| Details for Of Beasts And Embarrassments |
| Summary: | During breakfast there is some excitement at the Ravenclaw table. (Partial Log). |
| Date: | 1938-12-17 |
| Location: | Great Hall |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Elizabeth blinks once and quickly shakes her raven head at him, before he gets too far along ahead of himself with the bacon-waving an all. "No, no. I'm not expecting anything. Really. And I understand if you're not interested. But I do feel that your choice of words for yourself, they were chosen poorly. I hope you don't really think of yourself like that." She exhales a breath. "And I apologize for mentioning it, but you're far from an idiot." To her, that's more important.
Anthony is sitting at the breakfast (cos it's breakfast time) table on the Ravenclaw benches with Elizabeth. Tony has a modest but varied meal in front of him, Elizabeth something rather smaller. They appear to be talking. Tony is gesticulating. With a fork. On which a number of bits of bacon are rather unsteadily impaled. "Honestly, I am. Total moron! I do apologise! And I'm sorry for saying sorry!" He's rather pink, and starting to talk faster, and faster- always a sign of a flustered Rowle.
Elizabeth exhales a small breath, but doesn't hesitate to reach out a small hand and gently place it on top of his own. "It's alright. Really. You don't need to apologize for something that you didn't even realize was occurring in the first place. I just… wanted to point it out is all. Because your intention should be true to what you feel." She tries to give him a small smile, she really does try as her hand pulls away. "And as I said before, you shouldn't say those kinds of things about yourself. Women want to see confidence in men." At least that's what she guesses.
It's just another day in magical paradise. Well, it would be, if you somehow weren't Edgar Carrow. He comes back, seemingly from the vast countryside which surrounds the Castle, alongside Andromena. He is carrying a cage which contains what appears to be some sort of… rabid, inflated rabbit, trying to chew away at the bars of its aforementioned prison. And for all that the Carrow tries to look presentable all the time, he is remarkably disheveled today. "I think I am inclined to hear you about being patient next time," he states to the Ravenclaw beside him.
Unlike her grim companion, Andromena looks as if she's just come from the girls' powder room. Perhaps she has, because there's no way that she could have just…stood by and done absolutely nothing while her new friend the Crow did all the work, right? At his side, it's obvious she's giving the taller youth some sort of consolation, though until she draws nearer, little of it would be heard.
"It was not so bad," Andromena assures. "For your first try." Her eyes dart to the mangy creature. She adored cute and cuddly bunnies, but this…this was something altogether different. Eventually, she spies something pink amidst the sea of familiar faces. It belongs to none other than her cousin!
Giving Edgar a 'one moment,' gesture with a finger, she calls out, "Hey Tony! Not eating too quickly, are you?"
Anthony gives a dumb nod to his companion, and then starts, rather guiltily when he hears his cousins voice, "Oh! Andy! Hi! We have bacon, and black pudding and….. rapid…. bloated…… bunnies?" His voice tails off in a little surprise, and the gesticulating hand (with enbaconified fork) makes a wandish gesture towards the creature.
Elizabeth catches sight of Andromena and Edgar's entrance about the same time as Anthony, a brow arching as she stares at the imprisoned, rabid rabbit. "Is that thing safe to have in here?" she asks curiously. Because seriously, what would happen if this thing got loose in the Great Hall?
"Aside from the bites and the cuts, maybe… the price of greatness, one supposes." Edgar replies to Andromena, nodding once when she excuses herself to approach the fellow student who appears to be devouring a plate of bacon or some such. Elizabeth asks him a question and the Carrow spends some time silently staring at the girl before replying, "Safe as can be, inside the cage. Those foolish souls trying to free it from its captivity might end up hurt." And just to prove the point, he rattles the cage. The rabbit tries to headbutt the ceiling of its prison, but it doesn't budge. "It is also under a leg-binding curse, for what it's worth."
"Chuckles?" Andromena queries, jerking her thumb back towards the decidedly quarrelsome fiendrabbit. Unlike Edgar, who perhaps gave a more appropriate answer, she said, "Harmless as a babe, he is." If he was fed and treated properly, by someone that understood the creature they were working with. It seemed to want Anthony's bacon. Or it wanted Anthony, it was truly hard to be sure.
"Sit with me at my table for a bit, Edgar?" She'd dropped the use of his last name with striking ease. Andromena was just like that.
Anthony pauses, looking down the wand/fork towards the bunnyodoom, and then shortening his gaze to the bacon. He takes a quick munch, and then removes the bit. Yep. Seems glad of something else to talk about than whatever else the subject was. "Uh, what sort of creature _is_ that?" It should be recalled that for all his talents in the more theoretical aspects of magic, Tony did not cover himself in glory in some of the more practical subjects- most notably broom riding, but also Herbology, and perhaps most importantly for this moment, Care of Magical Creatures."
Edgar stares at her for a full moment, and Elizabeth merely arches a brow at him in return, politely waiting for his answer. She figured it was safe, but still, she found that look from Slytherins amusing for some reason. "Ah. Well then congratulations." she offers. The Ravenclaw may not know immediately why someone would want an inflated, rabid bunny rabbit, but it seems like a significant accomplishment either way. Anthony seems curious about it as well.
"It's a rabbit." Edgar replies, "I think. Really I was just looking for a regular one, but why head to the hill when you can reach for the stars?" The Carrow shrugs, watching the not-so-tiny-roid-raging creature for a moment. "Of course, Andromena," since they are dropping last names and going with first ones, well. Likewise, he starts heading towards her table, settling down on a chair only after she does. The cage is set on the ground, strategically so that when he stands up, he has room to maneuver around the critter that seemingly wants to tear everything in sight to bits. It's more adorable, to a Slytherin, then actually dangerous.
"I think it's a rabbit crossbreed, but I've not had a close enough look to know for sure. I suppose we can always take him to Kettleburn later to be sure." Andromena's latest Slytherin companion to sit at the Ravenclaw table receives only a few scathing glances from those that are still entirely displeased by the Black-Edwards scandal. Andromena herself pays it no mind, since the pair that they're sitting with; Elizabeth and Anthony, are the only two she gives much of a fig for currently.
"Thanks," said to Anthony she picks some food from his plate. "I thought we'd miss breakfast. Hm. Have we missed the post?"
Anthony extends the fork-wand carefully, towards the critter, bacon carefully poised, "So, suggestions?" It's a bit out of reach of the critter still, but advancing carefully. He pauses long enough to say, "Not long here myself. Don't think the birds have arrived yet!"
'Rabbit' is as good a classification as any, so Elizabeth accepts this. It isn't as if she's so curious as she'll go into an in depth study of the creature after all. For now she chews, her gaze glancing between the others as Andromena and Edgar join them at the Ravenclaw table. "So, what was the purpose of this hunt this morning?" Elizabeth asks, deciding to help the topic along.
Across the way from the Ravenclaw gathering- for so it is, regardless of competition- Variel swivels on his bench, Charms book open in his lap. This gives him a chance to note the cage, and its occupant. There's some squinting, then- "That is one heck of a pet."
"Well, like I said, I needed a rabbit. It is going to be the subject of mostly harmless potions that Andromena is going to help me brew. Or was. I don't know if I want to risk it with this little fellow, here, in retrospect," Edgar looks to Andromena at that. "Hm. So. What do you think? Worth the risk?" And the little 'friend' of his consistently tries to slip away from its leg binding curse, because, y'know, the persistent nature of wild critters. "Hello, Weasley. And indeed," he nudges the cage with a foot, then retreats it quickly.
With a certain amount of trepidation, the bacon is extended, on fork point, into the cage. Oh yes. He is curious to see what happens when the BEAST is given flesh!
Andromena will only help brew said potions if they're not…oh, let's face it. So long as they're not all that dreadful or harmful, she'll be content to aid Edgar in his little quest. Even if this particular rabbit IS decidedly mean and nasty looking. She's a very soft-hearted girl, you know! The rabbit seems interested in Anthony's ever-looming wandifork. Strange. Did rabbits usually show an appetite for bacon.
"Well…" She eyed the animal critically, the way she could be seen doing with some other students. Funny how her facade of compassion could so easily slip away to be replaced by something altogether cold and clinical. "We went through all the trouble to get him, so I don't see a reason to give up now. Who knows, maybe Chuckles will become a better rabbit for it." Until it is otherwise named, so will she call it! "So Variel what do you- !!!" Andromena gave a shocked squeak as the creature LAUNCHED itself at Anthony's proffered bacon, devouring it noisily.
Testing potions on, hm? Elizabeth curiously tilts her raven head at the cage, though it's out of view from where she sits. She gives Andromena an odd glance, just now getting the name of the mutant rabbit. "'Chuckles'?" she repeats. That sounds like a creepy name for a rabid rabbit. The bookworm glances from them to Anthony, "Bacon? Really?"
Anthony leaps back at the nomnomnomnom, and seats himself back hurriedly….. (pose getting in before brief idle. Skip me!)
"Why would you FEED IT BACON?" Edgar asks in what appears to be disbelief at Anthony, then watches the rabbit. "And it looks like it's been starving for awhile- this isn't the usual behavior of rabbits. Uh…" He looks to Andromena, "Maybe try casting some Transfiguration dispels to see if it isn't actually just a house cat someone played a particularly terrible prank upon?"
Anthony answers, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, "To see what would happen!" He pulls his wand, points it into the general direction of the cage, and says, "Reparifarge" A good, simple spell to see if this is just a botched transfiguration.
"Okay, okay…" Andromena was really hoping that they'd found some secretly bred rabbit-fiend hybrid, but would do as Edgar suggested in any case. It would be highly irresponsible otherwise. She, like Anthony, directs her wand at the creature within the cage and utters the same incantation. Who knew if this would have any adverse effect for being double-cast. Go, Rowle family, go!
Elizabeth is secretly glad that she isn't the only one that stares with disbelief at bacon being fed to a caged mutant rabbit. However, she blinks, her drink at her lips as she watches the wands drawn in preparation for getting to the bottom of the quite possibility that this rabid rabbit thing is fake. So she scooches back a little in her seat, and watches.
The double-whammy of Transfiguration spells turns the 'rabbit' first into a sort of strange, rat/canine creature, then… it shrinks just a little in size and acquires definite canine proportions and features. It has matted hair, brownish fur and turns out to be some sort of really, really mangy rat terrier. "Well, that explains a few things, doesn't it?" Edgar nudges the cage and elicits a loud growl from the tiny creature inside. "Disappointing."
Anthony gives a little nod, and a sigh, "Damn. Sorry. I have a class to be getting to. So, if you'll all excuse me?"
Alas! Andromena was somewhat disappointed to see that she and Edgar had not, after all, found a new species of animal. Instead, snarling and growling in the cage before her was just a disgustingly hideous little dog. She found it within her heart to have an odd sort of affection for it. Maybe later she'd ask Edgar if he'd allow her to bring it over to Kettleburn in order to get some help trimming its fur and claws. Putting her wand away, Andromena reseated herself, but only after first bidding her cousin farewell.
"Well…it can still serve its purpose, can it not?" Asked of Edgar. They might not get another chance to go hunting for some other creature before break. Taking the left overs from Anthony's plate, she began to feed it. Carefully. She looks between the two other students for their opinion on the matter.
"It can. I just feel… sorry for it." Because it is hard enough for a Carrow to feel sorry for a lesser creature that suffered this sort of offense, but there you have it. "But I'll get over it," he looks to Andromena as she feeds the dog, nodding once. "I guess Chuckles would be a terrible name for it now, but it's going to stick. Hello, Chuckles. You're part of my project now." Of course, the creature responds by trying to snip at Edgar's hand once he taps the cage. Thankfully there's quite a few bars keeping something bad from happening to his fingers.
The transfiguration spell/s turn the rabid bunny into something sort of a combination between rat and canine. Elizabeth narrows her gaze curiously at it for a few moments still, though her attention is pulled towards Anthony when he excuses himself and quickly departs. Her pale eyes watch him until he disappears through the doors, a small frown appearing on her delicate brow as she bites at the inside of her bottom lip. Then exhaling a breath, she redirects and focuses her attention to the table once more. Andromena appears to be especially interested in the new animal now, feeding it scraps from Anthony's plate.
Andromena HAD suggested they test the potions on flobberworms. Nobody ever felt guilty about doing anything to those creatures. Unless Carrow was feeling sorry for the fact the dog had been transfigured. They weren't really going to do anything circumspect to the dog…were they?
"It just came to me as a joke," regarding the awful name. "But…I suppose it will stick, now." Who would suspect anything nasty from something named Chuckles?
"Well, we're going to have to arrange for a bigger cage, too, until it is domesticated," Edgar reclines against his seat as he watches the dog. "It also needs to stop being worrisomely thin. I really can't tell right now if it's a giant rat or a dog, but it can bark, so."
"I wonder if it belongs to someone." Elizabeth murmurs idly to herself, taking another sip of her drink before setting it aside and taking a bite from her plate instead. It probably doesn't, but it seems like a valid question to be asked. You never know after all.
"It's probably just been awfully confused since whoever transfigured it into a rabbit," Andromena supplied helpfully. "I am sure not that he," it was a he, right? "Is back to normal, I'd bet that given some time he'll come around. Or at least put on weight." Chances that the dog would remain with the nature of a demon spawned straight from the deepest pits of Hell were high. It had this feral gleam in its beady black eyes, you see…
"If someone owns him, then it's probably someone in Hogsmeade. We won't be able to know for certain until after break." When they could post missing posters and the like. "But we can always ask around school, too, I suppose."
"I think you're right. It might take awhile to find its owner and besides," Edgar stares the dog down, "I think it doesn't even recall its owner, /if/ it has one. Just look at it." He smiles at that. "Regardless, I'll leave it in your hands if you think you can handle it, Andromena. I think I would kill the poor guy right now, and that's not good. If that's alright?"
Elizabeth dips her chin with a small nod, shrugging a shoulder before pushing her empty plate away. Owls will be here at any moment, and it won't be long until classes begin as well. Might as well get going. "I think I'm going to go get my books." Hopefully, there's been enough awkwardness today that Elizabeth can void any more of it for the day. Or week. Whichever.
Andromena got to her feet, and very carefully extended her hands for the cage containing Chuckles. "I'll…do my best." She had not expected Edgar to ask her to care for the beast. But since he was fearful of killing it, it would be neglectful of her not to accept the task. "Yes. I'll get him back to the Common Room before classes start. Toodles, you two," said in a cheerfully fake, snobbish voice before Andromena departed.