Three's Company -- ARCHIE & IVANKA

[Irina Rose Krum]

october 2028

It had been an unusually quiet week in Irina’s schedule. After the excursion to Belarus after Ivankas graduation, she had been in Tibet for 3 weeks followed by a week in Chile’s mountains with no break. So she should be happy to have a lull. But Irina was a little restless. She had her siblings round for dinner once and had gone out a few nights, but she found herself itching to do something useful. Then she had heard a former cursebreaker for Gringotts, Archie, needed a few current cursebreaker volunteers to help with his upper level LIFE students. Even though Irina KNEW Ivanka was one of those students, the course outline sounded interesting. She did fit the bill after all, so she had signed up for a time on a Wednesday; she knew a few of her fellow Cursebreakers taught there part time as well and she wondered if she’d see them.

Irina arrived early to the class; she had been to campus enough times and with Ivanka in the same career path as herself, it proved much easier than she expected to find. As she entered, she looked around, remembering what it was like to be a student. She wasn’t a student now, but nor was she a professor. Should she take a seat on the aisle somewhere? Stand off to one side? The latter won out; making sure she wasn’t blocking the door and she found herself nearby a glass display case. She began to study it, so whenever the next person came in she wouldn’t look totally out of place.

octavian archimedes vector jr. && ivanka luise krum

[ivanka luise krum]

October 2028

Even though she had balked at the idea of going back to Hogwarts instead of working in the field to finish up her training as a Curse-Breaker, Ivanka actually didn't hate being at an even higher level of study than what was required of her to get back into the career she had planned for post-NEWTs. Having more classroom experience under her belt wasn't as much of a curse on her prospects as she had worried it might be. In addition to buying herself more time to hone her skills without putting her life at risk, she could do more of what she really enjoyed without having to factor in traveling to countless other places on little sleep or calculating the worth of whatever she might be bringing back to Gringotts because it would actually relate to her compensation.

If she wanted to see what life was like on the other side of training, she didn't have to look far. Her own sister, Irina, was a few years ahead of where she would have been in a world without the existence of LIFE, and the pace of her schedule had been a lot. (Curse-Breaking was fast-paced regardless, but Ivanka had lost track of how many countries Irina had been to for work over just a few months.) The jealousy that Ivanka felt at Irina's actually getting to see the world was lessened by the thought of running around on zero sleep, and she wasn't sure how her older sister had avoided burning out completely.

What was good for both of them was that Irina finally got a break from the grueling work she'd been doing across multiple continents. Since they lived together, it was nice to actually see Irina for a change. They could get on each other's nerves sometimes, but they really did love each other.

Ivanka had left for Hogwarts a little bit earlier than was necessary that day, wanting to return a book that she had checked out from the library before she had to go to class. She returned the book without an issue, then she made her way over to where the Ancient Studies classrooms were. It was nothing new to her, and she was firmly in a routine. As one of the few students who had continued on beyond the minimum requirements to work in the field as a Curse-Breaker, Ivanka was used to looking like an overachiever, so she didn't really think anything about going into the lecture hall where Professor Vector would be teaching before other students had gotten there.

Instead of arriving to an empty room, however, Ivanka arrived to find Irina standing there, looking at one of the displays. Obviously, she wasn't expecting to come across her sister on campus. It could have been more unexpected, true; they were technically in the same career, and it wasn't as though Irina didn't know her schedule. But to have her in the same room where she was expected to be attending class was worrisome. The difference was that Irina didn't look worried, which at least calmed Ivanka's momentary fears of some sort of family emergency.

"Hey, Irina…" Ivanka started, though she wasn't sure how to finish her sentence. There had to have been something wrong, and she felt compelled to switch from English into Bulgarian to keep anyone from eavesdropping on them.

Irina Rose Krum
octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

Gonna hold up half the sky and say

Only I own me

October 2028
Irina Rose Krum
ivanka luise krum

Archie had to admit the turnout for these advanced classes was far higher than anticipated. Granted, he could not force the visiting professors to stay for the entire school year, but Archie was experienced enough to carry on whatever subjects he could. Many who had opted for additional education rather than going directly into field work had lamented that ‘Advanced Shield Charms’ was unavailable for the fall term, but ‘Advanced Charms’ would continue. This was an essential field and skill for a cursebreaker; he would focus on knowledge and speed.

Unfortunately, he had been unable to convince Greyback to continue the class into the fall term, but Archie could hardly blame him. He was clearly skilled and valuable for the bank in the field, but perhaps he could try again next year or recruit Juniper to speak to him again. It was she who had convinced him to help in the first place. Ultimately, Archie hoped teaching could become a far more valuable option for retired Cursebreakers. Today’s course was ‘Advanced Charms’ with some Ancient Ruins, but the class size would be small. Most graduated trainees sprinted into the field without a second thought. But considering the ringer they’d been put through to qualify, Archie felt far less concerned than if they’d gone through his trainee years.

Archie pushed the door with his shoulder and prayed his bag would not slip off his shoulder. Quickly, he placed his books on the desk and spotted students who arrived early. Except only one was a student. ”Irina! Glad you could make it.” Fewer volunteers came by during the Summer and Fall terms, but he appreciated all who did. And it had been some time since he’d last spoken with Irina. His eyes moved to the other girl. ”Hello Ivanka. We still have another ten minutes or so.” Or something like that. Archie felt far more relaxed at this level of education than whatever discipline he imposed on his younger students. ”So tell me, how was Tibet?”

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[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina smiled as her sister Ivanka entered the classroom. "Hey little sister," she said, then noticing the look on Ivanka's face, quickly clarified "I'm here at the request of your Professor, nothing serious." She reached out and squeezed her shoulder, before looking around and seeing the professor in question, Octavian Vector, enter the room.  She inclined her head at him, and gave Ivanka a 'told you' sort of look.  "Of course, I must admit I am eager to see what Lufkin has come up with for coursework specializing in Cursebreaking.  Though perhaps I may end up feeling jealous that I graduated several years ago."  Her expression sobered.  The reason for the upheaval in magical education, had of course been the destruction of the original Hogwarts castle.  Even with these added courses, Irina wouldn't have traded her time in the great stone castle for anything.

"Tibet was illuminating," she responded with a brighter expression when Archie asked about her recent trip.  "It was the first time I'd been back in the field since my accident, so I was eager to get there.  Apparently the cursed tomb had an attempted raid the previous month, and their Ministry is worried someones trying to target the Buddist temples and monasteries."  Irina did not pretend that she fully understood Buddhism, but from her limited interactions with the Muggle monks who safeguarded the monastery where the tomb was located, they were a very peaceful sort that certainly didn't deserve to be targeted.  "I had a lot more communication with Muggles than usual, but then the tomb was in the monastery they lived in.  They were....well, I sometimes wonder if certain Muggles have an innate sense that magic exists, and I certainly felt that there," she finished with a half shrug.

ivanka luise krum
octavian archimedes vector jr.