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itsjustjesse · 01-20-2016, 08:26 AM

SPOILER!!: you two & the prof

Quote:

Originally Posted by VRSCIKA

Ilia really didn't care so much about other peoples opinions, but the fact that the girl was speaking to her meant either she wasn't one of the ones who didn't like her, or she simply had enough sense to just be a civil being. Either way, it worked for her. She rambled a bit with her introduction, but it was fine. Ilia bowed customarily upon introduction and then looked up at her with a slight smirk to her smile. "Pleasure to meet you. I will call you whichever version of your name that you prefer. Burn is certainly interesting." That it was, just burn....hmmm. She was a Gryffindor, perhaps a pyro? "My given name is Freya, but you may call me Ilia if you would like to." No, she had no incendiary nicknames, but it all suited her just fine.

At least there was one occupant from her house at the table, she didn't have to bother with introductions and formalities. She may not know the boy terribly well, but she did know him. Fellow snakes tended to be some reassurance.....possibly.....he certainly looked better than after the food fight incident.

"Hello Dante." She parted with a small smile for him as she sat at her assigned place.

Talk about an interaction with a talking portrait.....did she really have to share that? She.....really didn't want to delve into all that. It was mostly stuff she'd rather keep personal. Henric had conversations with her families portraits too.....they weren't the nicest people. Here, she tended to just do enough to get around. Her families portraits were enough to convince her that she really didn't want to speak to any of them. She had to come up with one though......."In one of my families homes, there is a portrait of my great great grandmother. She tends to pick out anything about your appearance or behavior that she deems needing improvement and attempts to scold you for it. If your dress is above your ankles, if you didn't curtsey at her....for example. Then she will tirade about our family history." And please....PLEASE....don't ask her to elaborate on that. She HATED that old bat!

And quite expectedly, jerk face was even rude enough to ignore her greeting. A smirk, was it a smirk on her lips? Honestly, it usually was if her expression wasn't as stoic as a porcelain dolls. Unless Henric was around anyways. "Apparently 'Lions' doth hold grudges." That was all that she was going to say and no she didn't consider him a lion, thus her inflection. He was a rude, egotistical prat and he knew it, why beat a lame Abraxan? Still.....just his face was irritating.....the way he even talked about the house portrait.....What...a...huge...prat....

Quote:

Originally Posted by emjay

SPOILER!!: individual replies

Ansley looked expectantly at the first student to speak, though he wasn’t all that surprised at her answer, especially from one rather young. “Just like people, some portraits have something useful to say, others just like to talk.” And unfortunately for her, it didn’t sound like she had found one to be more than annoying.

At least this one had a story, even if the boy chose not to elaborate on it. And that made Ansley wonder if the boy had listened to the story at all or just dismissed the knight as idle chatter. “Oh? Did you learn anything? Find his stories interesting? Many of the portraits are willing to share snippets of what their human counterparts’ lives were like.” And if he did learn anything or find anything about his stories interesting, that was okay. There were so many portraits in this castle, as well as elsewhere.

Now this was what he was talking about. Even if the boy had not spoken with any of the portraits here at Hogwarts – forgivable since he appeared to be about a first year and likely hadn’t had much time to yet – he still seemed to know the value of speaking to a magical portrait. Ansley listened intently to the boy’s story, smiling at his enthusiasm. “I imagine it was more interesting… It is an exciting story, but even more so from someone who was there.” Unfortunately, he hadn’t come across that particular portrait though he knew of the tale. He could only imagine how it could be told with much more flourish. “I’m sure you can find some interesting stories in the corridors of Hogwarts too.” Silently, he pulled a gold star sticker from his pocket and stuck it on the boy’s nametag sitting on the desk.

Huh. That was an interesting tale, to say the least. Not that the interesting story actually came from any of the portraits, but from David’s experience with… something. It seemed that the boy was leaving out an important piece of information. “And why exactly did you blindfold those three portraits?” he asked giving him an amused, yet suspicious look. Ansley got the general idea, though he would love details. “Mhm,” he murmured in agreement, getting slightly off-topic. “Your mum was my Herbology teacher back in the day.” Long, long ago.. but he’d likely agree with the intense part. It was probably for the best that she never caught him taking samples of certain plants from the greenhouse, or knew what he did with them.

It wasn’t Ansley’s intention to make anyone feel bad with the discussion and he got the impression that this young Ravenclaw felt that way never having talked to one. “You still have plenty of time,” he told her, noting she was a first year and just got here. “They do have a lot to offer if you just listen. Just keep that in mind.”

Ansley nodded, knowing that Jaemin was a first year also – another who might conceivably have little interaction with portraits. “Oh, yeah, they can be very helpful.. when they want to be.” He did know of some that were downright pains and he glanced at one particular sheet at the front of the room at the thought. Anyway. “Did she help you find your way, or talk to you about something else?” The boy gave him the impression that it wasn’t the best of encounters so he was a bit curious about that.

Ansley gave Kitty a small smile and nod. “That’s very considerate of you.” He’d guess that many people would pass them by unnoticed or taken for granted, not that it was that big of a deal. They were portraits and not actual people, but it was nice when people valued them. Goblin leaders of the rebellion… Interesting. Ansley had to chuckle at the coincidence of that. Perhaps the girl would have an easy and enjoyable time with this lesson, which was always a good thing. “I actually would like to hear one of the stories.” It was what he had asked, wasn’t it? And he always found stories told by the portraits, especially if they were of the people that had experienced certain events, to be rather enlightening.

”Family portraits are always nice to have,” Ansley nodded. Those were probably what he was commissioned to paint most often. “They can give us great insight into our own personal, family histories. You should check out some of the magical portraits here too. They also have some stories and secrets to tell.”

Ansley watched with eyebrow raised when it was Hadley’s turn to answer. He wasn’t sure what was going on over here with looks that could maim if not kill, but apparently it was something he needed to keep his eye on. Or maybe just address right now. “Is there a problem at this table?” He wasn’t keen on moving students right now, not when he was sure whatever this was could be worked out. Maybe a group project was just what they needed.

Hadn’t had the chance? Ansley wondered if this was her first year here or if she just didn’t bother with them. “Sounds like a popular guy,” he chuckled, fairly sure he knew exactly which knight she and a few others mentioned. “Sometimes they just want their story to be heard.” They might not be the actual people, but he imagined it’d be boring hanging about on a canvas all day with nothing to do. It could get lonely.

Ansley would expect a Gryffindor to have spoken to that particular portrait as she secured the entrance to their common room. And it was good to know that this Lion actually spoke to her rather than just used her for the password. “Any of those stories stand out to you at all as memorable?” She was known for a few outlandish ones, but she had also been at Hogwarts a really long time and had seen plenty. The second portrait, Ansley was unfamiliar with, though he sounded rather interesting. Perhaps he should seek him out sometime. “Maybe something like that actually happened in the person’s life.. They sometimes like to project their experiences on real people..”

That was kind of funny and Ansley chuckled a bit. “Well, she’s been known to be a little fussy at times, but maybe the staring made her a little self-conscious.” Not that portraits had actual feelings, but they could certainly act like it at times.

Ansley smiled at the first year as she gave her answer. “The magical portraits here at Hogwarts can be quite useful. Opening doors is one example..” Not for his old common room, but he was pretty sure all houses were aware of that particular portrait. And there were other very useful portraits found around here as well..

”Interesting story,” Ansley nodded. Of course, he had heard that one before from someone who thought it very sad indeed complete with dramatics that he could do without. “Shame it’s the only worthwhile one though.” There were many more stories of much more importance if one knew where to look.

That was fairly amusing and Ansley chuckled a little. “Even if the elephant had been a little more polite, I’m not sure how he could have given you a ride anyway. You can’t get into the painting and he can’t get out.” Fun idea though.

Now this was one student who seemed to genuinely see value in the portraits and Ansley had to smile as he was pleased with this answer. “They can be very helpful when they want to be, and that is awfully clever to exchange favors.” He probably wouldn’t have thought to set any of them up on dates, but it seemed to work. He wordlessly put one of his gold star stickers on the name tag on her table.

Daxton still hadn’t switched seats to sit at his proper place so Ansley waited for some sort of reason as to why he needed the one he had chosen for himself instead. His eyes followed the boy’s pointing finger to the door and he looked at it for a moment before glancing back at Daxton. Close proximity to the door is how the Ansley took that hand gesture and it was sufficient, given his basic understanding of the situation. He vaguely wondered if the boy would communicate via sign language as he switched the name tags on the table. “This is your seat now, alright?” And though he would have appreciated an answer when it came to his turn, Ansley did not necessarily expect one. But hopefully he would be able to participate in the next portion of class with no issue. That he did expect.

”Oh there’s quite a bit of history behind that swamp,” Ansley nodded. “What did the portrait tell you, just the origin?” He wondered which portrait this was, whether it was a painting that was here during that time, or a painting of a person who actually knew the Weasley twins.

Oh.. Professor Ansley would have sounded kind of strange, wouldn’t it? It reminded him of what little kids called their nursey school teachers, like when his sister worked in a preschool and was called Miss Greta. Professor Finch was a little more respectful he thought, even if he was used to Mr. Finch. “I prefer to be called Professor Finch,” he said with a smile to the young Ravenclaw. “But thank you for asking and making sure.” And then he listened to his answer. Um.. hmm. The twins he could picture.. the twins as men, he could not. Didn’t mean they weren’t somewhere as there so many portraits throughout the castle. “Sounds like the makings of a fun scavenger hunt,” he grinned.

Ansley nodded. “He was once Headmaster. There are actually several of his portraits hung around Hogwarts. You must have found one of his that granted entrance to a secret passage to the library.” He smiled softly in nostalgic remembrance. He had been quite fond of that portrait of Basic Fronsac back in the day. Maybe he should go visit him soon.

He certainly did not come from a family that had an estate holding centuries of ancestral portraits, though he knew a few people who had. “Sounds fascinating.” No, really, it did. If only his own ancestors had been immortalized in the same way. “I probably would have played the same game if my grandparents had a bunch of portraits like that,” he chuckled. “I bet they have some really great stories too.”

Hmm. All of the magical portraits in the castle and he hadn’t ever talked to one, minus this one brief interaction? Maybe that would change after today. “Sometimes they just want someone to tell their stories to.”

Ansley had been teaching high school long enough before he obtained this position to know when someone was trying to sneak something. There was always some student who thought they were getting something past him, but he was hardly that clueless. And that was one reason that he never stood in one spot in the classroom for very long. He was close enough to the table to see that Zeke had his focus on another class. “This is not your study hall, Mr. Browne. Put your.. homework away.” Or whatever it was, that was beside the point. “When you arrive in my classroom you are expected to focus on this lesson when it begins and not on someone else’s. That will be five points from Gryffindor.” And he saw no need for further response to the boy’s contribution as it was simply a rehash of what several others said in a much less polite and informative way.

”You’re kind of missing out, Janelle,” Ansley said with a smile. “They can be a wealth of information, or just idle chatter… but sometimes the fun is figuring out which is which.” Maybe after today she and others will have a new appreciation of the magical portraits found around Hogwarts.

”Maybe if you let her finish her story, she wouldn’t have?” But Ansley had to laugh at this. He didn’t have as much interaction with her as many other students, or with some of the other portraits, as he hadn’t been a Gryffindor himself, but he knew how she could be.

Minister, hmm? Ansley glanced down at her name tag, then back up at her. He knew of Minister Greingoth, but it seemed like it had been ages ago. Would she have been old enough to remember? But maybe she meant his office at his current job, whatever that might be. “I’m sure former Ministers would have many stories to tell. Did any of them ever tell you one?” Hopefully something more interesting than writing a new law.

Ansley gave Rachel an encouraging smile when it was her turn to answer. “That’s polite.. You should give conversing a try as well sometime. They have lots of interesting stories.” But she would get the chance to today anyway.

Hmm, quiet when it was her turn. Ansley took her silence to mean that she hadn’t had much interaction, if any at all, with the portraits. He knew that she was a first year, so maybe she hadn’t had a chance to yet, especially if she was muggleborn. That would change today though.

Another quiet one. This girl was older and definitely should have had at least some interaction with the magical portraits. Any? Ansley regarded her with a raised eyebrow before moving on. He’d see how she interacted with them today.

”Yes, they most certainly do,” Ansley nodded in agreement with the Ravenclaw prefect. It was a shame that she had not experienced that personally though. “Hopefully after today you will see what stories they have for yourself.”

Ansley smiled at the young Hufflepuff. “Many of the magical portraits can be very helpful, especially lost first years.” Though he recalled a particular portrait that found it very amusing to give the wrong directions to unassuming first years.

Ansley nodded as the Slytherin girl spoke, recalling this portrait and the book as well. “Many of them are eager to talk about their lives and passions.” Or at least that of the people they were painted. And her next question made him light up a little. “Well, it does take some extensive training and some advanced magic. I studied under an apprenticeship for a few years before I was able to create a successful one on my own.” And his first portrait was actually here. He was rather excited about that.

”Well.. she is, yes..” Ansley nodded slowly. The Gryffindors would have the most interaction with a portrait, having to see her every day just to get into their common room. It was a shame that hardly anyone seemed to talk to her at all besides give her the password in exchange for entry. “Maybe try talking to her sometime, find out something about her.” Like, her name even.

Hmm. This girl did not seem all that fond of her family portraits and Ansley wasn’t going to make her go into any great detail about them. He did like to hear their stories, but he also wanted the basic gist of things. “It’s nice to know about family history, especially from those who lived through it, otherwise you might not know as much about it at all.” And what people planned on doing with that knowledge was up to them.

Ansley nodded. Another who spoke on the helpfulness of the portraits. He hoped some of those who had little to no interaction were listening and took note. He called on the boy again as he saw his hand in the air. “Oh.. no, not in that same way. The people in the portraits can move from one to another in the castle, but it doesn’t work in that way for us. Some of them do serve as entrances for secret passageways though. And those you can use as shortcuts.” He wasn’t sure if he should tell him where specific ones were though. It had been fun for him as a student when he would stumble upon them on his own.

Okay, he was moving on from the quiet ones because he could hear at least one of his portraits getting a little restless. And she appeared to at least be paying attention. which would do her well with the next portion of class.

And another quiet one. Ansley supposed he wasn’t too surprised with some of the first years remaining silent on the subject. Hogwarts could very well be their first experience with magical portraits and as they had not been there long yet, they opportunity may not have presented itself. Until now.

Hmm. Ansley might have expected a little more from the Head Girl who was also a Ravenclaw, but from what he heard from the majority of the class, there wasn’t a lot of interaction with the magical portraits. He supposed that was why he was here to teach them all that they could be. “Rude.. maybe, but maybe they were lonely and looking for someone to talk to,” he said, with a slightly amused expression. Was he joking? Who knew.

”Next time you see him, tell him yes and see what happens,” Ansley told the Hufflepuff. “As long as you’re not too busy of course… but you never know what he’ll tell you or what you might get up to.” He knew that old knight was kind of batty but he was kind of fun too.

Was it lovely? Ansley had heard her sing at least once before and that probably wasn’t the word he’d use. But Norah was lovely for saying so. “She certainly is enthusiastic, isn’t she?” Maybe that was what made some people not hate it as much, knowing how passionate she was about it.

Ansley waited. The prefect seemed to be in deep thought but still had not said anything. If he hadn't heard the murmurs from under the sheets getting louder, he might have tried prompting the boy for participation, but he needed to move on.

A quick glance to one more student, but she seemed a little reluctant to contribute as well. It was time to move on anyway.

Well, to be honest, that was sort of disappointing for Ansley. Most students did not seem to realize the value that the portraits of Hogwarts had. But maybe a few of them would realize that fact just a little more after today’s lesson, especially as they now had to talk to the portraits to find out a little bit about them. Of course, it could be more about the soft spot he had for them as he painted portraits himself.

“Alright, class, as you heard from some of your classmates, and from me, portraits can not only have some interesting stories to tell, but they can also be quite useful. Some can hide secret passageways, many others are helpful with directions.. but it sounds like many of you haven’t had all that much interaction with the magical portraits here at Hogwarts. And I have to say, you’re missing out. They can really be an invaluable resource.”

“Today we are going to try a little exercise,” he said, waving his wand at the sheet-covered portraits at the front of the room to remove their sheets. “I want each of you to choose one of the portraits and ask them a few questions to get to know about the life of the person they were painted from and their contribution to history. You can do this as a group with your table if you’d like, or not. But for now, gather some information.” He’d give further instructions later.

He gently levitated each of the five portraits to different areas of the room. “This is Artemesia Timms,” he pointed to the first portrait of a woman in her thirties. “Augustus Flume..” he gestured to the eccentric looking elderly man with wild white hair. “Violetta Bulstrode,” he gestured to the middle-aged woman, ignoring the class in favor of carefully examining her frame. “Lucian.. uh, Lucian Warrington.” This painting was currently empty except for an indistinct background. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon enough… And Elliot Kegworth.” He pointed to the last portrait, that of a man in his twenties.

OOC -

Please choose one portrait for this activity.
Title your posts with that portrait's name so that they can respond to you - no need for numbers, unless it is for your own benefit, as I do not keep track of posts that way.
Ask your selected portrait five questions in five different posts, but you can post more for other things if you want - talking to your group, selecting a portrait, etc.
Try to spread out a bit so everyone isn't doing the same portrait, please!
And if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hera

He had been partly listening. Partly. Because lets face it, this was Boring (with a capital B), if Finch wanted his undivided attention, he would have to do better than this. As it was, until such time as that, he would continue to treat the class as his study hall. "Sure thing, Sir," he replied, closing his book with a polite smile and pushing it away with an idle finger. For now. For now. It wasn't as if he would be MORE engaged this way regardless. Five points was little in the grand scheme of things too, and it did seem amusing that he was being punished for doing work, it wasn't as if he was being disruptive. So what if he failed HoM?

... portraits.

Ugh.

He really didn't understand what aspect of this he would be assessed on for OWLs and as a result of that, he was both unimpressed and uninspired.

Ilia's 'grudge' comment went unnoticed, like, whatever. BUT now that they had a task, he looked to his group for their assessment of what was to be done - and yes, this included her. Hi.

"Should we tackle it together? Split the work?" he asked, just wanting this to be over with.

Melbourne listened to what Ilia was saying as she spoke and thought she seemed interesting so far. “Well…Burn would be interesting I think – and really if you ever want to use a different one go for it.” She nodded and grinned over to her. With the pyro thoughts well they’d have to wait and see. “Freya? Really? That’s a cool name! I like it…what do you like being called though?” She asked because really if she liked being called Ilia she’d call her that.

“I mean if you like being called Ilia I’ll call you that…even if Freya’s awesome being a Norse goddess and everything” she grinned because really runes and runic lore were something she had always been interested in.

When Professor Finch began explaining their activity Mel just grinned. This sounded awesome – really talking to portraits. So great. Hopefully no one was boooooooooring. Zeke’s suggestion really did sound great though.

“Yeah that sounds good to me…do you guys want to do even less work and tackle the guy that’s not in his portrait?” She asked looking at the surprisingly empty portrait.

01-20-2016, 08:26 AM	#123 (permalink)
itsjustjesse Fwooper Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: the void Posts: 21,838 Hogwarts RPG Name: Amelia Yarborough Hufflepuff Seventh Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Emerald Peridot "Dot" Ainsley Gryffindor Seventh Year x10	grooooup work HOLISTIC ACTRESS {X O} EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED SPOILER!!: you two & the prof Quote: Originally Posted by VRSCIKA Ilia really didn't care so much about other peoples opinions, but the fact that the girl was speaking to her meant either she wasn't one of the ones who didn't like her, or she simply had enough sense to just be a civil being. Either way, it worked for her. She rambled a bit with her introduction, but it was fine. Ilia bowed customarily upon introduction and then looked up at her with a slight smirk to her smile. "Pleasure to meet you. I will call you whichever version of your name that you prefer. Burn is certainly interesting." That it was, just burn....hmmm. She was a Gryffindor, perhaps a pyro? "My given name is Freya, but you may call me Ilia if you would like to." No, she had no incendiary nicknames, but it all suited her just fine. At least there was one occupant from her house at the table, she didn't have to bother with introductions and formalities. She may not know the boy terribly well, but she did know him. Fellow snakes tended to be some reassurance.....possibly.....he certainly looked better than after the food fight incident. "Hello Dante." She parted with a small smile for him as she sat at her assigned place. Talk about an interaction with a talking portrait.....did she really have to share that? She.....really didn't want to delve into all that. It was mostly stuff she'd rather keep personal. Henric had conversations with her families portraits too.....they weren't the nicest people. Here, she tended to just do enough to get around. Her families portraits were enough to convince her that she really didn't want to speak to any of them. She had to come up with one though......."In one of my families homes, there is a portrait of my great great grandmother. She tends to pick out anything about your appearance or behavior that she deems needing improvement and attempts to scold you for it. If your dress is above your ankles, if you didn't curtsey at her....for example. Then she will tirade about our family history." And please....PLEASE....don't ask her to elaborate on that. She HATED that old bat! And quite expectedly, jerk face was even rude enough to ignore her greeting. A smirk, was it a smirk on her lips? Honestly, it usually was if her expression wasn't as stoic as a porcelain dolls. Unless Henric was around anyways. "Apparently 'Lions' doth hold grudges." That was all that she was going to say and no she didn't consider him a lion, thus her inflection. He was a rude, egotistical prat and he knew it, why beat a lame Abraxan? Still.....just his face was irritating.....the way he even talked about the house portrait.....What...a...huge...prat.... Quote: Originally Posted by emjay SPOILER!!: individual replies Ansley looked expectantly at the first student to speak, though he wasn’t all that surprised at her answer, especially from one rather young. “Just like people, some portraits have something useful to say, others just like to talk.” And unfortunately for her, it didn’t sound like she had found one to be more than annoying. At least this one had a story, even if the boy chose not to elaborate on it. And that made Ansley wonder if the boy had listened to the story at all or just dismissed the knight as idle chatter. “Oh? Did you learn anything? Find his stories interesting? Many of the portraits are willing to share snippets of what their human counterparts’ lives were like.” And if he did learn anything or find anything about his stories interesting, that was okay. There were so many portraits in this castle, as well as elsewhere. Now this was what he was talking about. Even if the boy had not spoken with any of the portraits here at Hogwarts – forgivable since he appeared to be about a first year and likely hadn’t had much time to yet – he still seemed to know the value of speaking to a magical portrait. Ansley listened intently to the boy’s story, smiling at his enthusiasm. “I imagine it was more interesting… It is an exciting story, but even more so from someone who was there.” Unfortunately, he hadn’t come across that particular portrait though he knew of the tale. He could only imagine how it could be told with much more flourish. “I’m sure you can find some interesting stories in the corridors of Hogwarts too.” Silently, he pulled a gold star sticker from his pocket and stuck it on the boy’s nametag sitting on the desk. Huh. That was an interesting tale, to say the least. Not that the interesting story actually came from any of the portraits, but from David’s experience with… something. It seemed that the boy was leaving out an important piece of information. “And why exactly did you blindfold those three portraits?” he asked giving him an amused, yet suspicious look. Ansley got the general idea, though he would love details. “Mhm,” he murmured in agreement, getting slightly off-topic. “Your mum was my Herbology teacher back in the day.” Long, long ago.. but he’d likely agree with the intense part. It was probably for the best that she never caught him taking samples of certain plants from the greenhouse, or knew what he did with them. It wasn’t Ansley’s intention to make anyone feel bad with the discussion and he got the impression that this young Ravenclaw felt that way never having talked to one. “You still have plenty of time,” he told her, noting she was a first year and just got here. “They do have a lot to offer if you just listen. Just keep that in mind.” Ansley nodded, knowing that Jaemin was a first year also – another who might conceivably have little interaction with portraits. “Oh, yeah, they can be very helpful.. when they want to be.” He did know of some that were downright pains and he glanced at one particular sheet at the front of the room at the thought. Anyway. “Did she help you find your way, or talk to you about something else?” The boy gave him the impression that it wasn’t the best of encounters so he was a bit curious about that. Ansley gave Kitty a small smile and nod. “That’s very considerate of you.” He’d guess that many people would pass them by unnoticed or taken for granted, not that it was that big of a deal. They were portraits and not actual people, but it was nice when people valued them. Goblin leaders of the rebellion… Interesting. Ansley had to chuckle at the coincidence of that. Perhaps the girl would have an easy and enjoyable time with this lesson, which was always a good thing. “I actually would like to hear one of the stories.” It was what he had asked, wasn’t it? And he always found stories told by the portraits, especially if they were of the people that had experienced certain events, to be rather enlightening. ”Family portraits are always nice to have,” Ansley nodded. Those were probably what he was commissioned to paint most often. “They can give us great insight into our own personal, family histories. You should check out some of the magical portraits here too. They also have some stories and secrets to tell.” Ansley watched with eyebrow raised when it was Hadley’s turn to answer. He wasn’t sure what was going on over here with looks that could maim if not kill, but apparently it was something he needed to keep his eye on. Or maybe just address right now. “Is there a problem at this table?” He wasn’t keen on moving students right now, not when he was sure whatever this was could be worked out. Maybe a group project was just what they needed. Hadn’t had the chance? Ansley wondered if this was her first year here or if she just didn’t bother with them. “Sounds like a popular guy,” he chuckled, fairly sure he knew exactly which knight she and a few others mentioned. “Sometimes they just want their story to be heard.” They might not be the actual people, but he imagined it’d be boring hanging about on a canvas all day with nothing to do. It could get lonely. Ansley would expect a Gryffindor to have spoken to that particular portrait as she secured the entrance to their common room. And it was good to know that this Lion actually spoke to her rather than just used her for the password. “Any of those stories stand out to you at all as memorable?” She was known for a few outlandish ones, but she had also been at Hogwarts a really long time and had seen plenty. The second portrait, Ansley was unfamiliar with, though he sounded rather interesting. Perhaps he should seek him out sometime. “Maybe something like that actually happened in the person’s life.. They sometimes like to project their experiences on real people..” That was kind of funny and Ansley chuckled a bit. “Well, she’s been known to be a little fussy at times, but maybe the staring made her a little self-conscious.” Not that portraits had actual feelings, but they could certainly act like it at times. Ansley smiled at the first year as she gave her answer. “The magical portraits here at Hogwarts can be quite useful. Opening doors is one example..” Not for his old common room, but he was pretty sure all houses were aware of that particular portrait. And there were other very useful portraits found around here as well.. ”Interesting story,” Ansley nodded. Of course, he had heard that one before from someone who thought it very sad indeed complete with dramatics that he could do without. “Shame it’s the only worthwhile one though.” There were many more stories of much more importance if one knew where to look. That was fairly amusing and Ansley chuckled a little. “Even if the elephant had been a little more polite, I’m not sure how he could have given you a ride anyway. You can’t get into the painting and he can’t get out.” Fun idea though. Now this was one student who seemed to genuinely see value in the portraits and Ansley had to smile as he was pleased with this answer. “They can be very helpful when they want to be, and that is awfully clever to exchange favors.” He probably wouldn’t have thought to set any of them up on dates, but it seemed to work. He wordlessly put one of his gold star stickers on the name tag on her table. Daxton still hadn’t switched seats to sit at his proper place so Ansley waited for some sort of reason as to why he needed the one he had chosen for himself instead. His eyes followed the boy’s pointing finger to the door and he looked at it for a moment before glancing back at Daxton. Close proximity to the door is how the Ansley took that hand gesture and it was sufficient, given his basic understanding of the situation. He vaguely wondered if the boy would communicate via sign language as he switched the name tags on the table. “This is your seat now, alright?” And though he would have appreciated an answer when it came to his turn, Ansley did not necessarily expect one. But hopefully he would be able to participate in the next portion of class with no issue. That he did expect. ”Oh there’s quite a bit of history behind that swamp,” Ansley nodded. “What did the portrait tell you, just the origin?” He wondered which portrait this was, whether it was a painting that was here during that time, or a painting of a person who actually knew the Weasley twins. Oh.. Professor Ansley would have sounded kind of strange, wouldn’t it? It reminded him of what little kids called their nursey school teachers, like when his sister worked in a preschool and was called Miss Greta. Professor Finch was a little more respectful he thought, even if he was used to Mr. Finch. “I prefer to be called Professor Finch,” he said with a smile to the young Ravenclaw. “But thank you for asking and making sure.” And then he listened to his answer. Um.. hmm. The twins he could picture.. the twins as men, he could not. Didn’t mean they weren’t somewhere as there so many portraits throughout the castle. “Sounds like the makings of a fun scavenger hunt,” he grinned. Ansley nodded. “He was once Headmaster. There are actually several of his portraits hung around Hogwarts. You must have found one of his that granted entrance to a secret passage to the library.” He smiled softly in nostalgic remembrance. He had been quite fond of that portrait of Basic Fronsac back in the day. Maybe he should go visit him soon. He certainly did not come from a family that had an estate holding centuries of ancestral portraits, though he knew a few people who had. “Sounds fascinating.” No, really, it did. If only his own ancestors had been immortalized in the same way. “I probably would have played the same game if my grandparents had a bunch of portraits like that,” he chuckled. “I bet they have some really great stories too.” Hmm. All of the magical portraits in the castle and he hadn’t ever talked to one, minus this one brief interaction? Maybe that would change after today. “Sometimes they just want someone to tell their stories to.” Ansley had been teaching high school long enough before he obtained this position to know when someone was trying to sneak something. There was always some student who thought they were getting something past him, but he was hardly that clueless. And that was one reason that he never stood in one spot in the classroom for very long. He was close enough to the table to see that Zeke had his focus on another class. *“This is not your study hall, Mr. Browne. Put your.. homework* away.” Or whatever it was, that was beside the point. “When you arrive in my classroom you are expected to focus on this lesson when it begins and not on someone else’s. That will be five points from Gryffindor.” And he saw no need for further response to the boy’s contribution as it was simply a rehash of what several others said in a much less polite and informative way. ”You’re kind of missing out, Janelle,” Ansley said with a smile. “They can be a wealth of information, or just idle chatter… but sometimes the fun is figuring out which is which.” Maybe after today she and others will have a new appreciation of the magical portraits found around Hogwarts. ”Maybe if you let her finish her story, she wouldn’t have?” But Ansley had to laugh at this. He didn’t have as much interaction with her as many other students, or with some of the other portraits, as he hadn’t been a Gryffindor himself, but he knew how she could be. Minister, hmm? Ansley glanced down at her name tag, then back up at her. He knew of Minister Greingoth, but it seemed like it had been ages ago. Would she have been old enough to remember? But maybe she meant his office at his current job, whatever that might be. “I’m sure former Ministers would have many stories to tell. Did any of them ever tell you one?” Hopefully something more interesting than writing a new law. Ansley gave Rachel an encouraging smile when it was her turn to answer. “That’s polite.. You should give conversing a try as well sometime. They have lots of interesting stories.” But she would get the chance to today anyway. Hmm, quiet when it was her turn. Ansley took her silence to mean that she hadn’t had much interaction, if any at all, with the portraits. He knew that she was a first year, so maybe she hadn’t had a chance to yet, especially if she was muggleborn. That would change today though. Another quiet one. This girl was older and definitely should have had at least some interaction with the magical portraits. Any? Ansley regarded her with a raised eyebrow before moving on. He’d see how she interacted with them today. ”Yes, they most certainly do,” Ansley nodded in agreement with the Ravenclaw prefect. It was a shame that she had not experienced that personally though. “Hopefully after today you will see what stories they have for yourself.” Ansley smiled at the young Hufflepuff. “Many of the magical portraits can be very helpful, especially lost first years.” Though he recalled a particular portrait that found it very amusing to give the wrong directions to unassuming first years. Ansley nodded as the Slytherin girl spoke, recalling this portrait and the book as well. “Many of them are eager to talk about their lives and passions.” Or at least that of the people they were painted. And her next question made him light up a little. “Well, it does take some extensive training and some advanced magic. I studied under an apprenticeship for a few years before I was able to create a successful one on my own.” And his first portrait was actually here. He was rather excited about that. ”Well.. she is, yes..” Ansley nodded slowly. The Gryffindors would have the most interaction with a portrait, having to see her every day just to get into their common room. It was a shame that hardly anyone seemed to talk to her at all besides give her the password in exchange for entry. “Maybe try talking to her sometime, find out something about her.” Like, her name even. Hmm. This girl did not seem all that fond of her family portraits and Ansley wasn’t going to make her go into any great detail about them. He did like to hear their stories, but he also wanted the basic gist of things. “It’s nice to know about family history, especially from those who lived through it, otherwise you might not know as much about it at all.” And what people planned on doing with that knowledge was up to them. Ansley nodded. Another who spoke on the helpfulness of the portraits. He hoped some of those who had little to no interaction were listening and took note. He called on the boy again as he saw his hand in the air. “Oh.. no, not in that same way. The people in the portraits can move from one to another in the castle, but it doesn’t work in that way for us. Some of them do serve as entrances for secret passageways though. And those you can use as shortcuts.” He wasn’t sure if he should tell him where specific ones were though. It had been fun for him as a student when he would stumble upon them on his own. Okay, he was moving on from the quiet ones because he could hear at least one of his portraits getting a little restless. And she appeared to at least be paying attention. which would do her well with the next portion of class. And another quiet one. Ansley supposed he wasn’t too surprised with some of the first years remaining silent on the subject. Hogwarts could very well be their first experience with magical portraits and as they had not been there long yet, they opportunity may not have presented itself. Until now. Hmm. Ansley might have expected a little more from the Head Girl who was also a Ravenclaw, but from what he heard from the majority of the class, there wasn’t a lot of interaction with the magical portraits. He supposed that was why he was here to teach them all that they could be. “Rude.. maybe, but maybe they were lonely and looking for someone to talk to,” he said, with a slightly amused expression. Was he joking? Who knew. ”Next time you see him, tell him yes and see what happens,” Ansley told the Hufflepuff. “As long as you’re not too busy of course… but you never know what he’ll tell you or what you might get up to.” He knew that old knight was kind of batty but he was kind of fun too. Was it lovely? Ansley had heard her sing at least once before and that probably wasn’t the word he’d use. But Norah was lovely for saying so. “She certainly is enthusiastic, isn’t she?” Maybe that was what made some people not hate it as much, knowing how passionate she was about it. Ansley waited. The prefect seemed to be in deep thought but still had not said anything. If he hadn't heard the murmurs from under the sheets getting louder, he might have tried prompting the boy for participation, but he needed to move on. A quick glance to one more student, but she seemed a little reluctant to contribute as well. It was time to move on anyway. Well, to be honest, that was sort of disappointing for Ansley. Most students did not seem to realize the value that the portraits of Hogwarts had. But maybe a few of them would realize that fact just a little more after today’s lesson, especially as they now had to talk to the portraits to find out a little bit about them. Of course, it could be more about the soft spot he had for them as he painted portraits himself. “Alright, class, as you heard from some of your classmates, and from me, portraits can not only have some interesting stories to tell, but they can also be quite useful. Some can hide secret passageways, many others are helpful with directions.. but it sounds like many of you haven’t had all that much interaction with the magical portraits here at Hogwarts. And I have to say, you’re missing out. They can really be an invaluable resource.” “Today we are going to try a little exercise,” he said, waving his wand at the sheet-covered portraits at the front of the room to remove their sheets. “I want each of you to choose one of the portraits and ask them a few questions to get to know about the life of the person they were painted from and their contribution to history. You can do this as a group with your table if you’d like, or not. But for now, gather some information.” He’d give further instructions later. He gently levitated each of the five portraits to different areas of the room. “This is Artemesia Timms,” he pointed to the first portrait of a woman in her thirties. “Augustus Flume..” he gestured to the eccentric looking elderly man with wild white hair. “Violetta Bulstrode,” he gestured to the middle-aged woman, ignoring the class in favor of carefully examining her frame. “Lucian.. uh, Lucian Warrington.” This painting was currently empty except for an indistinct background. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon enough… And Elliot Kegworth.” He pointed to the last portrait, that of a man in his twenties. OOC - Please choose one portrait for this activity. Title your posts with that portrait's name so that they can respond to you - no need for numbers, unless it is for your own benefit, as I do not keep track of posts that way. Ask your selected portrait five questions in five different posts, but you can post more for other things if you want - talking to your group, selecting a portrait, etc. Try to spread out a bit so everyone isn't doing the same portrait, please! And if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask! Quote: Originally Posted by Hera He had been partly listening. Partly. Because lets face it, this was Boring (with a capital B), if Finch wanted his undivided attention, he would have to do better than this. As it was, until such time as that, he would continue to treat the class as his study hall. "Sure thing, Sir," he replied, closing his book with a polite smile and pushing it away with an idle finger. For now. For now. It wasn't as if he would be MORE engaged this way regardless. Five points was little in the grand scheme of things too, and it did seem amusing that he was being punished for doing work, it wasn't as if he was being disruptive. So what if he failed HoM? ... portraits. Ugh. He really didn't understand what aspect of this he would be assessed on for OWLs and as a result of that, he was both unimpressed and uninspired. Ilia's 'grudge' comment went unnoticed, like, whatever. BUT now that they had a task, he looked to his group for their assessment of what was to be done - and yes, this included her. Hi. "Should we tackle it together? Split the work?"** he asked, just wanting this to be over with. Melbourne listened to what Ilia was saying as she spoke and thought she seemed interesting so far. “Well…Burn would be interesting I think – and really if you ever want to use a different one go for it.” She nodded and grinned over to her. With the pyro thoughts well they’d have to wait and see. “Freya? Really? That’s a cool name! I like it…what do you like being called though?” She asked because really if she liked being called Ilia she’d call her that. “I mean if you like being called Ilia I’ll call you that…even if Freya’s awesome being a Norse goddess and everything” she grinned because really runes and runic lore were something she had always been interested in. When Professor Finch began explaining their activity Mel just grinned. This sounded awesome – really talking to portraits. So great. Hopefully no one was boooooooooring. Zeke’s suggestion really did sound great though. “Yeah that sounds good to me…do you guys want to do even less work and tackle the guy that’s not in his portrait?” She asked looking at the surprisingly empty portrait. __________________ IT'S NOT AN ACT OF LOVE __________________________________________________ ___________ ____________ IF YOU MAKE HER ____________