| Details for Magijugend Interview - Lucian |
| Summary: | Ria conducts Lucian's interview to join the Magijugend, with Eibhlin, Alphard, and Andromena looking on. Things get tense when Alphard produces his letter for the Daily Prophet for Ria's opinion, and Lucian gives his. |
| Date: | 19 November, 1938 |
| Location: | Entry Courtyard, Hogwarts |
| Related: | — |
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Right. Public. Just as intended. Ria sits outside on a stone bench in the courtyard, checking her watch anxiously and eyeing the castle doors for someone to arrive. A notebook and quill are on her lap as she twiddles her fingers and occassionally she looks up to the sky. It's rather overcast and gloomy looking this afternoon, and she's worried it may rain.
The guest of honour arrives, a smile gracing Lucian's lips the moment he sees Ria. But, goodness, is he sick? Those near him might notice faint green splotches on his skin around his neck and cheeks. But the spring in his step and brightness of his blue eyes doesn't seem to suggest illness. He approaches the stone bench and plops down confidently beside Ria. "I'm here. What tortures have you in store for me?"
Gloomy and overcast it might be, yet still there are times when one needs a bit of fresh air. Its especially true after a few hours of dealing with one Alphard Black (if you ask some). Its unsurprising to see the Slytherin exit from the Entry Hall with Andromena Rowle, but the addition of a second Ravenclaw, Eiblin Shine, is more so given it doesn't seem by coincidence.
Alphard looked a mixture of weariness and enthusiasm as he stepped out into the fresh air together with Andromena and Eibhlin. Of the two Ravenclaws he was undeniably closer to the former, against whom he walked close enough that they might as well be locked arm-in-arms, rather than just bumping shoulders and hips with every few steps. Eibhlin he seemed simply to.. tolerate. As usual he carried himself with the arrogant pride of someone who thought he was the best thing that had ever happened to the world.
"Ria. Hey." She got a friendly wave, while Lucian.. well. He just ignored Lucian.
Gloomy and overcast? That's just called atmosphere! Andromena would not mind a little rain, or even a lot. The cool, brisk air hit her face and revived her. The trio had just spend a good few hours up in the Louvre. Mostly Alphard did all the work; writing, dictating writing and just generally being very Alphard, but it took a lot of work to deal with him too, you know. Especially if you were Eibhlin Shine. Most especially, Andromena suspected.
"Hey Ria," she chimed in after Alphard. Her hand had lifted in a wave that included both Sykes and Proudmore. She hadn't any reason to ignore him herself.
Ria wants to smile too, and almost does until she sees the splotches on his face, then a grimace shrouds her expression instead. She forgot to tell him! "I think you ought to have that looked at. You look horrid," she frowns, but then replies to his question, "Well first you have to strip down to your knickers-" Ria would reveal more but some others seem to join in. "Oh, Alphard! Two eagles and a snake, you're not both devouring him, are you? You shouldn't go hungry since he has enough ego to feed Gryffindor," she says this to both Mena and Eibhlin. But at the Black boy's brightness, the tiniest of smiles points in Andromena's direction.
Lucian lifts his chin to the arrival of the trio with a bright smile. Good lord, the golden-boy looks happy. Is he drugged? "Hey, Rowle. Shine. Black." Yes, even Alphard gets a friendly smile and a wave, following by a personal chuckle at the Sixth Year's dismissal of him. He half-turns on the bench to face Ria, giving her a shrug. "I did. Madam Spleen said it was just some kind of dye. I figure the Arts Club must have left a mess that got onto a towel I used after a workout, or something." He shrugs, but nods to her notebook. "So, how's this work?"
"Nothing wrong with a bit of pride," Alphard told Ria with a cheeky smile. "Especially when it's well deserved." Which it obviously was in his case. With a shrug he finally glanced in Lucian's direction, measuring the older boy up. "So what's going on?" Since there had been some mention of knickers? Really? "Proudmore looks way too happy."
"Hey Proudmore, Sykes," Eibhlin greets the other two in turn with a slight smile and a nod to each in turn though for the most part she remains quiet. The question at hand is just what Lucian got into, but given he's already explaining to Ria there's not need to ask.
By the sweet, luxurious whiskers of Merlin, does Andromena have something to say about Ria's comment! She refrains, oh…how she refrains. It is something hardly worthy of polite conversation, let alone for a person as dignified as herself. Still…for the observant, there is more than a slight hint at a wry grin tugging at one corner of her mouth. Rowle, like her Ravenclaw compatriot, is content to remain quiet for now. She has Alphard to ask questions! Her gaze does shift between Ria and Lucian; things patching up, or falling down?
"Yes. Dye. Towel," Ria's mouth forms a stiff straightline as she agrees with his account. That's the story and she's sticking with it. To Alphard, she replies, "Oh yes, well today's a very special day for him. And for you and I as well. We have another interested in joining our fold. Mena, Eibhlin, consider this first-hand account of the truth of what the Magijugend is about, to contradict a rather ignorant petition that's been floating about." There's a bit of a sting to the way she says the word. She opens her notebook and as she flips through the pages she tells Lucian, "Just so you know. How you answer your questions are valued more than your actual answers." Writing his name, year, and house down in perfect script she asks the first question, "Why do you want to join the Magijugend?"
The critical look Alphard had bounced off Ria and Lucian when it came to the towel story became a downright straight up frown once it became clear that Lucian was going through the Magijugend interview. "I've got something to show you later regarding that petition, Ria." Then he was folding his arms across his chest in a coolly disapproving manner, watching Lucian like he was hoping there would be an obvious flaw in the answers.
Lucian sighs at the mention of the petition. He'd always liked Professor Merrythought, but it wasn't such a surprise that she'd be sacked after what she said at the Diagon Alley forum. But interview is underway, and he's tuning in to Ria. "It's like I told you before. I've been studying up about the state of things, and the history of Muggles and wizards. There is something seriously wrong with the world, and Grindelwald is the only one that seems to be willing to do what it takes to fix it. I can't just stand by and do nothing, so…here I am. First step toward becoming part of the solution."
Oh, so that was what was going on! An interview for the Magijugend. Andromena shares a look with Eibhlin, brows raised in interest. Considering what the trio had just come from doing, Andromena had every reason to be interested. Like Shine, she was not a member of the much-talked-about club. Like Alphard, she too has crossed her arms, if for entirely different reasons. She listens to the back-and-forth questions and answers between the pair, expression one of deep thought.
Curious yes, but Eiblin keeps any opinions she might have on the issue to herself for the time being. She for one doesn't stand with her arms crossed, instead hands folded politely at her waist, head tilted to one side just a bit as she listens.
Alphard's scowls are blatantly ignored by the Slytherin prefect. Ria seems to be all business at the moment, though she does look to the Black boy with interest and replies, "Do you? I hope it's something I'll look forward to." All the while, she takes notes on Lucian's response, quill scratching paper before she asks her next question casually, "And what is your blood status?"
That earned Ria a scowl, too. Obviously anything he came up with was destined to be looked forward to. Who did she think he was?! As Alphard listened he casually threaded his arm through Andromena's, then leaned in to whisper a few words in her ear.
"Pure-blood," Lucian replies directly. "My sire is the patriarch of the Proudmore family, and also comes by way of the Fudge line. My mother was born an Urquart." He says it all rather matter-of-factly, without much emphasis on any of the family lines.
Andromena, her arm now linked with Alphard's own, does well to keep her look of surprise somewhat minimal. Whatever he had told her was obviously news to the girl! She quickly whispered something back. Her attention, however, remains mostly focused on Ria and Lucian, because she is genuinely interested. As far as she had been aware, interviews for the Magijugend had been conducted by Headmaster Flint, and it had been anyone's guess as to just what went down. Andromena could have asked Alphard, but it simply had never crossed her mind to do so - she wasn't eaten alive by curiosity for it, you see.
Eibhlin was under a similar impression as Andromena as to the processes behind becoming a part of the 'notorious' club. A glance is sent towards the couple beside her as the boy whispers to the girl, a questioning look yet nothing voiced.
Ria groans and repeats in disgust mostly to herself, "Urquart. That is the worst name." That's more of a personal commentary than a penalization. Though she thinks having the name is punishment enough. "Oh don't squirm like that Alphard, darling. I was merely curious if it was bad news you're bringing me," she explains and continues taking notes. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Andromena and Alphard's arm. Perhaps a crinkling of a smile can be seen but it's not clear since she's looking down at her notebook. "What do you think about teaching magic to half-bloods and muggle-borns?"
"Is the veil of secrecy being lifted enough to suit you, Shine"? He had broken off with his soft little whispers to peer past Andromena and over at Eibhlin. Though he wore half a smile when he said it, it lacked the earlier enthusiasm. Apparently Lucian's answers just weren't to his liking!
"Squirm?" To Ria. Now he sounded properly annoyed. The hard set of his mouth said Alphard never squirmed, damn it! "Please. Anyway, like I said; later. Wouldn't want to derail your.. interview. Though you know, I seem to remember seeing spots like those Proudmore are covered with before. Curious. Where, I wonder?" The latter in a very dry tone.
Lucian chuckles at the condemnation of his mother's maiden name. "Trust me," he says, "I'm happy it was 'Proudmore' and not 'Urquart'," apparently agreeing with her assessment. At the next question, he pauses to consider. "Well…it makes some sense. I mean, untrained wizards can be dangerous. And even half-bloods that are raises as wizards can be of benefit to wizard society. But…I'm starting to worry about Muggle-born wizards. They're raises as Muggles. That's eleven years before they learn to understand the gravity of what they are. Eleven years of the Ministry cleaning up after them when their magic goes crazy, and no wizarding family there to help them understand what's going on. So, teaching them to control their magic to avoid disasters is a good thing. But I guess whether they should be taught powerful magic…it'll depend on how things go in the next few years. Right now, introducing more and more Muggle culture into wizarding culture just seems to be diluting the latter and increasing tensions unnecessarily."
His musing over with, he arches an eyebrow at Alphard. "You've seen this before?" He gestures to his jaw where he knows a particularly noticeable green splotch is.
Yes, yes, Andromena, drink it all in. Learn what they're asking and also how Lucian answers…because, unfortunately for him, he was the specimen on display. The Ravenclaw could be very clinically detached when it came to her studies! That said, she was totally oblivious to any inklings of a smile that Ria may or may not be entertaining. Too busy whispering into Alphard's ear.
"I am sure if you wanted, you could actually find worse names, Ria." Offered up playfully. She quieted down quickly enough when Alphard began to speak, though, tossing a quick look to Eibhlin that could be understood as: what can you do? As for the spots, or blotches, or whatever they were, Andromena was only glad she didn't have any!
"It provides curious insight to say the least," Eibhlin replies, leaning forward just enough to meet Alphard's look as she does so. Lucian's response to this particular question that sees her most interested, though the answer provided finds her expression flat. Neutrality attempted, but not obtained to its fullest.
There's a warm smile that forms onto Ria's lips as she writes down Lucian's answer. A nice, happy sort of smile that's immediately popped like a balloon when Alphard mentions recognition of the splotches. "Hmmm where, indeed?" she mutters quietly and writes a bit faster now, choosing to hide her face when Luc points to his jaw. When she's finished, the notebook shuts with a clapping of pages and she announces to Lucian, "Done. These will go off to Flint and we'll let you know. Any questions?" Huzzah! Easy-peasy and simple! "Crouch is a pretty silly one, I'll admit," she smiles to Andromena, and then back to Alphard, "So then. What was it you wanted to show me?"
The more Lucian talked, the less pleased Alphard seemed to be. Which was probably a fairly decent indication that he thought Lucian was doing far too well. With a grimace he leaned against Andromena and turned his attentions to the two Ravenclaws, watching their reactions instead. "Knowledge is power."
"Yes." That was for Lucian, but he left it at that and a meaningful look in Ria's direction.
"Oh, this." From inside of his robes he produced some sheets of paper and passed them in Ria's direction. "I'd like your and the other Magijugends' input, and Professor Flint's. We can't let Edwards' lies become the accepted truth. BEtter to act right now and dillute his story."
Lucian shakes his head. "No questions. I think mine were all answered at Bonfire Night." He gives Alphard a chuckle at his curt response — the sort of deliberate chuckle a parent gives to a petulant child. "Which parts to you think are lies? Identify the weak points, and exploit them." Not unlike the advice he gives to young duellists in club. He does have a way of breaking things down into duelling terms quite often.
That was it? Andromena would confess to some small surprise that the interview proved to be so very…simple. People were making a fuss over all of this? Oh, to be sure, Andromena knew exactly what would ruffle the feathers of some…but not all questions could be 'safe' and 'easy.' Life was made up of hard questions, and even harder answers. It sucked, but then who ever said life was going to be a bloody stroll through the tulips?
"Shine and myself both had the opportunity to read it," supplied helpfully to Ria. "It is really very good." A look went to Eibhlin. Alphard may have hammered out the message, but even she was willing to admit the other Ravenclaw had proved useful. And, of course, Andromena had played some small part in it all. She was just far too gracious to say so.
"Exactly," the redhead actually agrees with Black on one point. Knowledge is power. "And while this has all been very enlightening," Eibhlin continues, "I should be going." She does have other things to attend to like "Tutoring a couple fourth years in your uncle's class," she notes, the explanation directed towards Alphard. "But good luck with the letter." A brief pause. "Proudmore, Sykes, Rowle," a nod the others as she excuses herself to head back inside.
'You're dead to me' is the look Ria wants to shoot back at Alphard, but instead she plucks the sheets from the Black boy to have look for herself. "Oh don't encourage him," she says to Luc before getting too deep into the reading, and also offers a goodbye to Eibhlin. But as her green eyes scan left and right on the page, her brow furrows. "This is … ," she searches for the word, "Impressive." Her eyes narrow at the tall, dark haired boy and then to the Ravenclaw. "Alphard, did you write this?" Despite addressing her housemate, she looks to Andromena for an answer.
"Thank you for those earth shattering words of wisdom, Proudmore. You just opened my eyes." Alphard blew out a contemptious snort in Lucian's direction, as if his withering tone of voice hadn't said enough. He didn't bother to fill Lucian in when it came to the 'lies' of Julian. Ria was reading his response, anyway.
"Why in the bloody hells are you looking at her? Of course I wrote it." And he had, too. Even if Andromena might have gradually worked Alphard's drafts down from a mouth-frothing rant into something that could actually pass for polite public discourse.
"Hades, Black, simmer down before you pop a vein in your head," Lucian snort, smirking. "You can't terrify Firsties if you're frothing at the mouth in the Hospital Wing."
Andromena held up her hands as if she had no idea what was going on. No, Ria, no! She had so carefully coaxed Alphard into fine-tuning that letter, she had no desire to see him snatch it up, rip it up, and go back to the proverbial drawing board sans her assistance. Truth was, even though his original draft was mostly made up of…angry language, the message had still been there. That's what men kept women around for, wasn't it? The soft touch?
Snort.
"Alphard can be very persuasive," she gives Ria a very solemn nod. "I merely suggested the idea to him, but he's the one that made it happen."
Ria flits from Alphard to Andromena to Alphard and then to the writing in her hands. "I'm just saying that…it feels like you wrote it, Alph. But it doesn't … sound like you wrote it … Does that make sense?" she takes a look again at the writing, flipping to the second page. Handing the pages over to Lucian, she asks the boy, "Here have a look see for yourself." Turning back to the couple she says, "It's very good though. Spot on." That last bit is directed to Andromena. "Where are you thinking of publishing it? The Prophet? I can definitely hand this to Flint as soon as possible."
"Proudmore. Your pathetic attempts at patronizing aren't going to be more effective on me than your cowardly attempts at threatening me were. So why don't you just shut up?" His cool tone matched his coolly malevolent smile, then was followed up with a dismissive toss of his head.
"You suggested a counter-petition, but then we'd be playing his game, and he'd have a head start. Especially with the riots." So perhaps he had been thinking of it like a duel, too. Good thing he didn't realize it, or he'd risk his mood souring completely at realizing he'd thought similarly to Lucian. The bastard.
"I pitched it to my audience. And yes, the Daily Prophet."
"Like I said," to Ria. "An idea." There he went again, splitting those bloody hairs. Andromena was the long-suffering sort, however, so she didn't make a big deal out of it. "But yes, he had myself and Shine. I was more than happy to be a sounding board." And Shine earned herself the role as token half-blood. Didn't see Edwards with a token pure-blood now, did you? Thought not. Watching Lucian as he read the letter, Andromena's gaze soon darts back to Ria.
"That's a great idea." Passing it on to Flint, that is.
Lucian flips through the letter, furrowing his brow and idly commenting, "Get over yourself, Black. You may find it shocking, but pretty much nothing I do has anything to do with you. I don't need to patronize you. You do plenty to make a fool of yourself all on your own. Like this letter. They'll never print it, and if they do, you'll look like an idiot. It's just slandering Julian. There's no real content. You should focus on the actual issues, not on Edwards."
Ria's lips make a flat line again as she looks to Andromena, worldessly communicating that there's going to be a fight if the current trajectory continues. So she strategically stands to place herself somewhere in between two. "I actually disagree Luc. I think it quite accurately explains the backlash we get for being passionate about wizarding culture," she folds her hands behind her back, carrying the notebook and quill, "Also, Julian's petition has recieved a lot of media attenton already. Alphard's letter would gain much more attention by addressing Julian directly. I'm sure the Prophet already gets enough letters about the 'issue' itself. It's looking for something current. Up to the minute." She shrugs, "However, it may be interesting for Alphard or whoever to write a separate piece on the issues at hand from a student perspective."
Alphard's eyes flashed with cold and murderous rage at Lucian's words. He took a step forward, unable to help himself. It took Ria putting herself neatly inbetween and then voicing disagreement with the blonde Slytherin for him to be able to swallow down his rage. With sneer he turned away, giving a bit of an arrogant hairtoss on the way.
"There's no point in students debating the merits of Grindelwald's Truth. The focus is on a group of students being targeted because we believe in promoting wizard culture. Edwards makes it about us, giving the impression we're blood thirsty vandals running through the halls causing fear and terror. When in truth he's just soapboxing his detestable political views while being a member of a club promoting Muggles. Besides, I hardly touch on Edwards personally. What I answer is his accusations."
"Which are all general and unsubstantiated."
Wasn't there something in history about the old Viking witches of yore throwing their clothes over the wands of their warring wizard men? Or had Andromena just read about that in one of Diderot's books? Hrm. He took from history often enough, so it was a close call to make. The point being, Ria was dong what she could to diffuse a potentially nasty outcome if both Alphard and Lucian are allowed to have their way. She might have leaned into his side if he hadn't had taken that step forward…and then shortly thereafter putting his back to Proudmore and Sykes both.
"I'm not so certain about another letter, however," spoken to Ria. Andromena appeared thoughtful, running several scenarios through her mind. "At least not immediately. The unfortunate thing about Edwards' letter is the fact that students that are younger and more impressionable," read: weaker and more gullible. It's really what she is thinking. "Are going to start searching for the sort of things he purports to be happening." In short, Andromena believed an aura of fear would descend upon the school, albeit one falsely created. "I only think a third voice will really have students looking for any excuse to prove this one or that one wrong. Someone will say: Oh, they wrote I letter so now I must write a letter."
Lucian offers the letter back to Ria, shaking his head. "They'll take one look at the letter, see that it's just a personal attack, and throw it in a bin. The Prophet prides itself on being a respectable news source. This isn't news. It's a temper tantrum. If you want to be heard, show them why Julian is wrong. But if you attack Julian, you simply show them that he struck a nerve and it makes your arguments look weak. Take his name out of it. Find the weakness in his stance. Go after his argument, not him." Lucian makes no motion to stand, and Alphard's steps toward him earns merely another derisive chuckle.
"Well of course it's not news. It's an editorial. It'll be published in the opinions section if anything," Ria explains, but then thinks about it a moment, before retrieving the papers back from Lucian and having a second look at them. "Anyhow, I don't think Luc's opinion shouldn't necessarily be thrown away. Alphard already address his stances in the letter, it's just not as emphasized as the bits about Julian. Perhaps you could trim that down. Quite literally take his name out of it." Then looking to Andromena, "Because after all, it's not just Edwards attacking us, is it? It's this whole petition of people condeming us for what we believe in. If we target one person, then we'll definitely look like we're just fear-mongering again." But it's time to throw the clothes over these warring wands! Or however the hell this story goes. "How's about this? I'll submit it to Flint anyway, get his input. I have to give him the interview details soon, may as well bring this to his attention."
"It's an answer to a personal attack, one which they've given time and page space. His stance is we're some sinister group spreading fear, to which he makes no arguments. He simply states it is so, which I address." Alphard sneered with contempt at Lucian. "And the Daily Prophet has repeated them, so if they're a respectable paper they'll have no choice but to allow the rebuttal. What do you even know about these things? You're just some little bastard who knows nothing, has nobody, is wanted by nobody, who'll end up a farmwizard in nowhere." He laughed, a cruelly bemused. "No wonder you're so pathetically desperate to reclaim Ria here. The truth must've sunk in. See? That's a personal attack. And like with Edards, all true."
He started walking away, though he did call back to Ria: "Sure, Ria. I gave it to you for imput. Return me your notes whenever."
Andromena remained quiet as Ria and Lucian offered up their thoughts on the matter. In the end, she did rather agree with Ria's observation that Julian's was not the only name on the petition. "If anything, Julian did not single any student or Magijugend by name," she allowed, looking to Alphard. Then he was walking away; this was becoming almost rote. Andromena gave Ria a quick look over her shoulder, mouthing something, and then followed after Black.
Lucian stares back at Alphard, tilting his head. "Maybe all true," he says calmly. "But in spite of it all, I'm still a better man than you, Black. See, when I see something needs to happen, I make it happen with action, not screaming and blustering about it. You put on a good show, but your words are as empty as your lack of conviction. So throw insults all you like, but you'll be just as pathetic as you've always been."
Oh. Shit. He said the b-word. Ria throws Andromena a wide-eyed look says 'Get him out. Get him out, quickly!' But there's no need since he's walking off already, a thumbs up is given in response to Mena's wordless message. Biting her lip, she turns around back to Lucian, listening to his response. Okay … so they're separated now … everything should be fine right? Ria's half-waiting for Lucian to throw a fit of rage as he used to. So when he doesn't, she's unsure of how to react. "You alright there?" she says, placing a hand on her fellow prefect's shoulder. Totally platonic and chummy, like the way they were when they were kids.
Lucian smirks up at Ria, but his eyes fall to her hand on his shoulder, and his smile broadens to light up his whole face. "I'm fine. What, I can't be the bigger man? It isn't hard with Alphard." He chuckles and rises. "Besides, I told you, I'm letting go of things I can't change. The effigy, and all that." He waits until Alphard and Andromena have gone, and allows his hand to brush lightly against hers, murmuring, "How can I be possibly be angry when I've got you?"
"I'm still getting used to the change that's all," Ria smiles warmly at Luc. There's a hint of pride in her eyes when she looks at him. The fleeting bit of contact, and the last question, makes her want to smile even wider, but she presses her lips and tries to contain it. Looking left and right in case anyone else saw them, she retracts her hand and offers as she walks with him inside the castle, "Oh I could think of a few ways to make you angry…"