(1939-10-16) What Words Cannot Mend
Details for What Words Cannot Mend
Summary: Madeline incidentially nudges Laryssa towards resistance.
Date: (1939-10-16)
Location: Hogwarts, 4th Floor Balcony
Related:
Characters
MadelineLara

Madeline is sitting on one of the chairs on the balcony - and where in previous weeks she'd had another Gryffindor in the hallway keeping an eye out for Magijugend as she practiced magic, today that's not the case. Instead, the girl is completely alone - and she's sketching. She sits on one of the lounge chairs, her closed MUD book balanced on her knees, and a piece of parcement on that as she sketches with a pencil. The drawing in question is a giant bird - a raven - stomping its way through a town, destroying buildings and shooting death rays from its eyes.

Lara was about to enjoy the peace of the splendid view on the lake, away from the foul mood within the hallways, when she sees that her favorite spot has been taken already. She quietly studies the other girl as she sketches away, smiling to herself. Then she steps out onto the balcony into view. "You certainly found yourself a nice spot to do some drawing." She nods to the girl, trying to catch a glimpse of the drawing as she speaks.

"Yeah," Madeline agrees softly. "Hard to find a quiet spot, sometimes," she remarks - having recently been driving off the roof by the puerile Angelus. No one would blame her for still being caught on that word, though - it's a great word. "But I like it here," she concludes - as she starts drawing fire on some of the ruins.

"Mind if I join you here?" Lara offers as she makes herself comfortable in the other chair, pulling out a book with an innocuous, blank leather cover. "You certainly have a vivid fantasy there. A rather… destructive one, though." She gives the other girl an inquisitive look. "A… monster bird setting buildings on fire?"

"Yeah, no, it's fine," Madeline answers as the girl asks about joining her - glancing up briefly to study the unfamiliar student. She doesn't see a Magijugend pendant on her - but then, Maddie thinks she knows who all the Magijugend are…

"Engorgement charm gone wrong," she adds dryly. as she focuses her attention back down on her art. "Not sure where he got the death ray eyes, though. There's gotta be a spell for that, too."

Lara grins. "Well, you certainly have given it some thought. Still, it doesn't explain what kind of battle that bird is raging?" She shakes her head, still grinning. "And I thought only boys would enjoy action and war themes…"

"Oh, I don't think Mischief even realizes she's doing any harm. She's just having a bit of fun, here," Madeline answers - meaning the bird in her picture. "Ain't her fault. It's the fault of the wizard who used the engorgement charm and the death ray eyes charm," she explains. Which certainly wouldn't be her. She would neeeeever do such a thing.

"Yeah, some wizards obviously would certainly enjoy such a twisted endeavor. Hope Mischief - is it? - got the better of him." Lara puts the book aside on the table and offers her hand to the other girl. " I like your imagination. My name is Laryssa by the way. You're … second year?"

"Oh, I'm sure Mischief did," Madeline replies. "She's an unstoppable force - even when she isn't 50 feet tall and shooting death rays from her eyes." She glances at Laryssa, then back at her page before adding, "Yeah, I am. And I'm Madeline."

Lara nods. "Thought so. Just lost track of new students, sorry. So, Madeline, nice to meet you. How do you like it at Hogwarts?" She asks casually, though not without a hint of bitterness, then adds very quietly. "A bit oppressive these days, isn't it?"

Question changes the girl's posture and expression - her shoulders hunch, and the muscles in her legs and hands tighten. She even scowls at her page, her jaw clenched. "I… liked it last year," is all Madeline offers, after an uncomfortable silence.

She adds more flames.

Lara sighs. "Yes, I can understand that. Some of my classmates actually had to drop their NEWTS for this ridicu… well, never mind." As a Ravenclaw being not able to pursue ones studies is pure horror, obviously. She watches Madeline add some astonishingly realistic flames. "You know, you're quite good at drawing, actually. Although I find the theme still a bit unsettling…"

"I'll never get to take NEWTs at all. Never even get to pass my OWLs," Madeline adds in a quietly bitter tone. Is that a skull in the flames? Just might be. Certainly someone has enough bitter anger to justify it. "I wonder if they're even gonna let us keep our wands when we leave school?" adds softly. "At least your friend passed their OWLs. They can't take their wand. Is it Elspeth or Thompson?" she asks - naming the two Ravenclaw NEWTs students who were shoved into the SCUMS class.

Lara reaches out to Madeline's hand in a gesture of comfort. "Don't worry, this won't last forever. They just can't move back to medieval mindsets." With a grim expression, she confirms: "Yes, Elspeth and Thompson. It makes me so angry. But you are right of course, I guess they can still count themselves lucky that they received their OWLs given the circumstances."

"That's what everyone keeps saying," Madeline answers, giving the hand touching hers an uncertain look. "But no one's doing anything. No one's tried to change anything yet - and it's been a month 'n a half." Why would anything change if no one's willing to do anything about it?

Lara considers that a moment. "Now there, I don't think you do your fellow students justice, nor the wizarding world at large." Not that she has gotten herself into trouble yet. "And one and a half months are not much, really. What do you expect? Besides, I have heard rumours there are quite a few… disturbances and wiggling around rules lately." She looks at Madeline questioningely. "Gryffindors of course, are naturally inclined to somewhat hasty action."

"Only a month and a half?" Madeline shoots back angrily. "Have you had to put up with being dragged to your head of house for using a wandlighting charm? Have you been threatened with being dragged to Flint for studying? Have you had the Magijugend try to bully you into letting them go through your things - just because they feel like it?" Tears start to sneak out of her eyes. "Do you have to sit in a class all day where you get told you're ruining the wizarding world just by being born? And then get told by your housemate that you're less than a witch when all you want to do is sit by yourself and write a story?" She glares at Lara, then looks away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "And then other kids tell me they don't see why they should skip the school meals - or have to miss their classes. Fine."

Lara stares at Madeline for a moment, feeling utterly at a loss. "I… I'm sorry" she finally offers lamely. She looks down onto her lap, then her eyes linger on her book for a moment. "You are probably right. Most of us on the 'lucky' side don't have clue how bad it has really gotten. But don't jump to conclusions. I, for one, simply had other things in my mind… concerning the muggle world rather than Hogwarts. Which…" she adds defensively "…should not be an excuse of course. Now, missing classes is definitely not something I can support." A stern Ravenclaw look briefly crosses her face. "And what /is/ the point in missing meals? But I'll be gladly of assistance if you need my support."

"But the students need to do something to protest," Madeline says quietly. "If enough students stop eating the school meals - or stop going to classes - the adults'll get mad enough to fix everything. And then we can all start eating 'n going to classes together like we oughtta." Madeline is staring down and away from Lara now - not looking at her art, either. She's just crying. "But everyone says they're both stupid ideas so what do I know anyways?"

Lara shifts uncomfortably in her seat for a moment, then reluctantly raises and moves over to Madeline's side. "Now, now,…" she says soothingly, touching the young girl lightly. "Don't cry. Please. I… don't think these are stupid ideas, I just… hadn't fully thought it through yet. You have made quite a convincing case." She carefully reaches for the drawing to save it from tears and smearing. Searching desperately for a change in subject, she studies the drawing more closely. "Do these remind me of… heat rays?"

Madeline wipes at her eyes with her hand again, and gives Lara an uncertain look as she takes the drawing. The last thing she needs is some student taking her art to Flint as proof of how violent mudbloods are - or some such nonsense. "Umm…" she mumbles, "Yeah, I guess? I mean - they're definitely hot. They set things on fire…"

Lara frowns slightly at Madelines obvious reluctance concerning her drawing. "I won't take it from you, relax. Look, incidentially…" she leans closer and drops her voice to a whisper, while searching her robe for a handkerchief "… I still enjoy reading muggle books. One of the advantages of excelling in Charms is that covering up the real content of - that -" she points to the leather covered book "is not that hard to do. I could, well, show you how to cover up your drawings, too." She straightens and offers an expensive, immaculately clean, embroidered handkerchief to the younger girl. "Here, take this. You can keep it if you want."

Madeline takes the handkerchief, dabbing at her eyes before studying Lara again. "Have you, umm, read the Hobbit yet?" she asks quietly. "It's a pretty new book. But I like it. It's one of my favorite stories now."

Lara gives her a broad smile. "There and back again, eh? I haven't been able to determine whether Tolkien is actually a wizard or a very imaginative Muggle. With all these magical creatures and demons. But I /loved/ the book." She straigthens and smoothes her robes. "And I would be glad if we could discuss the matter further, alas I have to get back to work, still have to finish a 5-page essay tonight." Still a Ravenclaw through and through.

There's definite relief as Lara confirms her knowledge of the book - and tension eases out of the diminuative girl's shoulders. "I think he's a Muggle," Madeline says firmly - then she lets out a brief but genuine laugh, "Especially since I finally saw a house-elf." They look nothing like the elves in the books! As the girl says she has to leave, Madeline just nods her head, giving the older student a slightly sad smile. "I should finish my drawing, anyways." She has a few more Magijugend to add in very fine detail into the drawing, after all.

Lara turns to leave, then hesitates, looking thoughtful. "You know… it just isn't right." She shakes her head. "This all so awful. It's really time something changes. So if there is something I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask me. I know there are some students actually teaching other students… that would certainly be something I could do and…" She tightens her grip on her book. "…will do." With a brief smile to Madeline and a last glance at her drawing, she turns and hurries down the silent corridor.

Madeline settles back into her seat - balancing her book on her legs again, and putting her drawing back into place. She doesn't comment on the lessons - she's been in on them, of course, though she hasn't been as avid about attending lately. "Get everyone to stop going to their classes," Madeline answers softly. "If Elspeth and Thompson can't go, no one should be going." But she says it without looking at Lara - and without any real hope the girl will take the suggestion to heart.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License