Start Anew (Zak)

[Deleted]

Selene found that very few students actually ended up going to Durmstrang. Most had ran off to Beauxbatons or alternatively America. Selene had mostly opted for a place as far away as possible where she could be isolated, so as soon as she'd realised that very few of the Hogwarts populus would be taking their year at Durmstrang it had felt like an utter relief to her. Now she sat at dinner between crowds of people that never seemed quite sure if they ought to treat her like she was cool or fragile. It had been quite clear from the start that Phoebe needed to be treated differently, as the entire trauma certainly affected her in more obvious ways. They were the twins now and Selene had no intentions of ever mentioning Luna to any of the people at school. The girl had chosen her own path and while it was probably good for her, Selene found she lacked the will to care about it. New leaf to turn.

She wasn't quite sure where Phoebe was but she knew her sister fit in ever so poorly at the new school. Selene? She was perfectly fine. She'd even opted to take Dark Arts as a class since it was an option here. That and Language studies. All very interesting, allthough she'd seen the looks of the Durmstrang students when she'd shown up for Dark Arts the first time. They had not expected the transfer from Hogwarts to opt in for that. Today she sat at dinner by herself, perfectly content after having a few questions asked about herself and her twin. Selene failed to mention there had once been a third. As the students had left her be she found herself close to one other former Hogwarts Student, so she sat down on the seat beside him, her new robes a lot more comfortable than she'd expected. "Hello Zak." She said conversationally. "How do you find the new school? I find the curriculum to be quite fascinating, although I do have to say the lectures on future professions is getting a little dull." She said, a strange tone to her voice that was quite unfamiliar to her before. It was an edge that suggested quite a bit of contained anger, but not towards the one she spoke to. She looked up with a perfect smile plastered on her face. "Also, I'd appreciate it if you allow our peers to think it's just Phoebe and myself." She said as she put some reindeer stew on her plate. It looked good. "Which classes are you taking?" She asked him, still quite casual in her conversation. She had quite a few new hexes already and she was willing to use them if needed.

@zakariya

[Deleted]

The choice between Beauxbatons and Durmstrang was, to Zakariya, a no-brainer. He was also not surprised, once he'd arrived in their ancient ship at the Institute, that there was only a very select few Hogwarts students attending. Good, Zak had been more than thankful for the reprieve from such clowns as Thursday (and her idiot brother) and Blishwick and a whole lot of unnamed other clowns that just don't yet exist as characters yet on Alo but no doubt fuck him off too. Would he ask his mother's permission to take on studying the Dark Arts? No. An auror, even one that's barely hanging onto her position due to frequent bouts of idiocy, should never approve their child studying the Dark Arts. Thankfully, he'd gotten good enough at her signature that it was an interesting class he'd work to exceed in despite being 7 years behind the course work.

It was this reason that the young man's nose was placed squarely in the text book during the each break, including this evening's dinner. It wasn't until he heard his name that he even registered his fellow Hogwarts transfer sitting beside him. "I find it a great improvement to our last," Zakariya replied, his attention on the triplet rather than the book that he still held open. "You're quite right about the curriculum. I've also found it refreshing to find that the professors keep students in line at this school," Zak added to Selene's review, though his brow raised quizzically when she said that she'd had enough of the career counselling. "If students do not know what profession they're headed to by seventh year, then they've wasted their valuable time and probably chosen the wrong electives," Zak rolled his eyes at the lack of foresight from the students and staff. As much as Zakariya made sure he studied each subject he could manage to fit into his timetable not all students were quite so academically inclined and desperately needed to narrow their subject choices.

"Phoebe and yourself, sure," Zak nodded slowly, as if he were keeping Selene's secret as a favour but the girl was seriously assuming a lot to think he took notice of who even Phoebe was. If he tried to remember really hard, perhaps he'd recall that they were the Trelawney triplets but honestly... did she expect him to gossip? Him?

"I'm taking the Dark Arts subject, if that is what you're asking about," he said cooly, tilting the book he was reading in a way to indicate that was what he was reading currently. He knew it was a subject that was completely taboo in Hogwarts and so he was ready for his classmate to freak out about it. "I've also enjoyed the duelling class - a huge improvement than duelling club, if you ask me. I think there'd be a greater amount of competent aurors in the United Kingdom graduating if Hogwarts would stop being chicken shit and have those classes available - at least as electives."

@selene

[Deleted]

Selene wasn't sure why but she and this other boy were quite on the same line. Why had they not spoken much before? Possibly because she's been too obsessed with being a good person to think about what she wanted out of life herself. It seemed like the most likely option. Selene herself was neutral in terms of a great improvement. She found this school to be different, but so far not better or worse than Hogwarts. They both had their advantages, in a way. Still, the effort done here to ensure good behaviour was something she could appreciate a lot. Strict and stern and perhaps not for the soft of heart. It was a good change of scenery. Selene chuckled at his astute observation that those that hadn't decided yet were too late. "True, although I am one of them. I opted for things I'm good at, as my aspirations were always overshadowed by concerns about my sisters. Now that I can focus on my own prospects more I've found that my career options are perfectly fine. I ensured a broad range of subjects, foreseeing that particular problem." Naturally she meant it in the most literal way, although she knew almost nobody believed in her capabilities as a seer due to her very fraudulent aunt. Funny how her ego had made the future of the girls a lot less bright.

He didn't make mention of her other sister and Selene wondered if he was even aware of her existance for a moment. Somehow it made her feel quite a bit better that he obviously didn't care enough. Here, she could be a twin and care for her sister until graduation. Part of her felt that Phoebe would have been far better off at Beauxbatons but she hadn't wanted to be separated so Phoebe had opted to join Selene at Durmstrang. She was too kind for this school, but perhaps it would be good for her to see a different side to the world. A side far less helpful than Hogwarts had been.

As he said he was taking Dark Arts she leaned in to study the page he was currently at. "You're a tiny bit ahead of where I am by the looks of it." She noted with a dull interest. "My only concern is being able to catch up in time for the exams. We already are quite a bit behind are peers on the matter." She mused, although she hoped that whatever limited knowledge they'd gotten out of defence against the dark arts would help them to pull through. She'd been meticulous at taking notes and had compared notes on the magic they now practised with the notes on the defence magic they were taught at Hogwarts. She nodded in agreement, pulling an annoyed face. "At the very least the students would have been more competent in both recognising the fiendfyre and defending themselves against the purifiers that were trying to ensure people didn't escape in time. Now it felt more like scurrying rats running straight into the maws of predators as they attempted to flee something they had no remote understanding about." It had been absolutely horrifying and Selene still couldn't quite manage to sear the sight from her eyes. It felt so sickening that Luna blamed her for the events. She did not believe she could have stopped it, as that required people to believe her. They never did. Not even Luna herself.

@zakariya

[Deleted]

"Ah. So you accidentally had the correct subjects for you to work towards your aspirations? How very fortunate. There is something to be said for being a Jack of all trades, master of none, I guess," Zak replied, although his tone of voice did little to disguise his disapproval of the lack of ambition that showed.

With awkward dismay, Zak tilted himself further away as Luna moved to look at the book he was studying. It was as if they were the same magnetic pole and as the girl moved in, he backed away. "I would have been further, yet my parents were not thrilled with the choice to study the matter, so I had a summer of convincing them to purchase the text book. I don't know why the bothered fighting me on it," he said with a roll of his eyes. His parents, as much as he loved his mother, were poorly lacking in the authority department despite both holding positions within law enforcement.

"Yes, it's not a comfortable place to be in and certainly not one I am used to. However, I am choosing to see it as a challenge to overcome, which makes it more palatable. Have you cast any spells yet?"

On the matter of teaching the subject at Hogwarts, Zak closed the book slowly as Selene reminded him of the tragedy. "Yes, knowledge is power and not knowing.. is a danger to our lives. Hopefully Hogwarts learns from that mistake in the future," he was not a person to believe in black or white, good and dark magic... it was all part of the same and people should make their own choices about what the did and didn't do. "Did you lose anyone to the fiendfyre?"

@selene

[Deleted]

She chuckled softly at his disdain. "No matter. Let's just say I've always known where my life was leading so I never had much to think on." It was peculiar that her first memory was also going to be her last moment. Maybe that meant it didn't matter what she did along the path to her ultimate ending, but it made it significantly harder to... care about the future. Did she lack ambition? Probably. He was a Slytherin back in the days, wasn't he? It made sense he'd value that sort of thing.

"I may or may not have neglected to tell my family what subjects I was taking on after switching schools. They were too preoccupied with other matters." Like the fact she refused to come home and that Luna had decided to quit school all together. They probably had massive concerns about Phoebe as well. Selene traditionally had always been the one of least concern, as she behaved the way she was supposed to up to this point.

As he asked if she cast any spells yet she merely shrugged. "A few, the results were satisfying enough." She said. She didn't particularly care if she hurt people. She gained pleasure nor pain from it. She agreed that knowledge was power, in a way. It was a most useful tool to have, although she cared more about knowing than about using the power it gave. She didn't have a wish to influence or change the world. She was simply no longer interested in it. As he asked if she lost anybody she gave a faint disgusted smile. "More than one and in more than one way." She told him, unable to keep the disgust out of her voice at the memory of everything that had happened that fatefull day. There wasn't much positive about that day. Her former sister had certainly ensured the day was probably the worst in her entire life. At least she still had Phoebe.

@zakariya