Post by Daethem Zendoryn on Aug 7, 2008 2:06:36 GMT -5
The sun was falling on an unusually rainy day over the many houses of Hogsmeade. The streets were like mud, and no one dared to challenge the torrential downpour. Only one being moved through the streets of the small wizarding village; A tall, thin figure wearing an extremely fine, billowing black traveling cloak over equally magnificent gray robes embroidered in pale gold patterns. He wore on his head a fine pointed black wizard's hat, it's top half bent back slightly, and it's large brim set at an angle. He was leaning upon an ancient looking staff which had a trio of golden phoenixes, facing outward in different directions, their wings outstretched, tips touching, with an odd inverse three sided pyramid, it's point pointing towards the ground.
As the rain pounded down upon this man, he carried on through the village, up the path that would take him past the wrought iron gates topped with winged boars, and up to the castle beyond. He continued up the path, uttering not a sound except the singular grunt he issued when he mounted the first stair leading up to the great oak front doors of Hogwarts Castle. As he stepped into the entrance hall, he flicked his wand at his own chest; Instantly, every speck of mud, every molecule of water on his being vanished, leaving everything on him, from his robes to the polished black leather boots beneath them, perfectly clean and dry. The staff he carried seemed to be impervious to the touch of anything except his hand, for not a droplet of water had successfully set upon the staff in all the time he was in the downpour.
The man walked up the marble staircase; Even in the torchlight, half of his face remained hidden in shadow cast by the brim of his hat. Students stared at the unusual visitor; It wasn't often that they got someone who looked so important marching through their halls so late. He continued to climb the stairs, a sharp clink would sound with every other step as the unusually sharp golden point of the staff hit the stone beneath it. It wasn't long before he came before the great stone gargoyle that protected the Headmistress' Tower.
"Pass..." began the gargoyle, who so rarely asked for the password that would gain one entry.
"Heliopath." said the man without preamble, cutting the gargoyle off suddenly; It wasn't the password purposed for Hogwartians; Instead, it was the password entrusted to the care of the Head of the Department of Magical Education for official ministry use to gain access to the Head's Tower in emergencies. It hardly mattered that they had a password, however, for the room would never yield if the current Head didn't want it to, or if the rightful head had been forced from his or her office and duties.
The man walked past the yielding gargoyle, and climbed the spiral stair behind; as the stair was one which revolved upward slowly, his quick climbing of the steps made his journey to the summit very short indeed. He stepped toward the door to the head's office with it's griffin knocker, tapped the door once with the head of his staff, and waited. The mercury like substance floating in the form of a perfect orb within the cube inside the inverse pyramid suspended between the three golden phoenixes set atop the staff seemed jiggle ever so slightly but then became perfectly spherical once more.
As the rain pounded down upon this man, he carried on through the village, up the path that would take him past the wrought iron gates topped with winged boars, and up to the castle beyond. He continued up the path, uttering not a sound except the singular grunt he issued when he mounted the first stair leading up to the great oak front doors of Hogwarts Castle. As he stepped into the entrance hall, he flicked his wand at his own chest; Instantly, every speck of mud, every molecule of water on his being vanished, leaving everything on him, from his robes to the polished black leather boots beneath them, perfectly clean and dry. The staff he carried seemed to be impervious to the touch of anything except his hand, for not a droplet of water had successfully set upon the staff in all the time he was in the downpour.
The man walked up the marble staircase; Even in the torchlight, half of his face remained hidden in shadow cast by the brim of his hat. Students stared at the unusual visitor; It wasn't often that they got someone who looked so important marching through their halls so late. He continued to climb the stairs, a sharp clink would sound with every other step as the unusually sharp golden point of the staff hit the stone beneath it. It wasn't long before he came before the great stone gargoyle that protected the Headmistress' Tower.
"Pass..." began the gargoyle, who so rarely asked for the password that would gain one entry.
"Heliopath." said the man without preamble, cutting the gargoyle off suddenly; It wasn't the password purposed for Hogwartians; Instead, it was the password entrusted to the care of the Head of the Department of Magical Education for official ministry use to gain access to the Head's Tower in emergencies. It hardly mattered that they had a password, however, for the room would never yield if the current Head didn't want it to, or if the rightful head had been forced from his or her office and duties.
The man walked past the yielding gargoyle, and climbed the spiral stair behind; as the stair was one which revolved upward slowly, his quick climbing of the steps made his journey to the summit very short indeed. He stepped toward the door to the head's office with it's griffin knocker, tapped the door once with the head of his staff, and waited. The mercury like substance floating in the form of a perfect orb within the cube inside the inverse pyramid suspended between the three golden phoenixes set atop the staff seemed jiggle ever so slightly but then became perfectly spherical once more.