| Details for Dangers of Muggles |
| Summary: | A discussion about the Magijugend, of angry Muggle-born, and how things could be improved. True feelings come out among friends. |
| Date: | September 9, 1939 |
| Location: | Gryffindor Boys Dormitory |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Angelus didn’t come down into the common rooms this evening. Instead he did some of his work up in his year’s dormitory, and is now leaning back against the pillows he propped up. A potions book is opened in his lap, seated cross-legged. He simply wears light blue, silk pajama pants with no shirt. His pendant dangles from his hand, the chain gathered up and tangled around his fingers as he swings the Eye of Truth in front of him, watching it sway to and fro as he thinks.
Megan, also dressed in pajamas, makes her way up the stairs to her brother's dorm and knocks at the door, not expecting the occupant(s) to be sleeping yet. There's still people milling about the common room, their voices carrying up the stairs.
He did ask her to come up. So weird entering the boys dorms. She knows other girls have done it, but she'd always viewed the stairs up to their rooms as sealed somehow. If she didn't have Megan to tail, she might not have come up. She doesn't even know what room is his.
None of the other fourth years have come up yet, so the youth is on his own. Angelus looks up at the knock, dropping his hand to his book as he arches a brow. “Come on in,” he calls out in invitation.
Hearing Gel's voice, Megan opens the door and peeks in, checking to see if he's alone. Seeing that he appears to be alone, she pushes the door open further and steps inside, her hand still on its handle. "Gel, are you alright?", she asks him softly.
Celes rises on her toes for a moment to peek in, moving to the edge of the door frame as Megan steps part way inside.
Surprise flickers over his face as his sister steps in. Though he was expecting someone else, a wide grin crosses over his face as he lifts his head in greeting. “Oh, hey, May. Come on,” he adds, beckoning her in. His other hand flips the book closed, discarding it with a little toss to the foot of his bed. His fingers curl around the pendant itself. “Sure am,” he answers. As he looks over to Megan again, his grin tugs against his lips and he tilts his head, catching the other head peeking in. “Come on in, Celes. Only me in here, and May now,” he adds.
Megan turns her head to see Celes behind her, and steps aside to permit her entry, then returns her attention to her brother and walks over to his bed so she can sit on the edge. "I didn't see you earlier," she begins. "I've been wanting to ask you something, but…" she glances up to Celes. "Maybe it can wait till later."
Celes moves more into the doorway, "I know you wanted me to come up, but I can wait outside for a while if you need." She says, trying to be accommodating, family does trump friends after all, and she's only here because he asked her to be. "Or we could talk tomorrow if you'd rather."
Angelus releases a sigh, dipping his head in a nod as he scoots to the edge of the bed. “I thought it’d be quieter to finish up some work in here.” He rises from the bed, shrugging his shoulders coolly as he glances towards Celes. “What? No, you can come in…” he says, but trails off as he arches a brow, letting out a hum as he comes up to Megan. “Unless you’d rather speak with me in private?” Gel looks at Megan inquisitively, arm lifting to her shoulders, giving her a little snug and kissing her cheek.
Megan snugs Angelus back. "Well…it's a question about Magijugend," she says hesitantly, glancing to Gel's face to gauge his reaction. "It's not urgent or anything, so I can ask you some other time."
Celes does come in but remains near the door. She glances at Angelus when Megan says what her question is about. "Your call." She says. She bites her lip nervously, "Of course, if there's something you want her to know that…" She trails off, her hand falling to touch her wand in a movement learned over the entirety of last year.
Angelus arches a brow as Megan brings up the Magijugend. The chain rattles against the pendant as he shifts his fingers, his hand resting on his sister’s shoulder. “Why, May?” he asks, giving her a suspicious look. He frowns, his blue eyes flicking to Celes, and he smirks as he holds up a hand to her. Looking back to Megan, he looks at her warningly. “And you don’t need to know anything about it, May. You know I want you to stay out of all of this.”
"I fully intend to stay out of it to the maximum extent possible," Megan says firmly, if only to dissuade Angelus from any notion that she might be interested in it. She looks down at her slippers as her legs hang over the edge of the bed. "I know some muggle-borns and they seem every bit as capable as we are, so I see no reason to support that organization. What I really want to know is not so much about the Magijugend, but why you're in it, especially as you've been telling me to stay away every time the subject comes up. You're sending mixed messages."
A brow rises again as Angelus regards Megan. He clears his throat, shaking his head as he interjects, “I’m not just talking about the Magijugend. I want you to keep your neutrality.” A hum escapes him, followed by a sigh as he says, “Like Noah is.” His lips twitch. Not that he really believes that Noalan is completely neutral. His hand lowers from Megan’s shoulder, resting his fist on the bed behind her as the chain jingles. Gel flicks his gaze towards Celes to regard her, tipping his head a little to the side. Releasing a sigh, he says, “I’m pleased that you’re getting along just fine with everyone, May. You’re smart, you won’t get caught up in either side.” He glances towards Celes again, and then shifts his gaze to the other side of him, away from Megan.
Celes looks at Megan then Angelus as he doesn't answer the question at all. Maybe she could help a little here. "Um, it's not really my place, but the Magijugend wasn't really about that. I mean, Headmaster Flint did let me in last year. The concern was that the constant influx of 'immigrants', as it were, didn't share the same culture and so would, over time, cause the native culture to be lost. So, as I understood it at least, the club was to try to preserve it. At least that's what I told the headmaster and he let me in. It hadn't been about blood…" She looks between them, not hoping she's butting in too much, "So it wasn't about how capable they were, but that they were changing the culture. It would be like going on a Vacation to France, but all you see is British architecture and pubs. It would be sad."
Megan looks up to Gel's and Celes' faces as they speak their parts, but she doesn't appear satisfied with either. "Treating muggle-borns as second-class citizens by denying them a proper education is going to hurt the wizarding world more than help it. But with that clarification, Celes, at least I can appreciate why the Magijugend would've appealed to traditionalists, at least in the beginning." She returns her attention to Angelus. "You evaded my question entirely. Does Celes' description account for why you joined? And…do you still choose to be part of it of your own volition? I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I'm starting to think that Flint must hold some sway over his followers. I want to know if you're really content being where you are now. If you're unable or unwilling to answer that, I'll accept that." She looks at her brother with concern…and a little fear on her face.
Angelus’ gaze shifts onto Celes when she starts to speak. A small smile flicks against his lips as he lets her explain. While she talks, Angelus lowers his eyes, bringing his hand to his lap and letting the pendant spill from his hand (still keeping the chain around his fingers). He keeps his head lowered, watching the Eye of Truth as Celes carries on, and then frowns as Megan begins. He’s playing over his own thoughts while it’s his sister’s turn to speak, but at the last part Gel lifts his head with a look of surprise, blinking. “What?” He rises up from the bed, staring curiously at Megan. “Why would you think that? Flint has no control over any of our choices.” His eyes flick towards Celes, but he’s then looking back to Megan. “And of course,” he says, gesturing with his hand towards Celes, “Celes explains it perfectly. You should know, May. Our culture is important to stay the way it is.” He shrugs lightly.
"I would've expected an exodus of Flint's followers to abandon him when the segregated teaching was instituted. The fact that didn't happen is what raised my suspicions. I won't pry any further there. But if you ask ten different people in the same culture to tell you what are defining traits of their culture, you'll get ten different answers. I just hope that Flint's answer is compatible with your own." Megan sighs. "All right, I promise not to bring this up again. At least not unless something significant happens. In public, I've been careful with my words so as not to offend either traditionalists or muggle-borns. But in private, I will be friends with whomever I please."
Celes bites her lower lip and gives Angelus a shifty look. She apparently is struggling with what to say about that but she ends up just shaking her head, going with a safer topic. "Of course. I don't know what the Headmaster is thinking there honestly. He wasn't that bad last year. I'm a little worried he might be under some kind of curse." She looks at Angelus, "You didn't seem to like it either, right?"
Angelus frowns, his gaze shifting to the side as he lets out a sigh. What’s he supposed to say? He lifts his fingers to his forehead as he drops his head. After both girls have spoken, Gel releases a sigh and rolls back his shoulders. “I didn’t,” he admits to Celes, looking up and dipping his head in a nod. “But now?” He regards Celes for a few seconds before shifting his gaze to Megan. Another sigh escapes him and he looks away from both of them as he states, “I’ve had too many Muggle-born acting with poor judgement that proves Flint did the right thing.” He frowns, closing his eyes as he shakes his head slowly. “If a witch or wizard can’t behave properly than they shouldn’t be allowed to attend Hogwarts. They’re taking advantage of that privilege.” Angelus opens his eyes and looks between Celes and Megan. “We’re /better/ than them. We /deserve/ to have more than they do. Muggle-born? They’re never going to fully understand the way things should be.”
A heavy sigh escapes the youth, watching Megan closely now. “I’m sorry, May, but the impulsive actions that I’ve seen them do just make them dangerous. That’s the type of behaviour that’s bringing about the Muggle terrorists outside of this school. But if you stay neutral, you shouldn’t have any trouble.” Angelus glances back to Celes, locking his royal blue eyes on her. After a moment he lets out another sigh. “Sorry, Celes,” he apologises. “But you’re better than all of them too. You shouldn’t have been removed from the Magijugend.”
Celes raises her hands in an appeasing gesture, "I know, the other side has been acting really poorly, and in some ways they've brought this on themselves, but I think the Headmaster is going about this the wrong way. Maybe a separate school is what's needed, but that isn't what they're doing. I'm not really sure what he thinks he's accomplishing with this. It seems like what you'll get is a bunch of half trained, bitter wizards. The statue of secrecy will almost certainly be shattered eventually under those conditions. Imagine the Muggle war machine aimed at wizards aided by the disenfranchised Muggle-Born wizards." She warns. "Not to mention, given his methods, he'd driving away half-bloods and even some pure bloods against his cause." She glances at Megan out of the corner of her eye. "He might be doing more harm to us than good."
"You shouldn't pass judgement on, much less condemn a segment of our population based on the actions of their youth," Megan replies to Angelus. "It's unfair to expect muggleborn children to act like wizardborn children, since they haven't had the opportunity to learn wizarding culture. Isn't that what Hogwarts should be for in the first place? How else do you expect them to assimilate into our culture? And what's wrong with culture changing over time, anyway? It's not like we're going to lose our literature, music, works of art, spells, monuments, or heritage. Culture is a living thing. Cultures that don't adapt to their times DIE OFF. We should be embracing all the potential talent and insight muggleborns could offer if we want to better ourselves." Shifting her gaze to Celes, she adds, "I'm glad you seem to agree with me on a lot of points."
Once again Celes speaks with so much sense it’s impossible not to agree with her. Angelus nods to her as he sighs. “Very poorly indeed,” he agrees. He lets the pendant in his hand dangle from the chain, looking at the triangular symbol. He turns to fling it onto his bed by his pillow, giving his head a slow shake as he looks back to Celes. “It’s not what I would have done.” He frowns, glancing over at Megan. “Or Pa,” he adds as he lets out a sigh. He watches his sister as she speaks, nodding as he listens. “May, think about all the brilliant stuff we could have come up on our own without Muggle interference.” He glances towards Celes, and then back at Megan. “If Muggle-born need a place to study magic, give them some place, but let’s keep Hogwarts pure. We have to ease our way into our classes at the beginning years because /Muggle-born/ know nothing.” A hum escapes the youth, and he decides to add in, “When we go to Italy, or France, or where ever Pa goes we don’t try to change the way they live, do we?” He shakes his head, answering his question himself.
As Gel’s gaze is brought back to Celes, he sighs and lowers his gaze to the floor, frowning. “Flint made a mistake when he removed you. But…” He shakes his head again, looking up. “I think if a Black were in charge it wouldn’t be like this. I’d… I’d leave it. The Magijugend. If Alphard Black wasn’t in charge.”
"On some, certainly, but I didn't mean change was bad, change happens. That's how you go from having just one around the world to having divergent, unique cultures. The problem is the overwriting of one with another." She nods at Angelus, "Ya, I mean, we ended up just adopting a Muggle Train system for the school, but imagine what it might have been if there hadn't been the technological spill over. It just seems like Wizarding Society is riding muggle coat tails a lot rather unique and creative solutions." Celes says, unable to stop from nerding out a little. "Maybe not a new school, but a 'pre-school' would be good, ya. I know I would have loved a year or two to learn about what was to come before actually showing up here. I was even more surprised that things started out at my level. It's like starting everyone out in an English as a Second Language class because some students only speak German."
"I completely agree that students unfamiliar with wizarding culture should have some prerequisite classes to acclimate them to the basics of wizarding society, and subsequent classes to provide the nuances," Megan says. "The fact that we don't have such provisions currently is just an example of the sheer incompetence and/or racism of the Board of Governors. Actually, we should allpure-bloods includedbe separated on a class-by-class basis by aptitude rather than by year, anyway, but that's a separate issue. And there's nothing preventing us from inventing things free of muggle influence, if anyone is so inclined, so I'm not following your arguments thus far…"
Angelus tilts his head, locking his gaze on the pendant on his bed while he listens to the girls. “Mhm,” he murmurs out, dipping his head in a nod. He gives a shake of his head and lifts his head, looking more focused on the conversation as he looks between Celes and Megan. “But if we were to suggest that to the Muggle-born?” A smirk twitches against his lips. “They’d act insulted, throw out tantrums and accusations.” A hand slides out, away from his body. “Flint isn’t /starving/ them. He’s just giving /us/ a better selection. I don’t particularly agree with how they’re being treated with the SCUMS class.” And a sigh escapes him as he sits back down on the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees. After several seconds of staring down between his legs at the floor, he lifts his head to look back between Celes and Megan. “I’d rather support Black on my own, really. But if I told Flint I didn’t want the power…” He shifts his gaze towards Celes, giving her a look before he clears his throat and glances to Megan. “Well, if I wasn’t a ‘Deputized Magijugend’ then I wouldn’t have protection against people like Denholm.”
"Maybe you could suggest some of those things to the Headmaster?" Celes asks uncertainly. She looks unsure, getting into a dangerous area here, "Maybe we should leave it here?" She asks, trying to give Angelus an out. "I'll try to keep Niko and those like him off you as best I can. Like with Madeline down stairs. Just be a voice of reason for them, ok? Alphard’s a good leader, he'll listen."
"I think muggleborns would jump at the opportunity to be given an 'introduction to the wizarding world' course before attending Hogwarts," Megan counters. "But, yes, I'll suggest it to the headmaster, and maybe write an open letter to the Board of Governors, but I don't think either will be keen on the idea."
Angelus looks between the two girls, letting out a soft hum as he considers. “I don’t think it’ll work. I think that Flint-“ Gel arches a brow as he casts his gaze to Megan. “Don’t you dare, May,” he says firmly, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder. “That would get you involved. Let me talk to him,” he decides, but lets a sigh as he glances to Celes. A brow arches as he asks, “What do you think, Celes? Thinking about it, with the way he’s acting now, do you think he’d care?” He frowns.
He sighs softly. “If only Pa could get a position as one of the governors,” he adds.
Celes, sadly, has to agree with that statement. Of course, it might hold more weight coming from her. "I don't know. Last year I would have said yes, but I don't know now. Partly because I really don't even understand what his current goal is. It's like chaos caused before an invasion to eliminate resistance." She shrugs, "I don't think it would hurt, neither would a letter to the Governors. Maybe if they have another option they'll have the Headmaster tone it down and give it a chance."
"I won't say a word to the headmaster if you're worried," Megan promises Angelus. "I'm willing to draft a proposal for someone else to deliver, though. I can't just sit idle through all this nonsense."
Angelus looks worried about interrupting Flint, but he sighs out and nods his head to Megan. “Good,” he says, a smile flicking out. He leans close to kiss her cheek again. “You know I love you, May.”