An interesting pairing of prompts: introspection and dedication. Almost like you're planning a funeral. Where is the Canadian government sending you, Mr. Assassin?
A dedication It might be late by Castle time but while Hermione smiled and nodded and turned in the direction of her House Tower -- naturally enough she'd been sorted into Grab'n'gore when she'd realised that negotiating with the Sorting Hat was rather simpler than she'd expected -- and then, two corridors later, straightened up, sped up, and headed for Professor's Snipes office. Professor Several Snipe looked up as Hermione came in, paused for a half-second, then knocked on his door. "Miss Mangey," he said calmly as though intrusive students were a regularity. "You seem to have forgotten the correct order in which to use a Professor's door. As even Muggles get that right I'm going to have to give you a small reminder. Say... write me a two-page essay on the alternative uses of doors. By Friday." Hermione nodded, barely listening. "Professor Snipe," she said, "I was hoping I could do some research for you. What are you reading?" Her voice changed from nearly-polite to surprised as the pages that Snipe's hand were resting on curled up and seemed to be trying to pry his hand off them. "At the moment a rather strange dedication," he said. "But I suspect you're more puzzled by the book itself: this is a Uighur Grimoire from the 4th century and it was commonplace then to bind the spirits of animals, or sometimes your enemies, into objects in order to give them enough sentience to protect themselves." "Magic swords?" asked Hermione, her mind racing through folklore and fable. "Seven league boots? Red-hot slippers for dancing?" "You would get to that one," said Snipe idly. "That's a Siberian trick actually and doesn't involve binding spirits and I should think I've told you far too much about that already. But yes, that's the general idea. With grimoires you have to be careful: very often they can use any spells written down in them. Which is why this dedication is so bizarre...." "May I read it?" "No. Nor may you borrow the book, or find yourself in possession of it, or attempt to learn where it's kept when I'm not looking at it. You have things to learn first before you tackle this, and I'm quite serious." "Oh yes," said Hermione. "That's why I'm here. About a research project." "A two-page essay of the alternative use of doors is a good start," said Snipe, smiling. "Did you want more?" "You said that was punishment!" "For most students, yes, Miss Mangey. For you -- well, I'm sure you're going to surprise me somewhere in that essay by weaponising a french window or devising a way to put doors into things that shouldn't have doors. You will certainly treat it as research, and I rather admire that." "And if I do well? Can I have a bigger project after that?" "Why not?" Snipe's smile grew wider, and if Hermione had ever heard the Cheshire Cat she might have been alarmed. "Why not, indeed?"
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An interesting pairing of prompts: introspection and dedication. Almost like you're planning a funeral. Where is the Canadian government sending you, Mr. Assassin?
A dedication
It might be late by Castle time but while Hermione smiled and nodded and turned in the direction of her House Tower -- naturally enough she'd been sorted into Grab'n'gore when she'd realised that negotiating with the Sorting Hat was rather simpler than she'd expected -- and then, two corridors later, straightened up, sped up, and headed for Professor's Snipes office.
Professor Several Snipe looked up as Hermione came in, paused for a half-second, then knocked on his door.
"Miss Mangey," he said calmly as though intrusive students were a regularity. "You seem to have forgotten the correct order in which to use a Professor's door. As even Muggles get that right I'm going to have to give you a small reminder. Say... write me a two-page essay on the alternative uses of doors. By Friday."
Hermione nodded, barely listening. "Professor Snipe," she said, "I was hoping I could do some research for you. What are you reading?" Her voice changed from nearly-polite to surprised as the pages that Snipe's hand were resting on curled up and seemed to be trying to pry his hand off them.
"At the moment a rather strange dedication," he said. "But I suspect you're more puzzled by the book itself: this is a Uighur Grimoire from the 4th century and it was commonplace then to bind the spirits of animals, or sometimes your enemies, into objects in order to give them enough sentience to protect themselves."
"Magic swords?" asked Hermione, her mind racing through folklore and fable. "Seven league boots? Red-hot slippers for dancing?"
"You would get to that one," said Snipe idly. "That's a Siberian trick actually and doesn't involve binding spirits and I should think I've told you far too much about that already. But yes, that's the general idea. With grimoires you have to be careful: very often they can use any spells written down in them. Which is why this dedication is so bizarre...."
"May I read it?"
"No. Nor may you borrow the book, or find yourself in possession of it, or attempt to learn where it's kept when I'm not looking at it. You have things to learn first before you tackle this, and I'm quite serious."
"Oh yes," said Hermione. "That's why I'm here. About a research project."
"A two-page essay of the alternative use of doors is a good start," said Snipe, smiling. "Did you want more?"
"You said that was punishment!"
"For most students, yes, Miss Mangey. For you -- well, I'm sure you're going to surprise me somewhere in that essay by weaponising a french window or devising a way to put doors into things that shouldn't have doors. You will certainly treat it as research, and I rather admire that."
"And if I do well? Can I have a bigger project after that?"
"Why not?" Snipe's smile grew wider, and if Hermione had ever heard the Cheshire Cat she might have been alarmed. "Why not, indeed?"
Greg - mashing oddball prompts together to see what happens is what I do best!
Or, well, something I enjoy doing on occasion, at least.
This is a fascinating interaction between these two. I'm having trouble figuring out which of them is in over their head...
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