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Post by Headmistress Lena Lilac on Mar 29, 2008 0:25:02 GMT -5
Lena Lilac paced her office while hundreds of thoughts ran through her mind. The last few weeks had been very hectic and chaotic and she was so grateful to be alive. She thought about how close they were to losing one of their students, how close the school was to being taken over, even how close she was to be murdered herself. But even as those thoughts poked at her there was one main thing on her mind , The atrium. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't erase it from the back of her mind , ever since Alexander had said he thought he might have found it she was genuinely curious.
She stopped pacing every few minutes to look out the window at the courtyard below just to make sure everything was as it should be. For many years the thought of the atrium was just that , a thought , nothing more. It didn't consume her life or her mind as much anymore and she liked it that way . But now she couldn't push the thoughts back to the hidden chamber of her brain they had been at for so long. They were on the surface now , just waiting to hear that it was truly real and that Alexander had really found it. Every part of her willed her to go ask Alexander about it but she fought those urges the best she could. She wouldn't let herself get sucked in again by the mere thought of something that she had been first told about when she was eleven.
Lena sat down in the large chair behind her desk and rested her head in her hands. She didn't stay like that for long because she found herself fidgeting like a teenager locked in a potions class. She began to pace again , all the while clutching the amethyst, labradorite encrusted necklace around her neck , she wore it for good luck plus it always seemed to calm her down in stressful times. "Curse you Alexander " she stated through clenched teeth as she grabbed her wand and fled from the room . She stopped as soon as she got to the door that lead into the headmasters office. She knocked once before she swiftly entered and stopped in front of his desk.
" I should kill you Alexander! Ever since you stated how you think you've found the atrium i have not been able to think of anything else but that.I swore that i would never put any further thought into it but now i am curious as to what you have found. So do me a favor and please fill me in !" She knew she sounded like a begging 12 year old but she didn't care. She wanted to know what he had found out. She then sat down in the chair that sat before his desk and folded her arms waiting for him to speak .
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Post by Alexander Verto on Mar 29, 2008 0:46:51 GMT -5
This door to his office burst open nearly disheveling a nearby book case, there was no need to break his trance. He already knew before the door had opened whom was about to enter. "It is so nice to hear your voice again, Lena, I fear though it’s like a serpents tongue licking the creases of my neck." He spoke, his eyes peering beyond his glasses directly into her eyes
Smiling he arose and greeted her with a warm hug, and offered her a seat in on of the two chairs.
“I spoke to you earlier of my knowledge of The Atrium, and where I previously left off is the most important part. Now to be guaranteed I have actually found what I’ve chased all these years is still that childhood dream, and, nothing more. I’ve seen the most wonderful things you can imagine Lena, I’ve tracked many miles in search of something so foolish. While I must admit the atrocity of time dealt me a bad card for you and the school were in danger.”
His robe followed along to the story, his phoenix vigorously stroking itself clean upon its perch. Stopping and briefly glancing out his window he withdrew his wand, “To explain The Atrium would be a harder task then to make my wrongs right but I can show you.” He jabbed the wand into his temple and withdrew an opaque liquid that floated around the room. The liquid expeditiously filled a stone basin that was occupying a mass portion of his desk, motioning for her to join him the scene changed.
Two figures stood behind a third figure that was unaware of the recent occupants. The shadows contrasted the light from the moon, illuminating the street only enough for the traveler to see his own feet. The figure before them jerked his head side to side, looking up and down the street. Three loud bangs echoed through the wind, quickly advanced by white swirls spiraling down the street. Chase gave way, quickly Verto and Lena trudged the figures that were dueling in the middle of the street as if the houses lined were vacant.
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Post by Headmistress Lena Lilac on Mar 29, 2008 1:00:28 GMT -5
Lena listened intently to what he said but he gave barely enough information to keep her mind at ease. She stood up and looked down into the pensive before her, as she frowned and the scene before her changed. She looked around and couldn't help but wonder where exactly he had brought her. There were people before them but she couldn't make out who they were, it was very dark.
Lena jumped as three loud bangs were heard all around her and she felt a sudden jolt of fear inside her, but that faded as she remembered this was just a memory. She looked around her again to make sure Alexander was near her as she moved toward the people dueling in the middle of the street.
"Alexander, what is going on? What is all this?" She asked as she continued to watch the people in the street. This definitely wasn't what she had expected when he said he would show her what he had discovered.
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Post by Alexander Verto on Mar 29, 2008 1:13:33 GMT -5
Spells of all sorts were shot in each direction; numerous spells zoomed around the streets into the windows of the houses. The chase continued until the one of them halted and spun his wand knocking each of the three pursuers back. This gave him sufficient time to withdraw his presence from the area.
“That would be I, I can not say I expected to see the Ministry so enabled to track me but they managed. I fought them off but was not left without my own wounds.” He spoke softly as the scene changed into a river swaying in and out of the trees. A cave entrance was nestled into the mouth of the river, a figure stood at the entrance muttering incantations as the rock started to dismantle in front of them. Pieces staked themselves neatly against the water, hovering a mere foot above the water.
A doorway appeared, noticeably neither a knocker nor a knob could be found. Bewildered to how to gain entrance he tried all sorts of jinxes and spells but they simply dissolve into the wood grain.
“I won’t deny that was a tricky part, my wand felt like it was about to snap but I managed to get the door unsealed. Whoever produced these protections certainly was aware of the oldest of magic, I’ve never seen nor read of anything like it, and strange carvings line the walls.” They both strolled past the piled rocks and the newly opened door; he muttered lumos so she too could see the carvings. “See, I believe that to be some type of ancient magic to hinder travels from seeking what is inside. These caves go on for miles and miles it was by pure luck and talent I managed to find the correct path.”
Waving his hand for her to keep up with his pace, they were slowly lagging behind.
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Post by Headmistress Lena Lilac on Mar 29, 2008 22:45:10 GMT -5
Lena watched as the scene before her continued to play out. She watched everything intently as she listened to Alexander explain what was going on. She couldn't believe that the ministry had actually been able to track him , she had no knowledge that anyone , not even herself, knew anything about his were abouts. But the ministry worked harder at finding him then anyone else had. Lena shook the thought from her mind as the image changed and they were now watching him try many incantations to open the knob-less door.
This part fascinated her and she couldn't help but slow her pace so she could watch more closely. She turned her attention back to Alexander as he explained how tricky it was to open the door. " How exactly did you manage to figure it out? I mean how did you get the door open?" She turned back to watch just as the scene changed slightly and they were strolling side by side past the rocks into the opened door. She stared around her at the carvings on the walls, they were really magnificent .
Lena laughed slightly at him as she continued to look around. " Thats a very good thing that you picked the right path because I'm sure you could get lost very easily in a place like this. Alex,how did you come to find this place? and how long exactly did it take you to get here?" She continued to look around her as she spoke softly, there was so much to take in around her. " Did the ministry know exactly what you were doing here or were they just out to finish you off?" She turned to him as he ushered her to move faster because they were slowly but surely falling behind.
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Post by Alexander Verto on Mar 29, 2008 23:27:02 GMT -5
“I tried every jinx, spell, defensive charm I could possibly imagine. Doorknobs would appear briefly before melting into the grain of the wood. Finally through much determination the door opened and I was allowed entrance.” The story sounded even more like a fairytale to him remembering the events
Carefully he listened to each word she spoke, but was unable to produce answers to most of the questions she proposed. “I would think they knew I was here for some reason, exactly what reason that was I have doubts. That aside, I fear this place is no longer the sanctuary it had been.” He spoke as they both picked up their pace, farther into the cave they traveled until coming upon a massive hallway that was conjoined to a cathedral like area illuminated by torches every few feet.
He bent down and bowed in relevance to the two thrones located within the atrium, the thrones were twisted with the bones of all those seeking the atrium but have failed. The thrones were centered directly above an enormous golden fountain, dangling like a chandelier above a dinning table.
Each occupied by a deformed giant and giantess, a crown adorning the base of their forehead. Hooded figures were lined as a jury on the walls of the room, sitting on benches from the floor to the ceiling. A lotus sprouted and died rapidly in front of the thrones, one leave was chosen and burned. With each leaf burned a blue smoke would swirl the room and the giantess would swoon her wand around the smoke as it evaporated.
“This part was the more complex ritual I have ever seen, I don’t understand the purpose of the ceremony but for a brief moment it was if I had not made an entrance.”
A masked figure walked from behind the thrones holding a long roll of parchment, scratched and doodled on for what looked like numerous wizards and witches names. The figure flicked his wand and the parchment unraveled into the air, now the size was much more obvious. The king giant stretched out his hand and grasped the top of the roll and vigorously tossed the parchment up until he completed the reading, the parchment burst into flames, the ashes swallowed by him.
The scene faded and they were back in their office, “And that I am afraid is where the memory ends. There had been a jinx on the room to hinder people from remembering exactly what they saw. Thus, memory is no more after that point, though we can piece together the events afterwards.” He positioned himself behind his desk once more, flicking his wand so the pensive would vanish
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Post by Headmistress Lena Lilac on Mar 30, 2008 22:14:35 GMT -5
Lena hurried her footsteps as she struggled to keep up the pace. She wasn't as young as she once had been and she couldn't move as fast as she once could. She listened to him answer a few of her questions but then bypassed the ones he didn't know the answer to.
As they got farther into the cave everything around them became larger and a bit more lighted. She looked around as they entered the hallway and moved in to the larger room. There was so much going on in this room that all she could do was stare around her , mesmerized by everything. Lena took a step back as she saw the two giants upon their thrones. " I have never seen anything like this in my life" she whispered shaking her head. Everything around them was gigantic compared to them and she couldn't help but feel as small as an ant.
Her eyes flickered to the masked figure who walked around to give the large rolled up parchment to the king giant. "Are those the names of the...the people who lost their lives to make those thrones?" As she said this she couldn't help but shudder and shake her head. She watched the king giant read it , then as if it was nothing , it burst into flames , making her take yet another step back.
The scene changed yet again but this time she found herself back in Alexanders office standing by his desk . Her face was etched with shock, curiosity and even a slight bit of fear. She once again placed herself in the chair that sat across from Alexander and clutched her necklace in her right hand again. She watched as he flicked his wand and made the pensive vanish again and she was rather relieved to know she wasn't going to be having to go into any more odd memories tonight.
"Well that was definitely not what i expected you to show me, but it was however extraordinary" She stated rubbing her head trying to sort through everything that she had just seen. "So even though you don't remember anything more then that you are convinced that , that is the entrance or rather the actual atrium?" She was rather interested in what he would say next, but before he could say anything she pressed on with her thoughts. "I still don't understand how you came to find that place? It doesn't seem like the kind of place you just happen upon. And why in the name of merlin, would you be able to remember everything up to that point and then nothing. Wouldn't you think that the spell would of been place upon the whole place so there would be no way of finding it again. That would be the smart thing to do "
Lena shook her head as she realized she was speaking out loud and not in her mind. She looked up at him and smiled faintly . She was still trying to sort through everything that had just been played out before her.
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