Room Four - Criminal Cell
 

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Rules are made for a reason. For your safety and the safety of others. Not to mention the sanity of the Professors and Staff of Hogwarts. If you find yourself in this particularly smelly dungeon room, then you must have broken a rule and need punishment. Take this time to learn the rules.

Violet walked into the criminal cell, she had the look of fear on her face but tried to hide it. She looked at the whole cell, not taking her eye off anything. So this is what the criminal cell looks like.

"I was here often when I was a student." Ethan paused. "Detentions with Kazimeriz at least once a month."

He looked around. "You get used to the smell. Its unfortunate really, having to get used to unpleasant things... tell me Violet," Ethan conjured a chair and sat down. "What do you find unpleasant?"

"Kazimeriz once a month? Wow, I actually feel sorry for you, I would have not survived." said Violet flinching at the thought.


Violet smelled the air and shuddered, Truebridge was right it smelled horrible. "Well, I think people are unpleasant, they always get on my nerves...but I don't know I never really thought about it."

"I survived. I survived that and six years of being privately tutored by him for duelling." Truebridge paused. "I'm sure you could have too. Surely you have strength and determination in there somewhere?"

He watched her shudder.

"Why? What do they do? Think about it now. You have time."

"Yeah, but I mean I couldn't survive being tutored by that certain person, others maybe but him just no." she replied shaking her head.

"People always think there smarter, better, more cunning, than me and always annoy me with their stupid voice just being stupid, stupid, stupid. And then hold against me, that I was rude or mean to them." she said rolling her eyes. "But on the other hand there are some people I don't mind." Rambling much? Probably.

"I learned a lot from him." Truebridge answered. "He cares more about his students than he ever let on... of course, I'm no longer his student and have not been for a long time." He thought about the duel for a moment, the one where he'd regrettably let his anger get the best of him and ended up crippling the old man.

"Why are you rude or mean to them? Is it perhaps because they are better than you and you are jealous of them?" Not that Ethan thought that was the case, but he wanted to see what Violet would say, and see if he could get her to think. He knew she had a brain, it'd be nice to see her using it.

"Well, it wasn't the same for me, he popped out randomly when I would say something bad and get me in trouble." she said.

"I don't know, thats their problem. Hey! They are definately not better than me and Im totally not jealous why would I be? Im my own person, not some little wannabe someone else." she replied. "But I think part of why Im mean and rude to them is that I think they have bbetter lifes, I have the Riddle name Im supposed to live up and stuff. So maybe Im a bit jealous, but Im still my own person."

"You won't be much of anything if you end up expelled from school at thirteen." Truebridge pointed out in a level tone. "If you want to be your own person, you need to be able to look after yourself and to do that, you need to learn and grow."

Truebridge conjured a chair for Violet to sit on. It was just a regular chair, no tricks.

"What makes their lives better? Thats a pretty broad generalisation. Others have names to live up to, expectations heaped on them, maybe more than you if you bothered to ask them. You should never assume anything, Violet. Do you know how to see the good in people?"

"I know, but still..." she replied.

Violet looked suspiciously at the chair but then went over and sat on it.

"I don't know it just seems like it, I mean Im stuck in here while they're not, but that kinda is my fault." she said akwardly. "And no not really, ooh unless they think Im pretty then I do!" she said in Im-So-Awesome-Like-That way.

"It is your fault." Truebridge agreed gravely. It was a start.

"You know, with your behaviour I doubt they notice anything else about you. The way you act is far more important than the way you look." There was something about that particular statement that reminded him of the Head Girl, or at least what she'd been like at Violet's age.

"So tell me, what will it take, Violet?"

"Seriously? B-B-but Im so much prettier than them and that counts for nothing?!" she asked worried.

"Well, I want people to trust me more, but its hard because no one really trust me not even the professors and definately not the prefects. If they could finally forgive and forget, I would be much nicer, I think." she replied.

"In the long run it means very little." Ethan answered, thinking of Anastasia Bunbury. Sure, she was beautiful but that was hardly why he... ah yes. Ahem. Back to Violet.

"You have to show them they can trust you. They will forgive you and treat you well, if you show them you are willing to change, to learn, and of course to show respect.

Are you willing to try?"

"But why? In my opinion its all about looks not attitude, take my 14 ex-boyfriends for example, not the best attitude but great looks!" she said nodding.

"Yeah I will try but its hard. Can I just say something really mean now to like the wall or something then I can start being good?" she asked biting her lip.

.... right.

"The fact that you have, at such a young age, had so many... err... ex-boyfriends, is proof enough that personality is more important. Otherwise they'd have lasted longer." And how long had it been now with Annie? Ethan had to puzzle it out. It was something he should know, surely? A few years at least.

He looked at Violet.

"I suppose so..." Why would anyone want to say mean things to a wall?

"Well, I was one who broke up with them. But personality is hard to find, so why can't I just live with looks?" she replied.


"OK!" she said and turned to the wall. "Stupid wall, always there when I get in trouble, such a idiot-" she said then paused and turned to Truebridge. "You know this isn't as fun as I imagined, it's funner when something has feelings."

"You'll get bored thats why." Truebridge answered. "The smarter you are, the more bored you'll get." And he was certain Violet was at least moderately intelligent.

"So its more fun if someone feels hurt, is that it?"

"Oh, that makes a bit more sense then. I always wondered why I never got asked if I was a Ravenclaw..." she replied.

"Not necessarily, I mean come on its a wall, it just looks weird yelling at a wall. But if it had feelings it would be sad, but that would make me mean and guilty." she dramatically gasped. "Do you think Im a b-brat?"

"Why would you wonder that?" Truebridge was genuinely puzzled. Obviously Slytherin was the best thing to be, so why would you wonder about being another house for any reason?

"Yes. You are. You know that you are. I suspect you enjoy it and enjoy having people against you since, from what I can tell, you don't particularly know how to be a friend to anyone."

"Well, I don't want to be a Ravenclaw but they are smart, so I kinda would want someone to think I am but at the same time a Slytherin so a... Slytherclaw yup totally." she replied.

"That's not very nice. You think I enjoy having the nickname 'Violet the little brat who always gets into trouble'? Seriously, professor do you really think I can't be good?"

"Slytherins are smart. Being cunning is a form of intelligence." Truebridge pointed out.

He considered her question, tapping his knee thoughtfully.

"If you don't enjoy it, why don't you shed it and prove to people you are more than that? I hope you can be good as you say, but I certainly haven't seen any evidence that you want to."

"Ah, you're right. Nevermind Im a full Slytherin." she said nodding.

"I can really. I could... bake you cookies to prove it to you! Or something like that, and I would be the perfect little angel."

"Its not me you need to prove yourself to. Its your house mates and yourself of course." Truebridge paused. "Besides, I don't... I'm not one for... sweet things."

Truth. Cookies were better than pie but still, they reminded him of Kazimeriz. The old man's sugar cookies hadn't been bad or anything but... well... you never knew what someone might slip into a batch of cookies.

"You know that this is your last chance, Violet."

"Okay, well I can be nice to everyone then, and if their not the same way I just ignore them?" she asked.

"I know and thats why I want to prove to everyone that I can change. Honestly, I think I can be better at my behaviour and plus I have two little sisters here this term and I don't want to set a bad example." she replied.

"Yes and if they cause you problems, you go to a prefect or a professor." Truebridge agreed.

Hmm that was good. It was a start. He hoped that it'd be the case.

"I'm glad to hear it. I have no intention of punishing you further, I would rather give you the benefit of the doubt. Just know that you are on your last chance and... I'd hate to lose you as a student, Violet."

He paused.

"You may go."