| Details for The Pipes of Peace |
| Summary: | Angus teaches Madeline something sure to disrupt peace and quiet |
| Date: | 1939-09-20 |
| Location: | Gryffindor Common Room and Training Grounds, Hogwarts |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
  |
Angus is seated on the sofa, with some sort of short pipe, practicing fingering positions. The fingers are dancing over it, but there's no noise. None at all. Just the sound of fingers on wood.
Madeline comes bouncing down the stairs, wearing what seems to be brand new shoes with her unicorn with a particularly bright shine. She carries her charms book with her, plus quill, parchment and ink - as she spots Angus with his pipe on the couch, however, she wanders over and leans over the back of it to watch him. "Practicing your bagpipes again?" she asks curiously. "…is it very hard?"
Angus's fingers pause. "It kindae depends, Quine, aye? Hef yehs ever tried pattin' yehs heid wi' one hand an' strokin' circles on yeh's belly at the same time? It's like that, ken?"
"Oh. Sure I've tried it. HEY! Wanna see something neat?" Dropping her things on the couch, she comes around to sit next to Angus, at which point she put her pointer finger and middle finger from each hand on her knee like two pairs of lets. Then she starts quietly singing can-can music, while moving her finger like can-can dancers doing kicks. Pointer from one hand kicking with the middle finger of the other hand. "Try to do THAT!" she challenges.
Angus chuckles, "I dinnae think so, quine! Ah'm practicing early for Burns night, ken? Ah dinnae want tae fluff mah pipin' in front of the whole School."
"Aww, com'on, only for a few seconds. Give it a try! It looks really easy, but it's actually really hard the first time you do it! Or it was for me at least. But I got it down a treat, now!" Madeline starts singing again, her fingers still doing the can-can.
Angus puts down the chanter pipe, and does it. Quick, and casual. Yep. He _is_ an eye-hand person. "Aye? It's a wee bittie fiddly, isn't it."
"Oh. You're really good at it." It comes out disappointed for a moment, before Madeline adds brightly, "That's great! It took me forever to get that good. You think I'd be no good at badpipes, then?"
Angus ponders, and grins, "Only one way tae find out, ken? Ah can go and get the rest of the instrooment, aye? If yeh's wanting tae try?"
"Oh, sure! You'd let me?" Madeline says brightly. "That'd be fun! I'd love to give it a try!" She bounces in place on the couch, giving Angus a broad smile.
Angus gives a brief little nod, and heads up towards the boys tower, returning again a few minutes later carrying the rest of the stunned octopus, which he refits the chanter to. "These are the drones, ken? And the moothpiece. And that's the chanter, that yeh's play on. This is the bag, that yehs squeeze under yeh's arm. Refill the bag by blowing, aye? Then press oot wi' yeh's arm."
"Okay. So you gotta do three things at once," Madeline answers as she studies the thing. "Breathe in the mouthpiece thing, and play the music with your fingers, and squish the bag with your arm to make the sounds," she surmises.
Angus nods, "Aye. Pre-cisely. An' the squeezin' powers the drones as well as the chanter, aye?" He finishes putting it back together, and hands it over to the girl. "Need a hond, gettin' it in place?"
"Maybe… a hand, just so's I know I've got it right?" Madeline suggests, though she tries getting it into position, regardless.
Angus gives a bit of a shove, to get the bag in place. "Aye. Like that. Noo, dinnae wurry boot the chanter reet noo. Just put your fingers there, aye?" He guides them into place. "Just go fur the drones."
Madeline nods and blows into the mouth piece, while squishing down with her arm. Don't seem like that should be so terribly difficult, after all!
And after a certain amount of effort, and huffing and puffing, the drone starts. Very unsteady, uneven, and LOUD.
"OI!" come the protests from the other students in room - prompting Madeline to immediately stop, while bursting into a fit of giggling. "Someone's gonna put a silencing charm on your bagpipes if I keep playing, I think!" the girl exclaims.
"Bloody right," mutters one of the protesting students.
Angus gives an evil little laugh, "Och, I'd like tae see yehs try it, Longbottom, ken? Yeh's and which army?" His grin is evil, "So, yeh's can do it, aye?"
"Me and the rest of the tower, mate," Longbottom counters, while Madeline giggles madly.
"Yup! I can do it!" the girl agrees brightly - though she's not making any more attempts to do it again right now.
You say, "Och! Yehs are all filly-steens, ken? Yeh's in SCOTLAND, and yehs will like the music, an' the fud, aye?" There's an evil look, "Yehs wouldnae wish tae tell Pringle that yehs dinnae like the pipes, wud yehs?""
"On the highlands is one thing! In the common room is something else entirely! Take Evans outside and get her some air," Longbottom continues to insist - though some of the students look cowed at the mention of Pringle.
"Let's go out. It's a nice enough day!" Madeline agrees.
Angus picks up the pipes, sniffing, "Aye, yeh bunch of sassenachs wouldnae ken music if it were to smack yehs in the fizzog, yellin' 'musical days are here agin', ken?" And he heads for the doors.
"What's 'sassenachs' again?" Madeline whispers loudly as she trots after Angus, curiousity on her features. "Oh! See you guys in a bit!" she adds towards the other Gryffindors, leaving her things sitting out.
You say, "Sassenach's? It's 'southerners'. English, aye?"
"Oh! I'm a sassenach!" Madeline says brightly. Then she frowns slightly, and gives Angus a curious look. "But - it's not a bad thing, is it? I mean, like mudblood is a bad thing…"
Angus solemnly says, "Wurse! Much worse! Yeh's cannae help no bein' Scots, though!"
"Well, I can't help being mudblood, either," Madeline answers as she skips alongside Angus - literally skips. "So I'm mudblood, and sassenach - but we're friends, aye?"
You say, "Och, sure thing! Yehs cannae help it. But yer nae an erse! That yehs could help!" A beat. "Uh… yer nae a pain. In the neck."
Madeline can't help but burst into giggles. "If I talked like you, my mum'd scrub out my mouth, and then hide me, and then send me out to do extra chores!" she exclaims.
You say, "Aye! Mah Ma would too, but she's goht her hands tae full wi' Duggie tae notice, ken?"
"Well, mum's only got me to worry 'bout! At least, she did. Now she's got Asher and Saul and Miriam, too. Which is probably good, because I think she was right sad about me getting sent off to school and all," Madeline says cheerfully.
Angus guesses, and gets it totally wrong, "Triplets? That'll keep them busy, aye." He's pondering, "How about the Quidditch ground?"
Madeline giggles and shakes her head. "Oh, GOSH, no! They're German. Some of those Jewish kids, aye?" She gets a solemn look before she adds, "They were supposed to go home to their parents when things settled back down, but now there's a war and all… I imagine they have to stay a good while longer.
"The Quidditch ground sounds good!"
The training grounds is a large flat grassy lawn area. It is where Flying Classes are held for the First Years and is used as a club meeting place when the outdoors are called for. There are some busy places at Hogwarts and this is probably one of busiest what with the flutter of wings and the comings and goings of owls on missions to and from the Owl Tower. As it's an ideal place for it, often times non-broom sports are played here in between classes and on the weekends. While not exactly apart of the Castle proper the Training Grounds are surrounded by walls that really are more a string of very large two and a half story archways separating the Training grounds from the rest of the grounds. Up on high, at the top of the Owl Tower, is a sturdy stone sky bridge that leads to the palisades of the castle.
Madeline has arrived.
Angus hands the pipes over again, "Aye. Well. Mebees. I dinnae think it'll last long. Whit dae Muggles have tae fight aboot?"
"Well, the last one was for years," Madeline says somenly. "But I guess everyone says this one'll be done soon. She takes the pipes back, settling them into place again. "And, well, the fighting's started because Hitler, from Germany, he took his armies and he went into Poland. And everyone - well France and England at least - they told him to get out of Poland and leave them alone or we'd come help Poland, and he didn't leave, so now we have to help Poland and get all the Germans back into Germany where they're supposed to be. That's how uncle Perry explained it, anyways."
With that said, she starts puffing into the mouthpiece again, while squeezing down with her arm, to try to get the sound started.
Angus looks a bit blank, "Aye? Well, I hope it doesnae interfere wi' the Wurld cup, aye! It's nae right!"
Madeline just rolls her eyes since she's stuck huffing into the mouthpiece. She doesn't think much of Quidditch! Doesn't make much sense. It'd be a better game without seekers.
Angus gives a slight shrug, "Now, squeeze, aye? Yehs need tae keep it steady pressure, ken?"
Madeline nods her head, while still breathing into the mouthpiece - occasionally taking big, gasping breaths so she can breath into it again. Gosh! This must get tiring after a while! Keep the pressure steady? That's why she's got it sounding so weird?
You say, "Aye…. yehs have tae keep the flow tae the drones steady. At least fur now. That's braw, quine! Dead braw'n awesome!"
"Braw is good?" Madeline gasps out. Because 'dead braw' doesn't sound too good to her!
Angus nods, "Aye! It's…. braw!"
Giggling makes this a lot harder! So Madeline tries to stop. Really she does. It makes concentrating on steady pressure hard, too. "There stuff I say that makes no sense to you?" she asks when her giggling stops, before turning her attention back to trying to make a steady racket once again.
You say, "Och, no. No, we havetae learn tae understand the Eenglish. It's no their fault, they cannae speak the laing as it's sipposed tae be spoke."
"It's supposed to be spoke like English!" Madeline protests - half because she suspects it's expected of her.
Angus chuckles, "Aye? Which English wuld that be, ken, quine? English like yeh's hear on the Radio, when the Prime Minister spooke? Or like the muggles i'London speakit? Or like those folks from Bristol speak it? Or like the Geordies?"
"Like I speak it, naturally!" Madeline answers with supreme confidene, beaming at Angus before going back to breathing into the bag. Is she supposed to get light headed? She blinks a few times.
Angus bursts out laughing, "O'course. So, you're the only one who kens hoo tae speak Inglish right, aye?"
"Well, naturally, but it's okay. I'll try to teach you proper." Madeline stops breathing into the mouthpiece for now, asking uncertainly, "Do you get a bit dizzy sometimes when you play?"
Angus considers this, "Och…. when Ah first started, Aye. It passes, wi' practice. Mebee time tae quit fur now tho'. Yehs can get yoursel' a chanter sent up by owl tae practice the fingering on."
"You think?" Madeline muses curiously, as she sets down the bagpipe. "Is it very expensive - getting a chanter? Maybe could practice fingering on it in SCUMS class, because outside of it, well, I usually have to work on my magic if I'm gonna stay caught up with my studies."
Angus gives a little wince. "Aye… aye, look. Ah've goat mah notes from the last few years, Quine…"
"Oh, you think I could borrow them?" Madeline asks eagerly. "That'd be brilliant! I mean - I'm doing alright. Megan's helping me out - up in our room - me and Nell both. And she tells me all the assignments, and I've been doing them. I've even been turning them in to Viridian, and he's been giving 'em back to me. I gave some to Dumbledore - but he never gave 'em back."
Angus gives a little nod, "Aye… aye. Ah mean, Ah'm nae a scholar, y'ken, but…" He gives a little unhappy shrug.
"I'm sure it'll help!" Madeline says brightly, then leans in conspiratorily. "But you know what I bet? I bet you anything that when we got back to our classes, Professor Lestrange is gonna ask me - ask all of us - to turn in aaaaaall the assignments we missed. And I'll have them all done already!"
Angus bursts out laughing, "Aye? Aye, I bet they dae, too." He rubs his hair, "I dinnae ken when that will be. But it's noo right tae stop the mu…. muggle burn playing in the Quiddich."
"Oh, well, they're not stopping that. We're allowed to play Quidditch - not that I would - and go to clubs. Domestics and Dueling are my favorite times of the week, now. At Domestic, Madame Patil gives me a right proper hot meal," since for three weeks now, Madeline hasn't eaten a single scrap in the Great Hall, "and at Dueling Club I get to practice proper magic, right there in front of everyone."
Angus gives a slightly dubious look, "Aye." Okay, something he's not saying there, probably. He's pretty much an open book to read, "Aye. Well, there's good folks here, I ken."
"What?" Madeline asks in confusion, her gaze fixing on Angus. "Has anyone in the Magijugend been saying anything about the clubs?" she asks anxiously. "Oh, if they stop letting us go to the clubs-!" That would be a nightmare, for her! As if things weren't bad enough!
Angus shrugs, "No sure aboot some of the selections." He shrugs, "Ah dinnae ken. Mebee there's other reasons fur the picking."
"…did they keep the Muggleborns off our team?" Madeline asks quietly. "Oh."
Angus ponders this, "Donovan's playing for us. But he'd be really obvious if he was left out. He's gonnae go professional, I'd have thought."
"But there's others you think shouldda made it and didn't?" Madeline asks uncertainly, with a frown. "I don't like Quidditch, but that doesn't stop it from being unfair."
Angus shrugs, "I dinnae ken. I'm no a specialised Chaser, but I'm playing out o' position. I wasnae expecting a regular game this year."
"So you think they put you in a position that maybe shouldda gone to a Muggleborn?" Madeline muses, not looking certain. "Well. Maybe, I guess. Though - Gabriel made his team, too. And he's only a third year. So how good can he be, really?" Yes. She just casually insulted her friend. "I'm happy for him, of course," she adds hastily.
Angus ponders this, and says, "Aye, well, he's no as good as me. But he's a Ravenclaw. No many o' them want tae play…"
"I supposed that's a good point," Madeline muses. "We usually have a better team than the Ravenclaws, then? I'd never really considered it before."
Angus gives her a withering look, "Aye? You've got tae be brave tae play! That's us!"
"I suppose that's true," Madeline responds, without sounding like she's entirely convinced. "But just because your brave doesn't men you have to play," she then asserts. "Because there's lots of kinds of brave."
Angus waves a hand, "Och, aye. But I can do _that_ sorta brave. It's FUN!" He gives a broad grin. "An' it makes sense. Mah only other skill is that animals like me, ken?"
"I like animals. I think animals like me," Madeline remarks in a musing voice. She leans back on her hands, looking up before adding. "Oh. That might be Mischief up there, now. You see her?" she asks, pointing at a bird circling them.
Angus looks up, watching it for a minute, "Cr…. Raven. A wee bit larger than average? He's a nice one."
"She's a real beast and a trouble maker," Madeline says brightly. "But she's learning more and more words. She even has an evil cackle! You just got to watch it with food and shiney things around her, or she'll make off with them. Stuff like ribbons, too. She loves ribbons."
Angus digs in his pocket, and produces a small amount of dried meat. Okay. Where DID he get Biltong? Probably made it himself. He pulls out a glove from inside his robes. A falconers glove, and holds the meat in it. "Lets see if she wants tae come talk, aye?"
"Oh, you don't need a glove with her. I mean - well. I guess gloves ain't bad. But her feet don't hurt like Avi's - he's my uncle's owl," Madeline explains cheerfully, as the raven starts wheeling down towards them. "Oh, it must be Mischief!" she declares brightly. "I hope she got my letter to my parents on time."
Angus gives a little grin, "Ah've nae tried wi' a Raven before. Owls Ah ken well. Mah family train them." He looks up to ponder the bird as it heads down.
"I like Mischief more than owls. I mean, they're nice and all - but ravens are just so much. And they're awake in the daytime." The large black bird lands near Madeline, flicking her wings before settling them against her back. Reaching into her robes, Maddie pulls out a little dried meat of her own, giving it to the bird. "Finished with the letter?" she croons. "What a good bird you are, Mischief! Who's my Mischief?"
"Mischief!" the bird croaks back at her after gobbling down the offered meat.
Angus considers the bird, "Aye. Aye, so it would be seen. It's a myth about owls and the night, though. If you look at an owls eyes, they're the same colour as the sun at their favourite time of the day, y'ken?"
"Umm. No, I don't ken," Madeline answers uncertainly. She holds out her arm towards her raven, adding in a firm voice, "Up." Much to Madeline's satisfaction, she hops right on. "I worked on her all summer. Up, drop it, fly away, come here. That and… Goooooooo Gryffindor!" Madeline crows, which seems to prompt her bird to copy her.
"Goooooo Gryffindor!" It sounds strange - but recognizeable. "Good girl, Mischief!"
Angus chuckles, "Aye? Picks it up fast, doesn't she. Ah wonder if Ah could teach her tae insult Magijugend." He shrugs, "Arctic owls hunt in the daytime. Some owls hunt at dawn and dusk. A few are midnight hunters. You look in the owlery some time, Quine!"
"You could - but then I'd get in trouble for it," Madeline says a bit anxiously. "And - well - dusk is alright, but I never much was a fan of dawn. I like a bird who's awake all day! And is clever, and funny, and- MISCHIEF! You can't have my hair ribbon!" The bird on her arm has started pecking at the ribbon holding one of her pig tails.
Angus ponders this, "Aye. You've got a point. Wonder if there's any more talkers in the aviary…"
Angus grins, and heads off in that direction, "Ah'm gonnae have a wee look! Take the pipes back tae the common room, aye?"
"DROP IT," Madeline commands sharply when the bird continues to peck at her ribbon - and suddenly finds the bird complies. She's all smiles as she offers the bird some more dried meat. "You know, last here she had to be locked up in a cage with Professor Kettleburn because she did stuff like make off with Adam's wand. We haven't had any problems - nothing big, at least - this year."
"Oh, I will! Thanks for showing me!" Madeline declares brightly.