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Because the seventh floor is the gateway to Hogwarts' biggest towers, you can expect to access quite a bit of the castle from here. The most notable areas that this corridor provides passage to are the Owlery, Astronomy Tower, Divination Tower, the common rooms for both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and, if you know where to look, the Room of Requirement. Sweeping views of the Quad below are available thanks to a series of large windows.
After stepping onto the seventh-floor corridor, a statue of Lachlan the Lanky immediately greets you. There really isn't anything overly special about him, but one can hide behind him and not be easily found if you're playing hide-and-go-seek or are just wanting to completely avoid someone. A renowned tapestry and numerous portraits, ranging from a mother and her baby, various wildlife animals, and the chivalrous Sir Cadogan adorn the walls. The latter portrait, should you ever need help getting around, is always eager to assist those who are, allegedly, in distress.
One of the advantages of Nem's little brother's not-so-little anxiety was that it was never all that difficult to track him down. Kid stayed up in Ravenclaw tower the vast majority of the time, and even when he left he never strayed more than a few floors down. If ever they wanted to speak to him for whatever reason, Nem just made for the Ravenclaw common room. Four siblings up there now, as it happened.
They'd just come from there, having successfully rooted Ezra out and got a book off him - something not available in the library on account of it being about one of the kid's niche interests, and totally aside from the magical curriculum to boot - during their brief exchange at the door. By the time they emerged at the bottom of the bronze knocker's staircase, the book had been shrunk down and tucked away into their pocket.
Turning right at the bottom of the stairs, Nem started down the corridor for the nearest secret passageway.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!
One of the advantages of Nem's little brother's not-so-little anxiety was that it was never all that difficult to track him down. Kid stayed up in Ravenclaw tower the vast majority of the time, and even when he left he never strayed more than a few floors down. If ever they wanted to speak to him for whatever reason, Nem just made for the Ravenclaw common room. Four siblings up there now, as it happened.
They'd just come from there, having successfully rooted Ezra out and got a book off him - something not available in the library on account of it being about one of the kid's niche interests, and totally aside from the magical curriculum to boot - during their brief exchange at the door. By the time they emerged at the bottom of the bronze knocker's staircase, the book had been shrunk down and tucked away into their pocket.
Turning right at the bottom of the stairs, Nem started down the corridor for the nearest secret passageway.
Ash was practicing her patronus charm in the empty hallway. Or, well, trying to. While she was generally good at magic, this spell was different. It wasn't because it was a sixth-year spell. If that was the only thing in her way, she'd be able to cast one. The problem was... someone had told her that the spell needed 'hope, happiness, and a desire to live.' Ash had a strong desire to live, and she had a tiny little bit of hope, but no happiness. It wasn't fair. It wasn't FAIR. But then again, neither was life. The wand movements and the words weren't too hard for her, but the part with happy memories felt impossible. She had two that she thought could work(saving Theodore & realizing that Rosier was dead), but every time she tried to concentrate on one, all she could think about was the trains to and from Hogwarts. Those weren't happy memories at all. Ugh. She didn't even feel like she was close to producing any signs of a patronus or anything. It wasn't fair. But that didn't stop her from trying...
As if the universe was laughing in her face, Nemesis Upstead appeared. Mamie Turov would have been a more welcome sight. Okay, okay, she got the message. Give up for today. The week. The month. The year. Forever. And just hope she'd never meet a dementor... maybe she was immune to dementors, since she was so sad! That didn't seem likely. As they passed, she scowled and slid down the wall until she was sitting down somehow. Well. This was just awesome.
Nem had no intention of lingering in the corridors today. It had been necessary to reach Ezra's common room, but that was all they were about to allow. Halfway down this particular corridor - which is to say, about equidistant between the stairs to the bronze knocker and the breachable wall panel - Nem passed someone, but they didn't register it, preoccupied by something that had briefly flashed into sight up ahead.
Not looking away from their forward route, Nem kept walking at the same pace, but whistled shrill and harsh through their teeth as they went. "Lucien," they called, now at regular volume, watching the corner at the extreme end of the corridor.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!
Nem had no intention of lingering in the corridors today. It had been necessary to reach Ezra's common room, but that was all they were about to allow. Halfway down this particular corridor - which is to say, about equidistant between the stairs to the bronze knocker and the breachable wall panel - Nem passed someone, but they didn't register it, preoccupied by something that had briefly flashed into sight up ahead.
Not looking away from their forward route, Nem kept walking at the same pace, but whistled shrill and harsh through their teeth as they went. "Lucien," they called, now at regular volume, watching the corner at the extreme end of the corridor.
Whatever Ash had done, whoever she had angered to deserve THIS, she was really, really sorry. She’d take it back!!! She’d apologize for a million trillion years!!! Because clearly the universe held a grudge against her for something truly awful. She wanted to just curl up in a ball and cry forever, but she didn’t. Instead she stared emptily at Upstead, who was by far her least favorite living person. And had a pet apparently named after her least favorite dead person. Might as well talk to them. Maybe then she’d get the revenge all at once, instead of over the course of her whole life. “Upstead?” She called their name hesitantly. “How come you’re nice to a bunch of other people like Kinsay, but you ruined my life?” Did she deserve it somehow, or was it just for fun? Was it their idea, or were they somehow sent to earth by a powerful and angry... something? Just... why? For what? She wanted to know the answer, And then she wanted to lay in bed and cry.
Bold of Fox to assume Nem was calling after a pet in that corridor. As it happened, they did have a pet with the same name as Rosier, but he'd seldom been seen out in the open. Just as likely that the ghost of the Big Man was furtively roaming these halls, secretly indoctrinating malleable students along with his merry band of phantom cultists.
They were dead set on following Schrödinger's Lucien, but stopped to look back at the sound of their name. The student they'd passed, it turned out, was Fox. Fox, who could probably do with picking a lane sooner or later. One day she was joining their train compartment and talking and talking and talking in a misguided attempt to irritate them, another day it was 'Will you vanish my bread, Upstead?' Another day still, all but cheering them on while they stole school property, and now 'you ruined my life'.
Facing Fox head on, Nem turned their head slightly, still listening for something back the other way even as they spoke. "How did I ruin your life."
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!
Bold of Fox to assume Nem was calling after a pet in that corridor. As it happened, they did have a pet with the same name as Rosier, but he'd seldom been seen out in the open. Just as likely that the ghost of the Big Man was furtively roaming these halls, secretly indoctrinating malleable students along with his merry band of phantom cultists.
They were dead set on following Schrödinger's Lucien, but stopped to look back at the sound of their name. The student they'd passed, it turned out, was Fox. Fox, who could probably do with picking a lane sooner or later. One day she was joining their train compartment and talking and talking and talking in a misguided attempt to irritate them, another day it was 'Will you vanish my bread, Upstead?' Another day still, all but cheering them on while they stole school property, and now 'you ruined my life'.
Facing Fox head on, Nem turned their head slightly, still listening for something back the other way even as they spoke. "How did I ruin your life."
It was hard to know exactly what she felt about Upstead. Sometimes they were antagonizing her for the fun of it, sometimes they were being nice to people she cared about, sometimes they were doing things she agreed with. But no, it was true- they had ruined her life. And it was very confusing that they were so likable. Sometimes Ash considered forgiving them. But that was only when she was weak. She tapped her fingers on the ground. One, two, three, four, five... five, four, three, two one.“I can’t look in mirrors because of you, and that means no driving, or knowing what I look like, or weird stupid funhouses that make you look short. And possibly no patronus, which is what I’m failing to do right now, thanks for asking. I also have nightmares about you... and you’re so interesting and likable that I sometimes forget that I hate you.” HOW was that even possible? She remembered that potions class perfectly. There wasn’t any part of it that she had missed. She thought about being trapped in a mirror all the time, and she thought about them too. Nemesis Upstead and the mirror. They were all tangled together. “I know I was being stupid when I got trapped in that mirror and it was mostly my fault, but do you even feel bad about it? You don’t have to regret it. But have you ever even thought that maybe, it was kinda, possibly, a little-tiny-bit sad regardless of whose fault it was?”
There were a lot of words coming at them right now, but no real answers. As Fox spoke, and the words drifted around them, Nem had to wonder if their nonsensical nature was objective fact, or subjective. It was fact regardless, but the qualifier was significant in terms of self-assessment. In the meantime, Fox continued to speak, but focusing on the nature of what she was saying somehow made it so that the issue was magnified tenfold.
Funhouses, patronuses, plus a predictable 'I hate you'.
Nem looked up from Fox and ahead, down the corridor in the direction from which they had first come this way, before turning eyes back on the Ravenclaw. The topic of feelings was not one for the ears of children who openly hated them. It was barely for the ears of adults who did not dislike them. "How did I ruin your life," they said again, in the very same tone, which gave nothing away. "Specifically."
It was true that Nemesis Upstead and mirrors were linked, inexorably and inextricably. But it went beyond this, much further than Fox would ever know, could ever understand, and the same went for everyone else. A conspiratorial significance of reflective proportions. Weapon and weakness and worn like armour.
__________________
Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!
There were a lot of words coming at them right now, but no real answers. As Fox spoke, and the words drifted around them, Nem had to wonder if their nonsensical nature was objective fact, or subjective. It was fact regardless, but the qualifier was significant in terms of self-assessment. In the meantime, Fox continued to speak, but focusing on the nature of what she was saying somehow made it so that the issue was magnified tenfold.
Funhouses, patronuses, plus a predictable 'I hate you'.
Nem looked up from Fox and ahead, down the corridor in the direction from which they had first come this way, before turning eyes back on the Ravenclaw. The topic of feelings was not one for the ears of children who openly hated them. It was barely for the ears of adults who did not dislike them. "How did I ruin your life," they said again, in the very same tone, which gave nothing away. "Specifically."
It was true that Nemesis Upstead and mirrors were linked, inexorably and inextricably. But it went beyond this, much further than Fox would ever know, could ever understand, and the same went for everyone else. A conspiratorial significance of reflective proportions. Weapon and weakness and worn like armour.
Ash glared at them, hoping they would somehow disappear. They did not. Unfortunately. She sorted out her thoughts. "Well. When you were temporarily working with the Neo-Alliance, you told Rosier my name and got me put in the mirror. Which was because I was an idiot, but also because you told him. Anyway, that is technically torture, and I am traumatized. Do you want to hear the specific life-ruining aspects about how like, every bathroom has mirrors in them, and there are mirrors in cars, and funhouses, and they're all over this school too? Or is it enough for me to just tell you I can't look at mirrors because of your actions?" She stared at them. "I don't think you're my boggart though." The words came out of her mouth without her realizing. She went back to doing the wand motions. "Expecto patronum." No luck.
Margaret spent a lot of time walking up and down the stairs between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor common rooms. This time, she was heading upstairs, with her bag full of homework. Homework was the worst. But, it was better with Blake.
She stopped suddenly in the middle of the corridor, and swung her bag around to look inside. Did she have her transfiguration textbook?
Margaret spent a lot of time walking up and down the stairs between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor common rooms. This time, she was heading upstairs, with her bag full of homework. Homework was the worst. But, it was better with Blake.
She stopped suddenly in the middle of the corridor, and swung her bag around to look inside. Did she have her transfiguration textbook?
Valentina was heading back to her dorm after classes, thinking about taking a nap before practicing some of her dance routines. She felt too exhausted - having gotten not much sleep the night before. She'd been looking down as she walked, humming softly and ended up bumping into someone - obviously hadn't been paying any attention to her surroundings. Oops.
"Oh sorry - Mamie! Hi." She smiled at the other girl. "Are you searching for something?"
Ash glared at them, hoping they would somehow disappear. They did not. Unfortunately. She sorted out her thoughts. "Well. When you were temporarily working with the Neo-Alliance, you told Rosier my name and got me put in the mirror. Which was because I was an idiot, but also because you told him. Anyway, that is technically torture, and I am traumatized. Do you want to hear the specific life-ruining aspects about how like, every bathroom has mirrors in them, and there are mirrors in cars, and funhouses, and they're all over this school too? Or is it enough for me to just tell you I can't look at mirrors because of your actions?" She stared at them. "I don't think you're my boggart though." The words came out of her mouth without her realizing. She went back to doing the wand motions. "Expecto patronum." No luck.
As Fox glared at them, Nem met her eyes, but they weren't interested in silent showdowns. They were about to move along when she spoke again, and they saw fit to answer.
"If I'd lied, you'd have ended up in the same place, and he'd have killed me." Nemesis had not known what Lucien Rosier was going to do that day, but that made no difference. He'd told them time and time again what would happen if they disappointed him, and it often seemed Nem had been one of the few to understand what he was capable of, and what he was willing to do, at the slightest provocation, to anyone who stood in his way or disrespected his precious cause. "It wasn't me who went to get him. He already had your name, from someone else." Most of the names, in fact, and what had been said. Lying had not been an option.
Despite everything that had happened, so many people here still neglected to understand that what was in front of them was not necessarily the truth of the matter. Nem knew that better than most, always had, but now... now more than ever. "I fought against the Neo-Alliance, Fox. I took out two of their leaders. You didn't understand what I was doing; that's not your fault. It's not my fault either." But she'd said it herself, had accepted she'd been an idiot for acting up after months of evidence as to why that was ill-advised, even if she hadn't been able to suspect that something else was going on.
There was no point hanging around here. Fox was not exactly tugging at their heartstrings, and Nem's mind was pulling them elsewhere, far from here, careering down other avenues that branched off from this one, and then again, and again. Away from this lamenting about how traumatised she was, how she couldn't look in a mirror, how she couldn't produce a patronus, and how that was Nem's fault as well. They made to say something else, but before the thought had a chance to fully form, they stopped, turned, and started down the corridor again.
Places to go, lives to ruin.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!
As Fox glared at them, Nem met her eyes, but they weren't interested in silent showdowns. They were about to move along when she spoke again, and they saw fit to answer.
"If I'd lied, you'd have ended up in the same place, and he'd have killed me." Nemesis had not known what Lucien Rosier was going to do that day, but that made no difference. He'd told them time and time again what would happen if they disappointed him, and it often seemed Nem had been one of the few to understand what he was capable of, and what he was willing to do, at the slightest provocation, to anyone who stood in his way or disrespected his precious cause. "It wasn't me who went to get him. He already had your name, from someone else." Most of the names, in fact, and what had been said. Lying had not been an option.
Despite everything that had happened, so many people here still neglected to understand that what was in front of them was not necessarily the truth of the matter. Nem knew that better than most, always had, but now... now more than ever. "I fought against the Neo-Alliance, Fox. I took out two of their leaders. You didn't understand what I was doing; that's not your fault. It's not my fault either." But she'd said it herself, had accepted she'd been an idiot for acting up after months of evidence as to why that was ill-advised, even if she hadn't been able to suspect that something else was going on.
There was no point hanging around here. Fox was not exactly tugging at their heartstrings, and Nem's mind was pulling them elsewhere, far from here, careering down other avenues that branched off from this one, and then again, and again. Away from this lamenting about how traumatised she was, how she couldn't look in a mirror, how she couldn't produce a patronus, and how that was Nem's fault as well. They made to say something else, but before the thought had a chance to fully form, they stopped, turned, and started down the corridor again.
Places to go, lives to ruin.
No. Upstead couldn't do this to her. Okay, they WERE currently making her feel awful, but she wasn't completely falling for it. "If you're innocent, then how come you joined him? And how come you don't feel bad?" It didn't matter if they'd helped during the war. If she'd killed four good people and two bad people for fun, nobody would be calling her a hero. And they shouldn't either.
"What were you doing then?" Did they care to... explain? Apparently not... they were leaving now.
That made her feel very conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to know what the were doing. On the other hand, it didn't matter, they sucked and she wanted them to go away. On the one hand... on the other hand... on the one hand... Did she feel a bit of shame? Huh. Well, she ignored that feeling, cause it was stupid. She just decided to let them leave, cause it would make everyone happier. Back to failing at her patronus, then.
Valentina was heading back to her dorm after classes, thinking about taking a nap before practicing some of her dance routines. She felt too exhausted - having gotten not much sleep the night before. She'd been looking down as she walked, humming softly and ended up bumping into someone - obviously hadn't been paying any attention to her surroundings. Oops.
"Oh sorry - Mamie! Hi." She smiled at the other girl. "Are you searching for something?"
Margaret hadn't heard anyone coming. But then somebody bumped into her. She looked up, smiling when she saw it was Valentina. "Hi, Val! It's okay," she said, looking back into her bag to dig some more.
"I'm looking for my transfiguration book, I can't remember if I packed it, I was going to study," she explained. Where was it? Hopefully not sitting eight floors down. "What are you up to?" she added, absent-mindedly.
No. Upstead couldn't do this to her. Okay, they WERE currently making her feel awful, but she wasn't completely falling for it. "If you're innocent, then how come you joined him? And how come you don't feel bad?" It didn't matter if they'd helped during the war. If she'd killed four good people and two bad people for fun, nobody would be calling her a hero. And they shouldn't either.
"What were you doing then?" Did they care to... explain? Apparently not... they were leaving now.
That made her feel very conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to know what the were doing. On the other hand, it didn't matter, they sucked and she wanted them to go away. On the one hand... on the other hand... on the one hand... Did she feel a bit of shame? Huh. Well, she ignored that feeling, cause it was stupid. She just decided to let them leave, cause it would make everyone happier. Back to failing at her patronus, then.
Nem spoke as they went, not breaking their stride, aware this was going nowhere. "Never said I don't feel bad." One reason for which, Fox had just illustrated. It didn't matter what they did, said, thought, because those around them had the collective tendency to apply the meaning that best suited the favoured narrative. Nemesis knew why, of course, understood perfectly, but still. Tiresome. Pointless.
But also unimportant. At least there was that.
They were all the way down at the end of the corridor, where it branched off into two new routes, before they stopped. Since even before the year Lucien Rosier had unmasked himself, Nem had started to understand that people around here did not pick up on subtleties, such as those they'd already let on. Then again, with every mind around them already made up and hellbent on one specific purpose, spelling things out held no appeal either. This had gone on long enough.
So it was with an air of stoic resignation that they spoke up again, looking back down the corridor at Fox. "I was doing what I could, with what I had." And that would be the last they spoke of it. Nem turned away again, and slipped quietly from the corridor.
__________________
Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!
Margaret hadn't heard anyone coming. But then somebody bumped into her. She looked up, smiling when she saw it was Valentina. "Hi, Val! It's okay," she said, looking back into her bag to dig some more.
"I'm looking for my transfiguration book, I can't remember if I packed it, I was going to study," she explained. Where was it? Hopefully not sitting eight floors down. "What are you up to?" she added, absent-mindedly.
"Nothing much! I'm heading to my dorm for a little nap." Hopefully. Or maybe she could get in some dance practice too - if the common room is empty but if not, she'd have to go to the room of requirement.
"I won't keep you." She said hurriedly, a little worried that mamie would invite her for a study session. The blonde was definitely not in the mood for any studying "See you later, yeah?" Giving the hufflepuff a bright smile, she started to walk away.
Margaret was really trying to both listen to Valentina and look for her textbook. She heard the other girl say she was headed to her dorm, but then finally spotted the color of her transfiguration book, tucked between two others. Fishing the book out of her bag (she had to be sure that's what it really was), she tuned out the rest of what Valentina had said. "Found it!" she said happily, once she confirmed that it was actually her transfiguration book.
So she didn't think she was being rude or imposing at all when she smiled brightly back at Val and hurried after her. "I'm going that way, too!" she said, lugging her bag and book along. "We can walk together!"
Seventh-Floor Corridor 
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