was at. Astoria was quite aware of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Her Grandmama was a healer.
There was an attack that Howie went through, goosebumps went up her arms. He was attacked?! By what was called a...a dementor? "A dementor?" Astoria repeated, making sure that she heard him correctly. "I've never heard of dementors before...My father had an interest with magical creatures but I don't think he's ever mentioned those. He did have a bad encounter with a pack of Gytrashes..." That was how him and Astoria's mother met. He saved her from a pack of them and some friends after she snuck out of Hogwarts during the night for a class.
19 Mar 2019, 02:51
The Waters Edge
OOC: Sorry for the late reply, I’ve been very busy with work.
IC:
“Yes...we talked to the people from St. Mungo’s, but there wasn’t much they could do. The problem is psychological. I don’t think they are that well equipped for such things. So, we saw a muggle doctor. It helped for a while, but it always comes back.”
Howie rubbed his eyes with his hands, the fatigue setting in further as he told his story. He spoke a bit fast, the pent up emotions flowing out of him. It did not surprise him that she hadn’t heard of the wicked dementors. Before his attack, he himself would have doubted that such vile creatures could exist, even in a the magical world of theirs.
“You’re lucky you don’t know of them. They’re awful. I had no idea they even existed until the attack. I read up on them since. They used to guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. The history books said Voldemort recruited them during his second uprising. They feed off of people’s souls...and when they attack. They make you see the worst moments of your life.”
Howie’s voice was thick with emotions as he spoke the last line, he would turn his head away to try and hide the wet in his eyes. Looking out over the lake, he cleared his throat, trying to swallow the lump rising within it.
“Never heard of Gytrashes.”
He mumbled, a weak attempt to change the subject, one that Astoria might see right through. He was raw, it would only take a little push to get him to continue.
IC:
“Yes...we talked to the people from St. Mungo’s, but there wasn’t much they could do. The problem is psychological. I don’t think they are that well equipped for such things. So, we saw a muggle doctor. It helped for a while, but it always comes back.”
Howie rubbed his eyes with his hands, the fatigue setting in further as he told his story. He spoke a bit fast, the pent up emotions flowing out of him. It did not surprise him that she hadn’t heard of the wicked dementors. Before his attack, he himself would have doubted that such vile creatures could exist, even in a the magical world of theirs.
“You’re lucky you don’t know of them. They’re awful. I had no idea they even existed until the attack. I read up on them since. They used to guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. The history books said Voldemort recruited them during his second uprising. They feed off of people’s souls...and when they attack. They make you see the worst moments of your life.”
Howie’s voice was thick with emotions as he spoke the last line, he would turn his head away to try and hide the wet in his eyes. Looking out over the lake, he cleared his throat, trying to swallow the lump rising within it.
“Never heard of Gytrashes.”
He mumbled, a weak attempt to change the subject, one that Astoria might see right through. He was raw, it would only take a little push to get him to continue.
20 Mar 2019, 19:49
The Waters Edge
Astoria couldn't connect with Howie, no matter what. She had never experienced what the troubles he had gone through and as much as she wanted to be a help, she knew she couldn't until she would experience that fearful moment he did. He confirmed that he spoke to healers at St. Mungo's and even they couldn't be helpful. Muggle doctors were have said to have helped but still. Astoria sighed "I'm so sorry Howie, I don't even know what to say..." What could she do anyways? She then asked "Maybe a professor here could help you? Maybe give you assistance in defending yourself if the encounter was ever to happen again?" There had to be a solution. There's always something.
Astoria never bad run ins like this before. Part of the reason being was her parents raised her in a very protective environment and with both of them working at the Ministry, they would hear about every bad thing that would come their way in a moments time. They were quite gifted with protective charms and there was always charms upon charms placed on their home. And with Astoria's Grandmama, Matilda, living at home with her, there was always someone at home to watch if anything was to happen.
The conversation seemed to take a turn for the worst as Howie had described slightly what the Dementors were like. She got a chill of fright just from the brief information he was giving her. She could sense a crack in his voice, this had to be hard, clearly. She patted the top of the rock next to her, motioning him to come and sit. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a soft, silk handkerchief with her initials initials ARM stitched in purple.
Howie mentioned that he never heard of Gytrashes before. "They are a spirit dog-like creature that lurk in the forest..." Astoria pointed to over to their right. "Just before my parents started to date, my mother had snuck out alone to the grounds to gather ingredients for her potions class. There was thick fog that came across and they emerged in a pack of six. The odd coincidence was that my father and his four other friends were gathering their ingredients as well. They rescued her and within the next night, they had an interest with one another." Astoria didn't want to bore Howie though with that story, he probably wouldn't want to hear about it.
Astoria never bad run ins like this before. Part of the reason being was her parents raised her in a very protective environment and with both of them working at the Ministry, they would hear about every bad thing that would come their way in a moments time. They were quite gifted with protective charms and there was always charms upon charms placed on their home. And with Astoria's Grandmama, Matilda, living at home with her, there was always someone at home to watch if anything was to happen.
The conversation seemed to take a turn for the worst as Howie had described slightly what the Dementors were like. She got a chill of fright just from the brief information he was giving her. She could sense a crack in his voice, this had to be hard, clearly. She patted the top of the rock next to her, motioning him to come and sit. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a soft, silk handkerchief with her initials initials ARM stitched in purple.
Howie mentioned that he never heard of Gytrashes before. "They are a spirit dog-like creature that lurk in the forest..." Astoria pointed to over to their right. "Just before my parents started to date, my mother had snuck out alone to the grounds to gather ingredients for her potions class. There was thick fog that came across and they emerged in a pack of six. The odd coincidence was that my father and his four other friends were gathering their ingredients as well. They rescued her and within the next night, they had an interest with one another." Astoria didn't want to bore Howie though with that story, he probably wouldn't want to hear about it.
23 Mar 2019, 03:02
The Waters Edge
Howie reached out, his hands shaking slightly as he took the handkerchief from Astoria. There was a time not long ago that he would have been embarrassed to let a tear loose in front of a relative stranger. The social norms of his upbringing, boys don’t cry, man up! It all seemed like nonsense now. His experience over the summer had changed him. Although his mind suffered a great trauma, it did mature him, shifting his perspective on such trivial things. There were true terrors in this world, things much more terrifying than expressing emotion in front of others. “Thanks.” He muttered as he wiped his eyes. “Yeah, I guess I could talk with one of the Professors.”
Howie sat with her on the rock, allowing himself to lay back against the stone, staring up to the stars. He didn’t blame the girl for not knowing what to say. No one did. How could anyone relate without having experienced it themselves. He felt alone. He listened as she told him of the Gytrashes. It should have been a nice story. Two young people falling in love after one saves the other. A storybook romance. However for himself, no good would come from his attack. There would be no shining knight to come to his rescue.
“Don’t apologize. It's not your fault. It all comes down to magic doesn’t it?” This was Howie’s truth. His life had been quite ordinary up until the discovery of his magic. That’s when it all came to an abrupt halt. He was now away from his family and friends from his muggle life, cast away to this stone prison of a school. They all looked at him differently now, and he hated it. “You see, it was a gift for your parents, and maybe yourself as well. It’s done nothing but ruin my life. I wish I could just make it go away.”
Howie sat with her on the rock, allowing himself to lay back against the stone, staring up to the stars. He didn’t blame the girl for not knowing what to say. No one did. How could anyone relate without having experienced it themselves. He felt alone. He listened as she told him of the Gytrashes. It should have been a nice story. Two young people falling in love after one saves the other. A storybook romance. However for himself, no good would come from his attack. There would be no shining knight to come to his rescue.
“Don’t apologize. It's not your fault. It all comes down to magic doesn’t it?” This was Howie’s truth. His life had been quite ordinary up until the discovery of his magic. That’s when it all came to an abrupt halt. He was now away from his family and friends from his muggle life, cast away to this stone prison of a school. They all looked at him differently now, and he hated it. “You see, it was a gift for your parents, and maybe yourself as well. It’s done nothing but ruin my life. I wish I could just make it go away.”