Entropic Reflections Continuum [Rhys]

[juniper minerva mcgonagall]

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February 14, 2028

There were two competing voices inside Juniper McGonagall’s head as she stood in the entrance hall to the brand new LIFE building, waiting to begin her tour of the facilities for Rhys. He was currently signing paperwork to sign on as a professor for the cursebreaking department, having been given the nudge by herself a month earlier. There were plenty of able bodied cursebreakers, but for what the school specifically needed, he definitely had the right stuff for it. So that was why there was one voice telling her that she was doing the right thing here, by finding the most useful teacher possible for Hogwarts and getting him the job, and the other that was saying she was starting to wander down the road where lines were blurred.

But they were just friends now. To some it would probably look like she was trying to edge her way back in, but she was absolutely not a homewrecker. Her sister, maybe, but not Juniper. Despite everything the two of them had gone through, he was still her oldest friend, and to be able to move past a lot of that and grow from it was an exceptional feat. She knew very few others that had managed that. Everything was made so much easier with the magic-phones now too, and not having to be in an area that allowed muggle wireless service to come through. Her own flat that she’d been in for a few years now was fully muggle, so she’d never had any issues. Being able to reach out just to say hello or send a funny picture now didn’t seem so impossible. Or even when she finally got her green potion splotch on her leg covered with her dragon tattoo late last summer. Where was that when she needed it years ago?

The only problem they’d have today was that it was Valentine’s Day, and she knew she couldn’t hold onto him forever at the school. Even if it was a work thing, Juniper wasn’t ready to have daggers stared at her from a certain Fortescue. Luckily, the grounds and building were quiet, mostly because a lot of students were in Hogsmeade at the ‘Cupid-A-Palooza’, or whatever it was called. Which meant they’d practically have the whole school to themselves to cruise around quickly. And then Rhys could be on his way if he needed to be.

Rocking back and forth on her heels, Juniper waited patiently. Only just last year she was in a similar position, though with a dozen or so other newly minted professors, being given a tour of the new grounds. A lot had changed in the parts that hadn’t survived. It was always a shock to people when they saw it for the first time. Places they once knew were gone and completely renovated; others had survived but had to be built around anew. She was still getting lost occasionally in the old parts of the castle that still stood, her feet walking her through corridors she’d been down hundreds of times as a student. There was a solemness to it all too. She reminded herself daily that even though some things were gone, it didn’t do her well to dwell on them for too long. Sometimes they came back, albeit different. Like Rhys.

rhys alexander greyback ● 551 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

many years have passed

since those summer days

February 14, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys felt the irritation in his eyes; perhaps it was this ‘love is in the air’ phenomenon he heard so much about. It wasn’t that Rhys didn’t believe in love, but he felt far too practical for that. Coming off this last job, Rhys arrived in the wee hours of the morning, running on just a few hours of sleep. But today was a busy day. Rhys finally agreed to teach at the school until the summertime to ensure this batch of trainees was ready for the field. The refocus to classroom training was controversial. Personally, Rhys had mixed feelings. So, what better way to ensure he did everything he could to ensure a life was lost on his watch again?

He didn’t know why Juniper’s push ended up being the one he needed to accept. Maybe because she knew how to ask him these things? Well—he was here now. Later, he would walk up to Hogsmeade to meet up with Vasilia. It was Valentine’s Day, after all. And she was expecting him. Maybe later in the evening or early tomorrow, he would see Sage and Amelia. As it was, he’d arranged for flowers to be delivered to them. Sage and Rhys didn’t always get along or agree, but their mutual goal to co-parent Amelia seemed to be working.

Rhys's eyes darted around as he approached the new grounds, trying to capture all the changes and differentiating between what seemed familiar and what was new. It was quite a bit to take in, but then the corner of his mouth upturned at another site. She still sported large frames that Rhys could spot a mile away. A chance encounter the previous year reopened a line of communication between himself and Juniper. Still, the look on Nell’s face and Rob’s reaction to seeing a message on his phone screen had through him for a loop. He didn’t see the big deal. Years had passed, their lives were different, and it might as well have been two different people becoming friends again.

He was in a relationship with Vasilia for two years now. Committing in such a way after Juniper was a feat in itself. But he felt happy, plus Amelia’s presence in his life had changed Rhys for the better. In his view, there wasn’t a good reason to not remain friends with Juniper. Plus, there was a comfort in reconnecting with someone who truly knew him. She knew things he had not told Sage or even Vasilia, but only due to time. ”Don’t tell me you have all the students in detention already?” Rhys asked a bit loud, announcing his presence. The campus seemed lacking in foot traffic unless he’d just arrived at a slow time.

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Even though they had bumped into one another a few times over the last few years, today was easily going to be the longest they'd spent together since, well, since they'd broken up. The thought of that didn't immediately find its way to the front of her thoughts, but as Rhys approached where she was standing, Juniper did start thinking about it. This was okay, right? They were both adults and professionals in their field. And Rhys didn't need permission from his girlfriend to get a new job if he wanted to. Despite Juniper's own qualms about cursebreaking, she never once tried to force him to quit. Gentle guidance towards other careers that focused on history or cursed objects was more like it, but she always knew that trying to forcefully take that away from him would be disastrous. Even if it was blatantly obvious it led to an unhealthy lifestyle for him. That was why it ended both times. They couldn't come to an agreement on it. Hopefully those in his life now could appreciate this change, even if it was brief. She did when he'd been at the museum. The reassurance that death was less likely was absolutely a game changer.

"Ahhh no. I don't really give those out," she laughed. Some of her students would try to make it a challenge if she did. 'Piss off McG and she'll look like an angry puffskein', or something like that. Juniper was here to teach, not dictate the lives of students. "A lot of them don't even live on campus either, so it sort of doesn't apply to the LIFE students anymore," she explained further. Now, if that Transfiguration position ever opened in MAGIC...that was a different story. Being the overachiever that she was, Juniper had already created hypothetical lesson plans if she was ever given the chance to apply. While it wasn't optimal to keeping her job at Witch TV, she also wouldn't be opposed to moving on and teaching at Hogwarts full time. Sometimes change was necessary.

"My Advanced Transfiguration class should all be in Hogsmeade. I noticed yesterday when Blishwick's people were setting up, they were using quite a number of spells that I've taught recently. So they're out there hunting them down for next class." Emphasis on the should. She really didn't care as it wasn't an assignment in the strictest sense. A secondary piece of homework was given out that was actually graded, but she was thinking of giving bonus points to anyone that did the former. "So," Juniper reframed herself, "We should start where you'll be the most. There's sort of a whole wing now for History of Magic, cursebreakers, and the likes." Waving him to follow, Juniper started off in the direction she was talking about.

rhys alexander greyback ● 464 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

many years have passed

since those summer days

February 14, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Well, it seemed much more had changed than Rhys realized regarding the school structure. ”LIFE is 6th and 7th year, right?” He clarified. Two basically optional years of school. Rhys figured he would have stuck around to earn his NEWTs since his goal was to make something of himself in the end, but perhaps he could have been spared the experience of dealing with trolls like Bagman and others who clearly had no academic interests. The structure overall, however, seemed a lot more flexible. Many other questions entered Rhys’s mind, but he figured the answers would come in due time.

”Right…” Of course, the Hogsmeade event. Rhys had mostly forgotten about the event, only focusing on the fact that he was spending the day with his girlfriend. A part of him cringed at the thought of such ridiculousness, but as much as he told himself he would never—he always ended up at these things by the choice of another. Vasilia could easily drag Rhys to these things, but he’d been much the same with Juniper. ”Vector told me a bit about how the program is structured. He seems alright.” The explanations had all been fairly high-level, but if there was ever a group that excelled at planning but also reacted to change, it was this group. ”Last year’s trainees weren’t thrilled about this year.” From fieldwork to the classroom. Rhys felt he would have also been unhappy.

Rhys strolled next to Juniper, but his pace wasn’t ever fast to allow others to keep up with him. The muscle memory always kicked in. He scanned the buildings around him, noting their appearance differences or any signs indicating where he was. Learning the layout would not be difficult for him, but he could imagine others had a far more difficult time. ”So, how do you like teaching?”

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“Correct,” Juniper answered. ”And they don’t have to live on campus if they don’t want to.” Weirdly, she had thought about that quite a bit. Had she been put in this situation as a student, it wouldn’t have mattered because her commute to campus would still only be twenty or so minutes. But it would solve so many of the problems that she had with having to travel all the way to London to take the train. Seven long years of it. And even more before that, as she was forced to go with her family when her siblings were being dropped off there. Now it wasn’t required, and the students of Hogsmeade would never have to suffer again.

Rhys brought up that Archie had told him a few things about the cursebreaker program, which she assumed included other aspects of the school as well. It was good that he would have others like him here. Ones that also understood what the transition from cursebreaker to normal was. Juniper obviously wasn’t here to tell Rhys what he could or could not do with his life anymore, but she also knew what it was like whenever he started to struggle with adapting. She hoped that with the amount of time that had passed since their last heated discussion over it, he had learned and knew how to handle it. Hopefully this wasn’t going to be the museum all over again. She’d hate it if she put poor Vasilia in the same position that she had been in four years prior.

”I imagine it’s difficult,” she mused about the trainees being restless. She knew what that looked like as well. Rhys must have forgotten that she was there every step of the way and saw firsthand what it was like. The enthusiasm towards being able to explore, never second guessing that the next job could be their last. Just thinking about it made her chest tighten. Most of the students now had probably lost someone they knew over the last few years. None of it was fair. But at least they knew what it felt like. She hoped that would lead those that chose the more dangerous career paths towards a life of caution. Not enough that it hindered them, but to be careful with how they approached everything. Life was fleeting. It was far too easy for someone to just…slip away from existence.

As they walked, Juniper watched him look around at all of the new buildings that had been erected on the campus. It was a marvel. Somehow it still retained some of the feeling that the castle used to have. Rhys asked if she liked teaching, and she nodded, feeling her mood shift towards a more positive one again. ”Now that I look back at it, I realize that I should have focused on it to begin with. It’s amazing seeing how intelligent the students are, and how quickly they grasp some of the harder concepts I throw at them. I sort of forgotten what it was like after the Ministry beat all of the happiness out of me.”

rhys alexander greyback ● 521 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

many years have passed

since those summer days

February 14, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Again, Rhys shook his head. He supposed it all made sense, but the contrast to their education still surprised him. It only reminded Rhys how their Hogwarts education ended nearly a decade ago. Where did the time go? And the contrast between then and now mentally gave him pause. He supposed focusing on the trainees would help keep his thoughts at bay. ”They’re just eager, I suppose.” Plus, they’ve tasted the life and now have to sit behind a desk. Rhys could only imagine how intolerable he would have been should that have occurred a year into his training.

”He ask you to convince me?” Rhys throw out the question very casually. It wouldn’t change his decision. And he figured it wouldn’t hurt to know more about his new colleagues since he'd joined the staff. Especially since Vector would act as his superior in a sense. The other invited Cursebreakers were not strangers. The community was small in a sense despite the great distances traveled. Plus, Rhys had also volunteered Dahlia. As someone he trusted in all ways, this was a good chance for her to learn and teach. Rhys’s next stop on his information journey would be a visit to Casimir Karkaroff, his old mentor in those early days. But Rhys figured he would know Vector and his work firsthand.

It was plainly clear to Rhys that Juniper was not lying about her work. He noted the small changes in her expression and eyes, things he never noted when she spoke about her Ministry work. Plus, there was the growth from the girl he’d met during their first year, who hardly gave Rhys the time of day when he asked a question during class. ”Well…” Rhys began to respond. ”You look happy.” It wasn’t hard to spot someone who desperately hated their job just as much as it was easy to find someone who truly enjoyed their work. A career rather than just a job. Rhys and Juniper were friends, and he still cared about her as such. His heart was with someone else now, but Rhys always hoped the best for her regardless of their history.

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Juniper didn't respond, aside from a small hum that she heard him. Eager to dive into tombs and caverns guarded by ancient, deadly magic that was more than lethal still? Despite everything Juniper knew of the career, she still hadn't grasped what was so alluring about cursebreaking. Was it the adventure? The thrill of being on death's door the entire time? The money? Not even Saffron could explain it to her, instead offering a shrug of her shoulders and changing the conversation. There were enough that she knew of now that had gotten out of the trade, and she planned on asking their thoughts on it. Even if they were still helping train new recruits, they were at least in a position where they were safe from the temptations of a new dungeon crawl. They were all crazy, and somehow she'd made it her life goal to be right on the fringe of it at all times. Whatever was pulling them in, she was attracted by it too and had yet to figure out why.

The proposal from Archie had been more along the lines of a casting call: if anyone knew of cursebreakers that were free and wanted to make use of their abilities whilst home. That was when she approached him about Rhys, because she knew what it would be like if he idled for too long without doing work for the bank. This would maybe scratch that itch. "I was the one that gave him your name first," she clarified. "And it looks like I was right about how you'd sign on." It was hard not to be smug about it. Juniper trusted her instincts on these sorts of things quite a bit. She knew if it was dangled a certain way in front of Rhys, he'd bite.

"After the last few years we've all been through, we all deserve to be happy," she tacked onto what Rhys was saying. But yes, she was happier at Witch TV and teaching here. To be able to do both was like a dream for her. If it ever came down to choosing between one or the other, she had already decided that teaching would be it. Her time at Witch TV would eventually come to an end anyways, and moving what she'd learned to Hogwarts wasn't as difficult as she had first thought. "But yeah, I am. It took a little bit for things to settle, but I'm glad the way it turned out."

While they talked, they had gotten closer to the building that almost all of the cursebreaker trainees used for their classes. In architecture, it matched the rest of the school. There was also what Juniper could only describe as a gymnasium in the middle of it, which she assumed was used for training drills. "Well, here's the building you'll find yourself in the most. Pretty easy to get to from the main hall, and then that path right over there," she pointed to a set of stairs that led down along the side of the building and wrapped around behind it, "Connects right to the one that goes to Hogsmeade. Sort of a shortcut than having to go all the way around all of these buildings."

rhys alexander greyback ● 541 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

many years have passed

since those summer days

February 14, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys managed a light chuckle, shaking his head. If anyone knew him best, it was the woman before him. He had to congratulate the tactic. Receiving that letter out of the blue from Vector was one thing but getting a message from Juniper was another. Like it hit an entirely different part of his brain. But, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? When discussing the matter with Vasilia and his sisters they brought up good points like spending time with his daughter. Really, that was enough to quell most of Rhys’ reservations. The idea of lingering in one place for so long still left him unsure, not to mention how students would feel seeing his name on their schedules.

”Archer signed on to focus on Potions. Vector says he might want me on Charms.” Rhys added. He never figured he specialized in any one particular area. They relied on their knowledge to get the job done and stay alive when in the field. He also doubted that Archer had received a personal message from Juniper, and he wasn’t even sure they’d ever spoken outside of those old times with Saffron. Nodding in acknowledgment, Rhys agreed with her statement. Life would always have its ups and downs, and Rhys hoped he could continue to keep himself above water. For a moment, he considered adding something about them. But he refrained. Seeing Juniper happy, even without him, did make him happy. And he felt happy with Vasilia and Amelia.

”Its pretty easy to get turned around here, isn’t it?” Rhys slowly took steps to begin to inspect the exterior of the building. So far, he knew where he was in respect to the entrance. Knowing his steps was part of his training, after all. ”Do you think you’ll end up teaching full-time?” Rhys asked curiously. He had a lot regarding the school. His phone now had a group chat with most other Cursebreakers visiting as he was. It had taken him a week or so to figure out how to turn off the constant notifications, which were beginning to intrude on his actual sleep. ”And I heard there’s a pub on campus now?” That had to be a rumor; nonetheless, he was hopeful.

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Juniper hated to admit it, but she wasn’t completely up to speed on how the cursebreaker program operated. She knew Archie essentially ran the training and also had several other classes on top of his Arithmancy that he had already been doing prior to the recent school changes. With Archer taking over the Potions aspect and Rhys apparently doing Charms, that seemed to round things out quite well. And then she was in the other branch, General Studies, with the lifelong professors and academics. There was so much going on at Hogwarts now that it was impossible to keep up with it all. As long as cliques of professors didn’t form, she was fine with continuing on with her job. It wasn’t like she needed it either. If all else failed, she still had Witch TV.

”Quite easy, actually,” Juniper said as she watched him walk around the building. ”It’s not as annoying as the moving staircases, but having all of these added in definitely makes it hard sometimes.” She motioned at all of the brand new buildings that encircled them. There were still times where she walked into the wrong one, only to realize after making a few turns that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. And then came the part of trying to find an exit. Juniper swore there were charms added to the corridors that made it hard to find a door outside, as there were quite a few dead ends that should not have existed.

Rhys asked about her teaching, and if she would go full-time. That was an excellent question. ”Only if the position in MAGIC opens up. It’s not that I couldn’t sustain myself with my classes I teach now, but if that becomes available, I would put all of my time and effort into it.” She had decided after only a few months that it was her goal, assuming it would be free at some point. To be able to have the same job that her great aunt held for so long…it felt like a dream to her. Speaking of, her little bubble of daydream popped when Rhys asked about the pub. ”Err yeah, there is,” she eyed him. ”I’ll show you at the end.”

Heading towards the door of the building, Juniper yanked it open with all of her weight pulling at it. They really needed to make them lighter. She was getting tired of using her wand to open it. ”Ready to see inside?”

rhys alexander greyback ● 415 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

many years have passed

since those summer days

February 14, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Rhys knew he didn’t know all of the Cursebreakers who were also part of this effort. It seemed they were around the same age range, however. It made him wonder if the numbers would continue to decrease as he grew older. He supposed many Cursebreakers settled down, got injured, or stepped away for whatever reason. He didn’t want to think about how many were no longer with them. Saffron crossed his mind again. Like other losses in his life, Rhys added his late best friend to the rest of the baggage. And despite the truth of their accident revealing itself years prior, Rhys still harbored plenty of guilt around it.

”At least the moving staircases were consistent.” The tricky part had always been timing, like ending up on the wrong end of a series of traffic lights. Once, during a time when he had learned to ride a motorbike, he watched as muggles waved and flapped their arms as a light signaled to stop. One might have thought they were attempting wandless magic. At Hogwarts, Rhys had walked onto the wrong floor simply because the staircase appeared before his feet while his mind was elsewhere once or twice. ”How do the students seem to like it?” Max was no longer in school to ask such questions. The very last part of her last year was marked by the destruction of such an institution.

Rhys felt it a bit sacrilege that a McGonagall was teaching but not at the helm of Transfiguration as her Great Aunt had once done. Like with Vector, who Rhys had rightfully assumed taught Arithmancy, some things just matched up. At least she could use her talent in some educational capacity. Rhys missed the momentary look Juniper gave him when he inquired about the pub. As far as he was concerned, his drinking had decreased. The last thing he needed was to be anything but alert when he had Amelia with him. It cost him sleep at times, but he supposed his fear of not being able to protect her was stronger than any craving for whiskey. And truth be told, she kept him quite busy. Who knew toddlers contained so much energy? Amelia was no exception, constantly moving around or trying to climb something, especially if she saw anything that glinted in the distance. Rhys was convinced she was part niffler sometimes.

”Sure.” Juniper yanked the door open. Rhys held his hand to keep it open so he could walk behind her. The corridors were long with many doors. The walls were lined with various posters and other things. Maps of faraway places. Many references, of course, to Egypt. Still a hotspot for their community. And naturally, the building was far bigger on the inside than it seemed. ”Merlin…I wouldn’t have minded training here a bit…” Not to mention it would have meant less time away at such a young age. ”These trainees have no idea how good they have it.” Rhys remarked as they strolled, shaking his head slightly. For the most part, they were good kids. Some were more annoying than others, but after a decade, a senior cursebreaker like himself could spot the ones who would make it far in this field.

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Juniper supposed she could agree with him on the fact that the stairs seemed to have consistent timing and that getting off on the wrong floor was mostly user error than anything else. They also seemed like they might have a mind of their own, managing to always turn the wrong way whenever she had been running late to class. Which only happened once her seventh year because she was preoccupied all morning with someone. The memory was silly and made her laugh to herself. It was funny looking back on it ten years later. At the time, she thought the world was going to end for missing the start to one class because she had decided to be a proper teenager for once in her life.

”Hard to tell so far,” she dashed the memory quickly. ”The ones that are only here to check off the graduation box but live off campus definitely only show up for classes and then leave right after. I like to think that my students are more invested since I am teaching what used to be the equivalent of the NEWT level Transfiguration,” Juniper explained further. ”Also, being one of the younger professors sort of makes them see me as more of their friend than as a teacher? It’s hard to explain. I’m sure you’ve seen it before with some of your past trainees.” That was really the only difference between the two of them now. Rhys had picked up training before, and now it was under and official lens instead of how the bank liked to do things. Merlin, they had even allowed him to train his one sister a few years back. That seemed incredibly dumb, considering. But nothing Gringotts did ever made much sense to her anyways.

The one highlight of different departments having entire buildings or wings at the school now was that the professors could actually show off. This one was no exception, and she watched closely as Rhys took it all in. ”A lot less sand, right?” she joked as they walked through it. From her understanding, they would eventually make it to the location in Egypt where the practice tomb was, but all of their basic skills were trained here in a safe and advanced program. ”I haven’t seen it yet, but supposedly the law enforcement department has some insane training grounds too. Full dueling courts that can be changed out for different scenarios.” Now that, she wanted to see. They were a little stricter with who could wander in though, and probably for good reason. Nothing she couldn’t see by being a cat though.

rhys alexander greyback ● 438 ● Song by Artist

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[rhys alexander greyback]

many years have passed

since those summer days

February 14, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

Juniper’s reasoning made sense. It was likely that Rhys would have remained living on campus if this structure existed in Hogwarts before. Perhaps one of the few LIFE students to do so, but he was used to those things by then, much like staying behind for the holiday break until Juniper joined him those last two years. ”Or you’re a good teacher?” Rhys suggested. Neither was known for their exceptional people skills before, but time tended to change things without one noticing. But in terms of Cursebreaker trainees, he wasn’t sure it was equivalent entirely.

”Hardly.” He responded flatly. ”I can usually tell which ones will make it through training quickly. Occasionally, one will surprise me.” Suffice it to say that Rhys was hard on his trainees. Why? Because that was how they would learn. This wasn’t some theoretical exercise anymore, and every decision counted. And Rhys could see old friendships in the fray and new connections formed. The teams almost formed themselves in the end, but that natural two-year process created strong foundations. The last thing Rhys wanted was for any of them, regardless of how annoying, to feel the pain he and Archer felt receiving the news that day in St. Mungo’s.

”This group has a few good ones. One of them somehow speaks more often than she breathes.” The redhead was the personification of a firecracker. For a moment, he was reminded of Lily, whom he’d grown to know through his estranged younger brother. But this trainee could focus when necessary, though her temper seemed as short as Rhys’s. He chuckled. ”So I shouldn’t track sand into your office?” Rhys joked in return. Sand hadn’t bothered him for the most part. Sometimes, he didn’t notice. Other times, he felt every grain hitting his skin all at once. But Juniper had most certainly hated it.

Rhys tried to imagine a similar building style for law enforcement. Over the years, he’d worked with various members, especially unofficially through the Order—Aurors like Claire and Bianca. The occasional hit wizard like James. ”Impressive.” Ideas already began to run through Rhys’s mind, such as letting the Auror and Cursebreaker trainees try to blast each other with spells and see who came out at the end. Two incredibly highly trained groups with different skill sets at the same time. ”And the younger students? I imagine it’s the same as before?” Their basics in Charms, Potions, and all that—he wondered how different it looked here.

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She thought about Rhys’s suggestion for a moment. ”Maybe?” she shrugged. That was honestly a good question that she didn’t know. For the Advanced Transfiguration class, which was mostly first year LIFE students, everything was smooth sailing and they seemed to be comprehending everything fairly well. Part of that was because she utilized the MAGIC curriculum and simply made it more difficult. It was merely a continuation of that class after all. Her other one though…there tended to be a lot more theoretical questions posed in it and that didn’t always do well with the students that staunchly followed what was in the textbooks. In their defense, she didn’t think she was going to be teaching it again after this year. There was too much grey area in it and she didn’t even feel like she had a solid grasp on a lot of the human transfiguration aspects outside of being an animagus. That could easily be incorporated into her normal class anyways, and seeing as the MAGIC professor was one as well, the students should have been accustomed to it by the time they got to her. ”I guess I’ll know in a few months when my evals come in.”

Juniper had to keep reminding herself that the cursebreaker program and her general studies were vastly different. Those in the former were there because they wanted to be. The same with the law enforcement branch. The classes were only being held at Hogwarts because the new campus had the space and wanted to make use of it. Her students were more of the traditional academically inclined, or at least it seemed that way to her. She assumed that eventually she would get a few that were in the other branches but were being allowed to take her class as well. That seemed like something that should be happening. Well-rounded witches and wizards excelled after all.

”Might be a bit difficult to do that,” Juniper countered. ”Adjuncts in general studies don’t get individual offices. We have a shared one in our building. You might get one though…” That was something he would have to ask Archie about. There weren’t a whole lot of them as it were. At most, they’d maybe have to share an office. Two desks could easily be shoved together in the ones that she had briefly seen.


Rhys then asked about the MAGIC students, and she nodded her head. ”Right. But just the basics from first through fifth. None of the electives until they hit LIFE, as far as I’m aware. I think the thought process behind it is for them to master those before they move into a specialization for however long they want.” It seemed a little silly to her that they completely removed Care of Magical Creatures and Divination out of the core curriculum. Supposedly it was because having thirteen-year-olds trying to handle relatively dangerous magical creatures was frowned upon more these days. Only one or two kids had accidentally lost a finger during her and Rhys’s time at school. Nothing a quick trip to the hospital wing couldn’t fix though.

”Once you’re ready, we can move onto the next wing. I find it easier to go outside and go from the front than to walk the corridors between them. It’s sort of all the same.” She also really disliked going through the part that housed WADA. It was…loud. All the time. While the furthest from where she normally was, it was still annoying. ”And then after that, I’ll show you the MAGIC area. That’s basically the old castle with some changes.” Juniper figured she’d hold off on MYSTIC. Rhys would be there in only a few short years for his daughter anyways.

rhys alexander greyback ● 620 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[rhys alexander greyback]

many years have passed

since those summer days

February 14, 2028
juniper minerva mcgonagall

”I’m sure you’ll do well.” Rhys assured her. Not everyone was destined for such a career, not even the most intelligent in their fields, but if Juniper was handling it so far, Rhys didn’t doubt her abilities. In the back of his mind, Rhys also noted how she always patiently dealt with him and his stuff. Not to mention, her opinion was trusted enough to take her suggestion of Rhys as a trainer. He knew well enough. Still, he thought to know how she would doubt herself occasionally. But she brought up a point he hadn’t considered—offices. He didn’t suppose an entire office to himself was necessary, but he supposed having somewhere to hide wasn’t a terrible idea.

Fewer electives until the later years was an odd approach. But the logic seemed sound. He didn’t comment on it while he let his brain work with the new information. He wondered what that would mean for future trainee classes, considering if they would even be his problem at that point. Every once in a while, Rhys thought about the future and what that meant. These days, looking in the mirror only reminded him of all he’d gone through. From his werewolf bite to large scars when Saffron died. And the various other ones from his other adventures. Cuts and bruises from everyday life healed, and magic rendered scars almost invisible, but curses were an entirely different business.

”Alright.” Rhys agreed to her approach, happy to follow. But then, a voice behind them caught his attention as it echoed in their direction. ’Juniper!’ The man caught up to them, he was a few inches shorter than Rhys though clearly a few years older. ’You must be Rhys. Octavian Vector, but please call me Archie.’ Rhys nodded, shaking the man’s hand. Archie then turned to Juniper, grinning broadly. ’Thank you again for showing him around.’ They seemed friendly, but they did work together, he supposed. ’Alright, I need you to sign a few things, and you should be all set!’ Rhys looked at Juniper. This meant the tour would be cut short, and he’d have to leave for Hogsmeade soon in any case. ”Sure.” He responded to Vector before saying goodbye to Juniper. ”You’ll have to give me the rest of the tour another time.”

[ end rhys ]

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