When We're Human [ARCHIE]

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina had some time off during the summer that she was due, and two days in, she was already bored. It was times like this she wished she had someone to do things with, even if it was just a walk in the park. Irina could handle being alone sometimes, but not all the time. True, she had flatmates, but they were a bit younger than she so did not have the same time off accrued as her. She supposed if she really wanted to, she could go to Gringotts and work anyway, but that seemed like a waste of precious time off.

So with that mindset, Irina decided to visit the newly opened Lufkin Institute, which had been established after Elaine Dupree had done what no dark witch or wizard had done before, and destroyed Hogwarts castle. She was a little jealous that Ivanka was automatically going; she had peeked at the seminar list and was intrigued by Professor Vector’s offerings for Cursebreaking. So she spoke with someone at Lufkin and was granted permission to audit one of his lectures, Curse Breaking - Traps and Hidden Dangers. She settled herself in the back of the lecture hall, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself as she was a few years older than most of the students.

Irina found herself captivated by the lecture, hanging onto every word and description he gave. When it was done Irina found herself walking towards the front of the room where the professor was waiting for the students to file out. “Fantastic lecture,” she told him, smiling a little. “I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Irina Krum. They said I could come to audit your class but I’m in my third year as a Cursebreaker,” she explained, giving him a little background on her. She had taken Arithmancy all through Hogwarts, but given everything that had occurred between then and now, she would not be the least offended if Professor Vector scarcely remembered her. Arithmancy had not been her strongest subject after all, but she had managed an E on her NEWTS, which she had been ecstatic about.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

I put my weight on constellations

Well, here's a revelation

June 2027
Irina Rose Krum

One might say it was Archie's Ravenclaw origins, but his work at the Ministry over the past year and then designing his curriculum for the NEWT level students had brought a sparkle to his eyes that had been missing for some time. Teaching, it turned out, was a true calling. Cursebreaking had been fun, of course, but he had quickly grown weary of the constant danger. The Museum. had proven quieter, but it hadn't quite satisfied something gnawing at him in his core.

That wasn't to say he hadn't taken up a few extra jobs with Gringotts while the Ministry worked on its rebuilding effort. It had been the perfect way to refresh a skill set collecting dust. Plus, it gave him the basis for one of his courses. One needed patience and humility to survive in this field, but also training. More than once, his muscle memory had kicked in, and despite many years safely in a classroom, he still had it. So Archie felt he could design and teach these skills to the new trainees without the danger of learning on the job.

While Egypt was a reasonably safe place to train, accidents still happened often, and if a trainee didn't voluntarily leave, they did due to injury. The Valley of the Kings took its fair share of Cursebreakers of all experience levels. Familiar faces looked at him as he explained and used small demonstrations. Soon they would begin the practical exercises, but Archie proceeded with caution, noting the fidgety trainees who were the type just to run in. But today was purely lecture, and Archie excused the students and waited in the front while they left for their next classes or break.

As the last few exited and silence filled the room, Archie noted one of the final attendees. "Thank you." He responded graciously and with a grin. "I do, Ms. Krum." Archie recalled she'd been one of his OWL students when he first arrived to teach. Plus, she had very distinctive eyes, and the younger Krum in the program resembled Irina. He leaned on the table in the front casually. "This will have been your first year out of training, correct?" If his math was correct, as it usually was. "How do you like it?" It did make Archie feel a bit old to encounter former students, but compared to most of his colleagues, he was closer in age to the students.

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[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina nodded, relieved that the professor didn’t see her as a complete stranger. She must have been one of his first students, she realized, as he didn’t seem more than a decade older than her. “Yes, one year out of training, but first year as a mentor to trainees,” she confirmed, smiling slightly. “One may say I took it a step further than it needed to; my new roommate is actually my mentee. Though she moved in before I knew in all fairness,” she added with a laugh. Brigh was actually a very good roommate, so she had been more than happy to mentor the girl. Most mentorships currently were arranged a bit like a work-study, if she recalled the term her boss had mentioned correctly, so the first year would really just have the mentors be a listening ear and a person to talk to about the job, since she had so recently finished the trainee program. “My sister Ivanka is actually in the program as well. You should see her in your lectures, though I didn’t see her here today.” Irina would make a note to mention that this particular seminar would be worth her time.

“I actually went to Egypt last year, with my mentor,” Irina mentioned, bringing up the lectures subject of the day. “I can’t tell you how true your warning of Valley of the Kings rings true. Someone told me a story about how Bill Weasley found a tomb with shriveled cursed heads there years ago, and they couldn’t tell if the person was a Muggle or a wizard.” She shuddered lightly to think of a Cursebreaker being killed and their head on a spike, shrunken and unrecognizable, for the rest of time. “How many of them do you expect to try to rush in head first, despite the warning?” she asked with a small smirk. Honestly, if she hadn’t had a relationship to think of when she first started, Irina would have likely done it herself.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

I put my weight on constellations

Well, here's a revelation

June 2027
Irina Rose Krum

Archie nodded attentively as Irina confirmed her status. So many students passed through Archie’s classes, but he had a keen memory. He supposed it was good for his academic success and career afterward. Unfortunately, it meant his brain was also full of memories that only brought him pain. ”Oh, interesting. Do you find it more convenient?” Archie chuckled a bit. The world was such a small place at times, but she seemed happy to be taking on a mentor role. When Irina explained that her sister was a trainee, Archie nodded. He recognized the younger Ms. Krum. ”Yes, I believe I met Ivanka not long ago. Some trainees are still transitioning from the field but should all be in attendance by July.”

The change in how graduates were trained shifted a lot of things. While the trainees intended for the Ministry were nearby, those traveling needed time to arrive back on campus and make arrangements. It was why Archie had filled his lectures for June with easier topics. The newest trainees had not been in the field, so this information was brand new for them. Egypt was the most popular and accessible training ground, but he’d heard stories of gruesome injuries due to curse items and the like. It was a dangerous business, though Archie saved his warning about blood-related curses until the end of term. ”I think it's easy to forget that while Egypt is very easy to access and familiar—it doesn’t make it any less dangerous.” He gave a light shrug. Archie didn’t dwell on such things, though he personally had never encountered a shriveled cursed head. ”Well, I’ve never encountered a shriveled head.” Archie chuckled. Perhaps it was just a story. ”Not even at the museum.”

Before answering, Archie paused. There was some analysis he’d done on this topic, but in the end, it was a simple answer. ”All of them.” Even the calm and level-headed Archie had done so at one point. Everybody had different motivations. Some by the adventure, others out of ambition, and the last simply out of fear or anger. ”Who did you train with?” Archie asked curiously. ”I’ve been out of the field for a while, but I might know them.” Even retired cursebreakers were kept in the loop if they chose to be.

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[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina nodded, she was aware that the new system caused jobs like hers to have to rework themselves to be a better fit. When she started in the Cursebreaker job, she was immediately inducted into the training program, which included field work relatively early on. She was glad to see that some of the seminars offered would provide field work experience for those, like Ivanka, who presumed that after graduation they would go straight into the field. She supposed that the higher ups at Hogwarts had been toying with the idea of a change for some time now, but Elaine’s attack that destroyed the castle was the final nail in the coffin. “Ivanka was at first a little disappointed that her experience wouldn’t be quite like mine when starting off, but in my opinion I think this is better. It gives them two added years of routine and learning, and focusing only on the courses they need instead of a broad education. I am a little jealous, I must confess,” Irina explained, laughing lightly.

“I have seen one, but I’m still not entirely sure if it was a prank or not,” she admitted, thinking of the head one of the boys that had been a few years ahead of her in school had carried around on her first day. She had quickly learned that they were fond of pranking the newbies, so she couldn’t be sure what was real and what was fake. “My mentor was Renfri Selwyn, but as you know she’s now retired from Cursebreaking and a fellow professor here,” she told him, quite sure he would know who Renfri was. She had been quite well known in the field, and Irina had felt honored to be her mentee. They had both suffered injuries around the same time, though Irina’s did not end her Cursebreaking career, it had ended Renfri’s.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

I put my weight on constellations

Well, here's a revelation

June 2027
Irina Rose Krum

Part of the allure of this particular career was the adventure and running into something dangerous. There was glory attached to things like that, but Archie had learned early on that the risk was not worth the reward for some. And he had been one of those people. But many didn’t realize that Cursebreaking was more than simply spelunking in ancient caves or breaking open old Egyptian tombs. Gringott’s had many desk employees, a large legal department, and then outside of the bank, Museums hired many former Cursebreakers. Many, including himself, were consulted by the Ministry of Magic when dealing with exceptionally dangerous confiscated cursed contraband.

Archie nodded in agreement. ”And patience.” The one thing Archie stressed in his courses. Reading runes could be critical, and rushing meant misinterpreting. Archie would focus on traps and different types of dangers found in tombs for the class he was developing for the autumn term. In a controlled environment, of course. If an unlucky student did fall through the quicksand, they would be unharmed. Although they’d probably find sand in their ears or other places for weeks. But it would also depend on who joined their staff at that time. Renfri had taken on the more academic classes the students would take, but he had not been able to schedule this class in the summer with Magical Theory on his schedule.

”I think it helps the other Cursebreakers as well.” Archie added. ”There are certain areas where they’ll never send a Cursebreaker that isn’t seasoned.” He explained, and by seasoned, it meant those nearing almost a decade in the field, those that had survived at least one grueling injury and had the scars of others. He couldn’t imagine what that mentally was like. Would he have been as easygoing as he was with that many years under his belt? ”But those Cursebreakers are also tasked with training, which takes them away from that work.” The bank wanted its gold and rare items, some of which were only found in the most dangerous or illegal areas.

”Right—yes. She’ll be getting those that just graduated.” Her courses were more introductory, and Archie dealt with many more of the second-year trainees. ”She’s quite knowledgeable. I’m sure you learned a lot from her.” Renfri was a person with a presence, Archie had not worked with her in the field, but they’d spoken of their individual experiences before. All the ex-Cursebreakers on the staff worked well together, splitting up the classes to focus on their specialties. ”What’s your favorite part of it all?” Archie asked curiously.

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[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina laughed. “Renfri always would say how important patience was,” she agreed with a fond smile. “I think she had plenty of experiences when things went wrong due to impatience.” She was unaware of the full details on what had exactly happened when Renfri was injured into an early retirement, but judging on what little she was able to find out, impatience played a part. She had been lucky with her own injury; though it had indeed landed her in St. Mungo’s, it had not been anything that left her permanent damage. Her partner in that case had since left Gringotts, but before she had she had briefed Irina on what happened after she had been cursed. The tomb had belonged to a very wealthy but rather incompetent old wizard, whose curse had not been enacted properly, and therefore had not been deadly to the victim. To her.

Irina mused for a few moments when Archie asked what her favorite part of the job was. The pay was not bad, but Irina had been fortunate in that her father had been a very famous and successful Quidditch player, as was her mother to a slightly lesser extent, money had never been a big factor in her career plans. Getting to deflect old curses and discover fabulously valuable treasures was an excitement factor yes, but it had only taken Irina one case to treat that more warily. “I suppose it’s seeing new places,” she finally said. “Not just the tombs or vaults and whatever lies in there, but the different countries, cultures, and climates. The way people interact with each other, magical and Muggle alike. The languages, the foods, the folklore and mythology…” Irina trailed off, blushing lightly. “That was probably more of an answer than you were expecting,” she said with an awkward laugh.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

I put my weight on constellations

Well, here's a revelation

June 2027
Irina Rose Krum

Archie cracked a smile. Patience was the key concept for a young Cursebreaker to learn, even if they assumed they already had it. While he may not have been part of the ranks for very long, one year of Cursebreaking almost felt like a decade of experience compared to some careers. But that felt normal for such a field, and perhaps anything else high-risk and fast-paced such as Law Enforcement. Or at least he assumed. Once or twice he spotted a few of the visiting Law Enforcement employees who offered their expertise to teach a class or two. Suffice it to say that Archie would not be getting in their way anytime soon, and he was glad he easily got along with people.

Irina responded that she enjoyed the traveling part. ”So you’re an explorer?” Archie asked. Everybody did things for different reasons. Some were adventurers and risk-takers, then the explorers who wanted to travel the world and see everything. Archie always figured he fell in with the scholars. It was not far off from explorers, but he wanted to know and see everything. The countries and cultures but the tombs and hidden secrets as well. How did it all link together? Where was the hidden puzzle? Working at the Museum had satisfied that curiosity to a degree, but nothing was like the field.

He had to smile again. Irina’s answer was lengthy but hardly elaborate. ”Not at all. It makes perfect sense.” Archie paused, thinking of his students. How many saw themselves as adventurers but would willingly take a desk job in a year? ”I like to ask my students why are they here?” Archie explained. ”It's curious to see if their reasons have changed after a few years.” That was the challenge, he found, as a professor and trainer. How to let these bright-eyed kids know that what they were walking into was not some adventure story in a children’s book. But how to tell them without crushing their spirit—that was the hard part.

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[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina couldn’t help but stand a little straighter when Archie asked if she was an explorer. “Oh yes, I always have been,” she breathed eagerly. It had been her favorite make-believe game to play as a child, which she would usually get her younger sisters to play along with. Her brother had been more interested in broomsticks and his mates than playing games with his silly sisters after all. Her mother had not been that enthusiastic either, but her father had encouraged her imaginative expeditions into the woods surrounding their houses in Bulgaria and outside Appleby-in-Westmorland. There had been that incident in the caves, but Irina had overcome that fear in her years at Hogwarts. Cursebreaking wasn’t the safest profession in the wizarding world, but it made her feel alive. Judging by what had happened during her years at Hogwarts, she sometimes felt very lucky to still be breathing.

Looking around, a sad expression crossed over Irina's face. The new campus where Hogwarts had once stood was beautiful, and truth be told Irina was jealous that her sister could continue on in her education by taking speciality courses to directly help with her career. And yet there had been something so familiar about the old castle. Something…indestructible almost. But of course it wasn’t, as Elaine had proven. “Is it strange? Being on the grounds but Hogwarts as we knew it is no longer there?” she asked curiously.

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