Drew Thornton
Ministry of Magic
Auror-in-Training
I didn't do it and you can't prove otherwise...
Posts: 14,114
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Post by Drew Thornton on Apr 15, 2006 20:16:25 GMT -5
Drew had to laugh at the name. The creature looked nothing like an orange muppet wearing a striped shirt. "Have you talked to Daven... Professor Davenport about it yet?" he asked, taking a careful step forward to get a better look. Something about the creature's eyes unnerved him.
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Post by Tamis Raynor on Apr 15, 2006 20:30:53 GMT -5
The creature blinked back at him, glanced once at the Professor, and then returned its gaze to Drew, seeming as curious of him as he was of it. It bit off another piece for the chicken leg held in one of its claw-like hands.
"No, regretfully. I was meaning to, the woman most certainly knows more in this field than I do, I still cannot tell the difference between a knarl and a porcupine. Meaning to, but as you can see, the tinniest of problems persisted in getting in the way," she stated, her gaze returning to the papers before her.
Luckily, nothing on the desk was of dire importance. So the castle was not going to come down about their ears.... yet.
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Drew Thornton
Ministry of Magic
Auror-in-Training
I didn't do it and you can't prove otherwise...
Posts: 14,114
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Post by Drew Thornton on Apr 15, 2006 21:13:13 GMT -5
Drew tapped lightly on the tank with his finger, not hard enough to be annoying to the creature, but more as a way to say hi. He looked over his shoulder at Raynor. "So this was all you guys were doing that night? Paperwork? Nothing else happened?" And here he had been so sure the answer would be right there in the office.
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Post by Tamis Raynor on Apr 15, 2006 21:30:19 GMT -5
Tap. Tap. "Ernie" had detoured from his meal, holding the chicken leg in one hand as he allowed one long claw-like finger to remain on the glass where he had returned the greeting of sorts, gaze drifting from Drew at the question to land on Raynor. It was almost as if it actually understood the ensuing conversation.
"Yes. Well, there was the brief moment where I joked with Miss Jones of attempting Slytherin on Ernie, here," she jested, not realizing at all the actual humor behind the petname, having never heard of the muppets.
She paused, holding up a piece of expensive looking parchment bearing the Ministry's seal. "Though we did have a rather ironic argument of sorts, now that I think of it. Miss Jones, naturally, threw a fit at her assignment and persisted to tell me how being adult was quite a bit easier than being a teenager, I offered to swap with her at anytime. Not a wise offer, now that I think of it."
Ernie blinked slowly, the first extreme eye movement he had made since they entered the office.
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Drew Thornton
Ministry of Magic
Auror-in-Training
I didn't do it and you can't prove otherwise...
Posts: 14,114
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Post by Drew Thornton on Apr 15, 2006 21:52:48 GMT -5
Drew blinked as well, unknowingly mimicing the creature's reaction. "In here? That night?" Then he had been on the right track. What ever had happened had started right here in the office. Someone... or something (in the magical world, you never could tell) had to have possesed enough consiousness to understand the conversation and enough magic to do something about it.
He looked again at the creature in the tank. "Ernie's the only new thing in here since I've been in here last, right?" Could it be?
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Post by Tamis Raynor on Apr 16, 2006 17:15:18 GMT -5
"Yes, which would be why the situation was so ironic. I had completely forgotten the argument until now," she stated slowly.
The Ministry paper was placed carefully on a slowly growing pile of like looking documents. Somehow, in the small time frame of their talk Tamis had managed to organize at least one-fourth of the mess that emcompassed her desk.
Ernie looked away from the Professor to return Drew's gaze as the boy moved to stare at him. It removed its hand from the glass of the tank.
Tamis, now, for the first time, actually stopped and looked over at the creature as well. "Well, yes, Mr. Thornton, besides a few horrid essays, he is the last major "item" to enter the room. Why do you ask?"
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Drew Thornton
Ministry of Magic
Auror-in-Training
I didn't do it and you can't prove otherwise...
Posts: 14,114
|
Post by Drew Thornton on Apr 17, 2006 18:42:54 GMT -5
"Cause I think Ernie did it..." Drew answered back, wrinkling his nose at the Professor. It was a logical conclusion, one he was sure that Raynor would have come to if she hadn't been pre-occupied with changing bodies, babies, and essays.
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Post by Tamis Raynor on Apr 20, 2006 18:25:00 GMT -5
"Mr-- Drew, that is completely and outrageously --" she cut off, her tongue all but gluing itself to the roof of her mouth. Why hadn’t she thought about that before? She was a retired auror; working out puzzles such as this one had been her life's work at one point.
"-- most likely correct," she finished, eyes now narrowing on Ernie, whom seemed content to keep its own gaze fixed on Drew, almost as if it was avoiding her own purpose. Tamis seemed to cross the span of the room in a blink of an eye, moving next to Drew and peering at the creature behind the glass.
"But still preposterous. I have never heard of any magic like it... though I have heard the idea is popular with muggle... oh for Merlin sake, what do you call it... some monstrous thing that can shows pictures that move like ours... oh, never mind."
Little patience for muggle devices indeed. A frown crossed Raynor's face, a commonality at the current. "But the Ministry surely would have --", she snorted at her own insolence. That of course had been her first mistake; believing the Ministry to be competent. But it still did not explain how something could hold enough magic to commit such an act.
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Drew Thornton
Ministry of Magic
Auror-in-Training
I didn't do it and you can't prove otherwise...
Posts: 14,114
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Post by Drew Thornton on Apr 20, 2006 19:33:01 GMT -5
"It's really the only option... other than one of those seventh years cursing an essay to do it to you," Drew answered. He shrugged at being able to figure it out, knowing it was no big deal. The professor would have come to the same conclusion had she not had her mind on a zillion other things.
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Post by Tamis Raynor on Apr 20, 2006 19:50:46 GMT -5
"With some of their current grades? I would not put it past them, though in truth none of them have half the brains or talent to pull it off," she confined with a joke, though the latter of it was true. There would be do prized aurors or high authorities in the DoMLE from that particular bunch.
"It is the only option yes, but this really is not my field of expertise. If he switched us, how do we get him to switch us back," she ran a hand through her hair, "I would hate to resort to searching books, but it might be the only option, not that I'm sure it will help. Newly "discovered" I doubt they would hold any information, though the restricted section might help."
She tore her gaze from Ernie at last and face lit with sudden realization, she grinned at drew. Something mischievously unusual that did not fit the Professor but fit Charlie like a glove.
"Do you still have the pass I gave you?"
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Drew Thornton
Ministry of Magic
Auror-in-Training
I didn't do it and you can't prove otherwise...
Posts: 14,114
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Post by Drew Thornton on Apr 20, 2006 19:58:00 GMT -5
Drew immediately dug through the secret pocket in his packpack and pulled out the slip of paper giving him access to the restricted section. He had placed waterproof, tear-proof, and fade-proof spells on it almost as son as it had been handed to him. Of course he still had it.
And while the restricted section of the library was always a pleasure to peruse, he thought a simpler approach might work.
"Have you thought of just asking Ernie to switch you back?" Drew asked with a small shrug. The creature had pretty much given them what they asked for. Even if it didn't work, it might be worth a try.
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Post by Tamis Raynor on Apr 23, 2006 15:56:08 GMT -5
"Well, of course I thought of that, Mr. Thornton. But at this point I don't know if that is exactly wise. He could be a Dark Creature for all we know, he seems to understand us perfectly well, but if he the wrong way..."
She looked up at him, which was indeed a much shorter distance in this body, but still quite a ways. Catching his eye, she let out a huff, a sigh, and at last a scowl, but it held very little heat. The professor was used to carefully approaching and researching a situation before acting. Aurors spent most their time hunting down deatheaters than actually acting on spontaneous urges.
"All right, Drew, all right. It is worth a try. But it might be best to have Charlie present as well. She shouldn't be too hard to hunt down."
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Drew Thornton
Ministry of Magic
Auror-in-Training
I didn't do it and you can't prove otherwise...
Posts: 14,114
|
Post by Drew Thornton on Apr 23, 2006 16:03:11 GMT -5
"If it doesn't, we try the library," Drew added with a shrug and a grin. "I think I might try and pick Dav... Professor Davenport's brain too. I think I can do it without being too obvious..."
And at the mention of bringing Charlie in... "Let me do it, huh? Please? I promise I won't hurt her," he pleaded gleefully. It would be just a little bit of payback.
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Post by Tamis Raynor on Apr 23, 2006 17:39:42 GMT -5
The Professor -- "Charlie" nodded, "that might be for the best, Bec-- Professor Davenport's insight, even indirectly, would help us greatly I believe."
At the enthusiasm that spread across the fourth years face was picture-perfect. She actually wished that she had a camera. Ah, what harm could it really do? Tamis had put him through a real headache over the passed few days, he deserved this much at least.
"All right, Mr. Thornton. As long as you keep to that promise, you can fetch her. I'll stay here. If someone wanders in... oh, I'll just say I'm hear for letting the lethifold lose. Its practically the truth. I could skin the girl for that."
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Drew Thornton
Ministry of Magic
Auror-in-Training
I didn't do it and you can't prove otherwise...
Posts: 14,114
|
Post by Drew Thornton on Apr 23, 2006 17:55:36 GMT -5
"The patronus... that should have been my first tip off," Drew answered back with a smirk and a shake of his head, disappointed in himself that he had overlooked something so obvious. Charlie was scared of dogs. It was doubtful her patronus would take the form of one.
And of course, he had been so focused on the injustices that "Raynor" had dumped on him that he hadn't been thinking clearly. He had missed an obvious sign like that as well as the chance to really fight off a dark creature. Even if he asked Raynor... the real Raynor... for another chance, it would be under her watchful eye in a controled setting. Hardly the same as the chaos that had been in class.
"I'll check in with Davenport, find Charlie, and get back here," he told her. "No worries. I won't lay a hand or a wand stroke on her."
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