Small Thrills PV Anatole Evans Finished

Anatole's confusion shot through the roof as the Small Hall had apparently become West End. This Professor, whoever he was, seemed to be a little...dramatic. Possibly all too over-dramatic sometimes. Yes, Anatole thoroughly enjoyed theatre, but he was usually the type of person to sit back and watch it rather than participate himself. Sergei and the Beast's only reasoning was to see the Transfiguration Professor as a bear in a dress. And possibly dancing with Lear. And maybe to tick Adam off once or twice.

Anyways, he turned back to the man, still unknown, as he called out Anatole's surname. "I--" His freezing finger raised in between the two, and Anatole was forced to cut himself off. He seemed to continue his dramatic monologue.

Somehow, Anatole was getting comfortable with the man, whoever he was. Even though his features frightened him, Anatole persisted to try to break out of his shell. Where was the common braggadocious self that showed in front of Adam and Max when he needed it? Exhaling from an earlier deep breath, and somehow controlling his nerves, he began. "Yes, I found one. We shall, uh..." Maybe it would be fun to mimick the man. "We shall venture forth!"

Anatole started down the hall with his cloak in his hands and in no apparent rush. Yes, Lucy was in pain, but the passage had diverged from the hall in a place hard to pinpoint with the naked eye. He sidestepped, almost going into a small chassé as he watched the paintings (watch back at him as well), and proceeded to look for the clandestine hideaway.

At the sound of the Professor's voice, Anatole turned around. "I...I don't believe so, no. She's probably a perfectly normal girl, Lucy O'Sullivan." The look he shot made the boy pick up the pace. At last, he found the passageway. "I, uh...I never got your name, Professor."

"So, uh, the story goes that Lucy, my friend, and I were walking up these stairs - she had found the passageway - and without me noticing, she fell in." Carefully stopping himself from plummeting into the perilous pit, Anatole peered down into the darkness, calling out to his friend. "Lucy? Are you still down there? I got, uh..." He looked back at the slender elf-man, "I got someone."

"Was that meant to be a parody of my magniloquence? If so then I must say, it's rather cute." Cute, in the manner that I had said it, should not be taken as a compliment. That was me availing Mr. Evans of the fact that I had found the attempt to be tawdry; a complete travesty. Not that he had to know the hole-and-corner meaning behind my words, and I had added just enough inflection so as to ensure that he wouldn't. He had yet to do anything that would invoke my wrath, so I would give him the benefit of the doubt until such a time when he got on my very last nerve.

"My name? Were you not among the group of little monsters in my first teaching of the second lesson?" He might not even know of which lesson I spoke seeing as he didn't know my name. No matter. I absolutely love when people know who I am, so it was no trouble for me to repeat the name that would become a part of their every waking thought. "You may address me as Professor Valtome." After he had been enlightened on the wonderful name that was mine, I listened to his little explanation as to why his friend was currently trapped in a hole. I hadn't even noticed when the story ended, as I had been expecting more. "Is that it? Truly? You both were simply taking a stroll and then she...fell down a hole?" Mercy, I beg. It would seem I have my work cut out for me dealing with a bunch of foolish children.

It wasn't long before we arrived at the site of the accident, and the cavity in the ground seemed altogether noticeable, to say the least. How had she managed to fall in again? "Clearly you must have been distracting her in some way, Mr. Evans. If I didn't know better I would hazard a guess that you might have even planned this from the start." Inching closer to the edge until I was peering over into the darkness, I made a tutting sound that vocalized my reproof. "Why oh why are you still trudging about in the dark, Ms. O'Sullivan?" I whipped my head around to look directly at Mr. Evans with a denigrating stare. "Surely you two must know the wand-lighting charm by now. I assume you have been parted from your wand?" The last part was aimed at her, but I still looked critically at Mr. Evans, wanting to know if they were truly so minus.

Lucy had all but given up hope by the time Anatole returned. He was probably only gone for a little over a quarter of an hour, but Lucy had felt the will to maintain hope dwindling. The utter darkness and the cold hard stone allowed her to easily imagine herself as a prisoner in Azkaban. In fact, she was imagining receiving the Dementor's Kiss and felt her limbs becoming increasingly heavy when she heard the clatter of footfalls. After sitting so long in the silence, her ears detected them from farther away than when he had left. 

When she heard Anatole's voice, she gave a shout for joy. At last she would get out of this blasted space under the staircase. However, her cry was strangled in her throat when she heard a smooth, velvety, and none-too-pleased voice pierce the space.

"Surely you two must know the wand-lighting charm by now."

Lucy's cheeks flushed. That voice could only be the mysterious and intimidating Potions professor. She blinked, surprised that he knew her name off the top of his head. She had done nothing to distinguish herself in his class. In fact, he had removed marks from her last assignment because it was a bit untidy. Feeling the need to defend herself, she rose shakily to her feet. Pins and needles coursed through her legs as this was the first movement they had experienced in quite awhile. She was careful to favour her right leg, so she put almost all her weight on her left as she stood.

"Actually, Professor, I have not learned that charm yet. I have read about it. though, as homework. I think that Lumos will be covered in our next lesson.  And... no sir. I have my wand. But I thought it would be foolish to attempt the charm when I had not properly learned it. Sir." She tacked on the honorific at the end, hoping she didn't sound too flippant. "But I did hurt my hip rather badly. The passage was dark, see, and I didn't expect there to be a trick stair..." she gestured vaguely in the darkness towards the two figures above her and the general direction of the step that she fell through.

Lucy's voice was quieter as she responded once more. "Can you help me, Professor?"

A parody? Yes, well, that was what he intended, but would it be best to keep a lie to this flamboyant Professor? Parts of him might have even been a lie…

But such deep notions were meant to be considered later in time, maybe when he knew the man better and had taken a few painstaking classes with him as an instructor. He decided it would be best to play it honest. ”Yes, it was supposed to be a 'parody of your magniloquence.’” He narrowly mispronounced the final word. Rather...cute? It didn't sound like a flattering compliment the way he said it. It was strange how he said it, with just the precise amount of inflection to rub it the wrong way. This is where Anatole decided it would be best to lie. ”Why thank you.” He smiled as the man introduced himself as they meandered down the hall (however in a frantic hurry) and Anatole almost missed the passage to the hallway. ”Well, yes, Professor Valtome, that quite frankly is what happened. We were having a fun conversation before this happened, and, and she's my friend, so I don't understand why you think I would have such...uh...notorious intents!” Anatole was proud of himself for using big words.

The two of them filed up the stairs, Anatole dashing up first and Professor Valtome poised behind him. ”I didn't distract her, in fact, I was behind her when she fell! I was looking the other way and didn't hear her until later!” Anatole stood back as the elf-man with the strange “visage” went to go investigate the scene. He still stayed dramatic, Anatole observed, since he stated what would have been the beginning of a soliloquy if it hadn't been for his inquiry to the two students. The Gryffindor did not know what to think of such an attitude considering he had never been exposed to a being such as this. He found it fun to play along.

His penetrating stare made Anatole jump, almost falling back down the stairs. Luckily, he caught himself again and could not make words form out of his lips. He was afraid of that nasty finger to separate the Professor and him again. However, being polite, he replied to his inquiry. ”Yes, I have learned the wand-lighting charm, not sure about Lucy.”

Anatole, trying to keep his balance in order to not fall into the pit, clutched onto the side of the wall and kept his hand on Professor Valtome's back, not realizing the dangerous consequences that could arise from the action.

Mr. Evans' confirmation of having learnt the wand-lighting charm solicited a catechizing raise of my eyebrow in his direction. If his words were to be believed, then the current state of affairs begged the question. Why was Ms. O'Sullivan still blundering about in the dark? I opened my mouth with every intention of berating him for his lack of decorum, but was paused by Ms. O'Sullivan chirping in with disquieting words of her own. What in the world were these kids even learning at this school? One knew the charm but opted to leave his friend in the dark. The other had yet to learn such a simple spell.

She had hurt her hip it seemed, and now she was asking for my help. With a mock shake of my head as if concern was the leading sensation that I felt, I peered into the darkness in the general direction that her voice had come from. "How tragic." My discontent was perspicuous, leaving no room for either of them to misinterpret. Before anything else could be said or done, I felt the boy's hand on my back, using me to keep his balance. The sheer audacity! It would not do to simply push the poor boy into the dark hole. That could be misconstrued as animal cruelty. No. I would have to try and evict his sinful appendage by more...casual means. So I did the first thing that came to mind, which was to stoop even lower, practically teetering on the edge myself, but having enough sense of balance to maintain my position.

The sudden movement would have most likely caused the boy to start falling forward seeing as he had been pressing some weight onto my back for support. In any case it would not do to have him fall, and it was such that I reached a hand ahead to press against his midsection, preventing any further forward momentum while also pushing him backward and away from the pit. "Mr. Evans!" I intoned sharply. "Ready your wand and prepare yourself. I wish to witness you cast the wand-lighting charm to allow the poor girl some reprieve from the dark. How spooked she must be down there all by her lonesome." Maybe that would appeal to his sense of chivalry. "Besides. I can see naught but darkness below myself, and so I ask for some light if I am to get her to safety." Yes I could have cast both the spells myself to free her, but it was not in my nature to spoon-feed supposedly competent people, kids or not.

"Mr. Blackburn has surely taught you well I presume? Quickly then! I do not wish to be here all day." I watched and waited in silence for the boy to do as instructed and cast the spell to illuminate the darkness so that I could see where the girl was. All it would take was a flick of my wand and that would be the end of that. Hopefully he did not botch the spell and make a fool of himself, for I would certainly be the one to cast the first stone in my reproval of his lack of ability. "Just a moment longer my dear" I called down into the hole. Take it away, Mr. Evans. Take it away.

Lucy could not hear all of what was occurring in the stairwell above her, but she did hear two words quite clearly: "How tragic." The amount of disdain contained within those two words were tragic. She cringed, kicking herself mentally. She was sure that this would cost her house points and possibly Anatole house points as well. She unconsciously shifted onto her right leg, grimacing but determining to stand firm.

Couldn't you have found a more sympathetic professor, Anatole? she mentally asked herself, staring up into the vacant darkness. She chewed on her bottom lip, a deep pit of anxiety and dread welling up in her stomach. She tried to be gracious to the professor. We were the ones being idiotic. And I suppose we did rather lose our heads. I could have gotten out of this if I had applied myself. 

She heard them talking to each other above, but she could not make out the words. It was clear that the professor was waiting for Anatole to do something, but she wasn't sure what. Lucy felt the small relief of being stuck in the pit and not up there with an angry professor that expected excellence. She felt certain, though, that Anatole could rise to the occasion. She hadn't known him for very long, but he seemed to be one that could do well in a challenging situation.

"Just a moment longer my dear," reached her ears. The words did not reassure her - she was sure to face a cold fury once she was restored to the level above her.

Come on Anatole, she prayed silently, willing him to perform well. You can do it.

It was a treacherous wooden cliff the boy stood on, more near the dark under-stair abyss than he had previously concluded. Just the thought of falling in with Lucy, breaking his hip--and having Professor Valtome do more excruciating and painstaking work--made the boy shudder. The man’s back was nice; the Professor had oddly good balance. He was one of the few objects keeping Anatole from plummeting into the depths.

Well, that and the trusty piece of wood.

The man’s bony hand was shoved into the Gryffindor’s stomach, pushing him away as he stumbled back. Anatole reached out, leaning against the wall and narrowly preventing yet another possibly embarrassing fall.

What was particularly notable is that Valtome only addressed Anatole as “Mr. Evans”, no more, no less. Of course, Anatole loved this sudden formality, but it seemed off, still. Then again, he was the same man who used the word “cute” as something other than a compliment. Over time, he would have to adjust to whatever other quirks Professor Valtome might have.

As of now, he would have to focus on the present. At the Professor’s command, Anatole grabbed his wand, regaining what little balance he had and sprinting back up the stairs. He stood consciously behind the Professor and the pit. ”Alright! Okay! I’ll get to it.” Why did he have to cast it himself? Certainly the Professor had more than enough experience and vanity than the boy. Thankfully, he decided not to question as he focused on a spot in front of him, [attempting to?] cast the spell. ”Lumos.” Everyone was cheering him on, and therefore it would’ve been terrible if he failed. A disappointment in the making?

Luckily, the cherry wood illuminated right at the pinnacle of the drama, casting a brilliant beam of light down into the pit, revealing a sorry girl and a mish-mash of other rubbish with no value. Anatole struggled to contain his excitement, especially considering how well the adult in this situation handled it all. With an equally brilliant smile, he called down a few words of celebration to his trapped friend. ”I got it! You’ll be out soon, trust me!”

Color me impressed, mildly of course, at Mr. Evans' display of basic control. The faint light at the tip of his wand came as both a slight surprise and a non-event to me, and the two 'overhwleming' feelings warred for control inside me before I, with a crushing finality, put an end to it with an outward mien of inscrutability. For all to see, I had been underwhelmed by the casting of the charm, but I had to at least give him some reassurance that his work was appreciated, right? Self-esteem and all that. "Nicely done Mr. Evans. There may be hope for you yet." With that said, I retrieved my own wand and gestured a little to the left inside the pit. "If you would...?"

I was directing Mr. Evans to steer his light some distance in that direction so that I could grasp a better visual of Ms. O'Sullivan. The poor girl must have suffered enough as it was, and it was time to get her out of the hole. I had still yet to decide what I would say to these two in parting. Maybe something as platitudinous as "be careful next time" or "watch where you're going." Those were safe and could hardly be misunderstood. But then, when had I ever been known to conform to the norm? With a gesture and a wordless cast of the Mobilicorpus charm, I felt the moment my spell took hold of Ms. O'Sullivan's light body, and with little effort, I pulled her gently upwards and out of the hole. A few seconds of an untethered flight was all she would have to endure to find herself now standing (or otherwise) on the level ground atop the stairs.

My good deed for the next few weeks was done, though I must admit, my mood was no longer as sour as it had been some time ago. The deviation from my typical routine left me somewhat content, and I had to give these two all the credit that was due. Their silly antics had officially made my day. I shuddered at my own thoughts, thankful that they would remain just so and never see the light of day. I took a few respectable steps back so my towering height above these two would appear less intimidating, and then to Ms. O'Sullivan, "I strongly recommend you procure yourself a pair of glasses with which to see more clearly. It would not do to have you fall into yet another hole somewhere in such an old castle." And I was certain there would be more holes somewhere.

No doubt this section of the floor had surrendered under heavy foot traffic to and fro, not to mention old age. It was unfortunate that Ms. O'Sullivan had to be the one to experience the tragic accident, but her inelegant encounter would help me ensure that a repeat performance would not be staged. Stepping past them to venture closer to the hole yet again, I recalled seeing the rubble beneath, and with yet another silent cast and a wave of my wand, I watched the pieces reform with the floor. The final result saw the floor in pristine condition as if there had been no hole from the start. Just about to leave, the thought came to me that I had yet to assess the girl's current state, and it was so that I turned to face them both yet again. "Is anything amiss, Ms. O'Sullivan? If you wish then I am sure Mr. Evans here would be more than happy to see you to the Hospital Wing for a remedial checkup."

Though Lucy did not hear the spell, her eyes immediately latched on to the light produced through the hole in the floor above her. She shielded her eyes as the wand moved over the hole. After being in complete darkness for so long, the light seemed overwhelming. Or maybe Anatole can cast an exceptionally bright Lumos spell, she thought, clenching her eyes shut and noticing the light image had burned into the back of her eyelids.

Without warning, her feet left the floor and her stomach dropped into her shoes. A small shriek escaped her before she realised what was happening. Oh, hooray! she mentally cheered to herself, staring in awe at the receding stone beneath her. I'm saved! She squinted upwards once again, amazed to find herself rapidly ascending and placed on the stairway again with little ceremony. The light was still impossibly bright, and she squinted at her two rescuers. 

"I strongly recommend you procure yourself a pair of glasses with which to see more clearly. It would not do to have you fall into yet another hole somewhere in such an old castle."

Lucy automatically looked at her feet, partly from the light, partly from the burning embarrassment that plainly flushed her face from neck to the tips of her ears. "Yes, professor," she said, attempting to make her voice firm. She expected a harsh berating, but this reply from Professor Valtome was... well, almost kind. As she stared at her feet, she saw the hole repaired with an exceptional bout of unspoken magic. 

She glanced up, making fleeting eye contact with Anatole with raised eyebrows before Professor Valtome spoke again and called her attention back to his exotic features. "Is anything amiss, Ms. O'Sullivan? [...]"

Lucy started shaking her head right away. "I hurt my hip in the fall, but I think I'll be fine. It doesn't seem broken. Nothing to fuss over. Thank you, professor." She paused, realising her lack of specificity too late. "For helping me. And making sure I'm okay." She tacked on the last bit lamely, fumbling over her words. She barely resisted bringing her palm to her forehead. How do you repay someone who quite possibly saved your life?

The weight of her debt and gratitude caused her to speak once more. "Is there... uh... anything I can... do?" She blinked, realising what had just come out of her mouth. She groaned inwardly. What could she possibly do for a professor? No doubt he would have some smart reply. She clenched her teeth, forcing an embarrassed smile, mentally kicking herself. Why didn't you just say thank you and leave it at that, you dolt? Ugh. Her fading blush reclaimed her fair skin once more, seeming to turn her face into a near-permanent shade of pink.

He'd done it. Anatole had actually cast himself a charm outside of class, and in front of Professor Valtome. And even more impressive, this "Mr. Evans" might have just earned himself a spot on the man's good side. Only by his grades had he ever been on a Professor's "good side", and this was certainly an achievement. He was pushing the boundaries, and he was willing to keep this up. There was still hope. "Why thank you, Professor Valtome. Happy to help." Speaking of hope, Anatole hoped his gracious tone would only help him in the long run. Well, that and his O's in Potions.

There was something about the way he scolded Lucy. Was it the way he spoke it, the way his voice remained still soothing rather than angry and clearly disrupted? He was obviously an astute man, maybe even an actor of some sort with the "Woe is me!" bit, and he did a flawless job of entertaining Anatole. He liked the man in certain regions.

His mind drifted off in curiosity about the man when the mention of his surname snapped him back into the grim reality. "Hospital Wing! Yes!" It erupted out of his lips much more eager than he intended. "I mean, yes, I'd be more than happy to usher her off."

Anatole exchanged a glance with Lucy, one that almost asked her if she wanted to leave yet or repay him. The repayment would be best, and Anatole would rather stay by her side and next to Professor Valtome than sit in a Hospital Wing for a while. "Well, thank you again anyways. You've been a real help, sir." He waited patiently for Lucy, wondering if he wanted her to do anything for her.

As a friend, Anatole would be her right hand man in the aftermath.

Oof, tired, bad, reply, but here you go!